Friday 1st November 2024
Made a poster for the Writing Marathon taking place at Arts Centre Washington on Saturday 30th November. Tickets went on sale today. I've no idea how well it will do. If I sell seven places, I'll be okay. I listened to the new album by The Cure after tea. It's pretty good. But I'm not fanatical about the band. Their Troxy gig livestream on YouTube tonight was great. They came on at eight and did Songs from the Edge of the World till ten to nine then took a ten-minute break. Then they did about an hour and took a second break. Then they played mostly upbeat hits till close on eleven o'clock curfew. So nearly two-and-three-quarter hours. I think the tickets were fifty quid, about twenty percent cheaper than I paid for Wembley eight or nine years ago. I'm out early tomorrow so I need to be in bed soon. I've checked some of the resources for the Spennymoor workshop. But still have Tuesday's Waddington Street Centre session to prepare. 11.20pm.Saturday 2nd November 2024
Up early and out for the Bright Ideas Festival. Lots of interesting speakers. It was good to spend the day listening to stuff about travel, politics, CPR, near-death experience, comedy careers, and barbershop mental wellbeing. I was moved by Anthony Hutton's story. The 2005 Consett-born Big Brother winner talked about suicide prevention. I watched a bit of the BBC's coverage of The Cure tonight and ate lots of pies.10.50pm.
Sunday 3rd November 2024
Me and Jenni went to see Heretic at Vue Cinema tonight. James Tucker and partner Caroline were there. The film was flawed but pretty good. Hugh Grant was excellent as the religious sceptic who keeps devotees captive in his high-security home. It was quite hilariously creepy for the most part and a bit ridiculous towards the end. Earlier, Jenni spent hours fixing my mobile device. I ate a Moroccan vegetable pasty with beans for dinner and chicken sandwiches for tea. Watched Strictly after the film. Then got 47 bus to Consett. Busy week ahead. 11.53pm.
Monday 4th November 2024
Full of flatulence and frightened to break wind for fear of watery gravy going everywhere. Maybe IBS or anxiety. Not a great start. The day did get better though. Sold a couple more places for the Writing Marathon. Think it'll be over the halfway mark by the weekend. With three weeks to go. I'm really grateful to people who come to these events. It's been nearly five years since I did a public four-hour session. I got my Waddy workshop prepped after dinner. By which time my insides had settled down somewhat. My Spennymoor session is good to go. I typed up some Waddy writing tonight and did a photo album for last month's Poetry Jam. Listened to rock bands Fury and South of Salem but haven't read a great deal. Busy week ahead. 11.21pm.
Tuesday 5th November 2024
Got a few Writing Marathon prompts from morning pages. Wrote about six new pieces at Waddy during Ways with Words. Made up some marathon postcards as well. Went to the bank and discovered I've been paid already for last month's Washington workshops. I bought food supplies – including rice and a chicken jalfrezi for tomorrow night. I had a sausage and veg dinner with Yorkshire puddings this evening. Then copied up the Shadorma and Fib poems, one-sentence poems plus likes and dislikes pieces. Enjoyed tinkering with them. I don't usually like formal structure, but small poems with tight syllable counts are manageable. I'm more of a sculpt-from-a-block-of-stone type of writer. Rather than the jigsaw and Meccano kit. I'm off to bed early so I'll be fresh tomorrow for the taster session in Spennymoor. 9.42pm.
Wednesday 6th November 2024
Got to Spennymoor at 25 to eleven, asked a few people for directions before I found the venue. Then rang the organisation who booked me to ask if disabled access was required before I set up in a first-floor room with no lift. Ten people came and all read at least a couple of things back. Jo who read at Weardale Word Fest open mic night wrote a fantastic piece about baking cakes with her grandma on her birthday. We got through five exercises and had a good time - with a couple of weepy moments. The 4pm bus didn't turn up, so it was half six when I got home. Nine and a half-hour round trip but worth it. Got really fucking angry at British Gas automated service tonight, having been sent a letter about not paying a bill – that I never received. 10.12pm.
Thursday 7th November 2024
Tiring day. Prepped tomorrow's session. Photocopies, running order. Then had mushroom soup. On the bus to Durham, I felt pretty dreadful. Just totally wiped out. Stumbled off the bus and into Waddy. Dropped my bag off, borrowed a key and went for food. Toyed with chicken and chips, but no, only ravioli on toast. Spending too much of late. I trimmed some more Marathon cards then rehearsed two poems for Poetry Jam. The night went well. EPIC was how Fergus described it. All the guests, Lian Maltas, Gary the Hat and Lisette Auton were great. Open floor was choc a block with hard-hitting stuff. It is November after all. Me and Ferg reshuffled the furniture afterwards. The X15 bus didn't pull out until twenty past ten but was in Consett by quarter to eleven. I'm a bit tired and dehydrated. Hope I sleep well coz I'm out at half eight in the morning. 11.35pm.
Friday 8th November 2024
Not as tired as yesterday. I slept well, despite four or five trips to the toilet. And not just trickles either. Yet I'd hardly drank anything. I was out on the half-eight bus. The session at Arts Centre Washington went well. Nine people came. We did A2Z into one-liners. Then writing with colours. Then an A2Z collaboration piece. Thank you, Alwyn, for the lift back to Metro Centre. X45 to Consett. I spent a bit of time in the supermarket. Then had chicken and chips. Then back out to Tesco to price up food for the Writing Marathon. The list I took didn't have pies or dips on it. And I couldn't find either in the shop. Later tonight, I watched a load of Paul Barlow’s old-school flatland BMX clips. He is my age for sure. I'm tired and it's almost bedtime. 10.00pm
Saturday 9th November 2024
Up a few times in the night. Out on the Specialized Rockhopper bike after breakfast. Ninety minutes on the cycle path to Leadgate (Broom's Church) and back. Then a big chicken dinner and bits of discussion with Jenni on Messenger about the Writing Marathon. Then a walk to Consett and a bus to Bensham. Bits of chat and a Moroccan vegetable pasty, followed by TV gameshows and Strictly Come Dancing. Pot noodle. Bed. 10.55pm.
Tiring day. Prepped tomorrow's session. Photocopies, running order. Then had mushroom soup. On the bus to Durham, I felt pretty dreadful. Just totally wiped out. Stumbled off the bus and into Waddy. Dropped my bag off, borrowed a key and went for food. Toyed with chicken and chips, but no, only ravioli on toast. Spending too much of late. I trimmed some more Marathon cards then rehearsed two poems for Poetry Jam. The night went well. EPIC was how Fergus described it. All the guests, Lian Maltas, Gary the Hat and Lisette Auton were great. Open floor was choc a block with hard-hitting stuff. It is November after all. Me and Ferg reshuffled the furniture afterwards. The X15 bus didn't pull out until twenty past ten but was in Consett by quarter to eleven. I'm a bit tired and dehydrated. Hope I sleep well coz I'm out at half eight in the morning. 11.35pm.
Friday 8th November 2024
Not as tired as yesterday. I slept well, despite four or five trips to the toilet. And not just trickles either. Yet I'd hardly drank anything. I was out on the half-eight bus. The session at Arts Centre Washington went well. Nine people came. We did A2Z into one-liners. Then writing with colours. Then an A2Z collaboration piece. Thank you, Alwyn, for the lift back to Metro Centre. X45 to Consett. I spent a bit of time in the supermarket. Then had chicken and chips. Then back out to Tesco to price up food for the Writing Marathon. The list I took didn't have pies or dips on it. And I couldn't find either in the shop. Later tonight, I watched a load of Paul Barlow’s old-school flatland BMX clips. He is my age for sure. I'm tired and it's almost bedtime. 10.00pm
Saturday 9th November 2024
Up a few times in the night. Out on the Specialized Rockhopper bike after breakfast. Ninety minutes on the cycle path to Leadgate (Broom's Church) and back. Then a big chicken dinner and bits of discussion with Jenni on Messenger about the Writing Marathon. Then a walk to Consett and a bus to Bensham. Bits of chat and a Moroccan vegetable pasty, followed by TV gameshows and Strictly Come Dancing. Pot noodle. Bed. 10.55pm.
Sunday 10th November 2024
Awesome surprise Sunday dinner delivery. Lovely retro telly afternoon with Lily Savage's Blankety Blank then a film called The Legend of Barney Thompson starring Robert Carlyle. Emma Thompson played his mam. Hilarious comedy murder caper. Later we watched an Attenborough wildlife programme. Then Strictly. Then an episode of The Penguin - which was ace. 47 bus back to Consett. 11.46pm.
Monday 11th November 2024
Finances first thing this morning. And a phone call to the doctors. I got some notes keyed in on the mobile, then went out on the bike for a couple of hours. Apart from a bit of near castration on the crossbar whilst trying to mount a wall, I did okay. I'm enjoying finding new lines and staying balanced on the bike. But I fear the bottom bracket is on its way out. Of course, the creaking could be any part of the drivetrain. Tonight, I did text formatting, keyed in last week's lesson plan, and sorted handouts for tomorrow's session. My soundtrack was Bloodsports by Suede. I tried to share the official video for It Starts And Ends With You on Facebook but was told it broke their community standards law. So I uploaded a live version from BBC Sounds instead. I've eaten lots of cheese today. Three meals of it. And lots of ginger biscuits. I'm off to bed soon. Out to Waddy in the morning. 10.39pm.
Tuesday 12th November 2024
Rode up to Consett at quarter past nine to return a library book and buy some blackcurrant squash. My watch stopped. I thought it was broken. But I think it was the cold. I did a bit of final prep on the bus to Waddy then spent an hour sorting things out. The session went well. But a bit too much discussion that I should have curtailed. Sometimes participants feel a need to talk rather than write. Afterwards, I made more Writing Marathon cards. I got home at six, having slept on the bus. Had sausage and veg tea then did some video edits on the desktop and another promo poster for the Writing Marathon. I don't know if I've sold any more places since last week. It's starting to get cold of an evening. My toes are a bit numb. My ears are buzzing. I've toyed with attending a couple of rock concerts but it's probably a bad idea. 11.50pm.
Wednesday 13th November 2024
I had a good photo-video session on the Sonder bike today. I was only out for about an hour, but it was long enough to get some cool footage of step-ups and roll-downs on the stone wall at Castleside. Later, I got all of Steve and Pauline's videos copied to USB. Such sad news about Pauline. I uploaded my little bike clips to Facebook. I think stills might have been better. But it's good for me to see myself riding. I'll make more. I took a walk into town. Brought a skinny beany from Barry's to go under my bike helmet then got money out of the bank and went to Newcastle. Had a big reduced-price pork pie from Heron Foods then sat in Eldon Square. Met Jenni outside Ernest Bar and walked to Cobalt Studio. Born Lippy was ace. All the guests were engaging – Kemi Gates and singer RivKala and All We Have Time For by The Four Johns was mint. I videoed their hour-long show. Amazed the memory card and batteries lasted. Walked with Jenni back to Bensham. 11.59pm.
Thursday 14th November 2024
Bit of a migraine/blurred vision. Sat with Jenni for an hour or so. Listened to Radio 2. Vernon Kay was chatting to Paddy McGuiness about his bike challenge. Three hundred miles from Wrexham to Glasgow on a Raleigh Chopper bike for Children in Need. So far he's raised four million quid. I spent a few hours washing up for Jenni then went out at quarter past four to Gateshead. Cheap egg mayonnaise sandwich for tea and some chocolate. Then took 56 bus to Sunderland for King Ink - which was packed. Lots of new people, lots of regulars – including Kevin Robson, Christine Fowler, Karima Lynn, Gaeran Southern, Aidan Clarke, Hester Dowling, Chris Hodgson… I read Thirty Years from Final and Who Needs Hellraiser? from Queasy, Uneasy. Aaron Wright closed the night with How I Got Here and The Distance. He was great. I'm chuffed I got to hear everyone. Poems, prose, songs. Just managed to get back to Park Lane by ten for the last bus. 90 minutes to Consett. Probably sleep along the way. 10.18pm.
Friday 15th November 2024
Prepped my Making Tracks workshop for next week and some bits and pieces for Jenni's new spoken word event Word Bank. I left the house at half three and walked to Consett. The 47 bus didn't come coz the road was closed for repairs, a mini-link shuttle bus took people back to the bus station. Two 47s were on the bays but didn't go out. I sat on an old X45 feeling groggy and got off at Metro Centre to board another bus that stank of baby vomit. A big pool of it. The baby sat with its mother. The smell made me want to retch. All the windows were open. Word Bank was ace. Jenni and Soundroom did a mint job. Great turns, including David Roe, Aaron Wright, Olya Bowers, James Wilkinson, Juli Watson, and locals. I got home at eleven. 11.51pm.
Saturday 16th November 2024
Finally got a gas bill via email to take to the post office so I could pay cash. Then my watch stopped working. I've been trying to do marathon prompts and other bits of work but three late nights in a row have done me in. Spent most of the evening at home just watching clips of North Shore Betty Beryl, 75-year-old downhill mountain biker. Awesome. 10.38pm.
Sunday 17th November 2024
Better day despite a cold night in bed. Glued up a morning pages book. Got a writing half marathon sorted for Waddy. Went out to buy a new cheap watch. Had a big sausage and veg dinner. Got the Poetry Jam stuff edited and ready to go. I watched more bike and strength training videos. It's really cold, time for the hot water bottle. 10.35pm.
Awesome surprise Sunday dinner delivery. Lovely retro telly afternoon with Lily Savage's Blankety Blank then a film called The Legend of Barney Thompson starring Robert Carlyle. Emma Thompson played his mam. Hilarious comedy murder caper. Later we watched an Attenborough wildlife programme. Then Strictly. Then an episode of The Penguin - which was ace. 47 bus back to Consett. 11.46pm.
Monday 11th November 2024
Finances first thing this morning. And a phone call to the doctors. I got some notes keyed in on the mobile, then went out on the bike for a couple of hours. Apart from a bit of near castration on the crossbar whilst trying to mount a wall, I did okay. I'm enjoying finding new lines and staying balanced on the bike. But I fear the bottom bracket is on its way out. Of course, the creaking could be any part of the drivetrain. Tonight, I did text formatting, keyed in last week's lesson plan, and sorted handouts for tomorrow's session. My soundtrack was Bloodsports by Suede. I tried to share the official video for It Starts And Ends With You on Facebook but was told it broke their community standards law. So I uploaded a live version from BBC Sounds instead. I've eaten lots of cheese today. Three meals of it. And lots of ginger biscuits. I'm off to bed soon. Out to Waddy in the morning. 10.39pm.
Tuesday 12th November 2024
Rode up to Consett at quarter past nine to return a library book and buy some blackcurrant squash. My watch stopped. I thought it was broken. But I think it was the cold. I did a bit of final prep on the bus to Waddy then spent an hour sorting things out. The session went well. But a bit too much discussion that I should have curtailed. Sometimes participants feel a need to talk rather than write. Afterwards, I made more Writing Marathon cards. I got home at six, having slept on the bus. Had sausage and veg tea then did some video edits on the desktop and another promo poster for the Writing Marathon. I don't know if I've sold any more places since last week. It's starting to get cold of an evening. My toes are a bit numb. My ears are buzzing. I've toyed with attending a couple of rock concerts but it's probably a bad idea. 11.50pm.
Wednesday 13th November 2024
I had a good photo-video session on the Sonder bike today. I was only out for about an hour, but it was long enough to get some cool footage of step-ups and roll-downs on the stone wall at Castleside. Later, I got all of Steve and Pauline's videos copied to USB. Such sad news about Pauline. I uploaded my little bike clips to Facebook. I think stills might have been better. But it's good for me to see myself riding. I'll make more. I took a walk into town. Brought a skinny beany from Barry's to go under my bike helmet then got money out of the bank and went to Newcastle. Had a big reduced-price pork pie from Heron Foods then sat in Eldon Square. Met Jenni outside Ernest Bar and walked to Cobalt Studio. Born Lippy was ace. All the guests were engaging – Kemi Gates and singer RivKala and All We Have Time For by The Four Johns was mint. I videoed their hour-long show. Amazed the memory card and batteries lasted. Walked with Jenni back to Bensham. 11.59pm.
Thursday 14th November 2024
Bit of a migraine/blurred vision. Sat with Jenni for an hour or so. Listened to Radio 2. Vernon Kay was chatting to Paddy McGuiness about his bike challenge. Three hundred miles from Wrexham to Glasgow on a Raleigh Chopper bike for Children in Need. So far he's raised four million quid. I spent a few hours washing up for Jenni then went out at quarter past four to Gateshead. Cheap egg mayonnaise sandwich for tea and some chocolate. Then took 56 bus to Sunderland for King Ink - which was packed. Lots of new people, lots of regulars – including Kevin Robson, Christine Fowler, Karima Lynn, Gaeran Southern, Aidan Clarke, Hester Dowling, Chris Hodgson… I read Thirty Years from Final and Who Needs Hellraiser? from Queasy, Uneasy. Aaron Wright closed the night with How I Got Here and The Distance. He was great. I'm chuffed I got to hear everyone. Poems, prose, songs. Just managed to get back to Park Lane by ten for the last bus. 90 minutes to Consett. Probably sleep along the way. 10.18pm.
Friday 15th November 2024
Prepped my Making Tracks workshop for next week and some bits and pieces for Jenni's new spoken word event Word Bank. I left the house at half three and walked to Consett. The 47 bus didn't come coz the road was closed for repairs, a mini-link shuttle bus took people back to the bus station. Two 47s were on the bays but didn't go out. I sat on an old X45 feeling groggy and got off at Metro Centre to board another bus that stank of baby vomit. A big pool of it. The baby sat with its mother. The smell made me want to retch. All the windows were open. Word Bank was ace. Jenni and Soundroom did a mint job. Great turns, including David Roe, Aaron Wright, Olya Bowers, James Wilkinson, Juli Watson, and locals. I got home at eleven. 11.51pm.
Saturday 16th November 2024
Finally got a gas bill via email to take to the post office so I could pay cash. Then my watch stopped working. I've been trying to do marathon prompts and other bits of work but three late nights in a row have done me in. Spent most of the evening at home just watching clips of North Shore Betty Beryl, 75-year-old downhill mountain biker. Awesome. 10.38pm.
Sunday 17th November 2024
Better day despite a cold night in bed. Glued up a morning pages book. Got a writing half marathon sorted for Waddy. Went out to buy a new cheap watch. Had a big sausage and veg dinner. Got the Poetry Jam stuff edited and ready to go. I watched more bike and strength training videos. It's really cold, time for the hot water bottle. 10.35pm.
Monday 18th November 2024
I pasted Pauline’s poems into my notebook. Bus to Gateshead took ages. The one to Sunderland crematorium only took 25 minutes. There was a big turnout for the funeral. The service was a positive reflection of Pauline's life. Then a lift with Kevin Robson over to Pop Recs Ltd. Lots of people there. Chatted to Rob Walton, Lian Maltas and a few others. Me and Jenni read three poems each. So did Mel McEvoy. The slideshow of photos was lovely. Tom May read poems and Sam played music with others. There were covers of Romeo & Juliet and Suzanne. We were there for about three and a half hours. Everyone feels for Steve and his sons. Pauline May, a brilliant writer and wonderful person, will be greatly missed. 10.00pm.
Tuesday 19th November 2024
Full attendance at Waddy for a half marathon. A good warm-up with prompts I’ll be using next week. I got the Poetry Jam publicity online as well. Caught the half-three bus back home. Had tea then packed for tomorrow’s MAKING TRACKS workshop. Got the bus to Jen’s place and watched a film about a robot called Megan – a cross between Madonna and The Bionic Woman. It was okay. Temperature is minus two at present. Got a headache. Need something for supper 10.00pm.
Wednesday 20th November 2024
Printed another exercise for MAKING TRACKS on Jen’s machine. The workshop went really well. Bio Poem, Goth, Finish the lyric, Absurd Words, Jar of Characters, Hero Poems, I Am Poems. Got through all the exercises bang on time. Some keen writers. I hope they have fun playing musical instruments next week. Me and Jenni went to see Matt Miller's show FIXED at Alphabetti Theatre tonight. Broken cars, broken families. Natalie the mechanic, Matt the soul searcher. Lovely surprise chat with Matt on the X45 bus back to Consett. Got some food at Tesco and final X15 to Moorside. OK. 11.28pm.
Thursday 21st November 2024
Library rep says I have three Meet the Author gigs for next year and a place on a Poetry tour in February. Got a couple of books from Consett library. The River in the Sky by Clive James and An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka. Spent about four hours tonight preparing tomorrow’s Washington workshop. Bitter cold and the wind is getting stronger. Photocopier warming up took longer than a new cartridge takes to calibrate. Steam coming out of the machine during a ten-copy run. Amazing. I daren’t switch the computer on. 9.20pm.
Friday 22nd November 2024
Fucking cold. Thought my kneecap might collapse. The 8.23am bus never turned up in Moorside, so I hobbled up the hill past The Grove into Consett. Spending twenty pence doesn’t have the same ring to it as spending a penny but that’s inflation, isn’t it. Four bladder trips before twelve yet only a few gulps of blackcurrant squash all day. The workshop went well in Washington but, as usual, I prepared too much material and had to ditch some. We did spiky dialogue and read Pease Pudding by RH Dixon. Thanks to Alwyn for the lift to Metro Centre. I nipped into The Works to buy card for the Writing Marathon booklet covers. I’ve sold another two places. So only three left. I’m hoping they go in the next three or four days. This evening, I started copying out extracts from my workshop notebooks from January to April 2024. I’m thinking of doing another Unruly Eyebrow-style booklet. Worked about four hours. Fucking cold. But my burgers and chips were ace. As was the chocolate doughnut. 11.36pm.
Saturday 23rd November 2024
Woke to snow. Freezing fucking cold most of the day. Spoke to Mam and Ernie on the phone. I did copy-ups this afternoon. And lesson plan stuff tonight. I listened to Suede and Einsturzende Neubauten. Watched Paddy McGuiness's bike challenge. Then an episode of Happy Valley. Opened the front door to discover it was warmer outside than in. My feet are numb. Need a cheese toasty then off to bed. 9.41pm.
Sunday 24th November 2024
Warmer outside than in. Typesetting on a mobile coz I dislike sitting at the desk for hours and hours. I started to read An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka. It’s a fantasy novel about magic and dark powers, set in London. Listened to some Glen Matlock tracks and wrote a new Kennings bio poem. Pot Noodle. Bed. 10.25pm.
Monday 25th November 2024
Yesterday’s reheated sausage in a sandwich for breakfast. Got the next Writing Marathon booked for the new year. We have seven people for next Saturday. Bus arrived at Newcastle tonight just before seven. The town was packed. Football match. Met Jenni at the Lit & Phil for writer Tom Kelly in conversation with John Grundy. They did about an hour. Afterwards we got supplies at Tesco including winter spice chocolate cookies. 11.20pm.
Tuesday 26th November 2024
X21 from Gateshead to Durham was like an oven. Had to remove coat and hoodie. Then moved seats twice, to be nearer the door. Writing session was good today. Readbacks from half marathon and repeats of session seven. I went to The Works and Poundland. Got the 20 to five bus to Moorside. Fish fingers and chips for tea. Did copy-ups. Early to bed. 9.18pm.
Wednesday 27th November 2024
Wasn’t supposed to be having bacon sandwiches before December but nipped out for a pack of rashers and some mushrooms. This morning I made up Writing Marathon books for Saturday, including a hand-sewn 72-pager for Susan Smalley coz she writes with a felt tip. Wrote a big briefing intro and typed it up. This evening, I took another look at the prompts. Replaced a few and wrote some new ones. There’s a good mix of fiction, journaling, light and shade. About half a dozen from published works, so they’ll need credits. Watched two episodes of Happy Valley Series Two. About halfway through it now. Hope I sleep well. Big tinnitus. Got to be out quite early tomorrow. 10.35pm.
Thursday 28th November 2024
Half nine bus didn’t turn up. Returned home for toilet and checked Writing Marathon progress then back out to Consett. Spent over sixty quid on the first round of food supplies for Saturday. This evening Jenni headlined Out Of Your Head at The Cumberland Arms in Byker. The audience loved her which made her perform even stronger. Lots of brilliant writers including Chloe-Louise Fawcett Reilly, Vinci, Charlie Care – who did a brilliant tattoo story – and Diane Lopes-Mulhearn from Portugal with an incredible set including a poem about Identity in WH Smith. On the way home Jenni got pizza and chips. I got a slice and a few chips for two quid. I need a hot drink before bed. 11.54pm.
Friday 29th November 2024
Big day buying the rest of the food for tomorrow’s Writing Marathon. A bit like a warm-up for Xmas shopping. Tesco was full of people with zero spacial awareness. I stood checking my food list as someone vacantly nudged their trolley closer to my leg. I used to spend about fifty-five quid on marathon food. This time it was about ninety to ninety-five. Add the bus fare. And room hire (which is at a considerable discount) and I’m making about twenty-five quid for about thirty hours of input. Got all the sandwiches made tonight without touching anything. I’m a bit wrecked now. Hope I get a good night’s sleep. It’s been a lot of work for a five-hour event. But it’s better than stacking shelves. Jenni is in bed. I need to be up at about six to get ready. We need to be out by quarter to eight. 10.45pm.
I pasted Pauline’s poems into my notebook. Bus to Gateshead took ages. The one to Sunderland crematorium only took 25 minutes. There was a big turnout for the funeral. The service was a positive reflection of Pauline's life. Then a lift with Kevin Robson over to Pop Recs Ltd. Lots of people there. Chatted to Rob Walton, Lian Maltas and a few others. Me and Jenni read three poems each. So did Mel McEvoy. The slideshow of photos was lovely. Tom May read poems and Sam played music with others. There were covers of Romeo & Juliet and Suzanne. We were there for about three and a half hours. Everyone feels for Steve and his sons. Pauline May, a brilliant writer and wonderful person, will be greatly missed. 10.00pm.
Tuesday 19th November 2024
Full attendance at Waddy for a half marathon. A good warm-up with prompts I’ll be using next week. I got the Poetry Jam publicity online as well. Caught the half-three bus back home. Had tea then packed for tomorrow’s MAKING TRACKS workshop. Got the bus to Jen’s place and watched a film about a robot called Megan – a cross between Madonna and The Bionic Woman. It was okay. Temperature is minus two at present. Got a headache. Need something for supper 10.00pm.
Wednesday 20th November 2024
Printed another exercise for MAKING TRACKS on Jen’s machine. The workshop went really well. Bio Poem, Goth, Finish the lyric, Absurd Words, Jar of Characters, Hero Poems, I Am Poems. Got through all the exercises bang on time. Some keen writers. I hope they have fun playing musical instruments next week. Me and Jenni went to see Matt Miller's show FIXED at Alphabetti Theatre tonight. Broken cars, broken families. Natalie the mechanic, Matt the soul searcher. Lovely surprise chat with Matt on the X45 bus back to Consett. Got some food at Tesco and final X15 to Moorside. OK. 11.28pm.
Thursday 21st November 2024
Library rep says I have three Meet the Author gigs for next year and a place on a Poetry tour in February. Got a couple of books from Consett library. The River in the Sky by Clive James and An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka. Spent about four hours tonight preparing tomorrow’s Washington workshop. Bitter cold and the wind is getting stronger. Photocopier warming up took longer than a new cartridge takes to calibrate. Steam coming out of the machine during a ten-copy run. Amazing. I daren’t switch the computer on. 9.20pm.
Friday 22nd November 2024
Fucking cold. Thought my kneecap might collapse. The 8.23am bus never turned up in Moorside, so I hobbled up the hill past The Grove into Consett. Spending twenty pence doesn’t have the same ring to it as spending a penny but that’s inflation, isn’t it. Four bladder trips before twelve yet only a few gulps of blackcurrant squash all day. The workshop went well in Washington but, as usual, I prepared too much material and had to ditch some. We did spiky dialogue and read Pease Pudding by RH Dixon. Thanks to Alwyn for the lift to Metro Centre. I nipped into The Works to buy card for the Writing Marathon booklet covers. I’ve sold another two places. So only three left. I’m hoping they go in the next three or four days. This evening, I started copying out extracts from my workshop notebooks from January to April 2024. I’m thinking of doing another Unruly Eyebrow-style booklet. Worked about four hours. Fucking cold. But my burgers and chips were ace. As was the chocolate doughnut. 11.36pm.
Saturday 23rd November 2024
Woke to snow. Freezing fucking cold most of the day. Spoke to Mam and Ernie on the phone. I did copy-ups this afternoon. And lesson plan stuff tonight. I listened to Suede and Einsturzende Neubauten. Watched Paddy McGuiness's bike challenge. Then an episode of Happy Valley. Opened the front door to discover it was warmer outside than in. My feet are numb. Need a cheese toasty then off to bed. 9.41pm.
Sunday 24th November 2024
Warmer outside than in. Typesetting on a mobile coz I dislike sitting at the desk for hours and hours. I started to read An Instruction in Shadow by Benedict Jacka. It’s a fantasy novel about magic and dark powers, set in London. Listened to some Glen Matlock tracks and wrote a new Kennings bio poem. Pot Noodle. Bed. 10.25pm.
Monday 25th November 2024
Yesterday’s reheated sausage in a sandwich for breakfast. Got the next Writing Marathon booked for the new year. We have seven people for next Saturday. Bus arrived at Newcastle tonight just before seven. The town was packed. Football match. Met Jenni at the Lit & Phil for writer Tom Kelly in conversation with John Grundy. They did about an hour. Afterwards we got supplies at Tesco including winter spice chocolate cookies. 11.20pm.
Tuesday 26th November 2024
X21 from Gateshead to Durham was like an oven. Had to remove coat and hoodie. Then moved seats twice, to be nearer the door. Writing session was good today. Readbacks from half marathon and repeats of session seven. I went to The Works and Poundland. Got the 20 to five bus to Moorside. Fish fingers and chips for tea. Did copy-ups. Early to bed. 9.18pm.
Wednesday 27th November 2024
Wasn’t supposed to be having bacon sandwiches before December but nipped out for a pack of rashers and some mushrooms. This morning I made up Writing Marathon books for Saturday, including a hand-sewn 72-pager for Susan Smalley coz she writes with a felt tip. Wrote a big briefing intro and typed it up. This evening, I took another look at the prompts. Replaced a few and wrote some new ones. There’s a good mix of fiction, journaling, light and shade. About half a dozen from published works, so they’ll need credits. Watched two episodes of Happy Valley Series Two. About halfway through it now. Hope I sleep well. Big tinnitus. Got to be out quite early tomorrow. 10.35pm.
Thursday 28th November 2024
Half nine bus didn’t turn up. Returned home for toilet and checked Writing Marathon progress then back out to Consett. Spent over sixty quid on the first round of food supplies for Saturday. This evening Jenni headlined Out Of Your Head at The Cumberland Arms in Byker. The audience loved her which made her perform even stronger. Lots of brilliant writers including Chloe-Louise Fawcett Reilly, Vinci, Charlie Care – who did a brilliant tattoo story – and Diane Lopes-Mulhearn from Portugal with an incredible set including a poem about Identity in WH Smith. On the way home Jenni got pizza and chips. I got a slice and a few chips for two quid. I need a hot drink before bed. 11.54pm.
Friday 29th November 2024
Big day buying the rest of the food for tomorrow’s Writing Marathon. A bit like a warm-up for Xmas shopping. Tesco was full of people with zero spacial awareness. I stood checking my food list as someone vacantly nudged their trolley closer to my leg. I used to spend about fifty-five quid on marathon food. This time it was about ninety to ninety-five. Add the bus fare. And room hire (which is at a considerable discount) and I’m making about twenty-five quid for about thirty hours of input. Got all the sandwiches made tonight without touching anything. I’m a bit wrecked now. Hope I get a good night’s sleep. It’s been a lot of work for a five-hour event. But it’s better than stacking shelves. Jenni is in bed. I need to be up at about six to get ready. We need to be out by quarter to eight. 10.45pm.
Saturday 30th November 2024
Lying awake at three while idiots made noise in the street. Only got another hour of sleep. The Writing Marathon at Arts Centre Washington went well, despite an initial technical hiccup. Six of the seven writers who booked joined me and Jenni. We got through fifteen rounds of writing and readbacks. Some really strong material produced. We got back to Bensham by five and I’ve been grazing on leftovers since. Jenni is out at a music gig. I’ve been watching snooker. Off to bed soon. OK. 8.49pm.
Lying awake at three while idiots made noise in the street. Only got another hour of sleep. The Writing Marathon at Arts Centre Washington went well, despite an initial technical hiccup. Six of the seven writers who booked joined me and Jenni. We got through fifteen rounds of writing and readbacks. Some really strong material produced. We got back to Bensham by five and I’ve been grazing on leftovers since. Jenni is out at a music gig. I’ve been watching snooker. Off to bed soon. OK. 8.49pm.
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