Breaking the Back of Bureaucracy

Monday 21st November 2016

Jenni described my last blog post as sounding like a feckin’ Dickens novel. That made me laugh a lot. Went to make a cuppa and was still laughing when I came back. Big typing session today. Another writing marathon place spoken for. Planned tomorrow’s workshop then watched bits of video online. Mainly Queen stuff. Many fans annoyed by last night’s Channel Five Freddie Mercury documentary. I found it informative, thought provoking and upsetting. I’m used to warts and all stories, but they’re not for everyone and I understand the disappointments. Still wrapped up in my slanket. Sick of eating toast. Going to have a bigger food spend this week, I think. Might cook some stew or something later in the week. Pretty much ready for bed. 11.14 pm.

Tuesday 22nd November 2016

Another pissy day outside. But I only walked to the bus stop then station to Boyes in Consett to check out some winter wear and back again to board for Durham. Read through my notes for the penultimate Waddy session of the year, but some absences this afternoon so I pretty much had to wing it. This always happens near the end of term. We read Ruth Padel’s recent Guardian article about writing happening when you’re busy doing other things, engaging with life. We did some concrete image definitions, a dilation of a moment in time exercise. No formal paperwork. I’ll do that at the weekend. Read a great article in NAWE magazine on the bus back: Handwriting in the digital age. Send out insurance and DBS forms for new course. Typed up student papers and replied to emails. 12 hours. 11.06 pm.

Wednesday 23rd November 2016

Good to see a bit of blue sky for a change. Still cold at home but didn’t succumb to the central heating. Session at Cambian Appletree went well today. Absurd Words warm-up, ten minute freewrite from self-generated prompts, Maura Dooley’s ‘What Every Woman Should Carry’ and characters from the ground up. Bus out of Meadowfield into Durham was on time for a change. Now on the 21 to Newcastle. Going to meet up with Jenni, have an eat4less then check out the Improv show ‘For One Night Only’ at the Mining Institute. 3.47 pm.

LATER: Nice of Ian Waugh to tell us about the Improv and buy drinks. Great show, but clashed with Kevin Cadwallender’s poetry event next door at the Lit & Phil. Good to speak with Sheila Wakefield of Red Squirrel Press and Donna-Lisa Healy, say Hi to Kathleen Kenny and Joan Johnston before we had to dash. Been eating apple doughnuts. Now back on the bus to Consett with a sticky sugar chin. Off to Tesco for the weekly food trip when I get off. 11.29 pm.

Thursday 24th November 2016

Due to Tesco no longer being open 24-hours, I was out today for the food. Diane and Emma waved at me from a Middle Street café where I met my grandniece Lacy for the first time – full of life and curiosity and cheeky playfulness. I lost my wheelie case temporarily in Tesco and had to retrieve it from their warehouse. Unattended baggage deemed a security threat these days, even in Consett. Good to get a proper meal cooked this evening: pork steak, baby potatoes, carrots, broccoli, mash, peas, gravy – lush stuff. Jenni messaged to say how work is going. Pleased she’s enjoying it. Tonight I just made a list of films I’d like to check out. Then watched three cover versions of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, some Queen and Nirvana stuff. No heating on today. Feet are numb but the rest of me feels pretty snug. Will try harder to be productive tomorrow. 11.07 pm.

Friday 25th November 2016

Gave myself the luxury of central heating today. Two and a half hours to get the place warm. Sat and worked by the radiator at the drop-leaf table with a further hour of comfort. Less than an hour after the heating went off the place was chilly again. Been reading some journaling blogs today. Wrote responses to questions and Facebook messages about poetry publishing this evening. Besides that, good to see a full Rollins Band show from 1987 on YouTube – lots of Lifetime and Hot Animal Machine tracks. I first saw the band two-and-a-half years later at Leeds Polytechnic. The early stuff is my favourite period, but I do like the two albums Hank made when backed by the guys from Mother Superior. Only got half the jobs done today. But will crack on again tomorrow. Have over two hundred thousand words of morning pages in the hard drive. Lots to edit and lots to discard. All part of the process. 11.18 pm.

Saturday 26th November 2016

Tying up loose ends as term draws to a close always totally stresses me the fuck out, so this time I’m pacing myself over three days. Got a lot done plus some of my own stuff. Good to hear from Jenni this afternoon. Won’t get to see her till Wednesday. Been listening to The Cure and TV Smith this evening. Nipped out for copier paper and orange squash. I’m sure it’s colder indoors. Gonna watch a TV Smith documentary before bed. Must get his lyric book at some point. 10.14 pm.

Sunday 27th November 2016

Bit warmer today. Been good to crack on and get most of the paperwork ready for inspection after the final Waddy session of the year this coming Tuesday. Been listening to TV Smith songs, drinking hot orange and enjoying a full Sunday dinner then rhubarb pie and custard. Bit more work to do before bed. 11.37pm.