BOOKS AND BIKES

Wednesday 1st April 2020

First time over the doorstep since 22nd March. Streets fairly empty, a few cars. But the queue in front of Tesco at half eleven this morning stretched right round the car park and onto Genesis Way. We all respected the two-metre distancing. The bloke at the door wiped down the handle of my trolley and I was in. Got some stationery – A4 80gsm, gel pens (cheap and nasty) and some Pritt sticks – fingers crossed they are as good as the Amos ones from Boyes. Got loads of stuff – not panic-buying, not taking lots of one item, just a nice assortment for the next two weeks. Although after dragging the wheelie-case full of produce back to Moorside I felt a bit wrecked and vowed never to buy two weeks worth again. You wanted me to lockdown. I did nine days, but I’ll be out on the fucking bike as soon as possible. Tonight I replied to messages from Stephen and Jenni, but didn’t hang about online too long. I’ve seen enough fucking coronavirus stuff to know how nasty it is now. I’m trying to keep myself feeling decent. Tonight I ordered the Hands Off Gretel album coz I no longer have a PC with Spotify and I should fucking support up and coming bands if I like them so much. I read a bit more of ‘STAY FANATIC!!! Vol 1’ by Henry Rollins and made up a morning pages notebook to just scribble in. Haven’t managed NaPoWriMo yet. Cherry pie and custard supper. 10.02pm.


Thursday 2nd April 2020

Today was pretty good. Got a sort of poem thing done in morning pages that worked as a belated day one NaPoWriMo. WORD MACHINE. I liked it. Bit brutal. Bit blunt. But pretty decent for a Thursday morning. Got the endpapers onto a copy of Anomalies Deluxe and had a great all-day breakfast at lunchtime. Then I did the rest of the book build. Case binding in dark blue denim. Got the book into the press around six then had cheese and pickle buns. A little online chat with Jenni then out for a walk around the block. Besides a couple of dog-walkers and a jogger I saw no-one. It was great. It felt like the old days when I used to do two-hour wanders then write up my observations and feelings as prose poems for Shades of Grey and Confessions of an Isolationist. The bits that came from tonight’s walk are now online. I aim to do my own version of NaPoWriMo. This is the first April in eleven years that there hasn’t been a Poetry Jam at Waddington Street Centre. Coronavirus, you bastard! I am lucky, besides gigs and workshops and not seeing Jenni, my routine is pretty much the same as usual. I’m looking forward to taking the Deluxe out of the book press and making a dust jacket for it. Hopefully, the book will be finished by tomorrow afternoon. If Lisette is okay with me posting it, I’m okay with sending it. Fingers crossed it all goes well. 11.28pm.


Friday 3rd April 2020

I’m back in bed a little after ten tonight. Felt a headache trying to take hold. Got some Tesco Blueberry Porridge. Those 36g sachets don’t really fill me. The 1kg bags of Grower’s Harvest for 75p won’t be back in stock for ages. Spent the whole day working on Anomalies Deluxe. I don’t know what happened with the gluing-up the other day, maybe just room temperature, but the ripples in the paper near the stitching were a bit more than expected. Took two sheets of greyboard and a hot iron and did the business. Somehow this afternoon I managed to totally bollocks up a dust jacket. I wanted to make it again tonight, but was too tired. Slept on the couch for a bit. Didn’t like sitting amidst my crafting clutter so I blitzed it for twenty minutes. I’ll try again with the dust jacket tomorrow. Then I’m having a totally lazy weekend, watching films, listening to music, reading easy fiction and poetry. I’m tired and I need a break. I hope to have Mark’s book done and I hope to be able to get it to the post office by Monday. My ‘Hands off Gretel’ CD hasn’t arrived yet. Fingers crossed for tomorrow. Be nice to have it and be able to read the lyrics as I listen. Emailed Sheila Dobson (New College Durham) to say my computer with paperwork on has died, and obviously with the current lockdown I can’t get it fixed. Need to get busy on first quarter of 2020 book. OK. 10.15pm.


Saturday 4th April 2020

Absolutely knackered. Got ‘Anomalies Deluxe’ finished. Messaged Lisette this afternoon asking about delivery. I will be venturing out to post it at The Grove on Monday. Fingers crossed it doesn’t cost too much to send. I told Lisette a fiver but it may be more. It’s done up in a big box. I managed to come up with a lush packaging idea. I took the rejected dust jacket and cut the front panel off it. I pasted it to a piece of black card and put a rectangle of blue card used for jacket flaps next to the graphic. I wrote handmade for Mark Auton and signed it. I wrapped the book in a piece of the same cloth the book is bound in. I put it in a display box and packed it out with strips of greyboard then pasted the black card over the lid. I wrapped the box in black card, which came out like a slipcover, then put it in a toner cartridge box with lots of foam packing, then put that in an Amazon carton. Tonight I keyed a dream into the tablet then fell asleep. Long day, absolutely knackered and ready for bed. 11.08 pm.

Sunday 5th April 2020

Mainly just surfing the net and watching ‘Fish’ documentary and concert footage from Feast of Consequences. Did a crap NaPoWriMo prompt this morning, reopened Lisette’s parcel to add some pamphlets and to check that the presentation box was okay as I felt I hadn’t wrapped part of the content properly. Jenni has been in touch. We had similar dinners. Mine was potatoes, carrots, peas, broccoli, gravy, steak pie. Jenni had leeks instead of carrots, and veggie sausages. Had a phone call from Stephen Clark. He is okay but not keen on going into work tomorrow. I want to be up early to get the parcel posted. I wanted to work on blogger from my tablet but it’s not allowing me to edit text. Bugger, no good then. Maybe I can just re-rig the old HP machine upstairs. I’m tired of just dossing, I will work on books tomorrow. I’m pleased to get the parcel sorted for Lisette. I was going to watch a DVD tonight but am knackered and just want a good sleep. Julia Eff has a new mini-zine out. I would like to buy it but the airmail will be a lot. Too tired to read. Would like a nice supper. It’s probably going to be lemon and banana porridge. 9.20 pm.


Monday 6th April 2020

Good day out. Bit pissed off at the lousy sewing thread that arrived this morning. And the local post office tried to charge me £17.00 first class to Darlington for a 2kg+ package. Griff Elliot at Leadgate post office only charged £8.99. And he gave me some advice for the computer and tablet ref safe starts and Bluetooth keyboards. I would love to be able to work small scale and just print texts from a tablet then cut and collage old school onto paper then just photocopy. And maybe scan later. And I’ve sussed how to blog on the tablet as well. So I’ll be doing some brief journal entries during lockdown, I reckon. It was good to discover that the computer shop in Morrison’s is still open. I’m taking the big desktop beast up there later this week. It was good to get the 75p per Kg porridge at Aldi and no queue. Good to listen to Fish’s album ‘Feast of Consequences’ and read a couple of stories by Wendy Robertson. She ran some writing workshops I attended in Bishop Auckland about seven years ago. Hope to sort out clothes tomorrow. 11.42 pm.


Tuesday 7th April 2020

Canny phone conversation with Mam and Ernie. Pleased to be able to save them a trip to Consett to drop off money for nephew Kyle. I did some absurd word newspaper headlines for NaPoWriMo coz I couldn’t be arsed to write a news story. Chuffed to get the grass cut this afternoon. And I’ve got the old PC hooked up again. Thanks to Jenni for tips on getting it working; it seems to be okay. Going to use the internet through it sparingly. Read a story by Wendy Robertson about a burglar who falls through the roof of vicarage and befriends the inhabitant. Going to watch a bit of Newsnight coz I’ve been out of the loop for a while. Over six thousand coronavirus-related deaths in the UK. 10.47 pm.


Wednesday 8th April 2020

Spent ages reformatting pages for another copy of Anomalies Deluxe coz I’m back on the old computer and the book has developed beyond the original stored files. Got Mr Clark’s book printed. Not much time to think about NaPoWriMo. And then I thought, Fuck it. I’m not doing a thirty-day challenge just coz it’s expected. I just don't like writing to order and I don't want to churn out light verse coz some website told me I should coz it's April and it’s what you do. I wanted to write a short vignette or verse fragment every day, but I'm too busy trying to make books of the stuff that I really like. I don't really care if what I like isn't everyone's cup of tea. But I do care about lying to myself. Some people are good at light, occasional verse, some people are good at following form and dedicated to finding good rhymes, similes and metaphors. Good poems for me are really rare. I write over a quarter of a million words a year, most of which I wouldn't wish to inflict on social media. I posted a bit of fluff using a Velvet Underground lyric, but thought it was pants so I deleted it. I admire Jenni’s ability to put a point across in an engaging uplifting way. Most of my stuff is just FUCK OFF! But it's not contrived. I feel that way about life most of time. And I just thought, Nah, I'm not gonna feel obligated to be anyone's anything writing-wise. I do light-hearted stuff for workshops, but I do workshops for money. I spent ten hours today, reformatting work for a one-off book that means a lot to me. I couldn't give a fuck about NaPoWriMo. I might look at a prompt now and again, but I'm not arsed. Anyway, big whinge about nowt. Got decades of stuff to work on. I can smell the staleness of these joggers. I sprayed them with deodorant but I need to do a bit of washing. 11.52pm.


Thursday 9th April 2020

Up early, out to Consett. Saw a postman leave his trolley of mail near the old Castleside Inn then scurry off into the woods for a piss. I waited 45 minutes to get into Morrison’s. Bought a few food items then took my computer to the in-store repair shop. Did some bank business then round to Diane’s to drop off money for Kyle. Mam and Ernie are sending me a cheque to cover the allowance. It would have been too much of a trek for them all the way from Newton Aycliffe. I queued to get into Barry’s Bargain Superstore for some tins and chocolate. Then home. Got a call from the computer shop. My machine is knackered but they can put the hard drive into another second hand computer for £150. I messaged Jenni. ‘Fuck that!’ she said. And recommended I hang on and get a brand new one when the lockdown is over. I have no idea how I’ll earn money when all this is over… No snailmail. Except the leaflet from Mister Johnson’s camp. Fuck it. 10.44 pm.


Friday 10th April 2020

Busy to-ings and fro-ings in the street. Birthday presents on the wall for the family over the road. A neighbour knocked to ask if she could use my wheelie bin next week. I worked on a copy of Anomalies, but slow progress. The DVD player is knackered. What next, the fridge, the fucking microwave. Timing is mint, isn't it? I mainly use the DVD player to play CDs. Today I resorted to an old mono cassette recorder and listened to Ultra by Depeche Mode then Temple of Low Men by Crowded House. Had to retweak contents list for some omissions on the book. Forgot tonight is Olivia (Bad Pollyanna) Hyde's solo gig online. She was taking requests and played tracks by both the artists I suggested: The Kick Inside by Kate Bush and Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. Well chuffed. She did Creep by Radiohead, True Colours by Cindi Lauper, Nobody Does It Better from The Spy Who Loved Me and some obscure show tunes. Plus two new songs. Early night for me as I want to read a story or three. Ok. 10.20 pm.


Saturday 11th April 2020

Nice sunny day. Good light for bookmaking at the dropleaf table by the window. Knocked up to the text block for another Anomalies Deluxe. Possibly the best yet. I have chanced upon a couple of new techniques to keep the pages flush as possible. Sew up all the seventeen signatures as individual pamphlets so the pages are all nipped tight before trimming. Use trimmed envelopes as sleeves to keep the bottom pages clean whilst sewing. Also, place the enveloped section onto the magnetic cutting mat and secure with a metal ruler. Then sew sections together without picking up the entire stack. Don't pull stitches too tight, this will make squaring up all the page sections easier for gluing. Don't pick the full book up until it's time to put it in the press for gluing. Use a paperback of equal height to the book block as a square stop to get trimmed page edges as level as possible in the press. Square up the sides of the text block using a good straight edge, such as a cassette box stood on its end. Good also, for tweaking the sewed edge of the book. Use glue that has been exposed to the air for 24 hours. Keep gluing surface vertical rather than standing the book press on its side and gluing a horizontal surface. Use glue sparingly. Thin coat. Let it dry and repeat. Maybe speed up second coat with a hairdryer. Book block should come out super true. 10.30 pm.

Sunday 12th April 2020

Jenni posted a picture of herself with an Easter egg and a big black coffee mug. Her name translates as 'pure, fair and smooth Easter.' My day was pretty good. I got the book made up and into the press. I read a bit of ‘STAY FANATIC!!! Vol 1’ by Rollins. I had an all-day breakfast lunch. I watched an elder craftsman on YouTube knock up a book in an hour. Earlier, I saw him glue the endpapers to three books in five minutes. Using a roller, he coated six edges in one go. Some of the things he did were a bit rough around the edges and would require guillotining later... Jenni sent me a video of Toyah Willcox and someone I can only assume was hubby Robert Fripp dressed as bumblebees buzzing around their garden. Strange people. I saw from another of Jen's posts that NaPoWriMo was a triolet today. I didn't look at the prompt. I'm done with it. Sometimes, I feel done with poetry altogether. I write what I can. Sometimes I get a poem, sometimes just waffle. I will continue to scribble, scratch, pick and prune, chop and change as I've done for the last thirty years. Tonight I typed up some stuff on the tablet. For once the bastard came straight on. Instead of the big static freeze out that happened four times this morning before the dammed thing booted up properly. I think I'll have an early night then in the morning get the dust jacket made for Anomalies. Bank holiday Monday – but I'll be happy in the house. Just need more material to make books. Okay, done here, where's my supper? 10. 08 pm.

Monday 13th April 2020

Another day without stepping outside. I got the latest Anomalies completed today. Dust jacket on heavier stock than normal so a bit hard to fold. Pleased it came out okay. Will get it sent out tomorrow when I venture into town again. Apparently, in some parts of the country police are considering looking into people's shopping baskets/bags to check that items are essential buys. Meanwhile, government are considering when they can end lockdown to get economy back on track. Be interesting to see how things pan out in the coming days. But really I don't want to spend too much time dwelling on it at all. I read a bit more of ‘STAY FANATIC!!! Vol 1’ and checked out some UK Subs songs and American Tapes noise releases, but not really struck. Off course the tinny sound off the tablet isn't great. I played a Hanoi Rocks song that I love and that sounded awful as well. So maybe I just need decent audio equipment. Persevering with my type-ups. Aim to do a few one-hour typing sessions each day this week. Easing off bookmaking for a while, then back on it next Monday. Hope to get a DVD player in Tesco tomorrow. Have a feeling they won't have one and I'll need to buy online. Going to have another early night, try to read a Bukowski story. Aim to read ‘In Delirium's Circle’ by Stephen J. Clark this week. Then ‘Even Dogs in the Wild’ by Ian Rankin. Bit of supper then off to bed. The days are flying by. 10.45 pm.

Tuesday 14th April 2020

First day out for a while. Too warm for the big coat so I stuck it in the wheelie case. People see me dragging that thing and might wonder what's in it. I can't be going on holiday every day. I took the book to the post office at The Grove. Only £5.57. Lisette's was £8.99 to post. Went to Consett. Paid some money in, got some other money out. Considered a visit to Barry's Bargain Superstore but there was a canny queue and I'm getting fat off all the cakes and chocolate. So, down to Morrison's to get the recently knackered computer back. Fifteen quid to tell me it's fucked. Then over to Tesco: a few food supplies but no DVD player. Back home, Lisette in touch to say she likes Anomalies Deluxe. Then I PayPal-ed Jenni a borrow. Had to sleep a while coz I got a dehydration headache. Then checked out some tablets, laptops and laser printers. My Samsung is discontinued. There's one going for over five hundred quid. So I'll need something else. Read more ‘STAY FANATIC!!! Vol 1’. Watched 6pm news. Talk about economic damage and carehome/community death toll not included in government COVID-19 figures. I looked at a ‘novel in thirty days’ video on outlining by Jim Driver. Quite funny and a bit rip-off in approach, but WTF. Like I'm ever gonna seriously write one? Might watch a bit of Newsnight in bed. 10.17pm.


Wednesday 15th April 2020

Good to get out on the 27-speed Specialized Rockhopper mountain bike this morning. Through the wood down to Allensford then along the Derwent River trail to Shotley Bridge. Only a few people about. I dismounted and gave way a couple of times. If I’d not had disrupted sleep I’d have been able to get up at seven, out and back before nine. I did fifty-two minutes. Felt rough afterwards. First time on a bike for over five months. But I managed to ‘clean’ some rooty bits and pieces on my first attempt. Still got it at fifty. I’d like to longboard but would look a right pillock turning up at A&E during a pandemic if I laced myself. Might even make the local gossip column. I read a lot more of ‘STAY FANATIC!!! Vol 1’ – it’s quite funny in places. Why you’d need a load of variants on the same record – serial numbers and names of sleeve printers – is beyond me. I love Henry but to me that just smacks of more money than sense. I like his musings on solitude – the effect music and changing seasons have on his psyche… Good to hear from Jenni today. She has started posting regular new photos and is enjoying doing so more than participating in NaPoWriMo. Tonight, a bit more reading. And type-ups including answers to disability arts questions from Lisette Auton. I watched a few Michael Monroe promo videos on YouTube and sewed up a morning pages notebook for tomorrow. 11.01 pm.


Thursday 16th April 2020

Bike ride only 45 minutes this morning. but still quite knackering. Read the rest of ‘STAY FANATIC!!! Vol 1’. Enjoyed the Iggy Pop stuff towards the end and a moving tribute to the late great Lemmy. I’m tempted to read the original Fanatic radio notes. Lisette was in touch. She says Mark really likes the book. She thanked me for the questions answered and offered to send me a mini Bluetooth keyboard for the tablet… I haven’t snoozed today. Checked out the band Wire and some Iggy stuff then made a book. It was ill conceived. Two hundred pages for a fold and stitch notebook is way too much. I’ve listened to some coronavirus stuff online but we aren’t getting the exit strategy. I don’t think they have one. They didn’t have a Brexit strategy. Bunch of self-appointed wankers. I’m listening to people waffle on about why Germany is different and the science says keep people in the fucking dark. Anyway, I don’t want to get into it. I don’t think anything is going to happen any different for a long time. They don’t have mass testing and tracing and until they do they can’t gauge how things are developing. I didn’t get my Hands Off Gretel CD. The book I sent out (to Kirstin) on Tuesday arrived safely today. I got some stuff typed up. I’m going to spend a day on the big computer tomorrow or Saturday. 11.17 pm.


Friday 17th April 2020

Hands Off Gretel CD arrived today. Had a walk into town for food. Big queue at Tesco. But canny inside. Considered a copy of Vive le Rock music mag but it was poor this month. Got home at half-four and charged up the tablet so I could watch Fish on Friday. Good to see the big bloke talking about Marillion and solo stuff, answering questioned emailed to him by fans. He’s doing it at six again next weekend. I had some cherry pie and custard at eight then Argos delivered the DVD player. Not difficult to set up. It grunts a bit when loading a film but is calms down once past the main menu. I’ll probably play more audio CDs anyway. Sat listening to ‘I Want the World’ by HOG and following the lyric booklet on the couch. I rarely do this. I played the disc four times. Had a bit of online chat with Jenni. She reckons we’ll still be in lockdown for ages, no live music gigs till next year. So no Toyah, Hands off Gretel or Swans for me. I aim to get on with another book project after next week. Pick a year or three and edit all the good bits into a perzine (personal zine) style collection. Right hand a bit sore. Bashed a finger yesterday. Black and blue. Off to bed soon. Bit of supper first. Chuffed I’ll be able to watch DVDs on Sunday. 11.35 pm.


Saturday 18th April 2020

Fucking sick of having to keep on cross-referencing files from sticks and the old computer. I did a load of magazine research and answered some interview questions and they are on the knackered computer that I can't get files off until I remove the hard drive and take it to be read after lockdown. At least I'm back up to date on my journals. Been listening to a lot of Lou Reed tonight. I'm still spitting that I missed him at The Sage Gateshead due to work commitments back in 2006. And the 1992 Magic and Loss gig at Newcastle City Hall that I had a front row ticket for was cancelled. But he still played the same month at Glastonbury. I listened to A Perfect Night in London, Songs for Drella, and New York. Also ‘Burn The Beauty Queen’ by Hands Off Gretel and Machine Gun Etiquette by The Dammed. I'm chewing a toffee and that's a bad idea. Rip out a filling like a few years ago and I can't get it fixed. Bike ride was chilly this morning but okay. I'll not do much tomorrow but read and maybe watch DVDs. Have to cut back on food to lose weight. Got shaved but cut my ears getting rid of the stupid lug pubes. Anyway, I'm done for today. 10.54 pm.


Sunday 19th April 2020

Good to get down the river again today. Saw one of the trials riders from the old days out with a young protégé. Alec used to ride for Onza bikes. Last year he was doing demo shows. He’s twenty-seven now and says three months of bike shows leaves him barely able to walk, his knees are knackered. The youngster with him was on a tiny white trials bike and was hopping about on the back wheel. Alec only rides at Watergate Forest Park these days. I told him twenty minutes on a trials bike and my hands are useless for the rest of the day. I left the river and rode back home. Forty-five minutes left me struggling to climb the stairs to get washed. I am so unfit. Had a steak pie and veg dinner then settled in with “In Delirium’s Circle” a novel by my old friend Stephen Clark. The book is great. A magical mystery based in forties Newcastle upon Tyne. Well researched for period details and draws on Stephen’s knowledge of occult art and literature and his time with Leeds Surrealist Group. I read half of it and will finish tomorrow. At some point I want to cut the grass as well. I’ll get back to the next Anomalies Deluxe book on Tuesday. Watched a couple of coronavirus videos on Facebook. Been a bit low-key today. Enjoying sunlight and solitude. Haven’t played any music. Have aching hands, pins and needles in crook of right arm. Bugger! Anyway, canny day. Think I need an early night. But first a bit of supper. 10.30 pm.


Monday 20th April 2020

Out on the bike at nine again. Had to stop a few times. At one point midway to Shotley Bridge I veered from the single track to let two people pass and in the process caught my front wheel in a rut and the bike fell. I tumbled and felt something strain in my shoulders. The people asked if I was okay, then joked that it’s probably best to stay home so as not to have an accident and burden the NHS. Yeah, thanks, I merely slowed and moved from the familiar dirt as a courtesy to you two. I, attached to the bike, being just one. Later, I chafed my arm on a tree branch, but no real damage… I cut the grass this afternoon. So I got an extra hour outside. I read the rest of Stephen’s novel. Just finished it ten minutes ago. A world of dreams, delusions, myths and nightmares. I’ve known Stephen since I was sixteen. It was a symbol, a band logo on a piece of paper, that triggered a conversation. Symbols, dreams, images, stories. Quests and journeys. Nice to chat with Jenni online as well. It’s been a good day. OK. 10.32 pm.


Tuesday 21st April 2020

Slow day. Didn’t get up till ten. Stephen messaged to thank me for Anomalies Deluxe. Bike ride was okay. Got off a few times to let people pass. We’ve been granted good weather. I started minor alterations to Deluxe for the next printing. Then I was on the phone chatting to brother Mark. I sent him the link for ‘From There to Here’ the Chris Akrigg bike documentary and links for rigid forks to replace horrid suspension. Got colour sequences sorted for the book. Facebook chat with Jenni. Checked out a band called Beats Noire Deluxe but they weren’t for me. Earlier I listened to Rain Dogs by Tom Waits. I’ve owned it for over twenty years but played it on Spotify. I looked through some old journal stuff for the book. Haven’t got much done today. According to some sources live arts and leisure industry won’t be back in business before Christmas. What a shit state of affairs. But enough already. 10.48 pm.


Wednesday 22nd April 2020

Good ride out a bit earlier today. Less people about. I took my time with the book stuff today. There's no hurry. No reply from Waddy about online resources I sent. No matter. I don't think there will be any proper courses in the Centre for a fair few months yet. Lucky if we get autumn. Chuffed to get another Deluxe printed tonight. Watched an ace online gig from Olivia Hyde. Wasn't going to send a request but thought she'd do a cracking version of 'She Used To Be Mine' by Sarah Bareilles. Yay! She read my comment, pulled up the sheet music, introduced it as a song from the musical Waitress and played it brilliantly. She did a Jim Steinman. She played a new solo track Open Letter to Death. And repeated Warrior from last time. I love the intros and commentary on the songs. Looking forward to seeing the band (Bad Pollyanna) again, hopefully before next year. I'm listening to them now whilst scribbling. I will be logging on for Newsnight. Apparently some development in exit strategy. I had a lush chicken dinner this evening. Jenni was in touch. She has made up a room with a bed downstairs for her mam in the big house in Bensham. Be good to see her, but no idea when… 10.43 pm.


Thursday 23rd April 2020

Took today off. Out late on the bike. So not back till nearly twelve. Jenni rang just after I shaved. Was good to chat but the phone line is so crackly and bad it hurts my ears and I can't make out all the words. But Jen and her mam have both been paid. So that's good. I'm a bit tired today. All I managed was the bike ride and a few clothes washed in the sink. And a chicken dinner. Tried to read the start of Ian Rankin's 'Even Dogs in the Wild' but fell asleep. Talked to Mam and Ernie on the phone. They are doing okay. But very concerned about going out. My house is a tip. I'm going to finish this last Deluxe book, then just tidy up. Trash as much junk as I can. Stuff in every room. Slug trails on the carpet again. Tonight a few more people out clapping for the NHS. Some people in Oxford are trying vaccine tests. Some shops might reopen. But we won't be going back to our arts and education Jobs any time soon. Any ideas of schools functioning before vaccine is a fucking joke. Tonight I watched Montage of Heck, the Cobain film. Now there's a right car crash couple, him and Courtney, right there. Wondering if I should stay up for Newsnight or just get more sleep. Big shopping trip tomorrow. Should be loads of fun. Oh, I ordered three Julia Eff zines today. My steam bags arrived. 10.40 pm.


Friday 24th April 2020

Out into town today. Big queue outside Barry’s Bargain Superstore. I only bought a few tins of soup and some mini fruit pies. Then I went down to Tesco. Another big queue. Got a Number One New Wave triple CD compilation album for a fiver and a big fruit and veg haul. My right ankle is knacking from the walk with three heavy bags of shopping. I’ve done no work today. Lay on the couch and listened to the CD. I like disc one better than two. It’s got Iggy, The Jam, Adam And The Ants, Blondie, The Ruts, Joe Jackson, Souxsie And The Banshees. The second disc has Simple Minds, The Cure, The Tourists, Split Endz and stuff I’m not very familiar with, but disc three looks good with more Iggy, Souxsie, The Jam, etc. Bit of online chat with Jenni then listening to Fish on Friday. He played a new track Grace of God from the forthcoming Weltschmerz album. Tonight I watched ‘Case 39’ starring Renee Zellweger and Ian McShane. Fast paced and quite disturbing. Domestic, violence, murder and suicide. By ten it was done. I could stay up late but I think I’ll just turn in. No Newsnight. No more online stuff. Think tomorrow I’ll do more on the book for Sheila. Next week I must do some stuff on the house. OK. 10.20 pm.

Saturday 25th April 2020

Really slow day. In bed till eleven after morning pages and scrolls through Facebook. A few Covid-19 articles, chats with Jenni then out on the bike. Did a slightly longer route. Out of Shotley Bridge, up to Blackhill and along the line back to the cycle track over the old slagheaps. Home within the hour. Enjoyed my 25p red pepper soup today. Will buy a few more tins. Got Anomalies Deluxe pages ready for sewing. Trimmed pages. Then knocked off. I looked at ‘Fish’ CDs. The deluxe remasters for all his studio albums still available look good. I had tuna in coconut (wtf?) on my salad this afternoon. Watched a film called ‘Arrgghhh’ coz Toyah Willcox was in it. Very bizarre. No real dialogue. Just apelike grunting and domestic violence. I’m finding the days are flying by. But it’s sad the way things are for people right now. 11.47 pm.


Sunday 26th April 2020

So now we have to pick fruit in the summer and wear a tracker wristband so we can be monitored in case we break social distancing laws. Our pubs and clubs can’t open but schools can. Fuck off. Fuck off. And fuck off again. Soon as you open schools you open up the whole country. Stop pissing about with your pretend exit strategy. Just like your Brexit strategy. Full of fucking shit. I can’t see how social distancing in a comprehensive school works. Anyway, enough of it. Out a bit later than usual, but pleasant enough morning. Did the longer route again. 57 minutes. Had a chicken dinner. Sewed up Deluxe, but darker afternoon, so didn’t glue up the spine. Listened to an eighties electronic anthems compilation – Joy Division, Duran Duran, Bowie, Blondie, Soft Cell, New Order, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Pet Shop Boys, Spandau Ballet, Furniture, etc. Good stuff. I’ll try to get out a bit earlier tomorrow. I’m tired and my hands are a bit tingly today. 10.50 pm.


Monday 27th April 2020

Canny bike ride. Earliest start so far. Left at eight. Made it to the Northumberland side of the river by ten past. Shotley Bridge by 25 past. Hill climb to Blackhill then over the old slagheaps to the Grove and home before ten to nine. And I was still able to climb the stairs when I got in. Read an article about kids returning to school with social distancing. A school teacher said it’s impossible. How many four metre circles can you fit in the average classroom? Got a Deluxe book in the press this evening. Dust jacket to make in the morning. Chatted online with Jenni for a while. She says she has plenty in her room to keep her busy for a year or two. I watched a horror film called The Lodge. Right now Emily Maitless is saying Government were warned in January about care homes. In County Durham all of the forty-five Covid-19 deaths are from care homes. Bed soon. Lighter day tomorrow. 10.52 pm.


Tuesday 28th April 2020

Gears slipping on the bike this morning. Quarry still quite swampy in places. At the bottom by the A68 entrance some concrete pipes and boulders looked inviting but I’d need the proper trials bike. I rode to Shotley then up to Consett. Dropped the 27-speed in at Bits 4 Bikes. Shaun says I’ve bent the rear mech but he can fix it, hopefully by Saturday. Got Sheila’s book finished. Jacket came out great. Had a chicken dinner and watched Panorama documentary about government failing the NHS. Chose twenty pamphlets to read in a single day, possibly tomorrow. 10.34 pm.


Wednesday 29th April 2020 

I went out on the Giant STP bike this morning. Great for slalom and bombing down the woods. Shit for hill climbs on account of not being able to get the seat high enough for full leg extension, so thighs and knees were killing on the stretch from Shotley to Consett. I picked up my pump from Bits 4 Bikes. My Rockhopper gears are fixed, but I couldn’t ride two bikes at once so I’ll call for it tomorrow or Friday. Twenty pamphlets in a day might be too many to read but I went for it and did it. I probably only retained a small amount of content from each publication, but it was nice to immerse myself in all those words and worlds for a while. Some brilliant poems and stories well worth revisiting. Each author deserved at least an hour, but I read the lot in about ten hours yesterday. Thank you Ian Dowson (Smack Her Mother In The Teeth), Crista Ermiya (Piranha), John Mingay (The Man With The Staccato Brain), Brian Maycock (Waiting For The Feast), Sheila Wakefield (Limerance), Hume Cronyn (Birdhouse Contributions), Paul Summers (140195), Albert Huffstickler (Taking The Fifth), Martin Appleby (Worse Things Happen At Sea), Rosie Lugosi (Creatures Of The Night),James Oates (Metropacity), Helen Kitson (Seeing's Believing), Martin Figura(Boring The Arse Off Young People), Sara Jane Tipton (Cannibalism), Henry Rollins (20), Jean Demelier (Street People), Ian Horn (The Singing Ducks Of Amiens), Tom Kelly (The Last Clockwork Whippet On The Tyne), Simon Green (Intellectual Punch Bag) and Stevie Ronnie (The Thing To Do When You Are Not In Love).11.42 pm.


Thursday 30th April 2020

Got Sheila’s copy of Anomalies Deluxe sent out today. I messaged a photo of the package but didn’t say what was in it. Fingers crossed it arrives safely. Got some food in the backpack at Tesco, dropped off money for nephew Kyle then picked up the Rockhopper. Rode home before the rain came on heavy. Good to speak to Mam and Ernie today. I watched a few short biketrial videos and was about to switch the tablet off when a History of British Mountain Biking film popped up on YouTube. Good to hear about sixties and seventies road bikes adapted for trail riding. Then the first tracker bikes, and proper mountain bike racing. Steve Peat was on it. Les Warner. Then Martyn Ashton and Martin Hawyes. Some great adventure riding as well. Always moving and inspiring to see footage of Ashton doing downhill rides post paralysis. Danny MacAskell was in there was well. Wish I could still do trials, as opposed to trails, but my hands fuck-up after about ten minutes. I’d like to get the trail bike done up. Might watch Question Time. Tomorrow is a day at the big computer. 10.47 pm.