YEAR'S END

Sunday 1st December 2024

Done precious little today, and I’ve enjoyed it. A lazy Sunday at Jen’s place, watching the UK Snooker final. Judd Trump and Barry Hawkins. Great match. Hawkins trailing throughout, only by just a frame or two towards the end with some magnificent long pots and super snookers. But Judd got it. The commentary was good, including grim humour from Stephen Hendry. Me and Jenni grazed on more party food from yesterday’s writing marathon. 10.42pm.

Monday 2nd December 2024

Tidied up writing marathon stuff in Jen’s place and got X70 bus to Consett. Raining. Nipped into Iceland for bread and razors. Then home. Booted up the desktop and got next marathon promo done, posted Saturday’s pix to Facebook. Had some good responses and hope to sell better than last one. Lisette Auton gave a mint endorsement. I watched episode four of Happy Valley series two legally coz I’ve paid my TV licence fee. Aim to get a lot more admin done tomorrow. Would have liked to pull a pamphlet together before end of year but not sure I’ll have time with everything going on. Tinnitus really loud. House very cold. 11.25pm.

Tuesday 3rd December 2024

Big day of editing health notes I made in October. Also more Poetry Jam pix online. Watched two final episodes of Happy Valley Series 2. Sarah Lancashire is mint as police officer Catherine. It’s pretty fucking gruesome down in that there West Yorkshire. And there’s series three from a couple of years ago for me to watch as well. I’m a bit burnt out tonight. I sold a few more marathon places for January. Hope to sell the lot by New Year. Hope to get caught up with work tomorrow. Need to pull a session together for Washington. I’ve got most of the ideas down. It will be poetry based. I’m turning in early tonight. 10.14pm.

Wednesday 4th December 2024

Colder than anticipated. Tinnitus really loud tonight. Think I’ve put in about fifteen hours of work today. Got some ideas down in morning pages. Prepped a Washington session, selected poems for inclusion in next pamphlet. More health assessment notes. Listened to Depeche Mode whilst working. Undecided on what to read at Poetry Jam. I should read ‘Poetry Jam’ coz it’s Fergus’s last night.11.15pm.

Thursday 5th December 2024

One of those days when it takes hours to get out of the house. Forgetting things, losing things. Adding extras to the bag pack at the last minute to ensure the right shoulder hates me. I popped into the docs to check some ailment records from yesteryear then went to Consett. Got a bottle of whisky for Fergus and a ream of paper for workshop handouts. Didn’t get to Waddy until half three. Lots of photocopying. Then chicken jalfrezi tea. Poetry Jam was pretty full tonight. Really enjoyable. Some new faces and voices. All the guests – James Whitman, Renata Connors and Jeff Price – were ace. Mint open floor. And we had an extra guest in the second half: Fergus read four pieces. I did my ‘Poetry Jam’ poem in the first half and Fail Satan in the second. Bus home was swift. Soon to bed again. 11.38pm.

Friday 6th December 2024

Two small heaters got the community room warm for the Washington Writers this afternoon. Nine people in total. Finally got round to showing the National Poetry Competition winner’s poem. A great discussion ensued. Aided by the Facebook thread from the post where I first saw the poem. We wrote Shadorma, Fib and Triolet poems. Thank you, Alwyn, for the lift back to Metro Centre bus station afterwards. I usually just get straight on the bus but braved the shopping malls, went to Typo and WH Smith. I got lost. Took ages to get back to the bus station. I slept on the X45 to Consett. Got a load of food and was quizzed by a cashier about being an author. Back home, I uploaded footage of Fergus reading at last night’s Poetry Jam. 11.52pm.

Saturday 7th December 2024

Number crunching this afternoon revealed that I didn’t make anything off the writing marathon last month. Was in fact a few pence out of pocket. Over thirty hours on promo, prep, delivery, after session service and final paperwork. But no matter. I read an Adam Nevill story about mice tonight. I’ve tried to stick with his novel The Ritual but can’t cope with sustained prose fiction at present. I ate a cheese and tomato sandwich in bed, where I’ve been all evening. OK. 10.34pm.

Sunday 8th December 2024

Wrote a canny entry in morning pages that I’ll be able to put in a perzine-style book at some point. More work on a health questionnaire this afternoon then wrote to my old friend Stephen Clark. I did some feedback on a Waddy writer’s prose fiction then selected poems for my gig at The Stanza next week. I don’t know if I have enough for a pamphlet. OK. 10.59pm.

Monday 9th December 2024

Just got the health questionnaire filled in then the college sent a reminder for online training that I wasn’t even aware was due. It’s December and I’m at my worst. The most difficult time of the year. I’ve just done thirty hours plus for a workshop and I’m out of pocket. My job, I’m told, isn’t gainful employment, and it’s all I can do; therefore, I’m not fit for work. So fuck off and leave me alone. 8.39pm.

Tuesday 10th December 2024

Awoke early and scrawled some rather vile lines in morning pages. Tried to turn them into a poem. I worked for quite a while but the piece is too long, and it overstates on a few of its key points. Heavy pruning required before I can read it at a gig. It’s currently four-and-a-half minutes long plus another minute for the intro. It’s about having conflicting thoughts and spewing dissatisfaction at workmates in a factory. I got my finances sorted for the next declaration. I listened to a lot of Michael Monroe songs, some Frank Carter with the Pistols, then Suede, then three cover versions of Queen’s It’s Late. The house is fucking freezing. Really loud tinnitus. Think I’m out tomorrow. Ready for bed. 11.17pm.

Wednesday 11th December 2024

The January Writing Marathon has SOLD OUT in just ten days. Massive thanks to all who have booked a place. Today I went to Newcastle to start the Christmas shopping. I’ve just been buying small things – diaries, chocolates, notebooks, etc. I sat in Eldon square and ate a whole box of chicken portions that were reduced from £2.59 to £1.29. I ate a Festive Bake at Jen’s place. We watched Clive Myrie on holiday then an episode of Coronation Street. The 49-bus from Jen’s didn’t turn up. Luckily, I got the Stanley 6-bus to the Metro Centre and a prompt X45 from there to Consett. Raced around Tesco for a few things then last bus back to Moorside. I bought myself a t-shirt today: Zombie Make Out Club. I don’t know what that means but the drawing of the woman with the nasty eye looked good. I am an idiot. OK. 11.30pm.

Thursday 12th December 2024

Long day. Took me till eleven to get turned round and out to Consett. A little moment at the bus stop gave me a tiny fragment. Work meeting went okay. Made all the Waddy deliveries then had a three-course dinner at the Kings Lodge. Wolfed my Xmas pudding so I could catch a bus to Sunderland for King Ink. Unfortunately, Helen and James aren’t well; Sharon Milley stood in on hosting duties. There was a great turnout including a few newcomers. I read a few things including the piece I wrote this morning. Thanks to Joey Avary for an expanded version of Total Rhubarb with a great new full colour cover. I got Gaeran Southern’s collection Poetry in Briefs. He read. Also, Aaron Wright, Karima Lynn, Lian Maltas, Ian Hart, J Avery, Chris Hodgson, Gaeran, Scotters, and several others… Big thanks to Aaron for the ride back into Newcastle. Home on two buses by eleven. 11.52pm.

Friday 13th December 2024

Stayed in bed till ten. Spent the afternoon resequencing and rehearsing my set for next Wednesday’s edition of The Stanza. I’ve whittled it down to twelve pieces and am almost good to go. About six o’clock I walked over to Blackhill Club. ‘For Better Or Verse’ was excellent. About thirty people including thirteen readers. Romanian poetry, Cowboy poetry, Slug poetry, mince pies, chocolates, book gifts, ace turns. Gaeran Southern on top form. Aaron Wright always pulls out a new killer poem. Lorraine Weightman on top form too with a Geordie Nativity. Host Steve Wood had a cracking Morrissey poem and a rewrite of Benjamin Zephaniah’s Talking Turkeys. I read five: Thinking Back, From the Bed, Snow, Cider and Scorn, and Blessings. Top night and a lift home afterwards – thanks Aaron. 10.56pm.

Saturday 14th December 2024

Ordered STILL GAME book for Jenni for Christmas. Re-scanned pages of health questionnaire. Went out for supplies and a few more presents. Splashing cash for Baby Jesus in my hometown. Sparse on the people front. I suspect many have braved Newcastle or the Metro Centre. You couldn’t pay me to go to either on a weekend in the run up to Christmas. I read Machine Poems by Martin Hayes tonight. Raw, passionate, sometimes hilarious, often terrifying. Brilliant. OK. 11.33pm.

Sunday 15th December 2024

Full-on day preparing pamphlets for Jolabokaflod-type gift-giving for next Friday’s Washington writing workshop. Then a morning pages book and some Waddy paperwork for the college. How I used to manage four college courses a week is beyond me. Almost done. Still have self-assessment tax return to do and a gig on Wednesday. Ate a big chicken dinner and lots of little sandwiches. Canny day. 10.36pm.

Monday 16th December 2024

Two hours of college paperwork completion at Waddington Street Centre this morning then big day out. Chatted with Barbara for a while. Then got a Tesco meal deal (part of my big chicken intake) and the bus to Newcastle. Arrived at two. Bought a lot of Christmas stuff. Only a few more things to get. Mainly sweets from Consett. Got home about ten past eight. Had a Poundland chicken sandwich. Then the rest of my chicken from last night. Need hot chocolate for Jolabokaflod on Friday. Sachets, not a jar. Feel a little bit hammered tonight. I hope tomorrow’s a little less full-on.10.25pm.  

Tuesday 17th December 2024

Forgetting the days of the week. Really hammered all day. In four and a half hours all I managed was a college paperwork email and making three copies of last year’s ‘Final’ pamphlet. Oh, and I wrote out two Christmas cards. This evening, I wrapped a lot of presents but no labels attached yet. Jenni said she wants nothing to do with ‘dream shit’ regarding a present for Ernie. Men of his age, she says, only get up for two nightly journeys. I was still laughing an hour later. Did two run-throughs of my gig set for The Stanza. First run was seventeen and a half minutes. Second was thirteen and a half. Same poems. I am now keen to read The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerny. I bought it at Poundland a couple of years ago. I need another shave. Another big day out tomorrow. Hope I get more booklet covers printed. 11.35pm.

Wednesday 18th December 2024

Still tired when I got up. But out for the 8.58am bus which came seven minutes late. Bought a load of ‘ket’ and more prezzies, back home by half ten. Wrapped stuff and prepped my bag for a day out. First Waddy – got more ‘Final’ and ‘September Scrapbook’ covers printed, rehearsed my set for The Stanza again and chatted online with Jenni – then off to Newcastle and looked round a few more shops. Then over to North Shields. Arrived a bit early. Not a big turnout but good performances from all involved – Sky Hawkins, Aaron Wright, Renata Connors, Sharon Milly, Martin… , Ross Punton, Emily Kitching, Gaeran Southern… I told people they didn’t need to clap during my set. I did as well as last week but wasn’t feeling great. Big thanks to Aaron Wright for the lift to Newcastle. Will be home by half midnight. 11.01pm.

Thursday 19th December 2024

Pleased to get Jolabokaflod-style parcels made up for the Washington workshop. They took a couple of hours to wrap and tag. Initially, I forgot to include the hot chocolate, so I had to rewrap a few. I wrote out cards and prepped some writing exercises. Washed some garments in the kitchen sink, had a big multi-seed batch crust with melted cheddar and a cup of hot chocolate. My ears are ringing big-style. I don’t think I can risk attending another rock concert. I aim to be asleep by about eleven. Need to be away by twenty past eight tomorrow. Two-hour journey to Washington. One of the writers is unable to make it. I don’t usually have bookings so close to Christmas. I’m back there for a new block of sessions from 10th January, the day before the writing marathon. I’m looking forward to some time away from responsibilities for a while. 10.14pm.

Friday 20th December 2024

On the X45 bus to Consett. It’s half an hour late.  So I won’t make my connection for Moorside. It’s been a long day. I spent a lot of time this morning setting up in The Granary at Arts Centre Washington. Four of the regular participants made it and we had two newcomers. The session was a bit hotchpotch. I was thrown by not having the continuity with our group of nine from last time. We started with absurd words - making short sentences using randomly chosen letters of the alphabet to trigger each successive word in the sentence: R K S E A N B – Remember kicking sand everywhere and nibbling bluebottles. Then we each chose a picture and text prompt from a selection and wrote for fifteen minutes. Mine was about a character observing someone without the observed being aware; what the observer witnesses and how it affects them. The read backs took a while. There was lots of discussion. We revisited our Wish Lists from 22nd November and read them out. Some wishes had come true, some moving in the right direction. We also revisited our A2Z No Malice Intended collaborative poem and decided some of the lines were a little excessive. We discussed creative intentions and off-limits subject matter. What things we weren't prepared to write about. What things others might object to. I read some ridiculous New Year resolutions that would be impossible to stick to. For example: I will grow grey locks to my shoulders/and wear them in curlers/while serving fruit scones to my neighbours.//I will train on a tricycle/for the C2C bike ride, blindfolded, /overnight – backwards.//I will remember/not to leave the house without/checking that I don't have toothpaste on my cheeks. Everyone had a go at writing their own then a group read around of extracts. I then asked people if they are aware of something called Jolabokaflod. It is the Icelandic tradition of giving newly published books as gifts to be read on Christmas Eve whilst drinking hot chocolate. I then handed out wrapped book bundles to all present. The session was pretty good actually, and I was very kindly given gifts and cards as well. Thanks again to Alwyn for the lift to the Metro Centre. Got the 47-bus to Newcastle and hung out in Eldon Square chatting online with free Wi-Fi to Jenni. Then a quick browse in Waterstones. Think I saw Martin McAloon from Prefab Sprout upstairs. I nipped into Forbidden Planet and Travelling Man. Then I caught a bus back over the Tyne and got off near The Soundroom for WORD BANK. It was a great night. I co-hosted with Emma Surtees in Jenni’s absence. I read a lot of old poems. It was a challenge to keep it light. Emma read Jenni’s Frugal Feast and selections from The Morecambe Poetry Anthology. A young man called Paul read a poem about a neighbour, Olya Bowers told stories about self sufficiency in America and the real Santa Claus. A writer called Alan did some hard-hitting stuff about the state of the world. Olya then read Light Up the Candle by Ian Williams. And Gary, a Soundroom regular, sang Boots are Made for Walking. Jenni was about half a mile away self-isolating in her attic room. I hope she’s okay. 10.50pm.

Saturday 21st December 2024

Slow start. Bit of a lie in. Then I read some of my PENultimate booklet that I put out last year. Still chuffed with it. I went to Consett for more supplies and to check finances. This evening I’ve mostly been putting gift tags on parcels. I’m really burnt out now. But looking forward to 2025. I should’ve been in bed about an hour ago. Hot chocolate and chicken sandwiches. 11.22pm.

Sunday 22nd December 2024

Good to see Mam and Ernie this morning. All gifts exchanged. This afternoon I got the rest of my things prepared for Gateshead. Jenni wanted a bit more time, so I’m going tomorrow. Got my kitchen tidied up this evening and neighbours’ cards delivered. 11.45pm.

Monday 23rd December 2024

Didn’t get away from Moorside till eleven this morning. Three bags of clothes and presents. I fell asleep on the 47 to Newcastle and nearly missed my stop. Sat with Jenni for an hour. Then out to Gateshead for final purchases: chocolates and sandwiches. Me and Jenni watched a great new drama called Bad Tidings starring Lee Mack and Chris McCausland – rivals on a housing estate that has a power cut with a gang of thieves breaking into empty houses at Christmas. I wrapped up a cardboard box and wrote a card for the big house then put chocs and biscuits on the landing. Various sandwiches and chocolates and sleep. I’m very tired and pleased most of the festive prep is over. We have a big dinner to make on Wednesday but otherwise, a lazy time until next weekend. 10.40pm.

Tuesday 24th December 2024

Got more ace reductions on sandwiches in Tesco and Heron Foods. Me and Jenni have been trying not to eat too much but it’s been difficult to keep my hands out of the chocolate tub. Ate chicken sandwiches, Moroccan veg pasty and beans, ham and cheese panini with tomato and basil soup. We watched the 100 top TikTok videos – on television, Corrie, and some gameshows. I’ve not had a hot chocolate yet but am getting bored with blackcurrant squash. I will try to hold out for half an hour then I’m off to bed. 11.10pm.

Wednesday 25th December 2024

Easy morning. Mince pies. Social media. Opened presents, then out to see Jen’s mam and John. Slow afternoon putting the dinner together. By ten to three the plates were piled high. I got through mine in twenty minutes. Jenni’s required a few reheats. She gave me a great book about the rock group Suede, and Nev Clay’s new cd. I gave Jenni some hats and the aforementioned STILL GAME book. We watched a lot of telly. Gavin and Stacy was ace. Eastenders is awful. Never seen it for about ten years. Been trying not to eat too much. I’ll need a lot of exercise to shift the bulk. It’s good to have a bit of time off. Then it all starts up again in about nine or ten days from now. 11.02pm.

Thursday 26th December 2024

Triple bacon, egg and sausage sandwich for dinner. Jenni watched Wallace and Gromit, but I fell asleep. We watched Nativity starring Martin Freeman.  It was brilliant. Then the end of Beauty and the Beast. Phoned Mam and Ernie. Pleased they are doing okay. Festive wrap with chicken and stuffing for tea then Christmas pudding and custard. Blankety blank, Outnumbered, chocolate Florentines and Festive Pot Noodle (gravy and stuffing flavour). The weather has been really mild. Another day without wearing a hat. 10.39pm.

Friday 27th December 2024

Big Lie in. Haven’t been outside since Christmas Day. Watched a few YouTube clips of Roger Taylor and Brian May talking about the making of ‘Queen 1’ which has just been remastered. I’ve eaten lots of chocolates and my waistline is getting bigger. Lots of exercise required next year. Haven’t been on a bike for about six weeks. Ham and Pease pudding buns for dinner. Watched Nativity 2 starring David Tennant. Very funny. Cheese toastie with parsnip and carrot soup for tea. Jenni gets more questions right than the contestants on University Challenge. The Chase is about my limit. Poor general knowledge. I’ll be working at home tomorrow. 11.10pm.

Saturday 28th December 2024

Wrote more A2Z trinket pieces in morning pages. Me and Jenni had pizza and chips for dinner then watched cosy 90s crime series Pie in the Sky. Richard Griffiths and Maggie Steed were superb. I got the 2.24pm bus back to Consett, bought The Man in Black and Other Stories by Elly Griffiths, and some food. This evening was full-on number crunching for my self-assessment tax return. I’ll file online tomorrow. Hot chocolate and some light reading then bed. 10.38pm.

Sunday 29th December 2024

First ride on a bike for about six weeks. Pedalled the Rockhopper round the estate for half an hour. I want to get out most days if I can. Big fun submitting my self-assessment tax return online. Invoicing and other admin. Listened to Bloodsports, Dogman Star and Coming Up by Suede. Had a big chicken and veg dinner. Temperature outside is supposed to be nine or ten degrees, but my numb feet think otherwise. Bed soon. 10.15pm.

Monday 30th December 2024

Bit of a lie in. I’m enjoying these days without public engagements. I can take my time with morning pages and let the pen go where it wants. My writing is smaller and I’m getting more lines to a page, so they take longer to fill. Next year I aim to fill a lot of notebooks and typeset each day’s output within twenty-four hours. I don’t know if I’ll use much of it, but I’m more likely to if its all ready and waiting to be formatted from a Word file rather than just scrawl on copier paper. Today has mainly been filling in gaps, typing up stray journal entries, tying loose ends and getting the final blog post of 2024 into shape. Tonight, I made the colour plate to promote my scribbles on social media. I also watched Brian May unbox the collectors’ edition of the recently remixed ‘Queen 1’ album. The early work is my favourite. I wasn’t struck on The Works and A Kind of Magic when they came out. Shallow of me to say, but I kind of lost interest in Queen’s output when they started wearing casual clothes and most of them cut their hair. I wanted them to still look like they did at The Rainbow in 1974 or Hammersmith Odeon on Christmas Eve in 1975 – before I was even old enough to know they existed. The eighties work just didn’t touch me in the way the early albums did. It’s why I missed out on Queen at St James’ Park in 1986 – something I deeply regret. At the time I was too busy listening to Hanoi Rocks, The Cure, The Cult, and about to discover Balaam and the Angel and The Mission – all of whom I’ve seen play live in one form or another, some several times. I saw The Brian May Band at Whitley Bay Ice Rink in 1993. And I saw Roger Taylor at Newcastle Riverside in 1999. Queen and Adam Lambert were great at Utilita Arena in 2017, but give me Great King Rat, Modern Times Rock and Roll, Son and Daughter and Keep Yourself Alive over Body Language, Radio Bla-Bla and One Vision any day of the week. OK.10.30pm.

Tuesday 31st December 2024

I would have to trawl through about thirty notebooks to get all the details of my activities this year and at half eight on a wildly windy morning I’m not in the mood to start digging. I feel as though I’ve already started back to work coz I’ve been busy since returning from Jen’s place on Saturday afternoon.

But I’m taking a breather before the prep begins for 2025.

I’m unsure how things will be financially, but I know I won’t be stacking shelves or playing nice Mr Lollypop Man. The more years I go just doing my own thing, the more impossible it seems to ever go back into the world of conventional work. I have no transferable skills, no aptitude, no qualifications, poor mental retention and zero interest. Also, a bipolar diagnosis. And a load of physical defects sporadically reminding me that I’m not getting any younger.

I went out on the Rockhopper bike again yesterday. Thirty minutes in a light gear on mostly level tarmac around Moorside streets in a bit of a breeze – and I could hardly climb the stairs to the toilet when I got back.

I can’t turn over in bed without pulling some muscle or other and despite no liquid passing my lips for over ten hours plenty has made it into the bowl during the night. It would be quite easy to spend the next twelve months complaining about steady personal decrepitude, but I aim to be getting a bit fitter in the coming weeks.

I do however find repetitive physical exercise extremely boring. Pick the object up. Put the object down. Pick it up. Put it down. Repeat for three sets of ten. Even the stretching exercises that I do before cocking a leg over the bike saddle are done reluctantly.

I only ever wanted the good bits. The best tracks on the album. The edited highlights from the sports event. The one or two lessons a week that aren’t scary or tedious. I want the thrills, not the spills. But I seem to spend so much time wallowing in shit. Change your focus and the focussed upon changes too. That’s what I’ve been told. My mood changes by the hour. Contrary as the weather.

I hope to get out on the bike again this morning. “Rain likely by eleven.” I don’t like rain. I don’t like coming in soaking wet in winter. I’m trying to ride light for a couple of weeks. No backpack to make my back sweat. That’s why I’m staying on the estate. If I have a mechanical issue, I can just push the bike back through a couple of streets to Cellar Twelve. I’m not exerting myself for the first couple of weeks in the saddle. I haven’t done any big hill climbs since October. I don’t want to knack myself before the new year even gets started. Especially not before the writing marathon on 11th January.

I’ve had a few strange dreams over the last few nights. The only one I can remember this morning is being shown how to hold a garment on a hanger before giving it to a customer. I tried to smile at the shop owner but could feel the mask slipping as I slept.

I need another writing residency in 2025. I’m always concerned about keeping the roof above and the soul intact. But something usually comes along. I should be good for the first few months. There’s a new term at Waddy and another block of sessions at Arts Centre Washington. I have some Meet the Author one-man shows in the pipeline, more writing marathons and taster sessions to keep me out of trouble.

I don’t expect to be buying much beyond food, travel tickets and office stationery. But I do need bed linen. Jenni bought me a fleecy fitted sheet last year which will be unboxed before my next sleep in this single bed.

My room is in a bit of a state. Piles of books I don’t have time to read. Wrapping paper and cards to go away until next Christmas. Boxes of workshop resources and scraps of paper. I still haven’t cleared the back room and installed more bookcases. And my intention is to type up everything that comes out of the gel pen? So housework won’t be a priority over the next twelve months.

I don’t think I’ll be going to any rock concerts. I’d like to see Michael Monroe (ex-Hanoi Rocks) at Newcastle University in May – and would like to see Suede if they tour – but I don’t think my ears can take it.

Some days I don’t notice the tinnitus. But if I stop what I’m doing it’s there, buzzing and piercing, preventing silence. I don’t think I’ve heard silence for over two decades. Should have worn ear plugs at all those SWANS gigs in my teens and twenties. All self-inflicted.

Self. Self. Self. It’s how I function, most of the time. And to anyone still reading this, I’ve taken up enough of your time already. My blog post is possibly too long for most online users, I imagine. But I just wanted to end the year with a complete morning pages entry.

I can hear machinery and bottles clanking. “Here comes the bin truck, rumbling down the street…” Of course, it's Tuesday!

All the best for 2025. Cheers! 9.05am.

NOVEMBER

Friday 1st November 2024

Made a poster for the Writing Marathon taking place at Arts Centre Washington on Saturday 30th November. Tickets went on sale today. I've no idea how well it will do. If I sell seven places, I'll be okay. I listened to the new album by The Cure after tea. It's pretty good. But I'm not fanatical about the band. Their Troxy gig livestream on YouTube tonight was great. They came on at eight and did Songs from the Edge of the World till ten to nine then took a ten-minute break. Then they did about an hour and took a second break. Then they played mostly upbeat hits till close on eleven o'clock curfew. So nearly two-and-three-quarter hours. I think the tickets were fifty quid, about twenty percent cheaper than I paid for Wembley eight or nine years ago. I'm out early tomorrow so I need to be in bed soon. I've checked some of the resources for the Spennymoor workshop. But still have Tuesday's Waddington Street Centre session to prepare. 11.20pm.


Saturday 2nd November 2024

Up early and out for the Bright Ideas Festival. Lots of interesting speakers. It was good to spend the day listening to stuff about travel, politics, CPR, near-death experience, comedy careers, and barbershop mental wellbeing. I was moved by Anthony Hutton's story. The 2005 Consett-born Big Brother winner talked about suicide prevention. I watched a bit of the BBC's coverage of The Cure tonight and ate lots of pies.10.50pm.


Sunday 3rd November 2024

Me and Jenni went to see Heretic at Vue Cinema tonight. James Tucker and partner Caroline were there. The film was flawed but pretty good. Hugh Grant was excellent as the religious sceptic who keeps devotees captive in his high-security home. It was quite hilariously creepy for the most part and a bit ridiculous towards the end. Earlier, Jenni spent hours fixing my mobile device. I ate a Moroccan vegetable pasty with beans for dinner and chicken sandwiches for tea. Watched Strictly after the film. Then got 47 bus to Consett. Busy week ahead. 11.53pm.


Monday 4th November 2024

Full of flatulence and frightened to break wind for fear of watery gravy going everywhere. Maybe IBS or anxiety. Not a great start. The day did get better though. Sold a couple more places for the Writing Marathon. Think it'll be over the halfway mark by the weekend. With three weeks to go. I'm really grateful to people who come to these events. It's been nearly five years since I did a public four-hour session. I got my Waddy workshop prepped after dinner. By which time my insides had settled down somewhat. My Spennymoor session is good to go. I typed up some Waddy writing tonight and did a photo album for last month's Poetry Jam. Listened to rock bands Fury and South of Salem but haven't read a great deal. Busy week ahead. 11.21pm.


Tuesday 5th November 2024

Got a few Writing Marathon prompts from morning pages. Wrote about six new pieces at Waddy during Ways with Words. Made up some marathon postcards as well. Went to the bank and discovered I've been paid already for last month's Washington workshops. I bought food supplies – including rice and a chicken jalfrezi for tomorrow night. I had a sausage and veg dinner with Yorkshire puddings this evening. Then copied up the Shadorma and Fib poems, one-sentence poems plus likes and dislikes pieces. Enjoyed tinkering with them. I don't usually like formal structure, but small poems with tight syllable counts are manageable. I'm more of a sculpt-from-a-block-of-stone type of writer. Rather than the jigsaw and Meccano kit. I'm off to bed early so I'll be fresh tomorrow for the taster session in Spennymoor. 9.42pm.


Wednesday 6th November 2024

Got to Spennymoor at 25 to eleven, asked a few people for directions before I found the venue. Then rang the organisation who booked me to ask if disabled access was required before I set up in a first-floor room with no lift. Ten people came and all read at least a couple of things back. Jo who read at Weardale Word Fest open mic night wrote a fantastic piece about baking cakes with her grandma on her birthday. We got through five exercises and had a good time - with a couple of weepy moments. The 4pm bus didn't turn up, so it was half six when I got home. Nine and a half-hour round trip but worth it. Got really fucking angry at British Gas automated service tonight, having been sent a letter about not paying a bill – that I never received. 10.12pm.

Thursday 7th November 2024

Tiring day. Prepped tomorrow's session. Photocopies, running order. Then had mushroom soup. On the bus to Durham, I felt pretty dreadful. Just totally wiped out. Stumbled off the bus and into Waddy. Dropped my bag off, borrowed a key and went for food. Toyed with chicken and chips, but no, only ravioli on toast. Spending too much of late. I trimmed some more Marathon cards then rehearsed two poems for Poetry Jam. The night went well. EPIC was how Fergus described it. All the guests, Lian Maltas, Gary the Hat and Lisette Auton were great. Open floor was choc a block with hard-hitting stuff. It is November after all. Me and Ferg reshuffled the furniture afterwards. The X15 bus didn't pull out until twenty past ten but was in Consett by quarter to eleven. I'm a bit tired and dehydrated. Hope I sleep well coz I'm out at half eight in the morning. 11.35pm.


Friday 8th November 2024

Not as tired as yesterday. I slept well, despite four or five trips to the toilet. And not just trickles either. Yet I'd hardly drank anything. I was out on the half-eight bus. The session at Arts Centre Washington went well. Nine people came. We did A2Z into one-liners. Then writing with colours. Then an A2Z collaboration piece. Thank you, Alwyn, for the lift back to Metro Centre. X45 to Consett. I spent a bit of time in the supermarket. Then had chicken and chips. Then back out to Tesco to price up food for the Writing Marathon. The list I took didn't have pies or dips on it. And I couldn't find either in the shop. Later tonight, I watched a load of Paul Barlow’s old-school flatland BMX clips. He is my age for sure. I'm tired and it's almost bedtime. 10.00pm


Saturday 9th November 2024

Up a few times in the night. Out on the Specialized Rockhopper bike after breakfast. Ninety minutes on the cycle path to Leadgate (Broom's Church) and back. Then a big chicken dinner and bits of discussion with Jenni on Messenger about the Writing Marathon. Then a walk to Consett and a bus to Bensham. Bits of chat and a Moroccan vegetable pasty, followed by TV gameshows and Strictly Come Dancing. Pot noodle. Bed. 10.55pm.

Sunday 10th November 2024

Awesome surprise Sunday dinner delivery. Lovely retro telly afternoon with Lily Savage's Blankety Blank then a film called The Legend of Barney Thompson starring Robert Carlyle. Emma Thompson played his mam. Hilarious comedy murder caper. Later we watched an Attenborough wildlife programme. Then Strictly. Then an episode of The Penguin - which was ace. 47 bus back to Consett. 11.46pm.


Monday 11th November 2024

Finances first thing this morning. And a phone call to the doctors. I got some notes keyed in on the mobile, then went out on the bike for a couple of hours. Apart from a bit of near castration on the crossbar whilst trying to mount a wall, I did okay. I'm enjoying finding new lines and staying balanced on the bike. But I fear the bottom bracket is on its way out. Of course, the creaking could be any part of the drivetrain. Tonight, I did text formatting, keyed in last week's lesson plan, and sorted handouts for tomorrow's session. My soundtrack was Bloodsports by Suede. I tried to share the official video for It Starts And Ends With You on Facebook but was told it broke their community standards law. So I uploaded a live version from BBC Sounds instead. I've eaten lots of cheese today. Three meals of it. And lots of ginger biscuits. I'm off to bed soon. Out to Waddy in the morning. 10.39pm.


Tuesday 12th November 2024

Rode up to Consett at quarter past nine to return a library book and buy some blackcurrant squash. My watch stopped. I thought it was broken. But I think it was the cold. I did a bit of final prep on the bus to Waddy then spent an hour sorting things out. The session went well. But a bit too much discussion that I should have curtailed. Sometimes participants feel a need to talk rather than write. Afterwards, I made more Writing Marathon cards. I got home at six, having slept on the bus. Had sausage and veg tea then did some video edits on the desktop and another promo poster for the Writing Marathon. I don't know if I've sold any more places since last week. It's starting to get cold of an evening. My toes are a bit numb. My ears are buzzing. I've toyed with attending a couple of rock concerts but it's probably a bad idea. 11.50pm.


Wednesday 13th November 2024

I had a good photo-video session on the Sonder bike today. I was only out for about an hour, but it was long enough to get some cool footage of step-ups and roll-downs on the stone wall at Castleside. Later, I got all of Steve and Pauline's videos copied to USB. Such sad news about Pauline. I uploaded my little bike clips to Facebook. I think stills might have been better. But it's good for me to see myself riding. I'll make more. I took a walk into town. Brought a skinny beany from Barry's to go under my bike helmet then got money out of the bank and went to Newcastle. Had a big reduced-price pork pie from Heron Foods then sat in Eldon Square. Met Jenni outside Ernest Bar and walked to Cobalt Studio. Born Lippy was ace. All the guests were engaging – Kemi Gates and singer RivKala and All We Have Time For by The Four Johns was mint. I videoed their hour-long show. Amazed the memory card and batteries lasted. Walked with Jenni back to Bensham. 11.59pm.


Thursday 14th November 2024

Bit of a migraine/blurred vision. Sat with Jenni for an hour or so. Listened to Radio 2. Vernon Kay was chatting to Paddy McGuiness about his bike challenge. Three hundred miles from Wrexham to Glasgow on a Raleigh Chopper bike for Children in Need. So far he's raised four million quid. I spent a few hours washing up for Jenni then went out at quarter past four to Gateshead. Cheap egg mayonnaise sandwich for tea and some chocolate. Then took 56 bus to Sunderland for King Ink - which was packed. Lots of new people, lots of regulars – including Kevin Robson, Christine Fowler, Karima Lynn, Gaeran Southern, Aidan Clarke, Hester Dowling, Chris Hodgson… I read Thirty Years from Final and Who Needs Hellraiser? from Queasy, Uneasy. Aaron Wright closed the night with How I Got Here and The Distance. He was great. I'm chuffed I got to hear everyone. Poems, prose, songs. Just managed to get back to Park Lane by ten for the last bus. 90 minutes to Consett. Probably sleep along the way. 10.18pm.


Friday 15th November 2024

Prepped my Making Tracks workshop for next week and some bits and pieces for Jenni's new spoken word event Word Bank. I left the house at half three and walked to Consett. The 47 bus didn't come coz the road was closed for repairs, a mini-link shuttle bus took people back to the bus station. Two 47s were on the bays but didn't go out. I sat on an old X45 feeling groggy and got off at Metro Centre to board another bus that stank of baby vomit. A big pool of it. The baby sat with its mother. The smell made me want to retch. All the windows were open. Word Bank was ace. Jenni and Soundroom did a mint job. Great turns, including David Roe, Aaron Wright, Olya Bowers, James Wilkinson, Juli Watson, and locals. I got home at eleven. 11.51pm.


Saturday 16th November 2024

Finally got a gas bill via email to take to the post office so I could pay cash. Then my watch stopped working. I've been trying to do marathon prompts and other bits of work but three late nights in a row have done me in. Spent most of the evening at home just watching clips of North Shore Betty Beryl, 75-year-old downhill mountain biker. Awesome. 10.38pm.


Sunday 17th November 2024

Better day despite a cold night in bed. Glued up a morning pages book. Got a writing half marathon sorted for Waddy. Went out to buy a new cheap watch. Had a big sausage and veg dinner. Got the Poetry Jam stuff edited and ready to go. I watched more bike and strength training videos. It's really cold, time for the hot water bottle. 10.35pm.

Monday 18th November 2024

I pasted Pauline’s poems into my notebook. Bus to Gateshead took ages. The one to Sunderland crematorium only took 25 minutes. There was a big turnout for the funeral. The service was a positive reflection of Pauline's life. Then a lift with Kevin Robson over to Pop Recs Ltd. Lots of people there. Chatted to Rob Walton, Lian Maltas and a few others. Me and Jenni read three poems each. So did Mel McEvoy. The slideshow of photos was lovely. Tom May read poems and Sam played music with others. There were covers of Romeo & Juliet and Suzanne. We were there for about three and a half hours. Everyone feels for Steve and his sons. Pauline May, a brilliant writer and wonderful person, will be greatly missed. 10.00pm.


Tuesday 19th November 2024

Full attendance at Waddy for a half marathon. A good warm-up with prompts I’ll be using next week. I got the Poetry Jam publicity online as well. Caught the half-three bus back home. Had tea then packed for tomorrow’s MAKING TRACKS workshop. Got the bus to Jen’s place and watched a film about a robot called Megan – a cross between Madonna and The Bionic Woman. It was okay. Temperature is minus two at present. Got a headache. Need something for supper 10.00pm.


Wednesday 20th November 2024

Printed another exercise for MAKING TRACKS on Jen’s machine. The workshop went really well. Bio Poem, Goth, Finish the lyric, Absurd Words, Jar of Characters, Hero Poems, I Am Poems. Got through all the exercises bang on time. Some keen writers. I hope they have fun playing musical instruments next week. Me and Jenni went to see Matt Miller's show FIXED at Alphabetti Theatre tonight. Broken cars, broken families. Natalie the mechanic, Matt the soul searcher. Lovely surprise chat with Matt on the X45 bus back to Consett. Got some food at Tesco and final X15 to Moorside. OK. 11.28pm.


Thursday 21st November 2024

Library rep says I have three Meet the Author gigs for next year and a place on a Poetry tour in February. Got a couple of books from Consett library. The River in the Sky by Clive James and An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka. Spent about four hours tonight preparing tomorrow’s Washington workshop. Bitter cold and the wind is getting stronger. Photocopier warming up took longer than a new cartridge takes to calibrate. Steam coming out of the machine during a ten-copy run. Amazing. I daren’t switch the computer on. 9.20pm.


Friday 22nd November 2024

Fucking cold. Thought my kneecap might collapse. The 8.23am bus never turned up in Moorside, so I hobbled up the hill past The Grove into Consett. Spending twenty pence doesn’t have the same ring to it as spending a penny but that’s inflation, isn’t it. Four bladder trips before twelve yet only a few gulps of blackcurrant squash all day. The workshop went well in Washington but, as usual, I prepared too much material and had to ditch some. We did spiky dialogue and read Pease Pudding by RH Dixon. Thanks to Alwyn for the lift to Metro Centre. I nipped into The Works to buy card for the Writing Marathon booklet covers. I’ve sold another two places. So only three left. I’m hoping they go in the next three or four days. This evening, I started copying out extracts from my workshop notebooks from January to April 2024. I’m thinking of doing another Unruly Eyebrow-style booklet. Worked about four hours. Fucking cold. But my burgers and chips were ace. As was the chocolate doughnut. 11.36pm.


Saturday 23rd November 2024

Woke to snow. Freezing fucking cold most of the day. Spoke to Mam and Ernie on the phone. I did copy-ups this afternoon. And lesson plan stuff tonight. I listened to Suede and Einsturzende Neubauten. Watched Paddy McGuiness's bike challenge. Then an episode of Happy Valley. Opened the front door to discover it was warmer outside than in. My feet are numb. Need a cheese toasty then off to bed. 9.41pm.


Sunday 24th November 2024

Warmer outside than in. Typesetting on a mobile coz I dislike sitting at the desk for hours and hours. I started to read An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka. It’s a fantasy novel about magic and dark powers, set in London. Listened to some Glen Matlock tracks and wrote a new Kennings bio poem. Pot Noodle. Bed. 10.25pm.


Monday 25th November 2024

Yesterday’s reheated sausage in a sandwich for breakfast. Got the next Writing Marathon booked for the new year. We have seven people for next Saturday. Bus arrived at Newcastle tonight just before seven. The town was packed. Football match. Met Jenni at the Lit & Phil for writer Tom Kelly in conversation with John Grundy. They did about an hour. Afterwards we got supplies at Tesco including winter spice chocolate cookies. 11.20pm.


Tuesday 26th November 2024

X21 from Gateshead to Durham was like an oven. Had to remove coat and hoodie. Then moved seats twice, to be nearer the door. Writing session was good today. Readbacks from half marathon and repeats of session seven. I went to The Works and Poundland. Got the 20 to five bus to Moorside. Fish fingers and chips for tea. Did copy-ups. Early to bed. 9.18pm.


Wednesday 27th November 2024

Wasn’t supposed to be having bacon sandwiches before December but nipped out for a pack of rashers and some mushrooms. This morning I made up Writing Marathon books for Saturday, including a hand-sewn 72-pager for Susan Smalley coz she writes with a felt tip. Wrote a big briefing intro and typed it up. This evening, I took another look at the prompts. Replaced a few and wrote some new ones. There’s a good mix of fiction, journaling, light and shade. About half a dozen from published works, so they’ll need credits. Watched two episodes of Happy Valley Series Two. About halfway through it now. Hope I sleep well. Big tinnitus. Got to be out quite early tomorrow. 10.35pm.


Thursday 28th November 2024

Half nine bus didn’t turn up. Returned home for toilet and checked Writing Marathon progress then back out to Consett. Spent over sixty quid on the first round of food supplies for Saturday. This evening Jenni headlined Out Of Your Head at The Cumberland Arms in Byker. The audience loved her which made her perform even stronger. Lots of brilliant writers including Chloe-Louise Fawcett Reilly, Vinci, Charlie Care – who did a brilliant tattoo story – and Diane Lopes-Mulhearn from Portugal with an incredible set including a poem about Identity in WH Smith. On the way home Jenni got pizza and chips. I got a slice and a few chips for two quid. I need a hot drink before bed. 11.54pm.


Friday 29th November 2024

Big day buying the rest of the food for tomorrow’s Writing Marathon. A bit like a warm-up for Xmas shopping. Tesco was full of people with zero spacial awareness. I stood checking my food list as someone vacantly nudged their trolley closer to my leg. I used to spend about fifty-five quid on marathon food. This time it was about ninety to ninety-five. Add the bus fare. And room hire (which is at a considerable discount) and I’m making about twenty-five quid for about thirty hours of input. Got all the sandwiches made tonight without touching anything. I’m a bit wrecked now. Hope I get a good night’s sleep. It’s been a lot of work for a five-hour event. But it’s better than stacking shelves. Jenni is in bed. I need to be up at about six to get ready. We need to be out by quarter to eight. 10.45pm.

Saturday 30th November 2024

Lying awake at three while idiots made noise in the street. Only got another hour of sleep. The Writing Marathon at Arts Centre Washington went well, despite an initial technical hiccup. Six of the seven writers who booked joined me and Jenni. We got through fifteen rounds of writing and readbacks. Some really strong material produced. We got back to Bensham by five and I’ve been grazing on leftovers since. Jenni is out at a music gig. I’ve been watching snooker. Off to bed soon. OK. 8.49pm.

OCTOBER

Tuesday 1st October 2024

Good session at Waddington Street Centre today. We chose poems from anthologies and made notes then read the poems aloud. We played absurd words and wrote counting poems for National Poetry Day then rounded off with Exquisite Corpse. Bus ride home was okay. I had sausage and beans on cheese on toast. The computer is being a pain – won’t shut down without using Ctrl Alt Delete. Might need to buy a new external hard drive just in case… I did a bit of Poetry Jam promotion and checked out libraries to approach for Meet the Author visits. I listened to Nadine Shah and Suede sing the Wild Ones and Fool. Then played some Michael Monroe tracks. My head is splitting and the tinnitus is bad. Need to get some sleep. 10.49pm.

Wednesday 2nd October 2024

I took the Rockhopper to Bits 4 Bikes to get brake pads fitted and a spoke replaced in the back wheel. Shaun said it would be ready on Friday and cost around twenty quid. Which is a third less than anticipated. I’ve mainly been copying up notes and sleeping. I seem to get a lot more tired after a couple of days of work than I used to. And tomorrow is a long day with Poetry Jam. I was saddened to hear that Lorna Windham has died. Husband David was in touch this evening to say Lorna lost her battle cancer. She was always supportive of my efforts and attended Poetry Jams and Lamplight.  11.47pm.

Thursday 3rd October 2024

The weather has been a lot better. Really nice this afternoon in Durham. Managed to get half-price chicken tikka pasties and a large pork pie, 75p each. I keyed in some Waddy poems at the Centre and prepped for the Poetry Jam. Great turn out. Great open floor readings and superb guests. Many thanks Dean Jolly, Helen Wilko and Rob Walton. We had a full room. Big thanks to Fergus for coming in on his week off to help run the night. 11.44pm.


Friday 4th October 2024

One of the slogans of Sonder, whose Frontier bike I ride, is: ‘Love Mud’. Yeah, riding for over an hour after discovering that what I scraped off the frame with my fingers wasn’t mud. Love mud? Hate dogshit. Clean up after your pet - even in the woods. I got home absolutely fucking stinking. Shit all over the bottom bracket and tyres. Tonight, I fell asleep for a while and woke up with a cold right hip. Put together a 20-minute set of poems for a headline appearance at North Shields Baba Yaga’s a week on Tuesday. The first half is old chestnuts then four new pieces and I’m finishing with a couple from Laughter to Split Glass. Unless I find a couple more recent that I’d rather do. Canny evening's work. 11.19pm.


Saturday 5th October 2024

I got yesterday’s dogshit off my bike frame and tyres but the smell lingered. Love Mud? Hate Dogshit. I’ll say it again: Clean up after your pet in the countryside. The weather was good so I went out to waste ground in Castleside and made up some little sections to ride on. Mainly weaving between trees. Tonight, me and Jenni had pizza and chips and watched The Voice. OK. 11.08pm.

Sunday 6th October 2024

Me and Jenni went to see The Joker: Folie a Deux today at Vue in Gateshead. I thought it was pretty good. Jenni didn’t like the ending. We had a good discussion about it. Tonight there was beef ravioli and Strictly Come Dancing. Toyah was voted off by the judges. Then there was Tipping Point. And Derry Girls. I don’t really have any more to say. OK. 10.54pm.


Monday 7th October 2024

Didn’t sleep well. Went to the toilet at quarter to three and was still awake at half-five. I did morning pages in hopes it would empty my brain but I still struggled. Me and Jenni chatted over breakfast. She uploaded the videos I made of her singing with the band at The Stanza. I read some of Pauline May’s excellent poems on the bus to Consett. At home, I did an hour of workshop prep then decided the weather was too good to waste. I had an ace couple of hours on the Sonder down by the river one final time this year. Tonight, after a sausage and veg dinner, I got the workshop pulled together properly. Typed up last week’s lesson plan then spent an hour considering poems for OUT OF YOUR HEAD Spooky Poet Club. I need to whittle fifty pieces down to fifteen minutes. OK. 11.45pm.


Tuesday 8th October 2024

Session at Waddy went well. We did some fiction exercises and some autobiographical stuff. We did Noun Diary, Verb Monologue. Looked at the Chimney Sweep story then played Beginning-Middle-End. Looked at first lines, thought about obstacles and conflicts then finished with a discussion about writers. I got the 4.20pm bus home which was jammed with students from New College Durham. They were very well-behaved. Except one girl who exploded when someone used the word nonce: “Is your dad older than your mam? – then he's a nonce. Is your mam older than your dad? – then she’s a nonce. Fuck-off with your nonce-ery!” Tonight I got my set sequenced for the Out of Your Head Spooky Poet Club gig on 24th October. I’ve taken my time and enjoyed the process. I’m not doing many links and intros for this gig. But that’s okay. Enough. 11.30pm.


Wednesday 9th October 2024

Thankfully I was too engrossed in my gig rehearsals today to notice how dismal the weather has been. Didn’t cross the doorstep till eight this evening. I took silver and copper to add to my three pound coins. Toilet roll and orange club biscuits. A couple of five pences and the rest in copper. After paying, I noticed some cheap brown bread, nearing sell-by date: 60p. I pulled out my final pound coin and bought it. Back home, I rummaged around and managed to get my 40p change back up to just over a quid. All because I didn’t want to break a fiver from housekeeping. Tonight, I thumbed through five or six notebooks from this year. It would probably be easier to just do a picture marathon or two or a hometown slog to get material for a new pamphlet. I’ve charged the mobile device three times today and hardly used it. New battery? More expense. 10.47pm.


Thursday 10th October 2024

I don’t know where today has gone and I can’t remember much of it. I reread some of Laughter to Split Glass and thought, I’m going to have to up my game considerably to top it. I’ve slipped a bit. I got my handouts and ideas in shape for tomorrow. I took a couple of hours off this afternoon to ride my Sonder bike, but it was disappointing: the only place that isn’t boggy now is the old waste ground near Castleside. Too tired to repeat last Saturday’s efforts. Tonight, I was meant to be typing but felt a bit rough. Just a bit dehydrated. Going to bed early. 9.32pm.


Friday 11th October 2024

Two-hour journey to Arts Centre Washington. An hour of prep then the workshop. A lot of people sent apologies. So there were only four of us. But it was okay. Noun Diary, Verb Monologue, big discussion on beginnings, conflicts and endings. Then a look at a few of the source poems and a final last lines exercise. I got the bus to Jenni’s. There was a bass guitar on the chair, but no Jenni. She sent a message saying she wouldn’t make King Ink tonight. I got to Sunderland just after six. A lot of people already in Pop Recs. And a big pile of copies of the King Ink Collection. I am delighted to have a poem in it, alongside the work of twenty-three other North East poets. It was great to see Ann Porro, and Gary the Hat, and Mayira T, and to see AJ McKenna perform again. The event ran longer than it used to. Now I’m on the last bus back to Consett. I will be up early tomorrow to ride the bike over to Stanhope for Aaron Wright’s performance workshop. Anyway, it’s been a busy day. Still in Stanley. Won’t get home until midnight. OK. 11.12pm.


Saturday 12th October 2024

Big ride over to Stanhope for Aaron’s workshop. Enjoyed it. Quite a few people there. Aaron compressed all the essentials into the space, while giving generous opportunities for read backs and feedbacks. The choice of poems to demonstrate the techniques was spot on and there was a lot of humour, encouragement and support. Nice one. Also enjoyed the ride home in the rain. Did the journey in 65 minutes. Which is quicker than ‘Get Directions’ says. Pie and beans for dinner. Then a bus ride out to Jen’s place. Ate nuts and cake. Watched The Voice. Very tired. 10.08pm.


Sunday 13th October 2024

Slept in and did a work plan in morning pages. Lots of online research for workshops. Me and Jenni listened to Green Day, The Cure, Arctic Monkeys and Talking Heads. Plus lots of others. Jenni went for a band audition after dinner and I got the half-four bus back to Consett. This evening I went over finances and thought about what else I could do to advance my career. OK. 11.00pm.


Monday 14th October 2024

Work hassles. Short of money. Harassed by bureaucrats. Told to take a more conventional approach to employment. This evening, I packed my bag for the gig at Baba Yaga’s. I’ve rehearsed the set a few times. Think I’ll just read from the printouts rather than individual books. I’m a bit knackered. I went out on the bike this afternoon. Found a few little bits and pieces to ride over. Had a chicken curry with potato slices for tea. I’ve done a lesson plan type-up and I’ve got stuff for tomorrow’s session at Waddy. Tonight I printed out some inspirational pieces from kind poets who like what I do. And I listened to Lou Reed live in New Jersey whilst typing. And I made up a morning pages book. And that's about it for today. 11.36pm.


Tuesday 15th October 2024

Tough day for a lot of people at Waddy. News of restructuring and redundancies was a bit much for some of the members and the open meeting this afternoon was a bit heated. I wasn’t sure if the writers would want to do the session this afternoon, but they did, and it was possibly the strongest this term with a bit of a picture marathon. Lots of ace vignettes produced. I got one about electronica that I’d like to work up for the stage. Baba Yaga’s tonight was good. I spent ages in the park rehearsing but still used a cheat sheet, even for some of my greatest hits. There were some ace turns. Including Diane Wilkinson and friends with comedy rhymes. Kenn Creen was there. And lots of others. I think my set may have been a bit dark. Which means next week’s for Spooky Poets is even darker. I’m really tired now. On the metro back to Newcastle. Then quite a wait for the next bus to Consett. 10.03pm.


Wednesday 16th October 2024

The bus to Wolsingham was late today so I missed my connection to Stanhope and therefore couldn’t get along to Avril Joy’s workshop in Ireshopeburn. The bus driver pulled in and said, “Well it looks like you’ve missed that now.” I’ve missed it. I’ve fucking missed it? If you’d been on time I wouldn’t have. “Oh, it’s my fault, is it?” Well, yes you’re the driver. I was at the bus stop five minutes early. “I left Consett at nine.” Aye, and it doesn’t take ten minutes to get down a main road with no pick-ups or traffic lights. I can fucking cycle from Consett to Moorside in ten minutes. – So I waited 45 minutes for a bus to Crook then went to Waddy and talked about the impact restructuring of the Centre will have on members. Tonight I prepped for a visit to my GP in the morning. 10.42pm.


Thursday 17th October 2024

Slow day. Too exhausted to get through much work. Hopefully better tomorrow. Hardly read anything for ages. Had a sausage and veg dinner for tea. Read some bits about the upcoming Cure gig at Troxy. Aim to be out on the bike tomorrow afternoon. Hope the Washington workshops keep going. Bed soon. 10.30pm.


Friday 18th October 2024

Not a great day. Pleased to get the Poetry Jam poster done. I got offline at four and have done the copy-ups for my logbooks. And I’ve been writing a lot about the effects short-term memory loss has had on my life since 1998. I don’t remember much unless I write it down straight away. I’m not going to reiterate here coz I’ve said it all dozens of times. I have cold feet. I have tinnitus and I have an urge to get a cheese sandwich. My days are often pretty dull. Jenni loved seeing Punk Rock Factory at NX last night. Pleased it was good for her. I’ve written a lot in another book and am now a bit more confident about my future. 11.40pm.


Saturday 19th October 2024

I went out on the Sonder Frontier for an hour. But it wasn't very satisfying; I didn’t buy a trail bike to ride on tarmac. Went to Jen’s this afternoon. We watched The Voice, Ninja Warrior and Strictly Come Dancing. I fell asleep on the bus back to Consett. Spent seven quid on supplies in Tesco. Thanks to people for likes on my LITTLE TOMMY piece. And Jenni for company, OK. 11.35pm.


Sunday 20th October 2024

Good day. Canny chat with Steve Wood who kindly gave me a lift to Aaron Wright’s performance poetry workshop in Stanhope this morning. Lots of good advice on composition and performance. Talked to Steve on the way back about bookmaking. Rehearsed for Thursday’s and Friday’s gigs. Then sorted out some book stock. Really tired and ready for bed. But a bit of supper first. 10.17pm.


Monday 21st October 2024

I seem to have gotten through quite a bit of work today. Despite feeling a bit shit due to waking at five o’clock and not getting back to sleep, I made up some copies of ‘Queasy, Uneasy’ for the Thursday gig at Out Of Your Head. I love the little pamphlets. I would like another little booklet of sorts by the end of the year. Tonight I keyed in a bunch of Waddy poems. Listened to the first two Iron Maiden albums (RIP Paul Di’anno). Even though I’m not a big fan. I didn’t get out on the bike. I washed some clothes. I didn’t rehearse my set. I’ll do it tomorrow. I haven’t read much lately. I’m tired and my feet are cold. 11.20pm.


Tuesday 22nd October 2024

Today was canny. I thought I had a dodgy line in a poem that’s been anthologized but, as well as Waddy writers, Jenni says it’s fine. Just my overcritical brain. Session took a long time to prepare but I got set up okay with time for dinner. One-minute sentences warm-up. Previous session recaps. Exquisite Corpse spare lines. Revisit typed picture prompts. Mini-fictions from September Scrapbook. Last Lines exercise. It went well. I stayed back to sort out Poetry Jam flyers then off to Jen’s. Bit of bus hassle: someone upset an ex-policeman; he talked to me afterwards for about twenty minutes. I later found out that Jenni knows him. Tonight, we nipped down to the Sound Room so Jen could get keys for tomorrow’s film club set-up. Then we had tea and watched three episodes of Abi Isn’t Normal. We chatted about mental health and films. 10.15pm bus via Chopwell back to Consett. OK. 10.35pm.


Wednesday 23rd October 2024

So today was pretty full-on. The bus was ten minutes late reaching Wolsingham. Just as well a kind man called Peter gave me a lift over to Eastgate. The flash fiction workshop from Rachael Dunlop was ace. But my ability to concentrate was poor after about forty minutes. I enjoyed what I could retain, and I got two good ideas out of it. The second one is up on Facebook with a commentary. I was pleased to hear the other participants but only took in a few moments of each. Peter’s stairs, Ian’s cathedral, Good of Ian to give me a lift back to Moorside. I wanted to ride my bike, but typed and published Personal Trajectory #2 on Facebook instead. This evening I rehearsed my set for Out of Your Head and Spooky Poet Club night. Looking forward to it. 11.16pm.


Thursday 24th October 2024

Canny day. I slept in after initially waking at half five again. I ran through my set for OOYH then went up the waste ground and did some old man trials on the Sonder bike for an hour. Got ready after dinner and went over to Jenni’s place on the bus. Jenni was out so I just went to Tesco for a pie then over to Out of Your Head Spooky Poet Club at the Cumberland Arms. Great night. All the guests were mint. And the open floor stuff was ace quality as well. Aaron Wright did a site-specific poem about Dead Man’s Corner and performed a bit of an exorcism. A schoolteacher did an ace poem written to her future kids plus one on the day-job. Kevin Robson spoke about the terror of the Ikea shopping experience. Brogan Brannan’s set was supernatural with some mental health and a girl from Hong Kong read poems about different kinds of rot. Lews Brown and Ann Porro were mint as well. Thanks to Aaron for a lift back to the Quayside. 11.46pm.


Friday 25th October 2024

Today’s workshop went well. We got through six rounds of writing and about 45 minutes of feedback. I had scotch eggs for dinner. I organised/arranged a writing marathon, but I don’t want to announce anything yet. I went to Durham then on to Crook where I got chips and waited till quarter past five to get a bus to Stanhope. The open mic night at St Thomas Church Hall was ace: poems and prose about rural life, mental health, personal demons, a dog's life, walking and rambling. It would be good to go to more stuff at WordFest this weekend but I’m busy in Gateshead. I read A Woollyback Speaks, Cruel and Goth. Just under three minutes. But my sheep poem is too similar to Aaron’s original. I’m taking things easy for a while. 10.40pm.


Saturday 26th October 2024

Woke at four and didn’t get back to sleep till about half six. Got out on the Sonder Frontier bike for an hour and managed to get up a sketchy ledge. Had fish fingers and chips for dinner then a walk to Consett before going to Jen’s place. We went to a Halloween party at her mam’s community residents building. Then saw Ava win The Voice on telly. She was mint. OK. 11.06pm.


Sunday 27th October 2024

Big lie in. Went up to Tesco for supplies and checked out buses to Middlesbrough with a view to going to Whitby next Sunday. Went to the Sound Room for afternoon tea. £5 for live singer and screening of High Society plus sandwiches, cakes, pies, drinks… Top value. Tonight, I watched The Big Freeze of 1963 – when it snowed for weeks. Then Tipping Point and Coronation Street. OK. 9.00pm.


Monday 28th October 2024

Listened to the start of The Cure in concert then remembered I’ll be listening to them on livestream this Friday. I’ve got a coldsore and I’m tired. Listened to Lou Reed and read about his final days. Spent a while looking for a notebook. I’m tired and not up to much. I really want to just ride the bike. My feet are getting cold. 11.08pm.


Tuesday 29th October 2024

Maybe the reason I’m dirt poor is coz I love what I do. I’ve always thought people who have the luxury of doing what they want all day and call it a job should be paid less than a dishwasher or a floor sweeper. It’s why I’ve lived on a third of the minimum wage. Fuck responsibility. I hate responsibility: the more I get paid, the harder I feel I should work. Anyway, today I got out on the Sonder and made a couple of new lines on the old waste ground near Castleside. I was chuffed to do some step-ups. Tonight, I selected exercises for the next four writing workshops. And did admin that might lead up to a surprise event before the end of the year. I feel a bit knackered. Might take some ibuprofen. Chuffed to be back up to date on logbooks. 10.53pm.


Wednesday 30th October 2024

Felt pretty hammered all day. Got the info for the writing marathon sent off to the venue. Then I did some typing. Thanks to Kirsten, Harry, Viv and Mandy for marketing advice. I listened to Suede's  Edinburgh Castle concert from earlier this year, then Swans at Islington Powerhaus on their Burning World tour from August 1989. Me and Stephen Clark saw them in Sheffield and Manchester a couple of days earlier. I saw some good black sewn notebooks today. And a really lush pinky-purple diary that I might buy for 2025 instead of a black one.


Thursday 31st October 2024

What is going on with this weather? Best end of October ever. Riding in short sleeves, I managed to get the Sonder bike up a narrow rocky slope on the trail near Allensford. I videoed it and put it online. And a little bit of backhopping. I can’t hop up ledges on the back wheel anymore, but I’m still having lots of fun on the trails. And the main riverside route was dry again... People are starting to ask about the forthcoming writing marathon. I wanted to announce the date this evening but I’m still waiting on the venue for ticket info. The Cure are playing various intimate sets in London this week for the release of their new album, Songs of a Lost World. It’s been great to hear Robert Smith talking about the band, and to catch two sets on BBC radio this evening whilst typing. And here’s Jo Whiley playing Boys Don’t Cry, taking me back to my teens with crimped hair, big black jumpers, baggy pants and white boots. Happy Halloween. 10.05pm.

SEPTEMBER 2024

Sunday 1st September 2024

Poor weather prevented a Sonder Frontier bike ride. More Hammerite on radiators. Chatted with Mam and Ernie on the phone. Hoovered downstairs. Had a big baked potato chicken salad and fruitcake. Listened to a Rollins ‘Stay Fanatic!!!’ interview on the Vinyl Guide Podcast. Listened to the Damned, Annie Dressner and Suede. 11.24pm

Monday 2nd September 2024

Pretty chuffed with ideas that burst out during morning pages. So I posted the entire entry without a single change to Facebook with a link to my workshops. I uploaded the Poetry Jam pix as well. And finally, after much procrastination over the last two months, I got the college paperwork sorted for Thursday delivery. Watched a couple of Adrian Mitchell poetry videos this evening. Got sucked into a thread on the recent scalping shenanigans of the leading concert ticket agency. I avoid dealing with them. And now that I no longer go to rock concerts, it's no problem. No band is worth £350 a head. Just total fucking greed. I'm pleased I'm not young now. I hated the world in my twenties. I'd hate it more if I was twenty-five now. 10.47pm.

Tuesday 3rd September 2024

Amazing day out on the Sonder Frontier. Rode some ace singletrack in the woods opposite Allensford that I'd never seen before. Lots of rocks and roots – and treacherous off-camber bits perfect for ankle snapping. I rode a few sections clean and stayed out for about five hours. Warm, no wind, no punctures. Really tired when I got home. I think I fell asleep for an hour. Baked potato, cheese, tuna and beans for tea. Too tired to read. I watched all the extras on the repackaged original Hellraiser DVD. Then I did positive and negative lists from my August blog. Positives outweighed negatives by about two hundred percent. I will be home all day tomorrow for work prep. Waddington Street Centre on Thursday then hopefully another bike ride before the weekend. Yep, a great day. Loving the Sonder bike. 10.27pm.


Wednesday 4th September 2024

Most of this morning on the couch with various poetry collections and how-to books, making notes for the first couple of workshops of the season. It was good to get so many ideas for exercises down in addition to the big list made on Monday. This afternoon I started to remove stuff from the back room and went through a load of papers – some reusable, some I'll bin tomorrow. After the session, I read extracts from last year's little September Scrapbook pamphlet. I’m going to read from it at Poetry Jam tomorrow night. I just found out Attila the Stockbroker is on the bill for Morecambe Poetry Festival later this month. I'm looking forward to getting a copy of the anthology with a bit of my writing in it alongside many great names. I've eaten bread with every meal today. OK. 10.58pm.


Thursday 5th September 2024

Aye, so I wanted to read a novel but spent more time working out how to get over to Weardale Wordfest in October on public transport. I got ready for my journey to Durham and was out about one. I read a few chapters of The Stand-Up Mam by Kay Wilson then went into Durham City for ATM and a birthday card. I got all the college paperwork photocopied. My next course is secure and has already reached the minimum required number of enrolments with nearly a fortnight still to go. Poetry Jam was ace tonight. Great to see Rosemary Sladden do a full set. And some surprises in open floor, including Pip McDonald, Greg Freeman from Write Out Loud, Gary the Hat, Lian Maltas… Joey Avary was great with all new stuff – self-deprecating. And of course, Elaine was ace. All new poems from her MA Course. Great night. Bus was swift. Home by eleven. OK. 11.38pm.


Friday 6th September 2024

Early hours of the morning taking photos of my tiny, paused Poetry Jam videos on the camcorder to send to Greg Freeman with names and notes as a reminder of who read last night. Then a lot of the day cutting proper pix from video clips for the Facebook post. I was rough when I woke up and the room was spinning. Not enough water over the previous seventeen hours. Only about a litre. This afternoon I got the Jam pix uploaded then walked into Consett for the bus to Gateshead. Me and Jenni went to Silly Billies comedy night at Alphabetti theatre. Fernando was standing in on hosting duties for Jack and Sam – and was brilliant. Guests were Matty Ride-Smith, Pamela Tracey, Singing Peter, Adrian Hanlon and Joby Mageean. Then over to Tesco for pasties, squash and biscuits. Now back in the attic just chilling and looking at responses to Poetry Jam. I’ve had some ‘Nice’ biscuits and a cup of dandelion and burdock. OK. 11.39pm.


Saturday 7th September 2024

Early rise. Good morning pages session then out to The Little Theatre in Gateshead for a guided tour of the building: rehearsal space, props and furniture, dressing room, backstage, set builds, onstage, control room, various costumes… Then, after a spicy beanburger pitstop, off to Station East for The Smoke Room unplugged music session featuring Bedsit Manor, Groundbird, Your Casket or Mine, and Nev Clay. Great day out. Got the 7.20pm bus to Consett, bought food, then home. OK. 10.56pm.


Sunday 8th September 2024

Weather today is absolute toilet. So no bike ride. Spent the morning looking through my Poetry Jam files and booked our final guest for National Poetry Day. Had an afternoon nap then checked out more music from Your Casket or Mine. Tuna salad for tea. Online chats with Jenni and read about 70 pages of Kay Wilson’s novel The Stand-Up Mam, which I’m enjoying. Still raining. 10.36pm.


Monday 9th September 2024

Not a great day. Only did a little bit of workshop prep, college safeguarding revision, and some typing. At around one this afternoon I noticed a trickle of water down the side of the toilet cistern dripping onto the carpet. Big wet patch. Wasn't aware of it earlier today. I took the cistern lid off to find a fine spray of water, almost mist, coming up from the pipe. If I replace the lid, the water drips and fills a bowl on the floor. I rang cousin Gordon the plumber who is coming out tomorrow. I hope it doesn't get any worse in the night. I had a poor ride on the Sonder in very slippery conditions. Enjoyed reading more of Kay's novel this evening. OK. 11.26pm.


Tuesday 10th September 2024

Up a few times in the night to check the toilet. Gordon arrived at quarter past eight and installed a new valve. I spent a lot of the morning tidying up the mess in the cupboard under the kitchen sink that has been building up for the last ten or twenty years. Had a tuna salad then spent two hours coming up with activities for Friday’s workshop. Picked up a copy of The Ritual by Adam Nevill from Consett Library. Read more Stand-Up Mam on the bus to Gateshead. Reached Jen's place just after six. We saw Canoeing for Beginners at The Little Theatre. Based on John Darwin fake suicide. A good farce. OK. 11.06pm.


Wednesday 11th September 2024

Good chat with Jenni about how to make it financially through the hard times. She knows what to say. Confident I’ll make it to the other side of winter in a better position. Home about half one. Didn’t start work on the Washington session till about three. I reread Points of Engagement. A couple of the poems will be put into autumn sets and might make the final cut for my next official full-length collection. Some of the ambitions I wrote about in the prose sections I’m still working on this year. Everything seems to take longer these days. I want to do another journal book this autumn. I’m slowly getting back into the swing of writing workshop prep. First one since July. 11.36pm.


Thursday 12th September 2024

Today was good. I got the last bits of the workshop sorted for tomorrow. It’s the first of a new run so I’m pretty much taking a full bag of tricks. Even though I’ll only use a fraction of the material. This afternoon I made more copies of the ‘Lucky Dip of Life’ Washington Writers booklet and four copies of my September Scrapbook from last year. The scoring tool that Mam and Ernie bought me makes folding glossy covers without cracking the print a doddle. Tonight, I read the last 75 pages of Kay Wilson’s novel, ‘The Stand-Up Mam’. A great story about a mother of three taking to the stage and finding herself through performance. The conflicts were good. The pace built and gripped. Was she a bad mother? Did she win the grand final of the stand-up comp in London. Read it and find out. Well done, Kay, keep it going. 11.00pm.


Friday 13th September 2024

Today was my first workshop for two months. I prepped for over ten hours. And we got through all the handouts. We didn’t do much writing. It was more like a taster for the sorts of things we are likely to do over the next few months, but we looked at a lot of stuff, discussed approaches and barriers. Thanks to Alwyn for a lift to Metro Centre. I prepped the next session on the bus to Consett. Back home, I fixed a rear puncture on the Sonder Frontier. The tyre came off the rim surprisingly easily. The puncture was tiny. So was the bit of protruding thorn. I edited my morning pages into a review of Kay Wilson’s novel, The Stand-Up Mam, then listened to Suede songs and wished I’d seen them on tour in July. 11.17pm.

Saturday 14th September 2024

Made a new morning pages book for Monday then gave the Sonder bike a clean. An hour later I was in the woods. Terrain, tyre pressure, temperature? I don’t know, but I had an ace ride. Some big climbs over technical trails. Cleaned three bridges/slopes. Rode my favourite big trail and didn’t puncture. Rode about three hours then home for a curry. Later, off to Jen’s. Spicy bean burger. Slept through Strictly. 9.20pm.


Sunday 15th September 2024

Big lie in then write-up of yesterday’s bike ride in morning pages. Then two peanut butter sandwiches left over from yesterday’s trail supplies. Me and Jenni watched The Voice. Had beanz, mushrooms and eggs for dinner and soup for tea. Tonight, we watched about four episodes of Sounds of the 70s. Cream crackers and blackcurrant squash. 10.18pm.


Monday 16th September 2024

Surprisingly warm weather. Had to remove my hoodie on the bus. Sweating with two bags of shopping, walking from Consett to Moorside. Cut the grass. A month since last time. Hardly grown. Could easily have left it another week. Lush salad with chicken breast and baked potato. Lemmy documentary… Today I was offered a repeat of last year’s creative writing workshop for teenagers who are into making music. Pleased to be asked back. My tinnitus is really bad again. Toothache trying to annoy me. I want to read The Ritual by Adam Nevill. 10.55pm.


Tuesday 17th September 2024

Feels like a long day. Very warm for mid-September. I went to New College Durham to pick up an ID badge then walked down to Waddy. My Samsonite bag was rather heavy; my right knee felt as though it might give way. Photocopying and room prep took an hour. Chatted with Dave and Steve about tubeless tyres and Poetry Jam. This afternoon’s workshop could’ve been tighter, but it went well. I spent nearly an hour clearing the aftermath. The bus to Consett was packed with students. Zero breeze, despite all upper deck windows open. I tried to read but fell asleep. Chicken salad for tea. This evening I’ve been reading The Ritual by Adam Nevill. A creepy novel about hikers getting lost in a dark forest and encountering things that scare them shitless. Only 45 pages in. I’m very tired and soon to bed. 10.23pm.


Wednesday 18th September 2024

A great Sonder bike today. Eight hours. I wasn’t riding the whole time. I spent a lot of it setting up shots to get video clips for stills. I also did a few trials bits. I’ve ridden everything clean previously, so I wasn’t too bothered about anything more than tackling the obstacle in front of me. I spent three minutes trying to get up a ledge leading with my non-dominant foot. Got there eventually. Had fish fingers and chips for tea then edited my clips. I’ve posted a few trail trundle videos and an album of pix. 11.52pm.

Thursday 19th September 2024

Did the Poetry Jam admin for National Poetry Day then edited more bike clips. Brother Mark posted some pix of me on a trials FB group. I’m no longer a trials rider, but it was kind of him. I like my trail trundle clips though. I want some vids of hill-climbs. But they may be tricky to film. Listened to The Cure’s Head on the Door album then packed for the trip to Morecambe. Bit knackered after all the recent activity. 10.36pm.


Friday 20th September 2024

Great first day at the Morecambe Poetry Festival. Rowan McCabe kicked things off with his Door to Door Poetry show. Great to see it again. Then straight over to the Winter Gardens for the Loose Ends BBC recording. Mike Harding, Donna Ashworth, The Lovely Eggs, Henry Normal and a TV chef. Then full sets from Mike Harding and Henry Normal tonight. Mike has the best anti-war poem ever. Henry was really witty. Back at The Kings Arms for a 45-min set from Attila the Stockbroker – new poems, a couple of songs and a bit of his autobiography. Then a brilliant set from Toria Garbutt pushing midnight. We didn’t stay for open mic. Pot Noodles back at the hotel. 1.03am.


Saturday 21st September 2024

Me and Jenni had four- and five-course breakfasts. Mine was jam doughnut, cornflakes, yoghurt and fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and bacon on toasted bagel. Then jam on toast. Nice stroll back into town. We visited The Old Pier Bookshop. They had a talking Darth Vadar and some Pan Horror anthologies. Open mic at The Kings Arms was canny. Robin Ince did a great feature set. As did Dominic Berry and Tony Walsh. Then off to Winter Gardens for Ian McMillan hosting The Verb featuring Pam Ayres, Raymond Antrobus and Henry Normal. Tonight’s headliner Alistair McGowan was mint. We didn’t stay back afterwards coz we want to do the full day tomorrow. 11.07pm.


Sunday 22nd September 2024

Fell out of bed in the middle of the night. No damage done. Had another five-course breakfast then another lie down. We bumped into Robin Ince on the seafront. Jenni chatted to him for a while. Morrisons for supplies and back to The Kings Arms till half four: Helen Ivory, Martin Figura, Kate Fox and others. Then over to the Winter Gardens for a full show from Pam Ayres. Jenni got books signed and a selfie. She chatted with Alistair McGowan as well. We saw sets from Amy Abdullah Barry, Raquel McKee and Sasha Terfous then an anarchic headline set from Lemn Sissay. Not many poems but really funny and engaging. Then back to The Kings Arms for Jackie Hagan tribute show: Miles Hadfield, David Viney, Lemn Sissay – yes, a pop-up open mic appearance, Thick Richard, Gerry Potter and top bloke Matt Panesh to finish. Back at the hotel by half one. 1.38am.


Monday 23rd September 20224

Grotty weather but faired up when we left Morecambe. Then rain again in Lancaster. Carlisle was dry, but back to drizzle in Newcastle. I waited over an hour in Consett for a bus to Moorside. Ended up sharing a taxi with a Swans fan called Rob… Really pleased that me and Jen went to the Poetry Festival. Aaron Wright took lots of ace pictures. As did Sarah L Dixon. Tonight, I went over notes for tomorrow’s workshop. Watched footage of Frank Carter and ex-Pistols live. 10.15pm.


Tuesday 24th September 2024

Bus okay today. Set up at Waddy. We did Finish the Sentence. Mini Morning Pages, Compound Word Definitions and Answer poems. Bus home was packed. Prepped another two sessions in transit. Fell asleep after tea then managed preliminary prep for a November workshop. Chuffed to have a bit more work coming in. 11.04pm.


Wednesday 25th September 2024

The house is getting colder. My wrists were hurting at the keyboard. I bought a big pork pie in Heron Foods for £1.19 and three chocolate bars in Barry's for a quid. The bus to Newcastle took 70 mins. I ate half my pie in Eldon Square and half on the Metro to North Shields, leaving bloody teeth marks in the meat. Jenni’s band is soundchecking at The Klurb for The Stanza. I only brought one set of earplugs. I'll be at the back to prevent worsening tinnitus. My thoughts are short and leap about. It's just writing practice. It's supposed to be a journal entry, but I'll probably write one later. I'm concerned about cash flow at present. Not much coming in till November. I can hear a version of Waiting for The Man but it doesn't sound like Jen's band or Lou Reed. I think I heard Gaeran Southern in the corridor. Don't Worry About A Thing is on now and a barmaid has arrived. Time to move next door for the main event. 6.52pm.

LATER: Cracking night. Great to see Jenni with the band. All the guests were ace. Renata's book reviews were superb. Gary the Hat was all guns blazing. Fantastic to see Just Think Phil going for it as well. Some cracking tunes from the musical duo who opened and some hilarious obscenity from a crocodile - as well as plenty other top-notch open mic. 11.35pm.


Thursday 26th September 2024

Totally pissing down all day so I didn't bother going home. Have enough stuff with me to do the workshop in Washington tomorrow. Me and Jenni had beans on toast for dinner. She went out for a music afternoon at The Sound Room. I did a bit more prep then fell asleep. There was a break in the weather later, so me and Jen went to Tesco. Jen got us Moroccan veg pasties and waffles. The weather is pissing me off. Just over a week ago I was riding a bike on rocky sections of trail and lying down to set my camera up for vids. Today my legs were numb walking in the afternoon chill. Tonight we watched The Voice and a couple of episodes of Corrie. I've just had a 22p-reduced-from-£2.29 chicken salad in a box for supper. Didn’t drink enough water today. OK. 9.52pm.


Friday 27th September 2024

Early rise. Shaved then out to Gateshead. My mobile phone went berserk and started switching itself off and on repeatedly and wouldn't let me intervene. It was a big distraction and fucked up the start of my Washington workshop which didn't go down as well as on Tuesday. Big thanks to Alwyn for chat and lift to Metro Centre. Back in Consett I bought twenty quid's worth of food then home for curry and chips. Then back out to Consett. Kids on the Newcastle bus were dancing to rap music and making videos. I got to Jen's around nine. A programme about Maggie Smith who died today was on the telly. Trillionaire buns tasted working class – stodge and chocolate. TOTP and two editions of Bullseye. Chocolate and cheddar biscuits. Nothing to see here. 11.44pm.


Saturday 28th September 2024

Much of the day listening to music. Chilly. We had beans and waffles and eggs for dinner. We went out to Jen's mam's community karaoke. Lots of good songs. Jen's mam was ace: Eurhythmics and Tina Turner. Got a nice mince pie. Then back to the attic for The Voice and Password. 10.34pm.


Sunday 29th September 2024

New piece of writing in morning pages that might go somewhere. Me and Jenni listened to the radio: Paddy McGuiness is doing a 300-mile endurance ride on a Raleigh Chopper in November. Jenni got us a Sunday dinner delivered from the Toby Carvery. We watched Strictly then a great Jackie Kay documentary. I got the last X45 to Consett and had a cheese and tomato sandwich for supper. 11.53pm.


Monday 30th September 2024

Snapped a rear spoke on the old Rockhopper this morning and got soaked. Need new brake pads as well. Starve Acre from Consett Library and thirty quid housekeeping top-up from the ATM. Most of the afternoon was spent keying in lesson plans. Mainly listening to recent Suede albums. Also compiled a list of favourite songs by The Cure. Nothing since 1989’s Disintegration. September has gone so quickly. Morecambe Poetry Festival was ace. And my big day on the Sonder Frontier making videos. Now it’s drizzle, chilly keyboard sessions at the desktop and concerns about earning a living. Shit at it to be honest. 10.00pm.