On Track, Off Track; Books, Bikes, Bards, etc

Monday 18th April 2016

Big To Do List by nine this morning but pulling everything together is easier said than done. Cross-referencing logbooks and schemes of learning to check what can be delivered where. Tonnes of material. Gets a bit awkward having to do new stuff all the time for the same participants. I’m pretty much there with sessions now though. Listened to The Damned most of the evening. They are playing Newcastle in November. Might go. Been eating apple pie and custard, tuna and scrambled eggs, grilled cheese on crispbread. Was pretty buoyant this morning, rehearsing bits and pieces. Will three months will be long enough to memorize sets? 10.12 pm.

Tuesday 19th April 2016

Everything went very well today. Lush cooked breakfast, swift visit to the bank, bus into Durham. Arrived at Waddy early and good turn out for afternoon session. Group poem and morning pages keyed in afterwards. Chicken Rendang and rice for tea then a good session with my evening class. Thirteen people. We looked at benefits of journaling, speculating on strangers’ lifestyles, played a game of consequences with some hilarious results then created a three dimensional character called Rebecca Goodbody for people to go home and write a monologue for. Number 15 bus from Durham was on time. Driver let the Moorside folk stay on during his pit-stop at Consett bus station. Back home by ten. Found some tomatoes left to go in a Red Leicester cheese sandwich for supper. In bed by half-ten and writing this. Doesn’t it just piss you off when all’s well with your world for a change. NOT! 10.40 pm.

Wednesday 20th April 2016

Long day. A couple of hours workshop prep then out to Durham at quarter-past eleven with a tin of oxtail soup for lunch at Waddy. The staff always do a quiz and today was pretty much all music-related. Session was rather challenging this afternoon. Tasks that one group find easy another find very difficult indeed. Did sentence stems from adjective/verb/noun triads and a round of consequences. I went into Durham to pay money into the bank then popped into the Gala Theatre to use the facilities. Who should I see in the foyer but Rob Auton, in town to perform his Water Show this evening. I saw it in Edinburgh. Chatted for a while then went off to check out the music mags in WHSmith. Bought some plums from North Road stall then fell asleep on bus home. Saddened to find out Victoria Wood has died. Evening spent mainly listening to Hanoi Rocks songs and commenting on publishing logistics. Good to be in bed now though. 11.13 pm.

Thursday 21st April 2016

Good to be up early for walk in the spring sunshine to Consett for my first Mind workshop of a new ten-week block. Good to see the Consett Writers and get back into the swing of things. Simple ‘I am’ warm-up, 30-day prose writing challenge prompts, risks with confessional writing, first lines from contemporary novels and ways of beginning a story. Went to Barry’s Bargains and bought all my tins – soup, curry, beans – then walked home. Biked over to Jen’s place. The cycle path was dry all the way to Swallwell, just a few patches of mud here and there by the river. But pedalling into a headwind was a bastard. Don’t feel too tired now but could hardly walk when I first got back indoors. Had a couple of oranges and peanut butter with banana on lush soft bread. Doubt I’ll lose much weight if I don’t push some big gears this summer. Looking forward to The Stanza tonight. Brought a couple of poems with me but not sure if I’ll do anything on open mic. Maybe one about Robert Smith of The Cure coz it’s his birthday. I’m on the Metro and should make it by half-seven. 6.55pm.

Friday 22nd April 2016

The Stanza was good last night. New venue: Beldons at the Exchange in North Shields. Mandy Maxwell, Joan Johnston, Holly Dalton, Kitty Fitzgerald and sixteen open mic people. I read my Robert Smith poem. He turned fifty seven yesterday. I stayed at Jen’s last night. Had peanut butter and banana on toast for breakfast then read The Velvet Box by Tina Sederholm while Jen slept some more. Bike ride home was pretty tough. Took nearly two hours. Came back to Consett with the intention of doing a bit of editing and some admin jobs but fell asleep in the bath. I’m trying not to eat too much these days but lack of calories makes me less energetic so I’m struggling to stay on schedule. Don’t want to keep putting on weight. Been well over twelve stone for about six or seven months now. I’m skinny-limbed with tin ribs and a pot belly. Hate it. Watched a Prince documentary tonight and listened to some Tori Amos tracks. Wayne Hussey has announced more Mission Dates around the band's Whitby appearance but doubt I’ll make any of them. 11.26 pm.

Saturday 23rd April 2016

Well, my legs still work, the knees haven’t given way. I got the Poetry Jam event page up online and keyed in some new stuff. Attempted a sonnet but don’t think I’ve got it really. Had a ride in the freezing fucking cold over to Jen’s this afternoon. Had some Tai chicken soup then a walk to Tesco for supplies. Shakespeare on television tonight. Took me six weeks to learn about a dozen lines or so back in 2000 for Theatre Cap-a-Pie production of Hal. Bit grumpy. 10.50 pm.

Sunday 24th April 2016

Long lie in. Forgot to take my writing prompt to Jen’s so just rambled through morning pages. Listened to BBC2 a lot today. Shows from Steve Wright, Michael Ball, Elaine Page and Paul O’Grady. Ah, the middle-age compromise! Me and Jen watched the final three episodes of Braking Bad series three. Eager for the next one. Canny bike ride home but knees need a rest. 10.57 pm.