New Girl In Town

Been at a drama group meeting tonight, which means beer (all 3 and half pints of it) which means it’s late and I can't sleep yet. Pathetic.
Gilly invited Caroline, her colleague/mate from M6 theatre Agency. She may do some writing for us by New Year.
What is it in the male make up that makes us (and I say us as I know all hetro men ARE the same in this area) get all interested in a new women in our social circle. She is handsome , granted (as my brother would say) but that doesn't quite explain the interest that I, Martin, Paul and Tom all had and tried to hide. Hopefully the change of dynamic with her involved will lead to more great work (yes, being a bit boastful here). :-)
The basic plot idea of a wedding ceremony and party has had us thinking of loads of funny scenes, looking forward to this one, which should be ready by Jan 2005. 2005 already - fuck! Get the oxygen mask and fresh pyjamas ready nurse, old age is coming round the bend.

Helpless Schmelpless

I'm feeling generally pissed off as couple of big things happening that I can't influence it seems. They're splitting our department at work - the interactive unit. As head of that department I found myself in Dilbert world and waiting for the punch line. Seems the punch line is 'because someone bigger than you wants a nicer view' - and that means our close knit, profitable unit of 18 gets broken in two, with a floor between the two bits. Excellent thinking.
Second 'out of my hands' scenario is the old man behind our garden has sold off his land and derelict houses/s and included land we have in dispute with him.. So have a legal wrangle on the way. He seems unwilling to 'un-sell' the patch in question even though paperwork hasn't been exchanged. Grrrr.
So I'm feeling helpless, frustrated, de-natured, emasculated - pissed off. This whiskey is nice though ;-)

Train Blog

I’m on the midnight train to … okay, I’m on the morning train to Wakefield.
You can’t really romanticise the 8-o-5 from London Kings Cross , [bing bonggg] The GNER White Rose service calling at Peterborough, Wakefield Westgate and Leeds [bing bonggg]. Apparently there are one hundred and eighty two ticket type exceptions, promotions and schemes operating on this journey and if you don’t have the right ticket you will be charged full fare price and have hot coffee poured on your lap.

I’ve been down at the London office for a couple of days and before that I was in Liverpool at the ‘Interactive City’ 2 day seminar. I preferred the smaller city vibe of da’pool. Though the McCann London guys were good company and do a mean integrated services pitch. Their ability to switch into a range of languages is humbling.. I did learn a couple of Spanish phrases though.

But Liverpool was a better city experience, the great weather helped and it’s evident that a whole stack of money is going into apartments , bars and work spaces which gives it an air of change and possibilities, of optimism. My great Grandfather was apparently active there the last time money flowed into Liverpool, around the turn of the century. Family legend has it that he was turned over and killed for his cash – obtained from dealing in fireplaces on the docks.. Presumably pulling them out of old country cottages and putting in the town houses of the noveau riche. The temptation is to romanticise his rock and roll life but he was by all accounts a bit of a git, violent and a dodgy dealer and left his wife with a whole stack of boys to bring up.

I want to write a lock stock and 2 smoking barrels meets gangs of new york meets boys from the black stuff type of thing … and I see a thread between his ‘comer in’ economic migrant status and the other peoples who flowed into the ports to move through England at that time. Some research required I think. There, I’m romanticising already.