Child Mecca

Why am I a Mecca for children? I worked today at Jackson's Lane community centre and found myself a quiet seat away from noise. Half an hour later I was surrounded. Literally surrounded, I'd say, by fifty children and as many parents. They were all excitedly queuing to get into the theatre space. From what I could gather, most were having a major sugar rush. I had to push my way through them all to escape. It was miserable.

The rest of the day was spent working on Em. I cut a song. I developed another. I worked on the script. It feels like it's coming together slowly. I'm happy with what I'm writing but I wish I had a job, and my lack of job is really beginning to effect the way I write. Very soon I'm going to head off to the Job Centre, throw myself at their mercy and tell them I'm happy to do anything, literally anything that pays. Actually, doing something a little mindless for a time might be good for me. I wonder if I could become a postman for Christmas? My Dad used to do that...

I judged a film music competition today. I was actually really disappointed with all but one of the entries. Thankfully, the one I liked was more than excellent, and a worthy winner by anyone's standards, else I would have been forced to refuse to judge them. I don't think things should win awards just by dint of the fact that they're the only entrant.

I remember going to watch one particularly awful show with an Olivier Award judge. It was truly terrible to the point that it actually made me feel very angry. It was one of those juke box shows and to make matters worse, it looked really cheap and was incredibly badly performed. Anyway, it ended up with a nomination literally because it was one of only four new musicals which had opened in London that year. They put the words "Olivier nominated" all over their posters, and I could have spat blood. That was a low point for British musical theatre!

There's not a lot else to say about today. We went to the gym and I realised that the best part of going there is the moment when you plunge your face for the first time underneath a hot shower after working out.

I worked fairly late into the night. I was up in the loft at 11pm writing gospel music whilst Nathan went to his knitting group. He brought me back a piece of pear upside down cake. Well lush!