SEVEN DAYS

Monday 12th November 2018

Thought today would be a bit more relaxed, having worked through the weekend on bookmaking and gig rehearsal, but still busy and time has flown by. Prompts selected and booklets stapled for three writing half marathons in Durham and Jarrow. Flyers for library course. Two more rehearsals for tomorrow’s Bowls Club gig. Read quite a bit of Adrian Mitchell’s ‘Greatest Hits’ poetry collection and replied to a researcher’s request for info on my workshop practice. Online training course on Diversity and Equality – sixty minutes was actually two fucking hours! But I got 95% right. Not bad for a so-called bipolar misanthrope. Listened to Marilyn Manson’s ‘Born Villain’ album. Then made an unsavoury comment about procreation on the Facebook post of a friend who also wishes to remain childless. Bit of a headache coming. Looking forward to writing and performing this week. Bedtime. 11.33 pm.

Tuesday 13th November 2018

Seems like a hell of a long day. Only did a writing half marathon of two hours and a thirty-minute set at Blackhill and Consett Park Bowls Club. Of course all the planning that went into both would add up to about twelve hours at least. As good a turn out as some Newcastle nights and that’s without open mic. Enjoyed seeing Lorraine Weightman do a full set again – faves such as Winging It, and her poem about the sock in the washing machine, plus the rock chick finale. Harry Gallagher is always good with local history and mixes it up with the poignant and funny – bombs, backfired bullying and Clerihews. Fred Lewis gave us serious poems of place and personal redemption. Jenni, the consummate crowd-sussing wordsmith, wowed with playful humour and mixed ‘W.I.’ rhymes with some Slam stuff. I did the set that took all day Friday to sequence. Went down well, sold some books. Thanks to Richard Judd and the Bowls Club for putting the gig on. Treated myself to a cheeseburger done in the George Foreman grill for supper. 11.45 pm.

Wednesday 14th November 2018

Good to just sit back and relax on the 46 to Newcastle this morning. Taking in the scenery, places bringing back memories. Pity the calm was short-lived. Some undisclosed incident requiring Police assistance on the Metro caused twenty-five-minute delay, so I got to Jarrow in a foul mood and too late to set up the room in solitude. The set-up is a ritual I like to do at my own pace, without external input. Anyway, we had a good little session and producing ten first drafts. Participants all did some good stuff. Thanks to Lisa for the lift back to Chester le Street. Pleased to get early bus to Waddy. Prepped for evening; replaced some prompts, added blank pages to notebooks. Had a chicken Jalfrezi. Good half marathon. Five people in. Some great rounds of writing. Pushed my total number of first drafts up to eighteen for the day. Checked out Vive le Rock magazine in Consett Tesco. Cheese on toast and chocolate before bed. 11.42 pm.

Thursday 15th November 2018

Morning pages. Made up a blank notebook. Hours of frustration over an Online Security Training Course. Ruined my day. Did a different course this evening. Thanks to Wajid Hussein for offering me a book promo interview on his radio show before ‘Laughter to Split Glass’ book comes out. Got tomorrow’s library session prepped. 11.16 pm.

Friday 16th November 2018

Session in Consett Library was great. Nice, relaxed run-through of some tried and tested exercises – Absurd Words, How I Got Here, Objects and Lies, a bit on notebooks by Paul Magrs, then Triolets. Saw Bohemian Rhapsody at the Empire afterwards. About sixty or seventy in – not bad for a Friday afternoon. Enjoyed it every bit as much as Gateshead a fortnight ago. Did some bank transactions then walked home. This evening I tackled the college Online Security Course on my tablet. Took three attempts to complete the assessment coz the screen kept freezing on the final question. And even though it eventually stated a mark of 92% I can now find no logged acknowledgement online. Infuriated by Brexit bullshit and denials of social engineering from Tory party in the face of damning UN report on Austerity. 11.30 pm.

Saturday 18th November 2018

Bit of a lie in. Wrapped up a book order and keyed in some notes. Biked to Jen’s place via Derwent Walk. Easy ride with no mud. Went out for donuts and hot chocolate. Had ravioli on toast, glanced at X-Factor while surfing the net. Laughs with Jenni about work hassles. Good to be away from my house for a while. 10.28 pm.

Sunday 19th November 2018

Politics on telly this morning. The Brexit that people voted for isn’t going to happen so why bother jumping off the fucking cliff at all? Just scrap the bullshit. Watched ‘Educating Rita’ on DVD this afternoon. Seen the stage play last year but today was first time for the film. Good bike ride home and chilled out evening. 10.47 pm.