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Monday 10th August 2015

Up around half seven. Washed a few items of clothing in the sink, went for a ride down by the river and back. Put in a couple of hill climbs and some very basic trials shunting – which doesn’t do wrists or XC bike’s bottom bracket much good. Home by half ten. Bath then a bit of admin before lunch. The rest of the day sequencing the remaining thirty pages of the new full length collection Laughter to Split Glass. Had to rebreak some lines and ditch a couple of poems that didn’t work in a new shape. 67 poems sequenced, but I may need to lose a few more. Feeling a bit done-in now. Worked on the book for eight hours. Pleased to get all the poems up off the living room floor. A bowl of porridge for me then an early night me thinks. 10.35 pm.

Tuesday 11th August 2015

Great bike ride through the woods and alongside the River Derwent to Shotley this morning without putting a foot down – even ‘cleaned a section’ (up off the bridge out onto the road) where previously I’d always dabbed, even on my proper trials bike. Home by 8.20 pm. Then bag pack and off to Sunderland for a mint photo shoot as part of the Picture the Poet project with Jennie Lambert and photography students Jack, Samuil and Catherine. Marianne Pownell was there too. Shots in Riff Raff guitar shop. Darke Cycles, Minster church yard and against urban street art. Proofed half of Chris Hill’s pamphlet on the bus there; slept on the way back. The fourth copy of The filth and the Fury arrived today. And yes, it’s the same as the others – defective. Only plays opening credits, the bastard! Tough evening working on a book cover. Nailed it but still have the workshop to prep for tomorrow morning. Busy, busy week. 10.57 pm.

Wednesday 12th August 2015

No dizzy spells. Maybe it was sugar withdrawal. I got the group to write about things they love as a warm-up and did another piece myself as my original is a bit too work-related. We did some A2Z narratives and 14-line guided image compositions. After working on Chris Hill’s pamphlet I had an eye test for contact lenses. £25.00 for a five minute procedure then £15.00 for lenses. The price you pay for vanity. The Pistols dvd that doesn’t play on my machine works fine on the one at Waddy. Yet the more recent Hit So Hard documentary about Hole drummer Patty Schemel plays on mine. Ordered the latest Julia Eff zine online and listened to some Jessie Lyn McMain (Rust Belt Jessie) recordings. Jenni was interviewed for a podcast at the Fringe last night. Enjoyed listening today. Too tired to go out on the longboard. Maybe tomorrow. 10.41 pm.

Thursday 13th August 2015

Pretty good day. Prepped my final Centre for Change session then went for another river trail ride on the big bike. Not so successful at keeping feet on the pedals as Tuesday but good nevertheless. This afternoon’s workshop overran by twenty minutes as it took a good quarter of an hour to get people settled. Fell asleep on the bus home. Julia Eff was in touch and up for swapping one of their publications for an A6 mini-version of So Much for the Sunshine. Well chuffed about that. Also, Kim Addonizio, Tony Hoagland and Choman Hardi are reading at Newcastle University Culture Lab on 12th November. Really keen on going to that. A lot of the Uni events clash with Poetry Jam but not this one. I went out a bit too late on the board tonight. Was just getting warmed up as dusk set in. Then the rain started. Hoping to watch Punk documentary online before bed but broadband is playing up again. 10.28 pm.

Friday 14th August 2015

Horrible weather so I stayed in and made up a cut and paste photocopied flyer to go in airmail zine envelopes. Sent Sunshine to Julia. Took a couple of hours out to watch the Hit So Hard documentary then cracked on with Laughter to Split Glass. I have the computer file formatted, contents and acknowledgements pages done, just need a dedication. What a day! 11.43 pm.

Saturday 15th August 2015

Stayed up till twenty to four this morning. Made a dummy copy of Laughter to Split Glass. Needs a few tweaks but at least I feel as though I’ve got a new book rather than just a pile of poems that have been in the computer for years. Good to have the rest of the day off. Washed clothes, got food supplies, watched American Horror Story. Haven’t had the desktop pc on today. And feel better for it. 11.24 pm.

Sunday 16th August 2016

Despite a reasonable night’s sleep just feel hammered today. Tried to work at the computer and was falling asleep so had a lie down. Jenni was in touch and is enjoying the Edinburgh Fringe immensely. I looked at a few bike videos this afternoon. Toying with the idea of going to watch either a Tyketrial next month at Addingham – my favourite venue for the sport – or a British Championships Biketrial round at Shipley Glen in October. Quite a trip using public transport but it’s one of the things I pencilled in on a wish list of activities for 2015. Be great if I can make it. Also want to go to a longboarding event but can’t find any in the north of England 10.25 pm.

Monday 17th August 2015

Much of the day spent rehearsing material for the next few gigs, particularly the Never Mind the Ramones appearance at Gateshead Caedmon Hall next Saturday. I did a 25 minute set there last year and don’t want to repeat anything for the forty minute set I’m doing this time. Would have been nice to go out this evening but too busy. Some mint shots have been posted by the Sunderland photography group from the Picture the Poet session I took part in last week. Kirsten Luckins has made one of hers into a profile pic, some great ones of Marianne Pownell as well. I like the ones of me with sad eyes in the cemetery. Feeling sleepy already. 9.40 pm.