3293 - Sisters of noisy

Nice day in in Wilmslow and Manchester with
Josie and (in town) with Pearl. Koffee Pot
Was our first stop. A late breakfast. It pissed
It down while in there, but with lots and lots
Of toast to munch, was occupied and watched
The heavy rain in Manchester, second
Day in a row, flowers on tarmac plots
As heavy drops land and spread all around
Momentary petals as they rebound
From impact. Then to Ziferblat we switched
For drinks and cakes galore, also somewhat
Unexpectedly, Monopoly bound
Our attention for two hours. Hug and kiss
For both sisters, time with them is well-bought

3289 - Snigger Lounge

Amazingly, despite last night's late night
And a busy day at work following
I went out tonight to comedy night
At Tiger Lounge, 'bout which I been hearing
And enjoyed the acts, sitting there watching
A Guinness then two cheap ciders I drank
Met a few new people, reacquainting
Myself with Tuesday Tony, and to think
Some of these guys were good, no, no-one stank
So not much time but tomorrow I might
Have to up my game to be impressing
What will I do, will look at the jokes bank
And look at the material from last night
I didn't do, and do quick rehearsing!

3287 - Rubies and diamond dogs

Didn't get the FFS tickets, for
Fuck's sake, but never mind, ambiguous
About it anyway. I'm looking for-
ward to Absolute Bowie, taking place
Saturday night. No drive-in, I confess
Nor is the Ruby Lounge gig on Tuesday
But we'll find out, is there life on dancefloors?
Not only in Warszawa, but UK
There'll be both sound and vision, and so may
Boys keep swinging, let's dance, Queen Bitch, you whore
From station to station, we'll be heroes
Be my wife, Jean Genie, no I won't say
Even Andy Warhol he was a bore
But in our rooms we won't be breaking glass

3284 - Taking a raincheck

What a wet day, the rain's gone on and on!
So much so that there's now a giant hole
In the Mancunian Way, please don't fall in!
The rain's enough to make of us a mole
Burying ourselves deep down like lumps of coal
It's eased off now, and the weather forecast
For the weekend's OK, so I will roll
Up at Piccadilly station, half-past
Twelve tomorrow, with a big group, a taste
Of beer and the Glossop folk train to come!
Should be fun, while Jo's in Spain and I'm all
At a loss for what to do these two Sats
Last week, Huddersfield, this week, Glossop. Fun
And beer are intertwined, be still, my soul!

3250 - Madchester United

Here we are, two thirty at night again
It seems so long now since I met Josie
And we went to Old Trafford once again
The foreign tourists in their numbers be
Takin' their selfies in front of Bobby
Denis and Georgie Best, finger pointing
I wonder how long this will last, now she
Is getting into music, referencing
Nineties Britpop and house, she's digging
The stuff I dabbled with when I was an
Oldie already, rave beats set to the
Old songs from the sixties, recycling
Mixing, nothing new, good stuff, yes, but then
As long as it sells, people are happy

Sat 11 July

3243 - Quays to the city

A warm day, went out in shorts and t-shirt
On the train to see Jo, had a coffee
At Tania's, her back's broken but not worse
Than it was before her brace (fits nicely)
Avoiding in Ramadan the city
Centre where possible, we caught the bus
Part way to Salford Quays, got off safely
Despite a madman on the bus, then passed
Some time in Costa, and sat on the grass
Then sat by Man U's stadium talkin' bout
Britpop and Madchester, that's what Josie
Likes now, the Gallaghers from Oasis
Blur and the Stone Roses, she knows their 'shit'
While it's all funny memories for me

3242 - Poor young soul

Straight after work I went to Home, the new
Trendy cinema, the new Cornerhouse
In Tony Wilson Place (ha ha!), and you
Know it's near the 'Hacienda' flats that house
The spawn of the rich, beards and lower face
With hairy covering, and the men too
Why did I go to Tony Wilson Place?
To see the film 'bout Amy You-Know-Who
It was fun watching clips when she would do
Her fun teenage stuff, but it seemed although
She was a top singer from those young years
With good friends, she needed weed and booze too
Everything else was bound to happen to
Her, talent notwithstanding, poor lil mouse

3236 - Is it safe?

Been to see Josie, and her mum with her
Broken back in a brace, recovering
Or trying to, while perched on the sofa
Didn't go to Manchester, worrying
About terrorist attacks is spreading
Her mum and her were worried of the threat
Especially in Ramadan, with frightening
Reports on the news of some beheaded
Victim, or a mosque bombed, or beach of death
So went to Heaton Chapel, big dinner
(Lunch) and cheesecake, my stomach was hurting
Couldn't finish my Coke. Then to Stockport
Wandered round the shops and sat in Costa
Pleased that tonight, from drink I'm abstaining

3228 - Souper trouper

What a long day, woke just after seven
Dozed for a bit, rose seven twenty five
Well, lying in bed is close to heaven
And I drifted, listening to Beeb Five Live
Got to the office at eight twenty five
It seems like yesterday, technically, it is
Worked hard as usual, annual report jive
Queries and such, the usual thankless biz
Some laughs with Emma, who is quite a wheeze
And quite a sneeze with her hay fever. Then
Walked to the station, met Jo, caught train to arrive
In Manchester, to Vee and Pearl's flat, these
Last moments with Pearl, meal at half seven
Tampopo, Laksa soup, Walked miles. Survived.

Fri 19 June

3223 - Age of enlightenment (of the hair)

Went with Josie to Old T yet again
This time there was a fun match on
Man U Legends (old players) up against
Bayern Munich All-Stars, including one
Old great from my childhood years, the German
World Cup winner from '74, Paul
Breitner, then he had an afro, long gone
Now just thin grey hair ... how the hair does fall
Out in places, and get thinner. It's all
So inevitable, Paul. Yes, a win
For the home team, Jo's brought luck when we've gone
To watch games there, three out of three. Walk tall
United fans, though they're below the en-
emy, City, at present (they've less funds...!!)

3213 - Nothing ventured...

As ever, it's always worth venturing
Out. I was invited to a poetry
Slam at Fuel Bar, not imagining
I'd win, and I didn't, but met Tuesday
Tony, a comedy compere, he told me
I should go to Montpellier next Thursday
Which I will do and do some comedy
Which seems to be my God-given forte
And then there's an event on Saturday
At Tiger Lounge, so it was worth going
Out tonight, and I also saw Jackie
Who told me about another fun day
Sorry, evening at 3MT starting
A new weird quiz she said was right for me!

3202 - Footy and tea

The daylight's dying, but there'll be no rage
I'm not Dylan Thomas, not meant to be
I'm glad about that, cos he was quite large
And also Welsh. Just joking, obviously
I like the Welsh accent, and musically
There's lots of stars from there who make good sound
Today I made notes to my holiday
Pix, now I won't forget where I was bound
Or what that statue was, or that high ground
That took about three hours, then ate, then watched
The last day of the Premier League, only
Me, no shared comments, Louis' not around
These days. Met Nance for an update engage-
ment over tea, Northern Quarter trendy

3172 - The Greek Sheikh

Good evening, just got back from a big meal
At Dimitri's in Manchester, a Greek
Restaurant that has served us up a real
Great slap-up occasion, though it was steep
Thirty-four quid per head, could make you weep
But with some wine (or beer) down your neck, who
Cares anyway? Soon there'll be time for sleep
Now I must digest all that grub and try to
Get a bit more drunk cos it's Friday you
Know. Drinking makes everything somehow feel
Okay for a while. At least I'm not deep
In debt (yet). Well I am if I think too
Hard about it, with this mortgage to deal
With. I need money, not much as a sheikh

3167 - Tomorrow night

A late night sonnet from a tired brain
I've spent hours today learning material
For tomorrow's gig. It's not going to rain
That's good news when you've got to walk a mile
Or two carrying a guitar. The Castle
Pub's the venue on Oldham Street. I've tried
To learn the gags and lyrics - have I failed?
Well I've still got time tomorrow inside
The flat after work, to run through the slide
Of fingers on fretboard, refine playing
Only run through the two songs tonight - still
More practice needed to make it more tight
The Nina Simone song, that is the main
Difficulty, both chords and lyrical!

3164 - Coping

Just got back from a gig at Sound Control
In Manchester, the act was Julian Cope
He's about to go to Ireland to hole
Up and write new songs. We all hoped
He'd do some old stuff of course, but the scope
Included newer stuff which I quite liked
So I shelled out ten quid and I bought 'Trip
Advizer' - yes that's how it's spelled. He spiked
Maybe in the eighties but he's since psyched
His fans with other stuff, written a whole
Lot of books and whatnot. Quite a few popes
Have come and gone but he's still here and miked
Up for the occasion. Downstairs I told
His daughter of my travels in Europe!

Thursday 16 April

3160 - Red letter day

A great day out with Jo at Old Trafford
Not only was it a vital derby
But she was a mascot for United
Held hands with Juan Mata, one of those she
Chose in the first place in her fantasy
Numbers were drawn from a hat in the end
She got number ten, we then thought Rooney!
She'll be at the front on TV, her hand
In hand with England's top player, the land
If not the world jealous! But hopes misled -
Instead it meant the tenth man stood in the
Excited queue of Red players, that band
Of men in the tunnel. 4-2 they scored
A great day for her, and of course for me!

3154 - Manchester is red again

The floors have been done in my flat today
Got new floors in the bedroom, and in the
Bathroom and kitchen. The guys, all three, they
Did a good job, it looks superior
To what it looked like just one day before
Meanwhile, Derby won at Wigan and got
Malky Mackay sacked! Derby must be poor
If losing to us gets you sacked. It's not
Fair really, but I'm pleased Wigan are dropped
Like a stone to the First Division. Yay!
Man City lost at Palace, and now their
Title hopes are dead. Next Sunday a hot
Game at Old T, the Manchester derby
Josie is a mascot for Man U, yeah!

3142 - Midweek drink

Good night out with Pearly on Tariff Street
First, Kosmonaut, then El Capo, and then
The Whisky Jar, although that was no treat
Five quid for a sip of whisky, I drained
It in no time, but never mind, I've been
In there and that's good, I've sampled it now
A cool part of Manchester, though nothing
Compared to London, as Pearl said, and wow
She's been to many places down there, how
Many great nights she's had, that can't be beat
By anything up here in this Northern
Powerhouse, as it's now called down below
Back home in time for a drink as the night
Draws on, as time moves on, as life moves on

Wed 25 March

3140 - Glory glory

Poor Josie's ill at home off school today
But good news cheered her up before too long
I got a call from Man United. They
Said she'd been selected to walk along
The Old Trafford tunnel, shyly clinging
To a United player's hand in hers
Then walking onto the pitch as roaring
Reaches a crescendo, Reds and City's
Rival fans outshouting each in chorus
It's the kind of experience kids pray
For, especially at that age. Dreams aren't wrong
She dreamed recently of meeting players
Now it's on the horizon, on Sunday
The 12th of April. Sing your football song!

3136 - Set in stone

I was supposed to go to an event
But after a long day at work and since
No-one wanted to go with me, I went
Home instead, to relax after my sins
Having thrashed through the ashes of a once
Promising career, though they say I'm good
They always mark me down when the year ends
If only someone had said yes, I could
At long last have finally attended
And explored the interior like I've meant
To so often, that is, the John Rylands
Library, Victorian splendour in wood
And stone, but maybe soon that long intent
Will be realised, and with or without friends