I took an hour out to mow the lawn. I got one section done, then the rotor fell off the mower. I scoured the grass for the spindle nut but I think something must have snapped. I’ll buy a new mower as soon as possible. If I went for one tonight, I’d now still be trying to get Friday’s Washington workshop prepped. James Whitman kindly offered me two King Ink workshops for July. I got the Beamish stuff pulled together, but still have a fair bit of photocopying to do. Paul Auster died yesterday. I haven’t read him for a while. He was a big influence in my twenties. 10.50pm.
Thursday 2nd May 2024
Up to Consett early for a lawn mower and didn’t realise till I’d paid for it that it has a steel blade, not plastic. So I’m a bit wary… I reached Waddington Street Centre by twelve. Did lots of photocopying for the Beamish wellbeing event then hosted an ace Poetry Jam. Guests on top form – Christine Fowler, Malcolm Barnes and Diane Cockburn. Lots of great open floor too. So chuffed I treated myself to chips. I’d already eaten a whole chicken. Well, not the bones and organs. Bus home was okay. Slept most of the way. 11.06pm.
Friday 3rd May 2024
Five people did the Washington session today. We looked at parody poems. I read Choose Life, written nearly thirty years ago. We looked at another draft of our anthology. People like the cover and blue endpaper. We made mini zines and wrote tricubes. Only did about a third of what I prepped so plenty left over for next time. Tonight, I packed the wheelie case for tomorrow’s Vibe into Wellness day at Beamish Hall. 10.00pm.
Saturday 4th May 2024
Morning Pages and bananas. Great time at the Beamish Vibe into Wellness all-dayer. I got an ace window spot with a big round table. Lots of people asking me questions and a fair few trying writing exercises. Rachael Dixon sat in for about four or five. Three buses to Jen’s place afterwards. 10.32pm.
Sunday 5th May 2024
Did some washing up then out for supplies. Checked out some DIY stuff and will hopefully be able to tidy up the woodwork back home. Finally saw the Sinead ‘Nothing Compares’ documentary this afternoon. Very moving. Released the year before her death but a note added to the closing credits. Tonight, me and Jenni watched a bit of the snooker. Kyran Wilson and Jak Jones. Nailbiting black ball decider for the final frame of the day. Kyran took it. 10.30pm.
Monday 6th May 2024
I did a little bit of workshop prep this morning. Me and Jenni watched the snooker this afternoon. Jak Jones didn’t give in, and the game ran to an evening session. I left Bensham early so I could get back to watch the end of the match on iPlayer. Jak did well to hang in and narrow his deficit, but Kyran got to eighteen frames. I did college log and sorted papers for tomorrow. 11.04pm.
Tuesday 7th May 2024
I winged a workshop today. I had a plan but did so much lugging around of materials last week that I wanted to travel light and go for totally spontaneous exercise choices and see what happens. Ended up producing new fiction ideas from group word banks and developing aspects of narrative and character sketches towards the end of the session. Intended to take advantage of the fine weather and ride the bike but fell asleep after tea and didn’t wake till dark. I’m going to bed early so I can get the grass cut tomorrow then ride the bike, weather prevailing. 10.10pm.
Wednesday 8th May 2024
Unpacked all the Beamish Hall stuff. Sent Rachael Dixon some photos of her work and wrote to Julie at Durham Library about Meet the Author events. Got the grass cut this afternoon, spoke to Mam and Ernie on the phone, then went out on the old Rockhopper bike down by the river. The main riverbank is okay, but the little trails are still muddy. 11.40pm.
Thursday 9th May 2024
Thank you Rachael Dixon for kindly sending an extra book of short stories, The Unfamilar, with a signed copy of Tweezer. I read five stories this morning and made notes. Never crossed the doorstep today. Tweaked some lines for Susan Brownless’ pamphlet. And keyed in a lot of prose. 11.32pm.
Friday 10th May 2024
Chuffed to be up and typing notes by nine this morning. I bought some Barry’s Bargains then read my blog on the bus to Jen’s place. And a Guardian article on Steve Albini, musician and sound engineer who worked with Pixies, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, and loads of other bands. Me and Jenni went to see Zoe and Lauren comedy show at Tyne Theatre. Very funny. Then Tesco and back to the attic. 11.20pm.
Saturday 11th May 2024
Awake at seven. Morning Pages. Talked to Jenni till eleven. Then we went to Newcastle. Spent time in Details art supplies. Then round some charity shops. Nothing for me but Jenni got an acoustic guitar for a fiver. I did food shopping in Consett then home. Washed some clothes in the sink. Enjoyed my chicken and baked potato salad. Watched my Classic Albums: A Night at the Opera DVD. Didn’t see Northern Lights. 10.10pm.
Sunday 12th May 2024
Monthly number-crunching. Lesson Plan typing and about seven or eight hours of edits on someone else’s poems. The weather was good for most of the day, I had a fish finger sandwich for dinner and chicken salad for tea. Listened to Annie Dressner whilst working. 10.53pm.
Monday 13th May 2024
Saw Jimmy from Venom going into Home Bargains in Consett. I cleaned the Sonder Frontier bike. Read the rest of TWEEZER by Rachael Dixon which contains some fantastic stories. Lots I need to achieve this week but today I’m struggling. Been a while since my last good poem, I think. 10.22pm.
Tuesday 14th May 2024
Session at Waddy was pretty good. We did some daisy-chain writing, some wellbeing exercises and non-dominant handwriting. Also, a repeat of the Burt Reynolds exercise. And a look at some prize-winning flash fiction, followed by a readthrough of a student’s opening pages of a novel. Rain prevented a bike ride tonight. Got all my stuff packed up for tomorrow’s Hexham writing session. Computer needed two updates. Major stinging in my left eye tonight. I now have a blister on my cheek. Hope it goes away in the night. Don’t want to cancel sessions if it gets worse. It looks pretty bad. No idea what caused it. 11.05pm.
Wednesday 15th May 2024
Consett Pharmacy sold me some antibiotic ointment for eye infection. Hexham workshop went well. Five men and project leader Jax. We did some wellbeing prompts, sentence stems from celebrity biographies, A2Z fiction generator, Chai Latte, and Burt Reynolds tall tales. Some great pieces produced. Took three hours to get home. Too tired to do much tonight. Sat on the couch and listened to a live Human League album. 10.40pm.
Thursday 16th May 2024
Tweaked the Washington anthology, provisionally titled Lucky Dip Of Life, after Nicola Spain’s poem. I ordered more card samples for Susan’s booklet. Julie Grant is putting on a gig at the Prohibition Bar in Newcastle and has asked me and Jenni to read. Tonight, I watched Nirvana’s 1991 Newcastle Mayfair set. I was at that gig. 10.37pm.
Friday 17th May 2024
Relaxed writing session at Washington mainly using abecedary exercises for fiction. Tonight I went out on the Sonder Frontier bike for the first time since last October. Much more stable than the old Rockhopper. Hill climbs are easier. The wider tyres give me more confidence on rocks and roots, but not in the wet. A lot of the trails are still muddy but thankfully the fallen trees from last year that blocked some of my favourite lines have been cleared away. I rode for about ninety minutes. 11.23pm.
Saturday 18th May 2024
My right shoulder is a bit knackered this morning. I’ve had a recurring issue with joint pain for about five years now. Back to regular physio, I suppose. Bought a ticket to see ‘Frenchy and the Punk’ – Jefferson Airplane meets Siouxsie via Dresden Dolls – great stuff. Jenni drummed at the Sound Room. We saw some local bands play rock, pop and jazz covers. Great free night as part of The Late Shows, including chili and tortilla chips. 11.00pm.
Sunday 19th May 2024
Pain in right shoulder gone. Me and Jenni listened to the Eggistentialism album by The Lovely Eggs. Ate baked potatoes and watched the new version of Rebus on iPlayer. Story and cast were good but I prefer Ken Stott. Tonight I walked into Newcastle for the 20 to ten bus back to Consett. 11.39pm.
Monday 20th May 2024
Physio then session plan for tomorrow. Cut the grass. Arms and shoulder okay. After a trip into town for food I did more work on Susan Brownless’s pamphlet. Spotted a pair of industrial Doc Marten shoes on eBay for £35.00. Hope they arrive in time for my gig next week at The Stanza. 11.00pm.
Tuesday 21st May 2024
Morning Pages and bananas. Great time at the Beamish Vibe into Wellness all-dayer. I got an ace window spot with a big round table. Lots of people asking me questions and a fair few trying writing exercises. Rachael Dixon sat in for about four or five. Three buses to Jen’s place afterwards. 10.32pm.
Sunday 5th May 2024
Did some washing up then out for supplies. Checked out some DIY stuff and will hopefully be able to tidy up the woodwork back home. Finally saw the Sinead ‘Nothing Compares’ documentary this afternoon. Very moving. Released the year before her death but a note added to the closing credits. Tonight, me and Jenni watched a bit of the snooker. Kyran Wilson and Jak Jones. Nailbiting black ball decider for the final frame of the day. Kyran took it. 10.30pm.
Monday 6th May 2024
I did a little bit of workshop prep this morning. Me and Jenni watched the snooker this afternoon. Jak Jones didn’t give in, and the game ran to an evening session. I left Bensham early so I could get back to watch the end of the match on iPlayer. Jak did well to hang in and narrow his deficit, but Kyran got to eighteen frames. I did college log and sorted papers for tomorrow. 11.04pm.
Tuesday 7th May 2024
I winged a workshop today. I had a plan but did so much lugging around of materials last week that I wanted to travel light and go for totally spontaneous exercise choices and see what happens. Ended up producing new fiction ideas from group word banks and developing aspects of narrative and character sketches towards the end of the session. Intended to take advantage of the fine weather and ride the bike but fell asleep after tea and didn’t wake till dark. I’m going to bed early so I can get the grass cut tomorrow then ride the bike, weather prevailing. 10.10pm.
Wednesday 8th May 2024
Unpacked all the Beamish Hall stuff. Sent Rachael Dixon some photos of her work and wrote to Julie at Durham Library about Meet the Author events. Got the grass cut this afternoon, spoke to Mam and Ernie on the phone, then went out on the old Rockhopper bike down by the river. The main riverbank is okay, but the little trails are still muddy. 11.40pm.
Thursday 9th May 2024
Thank you Rachael Dixon for kindly sending an extra book of short stories, The Unfamilar, with a signed copy of Tweezer. I read five stories this morning and made notes. Never crossed the doorstep today. Tweaked some lines for Susan Brownless’ pamphlet. And keyed in a lot of prose. 11.32pm.
Friday 10th May 2024
Chuffed to be up and typing notes by nine this morning. I bought some Barry’s Bargains then read my blog on the bus to Jen’s place. And a Guardian article on Steve Albini, musician and sound engineer who worked with Pixies, Nirvana, PJ Harvey, and loads of other bands. Me and Jenni went to see Zoe and Lauren comedy show at Tyne Theatre. Very funny. Then Tesco and back to the attic. 11.20pm.
Saturday 11th May 2024
Awake at seven. Morning Pages. Talked to Jenni till eleven. Then we went to Newcastle. Spent time in Details art supplies. Then round some charity shops. Nothing for me but Jenni got an acoustic guitar for a fiver. I did food shopping in Consett then home. Washed some clothes in the sink. Enjoyed my chicken and baked potato salad. Watched my Classic Albums: A Night at the Opera DVD. Didn’t see Northern Lights. 10.10pm.
Sunday 12th May 2024
Monthly number-crunching. Lesson Plan typing and about seven or eight hours of edits on someone else’s poems. The weather was good for most of the day, I had a fish finger sandwich for dinner and chicken salad for tea. Listened to Annie Dressner whilst working. 10.53pm.
Monday 13th May 2024
Saw Jimmy from Venom going into Home Bargains in Consett. I cleaned the Sonder Frontier bike. Read the rest of TWEEZER by Rachael Dixon which contains some fantastic stories. Lots I need to achieve this week but today I’m struggling. Been a while since my last good poem, I think. 10.22pm.
Tuesday 14th May 2024
Session at Waddy was pretty good. We did some daisy-chain writing, some wellbeing exercises and non-dominant handwriting. Also, a repeat of the Burt Reynolds exercise. And a look at some prize-winning flash fiction, followed by a readthrough of a student’s opening pages of a novel. Rain prevented a bike ride tonight. Got all my stuff packed up for tomorrow’s Hexham writing session. Computer needed two updates. Major stinging in my left eye tonight. I now have a blister on my cheek. Hope it goes away in the night. Don’t want to cancel sessions if it gets worse. It looks pretty bad. No idea what caused it. 11.05pm.
Wednesday 15th May 2024
Consett Pharmacy sold me some antibiotic ointment for eye infection. Hexham workshop went well. Five men and project leader Jax. We did some wellbeing prompts, sentence stems from celebrity biographies, A2Z fiction generator, Chai Latte, and Burt Reynolds tall tales. Some great pieces produced. Took three hours to get home. Too tired to do much tonight. Sat on the couch and listened to a live Human League album. 10.40pm.
Thursday 16th May 2024
Tweaked the Washington anthology, provisionally titled Lucky Dip Of Life, after Nicola Spain’s poem. I ordered more card samples for Susan’s booklet. Julie Grant is putting on a gig at the Prohibition Bar in Newcastle and has asked me and Jenni to read. Tonight, I watched Nirvana’s 1991 Newcastle Mayfair set. I was at that gig. 10.37pm.
Friday 17th May 2024
Relaxed writing session at Washington mainly using abecedary exercises for fiction. Tonight I went out on the Sonder Frontier bike for the first time since last October. Much more stable than the old Rockhopper. Hill climbs are easier. The wider tyres give me more confidence on rocks and roots, but not in the wet. A lot of the trails are still muddy but thankfully the fallen trees from last year that blocked some of my favourite lines have been cleared away. I rode for about ninety minutes. 11.23pm.
Saturday 18th May 2024
My right shoulder is a bit knackered this morning. I’ve had a recurring issue with joint pain for about five years now. Back to regular physio, I suppose. Bought a ticket to see ‘Frenchy and the Punk’ – Jefferson Airplane meets Siouxsie via Dresden Dolls – great stuff. Jenni drummed at the Sound Room. We saw some local bands play rock, pop and jazz covers. Great free night as part of The Late Shows, including chili and tortilla chips. 11.00pm.
Sunday 19th May 2024
Pain in right shoulder gone. Me and Jenni listened to the Eggistentialism album by The Lovely Eggs. Ate baked potatoes and watched the new version of Rebus on iPlayer. Story and cast were good but I prefer Ken Stott. Tonight I walked into Newcastle for the 20 to ten bus back to Consett. 11.39pm.
Monday 20th May 2024
Physio then session plan for tomorrow. Cut the grass. Arms and shoulder okay. After a trip into town for food I did more work on Susan Brownless’s pamphlet. Spotted a pair of industrial Doc Marten shoes on eBay for £35.00. Hope they arrive in time for my gig next week at The Stanza. 11.00pm.
Tuesday 21st May 2024
We spent an hour writing and reading about shoes at Waddy this afternoon. Then did some Sijo poetry. Pleased to be able to ride over old tyres and pallets in Castleside quarry tonight. Hit some riverside trails for a while as well. So far my body doesn’t feel too bad. 10.38pm.
Wednesday 22nd May 2024
So it rained all day but the gutter seems okay. Spent hours preparing and rehearsing my set for The Stanza. Still a week to tweak a few words and get the flow better. No way could I possibly memorize – those days are long gone. Sorted the Poetry Jam event page tonight. Knocked up a copy of the pamphlet for Susan Brownless. 10.50pm.
Thursday 23rd May 2024
Drafted a flash fiction in morning pages. Copied up notes and worked on a sample copy of Susan’s pamphlet. Listened to a lot of Annie Dressner songs and the new Lovely Eggs album. I watched Hans Rey and Steve Jones (e-biker not Sex Pistol) riding up Jacob’s Ladder in Derbyshire. 10.58pm.
Friday 24th May 2024
I didn’t expect to write a long piece that reached so many people this morning. To mark 25 years of not having a conventional day job, I took three buses to Blyth and read at the Creativity and Wellbeing event in the library. Ace to see new faces and hear new voices. Elaine Cusack arranged a great afternoon for us. I met Susan Brownless and saw former Washington Writer, Trish. Got home about seven and just sat on the couch watching a 2005 Toyah gig on DVD. 11.10pm.
Saturday 25th May 2024
My new DM industrial shoes arrived. £35.00 on eBay. And they are new. Made in UK. Good little ride up to Parkhead on the Rockhopper. Good to see The Lovely Eggs tonight at the Grove in Byker. And to chat to Lee Browell who used to work in the warehouse. Thanks to Jenni for laughs. 12.10am.
Sunday 26th May 2024
Me and Jenni stayed in all day coz the weather was pretty rotten. Sick of the rain. My ears aren’t too bad after the Lovely Eggs gig last night but I still think the tinnitus gets a bit louder with each electric gig attended. Stand at the back and crane your neck to see the stage or stay at the front and go deaf. I reckon mostly acoustic pub gigs for me from now on. 11.29pm.
Monday 27th May 2024
Went out briefly this afternoon to get painkillers for Jenni. The newspaper fronts are still banging on about National Service. I don’t care if the military element isn’t compulsory – you’ve had fucking decades to sort yourselves out. Were two world wars not enough? You’ve plenty money to train people to kill, but don’t want to fund peaceful activity. Maybe the latter just isn’t as profitable. I’ve started to read Hide and Seek, a Rebus novel by Ian Rankin. Good dialogue and strong sense of place. Watched Britain’s Got Talent and caught the 10.14pm bus back home. 11.55pm.
Tuesday 28th May 2024
Rode my Sonder Frontier on waste ground near Castleside. Did one good singletrack climb then back home before the rain came down. Had a shave and did invoices. Rehearsed the set for tomorrow night. Watched an Ali Clarkson trials video in which he rides a retro Leeson bike. 11.13pm.
Wednesday 29th May 2024
Made up copies of last year’s Thirteen Days in May pamphlet. Read some Rebus on the bus to Durham. It’s like reading the script of a TV drama spiced up with descriptive relish. I got some Poetry Jam flyers and some cards printed today. Then I rehearsed the set again for tonight. Weather was great all the way to town but it splashed down when I hit North Shields. The Stanza was ace. Good guests: Mel Chilekwa, Terry Gorman, Tolu A Akinyemi, Connor Read. Enjoyed my set. Mint open mic, my favourite being Steve Lancaster. 10.42pm.
Thursday 30th May 2024
Stayed in bed till half ten this morning. I’ve prepped for Washington. Online chat with Jenni about lack of realistic voting options for the general election. Worked out some spaces for Poetry Jam guests. Responded to emails. Got a bit of a shaving rash but it seems to be dying down. 10.40pm.
Friday 31st May 2024
Chuffed to get confirmation that Washington workshops will continue after the summer break. Enjoyed our session today. Bits of memoir. Shoe-related prompts, Vanessa Gebbie short story and running away writing prompt. Thanks to Alwyn for the lift to Metro Centre. More online chat with Jenni about politics. Got the same bus as Winston to For Better or Verse in Blackhill tonight. Great turnout. Steve May’s poetry was heart-based and set to music. Caitlin Kendall read from her collection Nothing is Yours plus new poems. There was a great mix of open mic, including Malcolm Barnes, Pauline May, Gaeran Southern, John Lazarus, and others. Nice to be able to walk all the way home afterwards. Tired now. Ready for a good sleep. 11.52pm.
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