November 10, 2002

Last week's birthday drink went off well! A good turnout of friends and loved ones to The Yard in Soho and far too much alcohol was consumed - at least by me - and it was good to see everyone. I certainly didn't want to get up for work the next day. The weekend that followed it was a bit tedious but then I was still struggling with the hacking cough and cold so wasn't too fussed.

I've given up smoking! Yet again. This time, however, I've been using nictoine patches - and it's amazing how successful they are. I have absolutely no cravings at all to smoke at the moment, although I wonder what will happen when I wean myself off the patches. Still, it's an achievement to get this far! In addition, I've started going to my old gym again so I'm on something of a health kick at the moment. I need to as well cos I'm getting really lardy in the gut department.

My mate Paul had a Guy Fawkes party on November 5 - loads of fireworks and booze. A fun night too and it was fab to see quite a few people I haven't seen in years there, including Phil and Caroline and Martin. I had to leave fairly early - the next day was a work awayday thing and I had to do a presentation. Fortunately it wasn't too serious - a review of the year done in the style of a gameshow - but I was the host and it was still bloody nerve-wracking! You'll be pleased to know it went well and I got plenty of praise!

October 30, 2002

And so today is my birthday and I'm now 39. I guess I should be depressed about it all but fortunately I prefer to behave like a dumb teenager so age tends not to concern me. Whether I will feel the same when I hit the big 40 is another matter altogether. Anyway, tonight I have a few beers after work and then tomorrow I am out celebrating with my mates.

I'm full of cold and coughs at the moment after getting a fluey thing earlier this month. It's going round the office and seems to mark the arrival of autumn - it's been wet, windy and rather miserable of late and that hasn't helped my mood. I'm getting easily pissed off with things at the moment and I think that is a sign that I need a holiday and a good long week away from work. There's also been quite a bit of bad news recently too, which hasn't helped.

I've managed to see a few people though to keep the spirits up. Had dinner with mum, Trev and nanny on Monday, which was a laugh, and spent much of the weekend with Craig. Saw Jamie and Brian before they went off to Australia for a three-week holiday (lucky bastards).

October 9, 2002

I'm just getting over a rather odd illness - it was a bit like flu but not as severe. It really drained me and I needed a couple of days off work to get through it, mainly sleeping and perspiring heavily. Not nice!

My weekend was quite quiet, at a leaving do for my colleague Angie (who is leaving to return to Australia). The week before we had another leaving do for my boss Claire. It seems everyone is leaving right now... Also this weekend I went round to Craig's for this 'n that.

I've been feeling a bit out of sorts lately, on top of the illness. Mainly to do with the old single life stuff I guess. I've generally been quite happy being on my own these last months but that's changing. Maybe it's something to do with winter coming or, indeed, my impending birthday.

Not much else to report really apart from Brian's fun birthday night, which featured an 80s quiz and music. A great time was had!

September 19, 2002

My oldest mate Chris got married last Saturday to the lovely Tina down in the heart of Sussex and I was there to see it all happen. A lovely day it was too, with many members of my family there as well as friends. Fortunately the sun shone so we could really appreciate the countryside and the golf club where it was held. Lots of drink flowed and quite a few old school mates turned out for the evening drinks and party.

I took some great photos and had them developed, only for my bag to be stolen with them inside. Yes, it happened again and yet again my phone, money etc went missing too. Bastards. That didn't put me in a good mood at all but that's history now and it's a question of getting everything sorted and cards replaced. Nightmare. I stayed down with the family at the weekend and got the chance to see the rest of the family and my lovely nieces!

I've been out a couple of times with a really nice guy called Martin - watch this space on that one!

Other than that I've been out a few times with friends. It was good to see American Michael again after several months of him being away in the US. I've also seen Jamie and Brian (who hosted a fun Abigail's Party night at their place) and Mr Stuart too. Had a good night out with Pete, Emma and Catherine too.

September 4, 2002

I said I thought Prague was the most beautiful city in Europe - and I can confirm that now! What an amazing city. I spent the weekend there with about 25 other guys on my mate Chris's stag weekend - the pic shows me and him on the Charles Bridge. We got there on Friday in time to go out in the evening (an eventful night in some bizarre ways) then woke up on Saturday to brilliant sunshine.

I spent the day walking around - the delightful Old Town Square, many wonderful cobbled streets lined with buildings that are centuries old. After lunch, I hiked up to the castle that overlooks the city. It's not a conventional castle but a collection of impressive state buildings and a fine cathedral. The views over the city were magical.

The evening was spent eating and drinking - and everything is so cheap there. A few of us ended up in a wonderful club by the Charles Bridge and I danced into the early hours before wandering back to our hotel. On Sunday the weather was a bit drab and I spent most of it wandering around the streets with flatmate John and sitting in some of the bars! The evening was, errr, interesting. Although not really my cuppa tea!

I'd love to go back and see more of the place, especially in the winter with snow falling. Very romantic. Highly recommended.

August 27, 2002

I know I keep saying it, but this was another couple of busy weeks. Not that I'm complaining - it's great to be working and playing hard again after so many months of relative inactivity! We have just had a bank holiday weekend and I met up with some great people from Out on Saturday. We did a tour of the Houses of Parliament, which was fascinating, and then went on for drinks and a meal at the British Museum restaurant. It's in the stunningly refurbished Great Court and was eerily atmospheric without all the tourists!

Sunday I went to Brighton with Pete and Catherine to meet Emma and her friend H. A pleasant day out, ruined only by the rain. The weather meant we all stayed mainly indoors going from one bar to another so we were pretty hammered by the time we had to come home! Ooops.

The weekend before the weather was a lot better and Pete and Catherine had a BBQ followed by drinks on Wandsworth Common, which was nice.

I've also been busy at the cinema - again with some Out friends. I saw the wonderfully restored version of Amadeus and then the brilliant new Australian thriller Lantana, which I highly recommend.

This week is a three-day week for me as I am off to Prague for a long weekend - my mate Chris's stag weekend. Sounds like another drink-soaked weekend in store then but I am determined to see something of what is supposed to be the most beautiful city in Europe.

Pic is of my gorgeous niece Catherine!

August 12, 2002

What a busy couple of weeks that was... and not just work. The weekend before last I popped down to see the family cos my cousin Mark, his wife and their daughter Molly were down from Yorkshire for a week. It was good to see them again but all the babies were out in force so it was all rather exhausting! I needed a beer in town that night just to recover...

And this weekend just gone I was done in Bath in Somerset. It was Kate's 30th and a load of us piled down to help her celebrate. She moved down there some time ago with Danny and they have a lovely place. The weather stayed fine, just, so we spent all afternoon and half the night beering it up in the garden. Gawd knows how much we drank but everyone was on good form.

The next day we went off to Bradford on Avon for lunch and a walk. A lovely village it is too. Getting out of London for a weekend was great - for the change of pace and scene. We will have to do it again one day!

I continue to settle in well at work and mixed it socially with them on Friday, when it was Gavin's leaving do. Stayed out far too late bearing in mind I had to be up early for Bath. Anyway, I'm still here.

Our summer is proving to be diabolical. Last week we had the most atrocious rain storms and we've hardly seen any sunshine. I'm desperate for a bit of sun, sand and sea...

July 27, 2002

The sun is finally shining this weekend - about bloody time too. So far our summer has been as dull as the proverbial dishwater but today is nice and sunny and I've celebrated by having all my hair cut off. Not too much else planned for the weekend but hope to grab a few beers here and there.

Last weekend was fun. Went to Wig Out at Ghetto in Soho with Chico, which was fun. Great crowd but very hot and sweaty. Sunday, I went to bingo at Barcode with Stu and his sis Emma. We didn't win but had a laugh.

Work is going well. I'm well settled in now and this week I got my first pay packet for months and months so I feel very rich all of a sudden and the temptation is to spend. However, the credit cards have taken a battering over the last nine months so the priority is to get them paid off first. I wouldn't mind a holiday too but that will have to wait until I complete my probation at Barclays.

July 14, 2002

I've completed my first week back at work after nine months of unemployment - working for one of our big banks in their online department as a journalist. Surprisingly, I wasn't at all nervous about it - so maybe all that time off has turned me into a more relaxed person! The first week has all been about settling in, learning stuff, meeting the teams as well as some work - and it's generally been fine. It is, however, something of a culture shock, going from the plain-speaking world of media to the corporate banking world so I'm gonna have to get used to that. Hopefully, however, things will settle down and I will feel comfortable there.

Last weekend was Gay Pride (or Mardi Gras as they call it). Met up with Stu, Toby, Jamie and Brian for beers and the march and then went to Hackney Marshes for the festival. What a nightmare that was - miles from anywhere, a grim venue and very poor value for money. How I long for the days of the free Pride festivals... Next year they really have to get their act together and at a decent venue or nobody will turn up. Still, we got pissed and tried to enjoy it as much as possible.

Work means I have to get up at 7am these days, which is all rather grim! I will never get used to that - and it rather restricts one's evenings. Still, I met up with Stu on Wednesday and Jamie on Thursday. Then got dragged in to town by Chico late Friday night. Now I'm enjoying the London sunshine - the first in ages!

The pic shows me (tired and hungover) and my youngest niece Emily.

July 3, 2002

Good things come in threes, they say! I got a job, got a �1,000 cheque from the bank from some insurance stuff due to me - and then had my bag stolen complete with wallet, credit cards, mobile phone, keys and a book I was relishing on the Russian space programme. What a great way to end last Sunday night that was... Bastards. Hope they rot in hell.

That means this week has so far been a struggle making ends meet again and trying to get everyone's phone numbers again. Such a pain!

Anyway, the weekend was fine thank you - apart from the theft. On Saturday night I met up with a few people from the Out website at a drink arranged by someone called Craig. I was supposed to be going clubbing with them but too many Tequilas were consumed and it all ended earlier than expected! Still, I enjoyed it and they were great people.

Sunday afternoon I went to Mark and Tracey's for their daughter's first birthday party (an excuse for adults to drink too much). I used to work with them and quite a few former colleagues turned up - nice to see them again and chat about life then and now. After that I went into town to meet Jamie, Brian, Stu, Matt and Paul for bingo and Barcode. I won a game - and �50 - and then had the bag stolen there. Typical eh?

So in my last week of freedom now before starting work again. Can't say I feel any excitement - but that may be due to dreading the thought of having to be in work by 9am again! Still, I must be grateful.

June 21, 2002

Crack open the champagne! I've got a job!! It's all been happening this week cos Barclays Bank rang me to say they were offering me the job of online sub-editor on their websites. The package is excellent and I couldn't possibly turn it down. Ironically, after nine months of unemployment, I got a call the following day saying AOL wanted to give me a job too - but the deal was nowhere as good. So I start work again on July 8 - and it's going to be a bit odd getting back into the swing of 9-5 and enduring public transport in rush hour.

Still, it came just at the right time cos I was pretty much out of money - as it is, mum and nanny have had to come to my rescue. Anyway, now I'm having to plough through all the paperwork and sort out contracts, pensions, cancellation of benefits and so on. Oh, the bureaucracy we live in!

Managed to catch up with American Michael and Paul this week and did some DIY stuff at the flatmate's other place for some pocket money.

Oh, and I hope you like the new-look site. Thought the old version was looking a bit knackered!

June 13, 2002

Well it's been a busy few weeks, one way or another. I went to see Kylie Minogue at Wembley with Jamie, Brian and their friend Steve and we had a great time. Fantastic entertainment value - and that's coming from someone who isn't one of her biggest fans! We followed it with a night of clubbing and drinking so I was well-oiled by the time I got home.

My nan continued her 80th birthday celebrations and the family and I piled off to the London Eye and London Aquarium - made a change to do some touristy things in my own city! It was a beautiful day for it as well and we followed it up with a meal out. The picture is some of the family on the Eye!

That weekend was the Golden Jubilee but not being a monarchist I steered clear of all that nonsense. I'm also doing my best to avoid all the World Cup stuff, being an avowed enemy of football.

I've had three job interviews lately, two with AOL and one with Barclays Bank. I was really hopeful about the AOL one but it seems to have come to nothing and I'm a bit down about that. I still have to hear from Barclays so it's fingers crossed. I badly need work. Being unemployed for nine months is no fun and it's beginning to get me down again - especially as I have little in the way of money.

May 27, 2002

Quite some time off the socialising of late but now back with gusto. Such fun! A busy weekend too. Popped down to the folks to see my nan, who was 80 on Saturday. We are all going out again this coming Saturday to celebrate big-style. Then it was off to Jamie's for the Eurovision Song Contest - Latvia winning with a pretty average song. I voted for Estonia, which made it all very Baltic States-ish. Sunday evening I popped into town to see Michael.

The week was spent applying for yet more jobs, popping down to Karen's to get my hair cut and see the lovely nieces. I also did some work for my mate Paul. On Wednesday I popped over to Ealing to celebrate Ashley's birthday and do the pub quiz at West 5. Thursday daytime I met up with Chico in town for food and beer and then rushed down to Tooting for the pub quiz there with Emma, Pete and Nobby... Didn't win either of them!

Tonight I'm off to see Kylie Minogue with Jamie, Brian and their American friend Steve. Should be a laugh! Friday night is Gatecrasher at Heaven but I don't think we're going, which is a shame, but clubbing all night and then going to see my nan the next day is probably not a good idea. Oh well. Pic is from the last Gatecrasher... can you spot me?

May 15, 2002

Well, it's all been quite dull of late - especially after my last report. I've been quite busy but mainly doing things of very little interest - some freelance work, DIY at John's other house in Streatham, moving my mate Paul to his new home in pouring rain - that sort of thing.

I went to Jamie's Fantasy Eurovision Party and had a right laugh... got drunk too, no suprise! I represented Poland and came well down in the final results table, which was expected thanks to an awful song. Anyway, we followed it with a bop and more booze - and the pic shows me and Matt rather worse for wear late in the evening (and I stole it off Jamie's website!).

I also met up with Michael a few times for beers as well as Graham from Out and then had lunch with Nev and Andy and their secretary Lynne last Friday to mark her birthday. Talk about trashed... far too much wine and beer for one day!

April 28, 2002

Wow, what a fab weekend! Sheffield club Gatecrasher has started a new monthly residency at Heaven in London so we arranged a bit of a night out! Started off celebrating Ginger Stuart's birthday at The Yard (poor guy was already pretty trashed by the time I got there) and then marched off to the queue with Pete, Michael, Emma and co.

The place was heaving but I had a great time, dancing, drinking and doing illegal things. Paul Van Dyk did a three hour set and the music was mainly trancey - just how a like it. I was on a high all night!

Came home long after the sun had come up, slept all day Saturday and then spent the evening boozing again. Now I'm in serious recovery mode!

The previous weekend we celebrated ginger Nick's 30th with pub crawl/coach trip to West Wittering on the south coast. Mucho boozo with Pete, H, Emma, Kate, Danny and a bunch of others. Spent the evening at a B&B and Sunday at Nick's folks place on the beach. It was good to get out of London for a change and to see the sea!

Met up with the gang from school on Wednesday evening in town. Nev couldn't make it cos he had had an op on his knee, but it was good to see Chris Kimber again after a long time. We were hoping to meet up with Tony Burgess, who we went to school with, but he had to go somewhere on work at the last minute. Haven't seen him since we were in our mid-20s. Hopefully next time!

Still no real job news and money is tight but I should be getting a tax rebate soon, thank gawd. Some freelance stuff on the horizon, which is good.

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