Happy New Year!

Sunday 1st January 2017

Always the temptation to rehearse the first entry. In two minds about my Works economy 2017 diary. Still fancy buying a lush Noto grey leather one from Paperchase this Wednesday. Read a bit of the Batman annual that Jenni got me. Enjoyed our big dinner – chicken/veggie sausages, roasties, mash, baked potatoes, carrots, peas, turnip, gravy; mint, apple and cranberry sauces. Lots of laughs with Jenni. Ate Christmas pudding and cherry ice cream for tea. Heard from brother Mark this evening. Thanked him for the black hoodie sent up with Mam last week. Watched Ninja Warrior and Suicide Squad then some great documentaries about 70s sitcom Porridge. 10.50 pm.

Monday 2nd January 2017

I’m kind of ready to go back into work mode. Want to read more books and do new stuff. Sewed up a new morning pages booklet and trimmed it this morning. Had an Angus burger and fried potato slices, tidied the kitchen and chatted with Jenni. Slept a bit this afternoon. Got the writing marathon books made tonight and sent out a group message to the participants. Busy week ahead. Need to write some decent poems this year. 11.13 pm.

Tuesday 3rd January 2017

Did a big TO DO list and was offered a feature set in April to promote new book ‘Laughter to Split Glass’. Haven’t phoned anyone due to feeling groggy this evening. Couldn’t finish an egg on toast, puked my guts up and went to bed. Felt okay by nine, got back up, wrote some messages, keyed in student poems. Bed again. Should be good to go again tomorrow. 10.18 pm.

Wednesday 4th January 2017

Feeling a lot more alive today. Buzzing around this morning, sorting a big pile of library books for return, looking at online tax return, prep for Cambian Appletree session on Wednesday, bank transactions and a dash into Barry’s Bargain Store for soup. You must be really hungry, the cashier said. No, just in a hurry, I wheezed. Made it to the bus station with seconds to spare, recovered composure by the time we hit Durham. Had lunch with Waddy staff then off to Meadowfield. Good session with five women. Journaling prompts, small stones, development of existing work. Read some of Linda France’s Book of Days on the bus to Newcastle. It’s nearly thirteen years since she sat at my drop-leaf table and signed a hundred copies of her Aerogramme pocket broadsheet. I met Jenni out of work, we spoke to Joe Price on Northumberland Street, went to eat4less. Then Jenni pointed out decent veggie and vegan stuff in Tesco for Saturday’s writing marathon. Back at hers, I watched The Incredible Hulk. Then home to a bit of online admin. OK. 11.38 pm.

Thursday 5th January 2017

Got most of the bedroom clutter away and just need to do the vacuuming and sort through a few piles of notes. Annoyed about lump sum charge for National Insurance Contributions after my self assessment tax return - rather than the bi-annual payments of previous years. Sent a cheque and made note for next time. Spoke to Mam and Ernie this evening. They’ve put their house in Newton Aycliffe on the market and aim to move closer to Consett. Watched Adam Ant: Blue Black Hussar DVD tonight, but fell asleep just before the end. I will be chuffed to get the rest of the writing marathon sorted. Just the food to get for Saturday. 

11.53 pm.

Friday 6th January 2017

Didn’t get up as early as intended coz I found myself still awake at half-one this morning reading reviews for a book by John Higgs about The KLF burning a million quid. Out to Consett after breakfast for all the bigly writing marathon food. Three hours of supermarket action. Got all the guests booked for first Poetry Jam of the year. Read a Henry Rollins article online about record collecting then listened to Queen Forever while pulling everything together before leaving this evening. Read more Linda France on the bus to Jen’s place then made up sandwiches. Aim to get a good sleep before tomorrow’s workshop. 11.17 pm.

Saturday 7th January 2017

Morning pages at six then back to sleep. Jen’s alarm went off at seven. I stayed in bed till half past. We spent a lot of time preparing the room at Broadacre House this morning. Another fantastic writing marathon with strong read backs from a great mix of participants. Went for a drink with James Oates and Jenni afterwards. Then back to Bensham to watch music programmes on TV, including the new Bowie five years documentary. 9.47 pm.

Sunday 8th January 2017

Massively lazy day: grazing on leftover marathon food and listening to songs from musical theatre - with Jenni going full tilt on as many lyrics as possible - while I thumbed Queen collectors’ magazines, enjoying the caustic quotes and backhanded compliments from journalists on the band’s epic back catalogue. I love Queen. Got home by 20 to ten. Unpacked my wheelie case and uploaded pix from yesterday. 11.51 pm.