Wembley and All That

Monday 28th November 2016

Checked out tube and bus routes for Wembley this morning. No cash payments on buses. Much hissy fitting on Facebook about the cost of an Oystercard by post, lots of feedback and help from various people. Watched some Queen videos, including performance with Adam Lambert on vocals. Checked out Mr Rotten’s Songbook by John Lydon, which goes on sale this week at around £300. And I thought asking twenty-five for a handmade hardback was pushing luck. Intended to go out today, but after intensive college paperwork till half-one this morning, just having a lazy Monday. 11.39 pm.

Tuesday 29th November 2016

Luxury is having the heating on for over four hours this morning to get clothes and self washed. Got paid for work done last month. Enjoyable lunchtime chats at Waddy then final session with grim paperwork for the writing group. Delighted to get everything ready afterwards and okayed by Ali then off to college to deliver in person to be checked there by Tracie. Home by six. Bought a pack of bacon and did an all-day breakfast then had a lie down. Tackled work for tomorrow’s Cambian Appletree workshop. Good to hear from Jenni and listen to The Cure again before gig on Friday. Bit knackered now. Just a session to come up with in the morning. 11.42 pm.

Wednesday 30th November 2016

Another month comes to a close. Seem to get more enlivened as the year’s end draws near. Paid the deposit on my Waddy Christmas meal. Been trying to key in morning pages on the bus but it’s a nightmare. Takes ages and my thumbs ache. I don’t mind the android tablet if I can lay it on a flat surface and type in the usual manner but thumbs are killing typing upright on a moving vehicle. Appletree was good. Warm-ups were previous self-generated prompts. Reading of sketches. Characters in conflict. Got a much better room as well. Zero distractions. Now on 21 to Newcastle. Going to Literary Salon gig with Jenni and staying over at her place. 4.23 pm.

Thursday 1st December 2016

Good gig last night. Plenty open mic opportunity and some cracking guests. Enjoyed hearing sets by Juli Watson, Cath Campbell, Rob Walton and Harry Gallager.  Morning pages a bit of a struggle. Walked into Newcastle with Jenni then bought eat4less baguettes for tomorrow’s London trip. Did some bank transfers then bus back to Consett. House much colder than Jen’s. Took a while to pull all my stuff together. Did prep for final Poetry Jam. Good sets from Mark Smith, Arabella Arnott and Asa J. Maddison. Some canny jam poets. Train back to Newcastle. Looking forward to seeing The Cure. Not so sure about trailing around London. Need to be up around five. 11.42 pm.

Friday 2nd December 2016

Journey down was okay. Tried to sleep a bit to begin with but only got an hour or so. Read about 70 pages of Arguments Yard, the Attila the Stockbroker autobiography.

Was expecting to hate being in London this weekend but I’m finding Wembley to be pretty good. Hotel just around the corner from The Arena, which is right next to the stadium, which in turn is visible from the tube station. And a nearby Sainsburys so got all my food for tomorrow.

Right now I’m buzzing. Tried to get a pic of the venue at dusk with The Cure big logo but it just came out bright light. I’ll try again tomorrow. Hotel room is pretty good and very spacious. Not wearing a coat for the gig. If the band are playing for three hours I’d best keep myself hydrated. Bit of a headache coming on. Need some ibuprofen. 6.30 pm.

The sight of 10,000+ bodies bathed in green light then handclaps in unison to Simon Gallup's bass at the end of A Forest was truly a joy to behold. Bob and the Boys totally smashed it at Wembley tonight. And they finished with 10.15 / Arab. It took me thirty years to get round to seeing The Cure and they were well worth the wait. Awesome show! 11.10 pm.

Saturday 3rd December 2016

Woke at seven, morning pages, showered and down to the dining room for continental breakfast. Totally stuffed myself. Keyed in some pages then back into the Underground. Went over to Earls Court and took a walk up to Logan Place where Freddie Mercury lived. A few fans there taking pix of the messages on the Perspex sheets affixed to the walls outside Garden Lodge. A girl took my photo for me by the door, so I returned the favour. Then back to Victoria Coach Station for another eight-hour journey. Read a bit of Attila, keyed in pages, slept. Back to Bensham just after nine. Good to see Jenni and watch eighties TV, then get chip butties. 11.29 pm.

Sunday 4th December 2016

Good lie in. Sat with Jenni and surfed the net. Watched some telly, went out to Tesco for bigly food supplies. Intended to go home tonight but decided to stay over again. TV magic show, World After Hitler documentary, Porridge, then One Foot in the Grave. 10.13 pm.