Monday 30th October 2017
Awake
around six-thirty. Usual morning pages then surfed net awhile. No new Jenni activity
on Facebook so I reckon she wasn’t well enough for work. Did most of my session
prep by mid afternoon then caught up on some typing. Looked at synopses of a
number of novels and films I should know inside out anyway through repeated
reads/views, but my memory… Oh well. Out around five-fifteen and reading the
closing chapters of Widdershins by Helen Steadman on the way to Gateshead. Enjoyed Arch Remarks spoken word tonight. Good
sets from Jeff Price, Ken Brady, Catherine Scott and Harry Gallagher. Good to
chat with Sky Hawkins about poetry courses and see some comedy acts not encountered
before. Lots of good open mic – including Aidan Clarke, Julian Lee and Sky. Finished
around twenty to eleven. Walked into Newcastle
over the high level bridge then chip shop. Now sitting on a cold black steel bench
at Newcastle central
station bus stop waiting for the last 45 to Consett. Half-twelve before I get
home at the earliest. 11.13 pm.
Tuesday 31st October 2017
Bit of a
lie in after a late one last night. Big run around getting my shit together.
Took all the handouts and two days’ food for my Waddy meal breaks. Spent about
forty minutes photocopying stuff for the session. We looked at the opening
pages of Widdershins and some other sections of the novel. A couple of the
group are now really keen to get the book. Looked at some scary poems for kids
after the real horror and brutality of 17th Century Newcastle then wrote some blessings and
curses. Had hassle in computer suite trying to upload last week’s blog – kept coming
up with a white background, which pissed me off, so I didn’t post. Had a
chicken rendang and rice for tea then off to Gateshead.
Planned some exercises along the way for tomorrow’s Appletree workshop. Alison
Moyet gig at The Sage was amazing. Real generous set of about one hour forty
minutes. Plenty Yazoo hits, some classic solo singles,
lots of recent electronica. Second tier west side seat, level with edge of
stage, clear view of the whole band: best spot in the house. Cracking night!
11.17 pm.
Wednesday 1st November 2017
Upload to
‘Scribbles…’ worked fine on my computer. Good to pull session together for this
afternoon. And evening worked out well. Only used half the exercises planned.
Allowing time for read backs throws timings coz you never know how much will be
written and how many people will wish to share. But plenty of fiction stuff in
store for next week. I read Jessie Lynn McMains’ ‘Snapshots of Ghosts’ zine on
the bus home. Loved the bit about Patti Smith and vignette about Jessie in the
grocery store itching to compare tattoos with other punk parents. Missed my
stop, ended up in Castleside. An elderly bloke got on, gave me a few double
takes. Home to email checks, cheese on toast and a morning pages book hastily
knocked up. Not doing NaNoWriMo. Not this month, anyway. OK. 11.36 pm.
Thursday 2nd November 2017
Long lie
in. Needed it after the late night. Went to Consett for bank transactions and
my fix of cakes and chocolate at Barry Bargain Supperstore. People queuing at
the butter mountain. Three tubs of Lurpak for two quid. Marianne, one of the
staff, shouts over to remind people that it’s ‘six tubs max per customer!’. I
hate butter. Avoid margarine as well. Bought carrot cakes and Kettle chips. Tins
of soup. Returned to cellar twelve for mince pie, peas, steamed potatoes and
carrots… Less than four hours later I was eating free food – fried potato,
mushrooms, bacon – at Waddy and planning notes for Poetry Jam. Guests all good.
Richard Atkinson did stuff I’d enjoyed before. Julie Egdell was brilliant; her
debut collection ‘Alice
in Winterland’ is surreal and sharp. Harry Gallagher was on top form. Open floor had
some nice surprises, including Alan Gillot from York and Diane Cockburn. Particularly
liked Ian McGregor Hart’s ‘conspiracy theory’ list poem. Ride home c/o Fergus.
More cake and blackcurrant juice. OK 11.36 pm.
Friday 3rd November 2017
Eleven o’clock
before I got breakfast. Sick of porridge – had peanut butter and apricot jam on
toast. Spent an hour on the assorted Poetry Jam pix for Waddy website. Uploaded
last night’s pix to Facebook. Jenni phoned. Took me a while to get myself ready
for Durham.
Read a bit of Graham Masterton’s novel Garden of Evil
on the bus, but fell asleep. Bus late. Met up with Jenni. We bought drinks and
sweets at Tesco for the Phill Jupitus show. Brilliant night at the Gala Theatre.
He did a 45 min set as Porky the Poet then spend the whole of the interval in
the audience giving out badges and Tunnocks teacakes, and posing for selfies
with fans. Second half opened with a song called Owls are Bastards. Then a
Coldplay parody. Rest of the show pure stand-up. Really funny honorary degree ceremony
story. And the Scottish cheesy chips with curry sauce in a polystyrene coffin sketch
was hilarious. Jenni got the train back. I’m on the last 15 bus to Consett and
it’s full, including loud kids drunk and annoying. Fuck you, shithead, sit down
and shut the fuck up. Be good when this ride gets back. Alcohol: idiot juice.
Driver has threatened to stop the bus and kick the pricks off. Hope that
happens soon. 11.23 pm.
Saturday 4th November 2017
Stayed in
bed till eleven. Went to Consett for a bank transaction. Read a few chapters of
Garden of Evil. I’m trying out pulp horror stuff
like I used to read back in my teens. Re-proofed first half of ‘Laughter to
Split Glass’ this afternoon. Checked out top ten British horror authors. At least
one book by each of them available from Durham Library Online. Particularly
interested in reading the work of Gary McMahon. I'm now at Jen’s. Fell asleep on
the bus here. TV and big discussion about political correctness / transgressions. Ate
Halloween cakes, drank Britvic blackcurrant cordial. Overweight and struggling
to button my jeans. Must do something about it. OK. 10.39 pm.
Sunday 5th November 2017
Another
lie in. House really cold so double layers of clothes on. Went to Tesco for
supplies. Then Jenni played lots of Sage Francis and B Dolan tracks. I like
some of their stuff but not too struck on the music. Joined Sky Hawkins and Ben
Dickenson for a meal with Lynda and Jeff Price. Lovely lamb and vegetables.
Apple crumble and ice cream. Listened to very interesting conversations and eclectic
music on the sound system. Not back in Gateshead
for bus home so stayed over at Jen’s place.
11.40 pm.
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