2005 - Newcastle - Dad

May: another trip to Newcastle. It's a blistering summer and Dad settles right into his new accomodation... no stairs to negotiate every morning and night; instead his wheelchair can be easily pushed out through the wide-double doors leading from his room onto the veranda.

2005 - Newcastle - Oj, Akr

May

2005 - Newcastle - Akr

May: my sister had a funny turn, but she's okay now.

2005 - Newcastle - Djr, Mum

May

2005 - Newcastle - Yazmox

May: we had a night out together... some random bars in the city centre. Fun night.

2005 - Newcastle - Mike C

May: Mike C from Kitsch'n joined me. He's rapidly becoming a sound mate, rather than just a regular face in the cafe.

2005 - The Happy Flat - Djr

June: It's been 10 years since I moved into the Happy Flat.

That's pretty mad when I actually think about it. Ten years.

2005 - Bristol - Nice Guy Tony

June: It's also approaching 10 years that I've known this fella. Jo and I had started trying out some of the local bars in Brislington; all of them were grim without question, but the best of a bad bunch was the Park Hotel bar.

I met up with Tony and his girlfriend Sophie one night.

2005 - Bristol - Nice Guy Tony, Sophie

June: Sophie had a thing about licking her boyfriend in public places.

2005 - Bristol - Nice Guy Tony, Sophie

June: Yup. More licking.

2005 - Castle of Tranquility - Zed

June: it was cool having Zed back for the summer, albiet she was pretty busy with working to save money for her planned relocation to Australia, and collaborating with several muscians / producers in Bristol.

It's around now that Zed started working at a restaurant on Park Row called Bochanova.

2005 - Castle of Tranquility - Zed, Sonja

June

2005 - Castle of Tranquility - Djr

June: the work situation was becoming diabolical. They had changed all the furniture in the Block 2 room... making it looking like a call centre. The wonderful line manager I'd had since 1998 had been shipped off back to Exeter...

...moral in the office was unbearably low. Meanwhile, "our" new line manager, a young woman, in an attempt to lift spirits bought the predominantly male team soft-porn mags and chocolate ice creams one lunchtime. I sat there cringing at the total ineptitude of what was happening to a great bunch of people.

The business case for the Virtual Communications upgrades had been scuppered by a Regional Director... as he thought it showed his original concept in a bad light.

The videoconferencing service was now in shambles. Urgent calls from people with connection problems were getting shuffled around the new system, because nobody had actually bothered to learn about videoconferencing... it was too specialised. It did not fit the mould. After a few months of this, the Agency began to stop using videoconferencing... it had become far too unreliable.

I had been applying for new roles outside of this call centre... one day I had the heads-up that there was a perfect role for me in Project Management. Except... Jackie R blocked the move... despite knowing what stress I'd been through, despite knowing that I was totally unsuited to the role they'd hammered me into... she took deliberate and vindictive action to wreck my career.

We were sent to a hotel in Solihull for a Team Building Day. It involved a mandatory overnight stay the night before... the first morning we all gathered in a conference room to find Jackie R - one of the chief architects of this debacle - sitting at a small desk at the front of the room, looking for all the world like a school mistress. It was obvious she was not happy. As more of us filed into the room, she kept her attention fixed on some very important papers in front of her. Finally, she looked up and began talking to us like we were about 10 years old. I could not believe it.

I had money in the bank, enough to last me a couple years if I needed. I had several new novels to write. I no longer saw a future in the Agency. Jackie N had made sure of that.

I penned my resignation letter that night. The next morning I went into work and handed it in first thing. I gave them one month's notice.

2005 - Happy Flat - Sarah G

June: Jo's sister came round for a visit.

2005 - Happy Flat - Oj, Djr, Sarah G

June

2005 - Zed

June: Zed and (c.l.i.p.s.) got asked to perform live on Radio 1 as thier single was now number 1 on the drum & bass charts. This highlights Zed's fabulous character, despite her growing success she has not changed as a person. Has not let it go to her head.

2005 - Happy Flat - Oj

July: Jo stood by my decision to leave the Agency and throw myself into my jetstream of the Fates.

2005 - Djr & Oj

2005 - Agnieszka

From Poland. Met Agnieszka at the Boston Tea Party when we had to share a table. She was just about to go for her oral English exam and had been feeling down about her ability. 1 hour of talking we me gave her confidence back - she then walked her exam. Now we meet for coffee and chats.

2005 - Oj

13,ooo ft, forty second free-fall then 7 minutes with an open chute. She wasn't even nervous. Waited from 8am at the airfield until she jumped just after 5.30pm but the day was enjoyable - plus I rediscovered my lurrrve of toasty sandwhiches. Memory of watching a sky diver DVD - some guy jumping without his chute, then grabbing a spare one off another guy, opening it without actually putting it on, hanging by one arm from the straps, or hanging upside down by his legs. Mad.

2005 - Chris W

I sense Chris' confidence is flourishing as his pictures gain more attention. He's started cycling - is looking better than he has done for a long time.