Celebrations and Reflections

Monday 21st August 2017

Pleased to put in a good shift on the corrections list for ‘Laughter To Split Glass’. Reckon it’ll be ready to pass on to a fresh pair of eyes in another week. Was pleased to get the grass cut this afternoon and some words keyed in this evening. Mainly fortifying myself with porridge, cheese sandwiches, spicy nick naks and orange. Listened to an album of early Adam and the Ants demos. Read Julie Egdell’s ‘America’ blog. Haven’t read much else since the Peter Hince ‘Queen Unseen’ memoir last Thursday. 11.15 pm.

Tuesday 22nd August 2017

More cross-referencing of texts: two manuscripts, a corrections list and a query list. Almost there. Been working on it most of the afternoon. This evening I listened to The Damned, had online chat with Kirsten Luckins about books, keyed in some cut-up texts and Appletree poems. Spoke to Mam and Ernie on the phone. Pork steak dinner. Too much chocolate. 11.10 pm.

Wednesday 23rd August 2017

Ate too much before bed last night and didn’t sleep well. Prepped workshop before breakfast. Fantastic six-song EP from Alix Alixandra arrived. Read an old issue of ‘Smoke’ (found in the kitchen drawer) on the bus to Durham – a fifty pence poetry mag from the nineties featuring work from Linda France, Jackie Litherland, David HW Grubb and Brendan Kennelly. Session at Appletree was absurd words, new compound word definitions and pantoum first daft. Then into Newcastle to buy paper and card for a one-off blank book project I’m doing on Thursday/Friday. Bumped into Asa J Maddison. Went to Travelling Man, but all their indy publications were comics – what about perzines? Feeling a bit hammered tonight. 10.17 pm.

Thursday 24th August 2017

Home all day. Mainly making 160-page journal / sketchbook as a birthday gift. Been a while since I did any multiple signature hardbacks. If you think lacing up a pair of 18-hole Doc Martens takes some doing, try sewing eight pamphlets together and case binding with a cloth cover. Used 140 gsm paper and some lovely grey Canson stock for endpapers. The biggest book I’ve made so far. Still got the red suede cover to go on… Jenni was in touch. Attila the Stockbroker has invited her to perform two poems during his show in Bannerman’s at the Free Fringe tomorrow. Well done, Ms Pascoe. I got the Poetry Jam event page up on Facebook. Gail Curry sent me her recently published book of mental health poems. Eighties Ministry of Sound electronica triple cd soundtrack today. 11.36 pm.

Friday 25th August 2017

Quite something to see so many people turn out for Janice Clark today. I only really knew her through Waddington Street Centre and having being at the same school as her brother. A sad occasion lifted by the warm stories from her family and friends in a service far removed from the standard funeral send-off. Despite the laughter and celebratory tone of the afternoon, it was still difficult not to focus on the tragic circumstances. I spoke to her brother Steven for the first time in about thirty years. I last chatted with Janice after a Lit & Phil poetry event earlier this year. She was recently in touch with my sister and made a great impression at Waddington Street Centre. Really upsetting that she’s no longer here. 11.22 pm.

Saturday 26th August 2017

Mint time at Maggy Moonbeam’s 50th Birthday bash in Willowburn Hospice near Lanchester. Entrance had a red carpet with reception from Ant and Dec – cardboard cut-outs, but the lad from Geordie Shore was real. Must confess to not knowing who he was. Lots of familiar faces though: James Oates, Mike Treasure, Judith Hilditch. Dave Golding. Nice to see Maggy’s sister, Jane, again. Loved the layout of the room, the comfy pink chairs, all the posters and postcards picturing spoof book covers with Maggy as author, the buffet – especially the chicken curry. Decking and tables outside, spectacular scenery and perfect weather. Great DJ. Maggy up and dancing, singing on the karaoke. Jenni did ‘All That Jazz’. I tried ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ by Twisted Sister. Kev Wardle did ‘Situation’ by Yazoo. Helena Webber sang ‘Simply the Best’ brilliantly. We played human fruit machine. I won a grey rubber rat – and earlier a pink teddy. Lots of laughs. Thanks to Sharon (Thelma G Clarke) for the lift back to Moorside. 11.38 pm.

Sunday 27th August 2017

Mainly lazy day with Jenni, but keyed in some notes and uploaded more hardback process pix to Facebook. Half asleep much of the afternoon. Columbo was on telly. And Dragons’ Den. Checked October Megabus for Jarboe gig in Leicester. Six quid return. Saw ‘Metal Britannia’ on BBC4. Looked at cover image ideas for ANOMALIES book. More work on ‘Laughter To Split Glass’ tomorrow. 11.38 pm.