14 Days

Monday 26th September 2016

I’d really like to stay off the computer for a while, but as I’m working on a project that requires daily keying in of text it’s difficult to avoid. Had a good ride back to Consett. Watched a good Jason Newsted (ex Metallica, bassist) interview. Prepared my session for tomorrow. I’m going to bed now but will read more theory that I want to be able to absorb. Fancy a bag of crisps. Bed. 11.00 pm.

Tuesday 27th September 2016

Got a Charles Bukowski book ‘On Writing’ from Consett library today. It’s a collection of letters from the 40s to the 90s. I don’t read much of his stuff these days – some of his line breaks are awful and distract from what he’s saying. Today’s session was extremely stressful. If you don’t like creative writing don’t disrupt the session and prevent others from getting on with their work. Was great to chill out for a while back home then get all excited watching world mototrials champion Dougie Lampkin wheelie the entire 37.7 mile Isle of Man TT course. Keyed in Appletree poems afterwards and listened to Queen Forever. 10.30 pm.

Wednesday 28th September 2016

Much better day. probably one of the best workshops at Cambian Appletree this year. People joined in on a great ‘What If…’ group poem and there were some good solo ‘He said, she said’ pieces as well as some rewritings of clichés. Came away from the session feeling rather buoyant. Read some of Charles Bukowski’s letters on the bus home then had a steak pie and beans for tea. Caught the highlights of Jeremy Corbyn’s party conference speech, but have yet to watch the whole thing. Watched episode two of National Treasure and listened to some anti-fracking stuff on The Richie Allen Show. Keyed in some work and checked out some poems by Tom Sastry and Kay Ryan. Had a fried egg and logged off coz my eyes were feeling the strain. 10.47 pm.

Thursday 29th September 2016

Really windy outside today so decided not to ride my longboard in case I came off just before my gig. Did some food shopping and a couple of bank transactions. I did a Mostly Spoken warm-up read-through on the bus home from Consett. Did some job searches. Factories or care homes for minimum wage. Hope to get some fresh leads for workshops in due course. Felt a bit tired so had a nap this afternoon then prepped my bag for the Mostly Spoken poetry gig. Fell asleep on the bus to Newcastle whilst reading Bukowski’s letters. This happened last night as well. Me and Jenni went to eat4less then a slow walk over to The Cumberland. Great night. Enjoyed the range of voices. Music and spoken word. Enjoyed my set. Walked back into town with Jenni and Marie. Got a pie at Sainsbury’s. Bus home due in five minutes. 11.15 pm.

Friday 30th September 2016

Didn’t go to bed till half two, so was in no hurry to get out of bed early. Lay undercover daydreaming and reading before getting up to answer emails and get in touch with Broadacre House to book a room for the next Writing Marathon. Six people already expressed an interest and I’ve not even officially posted the date yet. My teeth are aching again. According to the dentist they are fine now. They’ve never been right since the weekend after my treatment. Listening to some of The Mission’s new album Another Fall from Grace. Checked out songs by Bernie Christie who played last night. She does a cracking version of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart. And her song Romeo is great. I keyed in the Cambian Appletree writers’ work and sent a 70+ page file of stuff to the office this evening. Jenni asked if I want to go to Gateshead early tomorrow as Jeremy Corbyn is in town. Hopefully I can be on my way after dinner. 11.31 pm.

Saturday 1st October 2016

Today has been pretty good. I wrote a new meta-flash fiction after the morning pages. I posted it online and got a few ‘likes’. Quick shave then out on the bike to Jen’s by three o’clock. Two hours later we were in a council chamber with about 100 others listening to Jeremy Corbyn who was speaking directly in front of us, about 20 feet away. Tonight we watched an episode of Rebus then Kate Tempest and other poets on the BBC. 11.07 pm.

Sunday 2nd October 2016

Morning pages were difficult coz the Tv was on and Teresa May was speaking on Sunday Politics. While Jenni typed up workshop poems, I had another crack at a flash fiction but no good. Nipped out this afternoon for pizza. Fave viewing today was Penn and Teller, The Lady in the Van, Ice Road Truckers and Father Ted. Teeth playing up again. 10.42 pm.

Monday 3rd October 2016

Bike ride was tough this morning. Ten minutes after leaving Jen’s house my fingers were freezing. Definitely the coldest ride since last winter. Took me about half an hour to feel anywhere near comfortable. Left knee getting more pain, even in a lighter gear on return journey. Pleased to get the National Poetry Day theme (Messages) handouts all sorted for the big photocopy at Waddy tomorrow. Lots of fans of The Mission raving online about the ‘Another Fall from Grace’ album and tour. I prefer their previous album, ‘The Brightest Light’, to be honest. But will still be good to see them in Whitby thirty years to the day since my first time at Tiffany’s way back in November ’86. I’m up quite late. Didn’t get through all my work. Aim to be up early and sorted by ten  o’clock tomorrow. Finish my Kettle chips then bed. 11.47 pm.

Tuesday 4th October 2016

Today was canny. Made easier by having all the initial prep done by half nine this morning. At Waddy in good time to photocopy my stuff and sequence handouts for the group. Session went well. Not too many distractions and everyone engaged with the exercises – apology notes, postcard poems and gratitude letters. Read some Bukowksi letters on the bus home. Tonight I chilled out, watched some music videos and chatted to Mam and Ernie. First time in a while. Stitched the shoulder strap on my hi-tech bag. The third one I’ve had, but it’s holding up okay. Had to use a spoon to push the needle through four layers of material. No word from any work leads. Must check out more. Need to get sorted before January. 10.51 pm.

Wednesday 5th October 2016

Good to have a little lie in this morning. Then get my pages typed up before leaving for Waddy. Pleased to have a conversation with staff about handling certain behavioural issues in sessions. Lunchtime included patting the dog that appears to be a new addition the Waddy household. Talked with Ali about 35th Anniversary gig and the Swans gig in Newcastle next week. Cambian Appletree ‘messages’ workshop went well. Tried to read some essays on flash fiction on the bus home but fell asleep.  Possibility of new sessions in the pipeline when I got home, so very pleased about that. Keyed in some poems from the messages sessions of today and yesterday. Listened to Richie Allen show on chem trails and Sandy Hook whilst working. Online chat with Jenni. Ok, I’m done today. 11.02 pm.

Thursday 6th October 2016

Great night at Poetry Jam. Excellent sets from out guests Tony Gadd, Annie Moir and Rowan McCabe. Some top stuff from the open floor as well. Good turnout. We ran till quarter to ten. Fergus gave me a lift home. I see that Facebook has put all the upcoming events on a calendar now so I listed them and posted on my page coz I didn’t have them all at the gig. Been stuffing fruit pastels and ganola cookies in my gob since I got home. Thanks to Waddy for the freebies. Shame poor Jenni wasn’t well and had to miss the gig. Hope she is better soon. I didn’t get my grass cut today. Hope weather stays fine for tomorrow. 11.32 pm.

Friday 7th October 2016

Switched the computer off. Sick of it. Last night I read my piece about the old Olivetti travel typewriter. I had a lot more focus back in the nineties. Internet has stolen that. Way too easy to just click and jump about, assaulted by info both trivial and useful; sometimes silly, sometimes sinister. It feels like winter in my room tonight. I had to stop typing coz my fingers were seizing up. I tried reading Bukowski’s letters but fell asleep – sitting on the bed with my pillow against the wall as a backrest. I’m running out of black gel pen ink. Will get some in Gateshead Tesco tomorrow. Heard from Jenni again who is still under the weather and peeved that she missed Poetry Jam. My tongue has been sore since scoffing all those fruit pastels last night. The price you pay for gluttony. Anyway, I’m done here OK. 10.35 pm.

Saturday 8th October 2016

Had a lie in then read a bit of Bukowski’s letters. Didn’t realise his publisher had such a heavy hand in the editing of his prose, ‘Women’ in particular. Really pleased that the Poetry Jam pix have attracted so much attention on Facebook this month. Been typing stuff up today and listening to Jordan Maxwell. Sent out a biog to Juli at the Literary Salon for a Heroes and Villains set on Wednesday 26th October. Rode down to Jen’s. Got a puncture near the Metro Centre. A bit too close to dusk for roadside repair so a half hour push to Bensham. We went to Tesco for food supplies. Watched an episode of Rebus. 10.45 pm.

Sunday 8th October 2016

Eleven hours in bed. Watched Sunday Politics. Went out after lunch to buy a new bicycle pump and repair kit. All my patches had lost their stickiness and my pump gave up the ghost this morning. Me and  Jenni watched Columbo, Penn and Teller, Ice Road Truckers and lots of laughs at Father Ted. 10.30 pm.