Long lie in. Morning pages included a bit about Bukowski. Had porridge for the first time in a while. Sat with Jenni till around twelve then got on the bike. It would have been less than two hours home, but I punctured near Consett. I changed a tube, but the pump was faulty so only managed a little air. Okay for straight lines, almost impossible to turn a corner. I pedalled into town, popped my head round the door of Boyes and asked a cashier if she could get me a pump coz I didn’t want to leave the bike unattended. I paid her at the door. A kid rode his bike into the shop. Staff told him to get out. He asked if I could do a wheelie. Not with a puncture, I said. “Do you want me to fix it?” he asked. No thanks, mate, I’ll do it in a minute when I get out of here… New pump works well. Rode home, got washed and changed. Talked to Mam and Ernie on the phone. They don’t have to isolate on account of Mark being told to do so. I watched the news. I watched a few bike vids – two Katie Kookaburra; and an Ali Clarkson one in which he tests Fox lite suspension forks on his street trials bike. Stephen Clark sent a link for a Swans video (New Mind) on the final episode of The Tube. I sent him episode 84 of The Lydian Spin podcast featuring a Jarboe interview. I’ve had a shave, done some abdominal exercises. Newsnight is on. Had more porridge and banana. Listened to Kurt Cobain’s final song onstage – in Munich. OK. 11.28pm.
Tuesday 2nd March 2021
Took the Rockhopper to ‘Bits 4 Bikes’ this morning. Sean says new brake pads won’t arrive before Friday. Fingers crossed I have them fitted for the weekend. Bought healthy stuff at the supermarket today. Need to lose weight; couldn’t fasten the button on my combats. Need to get fit. Fruit and veg is supposed to be good for you, but not when it weighs a ton and nearly yanks your arms out the sockets. I did a bit of editing this afternoon but now feel zapped. Eyestrain, mainly. Tonight, I got a message from Jenni informing me that one of the local poets has died. “Jules Clare attended Waddington Street Centre writing sessions back in 2008. He appeared in one of our anthologies that year and went on to become an enthusiastic poet and performer, taking his words far and wide, penning verse for people encountered on his travels and publishing a number of collections. The Jewelster, RIP.” – I posted that on Facebook and sent further info to Waddington Street Centre. Listened to David Bowie at Glastonbury 2000. Great gig. I could do with an early night but want to watch Newsnight. And get some supper. 10.38pm.
Took the Rockhopper to ‘Bits 4 Bikes’ this morning. Sean says new brake pads won’t arrive before Friday. Fingers crossed I have them fitted for the weekend. Bought healthy stuff at the supermarket today. Need to lose weight; couldn’t fasten the button on my combats. Need to get fit. Fruit and veg is supposed to be good for you, but not when it weighs a ton and nearly yanks your arms out the sockets. I did a bit of editing this afternoon but now feel zapped. Eyestrain, mainly. Tonight, I got a message from Jenni informing me that one of the local poets has died. “Jules Clare attended Waddington Street Centre writing sessions back in 2008. He appeared in one of our anthologies that year and went on to become an enthusiastic poet and performer, taking his words far and wide, penning verse for people encountered on his travels and publishing a number of collections. The Jewelster, RIP.” – I posted that on Facebook and sent further info to Waddington Street Centre. Listened to David Bowie at Glastonbury 2000. Great gig. I could do with an early night but want to watch Newsnight. And get some supper. 10.38pm.
Wednesday 3rd March 2021
Queries from poets, pieces written to order. Full day at the desktop computer. Pleased to interact with the poetry community. Good online chinwag with Jenni and with Tony Gadd. Good to hear the new Alice Cooper album ‘Detroit Stories’. He gave his band a year off and hired Detroit-based rockers for this new Stooges / MC5-influenced 15-track release. I’ve been trying to eat more healthily, limiting the stodge and chocolate. But succumbed to a sausage bun tonight. Newsnight is on and it’s all about the budget. I will get back to the zine tomorrow. I will only get two days on it; I’d really like it done by April. Then it’s STEVE ACHIEVES paperback and the 2021 journal book. OK. 11.04pm.
Thursday 4th March 2021
Didn’t take long to get going on zine stuff. Got a positive response for the piece I submitted yesterday. And a nice handwritten letter from one of the Waddy writers. I began typing selections from last year’s notebooks for the next zine. Very slow process – my mood shifts all the time on what’s good and what’s rubbish. It’s going to take a long time to get it together. I listened to Twisted Sister today, including their 1983 gig at The Marquee. I owned a number of the tracks as b-sides to 12-inch singles. Dee Snider’s rants are hilarious. I listened to the Stooges first album and watched an Iggy interview. Was tempted to order the ‘Gimme Danger’ film. Watched a documentary on The Cult. I like a lot of the music but not so much the ‘Electric’ period. However, as interviewees they don’t have much to offer. Hands Off Gretel are playing York ‘The Crescent’ on 1st September. I might buy a ticket in case their Newcastle date clashes with Terror in the Trees in October. That is, of course, if any gigs go ahead this autumn. Fucking coronavirus. Sigh… 10.50pm.
Queries from poets, pieces written to order. Full day at the desktop computer. Pleased to interact with the poetry community. Good online chinwag with Jenni and with Tony Gadd. Good to hear the new Alice Cooper album ‘Detroit Stories’. He gave his band a year off and hired Detroit-based rockers for this new Stooges / MC5-influenced 15-track release. I’ve been trying to eat more healthily, limiting the stodge and chocolate. But succumbed to a sausage bun tonight. Newsnight is on and it’s all about the budget. I will get back to the zine tomorrow. I will only get two days on it; I’d really like it done by April. Then it’s STEVE ACHIEVES paperback and the 2021 journal book. OK. 11.04pm.
Thursday 4th March 2021
Didn’t take long to get going on zine stuff. Got a positive response for the piece I submitted yesterday. And a nice handwritten letter from one of the Waddy writers. I began typing selections from last year’s notebooks for the next zine. Very slow process – my mood shifts all the time on what’s good and what’s rubbish. It’s going to take a long time to get it together. I listened to Twisted Sister today, including their 1983 gig at The Marquee. I owned a number of the tracks as b-sides to 12-inch singles. Dee Snider’s rants are hilarious. I listened to the Stooges first album and watched an Iggy interview. Was tempted to order the ‘Gimme Danger’ film. Watched a documentary on The Cult. I like a lot of the music but not so much the ‘Electric’ period. However, as interviewees they don’t have much to offer. Hands Off Gretel are playing York ‘The Crescent’ on 1st September. I might buy a ticket in case their Newcastle date clashes with Terror in the Trees in October. That is, of course, if any gigs go ahead this autumn. Fucking coronavirus. Sigh… 10.50pm.
Friday 5th March 2021
Up quite early after eight hours of sleep. Worked on the zine. All the July 2020 stuff was a bit choppy, but I finally got some longer pieces typed and I’m into August now. Listened to The Stooges debut album plus Funhouse and Raw Power. Never listened to much Iggy until I got a Stooges compilation a few years back. Also listened to a good Sheryl Crow concert from Capital Theater. Jen messaged to say she needs a quiet solo weekend. I worked a bit more and rang Sean at ‘Bits 4 Bikes’; the Rockhopper is good to go, so I’ll pick it up tomorrow. This evening I watched Ali Clarkson ride Glasgow street trials. And my favourite e-biker, Steve Jones, doing big rides in the Alps with his senior mates. One bloke, 60-year-old, two replacement hips, really going for it. When the body fails the e-bike prevails. Hopefully, I won’t need one for at least ten years. Brother Mark rang earlier for an update on the trials bike. No visits allowed until 29th March, or so the guidelines say. I’m having an early night so I can try to read a zine. 10.42pm.
Saturday 6th March 2021
Recorded dreams in morning pages. In bed longer than expected. Decided to have a day offline. Walked into town. Tesco was busy, but I wanted to take advantage of having a big backpack that I could fill with fruit and veg before collecting the Rockhopper from ‘Bits 4 Bikes’. Sean sorted both brakes. £20. Should last a fair while. Spotted Claire Stokoe out walking dogs on the way back, so I stopped for a little chat. I read ‘Minneapolis from the Saddle’ zine by Mat Resist this evening. And some of Bukowski’s ‘The Mathematics of the Breath and the Way’. Sausage bun for supper. Early to bed, I reckon. 10.20pm.
Sunday 7th March 2021
Shaved, did some abdominal crunches with the rollbar. Read some Bukowksi, some Jessie Lynn McMains, a few Jean Sprackland poems and a couple of short pieces from ‘Eye Scream’ by Henry Rollins. Worklog copied up, wrote a four-page letter, had a lush chicken dinner, tinkered with the Rockhopper. Fell asleep on the couch after a cheese and mixed pepper toastie. More Bukowski. It has taken a weekend away from the social media to realise that I currently have no less than FIVE book projects in progress. 10.15pm.
Up quite early after eight hours of sleep. Worked on the zine. All the July 2020 stuff was a bit choppy, but I finally got some longer pieces typed and I’m into August now. Listened to The Stooges debut album plus Funhouse and Raw Power. Never listened to much Iggy until I got a Stooges compilation a few years back. Also listened to a good Sheryl Crow concert from Capital Theater. Jen messaged to say she needs a quiet solo weekend. I worked a bit more and rang Sean at ‘Bits 4 Bikes’; the Rockhopper is good to go, so I’ll pick it up tomorrow. This evening I watched Ali Clarkson ride Glasgow street trials. And my favourite e-biker, Steve Jones, doing big rides in the Alps with his senior mates. One bloke, 60-year-old, two replacement hips, really going for it. When the body fails the e-bike prevails. Hopefully, I won’t need one for at least ten years. Brother Mark rang earlier for an update on the trials bike. No visits allowed until 29th March, or so the guidelines say. I’m having an early night so I can try to read a zine. 10.42pm.
Saturday 6th March 2021
Recorded dreams in morning pages. In bed longer than expected. Decided to have a day offline. Walked into town. Tesco was busy, but I wanted to take advantage of having a big backpack that I could fill with fruit and veg before collecting the Rockhopper from ‘Bits 4 Bikes’. Sean sorted both brakes. £20. Should last a fair while. Spotted Claire Stokoe out walking dogs on the way back, so I stopped for a little chat. I read ‘Minneapolis from the Saddle’ zine by Mat Resist this evening. And some of Bukowski’s ‘The Mathematics of the Breath and the Way’. Sausage bun for supper. Early to bed, I reckon. 10.20pm.
Sunday 7th March 2021
Shaved, did some abdominal crunches with the rollbar. Read some Bukowksi, some Jessie Lynn McMains, a few Jean Sprackland poems and a couple of short pieces from ‘Eye Scream’ by Henry Rollins. Worklog copied up, wrote a four-page letter, had a lush chicken dinner, tinkered with the Rockhopper. Fell asleep on the couch after a cheese and mixed pepper toastie. More Bukowski. It has taken a weekend away from the social media to realise that I currently have no less than FIVE book projects in progress. 10.15pm.
Monday 8th March 2021
Bit cold in bed. But up by half-eight, got a nice analysis of the current writing situation down. I keyed in a bit but got distracted by the fact that the fucking email server only retain emails for three months on the PC. Had to go to Talktalk website to find stuff from before Christmas. I’ve lost some project negotiations and work proposals. How the fuck do you run a business with no archived emails? Contributed to a thread about page/stage poetry as ‘spoken word’. Good to speak to Steve Wakefield from Waddy this morning. Sent papers to the Centre this afternoon. Watched a few e-bike videos and some Katie Kookaburra. Saw a good Billy Duffy programme about his guitar playing. Last night I said The Cult weren’t very good interviewees; Billy talking about guitars is good. But again, with Ian Astbury on Jonesy’s Jukebox radio show not so good. They talked a fair bit about football. I’m usually watching Newsnight late Monday but tonight was mainly Royal scandal, so I turned it off. I looked for new bike pedals online. Failed at typesetting. Better luck tomorrow. OK 11.26pm.
Tuesday 9th March 2021
Fucking cold. Splitting headache. Knackered and sick to death of this bastard winter. I want a new bike and some lush weather and dry trails to ride on. I want to get back to doing some gigs. I’m sick of covid stuff on the message alerts when I’m trying to avoid it. I don’t want to read any more about it or see the news. Five fucking months of cold and grimness. Five fucking months. Too fucking long. Four seasons, three months each – not five. No, not five shitty cold fucking bastard months. Had enough of it. Really. Off to bed sharpish. I didn’t sleep well last night and was up by eight. Out this morning for food and presents. Didn’t get sorted till after four this afternoon. Didn’t do any editing. I had a great weekend away from the tech stuff; now, two days back in, I just want to get rid of it all… I don’t really, but momentarily just fucking sick of freezing feet and aching joints and bastard fucking cold everything. But next month might be better. 9.56pm.
Wednesday 10th March 2021
Up at seven to get pages done and breakfast out the way so I could be ready for my physio phone call – which was pencilled in for between eight and twelve. It came at half ten. The physiotherapist was great. She gave me a fair few assessment tests and told me about muscle degeneration and tendinopathic change in the shoulder, which requires physical exercise with free weights. I was sent seven videos and guidance. The ‘lawnmower’ exercise was awkward and the lunge with arm raise took a while to get right without losing my balance. But I think I’ll be okay with them all. Brother Mark was on the phone. He wanted to try out PayPal and sent me a tenner towards the bike. I said he could take the Giant STP bike as well as the Onza Hitman. I only want the Specialized Rockhopper and a new Sonder Frontier. Tonight, I watched some great Hans Rey trials and e-bike expeditions. Was good to reread two volumes of morning pages from last March. I’m going to put them out as warts and all, exact reproduction handwritten volumes. They just need photocopying and sewing up with hand lettered colour covers. Going to watch a bit of Newsnight then bed. 10.43pm.
Thursday 11th March 2021
Wasted most of the day on retrieval of old emails from the Talktalk website. Sent them to my inbox and saved as word files that open in Outlook. Only to find that I could have sent them to Outlook directly. Why the fuck can’t I sync my Talktalk email address with Outlook 2016, so all emails go to both inboxes? If there’s a way I can’t fucking find it. I checked the Sonder bike website. Medium frameset is out of stock. I dropped Alpkit a line. Quick response: forks won’t be available till July. I wanted the bike by May. Can’t believe how shit it is trying to get anything done this year. Well pissed off. Didn’t get any of my stuff typed up. I read a great Lydia Lunch interview and watched Nirvana live at the Paramount. I am going to bed just after eleven and hope to get a decent night’s sleep. Wish the bastard weather would pick up. At least I get to see Jenni this weekend. Hope I can get the new bike this year. Fingers crossed. Physio was a bit difficult this evening. A few aches. OK 11.03pm.
Bit cold in bed. But up by half-eight, got a nice analysis of the current writing situation down. I keyed in a bit but got distracted by the fact that the fucking email server only retain emails for three months on the PC. Had to go to Talktalk website to find stuff from before Christmas. I’ve lost some project negotiations and work proposals. How the fuck do you run a business with no archived emails? Contributed to a thread about page/stage poetry as ‘spoken word’. Good to speak to Steve Wakefield from Waddy this morning. Sent papers to the Centre this afternoon. Watched a few e-bike videos and some Katie Kookaburra. Saw a good Billy Duffy programme about his guitar playing. Last night I said The Cult weren’t very good interviewees; Billy talking about guitars is good. But again, with Ian Astbury on Jonesy’s Jukebox radio show not so good. They talked a fair bit about football. I’m usually watching Newsnight late Monday but tonight was mainly Royal scandal, so I turned it off. I looked for new bike pedals online. Failed at typesetting. Better luck tomorrow. OK 11.26pm.
Tuesday 9th March 2021
Fucking cold. Splitting headache. Knackered and sick to death of this bastard winter. I want a new bike and some lush weather and dry trails to ride on. I want to get back to doing some gigs. I’m sick of covid stuff on the message alerts when I’m trying to avoid it. I don’t want to read any more about it or see the news. Five fucking months of cold and grimness. Five fucking months. Too fucking long. Four seasons, three months each – not five. No, not five shitty cold fucking bastard months. Had enough of it. Really. Off to bed sharpish. I didn’t sleep well last night and was up by eight. Out this morning for food and presents. Didn’t get sorted till after four this afternoon. Didn’t do any editing. I had a great weekend away from the tech stuff; now, two days back in, I just want to get rid of it all… I don’t really, but momentarily just fucking sick of freezing feet and aching joints and bastard fucking cold everything. But next month might be better. 9.56pm.
Wednesday 10th March 2021
Up at seven to get pages done and breakfast out the way so I could be ready for my physio phone call – which was pencilled in for between eight and twelve. It came at half ten. The physiotherapist was great. She gave me a fair few assessment tests and told me about muscle degeneration and tendinopathic change in the shoulder, which requires physical exercise with free weights. I was sent seven videos and guidance. The ‘lawnmower’ exercise was awkward and the lunge with arm raise took a while to get right without losing my balance. But I think I’ll be okay with them all. Brother Mark was on the phone. He wanted to try out PayPal and sent me a tenner towards the bike. I said he could take the Giant STP bike as well as the Onza Hitman. I only want the Specialized Rockhopper and a new Sonder Frontier. Tonight, I watched some great Hans Rey trials and e-bike expeditions. Was good to reread two volumes of morning pages from last March. I’m going to put them out as warts and all, exact reproduction handwritten volumes. They just need photocopying and sewing up with hand lettered colour covers. Going to watch a bit of Newsnight then bed. 10.43pm.
Thursday 11th March 2021
Wasted most of the day on retrieval of old emails from the Talktalk website. Sent them to my inbox and saved as word files that open in Outlook. Only to find that I could have sent them to Outlook directly. Why the fuck can’t I sync my Talktalk email address with Outlook 2016, so all emails go to both inboxes? If there’s a way I can’t fucking find it. I checked the Sonder bike website. Medium frameset is out of stock. I dropped Alpkit a line. Quick response: forks won’t be available till July. I wanted the bike by May. Can’t believe how shit it is trying to get anything done this year. Well pissed off. Didn’t get any of my stuff typed up. I read a great Lydia Lunch interview and watched Nirvana live at the Paramount. I am going to bed just after eleven and hope to get a decent night’s sleep. Wish the bastard weather would pick up. At least I get to see Jenni this weekend. Hope I can get the new bike this year. Fingers crossed. Physio was a bit difficult this evening. A few aches. OK 11.03pm.
Friday 12th March 2021
This morning’s physio left me feeling achy in the triceps and crook of my right arm. But this evening’s session was fine. Had some good online chats with Jenni. Watched a couple of C2C bike videos. Listened to Alice Cooper’s ‘Detroit Stories’ album a couple of times. Heard it about six or seven times now and the melodies are starting to stick in my head. I had a sausage sandwich for dinner. Fish fingers and chips for tea. No substantial outdoor exercise since Tuesday. I might ride the bike tomorrow. It will be good to see how things go. I’m going to need some new tyres. I’ve been avoiding big news stories. A few headlines is enough. Only watched the weather forecast on local news. Maybe this year is the one that I really take a year out from all the nonsense. Jenni has got a pair of Tim Minchin tickets for Newcastle City Hall on 1st November. Hope it goes ahead. Hope Terror in the Trees finishes on Halloween. That would be good. Fingers crossed gigs and shows happen this year. OK. 10.56pm.
This morning’s physio left me feeling achy in the triceps and crook of my right arm. But this evening’s session was fine. Had some good online chats with Jenni. Watched a couple of C2C bike videos. Listened to Alice Cooper’s ‘Detroit Stories’ album a couple of times. Heard it about six or seven times now and the melodies are starting to stick in my head. I had a sausage sandwich for dinner. Fish fingers and chips for tea. No substantial outdoor exercise since Tuesday. I might ride the bike tomorrow. It will be good to see how things go. I’m going to need some new tyres. I’ve been avoiding big news stories. A few headlines is enough. Only watched the weather forecast on local news. Maybe this year is the one that I really take a year out from all the nonsense. Jenni has got a pair of Tim Minchin tickets for Newcastle City Hall on 1st November. Hope it goes ahead. Hope Terror in the Trees finishes on Halloween. That would be good. Fingers crossed gigs and shows happen this year. OK. 10.56pm.
Saturday 13th March 2021
Good to see some e-bike technical hill-climb videos this morning. Wanted to ride my bike but just as I got to the door the sky turned black. I should have just gone for it – only rained for a couple of minutes. I watched some Bukowski footage, a bit of Stephen King. I keyed in four stanzas, but nothing great. Physio leaves my arm sore. Think I’ve been a bit gung-ho with the reps and will ease off and build up more slowly. I’m going to bed early. 9.39pm.
Good to see some e-bike technical hill-climb videos this morning. Wanted to ride my bike but just as I got to the door the sky turned black. I should have just gone for it – only rained for a couple of minutes. I watched some Bukowski footage, a bit of Stephen King. I keyed in four stanzas, but nothing great. Physio leaves my arm sore. Think I’ve been a bit gung-ho with the reps and will ease off and build up more slowly. I’m going to bed early. 9.39pm.
Sunday 14th March 2021
Up at half-six. Morning pages. Abdominal exercise. Breakfast. Physio. Bike ride – mainly on roads. Cold and boring. Did about eighty minutes and was pleased to get back in the house by twenty past nine. Can’t wait for dry trails. Nice to talk to Mam today. Been distracted by politics on Facebook. Sometimes I just want to walk away, find a little part-time job, and never bother the wider world with my presence again. Still fucking cold. 10.46pm.
Up at half-six. Morning pages. Abdominal exercise. Breakfast. Physio. Bike ride – mainly on roads. Cold and boring. Did about eighty minutes and was pleased to get back in the house by twenty past nine. Can’t wait for dry trails. Nice to talk to Mam today. Been distracted by politics on Facebook. Sometimes I just want to walk away, find a little part-time job, and never bother the wider world with my presence again. Still fucking cold. 10.46pm.
Monday 15th March 2021
Took till midday to get round to the work I meant to start at nine. Struggling to stay focussed on the follow-up to Unruly Eyebrow. The pieces available for inclusion take up to half an hour each to type. I need at least fifteen of them. Why the fuck do I find keying in prose so fucking difficult. I can get totally absorbed in the line-breaks, rhythm and shape of a poem. But full sentences, blocks of words, bore the life out of me. Good to chat online with Jenni about recent cultural shifts and we managed a few laughs as well. The physio was causing me concern today. The evening sessions seem to work better. I think it’s coz the joints are stiff in the morning from being in bed. I am pleased the weather is easing a bit. I went out to Tesco this evening for a few supplies. Only about half a dozen shoppers in the place. Found myself singing along to The Chimes’ version of U2’s ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’. Only spent seven quid. Fruit and veg heavy. Ditto bottle of squash. Watched Katie Kookaburra bike vid and Behind the Scenes trials mountain bike stuff from Chris Akrigg as well. 11.40pm.
Took till midday to get round to the work I meant to start at nine. Struggling to stay focussed on the follow-up to Unruly Eyebrow. The pieces available for inclusion take up to half an hour each to type. I need at least fifteen of them. Why the fuck do I find keying in prose so fucking difficult. I can get totally absorbed in the line-breaks, rhythm and shape of a poem. But full sentences, blocks of words, bore the life out of me. Good to chat online with Jenni about recent cultural shifts and we managed a few laughs as well. The physio was causing me concern today. The evening sessions seem to work better. I think it’s coz the joints are stiff in the morning from being in bed. I am pleased the weather is easing a bit. I went out to Tesco this evening for a few supplies. Only about half a dozen shoppers in the place. Found myself singing along to The Chimes’ version of U2’s ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’. Only spent seven quid. Fruit and veg heavy. Ditto bottle of squash. Watched Katie Kookaburra bike vid and Behind the Scenes trials mountain bike stuff from Chris Akrigg as well. 11.40pm.
Tuesday 16th March 2021
Nice to feel a warm blast of air when I stepped outside this afternoon. Good to get a couple of hours on the bike. And to alleviate the horrible creaking. I thought it was the drivetrain, possibly the headset, but thankfully just grit in the seat clamp. Nice smooth ride up to Parkhead Station and back. Had a baked potato, beans and tuna for tea. Got more August keyed in for the zine. Watched full Alice Cooper live in Sydney 2011 concert on YouTube. Me and brother Mark saw him at Newcastle Arena with support from Twister Sister. My physio is okay, but a bit of an ache after this evening’s session. Watched a moving documentary by Roman Kemp about suicide rates in young men in the UK. Newsnight is focusing on British post Brexit bio tech and arms deals and other shit to make the world a hellhole. Fuck it. 11.04pm.
Nice to feel a warm blast of air when I stepped outside this afternoon. Good to get a couple of hours on the bike. And to alleviate the horrible creaking. I thought it was the drivetrain, possibly the headset, but thankfully just grit in the seat clamp. Nice smooth ride up to Parkhead Station and back. Had a baked potato, beans and tuna for tea. Got more August keyed in for the zine. Watched full Alice Cooper live in Sydney 2011 concert on YouTube. Me and brother Mark saw him at Newcastle Arena with support from Twister Sister. My physio is okay, but a bit of an ache after this evening’s session. Watched a moving documentary by Roman Kemp about suicide rates in young men in the UK. Newsnight is focusing on British post Brexit bio tech and arms deals and other shit to make the world a hellhole. Fuck it. 11.04pm.
Wednesday 17th March 2021
Mainly typesetting, admin, pamphlet ideas. Edited a canny essay. Watched Katie Kookaburra saddle/shorts video. Watched ‘Slave to the Grind’ – a big grindcore documentary. I like the attitude, the graphics, the politics – but the songs sound terrible and the lyrics are indecipherable. I am still struggling with the zine. The more material I type, the harder it gets to select. Did two sets of physio today. Watched a video about the Surly Bridge Club bike. Keep looking at my bike and thinking it’s still pretty mint. Needs new tyres though… Yeah, feel a bit burnt out. I wrote well this morning and that’s it. Heard from Jenni. Got some laughs for sharing a ‘Can’t clean the attic if you’re a reader’ meme. Don’t want to do this entry. But what the hell. More Alice Cooper stuff; a good documentary on at the minute. I totted up the hours spent on work stuff. About seven-and-a-half plus extra for copy-ups. I want to do more poems and pamphlets. OK. 11.34pm.
Mainly typesetting, admin, pamphlet ideas. Edited a canny essay. Watched Katie Kookaburra saddle/shorts video. Watched ‘Slave to the Grind’ – a big grindcore documentary. I like the attitude, the graphics, the politics – but the songs sound terrible and the lyrics are indecipherable. I am still struggling with the zine. The more material I type, the harder it gets to select. Did two sets of physio today. Watched a video about the Surly Bridge Club bike. Keep looking at my bike and thinking it’s still pretty mint. Needs new tyres though… Yeah, feel a bit burnt out. I wrote well this morning and that’s it. Heard from Jenni. Got some laughs for sharing a ‘Can’t clean the attic if you’re a reader’ meme. Don’t want to do this entry. But what the hell. More Alice Cooper stuff; a good documentary on at the minute. I totted up the hours spent on work stuff. About seven-and-a-half plus extra for copy-ups. I want to do more poems and pamphlets. OK. 11.34pm.
Thursday 18th March 2021
First ride to Bensham for a couple weeks. Bike was fine. I made the climbs okay. Chuffed to get to Jen's place clean for the first time in ages. I am a bit tired. Just watched a few dramas tonight. Had some Ribena and some peanuts. And nice blueberry porridge. Jen is in bed and scrolling her phone. She's quite chirpy but hasn't been out for a while. I filled a couple of 2-litre pop bottles with tap water to use as weights for physio. Worked quite well actually. Didn’t go online this evening. I'll key in entries on the mobile device this weekend so there won't be too much to do next week. I need to start putting the college course together. I might use a bit of old stuff. I listened to ‘Paranormal’ by Alice Cooper whilst training this morning. I did my 2nd physio in the big room downstairs about half-six. So, a lot less time between sessions. Arm not so bad tonight. 10.33pm.
Friday 19th March 2021
Up early, got the pages done and keyed into the device. Fitted a new inner tube to Naj's bike and fixed the old one. Took two spanners and a hammer to loosen the wheel nuts. Spent a few hours washing all of Jen's crockery and cutlery. Had tuna and scrambled eggs for dinner. Physio was okay. Watched some classic Corrie and a bit of Poirot. Made the best porridge tonight. The blueberry stuff, plus a bit of lemon cordial, peanuts, sultanas, and a shake of cinnamon. It's the best but quite expensive to pull off on a regular basis. Watched Vera tonight. Me and Jenni had some silly laughs. Haven’t been outside. Talked about employment after lockdown. I am still up for ordering a Sonder Frontier next month. Pleased to see the nights getting a bit longer. Only another week till clocks get set forward an hour. Light till after half seven. And warmer too. OK. 10.42pm.
Saturday 20th March 2021
Went to Gateshead. Good weather. I got a new puncture repair kit and innertube. Later we watched David Bowie’s ‘Serious Moonlight’ concert. Then Queen live in Budapest. My physio was okay. We checked out the new outdoor seating at ‘Café Under the Spire’ across the road. I keyed in my stuff. Had pie and mash for lunch. Jenni made lush Fajitas for tea. Watched TOTPs from 1985. I did sit-ups while Jenni threw random objects at me. Going to watch Taggart. OK. 9.50pm.
Sunday 21st March 2021
Good to be up at an early hour. Me and Jenni watched three episodes of Tales of the Unexpected. Two American, one UK. None of them Roald Dahl. Did Physio. Jenni made a full-on Sunday dinner with leeks, carrot and swede mash, boiled potatoes, Quorn roast. Watched Celebrity Bake Off then a film called ‘Wonder’ about a boy who goes to school for the first time after multiple face surgeries. Quorn salad sandwiches for tea. All Star Musicals. Washed up and did more physio. Watched NHS poem, train poem, now Sylvia. Tired. 10.45pm.
Monday 22nd March 2021
Bit of a lie in. Then morning pages. Jenni put my bike helmet on my head backwards. She is a tinker. We sat and chatted for an hour. She likes her computer games. I got ready to go around half eleven. Rode home okay. Pedalling well and back to base in less than two hours. Revised electricity bill on the mat. Sixty quid less than the original sent last week. I have been trying to cut back on food. I only had peanut butter and blackcurrant jam on toast and an orange for late lunch. Tea was baked potato and beans. I keyed in today’s stuff and responded to a zoom meeting request from Waddington Street Centre. I’ve listened to a few Alice Cooper albums and read a few flash fictions. Tony Gadd sent footage of a mad fucker on a longboard risking life and limb on Columbian highways in busy traffic. I checked out food stores online for blueberry essence. Newsnight is on and Nichola Sturgeon has been cleared of breaking ministerial code. There’s vaccine stuff coming, but I might switch off before that. Aiming to get a bike ordered by end of April. Bed soon. 11.00pm.
Tuesday 23rd March 2021
Eight hours of writing admin, including workshop ideas and responses to poets' book projects. I watched some brilliant mountain bike videos. ‘Into the Gnar’ featuring Yoann Barelli and Steve Vanderhoek riding down some very steep rocky, rooty terrain. And one of Yoann riding UP a downhill trail. Very biketrial. I checked out some Specialized bars, stems and tyres for the Rockhopper as an alternative to a new bike, just in case the Sonder Frontier isn't available. It's a year since the start of the first lockdown. The BBC is pushing programmes on it. One from Centre for Life in Newcastle. Newsnight has revealed that 17th May will come and go without international travel opening-up as previously stated. I'm only watching coz it's a year. The youngsters are pissed off and feel forgotten or ignored. There is talk of repercussions lasting for years. A five-grand fine for international travel comes into force next week. 11.26pm.
First ride to Bensham for a couple weeks. Bike was fine. I made the climbs okay. Chuffed to get to Jen's place clean for the first time in ages. I am a bit tired. Just watched a few dramas tonight. Had some Ribena and some peanuts. And nice blueberry porridge. Jen is in bed and scrolling her phone. She's quite chirpy but hasn't been out for a while. I filled a couple of 2-litre pop bottles with tap water to use as weights for physio. Worked quite well actually. Didn’t go online this evening. I'll key in entries on the mobile device this weekend so there won't be too much to do next week. I need to start putting the college course together. I might use a bit of old stuff. I listened to ‘Paranormal’ by Alice Cooper whilst training this morning. I did my 2nd physio in the big room downstairs about half-six. So, a lot less time between sessions. Arm not so bad tonight. 10.33pm.
Friday 19th March 2021
Up early, got the pages done and keyed into the device. Fitted a new inner tube to Naj's bike and fixed the old one. Took two spanners and a hammer to loosen the wheel nuts. Spent a few hours washing all of Jen's crockery and cutlery. Had tuna and scrambled eggs for dinner. Physio was okay. Watched some classic Corrie and a bit of Poirot. Made the best porridge tonight. The blueberry stuff, plus a bit of lemon cordial, peanuts, sultanas, and a shake of cinnamon. It's the best but quite expensive to pull off on a regular basis. Watched Vera tonight. Me and Jenni had some silly laughs. Haven’t been outside. Talked about employment after lockdown. I am still up for ordering a Sonder Frontier next month. Pleased to see the nights getting a bit longer. Only another week till clocks get set forward an hour. Light till after half seven. And warmer too. OK. 10.42pm.
Saturday 20th March 2021
Went to Gateshead. Good weather. I got a new puncture repair kit and innertube. Later we watched David Bowie’s ‘Serious Moonlight’ concert. Then Queen live in Budapest. My physio was okay. We checked out the new outdoor seating at ‘Café Under the Spire’ across the road. I keyed in my stuff. Had pie and mash for lunch. Jenni made lush Fajitas for tea. Watched TOTPs from 1985. I did sit-ups while Jenni threw random objects at me. Going to watch Taggart. OK. 9.50pm.
Sunday 21st March 2021
Good to be up at an early hour. Me and Jenni watched three episodes of Tales of the Unexpected. Two American, one UK. None of them Roald Dahl. Did Physio. Jenni made a full-on Sunday dinner with leeks, carrot and swede mash, boiled potatoes, Quorn roast. Watched Celebrity Bake Off then a film called ‘Wonder’ about a boy who goes to school for the first time after multiple face surgeries. Quorn salad sandwiches for tea. All Star Musicals. Washed up and did more physio. Watched NHS poem, train poem, now Sylvia. Tired. 10.45pm.
Monday 22nd March 2021
Bit of a lie in. Then morning pages. Jenni put my bike helmet on my head backwards. She is a tinker. We sat and chatted for an hour. She likes her computer games. I got ready to go around half eleven. Rode home okay. Pedalling well and back to base in less than two hours. Revised electricity bill on the mat. Sixty quid less than the original sent last week. I have been trying to cut back on food. I only had peanut butter and blackcurrant jam on toast and an orange for late lunch. Tea was baked potato and beans. I keyed in today’s stuff and responded to a zoom meeting request from Waddington Street Centre. I’ve listened to a few Alice Cooper albums and read a few flash fictions. Tony Gadd sent footage of a mad fucker on a longboard risking life and limb on Columbian highways in busy traffic. I checked out food stores online for blueberry essence. Newsnight is on and Nichola Sturgeon has been cleared of breaking ministerial code. There’s vaccine stuff coming, but I might switch off before that. Aiming to get a bike ordered by end of April. Bed soon. 11.00pm.
Tuesday 23rd March 2021
Eight hours of writing admin, including workshop ideas and responses to poets' book projects. I watched some brilliant mountain bike videos. ‘Into the Gnar’ featuring Yoann Barelli and Steve Vanderhoek riding down some very steep rocky, rooty terrain. And one of Yoann riding UP a downhill trail. Very biketrial. I checked out some Specialized bars, stems and tyres for the Rockhopper as an alternative to a new bike, just in case the Sonder Frontier isn't available. It's a year since the start of the first lockdown. The BBC is pushing programmes on it. One from Centre for Life in Newcastle. Newsnight has revealed that 17th May will come and go without international travel opening-up as previously stated. I'm only watching coz it's a year. The youngsters are pissed off and feel forgotten or ignored. There is talk of repercussions lasting for years. A five-grand fine for international travel comes into force next week. 11.26pm.
Wednesday 24th March 2021
Big day away from the desktop. Good to get some zine-making prototypes done today and to tidy the front room. In the process I encountered numerous books I’ve yet to read: Marvel Chronicles is a lavish, slipcase edition 352-page full-colour hardback, documenting superhero comics of the last sixty years. Paul Auster’s ‘Winter Journal’ could be read any time of the year. I also found a copy of Sam Shepard’s ‘Cruising Paradise’ and read a couple of pieces. Hoovered the front room but a little late in the afternoon. When I put the light on this evening, I could still see black flecks on the beige. Will have another go tomorrow maybe. I keyed in some prose via messenger on the mini device. Pulled out a few more hardbacks upstairs: Emilie Autumn’s Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls; and a slipcase illustrated rewrite of Dracula. A few of the titles mentioned were Christmas presents from Jenni. I hope to spend more time with these publications in the coming weeks. I’m running low on food supplies. I wanted to wait until the weekend before hitting the shops but it’s a bad weather forecast for Friday, so I’ll probably go tomorrow. I turned Newsnight off coz I don’t want more Covid reports. 11.24pm.
Thursday 25th March 2021
Today didn’t go to plan. Took me till half ten to get over the doorstep. Spent a couple of hours in Consett. Lots more people out and about than usual. I heard one woman say she was sick of it all now. I’m presuming she meant lockdown. I looked at bikes in Motech’s window. Some nice Liv bikes for women. The shop was open, but I didn’t want to go in if not buying anything. I checked out some waterproofs in Boyes, paperbacks in Tesco. For physio I’ve been doing two times ten reps with just a couple of Kg on the dumbbell. The shopping was over 10kg (I totted up the weight of it all after carrying it for 35 minutes). This afternoon I had chunky lentil and bacon soup. And for tea, a chicken dinner. I managed some typing but felt a bit unwell this evening. Big headache. So I just watched bike videos. Mainly Chris Akrigg. I slept from half nine till twenty past ten then repeated the physio. Had lemon porridge with nuts, sultanas, and cinnamon. Alice Cooper live in Sydney on YouTube has stopped my computer monitor going to sleep. Tomorrow I should do about nine or ten hours of work. Knackered now. 10.59pm.
Friday 26th March 2021
Chuffed to do a full day of work. Preliminary session ideas for next Waddy course and some edits on a poet’s pamphlet. Put in about nine hours in total. Revisited a 2017 notebook that might work as a handmade/Lulu paperback: pieces from workshops, bus journeys and morning pages. Nothing from home. I’m keen to do it. So much for shit weather today. I wanted to ride but stayed at the computer and listened to Swans. Watched more Katie Kookaburra and Chris Akrigg bike videos. Did two lots of physio. Almost ready to up the reps again. Aiming for optimum two sets of twenty per session before the next Physio phone call in April. I listened to The Cult live from the 100 Club – a lot rockier than Love/Dreamtime but not as full-on as Electric. I’m keen to start on a full-body exercise routine. Looking forward to light nights. Dry trails. Done for today. Knackered. 11.02pm.
Saturday 27th March 2021
Early rise. Upping my reps to 12 seems a bit much. Knee's a bit sore after riding to Jen's place in just over 1hr 37 mins. Would have been quicker but lots of people out and about walking on the cycle path. Had beans and baked potato. Jen showed me how to access zoom meetings. Tired tonight. Enjoyed laughs and lazy TV. 10.00pm
Sunday 28th March 2021
Bit of a lie in. Poached eggs on toast for dinner. Watched Columbo – The Great Santini episode. Had a walk into Gateshead with Jenni for a few supplies. Then watched Red Bull soap box challenge from Cork. Jenni made us a big Sunday dinner this evening: pie, pots, broccoli, turnip and carrot mash, leeks and gravy. Watched an episode of Guitar Star from 2016 then out walking for a writing exercise. Took photos, made notes. More physio then ‘Six Minutes to Midnight’ film starring Eddie Izzard and Judi Dench OK. 10.49pm.
Monday 29th March 2021
Had a lie in. Me and Jenni watched two episodes of Takes of the Unexpected. The bike is okay. I had to go slower though. But easier gears meant my knees didn’t feel too bad afterwards. I was out a good while. I played on a few obstacles at Annfield Plain. Home around half four. This evening I did some outdoor writing. I’m trying to just record sights and sounds without the first-person pronoun. I took a few photos as well. Got word files in and replies from people about ideas and instructions I sent last week. Listened to Self Destruction Blues by Hanoi Rocks. And the first half of Sonic Temple by The Cult. Watched a Katie Kookaburra bike vid and a reworked Brian May and Kerry Ellis song promo. Newsnight is on but I’m not taking much notice. The physio is okay. I’m on the proper dumbbells again after using water bottles at Jen’s place. Anyway, the trail behind Castleside Industrial Estate is still very muddy but elsewhere the lines look rideable. Will have a go tomorrow. 11.14pm.
Tuesday 30th March 2021
Annoyed that I had to go out this morning. But I got the electricity bill paid and bought some more food supplies. This afternoon I keyed in recent writings and sent layout instructions for a poetry pamphlet. The physio was okay. But I won’t up the reps till Thursday at the earliest. This evening brother Mark phoned. Talked about bikes. We’ll be arranging pick-up soon so he can do some trials riding. I went out in the woods near The Grove and was surprised to find there’s a trail/footpath halfway down that leads over to Selby Gardens. I’ll be able to get up to Consett using less tarmac than before. I took some photos and notes. Didn’t ride the bike coz I’m still a bit tired after yesterday. Still a bit hungry tonight even though I’ve had a chicken dinner and porridge with nuts and sultanas. I watched some Chris Akrigg vids. And some local trail footage from a headcam. 11.30pm.
Wednesday 31st March 2021
Some admin hassles but got them sorted. Made up proof copies of a poet’s pamphlet. Did some copy-ups, NaPoWriMo research. Mainly working but went out on the bike near the Gill Caves. The weather was shit tonight. The uphill trails were difficult. I bailed a few times for fear of knacking myself on the top tube. The bike was okay, but I got oil all over my hands putting the chain back on; was concerned I wouldn’t be able to do my outdoor notes. But I got a page down. A youngster nearby asked if I’m a journalist. Kids were playing near the Gill Caves. Good to get the college timesheet done online this evening. Good to hear from Jenni. She’s had her second covid jab and did a ten-mile walk. I watched a few Rob and Rich Drew mountain bike technical trail-climb videos, had a sausage sandwich and bowl of porridge. Hope I can get bikes sorted next month. And the zine. OK. 11.26pm.
Big day away from the desktop. Good to get some zine-making prototypes done today and to tidy the front room. In the process I encountered numerous books I’ve yet to read: Marvel Chronicles is a lavish, slipcase edition 352-page full-colour hardback, documenting superhero comics of the last sixty years. Paul Auster’s ‘Winter Journal’ could be read any time of the year. I also found a copy of Sam Shepard’s ‘Cruising Paradise’ and read a couple of pieces. Hoovered the front room but a little late in the afternoon. When I put the light on this evening, I could still see black flecks on the beige. Will have another go tomorrow maybe. I keyed in some prose via messenger on the mini device. Pulled out a few more hardbacks upstairs: Emilie Autumn’s Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls; and a slipcase illustrated rewrite of Dracula. A few of the titles mentioned were Christmas presents from Jenni. I hope to spend more time with these publications in the coming weeks. I’m running low on food supplies. I wanted to wait until the weekend before hitting the shops but it’s a bad weather forecast for Friday, so I’ll probably go tomorrow. I turned Newsnight off coz I don’t want more Covid reports. 11.24pm.
Thursday 25th March 2021
Today didn’t go to plan. Took me till half ten to get over the doorstep. Spent a couple of hours in Consett. Lots more people out and about than usual. I heard one woman say she was sick of it all now. I’m presuming she meant lockdown. I looked at bikes in Motech’s window. Some nice Liv bikes for women. The shop was open, but I didn’t want to go in if not buying anything. I checked out some waterproofs in Boyes, paperbacks in Tesco. For physio I’ve been doing two times ten reps with just a couple of Kg on the dumbbell. The shopping was over 10kg (I totted up the weight of it all after carrying it for 35 minutes). This afternoon I had chunky lentil and bacon soup. And for tea, a chicken dinner. I managed some typing but felt a bit unwell this evening. Big headache. So I just watched bike videos. Mainly Chris Akrigg. I slept from half nine till twenty past ten then repeated the physio. Had lemon porridge with nuts, sultanas, and cinnamon. Alice Cooper live in Sydney on YouTube has stopped my computer monitor going to sleep. Tomorrow I should do about nine or ten hours of work. Knackered now. 10.59pm.
Friday 26th March 2021
Chuffed to do a full day of work. Preliminary session ideas for next Waddy course and some edits on a poet’s pamphlet. Put in about nine hours in total. Revisited a 2017 notebook that might work as a handmade/Lulu paperback: pieces from workshops, bus journeys and morning pages. Nothing from home. I’m keen to do it. So much for shit weather today. I wanted to ride but stayed at the computer and listened to Swans. Watched more Katie Kookaburra and Chris Akrigg bike videos. Did two lots of physio. Almost ready to up the reps again. Aiming for optimum two sets of twenty per session before the next Physio phone call in April. I listened to The Cult live from the 100 Club – a lot rockier than Love/Dreamtime but not as full-on as Electric. I’m keen to start on a full-body exercise routine. Looking forward to light nights. Dry trails. Done for today. Knackered. 11.02pm.
Saturday 27th March 2021
Early rise. Upping my reps to 12 seems a bit much. Knee's a bit sore after riding to Jen's place in just over 1hr 37 mins. Would have been quicker but lots of people out and about walking on the cycle path. Had beans and baked potato. Jen showed me how to access zoom meetings. Tired tonight. Enjoyed laughs and lazy TV. 10.00pm
Sunday 28th March 2021
Bit of a lie in. Poached eggs on toast for dinner. Watched Columbo – The Great Santini episode. Had a walk into Gateshead with Jenni for a few supplies. Then watched Red Bull soap box challenge from Cork. Jenni made us a big Sunday dinner this evening: pie, pots, broccoli, turnip and carrot mash, leeks and gravy. Watched an episode of Guitar Star from 2016 then out walking for a writing exercise. Took photos, made notes. More physio then ‘Six Minutes to Midnight’ film starring Eddie Izzard and Judi Dench OK. 10.49pm.
Monday 29th March 2021
Had a lie in. Me and Jenni watched two episodes of Takes of the Unexpected. The bike is okay. I had to go slower though. But easier gears meant my knees didn’t feel too bad afterwards. I was out a good while. I played on a few obstacles at Annfield Plain. Home around half four. This evening I did some outdoor writing. I’m trying to just record sights and sounds without the first-person pronoun. I took a few photos as well. Got word files in and replies from people about ideas and instructions I sent last week. Listened to Self Destruction Blues by Hanoi Rocks. And the first half of Sonic Temple by The Cult. Watched a Katie Kookaburra bike vid and a reworked Brian May and Kerry Ellis song promo. Newsnight is on but I’m not taking much notice. The physio is okay. I’m on the proper dumbbells again after using water bottles at Jen’s place. Anyway, the trail behind Castleside Industrial Estate is still very muddy but elsewhere the lines look rideable. Will have a go tomorrow. 11.14pm.
Tuesday 30th March 2021
Annoyed that I had to go out this morning. But I got the electricity bill paid and bought some more food supplies. This afternoon I keyed in recent writings and sent layout instructions for a poetry pamphlet. The physio was okay. But I won’t up the reps till Thursday at the earliest. This evening brother Mark phoned. Talked about bikes. We’ll be arranging pick-up soon so he can do some trials riding. I went out in the woods near The Grove and was surprised to find there’s a trail/footpath halfway down that leads over to Selby Gardens. I’ll be able to get up to Consett using less tarmac than before. I took some photos and notes. Didn’t ride the bike coz I’m still a bit tired after yesterday. Still a bit hungry tonight even though I’ve had a chicken dinner and porridge with nuts and sultanas. I watched some Chris Akrigg vids. And some local trail footage from a headcam. 11.30pm.
Wednesday 31st March 2021
Some admin hassles but got them sorted. Made up proof copies of a poet’s pamphlet. Did some copy-ups, NaPoWriMo research. Mainly working but went out on the bike near the Gill Caves. The weather was shit tonight. The uphill trails were difficult. I bailed a few times for fear of knacking myself on the top tube. The bike was okay, but I got oil all over my hands putting the chain back on; was concerned I wouldn’t be able to do my outdoor notes. But I got a page down. A youngster nearby asked if I’m a journalist. Kids were playing near the Gill Caves. Good to get the college timesheet done online this evening. Good to hear from Jenni. She’s had her second covid jab and did a ten-mile walk. I watched a few Rob and Rich Drew mountain bike technical trail-climb videos, had a sausage sandwich and bowl of porridge. Hope I can get bikes sorted next month. And the zine. OK. 11.26pm.
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