2006 -Happy Flat - Dark Man Dies

After 11 years it was time to say goodbye.

2006 -Happy Flat - Djr

2006 -Happy Flat - Final Days

6th July. My final day. Woke up late to an incredible thunderstorm booming directly overhead. A count of 1-2-3-4 between flash and crash. Jo was up and went to the laundrette. Lying there my brain could not compute these are the final moments. This may mean nothing to you, dear reader, but for me this place contains 1/3rd of my entire life memories. I got up and wrapped a towel round my waist, threw on a clean T-shirt, made a cup of tea and sat in the green armchair staring out at a wall of rain and mist... the spire of St Mary's just poking through as a tall pointy shadow. The memories got me. Emotions bubbled and I realised I couldn't just sit there like any ordinary day.

So I've walked down to Boca Bar on Bath Road. Am here now, writing this. On the way I took a stroll through Arnos Vale cemetary... Nice Guy Tony rang, which was lovely and perfect timing. I'd been thinking of him specifically early, as he's instrinsincaly linked to the happy flat. It's stil raining outside, the atmosphere is very warm, heavy and charged... but it's all good. I'm guessing that In a few days I'll be walking around here and it will feel like I never quite lived here. Strange feeling to have, if you've ever had that.

2006 - Cosy Castle - First Days

July: I was not prepared for the emotional rent I felt leaving Brislington. A whole day of ferrying my stuff from the Happy Flat to here, and then... done. I no longer live there. I live here. But here I can't just walk into town, here I can't walk down to the 10-screen showcase cinema, or massive sainsbury's, or the graveyard, to down the road to Sonja's. Here... is nowhere. There's almost nothing. The bus service is grim. The route long and frustrating. Although only 2 miles as the crow flies from Brislington, my attempt to walk there was thwarted by the insane steep hill, deadly road, broad river with no bridges and the non-existent conham ferry.

I don't really miss the Happy Flat, but I do miss Brislington... although these feelings fade as I adjust to the new space.

2006 - Cosy Castle - My biscut tin

July: A random phone call with Sonja and a quick decision, and £350 later I own my first car since the college donkey in 1990. Perfect for knocking around the city, getting me to Boca bar, to Sonjas, to showcase, and to my friends without relying on the crappy bus service Bristol provides.

2006 - Cosy Castle - Kitchen

Standing in dinning room doorway looking in kitchen. Lots of teething problems here.

2006 - Cosy Castle - Dinning Room

Standing in doorway of entrance hall looking in.

2006 - Cosy Castle - Master Bedroom

Standing in doorway. This is the antique brass bed Jo bought for the house.

2006 - Cosy Castle - Spare Room #1

Standing in doorway looking in. Through window is a view of some rooftops, then Brislington in distance, and open countryside, hills and open fields beyond. The room is currently being used as Jo's walk-in wardrobe until we get the master bedroom fitted with wardrobes. Eventually it will be a guest bedroom.

2006 - Cosy Castle - Bathroom.

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2006 - Cosy Castle - 2nd Staircase

Standing at top looking down. Bathroom is just to the left (downstairs). Upstairs to my right is 2nd spare room, and to my left is 3rd spare room (my Sky Room).

2006 - Cosy Castle - 2nd Spare Room.

Standing in dinning room doorway looking in. At moment it's a dump for all the boxes we've yet to sort through. Eventually it will become a cinema room / guest room.

2006 - Cosy Castle - 3rd Spare Room (My Sky Room)

The doorway is out of shot, in the far left corner. The window is a dormer window with incredible views of city and open countryside. This is my study and Game Room.

2006 - Bristol / Outside The Arnolfini - Eric

July: My friendship with Hägen grows and deepens. The first week after I moved into Cosy Castle, he was especially 'there for me'. Meanwhile, his own social circle is developing and I'm happy to be part of this. Mostly revolving around enjoying beer in the sun outside the legendry Arnolfini site. Cobblestones and the harbour all around us. This is Eric. He's a psychology teacher, and surfer dude... about to move to New Zealand.

2006 - Bristol / Outside The Arnolfini - Owen

July: Owen had borrowed somebody's bike and promptly fell off.

2006 - Bristol / Outside The Arnolfini - Aiyven (sp?)

July

2006 - Bristol / Outside The Arnolfini - Ant

July: Lovely bloke. Very easy going. Possibly somebody who will get me my first experience of sailing . Fingers crossed.

2006 - Bristol / Boca Bar- Sonja

July: Meeting up with Sonja in my old stomping ground was very strange, but lovely and important. Strange because the surroundings are so familiar and embedded in several years of memories but my brain is saying "but I don't live here anymore". Important because it helps me realise that I can still enjoy these people and these places... it's just that I now have a whole new world opening up to explore as well as this old world.

2006 - Manchester

Jo and I drove up to Manchester to see her brother Mark for the weekend. Beautiful weather and a very relaxed trip, despite Mark's partner, Jen, making everybody uncomfortable with her moods. It was the final days of that relationship. Mark threw a huge BBQ for the street.

2006 - Stoke on Trent - Eddy, Jo, Glenda

July: Driving back from Manchester in sultry heat with windows open and Ah-Ha and Keane blasting out, we stopped into Jo's parents on the way. Fab Sunday Roast (chicken) and a great chance to strengthen my bond with her folks.

2006 - West Coast US (photo from) - Adam

Adam is a guy I grew up with in Newcastle. He moved to the states years ago but we've kept in touch. His main talent is his creativity, but he always was adept at slipping into other roles. Never saw him as a priest before. The couple are friends of his.

2006 - Canada (photo from) - Jess

Another update from Jess accompanied by photos of her and her tattoo. Sounds like she's still living life at 110 miles per hour. Can't believe we've not seen each other since 2003 *pouts*. I miss Canada too. I long to be able to spend an indulgent period of time lost in its wilderness. Hey-ho. Here's praying for a good future.

2006 - Newcastle - Ian & Yazz

July 21st: I'd been back in Bristol long enough to move into the cosy castle and start feeling normal again.

Then Mum and my sister flew out to the arctic for a while. I decided to spend a week back up in Newcastle, visit dad and all that jazz. Caught up with Yazz, and Ian at thier new pad down by the river. Nice long walk there.

2006 - Fauske / Arctic (photo from) - Mum and Squirt

It was a big gathering. Mum, Squirt and Nikuli stayed with uncle Rune.

2006 - Newcastle - Djr

Hmm, I think I look a little too happy holding that rifle.

2006 - Bristol - Dom

July: I return from Newcastle. Dom has flown back from the middle-east with his wife. He's home for a few weeks. I start to engage the process of looking for a new job / contract but I have lots of free time... when I'm not drinking coffee in Boca Bar with my laptop, working on Inside Circles (story idea and plot for YD), or mapping out a new novel idea (based in YD, with an EFIB agent infiltrating a UDP committee, and an organised crime block of muscle working all the angles he can find to make money).... then I'm with Dom / Hagen, Kevin, and our new player (and illustrator) Øivind, playing Yellow Dawn upstairs in Cosey Castle. It's a great few weeks and gives me some important play-testing of the Yellow Dawn system. I launched Yellow Dawn on the internet around April and it's doing pretty well. Getting a lot of people asking for the rules.

Meanwhile, Dom is looking very healthy. Spending time with him and Lucy it's wonderful to find Lucy's english is exceptional now, we have proper conversations. However, Dom has a tough time ahead of him. The job track he's in has a limited shelf life, he needs to retrain, whilst working in the Middle East.