News

Massive crowd giving it ‘I’m not worthy’ gestures just out of shot

The bookings for one-offs and gigs are currently running up to June, almost all of this is work for groups or organisations. There are other bookings coming in, the most recent of which – as I write this – is for some consultancy work linked to psychotherapy. If you’re one of those likely to send in a request it might be worth noting that I’m trying to contain the gigs and one-off work to three main areas of work;

1. – Individual consultancy work; to help people or organisations develop work for publication.
2. – Specialist workshops; like the work I did recently with therapists and counsellors.
3. – General one-off talks on aspects of writing for a living or creative writing.

Stan Bowles, I saw him play in a Carlisle shirt, he was a legend!

Thanks to all of you who have taken the trouble to get in touch about my football writing recently. The column appearing online, in the Matchday Magazine and Hit the Bar brings some traffic through here, usually asking my opinion on the Brunton Park striking crisis.

Oddly he didn’t ask to buy any of my books, maybe next time, eh?

My opinion revolves around hoping this column goes live alongside news of a new signing to boost the firepower. I got involved in the 35th anniversary celebrations of the Carlisle United London Branch recently, and the picture hereabouts of Stan Bowles and myself comes from the evening event that followed the 3-1 drubbing at Brentford. We still had a good night, and Stan was the highlight, especially his story of the night the FA Cup was clattered to the ground at Roker Park. The Wikipedia says it was a scuffed clearance, but I prefer the story that Stan took bets he could hit it with a deliberate attempt.

Thirty five years in the making, worth the time to read

Blueseason 2009/2010 is well on the way, and thanks to those of you who read the last one and took time to get in touch. The Christmas rush in Carlisle seems to have generated some sales and traffic through here. I’d like to take some space this time to mention a book I didn’t write. The title pictured next to this column is the work celebrating 35 years of the Carlisle United Supporters Club London Branch. Collecting the best of their newsletter/fanzine over that period it’s a testament to a love so deep it defies all reason. In the early days the newsletter was an effort based on abusing early photocopying machines at the workplaces of the handful of members, by way of some good times the book chronicles the drop to the Conference and the varied and amusing contents of the current beacon of fanzine excellence that is Hit the Bar. Available if you Google Carlisle United Supporters Club London Branch. And on sale amongst the crowd when we get to Wembley (maybe).

And here’s the usual link to my most recent CUFC book:(Opens new window)

With Love, still on sale, soon to be joined by other titles

I’m leaving this item live on the news page, at least for this update, because I’m managing a couple of student teams as they write books for separate clients, the most demanding by a long way is the work being attempted by a second year undergraduate group who are writing a book for a Dartford based charity who help people with severe learning difficulties to live as independently as possible.

Our book looks at the way people helped by the charity come of age. A more fun project and – supposedly – a simpler job, will see another group writing a book for Dartford FC. There should be cover designs and details of publication dates in time for the next update of this page. There is a much more ambitious project coming along behind these two titles and some bids and statements are in place to facilitate this. I’ll talk more about it in a few months once I know how much financial support I can get for the ambitious plans.

With Love Link
(Opens new window)

Lennon, he's an accepted classic, not sure about my movie script.

This isn't exactly news, this is the copy I'll keep on this page until they make the movie, or the option agreement expires in July 2012. Other than the Carlisle United stuff Mr Lennon still generates more traffic through this site than anything else. The one thing of significance to have moved in the last three months is the news that we were paid on schedule to keep the option open in January. Coming a month after the news that half the budget had been raised, that was a positive sign during hard times for film makers.

Encore time for legendary saxophone.

Over and above what we discussed three months ago there’s not much to report on developments with the humour writing and the revival of the link with Poot! Comic. However, the picture of Sven the Sax proved quite popular, so we’ll run it again.

Written in 1977, hardly a best-seller. If anyone else has read it in the last month I’d love to meet them!

By popular request I continue to keep illustrating this ongoing item with book covers of titles so unspeakably obscure and/or dense that only the truly committed would venture into the pages beyond. I could ramble on in the usual fashion but we’ll keep it simple. All being well, things will be underway officially by the time of the next update. At which point I may be shamelessly using this site to start some debates with the handful of people on the planet who have an interest in the subject matter of my particular obscure little endeavour.