Over Half Way There - Still Loads More To Scare

Monday 7th October 2019

Aches and pains all over. Some from Terror in the Trees shows, some from the bike. Ankles, knees, lower back, right wrist and bicep. Did a write-up of the ‘ritual’ of preparing to do scare shows. Then got a bit alarmed by the state of my half bloodshot right eye. Doesn’t hurt. Think it’s from when I took out a dodgy contact lens last night. Folded and stapled 30 copies of the ‘Waddy Works 2019’ anthology. Took longer than expected coz the cover card was cracking when folded so I had to score each with a needle first – worked really well. Still to trim on Wednesday, but on course. Did some type-ups tonight. Lesson plan and a bit of journal. My watch has a load of condensation under the glass that won’t clear. Might have to go to a shop to get it cleaned out. I watched a bit of Newsnight but turned it off. Too tired. Just want a big sleep. 11.33 pm.

Tuesday 8th October 2019

Woke before seven and struggled with morning pages. Was prepping the workshop by nine o’clock. Read through notes on bus to Durham. Thought it was going to break down. Did my photocopies at Waddy  then had a quick tin of lenty-bacon soup and into session ten minutes early. It went okay. Small oddities of composition – Exceptions to ‘i before e’, quotes within quotes, flip before flop, close-reading with Ruth Padel, poetic metre... Then along to the church hall next door to see ‘Blokes, Fellas, Geezers’. Hard-hitting stuff. Jake Jarret playing multiple characters and using white boxes reconfigured over and over to create the scenes. Fathers and Sons, role models, patterns of behaviour, generational stereotypes. Very emotive, and good little workshop to follow as well. Chatted with Waddy staff about the piece afterwards then got the bus to Gateshead. Night in with Jenni watching C4 News, Bake-off and Two Ronnies. Out for Jen’s supplies at little Tesco then bus around eleven back to Consett. 11.27 pm.

Wednesday 9th October 2019

Bit of a lie in. Strange not having a watch on to check the time. Watch is in a bag of rice in hopes of getting rid of condensation on the inside of the glass. Cleaned the kitchen sink, draining board and counter top. Finished the trimming of 30 copies of ‘Waddy Works 2019’. Did some typesetting this evening. Listened to ‘Earthling’, ‘Hours’, ‘Heathen’ and ‘Reality’ albums by Bowie. The last three are the best to me after 'Scary Monsters'. Totally fucking remiss of me not to see Bowie in concert. I will be listening to the rest of his catalogue in the coming days. There will be some serious replays over the next few years. Haven’t finished proofing on Anomalies Deluxe yet. 11.14 pm.

Thursday 10th October 2019

World Mental Health Day. I didn’t go overboard on the intros at our book launch this afternoon. The Waddy Writers were great. Particularly impressed by Alex who said he wasn’t confident about reading; and Catherine who arranged childcare so she could be at the event and did well. She read a couple of shorter poems and attempted her longer prose piece. Then asked me to read it for her. Chuffed to have a good bunch of people in for the gig. Was going to buy a cheap wristwatch for biking but couldn’t really afford eight quid. Spent money on wipes and a dodgy light bulb. Listened to a couple more from Bowie to complete my run-through of his original studio albums. I excluded Tin Machine, but wish I hadn’t. I’ve eaten four sweet mince pies, a chicken curry and two Snickers bars. Newsnight is on and for the first time in ages the first question wasn’t about Brexit. It was climate change. 11.05 pm.

Friday 11th October 2019

Bloody bracket on new bike light is different from the old one. Even though the light is the same. So I pissed away ninety minutes this morning trying to bodge job two symmetrical rear vertical lights. I overcooked my fish fingers and fritters so they were shit. But I booked a guest for a 2020 Poetry Jam. Ride over to Beamish was lush. Hardly any sweat at all. Got here quicker than last week. No-one seems in a hurry to get ready. Usually Steve and Jemma are into costume and makeup by the time I arrive. It’s just gone 4.15 pm and I’m just taking it easy. Going to get a little cheese and tomato sandwich and a sweet mince pie then make a start. 4.11 pm.

LATER: Slow hang about before the show tonight. Longer briefing with info on course improvements – dryer conditions, loads of gravel down to counteract the mud. Big talk about health and safety and stopping show in event of any serious accidents. Only one hour-fifty minutes performing time tonight. I was done, out of costume and makeup by 9.20 pm and on the bike by half-past. At Jen’s place by 20-past ten. Had a wash, snickers bar. New Tricks is on the TV. Jenni is in bed with aches and pains. I’m chuffed to be done so soon. But will be much busier closer to Halloween, though. Ok. 10.48 pm.

Saturday 12th October 2019

Poor Jenni is still under the weather. Still in bed when I got back from a Gateshead shopping trip. Soup, Lockets, batteries and a £7.99 watch. If I don’t get my Rotary into rice for a week it’s never going to dry out. And I shouldn’t be wearing it on the bike anyway. I got to Beamish about ten to 4. Into makeup at five. I might be joining other actors for final scares after my main stint. Last guests through should be 9.00 pm. It’s almost half-five. I’m done up and pretty much good to go. A lot of the gang arrived later than usual again today. It’s pretty crowded in the dressing rooms. I’m out in the corridor. There’s an oval ornate table, some floral prints on the cream walls. And a large painting of a ship in a gilt frame stood upside down leaning against the wall, my Rockhopper bike leaning next to it. A clown in full makeup just passed by, “Cup of coffee, I think.” – in full makeup. Steven says he’s not in the mood tonight. Simon talks about working class and middle class. Josh has never seen Beetlejuice. Steve Lucock is ace with the makeup. 5.32 pm.

LATER: Tonight was another short one. Done by five past nine. The VIPs didn’t come tonight so I didn’t do the extra scares at the end. Was ready to leave on the bike to Bensham around half-nine and in Jen’s place by half past ten. She had left a note on the table saying: Gone out to do a work. See you soon. xXx. A front light died tonight. Hopefully just batteries. The back one I put new batteries in today didn’t work. Threw it in the bin. I will sit up till midnight, I reckon. Jenni might get back by then. Ok. 10.50 pm.

Thanks to all cast and crew of Terror in the Trees for another ace one.

Sunday 13th October 2019

Awake quite early and up at nine. Did morning pages. Read the ‘Buk Book’ about Charles Bukowski. I knew most of the content but still some good anecdotes. Jenni got up around 11.15 am. We went into Gateshead for supplies. Got another bike light. Ravioli on toast for me, something veggie for Jenni. Celeb X factor and Catchphrase. Then ride over to Beamish in the pissing rain. I dried a couple of bits of clothing but the joggers were pretty rank and just stank worse so I left them. If I can get by with chinos I will. It’s supposed to stop raining later. Some sniffles in the dressing room tonight. Aim to be home by midnight. Thanks once again to Steve Lucock for makeup and whole gang for camaraderie. Ok. 5.24 pm.

Monday 14th October 2019

So many gaps in my main journal book coz the entries were made in rough books on the move. Knackered today. Stayed in bed till half-ten. Felt a bit achy but can’t complain when other Terror scare actors and crew are out in the rain on numerous nights. I read some of ‘War All The Time – Poems 1981-1984’ by Charles Bukowski – and it’s not poetry. The line-breaks are terrible. It’s okay as journal and should be presented in paragraphs instead of random dribbling stanzas… I washed some clothes in the sink this afternoon. Didn’t get on to Waddy stuff till this evening but I think I’ve got a canny little session set up for tomorrow. I read some good flash nonfiction from Brevity magazine. I got my Work-log and Gratitude journals up to date, putting in bits from my Terror in the Trees notebook. I’ve been writing quite a bit about Beamish experiences in my morning pages. Unable to reveal till it ends in November. Avoiding news outlets for a while. Listened to Bad Pollyanna and Bowie today. 11.30 pm.

Tuesday 15th October 2019

Good to get a lie in knowing the session is planned and all I had to do was eat, wash, dress and go. Got two boxes of Mr Kipling’s mince pies for a quid at Barry’s – not even out of date. Had a mooch at 170gsm art paper in Boyes then read some Begin Where You Are notes from Waddy writers on the bus to Durham. Was good to chat with Fliss about horror flicks. Her boyfriend, Carl Barker, has had a book of horror stories published. Session at Waddy went well. Loads of overspill material for next week, so I should be okay for Alix’s and David’s post-wedding celebrations next Monday… This bus is really full. I’m upstairs and being bounced all over. Me and Jenni are going to see Joker tonight. I’ve heard it’s excellent. 4.39 pm.

I went to Tesco for a steak pie, got my wallet sorted, met Jenni. Had a little drink in Wetherspoons, talked about work. Then went round to Vue Cinema. Ate sweet mince pies then went in to see JOKER. Very gritty, dark – no real superhero vibe. Just grim psychological trauma and violence. Jenni found herself identifying with Arthur Fleck throughout. I kind of eased off on the empathy when he killed his mother and stabbed a colleague in the neck with a pair of scissors.  It was a good film but not sure I’d want to watch again in a hurry. Jen wants to see it again tomorrow. Maybe DVD next year. 11.40 pm.

Wednesday 16th October 2019

Bit of a sore throat. Canny lie in. Didn’t start proofing Anomalies Deluxe till half-one. Still fucking about trying to get clothes dry for the Friday ride to Beamish. Joggers still soaking wet after forty-eight hours. The house is cold and I can’t afford to heat it. I’ve been blasting fabric with a hair dryer, but don’t want to waste electricity either. I got through book proofing and am half way through corrections. Should get the rest done by Friday lunchtime. I have no idea if the book will get into the hands of more than half a dozen friends and associates. I’m not really bothered about wide appeal. I just want it done for myself. It’s the biggest book I’ll probably ever put together. Next year ‘Steve Achieves’ will come out but that will only be about two hundred pages. I need to catch up on journals. And I need to start wearing thermals. Now there’s a couplet. It’s supper time. 11.30 pm.

Thursday 17th October 2019

Into Consett to pick up contact lenses and buy food. Tried to work tonight but only managed a week of journal type-ups. I have a cold – snotty nose, sore throat. Hope to feel better by the weekend. Not really looking forward to biking. Was good to see a load of new 2020 diaries in Tesco today. And to listen to David Bowie in concert tonight. Time is ticking by. I need to catch up in work-log. Still haven’t succumbed to Newsnight or online Brexit articles. I bet we don’t leave. 11.30 pm.

Friday 18th October 2019

Today brought the sad news that musician Trev Reed who played at many Stanza nights and elsewhere has died of cancer. He was always great onstage, playing songs with Renata, and being supportive of others. He will be missed…

Ready to go by two o’clock. It was a dry ride to Beamish and clothes all fresh on. I got into costume quickly but seem to have mislaid the Ringmaster’s cane. Perhaps I left it on set last Sunday night. Some of the actors are just arriving. It’s an earlier start this evening and it’s already fucking raining. I felt like shit today but am okay now I’m here. Slow ride over did me good. Had more Beecham’s honey and lemon. Have some Lockets for later. Hopefully things will be okay. I’m told last group goes through the course at 9.40 pm. OK. 5.36 pm.

Saturday 19th October 2019

Bit of a lie in till half-nine. Dreamt the gear cable snapped on the bike. Slept in my day clothes. I didn’t have much to prep for Trees so I did a lesson plan and a big list of all my Rollins books for a fellow fanatic. Drizzle turned to moderate rain with a headwind so I got soaked on the bike. But I’ll be dry for my shift. Dried some clothes; got into makeup and costume. Simon, one of the actors, told me Boris Johnson has to send an extension letter to the EU. This prompted a discussion with others about medical shortages, withheld cures for cancer, etc… Ready by half-five. Good to go. 5.40 pm.

Sunday 20th October 2019

Home at quarter to one this morning. So pleased the rain held off. Bed by quarter to two. Stayed there till ten. Did pages about Terror in the Trees – not stuff I can disclose yet. Got bike clothes dry. Had a chicken curry with rice and grilled potatoes. Checked FB updates – bits of political stuff flash by but I’ve still not looked at any articles or tuned in to TV news. Ride over to Beamish was a total bastard. It wasn’t raining when I left Moorside. Light drizzle at Delves Lane. 15-mph wind felt like thirty. From Annfield Plain to Beamish just absolutely pissing down – soaked. It stopped when I reached Museum entrance. Not in costume yet. I’ll wait till after Steve Luckock fits me in for makeup. Had my Beecham’s honey and lemon, cheese and tomato sandwich, sweet mince pie and an orange… The course is getting more gloopy for the actors by the day. Poor Jemma has to lie down in the wet. Simon’s floor-length cape is mud-caked and weighs a ton. Last night someone said Steven looked like he’d shit down his wellies. We are expecting 450 punters tonight. Short break at nine. Don’t know when we’ll finish. If many of those 450 are in isolation groups of twos and threes it could be half-ten before the last goes through. As usual, I feel a bit guilty for getting the best deal this year. I’ve dried my polo shirt but the joggers are fucked. Lisa says the shitty talentless rave music from the 'glass wash' below us is doing her head in. I concur that it’s far from great. Jemma has vacuumed the dressing rooms. I hope the rain stops for everyone tonight. 5.38 pm.