I’m in Birmingham and it’s raining. P is off to Liverpool for the weekend. This should mean I have the weekend dedicated to writing and shed putting-up (I shy away from the phrase ‘shed erection’ here to avoid startling the nervous), but unfortunately I have a meeting in Worcester tomorrow. This will mean a 6am start and a late return.

The meeting – on artworcs’ Worcester Pilgrim Project – is important, but I dislike going back to to the city. I lived in and around the place for 28 years, working in the same office for 18 of those. Eventually I ran away to the circus (i.e. writing plays). Things went well and the city’s theatre (The Swan) was a key part of my development. Then in 2002, out of the blue, the Tory-controlled City Council cut the theatre’s funding and professional production was lost. The loss of the company was dispiriting and hit me and others hard. Four years later the subject still makes me angry. Moving to London is a big part of laying these ghosts.

On the positive side, I’ll be meeting up with good friends and planning high quality professional arts production for the city. The work goes on.