Is “Control” the best music biopic ever? A short YouTube video of the Joy Division film under analysis thinks so. I’ll have to watch it again… Today had its stressful moments. Requests to complete online data protection training while trying to assemble copies of a little book. I got most of the work done but still have four library archive copies to sew up and double ply the covers for extra durability. The standard copies are a bit flimsier than I usually make but look good and are stuffed with journal entries and poems. I think I’ve found my format… Jenni informed me that Siouxsie (ex-Banshees) is playing at Tynemouth Priory in July. But it’s fifty quid and I only know the hits. We are hopefully going to see Hayseed Dixie next week. Tonight, I uploaded Poetry Jam videos to the hard drive. OK. 11.37pm.
Thursday 2nd March 2023
Ratty morning. Five attempts at making a sewn deluxe “This Isn’t a Story About an Octopus” for Jenni and got glue on the outer card every time. After nearly two hours I gave up. Coz the glue sticks were scumming up and then ran dry. Then I made a new travel notebook which I couldn’t give a shit about marking – and did it in ten minutes, no glue stains. Bought a ream of Navigator A4 copier paper in Poundland for £4.50. Only to discover due to gas prices a ream is now 400 sheets, not 500. It’s like deciding a metre, due to shortages, is now only 80cm. Cracking night at Poetry Jam. Great turnout. Malcolm Barnes, Diane Cockburn and Aidan Clarke – all ace feature sets. Wide ranging open floor readings. Great to see Annie Moir at her first gig since 2019. Aidan generously gave me a copy of his book Poems for No One. I gave him a copy of A Warm Space. Some interest in ‘Octopus’ as well. Bus home was fine. Feeling good again. 11.47pm.
Friday 3rd March 2023
Slow day. Was pleased to get an archive book made up on the first attempt. The new Amos glue stick was a big help. Chuffed to get through most of my admin. Going to make a couple more archive copies of the Octopus booklet. I hope the next pamphlet is easier to edit and proof. Still, pleased to get it done. OK. 11.56pm.
Saturday 4th March 2023
I made up a hand-sewn book, then went out to buy bits and pieces in Consett for Jenni, and got lots of black paper from Jula Crafts for a quid. Wrote some fragments on the bus to Bensham. It was good to chat with Jenni and watch Saturday night telly. Had beans on toast. Lots of cakes, chocolate, and crisps. 10.42pm.
Sunday 5th March 2023
Jenni and I had our usual Sunday morning serous discussion about creativity and the state of the world. Pizza and chips for dinner. A couple of episodes of Fry and Laurie. Some eighties pop videos and, after an egg sandwich, Dancing on Ice. Good episode (The Interview) of Still Game as well. Read a comedy article from Writing Magazine on the bus home. 11.25pm.
Monday 6th March 2023
Pleased to get Poetry Jam pictures online. Listened to a musician called Cassyette. Then the new Iggy Pop album “Every Loser”. Then “Lust for Life”. Posted new publicity material for January’s “A Warm Space” coz the blog and website might be a bit much for people to wade through. I just want to get more stuff out. I had a tinned chicken balti with naan bread and rice. My lesson plan is done. 11.32pm.
Tuesday 7th March 2023
Did book orders for Elaine and Ann. Pleased to get them. Waddy session was good: How I Got Here, new compound word definitions, dialogue exercises. Went to The Works and checked out cardstock for future booklets. Then bused to Gateshead. Jen showed me some drum patterns. Then her new guitar. I had a good play on it. Then we watched a lot of Chris Akrigg bike videos. All ace stuff. Aggressive riding style, hopping and blasting about. It’s pretty chilly tonight. Might have a bit of toast for supper. 10.40pm.
Wednesday 8th March 2023
Jenni was up before me. We chatted about gigs. And workshops. We had the radio on for a while. Bits of social media. Jenni had an early dinner coz she was going out for a guitar lesson. I had mushroom soup then did a bit of washing up. Scrolled social media for a while. After tea me and Jenni got a bus into town then walked through the park in the dark to Wylam Brewery. Lots of people about for the International Women’s Day fun run. Took a while to find the gig venue. We were there to see Hayseed Dixie supported by Shanghai Treason. Cracking gig. Shanghai Treason are young Yorkshire flat cap punks with a bit of a folk twist. A guy wearing a Black Flag shirt played accordion and flute. Seats at the side for us oldies till Hayseed Dixie came on with AC/DC’s Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. The set was well good. One hour and forty minutes of mostly covers with a few originals: War Pigs, Fat Bottomed Girls, Rebel Yell, Lady of the Bog, Stray Cat Strut, Don’t Stop Believin’, The Whisky Isn’t Working, amongst others. Cracking duelling banjos, ace banter from the singer. Hilarious antics from Hippy Joe on Hell’s Bells. Lovely venue. Unusual location in a park by a lake. Cracking night. Pizza and chips on the way back. Last bus at half eleven. OK. 11.55pm.
Thursday 9th March 2023
Jen read extracts from the Hayseed Dixie website in bed this morning. Very entertaining info on rider requirements – cash payments, a private toilet or bucket, no cut of merch for venue unless cut of bar take for band. Spent quite a bit of money on food supplies. Got the bus home coz I didn’t want my coat soaked with snow. Back home I felt truly hammered. Did some basic admin. Tried to get inspired but ended up just watching two episodes of Question Time and getting annoyed. Then I watched an Iggy Pop South Bank Show special followed by some live footage from last year. His vocals were fine, but he seemed to be struggling physically. He’s seventy-five… I’m a bit cold today. And looking forward to a big sleep. 10.50pm.
Friday 10th March 2023
Really struggling to work today. Think it’s the cold. Been at the computer but can’t stay focused on the task at hand. Think I’ve run out of steam for another pamphlet. Lots to read and type up but I watched a three-hour black metal documentary this evening instead. I can be as misanthropic as the next person depending on the weather. Today wasn’t a good day. I’ll be in bed soon. 10.36pm.
Saturday 11th March 2023
Sitting in the dark at Jen’s coz the electricity has ran out. We were watching Starstruck on the final song of the show. I have spent most of the day reading extracts from the Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook 2023 and an issue of Fatchance poetry magazine from 1996. Also, catty comments on current affairs. And a bit of a lazy time. Didn’t get here till half eight. Think we’ll be going to bed soon. Unless the lights come back on. 10.40pm.
Sunday 12th March 2023
Big lie in. Jen was up before me. Late porridge breakfast. Discussion about current affairs. Soup for dinner. Messed round with guitar and ukelele this afternoon. Saw a two-part documentary from Kathy Burke on growing up and growing old. First one focused on the elderly. Second one focused on young adults. We had pie and veg tea. Jenni did it all. We watched Dancing on Ice. Then two Alfred Hitchcock shorts. OK. 11.43pm.
Monday 13th March 2023
Okay, so it was quite warm this morning. Then it got very windy. Then very wet. Then cold again. I read a few bits from zines today, some poetry and flash fiction articles. I listened to “Useless – The Very Best of TV Smith” and did my lesson plan type-ups. I had a big mince and veg in giant Yorkshire pudding meal. Rationed my bread so I could get through the day without having to go to the shop. I’m thinking of making a zine this month. I need to write more stuff outside but today wasn’t the day for it. I’ve written a couple of flash fiction type things recently. I want to do more. I checked out Morpeth Poetry Library online, but they are closed till April. Scrambled eggs for supper. Ears ringing. 11.05pm.
Tuesday 14th March 2023
Tired tonight. Did little save sleep on top of the bed when I got back from Consett. I’d been to Tesco to pick up a loaf of bread, some blackcurrant squash and a couple of Mother’s Day presents. I have done little so far this month. I aim to pull round and put another little publication together. I need a good solid week without interruption. I will have to work hard from tomorrow. I’m surprised by my ability to produce short fictional vignettes. I’ll try to fix some of them up as poems. Most of the stuff I used to read in the nineties leans towards chopped up prose. To me a lot of flash fiction is a failed poem and vice versa. I need to get a good sleep but don’t want to stay in bed too long. It was minus two degrees this evening. Another few weeks and I hope to be biking properly again. 11.10pm.
Wednesday 15th March 2023
I like my computer but it’s very time consuming as I’m easily distracted from the task at hand. Any stray thought that may lead to a Google search can keep me away from typing a document for a good twenty minutes. I was better with a typewriter… I found the original setlists for last year’s Meet the Author shows and want to trim about seven or eight minutes off each section but find that doing so ruins the flow, the links and intros. I need to go over them again and add some of the recent stuff. I have just over a fortnight. I’ll need some extra copies of Laughter to Split Glass as well. Today I asked Sean at Bits for Bikes about fitting a rear Hope Pro 4 Boost Hub to my Sonder Frontier. Including new spokes, it will be somewhere in the region of £235. That will be nearly half my annual pocket money. I need to book more workshops. 11.17pm.
Thursday 16th March 2022
Big lie in. Jen was up before me. Late porridge breakfast. Discussion about current affairs. Soup for dinner. Messed round with guitar and ukelele this afternoon. Saw a two-part documentary from Kathy Burke on growing up and growing old. First one focused on the elderly. Second one focused on young adults. We had pie and veg tea. Jenni did it all. We watched Dancing on Ice. Then two Alfred Hitchcock shorts. OK. 11.43pm.
Monday 13th March 2023
Okay, so it was quite warm this morning. Then it got very windy. Then very wet. Then cold again. I read a few bits from zines today, some poetry and flash fiction articles. I listened to “Useless – The Very Best of TV Smith” and did my lesson plan type-ups. I had a big mince and veg in giant Yorkshire pudding meal. Rationed my bread so I could get through the day without having to go to the shop. I’m thinking of making a zine this month. I need to write more stuff outside but today wasn’t the day for it. I’ve written a couple of flash fiction type things recently. I want to do more. I checked out Morpeth Poetry Library online, but they are closed till April. Scrambled eggs for supper. Ears ringing. 11.05pm.
Tuesday 14th March 2023
Tired tonight. Did little save sleep on top of the bed when I got back from Consett. I’d been to Tesco to pick up a loaf of bread, some blackcurrant squash and a couple of Mother’s Day presents. I have done little so far this month. I aim to pull round and put another little publication together. I need a good solid week without interruption. I will have to work hard from tomorrow. I’m surprised by my ability to produce short fictional vignettes. I’ll try to fix some of them up as poems. Most of the stuff I used to read in the nineties leans towards chopped up prose. To me a lot of flash fiction is a failed poem and vice versa. I need to get a good sleep but don’t want to stay in bed too long. It was minus two degrees this evening. Another few weeks and I hope to be biking properly again. 11.10pm.
Wednesday 15th March 2023
I like my computer but it’s very time consuming as I’m easily distracted from the task at hand. Any stray thought that may lead to a Google search can keep me away from typing a document for a good twenty minutes. I was better with a typewriter… I found the original setlists for last year’s Meet the Author shows and want to trim about seven or eight minutes off each section but find that doing so ruins the flow, the links and intros. I need to go over them again and add some of the recent stuff. I have just over a fortnight. I’ll need some extra copies of Laughter to Split Glass as well. Today I asked Sean at Bits for Bikes about fitting a rear Hope Pro 4 Boost Hub to my Sonder Frontier. Including new spokes, it will be somewhere in the region of £235. That will be nearly half my annual pocket money. I need to book more workshops. 11.17pm.
Thursday 16th March 2022
I stayed off social media today. I don’t want to know how bad things are politically. I haven’t been outside. Jenni sent me info on a publishing opportunity that might be good for me. This afternoon I sat downstairs with a box of perzines. I read bits of Julia Eff, Jessie Lynn McMains and Jonas. I read a poetry mag. And the final fifty pages of COWS. I started that novel in January. Or maybe December. The ending was a bit of a disappointment… I wonder how long before I read another one. I don’t really want to write tonight. I don’t know if I will be able to do another pamphlet so soon after the last two. I often wonder how things are going to pan out for me. I have no real commercially viable skills. But seem to have done okay so far. 11.18pm.
Friday 17th March 2023
In Consett by 11.15am for some bargains from Barry’s Bargain Superstore to save me having to pitstop for food later. I just gazed out the bus window till Stanley then stuffed myself all the way to Chester le Street. The workshop at Bullion Hall went well. I let them chat for a bit to get all their catch-up out of the way before kicking off with some compound word definitions. Then some prose exercises, a prize-winning short story, and some dialogue shorts. The bus to Sunderland was slow due to a road accident. Didn’t get to King Ink till ten to seven. All the open floor people were ace. Aaron Wright, Mel McEvoy, Mandy Maxwell, Sharon Milly, Chris Hodgson, numerous other people. I read two extracts from A Warm Space for the podcast and two from This Isn’t A Story About an Octopus. It finished just after nine. I took a slow walk back to the bus station, scoffed the rest of my Turkish delight and mini fruit cakes. Home by midnight. 10.55pm.
Friday 17th March 2023
In Consett by 11.15am for some bargains from Barry’s Bargain Superstore to save me having to pitstop for food later. I just gazed out the bus window till Stanley then stuffed myself all the way to Chester le Street. The workshop at Bullion Hall went well. I let them chat for a bit to get all their catch-up out of the way before kicking off with some compound word definitions. Then some prose exercises, a prize-winning short story, and some dialogue shorts. The bus to Sunderland was slow due to a road accident. Didn’t get to King Ink till ten to seven. All the open floor people were ace. Aaron Wright, Mel McEvoy, Mandy Maxwell, Sharon Milly, Chris Hodgson, numerous other people. I read two extracts from A Warm Space for the podcast and two from This Isn’t A Story About an Octopus. It finished just after nine. I took a slow walk back to the bus station, scoffed the rest of my Turkish delight and mini fruit cakes. Home by midnight. 10.55pm.
Saturday 18th March 2023
I checked out the Consett in Focus photography exhibition at St Ives Road Church this afternoon. Enjoyed chatting to Chris Bruce about people I recognized in some of the photographs and seeing shots of creative organisations I wasn’t aware of. Good of the group to include a photograph of me at Poetry Jam. I reached Jen’s place around half three. We watched standard Saturday evening telly and raged against the machine. 11.05pm.
Sunday 19th March 2023
Wrote a few silly micro fictions in bed. Jenni says I should read them at an open mic. We had spicy bean burgers and chips for dinner. Watched two Kathy Burke programmes about money. Then a rather dire effort by celebs on The Chase and an episode of crime drama Grace. I’m staying over an extra night. 10.11pm.
Monday 20th March 2023
Really hammered today. Was a struggle to do a lesson plan. I think waking up in the night and trying to write didn’t do me much good. I got home about eleven. Didn’t start work till about two. By late afternoon I felt knackered. I have a headache. I’ve eaten quite a bit – cake, soup, curry and rice – but have no energy. I watched some zine making videos tonight. I want to do a zine in a week. But I don’t think I’ll be able to.Toyah Willcox and Robert Fripp played Stockton at the weekend. I didn’t go. 9.38pm.
Tuesday 21st March 2023
The workshop at Waddy went well. Recaps. FAQ. And little flash fictions. Read arounds. I read a bit of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn that a student gave me. I gave a copy of Octopus in exchange. The bus to Gateshead took an hour. Me and Jenni went to see Ann Cleeves in conversation at Caedmon Hall in Gateshead Library. I’ve never read any of her books but have seen plenty episodes of Vera. She’s a pantzer not a plotter. A TV producer spotted an early Vera in a charity shop and got in touch. Ann said she probably wouldn’t still be writing if that hadn’t happened. Felt much better than last night. Yay! 10.46pm.
Wednesday 22nd March 2023
Awake till three this morning. A few hours of sleep, awake again by eight but I am not getting much done. And I’m probably burning a lot of money being tied to the computer all day. SWANS are playing Newcastle on 15th August. I heard a track from their forthcoming album, but it didn’t do much for me. I’m not into big soundscapes these days. Tonight, I watched a Bukowski documentary, then two episodes of Punk Britannia. I have a Poetry Jam flyer to do tomorrow. I should have done it tonight. 10.25pm.
Thursday 23rd March 2023
Good to get the Poetry Jam event page sorted. And to write a mini fiction. I want to do a little pocketbook of those by this time next week. I watched the third episode of Punk Britannia which was post punk, touching on Joy Division, Public Image Ltd, Magazine, some Two-Tone stuff and techno pop. I watched a Bukowski reading then read articles on ‘ghost kids’ who didn't return to school after lockdown; why Johnson would still get voters; and numerous other mind-blowing stuff. Particularly surprised by someone asking online about suitable COVID precautions/restrictions at current poetry gigs. I mean, come on, really? It's 2023. I'm pleased to turn the computer off. 10.10pm.
Friday 24th March 2023
Wrote five mini fictions before breakfast. Stayed off the desktop computer in favour of a gig rehearsal. Two times twenty-two minute sets for next week’s visit to Aspire in Chester-le-Street. I aim to do a tiny (A7) booklet of handwritten vignettes before April. I walked to Consett for supplies this afternoon. Definitely warmer. Had to take my coat off for the uphill climb. This evening I read a bunch of flash fiction, including shorts by David Gaffney. I wrote a few more first drafts myself. I've been doing little prose narratives since the late eighties. I want to get some new ones published. Been reading about protests in Paris over pension changes. Imagine how they’ll react when the 15-minute cities and central bank digital currency kicks in. 10.27pm.
Saturday 25th March 2023
The workshop at Waddy went well. Recaps. FAQ. And little flash fictions. Read arounds. I read a bit of One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn that a student gave me. I gave a copy of Octopus in exchange. The bus to Gateshead took an hour. Me and Jenni went to see Ann Cleeves in conversation at Caedmon Hall in Gateshead Library. I’ve never read any of her books but have seen plenty episodes of Vera. She’s a pantzer not a plotter. A TV producer spotted an early Vera in a charity shop and got in touch. Ann said she probably wouldn’t still be writing if that hadn’t happened. Felt much better than last night. Yay! 10.46pm.
Wednesday 22nd March 2023
Awake till three this morning. A few hours of sleep, awake again by eight but I am not getting much done. And I’m probably burning a lot of money being tied to the computer all day. SWANS are playing Newcastle on 15th August. I heard a track from their forthcoming album, but it didn’t do much for me. I’m not into big soundscapes these days. Tonight, I watched a Bukowski documentary, then two episodes of Punk Britannia. I have a Poetry Jam flyer to do tomorrow. I should have done it tonight. 10.25pm.
Thursday 23rd March 2023
Good to get the Poetry Jam event page sorted. And to write a mini fiction. I want to do a little pocketbook of those by this time next week. I watched the third episode of Punk Britannia which was post punk, touching on Joy Division, Public Image Ltd, Magazine, some Two-Tone stuff and techno pop. I watched a Bukowski reading then read articles on ‘ghost kids’ who didn't return to school after lockdown; why Johnson would still get voters; and numerous other mind-blowing stuff. Particularly surprised by someone asking online about suitable COVID precautions/restrictions at current poetry gigs. I mean, come on, really? It's 2023. I'm pleased to turn the computer off. 10.10pm.
Friday 24th March 2023
Wrote five mini fictions before breakfast. Stayed off the desktop computer in favour of a gig rehearsal. Two times twenty-two minute sets for next week’s visit to Aspire in Chester-le-Street. I aim to do a tiny (A7) booklet of handwritten vignettes before April. I walked to Consett for supplies this afternoon. Definitely warmer. Had to take my coat off for the uphill climb. This evening I read a bunch of flash fiction, including shorts by David Gaffney. I wrote a few more first drafts myself. I've been doing little prose narratives since the late eighties. I want to get some new ones published. Been reading about protests in Paris over pension changes. Imagine how they’ll react when the 15-minute cities and central bank digital currency kicks in. 10.27pm.
Saturday 25th March 2023
Good sleep again and got a few more mini fictions from morning pages. Washed some clothes and cleaned the gunk from the George Foreman grill. Copied up stray notes, had a mince and veg dinner with Yorkshire pudding. Got a first draft booklet of stuff together. Out at five to Jen’s place. We mainly watched a best of Musicals concert and an Andrew Lloyd Webber documentary. 10.52pm.
Sunday 26th March 2023
I’ve got about twenty-five micro narratives now. I’m aiming for thirty by tomorrow morning and will then choose my favourites. Writing them has been quite fun. Reminiscent of when I started writing fictional vignettes in the late nineties. I ditched some of the longer and darker pieces. I’d rather use lighter pieces around fifty words long. A bunch of them will be rewritten with better language, but the stories won’t shrink or expand much. 9.50 am.
Monday 27th March 2023
Worked on the layout sequence for printing a 32-page A7 booklet. This afternoon I edited some of the tiny sketches I've written over the last week. I'm pleased to have tightened a fair few down to just a single page. I've not been far today. Got an email about Aspire gig. Tonight I read a few more of David Gaffney's Sawn Off Tales. 10.02pm.
Sunday 26th March 2023
I’ve got about twenty-five micro narratives now. I’m aiming for thirty by tomorrow morning and will then choose my favourites. Writing them has been quite fun. Reminiscent of when I started writing fictional vignettes in the late nineties. I ditched some of the longer and darker pieces. I’d rather use lighter pieces around fifty words long. A bunch of them will be rewritten with better language, but the stories won’t shrink or expand much. 9.50 am.
Monday 27th March 2023
Worked on the layout sequence for printing a 32-page A7 booklet. This afternoon I edited some of the tiny sketches I've written over the last week. I'm pleased to have tightened a fair few down to just a single page. I've not been far today. Got an email about Aspire gig. Tonight I read a few more of David Gaffney's Sawn Off Tales. 10.02pm.
Tuesday 28th March 2023
Awake quite early. Got myself packed and out to Consett on the half nine bus. Returned a C2C library book. Saw a novel called The Rule by David Jackson about parents who cover up a murder committed by their son. But I've got loads to read already. Took a while to find Aspire but had a great gig. The two shorter twenty-odd minute sets worked better. But I'm going to drop my slam-winning '(This is not a) Prose Poem' coz the last three times I haven't had a flicker from the audience. I enjoyed doing new stuff from A Warm Space and Octopus. Afterwards I returned to Tesco for supplies. Still no cheap hot chocolate. I read a bit of Stay Fanatic Vol 3 by Rollins tonight and looked at Reckless Chants 22 by Jessie Lynn McMains. Feel a bit wrecked now. Had banana on toast as advised. Tomorrow I aim to finish "Tiny Tales". 9.43pm.
Wednesday 29th March 2023
Such a long day for such a little book. I only had six pages to fill at eight o'clock this morning, but it took me till three this afternoon to get a couple more pieces. Then from three till five to sequence everything. I stuck the contents in a random order initially, bar a couple at the front and back, then had numerous read-throughs, shifting pieces about so there was some contrast. Then I had to recopy all the pieces by hand onto master sheets. Only four pieces of paper for 32 pages but the sequencing is quite tricky and requires a template so that all the pages when chopped landscape across the centre, stacked top half on bottom, then cut vertical in half and stacked left pile over right, give eight sheets in the correct order to be folded into 32 pages. I folded each sheet individually for the first copy. Tomorrow I'll knock out some more. “Tiny Tales” – I'm quite chuffed. 11.48pm.
Thursday 30th March 2023
"Tiny Tales" – I’m chuffed to get the little booklet sorted and some copies made. I would have liked to stay home and make more but Henry Rollins was talking at Whitley Bay Playhouse tonight. I had to ask a few people for directions and walked in a circle but finally got there and in on the mobile ticket without the need for on the spot Wifi. I was led to believe the QR code needed to be 'live' and updated in order to scan but it didn't. Row L seat 19. The bar was card only. I don't like card payments for anything. Luckily, they let me retrieve the bottle of blackcurrant that I left outside by the bin on the way in, so thankfully I didn’t get a migraine. Doors opened at half six for a half seven start. It went like this: Henry Rollins "Good to See You 2023" – “Apologies for being a year late but 'anti-science' people took my tour away.” Then forty mins of youthful employment and self-reliance before joining the band Black Flag. Then a story about a tough guy crying by the tour bus before approximately an hour about an intruder from Finland breaking into Castle Rollins in California – which I knew from YouTube and reading the latest book 'Sic'. Then fifteen mins of being old and America needs to reduce population to one million by not breeding unnecessarily. Thank You and Goodnight. I left feeling somewhat let down but hey tomorrow is another day. The Playhouse to metro station was a lot quicker walk than the inward walk. Enjoyed my two Scotch eggs from Sainsbury's for supper. On the metro now. Should be back at Jen's in about an hour. 10.33pm.
Friday 31st March 2023
Didn't get up till almost twelve. Peanut butter on toast, crisps and chocolate. Watched old soaps. Heartbeat – Bill Maynard's character in bother for buying stolen pigs. Tea was spaghetti bolognese on toast. Watched Richard Osmond’s House of Games and more Corrie. Then a comedy called The Cleaner which featured a crap clown at the theatre. Then an episode of Philomena Cunk. Ate Dairylea on crusty bread and more chocolate. It’s been quite chilly again. 10.38pm.
Awake quite early. Got myself packed and out to Consett on the half nine bus. Returned a C2C library book. Saw a novel called The Rule by David Jackson about parents who cover up a murder committed by their son. But I've got loads to read already. Took a while to find Aspire but had a great gig. The two shorter twenty-odd minute sets worked better. But I'm going to drop my slam-winning '(This is not a) Prose Poem' coz the last three times I haven't had a flicker from the audience. I enjoyed doing new stuff from A Warm Space and Octopus. Afterwards I returned to Tesco for supplies. Still no cheap hot chocolate. I read a bit of Stay Fanatic Vol 3 by Rollins tonight and looked at Reckless Chants 22 by Jessie Lynn McMains. Feel a bit wrecked now. Had banana on toast as advised. Tomorrow I aim to finish "Tiny Tales". 9.43pm.
Wednesday 29th March 2023
Such a long day for such a little book. I only had six pages to fill at eight o'clock this morning, but it took me till three this afternoon to get a couple more pieces. Then from three till five to sequence everything. I stuck the contents in a random order initially, bar a couple at the front and back, then had numerous read-throughs, shifting pieces about so there was some contrast. Then I had to recopy all the pieces by hand onto master sheets. Only four pieces of paper for 32 pages but the sequencing is quite tricky and requires a template so that all the pages when chopped landscape across the centre, stacked top half on bottom, then cut vertical in half and stacked left pile over right, give eight sheets in the correct order to be folded into 32 pages. I folded each sheet individually for the first copy. Tomorrow I'll knock out some more. “Tiny Tales” – I'm quite chuffed. 11.48pm.
Thursday 30th March 2023
"Tiny Tales" – I’m chuffed to get the little booklet sorted and some copies made. I would have liked to stay home and make more but Henry Rollins was talking at Whitley Bay Playhouse tonight. I had to ask a few people for directions and walked in a circle but finally got there and in on the mobile ticket without the need for on the spot Wifi. I was led to believe the QR code needed to be 'live' and updated in order to scan but it didn't. Row L seat 19. The bar was card only. I don't like card payments for anything. Luckily, they let me retrieve the bottle of blackcurrant that I left outside by the bin on the way in, so thankfully I didn’t get a migraine. Doors opened at half six for a half seven start. It went like this: Henry Rollins "Good to See You 2023" – “Apologies for being a year late but 'anti-science' people took my tour away.” Then forty mins of youthful employment and self-reliance before joining the band Black Flag. Then a story about a tough guy crying by the tour bus before approximately an hour about an intruder from Finland breaking into Castle Rollins in California – which I knew from YouTube and reading the latest book 'Sic'. Then fifteen mins of being old and America needs to reduce population to one million by not breeding unnecessarily. Thank You and Goodnight. I left feeling somewhat let down but hey tomorrow is another day. The Playhouse to metro station was a lot quicker walk than the inward walk. Enjoyed my two Scotch eggs from Sainsbury's for supper. On the metro now. Should be back at Jen's in about an hour. 10.33pm.
Friday 31st March 2023
Didn't get up till almost twelve. Peanut butter on toast, crisps and chocolate. Watched old soaps. Heartbeat – Bill Maynard's character in bother for buying stolen pigs. Tea was spaghetti bolognese on toast. Watched Richard Osmond’s House of Games and more Corrie. Then a comedy called The Cleaner which featured a crap clown at the theatre. Then an episode of Philomena Cunk. Ate Dairylea on crusty bread and more chocolate. It’s been quite chilly again. 10.38pm.
"Tiny Tales" is available HERE
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