Monthly archives: November 2001

This entry was posted in Comics Ruby Red on by

I haven’t double checked, but an article appeared in the company magazine today and I think this is how it read-

Most of us could just about manage to make dinner and read the paper after work � Ian Pattinson, though, is a regular word machine.
After a full day in Staines, designing databases to improve the efficiency of the sales force, he still has the energy to write novels � not just one either. In his words: �I hope to produce a novel every six to nine months, in a number of genres and experimenting with different styles every time.�
Ian�s latest novel is made up of two stories � Another Education and Ruby Red � both set in fictional university towns in the north of England. They�ve been made available as print on demand from Planetree Publishing.
In Another Education, a group of friends are trying to reconcile study, politics, job-hunting, romance and beer, when the community is hit by murder. Ruby Red is the story of a bereavement, a new romance�and a deaf cat with no tail.
�I do my writing in the evenings and at weekends, between learning to snowboard and games on the Playstation 2,� says Ian. �I also maintain a website �www.spinneyhead.co.uk � where I show samples of my work.
Already in the offing is a 7� square comic about an ill-fated musician and his band, and a workplace comedy called The Eliza Effect.

This entry was posted in Manchester on by

First day back in Manchester. There are some people who would rather I wasn’t here, but they’re exactly the people I don’t care about any more. (I went off and did a national project. I’m only interested in talking to people who could go off and do the same.)

Part of me wishes I were above this pettiness. But most of me just wants to point and snigger.

This entry was posted in Croydon london Manchester sex on by

Moving Music- Embrace, The Good Will Out, Queen, Greatest Hits, Rolling Stones, The London Years (Disk 3)

I’m back! The money’s paid, the lease is signed and I’m in an empty house in Manchester. And when I say empty, I mean empty. If it didn’t fit in the back of a Volkswagen Polo this morning it ain’t here.

Of course, the first thing I’ve got to do now I’m back in Manchester is drive South again on Sunday and visit the Croydon office. A last chance, at least, to see one of the few people down there who I’ll miss.

Other random thoughts for the day- Queen gave me another song for the soundtrack of my next (but one) project. The Eliza Effect might just make it to a script as well as a novel. I can see it all wrapping up with our three heroes karaoke’ing ‘We Are The Champions’ as a sort of drunken finger to everyone who’s caused them trouble during their project. Other soundtrack snippets- Stress, by Jim’s Big Ego and Only Living Boy In New Cross/ Re-Educating Rita, by Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine.

I haven’t told you anything about The Eliza Effect yet have I? Let’s just say I’m going to be writing a novel/ script based upon my experiences travelling the country trying to get an IT project off the ground.

It’s going to be a farce.

This entry was posted in london Manchester on by

I was in Kingston on Sunday night and I realised that there is one thing I’ll miss down here. The Thames.

I’ve always maintained that rivers are good for the soul and ol’ father Thames is particularly special because it’s alive. There’s human activity all the way along it. You just don’t get that on the Mersey, which is little more than a glorified drainage ditch while it runs through Manchester.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized on by

I got completely and utterly lost today whilst driving along, and ended up in Oxford. I wish I’d been able to stay longer, but could only get an hour in because the traffic fascists (sorry, wardens), were out in force.

Then I went to check out a model village I’ve been seeing the sign for all summer on my many trips up and down the M40, only to find that it’s shut for the winter.

Ah well, bugger it all, I’m back off up North next week.

This entry was posted in Manchester on by

Ah, Manchester, so much to answer for.

In, roughly, chronological order- Went up to Manchester to ‘work’ (well, I did two hours worth, and I discovered my ex-boss hates me- which makes me happy) with a lift from John. It’s his last fortnight at work, so we lined up many beers in Rain. Lots of beer was consumed. I lost at arm wrestling to a girl who was all of five feet tall and off her head on caffeine, then tried to swap tops with her (I was drunk enough to think I’d get away with it too!)

More beer, a boogie in Springbok (didn’t I go into one of those in Cardiff? Or was that the Kangaroo? or the Sloth? I’m losing track of all the theme bars!) This bit is all a little fuzzy, I’ll have to wait until I develop the photos.

The evening was rounded off with disgusting greasy chicken on St. Peter’s Square and a ‘King of the World’ moment on the pebble.

And then there was Saturday, spent in that wierd netherworld of the heavy duty hangover, wandering around the city centre and then having random renditions of ‘Jerusalem’ sung at me in the pub. But that’s another story.

This entry was posted in Manchester on by

I haven’t had much to say for the last few days. I’ve been looking at accomodation in Manchester, as I’m getting more determined to move North again.

Found this interesting site on American Civil War history. It is the stuff of movies, but you can bet they’d edit out the killings.

I’ve dumped RealPlayer and reinstalled MusicMatch, WinAmp and Sonique. Somewhere in amongst all of that I have to find a media player that won’t crash my system.