SEPTEMBER

 Tuesday 1st September 2020 

So I woke up with a notion that it might be good to test my aging knees, and stamina for Terror in the Trees, and see if it’s worth getting a new bike in the near future. I should’ve stayed at home typesetting and working on a zine, but the weather was good and I thought, Yeah, if I could do about the same mileage as yesterday (44 miles) that would be quite an achievement. Sunderland is a bugger of a city to get into on a pushbike. I used the pavements for the Northern Spire Bridge and headed to Monkwearmouth Bridge then trundled past the Stadium of Light and over numerous pedestrian crossings – no fucking way was I using roads. I took a little subway and came out on John Street near Dark Cycles. That’s good enough. 26 miles there, twenty-six miles back. The tendon by my left knee started to complain by the time I reached Beamish. But by using lower gearing than normal, and with a little rest for blackcurrant squash and a peanut butter sandwich, I was okay. Get Directions UK reckons my house to Sunderland is 2 hrs 35 mins on a bike. I reckon I did okay as a fifty-year-old with knackered knees using a 32-tooth chainring in two hours 55 minutes. I aim to get out tomorrow in hopes of matching the mileage of C2C (137 miles over three days). Whether I could tackle the real terrain is another matter altogether. OK. 10.37pm. 

Wednesday 2nd September 2020 

Bit tired. Only five or six hours sleep. I rode to Bishop Auckland this morning and was home again just after half twelve before the rain came. Most of the ride was tedious. Lanchester to the start of Brandon and Bishop Auckland cycle path is the most boring stretch of terrain I’ve ridden. I will check out C2C in detail on websites and if there are too many tree flanked ex-railway line sections I’ll ditch the ambition to ride it. There’s only so much tree cover I can tolerate before I want to scream. Bishop Auckland down to the park near Brandon is okay. But there should be a feature – a bridge, a dip, a chicane or tunnel, a rock section – every hundred feet or so to keep me alert. My favourite bits of cycle path are the Tanfield Railway and the Heritage trail on the Bowes line down to Birtley… I watched Soaked in Bleach again tonight. Did Courtney really get away with murder? Listened to disc 2 of Iggy and the Stooges Original Punks – twice. Copied up Gratitude Journal notes. Might watch Newsnight. Sick of all the Covid stuff though. Need to find more good singletrack. Hope the rain stops for a couple of days. Need to cut grass. And buy food. Hope Jenni is ok. I am tired. Legs not too bad though. I’ve done over one hundred and forty miles on the bike since Monday. 10.23pm. 

Thursday 3rd September 2020 

Spent a lot of time editing today. Good to see fair weather again. Had a nice online chat with Lisette Auton and showed her a collaborative poem from one of my workshops. I watched quite a bit of Alee Denham stuff from his Cycling About channel on YouTube. Read a few articles on his website. He’s only 31. That’s the age I was when I bought a Saracen trick/trials bike. I don’t think I’ve got the leg strength for bikepacking; I’m using light gears on my bike now and that’s without loads of camping gear strapped to the frame. Listened to a few Michael Monroe albums. Messaged Jenni a couple of times. She isn’t getting a Covid test now. I’m hoping that I don’t have any Covid hassle doing Terror in the Trees or Waddy sessions. I still haven’t touched the zine. Hope it gets going again tomorrow. Still have journal pages to copy up. My left leg was aching a bit today, but hey, I did over a hundred and forty miles in three days. I will switch to short trail runs in the coming days, trials stuff in the autumn. 11.36pm.  

Friday 4th September 2020 

Kind of ruined my good day by looking at Covid-19 stuff. I don’t know why I do it. Hope I can make money next year and avoid too much hassle. Good to get out for supplies. I will probably be taking my trials bike to Gateshead soon on the new X70/71 bus. I got the grass cut today. Front and back. Two hours, pretty tough. Watched Fish on Friday videocast. Some interesting bits about early days with Marillion and updates on his new solo album. Watched a bit of Cheap and Nasty (Hanoi Rocks) online. Checked out some bike bits. Didn’t do copy ups coz hands still sore from using the lawnmower. Jen was in touch with updates on her dad’s ill health. I have squandered tonight reading up on more stuff that riles the shit out of me. Ordered three zines from Antiquated Future. They should be here in a couple of weeks. Still annoyed that bands can’t play. Even if I don’t want to see them. Sick of it all. 11.31pm. 

Saturday 5th September 2020 

Woke early but stayed in bed till eleven reading about banking scams and medical scams abroad. Talked to Mam on the phone. She is hoping to get away on holiday next month. Wrapped up a present for a friend and posted it. Had another lush potato, egg, tuna salad. Bagpack and ride to Bensham. Took nearly two hours coz I freewheeled as much as possible to save my knees for another day. Watched Britain’s Got Talent with Jenni and a few episodes of Still Game. It’s getting chilly. In a few weeks I’ll be wearing a woolly hat indoors. 11.28pm.  

Sunday 6th September 2020 

Long lie in. Made breakfast downstairs in the communal kitchen so as not to wake Jenni. Later on she showed me some Survival Lilly clips on YouTube. SL is an Austrian girl tooled up with excessive amounts of urban kit. Fuck knows what spooked her into carrying so much stuff – knife, first aid, torches, tarpaulin, battery pack… Me and Jen had vegetable curry then watched two bikepacking vids. Alee Denham in Mexico. Then Great Divide 2745-mile trek from Canada to New Mexico. I went to Tesco for supplies. Came back with huge stottie buns, chocolate biscuits, trifle, etc. Did cheese and mixed pepper baguettes for tea. Watched episodes of Harry Enfield and Chums online. Supper soon. 11.10pm. 

Monday 7th September 2020

Cooler day. Good to chat to Jenni. Listened to Rollins Band, Bad Pollyanna and Hamilton tracks with android device wired to the little cube amplifier. Had veggie burgers then Jen went to work. I washed up and packed for the ride. Went through Watergate Forest Park and Tanfield Railway trail then along Bowes railway route to a great bit of downhill then out on the road near Kibblesworth and down a rather muddy trail to Beamish Hall. Cycle path back to base. Listened to Newsnight whilst trying to type. No Deal Brexit looking ever more likely. But don’t blame Europe. You don’t jack your job in and expect to keep the company car and free gym pass. Tired. 11.35pm. 

Tuesday 8th September 2020 

So today I got on with the zine but my sodding printer is on the blink so I can’t finish the masters. I’ve got a mock up and only need to ensure the margins are good. I’m used to pristine perfection as far as publishing goes but, in the spirit of DIY zines, this new project won’t be totally perfect. I will tidy stuff up as much as possible. Tomorrow I think I’d better get out to Newcastle and buy a new laser printer. The one I’ve been using for the last five years is discontinued but Ryman’s have five left. I want to get my tech sorted coz Covid-19 is on the rise again. Just turned on the computer to find that as of next Monday public gatherings of more than six are banned with a hundred quid fine for breaking the law. So, go back to work, go to the pub, go to a restaurant – but stop spreading disease. Tonight I was given further details on my Graveyard character for Terror in the Trees. Now, I’m wondering if that’s even going to go ahead. FFS! But hey, you want me to stay at home… 11.21pm.

Wednesday 9th September 2020 

Well look at you with your clever marketing. Oh come and ride on our bright and shiny brand new buses. You can even bring your bike. Yeah, so idiot face here takes them at their word and buses down to Watergate Forest Park with his trials bike onboard. Had a good hour riding, almost cleaned a couple of trail sections that were impossible for me on the big bike. Left at half six to catch the 7.08pm bus back to Consett. Old red bus turned up, no bike provision. Then at 8.08pm a bright and shiny new bus hit Sunniside, but no fucking bike provision. Just as well Jenni lives reasonably close by. I pushed some of the way through dusk to Bensham but there was plenty of downhill bits to freewheel. Bottom of Lobley Hill I spotted a white van that from a distance looked like an ambulance. But as I got closer I realised it was a police van. I stepped off the bike in the dark and started pushing again. The policeman got out and crossed the road. Luckily his sight was on something of far greater importance than an old man freewheeling on a bike without a seat or lights. Legs hurt a bit from the uphill walk, but it was good to ride some of the original rock sections that me and brother Mark rode fourteen years ago. My right shoulder let me down a bit. Pleased to see Jenni. Watched a twisted episode of Black Mirror in which multiple murders were committed to cover up a road accident. Good stuff. Reread WORKS by Henry Rollins today. 10.52pm. 

Thursday 10th September 2020 

Up early and got the story of yesterday down in morning pages. Had breakfast and a chat with Jenni about ongoing family business then out with the bike in hopes of catching a bus. The first one had a buggy in the bike space. The second one had free space and I was back in Consett in 26 minutes. The driver was great. She was appalled that I had to find accommodation due to a lack of bike-friendly buses last night and said she’d a let a bike onboard even without proper rack provision, said she’d prefer a bike to a baby buggy. Said her family are mountain bikers and she totally got the off-road bit. She thought the advertising was crap and told me to give Go Northeast some feedback, which I did. I was home within an hour of passing Watergtate Forest Park. If the buses were all reliable then trials riding on the rocks would be an easy day out. Anyway, had a bit of a headache today. Rehashed the zine cover, slept through bits of ‘Farewell to Childhood’ by Fish. Hoping to get a decent night’s sleep then start again tomorrow on the zine. Fingers crossed I can keep going this autumn. Need some porridge and a big sleep. 11.00pm. 

Friday 11th September 2020 

I’ve put in a twelve-hour day on the zine. No end in sight. Mainly doing paste-up downstairs at the drop leaf table. No music. Tonight I listened to Goo by Sonic Youth. I don’t know it so well. I’ve been doing a soundtrack list for the zine but unless I know the stuff fairly well I don’t want to come across as big fanboy when merely curious. Jenni gave me online instructions to get the new scanner working again. Had a feeling it wouldn’t be as straight forward as just plugging in an exact replacement of the original laser printer. I’ve read a few lockdown things, got annoyed, but am okay. I reckon I could get the zine done by next week. Then a week on Waddy work and some rehearsals for Terror in the Trees. I’ve not given much attention to either of my autumn employments. Consett library is allowing browsers from next Monday but I’m not going inside. I don’t want my name on a Covid list, thank you. Fuck you, coronavirus. Fuck your social engineering. Anyway, was good to get fish fingers and chips for tea. And some lush lemon cake from the convenience store on Derby Drive. First time in there for about three months. Bed soon. Ok. 11.50pm. 

Saturday 12th September 2020 

Six hours sleep. Took a while to get out the house. Paid the electricity bill – including fifty quid for a fucking gas connection that I don’t even use. I took tenners, fivers, and coins wrapped in paper. Then up to Consett. Got some Amos glue sticks. Also a copy of Stephen King’s ‘Misery’ on DVD – love that film. Saw it at Consett Empire thirty years ago. The hobbling scene. Awful… I didn’t need much food. Had steak pie and veg dinner. Copied up notes and packed up for Jen’s place. Surprisingly nice evening ride. I got a bit bored with the safe gears so cranked it up a bit and shaved almost half an hour off last time’s ride. Got a good shower. Gave Jenni a box of biscuits same as on her birthday. We watched Britain’s Got Talent. Some good dancers on there. bit of magic. Some dodgy acts. Good to see a comedy club programme on ITV and less biased ITV news. Adele is on now. I have her albums. Jenni got them all for me as presents. ‘21’ is ace. Chokes me up a lot. I think Adele’s great. I had some hot chocolate and want some supper but not sure what. Probably toast or porridge. Or maybe just some rice cakes with peanut butter. Hope I get my zine done next week. Pleased the weather is going to be good for another few days. Anticipating some knee hassle from the big ride. 11.04pm. 

Sunday 13th September 2020 

Been scrolling Covid and Brexit stuff and listening to music. Had a good steak pie and veg dinner made by Jenni. Listened to the new Marilyn Manson album We Are Chaos. Some good stuff on there. Will give it a big listen later in the week. Someone posted a link to a Facebook group called Covid-19 County Durham – so many schools and nurseries with people self-isolating. Been thinking about buying a self-isolation pack of food in case I have to take a couple of weeks out should someone test positive at one of the places I’ll be going to be in this autumn. Me and Jenni had some of the lush McVities biscuits. They are nine quid a box online. I got them for less than two quid in Barry’s Bargain Superstore. I might get a box for my self isolation pack. If I’m gonna get locked down for going to work I’m having some luxuries. Just hope the WiFi and computer are okay. Hope I can afford to keep going. November and December will be interesting. Probably pretty bad. Some challenging aspects. Tonight we listened to Mike Harding. Bellowhead, TV Smith, Less than Jake, System of a Down, Neneh Cherry... I need a bit of supper. Wish I’d bought a pot noodle. Geet fucking healthy me, like. 10.40pm. 

Monday 14th September 2020 

Good to get out on the bike. I’ve ridden past Beamish Woods over seventy times in the last couple of years and only today did I have the curiosity to leave the road and hit one of the trails. Couldn’t believe it! Some great lines in there. Spent an hour weaving about, screeching down dusty slopes, riding across steep bank sides between trees. Will visit again for sure. I left Jen’s at twelve and didn’t get home till four. My zines arrived from America. I’ve read Behind the Zines issue 10. Good stuff on photocopiers, zine fests and hypothetical zines that never get written. Plus some reviews. Also in from Antiqated Future is issue 13 of Basic Paper Airplane which is the cassette tape issue. 20 zine writers talk about their relationship with the format that is making a comeback. Enjoyed Joshua James Amberson’s previous issue on freelance writing. I’ve had a flick through the cassette issue but it will be a day or two before I get to read it properly. David Tenant was brilliant in DES on ITV tonight. Been aware of Nilson since the Brian Masters’ biography of the serial killer in the early nineties. Looking forward to the next episode. Newsnight was OK. But I’m sick of it all. Still an ace day. OK. 11.50pm. 

Tuesday 15th September 2020 

Read more Basic Paper Airplane. My desktop PC wouldn’t load Facebook. My new printer wouldn’t work so I had to uninstall then reinstall to get it going again. Got about a dozen more pages pasted up for my zine. It should all be done by tomorrow then I can print some off. I watched the second episode of DES. Not as strong as last night. Ten o’clock news suggests more lockdown restrictions if ‘rule of six’ doesn’t work in the next two weeks. Stephen messaged to remind me about the release date for Swans “Where Does A Body End?” DVD. I’d love the extended play blueray but don’t have a player. Might read more Basic Paper Airplane. 10.35pm. 

Wednesday 16th September 2020 

Good day at the zine-making table. ‘Unruly Eyebrow’ almost finished. Just page 32 to edit and page numbers to add manually. I was aiming to finish tomorrow but as the national news has just announced the whole of north east except Teesside will be subject to more stringent lockdown measures as of Friday morning I might go out tomorrow for food supplies. Still intend to go to Jen’s place at the weekend; I’m in her household bubble. A number of Terror in the Trees people are concerned that this year’s event will not go ahead. Ten o’clock curfews. No socializing between friends and households. No non-essential travel. I’m waiting for the official word. I don’t even know if Waddy will be okay. Will people get on buses for workshops? Is Leicester still locked down? Is Manchester? I wish the new computer was in place. I anticipate a long hard winter. 10.52pm.

Thursday 17th September 2020 

Long day of food buying. Thought it best in these uncertain times to have backup supplies in case I get asked to self-isolate. What with work coming up next month. Waddy has been in touch. There’ll be a meeting ahead of the courses. No word from Terror in the Trees tonight. Seems the show will go on. I took four trips to buy food for this week and a fortnight’s isolation supply. I have umpteen tins, packets, jars, etc upstairs. I’ll sort through and bag/box it up for emergencies. The best before dates run well into next year. Some into 2022. I hope to get my zine finished tomorrow and copies printed. I picked up contact lenses this afternoon, having changed appointment date so I can stay home all day tomorrow. Weather was lush today. Pity I had to waste time on safety precautions instead of riding the bike. As of midnight we will be under near full lockdown. Well, house lockdown. Businesses are still open. Restrictions don’t really affect me. I can still bubble at Jen’s place. Still shop. I won’t be on a bus again until the Waddy meeting near the end of the month. 10.40 pm. 

Friday 18th September 2020 

WORK LOG: Morning pages. Emails to Waddy and College. Terror in the Trees has been cancelled due to local restrictions. Bang goes a fair bit of income. Full day on the zine. Proof copy looked ace. Corrections done tonight. Copies for me and Jen tomorrow. OK. 11.39pm. 

Saturday 19th September 2020 

Made up a couple of copies of Unruly Eyebrow. The paste-up marks from last night’s edits show and the printout is much darker with the new toner cartridge. Still looks ace. The margins are good and the cover came out sturdy but flexible. Was due to go to Jen’s this afternoon but she’s asked if I can wait until Monday night instead. Chatted to Ernie on the phone. He doesn’t think he and mam will get away on holiday next month. Sod’s law, another national lockdown looks likely. I went out on the bike for a couple of hours. Made one of the difficult ascents without putting a foot down but only managed it once. After that I kept fucking up on sections I’ve previously cleaned. I scared two dog walkers in the woods. I was screaming at the bike coz I failed to clean a line. I didn’t see the couple approaching. I stood seething next to my bike while they scurried past. You have to go deep undercover to avoid letting strangers know you are totally off your rocker. 11.06 pm. 

Sunday 20th September 2020 

Watched a good fifty minute YouTube video of Jarboe live at Union Pool in New York from 2010. Set included ‘Mother/Father’ from Swans ‘The Great Annihilator’ and ‘Within’ from ‘Neurosis and Jarboe’ albums. I had a lush steak pie and veg dinner. Cheese, tomato and mixed pepper baguette for tea. Read bits of Jessie Lynn McMains’ “Reckless Chants” issue 22. Love her vignettes. I have no idea if anyone will buy a copy of my Unruly Eyebrow. I’m really pleased with the way it has come out. When I have caught up with my blog and got a few Waddy sessions under my belt I’ll start in on the next one. I’d like to get a couple of zines /pamphlets/chapbooks/whatever out each year. Been watching a YouTube video of Sonic Youth on MTV from around the time of ‘Goo’. 1991. I saw them in 1989 on tour for Daydream Nation. Pleased I got to see lots of great bands. Think it will be next year before anything picks up. 10.32pm. 

Monday 21st September 2020 

Spent the first few hours this morning reading through local anger and hostility towards Durham County Council for hooking up with the gov to bring in lockdown without ensuring childcare would be workable for families affected. Took me till lunchtime to get onto my copy-ups. A fortnight behind. I had a good ride over to Jen’s but had to totally hammer it to Bensham before the lovely dusk came on coz I didn’t fit any bike lights. I gave Jenni a copy of ‘Unruly Eyebrow’. She likes it. And thinks three quid is a reasonable price. It’s my favourite pamphlet of mine this year. Tonight we watched The Social Dilemma but found it rather boring. Those so-called media manipulators failed to hold our attention for much of the ninety minutes and we basically talked over it. You make no money out of me while I’m on Facebook. I go all over the place online free of charge and take no interest in your fucking adverts. You can’t sell me shit I haven’t hitherto taken it upon myself to check out. I am a pauper who revels in self promotion. Nothing I post online will enhance your revenue at my expense. It’s suppertime. Sell me porridge. Seventy-five pence per kg bag is my top whack. Fuck your social dilemma. 11.17pm.

Tuesday 22nd September 2020 

Lost track of time online looking at more Covid stuff. Me and Jenni had Mediterranean vegetable pizza and chips for dinner. Watched two episodes of Tales of the Unexpected that I’ve never seen before. Liszt as a cat and the drowning gambler. Then we watched Buried Child, the Pulitzer Prize winning play from Sam Shepard. It’s the first of his I’ve seen. Bizarre yet earthy, humorous but dark, family portrait. I had to go online to look for his books coz I forgot the title of the prose collection of his that I bought back in 1996. It was Cruising Paradise. We took time out early evening then caught the PM’s address to the nation about further lockdowns. Maybe even army intervention. Listened to some Freddie Mercury and Emilie Autumn. Then watched Danny Dyer on Harold Pinter – great documentary. I’d like to see more Pinter. I’d like to see more Beckett as well. Twenty-one years since I went to the Barbican in London for the Beckett Festival. I need an early night coz I’m knackered. Gonna have a pot noodle and tomorrow I’m hoping to get a good ride home via Beamish Woods. Need to order some toner cartridges for the laser printer. Need to make up some zines. Pretty good week. 10.15pm. 

Wednesday 23rd September 2020 

I wrote some dreams down this morning, listed some exercises. The weather was totally shit today so I stayed longer at Jenni’s place. Had a nice beef chilli and rice. And watched some soaps. Jenni went to her mam’s place for a couple of hours. I read a bit more of the college safeguarding pages and looked at more coronavirus stuff and the possibility of Brexit tailbacks in Kent of up to 7,000 lorries in January. Rishi Sunak is going to announce plans to save jobs over the winter. 700,000 jobs up shit’s creek. Stupid fucking coronavirus. Tonight we had soup (mushroom/lentil and red pepper) and watched more soaps and The Write Offs. The latter was ace. A good reminder of why teachers teach. Great to see people bravely confronting dyslexia and fears of reading and writing. Developing new skills. Sandi Toksvig was great at the group mentor. Good way to spend two hours. It gave me a shake, back to feeling able to help people. Listening to Queen now with Jenni. These Are the Days of Our Lives. Hoping the weather is a bit better for tomorrow so I can ride back without getting soaked. Gonna get some porridge before bed. Six more months of global struggle and hopefully things will be a bit better next spring. 11.20pm. 

Thursday 24th September 2020 

22% of wages paid by the government but it doesn’t wash with many businesses I’ve seen on TV. No unviable jobs should be retained, apparently. The arts and entertainment and hospitality industries look fucked. Jen has been messaging with updates from various pubs. Scant attention to new rules. 7 people from different households at a table. No test and trace taking place. Table service only – but you’ll still have to go to the bar if you pay by card. Could pubs be closed completely before long? I got soaked on the bike today in the final mile of the ride back from Jen’s. I reckon over the winter I’ll be using the cycle paths near Sunniside and the roads around Beamish. I had a nice steak pie and veg dinner. I got requests in from the college for spring term paperwork. It’s on the old computer. I doubt I’ll get it back. I’m going to start in on Waddy stuff next week but tomorrow I want to be working on my zine. Newsnight is fucking me off with all the bad shit happening in America and UK. I haven’t much to say. I am a bit tired and pissed off with the world at present. I just have to keep my mouth shut for the time being. 11.24pm. 

Friday 25th September 2020 

Made ten copies of Unruly Eyebrow this morning. I only get a dozen copies from one toner cartridge. Which is alarmingly few. But the thing does have a lot of black on it. The zine takes about half an hour for each copy to run off, fold, staple and trim. But I’m chuffed I’ve done it. Most of the production pix came out dull coz the daylight was poor. But one of them was good enough for promo and I posted it on facebook. Sold six of the copies already. So it will cover replacement toner cartridge no sweat. The next publication won’t be as heavy on the graphics. Maybe simple line drawings. I got nice responses from people and my post was shared eight times. So that’s cool. I messaged Tony, Lisette, Helen, Crista, Alix, Richard, Diane. Good day. Let’s see what happens next week. OK 11.39pm.

Saturday 26th September 2020 

Bit of a lie in then did some orders for Unruly Eyebrow. Chuffed I made the midday post. Then off to Consett for food. Mark at Barry’s said if he finds any tins of bone broth in amongst the crates of red pepper and lentil soup he’ll put them to one side for me. I got paper and card for the next zine session and I’ll have toner cartridges by Wednesday. Cold ride to Bensham. Pleased it didn’t rain. Got to Jen’s at half six. We watched The Chase and Britain’s Got Talent. Just read that government were considering asking over 45s to shield from Covid-19. FFS! More requests for the zine. Concerned that people are calling it a book when it’s a stapled booklet, pamphlet, chapbook, whatever. But pleased it’s doing okay. I’m getting rather cold of an evening. Jen has been in her tiger suit all day. The news is on. University students might have to stay on campus at Christmas. Fuck off, coronavirus, you bastard. Bed soon. 10.41pm. 

Sunday 27th September 2020 

Awake at half five writing all the conflicting shit in my head onto morning pages. Jen has most of the blanket. I got up at half nine. Sunday scrolling of Facebook brings lots of news stories from the broadsheets. Crowds singing and dancing in the streets after pub curfew. Some scientists say 10.00pm will make little difference. Had more requests for Unruly Eyebrow. I went to Gateshead for dinner supplies. We watched ‘The 7.39’ this afternoon. Charlotte Coleman, Neil Morrissey and Sheridan Smith. Good drama. According to an Amazon email my cartridges have been delivered. I am looking forward to making more zines. Gonna have porridge then see the eighth (final) episode of totally radge pandemic series Utopia. 11.12pm. 

Monday 28th September 2020 

Awake at half six. Morning pages. An orange, a drink. Sent out a few copies of Unruly Eyebrow. Lubed the bike chain. Chatted with Jenni. We had chip butties with curry sauce for breakfast. I biked up to Watergate Forest Park. Then Tanfield Railway. Enjoyed a bit of downhill singletrack. Found a new trail which I rode ‘clean’ first go. Wore myself out doing a bit of uphill then had a few runs through Beamish Woods. Held pace behind a bloke up to Annfield Plain on the cycle path then blasted off ahead of him back to Consett. Home to chocolate and jam tarts. Boxed up my emergency self isolation food supplies then chatted to brother Mark on the phone. He says Shildon pubs and clubs are closing due to positive testing. Checked out the rage on a Durham County Council thread over latest government guidance on local restrictions. No mixing of households in any indoor setting besides in support bubbles. No different for me and Jen from last week’s changes. Didn’t get much done. Watched Newsnight: votes on having parliamentary say regarding future restrictions, Leeds students complaining about shoddy service for high tuition fees, and Trump’s lack of income tax. I’d like something nice for supper. Had too much chocolate and cake. Don’t fancy porridge. 11.41pm.  

Tuesday 29th September 2020 

In Durham today at Waddy for the first time in six months. The level of safety precautions is pretty overwhelming. A bit of a culture shock for me. I can’t even afford hot running water in my gaff. The meeting with Ali and Steve was over ninety minutes. Guided tour of the building, but not top floor.  And then a run through session logistics, room access and one-way systems. I will be working down in the lounge where Poetry Jam used to take place. I’m allowed to use papers but we are advised to keep handouts to a minimum. I was a bit subdued on the bus back to Consett. Read a letter from one of the Waddy writers in response to a letter I sent via the office. The writer gave me a strong reminder of the level of appreciation people have for the courses, which lifted me for a while. Got a tenner’s worth of food at Tesco and was home by twenty to eight. Mulled over the meeting after eating overcooked scrambled eggs. Eventually put pen to paper and a big list of possible workshop exercises emerged. It made me feel a lot better. Then a bowl of porridge and a bit of Newsnight before falling asleep on the couch. 11.55pm. 

Wednesday 30th September 2020 

Still a bit pissed off with the way things are going. The enormity of the loss to our creative community hit me hard last night and I wasn’t expecting it. Only my third or fourth indoor gathering since March and with it taking place in the same space as some of our best events – Poetry Jam/Slams, parties and open days… Today I knocked up more copies of Unruly Eyebrow. They are all signed and sealed ready for postage stamps. I aim to make up more over the coming days. I’d like to reprint my ‘Free To Be Me’ monograph with a new cover design. I updated the book page of my website via the android tablet coz blogger won’t work on the desktop. It was good to hear from Tony Gadd, Diane Trevena and Helen Steadman regarding the zine today. Furthest I’m sending Unruly this week is London. But I aim to get copies overseas if possible. 11.30pm.