April 2026 | James Durose-Rayner's website

APRIL 2026

The A's

All Images Open in Technicolour

30 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up and out through the woods with the dog at 6:20 am.

It looks as though it's going to be a lovely day... again. Roll on!

We fly out from Luton Airport tomorrow morning.

We are ready for it.

Last night, Julie's nephew - Jordan, came over with his family.

The four-J's - Jody (the wife) Joel, Jesse and Jasmine - the latter of who their gran (my sister-in-law, Jane) refers to as Feral Beryl.

I bet The Red Lion knew that they'd had us - that much is for sure.

The tables were like a bomb site when we vacated.

It was a nice evening.

This morning I'll grab a haircut and I'll fill up the car with petrol.

The car... I took it to Johnny Hanson's over in Crowle for a service the other day, which cost £449.

This comes straight after my £178 battery from Halfords.

We had been on our way for eye tests at Specsavers the other Saturday and called at Big Scott's to drop off some belated Easter Eggs for the kids and the car wouldn't start.

I'd been here before.

I don't drive it as much as I should and the battery drains... Well, the ones from Halfords do... Yuasa? I'd never heard of the fucking things...

The first one was a Bosch, which was fitted by the AA, and lasted three years. These fucking things didn't even give me two. And the dining experience at Halfords is very fucking egg and chips: They don't give you a choice.

Anyway, according to Chris at the garage, everything with the car was Aces. That's a word in The A's, which Anita (Neeta) regularly says to either Jenny or Mason, to describe things being... well, good.

Regarding the series - I created around twenty more Extras, which I absolutely loved doing.

I also updated the Series 1 page on the website - with images opposed to 10 second shit animations.

Music.

Opposite I've added The Cranberries track - Linger (1993), to the music widget / player.

The song was in my head at the same time as Owl City's - Fireflies, when Mason and Gaynor were first seeing each other and studying over in the flat... Basically, when their relationship had just started.

Even now, when I hear it - it takes me back to the time of writing that part of the story up.

29 April 2026.

Good morning.

I am up.

It is 5:00 am.

I'm looking through the study window and over the row / hedge of 20 foot-high conifers and it's just starting to get light. A bit of traffic can also be heard negotiating the four-way junction / traffic lights of the A161 and the town's High Street outside our property - no doubt heading to, or coming from the M180.

I always remember us first buying the property and coming downstairs and opening the front door onto the lawn. I can't remember why, as we never use it - the front door that is, and thinking how privileged we were to actually live on the Isle of Axholme after living in the eastern Dearne Valley all our lives.

As it changed?

Yes, as according to Sue over at Axholme Landscapes, we aren't going to see our new fucking lawn for another 2 or 3 weeks.

Levity aside, me and my eight-year-old son planted the row of over around of the trees, me having to use a pneumatic hammer to break the concrete to recreate that part of the garden.

It seems a million years ago...

It's a bit like this project.

Yesterday, I tested both the computers RAM system and the software to the max, and the lag on both was as unbelievable, as it was frustrating.

I have all the character assets for The A's, as with them being shot from different angles and them speaking, they have to be 3D assets - just like the lovely Rochana Reung opposite.

However, and this is a big, big however.

With locational shots in London, be it pubs, restaurants, shops, streets, or whatever, there has to be people... and hundreds of them... whether it be standing at the bar, on the table opposite or in the supermarket... it is the reality.

I own over £300,000 of 3D character assets.

That's not a boast, that is how it is.

To fully populate the series with 3D assets, I'd need that amount of investment again. However, and this is the good part, I can use 2D assets.

These are the one's that I have created myself.

I can make them talk, but the structure of the face moves about a bit and the asset becomes... not shit - but not really how you want it... not perfect is the word.

As extras, however - they are fine... In fact, they are more than fine... and yesterday, I created 55 2D character assets in 4K... and some of them are absolutely fucking awesome.

As with the story, I've had to base them on real people, many who have been morphed from between two and three different images to get the end result.

Anyway... Opposite are two of them.

Meet Terry and Bob.

28 April 2026.

Good morning.

I am up.

I came downstairs at 4:50 am.

The birds are whistling outside but it's still quite dark.

I've been awake since, maybe four o'clock.

Julie was tired yesterday, so it is now my turn to do the early morning walk through the woods with the dog.

Does she complain?

About the dog? No.

About me? Absolutely.

We had fillet steaks with scallops and prawns (along with salad and Jersey potatoes) last night and although we have a good extractor fan, it still stinks the kitchen out.

I had a couple of hours in the study last night downloading music so I left the back door open. It's very bright on the rear drive since I cleaned four lights and replaced all the bulbs.

Music

I downloaded two albums by an Australian-born singer called Hazel English - real name Eleisha Caripis, who is based in California, and goes under the genre of dream pop -which as I've often stated, is also referred to as shoegaze, psychedelia.

The two albums were Wake Up! (2020) and Real Life (2024).

From a musical perspective, she is very good.

Unfortunately, most singers, like actors, don't live in the real world... especially those who have been brainwashed by the left-wing Californian ideology.

It really would be better if they stuck to doing what they do and just do the jobs that they get paid for.

I also downloaded Memoir of a Sparklemuffin (2024) by Suki Waterhouse after hearing the song Supersad, which is quite good

Emily Savage of The Line of Best Fit - the independent online usic magazine remarked stylings are reminiscent of singer-songwriter Lana Del Rey and the alternative rock band Wolf Alice, both of who I like.

On a political level, Lana Del Rey is the All-American flag waving babe and the musical equivalent to Sydney Sweeney; whereas Wolf Alice are according to reports, another part of the great unwashed: The Corbynista's.

Regarding the album (Sparklemuffin), nothing really jumped out at me...

However, and get this, Suki Waterhouse could be the Angie Mellor character.

She was brought up in Chiswick and Hammersmith and did modelling (clothes) from being 16 years old. I never knew this until last night. In fact, I'd never even heard of her until last night!

It's weird how a persons's ideas can ring true.

Saying that, Angie Mellor is much the prettier...

Iris Art - Echobelly (1997)

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I've added Echobelly's Iris Art to the music player.

The track was from Lustra - the third studio album by English alternative rock band Echobelly.

The album was delayed due to label difficulties, line-up changes and the health problems of singer Sonya Madan - who had a serious (potentially life-threatening) thyroid problem.

Echobelly are very It-Girlie, their vocalist Sonya Maden being an exceptional singer.

I'd absolutely love to use the song in The A's as it is that good.

27 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:30 am after hearing the back door slam shut - Julie taking the dog out for her morning walk through the woods.

What a lousy nights sleep I had.

Heartburncoupled with my mind racing.

In between Sunday lunch at The Red Lion I worked on the script all day, and as that was the case, I couldn't get the story out of my head when I went to bed.

Different angles, more arc's.

The Series 2: Christmas with the Cranks episode has everything apart from it being proper Christmassy, as for a huge part - work takes precedence...

Well, it does for Gaynor and Mason.

Opposite is more of the highly talented Astrid Karcherr character, which rather than me use the actual photograph, I have animated her and pulled off several 4K stills.

Look at the detail in her expression from the Chiaroscuro cinematography (noir).

I dressed her in an orange pinafore dress with nothing else, and the orange against the dark backdrop - and as with Kiki Dee Moran, earlier in the blog, works much better than the red.

Astrid is perhaps the only character in the series that is openly gay.

As yet, there is no relationship - however, you can never say never.

However...

She absolutely adores both the Mellor sisters.

Gaynor likes her but keeps her very much at arms length.

Angie, however, not only admires what she does but becomes quite intrigued by her.

There is a scene in Series 1, where Maureen (the mum) is inquiring into their Gaynor's sex life and then, BANG!

"Oh my God, oh my God," exaggerates Maureen as she pulls a chair to get the full SP from her youngest daughter.

The subject?

Guess.

Angie Mellor - Revlon advertisement on a London bus stop

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Above is a 4K shot of Angie Mellor on a JC Decaux bus stop billboard.

I am hoping that The A's will feature its own advertisements (product placing) - and early on in Series 1, we may see Angie's face on a couple of billboards.

Music.

The playlist opposite is now starting to look like The A's.

I've just added Fade into You by American band Mazzy Star.

This is a really beautiful track from their second studio album, So Tonight That I Might See (1993).

The song was written by vocalist Hope Sandoval and composer David Roback.

When you watch say a series or a film, it is very rare that you ever hear the full track, and The A's will be no exception.

I tend to focus on the catchy chorus lines, great openings, thumping bass's.

Every song is different.

26 April 2026.

A belated Good morning.

I had a lay-in, lie-in, call it what you will and got up at 8:45 am.

The reasoning?

I was tossing and turning half the night - my head absolutely buzzing.

I could have easily got up at 4:00 am but I didn't.

Julie did the morning walk and took the hound through the woods... again.

Today we are nipping up to The Red Lion for Sunday lunch.

As for yesterday, I did everything I said that I was going to do, and did both the afternoon and night time dog walks... and bumped into this 85 year-old guy by the name of Peter - who has a white Russian retriever.

He has sat with us in the pub a couple of Friday's on the trot - and personally...

Well, it's easy to gauge people - especially, when I've dealt with people from all walks of life - some really nice; some really bad... and at 85 years of age you tend to overlook certain things and say nothing. You know - let them get away with it...

The upshot?

He's not only full of his own self-importance, he's also full of shit. He lies. And he lies fucking badly.

We had a woman of a similar age clock on to us... and if I'm being honest, she still tries every now and again, but Julie refuses to take her on.

Like my lovely mother-in-law, she is called Marlene. Unfortunately, she is nothing like her, and is not only very selfish, she can also be quite nasty.

Not with us, but we've seen it with others, and now she sits at the bar - more often than not, as a lonely figure; who is completely on her own.

This Peter-guy, is on notice... Compulsive liars and bullshitters make great characters - as did Little Kenny in the brilliant Phoenix Night's (2001-2002) and Alfred Molina's Harry Greaves character in BBC's Screen One production, Trust Me (1992)...

Both very, very funny...

However, and in the real world, a liar tells you one thing. That you are stupid. Stupid, as he or she think you are that thick, that you actually believe their spiel.

To be continued...

Anyway... Opposite is Jenny Mellor reading a book. Not hers, her mum's. Upstairs, Downstairs by John Hawkesworth, which is referenced by Jenny in the Series 2 episode: Christmas with the Cranks.

Music.

I've added Suffer the Fools (2018) by the alternative rock band Belly.

25 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 7:30 am.

My jobs today: Jet washing both the front and rear drives, washing the cars; and taking the exterior lamps to bits, cleaning the glass and changing the bulbs.

When we came home from the pub last night, I noticed one of the bulbs was out.

I have a box of around 100 of them (bulbs) upstairs - but a pound-to-a-penny says that the bulb(s) that I want, aren't in there...

To be continued...

Yesterday, I took my laptop in the dining kitchen and did a few hours on the script.

As I've said, the original project - The A's started off as a film before morphing into a three-part, and then six-part series. Now it is 24, split into two series. It's a big fucking project.

Can it be done?

The writing: Without a shadow of a doubt.

The animation and cinematography: I'm still learning, but yeah - I think so.

Opposite and above is the Angie Mellor character.

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I have tried the Chiaroscuro-style photography (noir), with her wearing red clothing as opposed to Gaynor's black.

Does it work?

I does - but in my humble opinion, not quite as well.

Music.

I have added the track, Holding Me Up by The Dandy Warhols to the playlist opposite.

It is from their Odditorium (2005) album.

These were an extremely underrated band.

Odditorium, I think - is the last album that I have of them and the track, is timeless.

I would love to use this in The A's.

24 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:45 am... again.

Julie was already out through the woods with the hound and back in the house for 7:00 am to see that I'd not completed list of tasks... the main ones being the emptying the dishwasher and putting the coffee's on.

The dog's breakfast was easy this morning... the final quarter slice of the steak pie.

Julie said that the dog knows there was the pie in the offing and mentioned whilst on the home-stretch so-to-speak, that she nearly pulled her arm out of the socket.

It's a good job the dog gets exercised otherwise she'd be the size of the fridge.

In between vacuuming and mopping Julie's been griping about the mess the pigeons, crows and our resident jackdaws are making on the patio... she also mentioned our non-lawn on the front, and when Axholme Landscapes actually intend on put our new one down.

It has been a bugbear since that useless wanker from Better Gardens (Jamie-whatever-is-name-is) let us down in November.

My fault entirely, as I knew whilst speaking with him that he was full of shit.

Anyway, we move on...

My nephew - one of Jane and Carl's lad's, has been texting this morning, and trying to firm up a date when they can get through with the kids before we go away next Friday.

Ideally, we can take them out to the Red Lion for tea.

I managed a couple of hours with the script yesterday before getting sidetracked with other stuff. I'll do more on it this morning, after I send the revised mailing list over to the printers.

Gaynor Mellor - Coca Cola

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Opposite, is a 60 second short of the supposed behind the scenes of Astrid Karcherr's A Hard Days Night shoot. I would have used the actual track, but I would consider it sacrilege editing down any iconic song by The Beatles.

I enjoyed doing that is it gave me chance to animate the Chiaroscuro style of photography (noir) and concentrate on the detail in the expressions and headshots. It also gave me a bit of experience in outputting / rendering 3:4 portrait animations as opposed to 16:9. Very arty on my part.

As Benny Hill said in his 1971 sketch with the lovely Jenny Lee-Wright, I'm Learning All the Time!

Music. I've added another track - Venus Man Trap by Veruca Salt (1997). Listen to the words. This song IS the Gaynor Mellor character.

Anyway, that's me done.

23 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:45 am on hearing the back door slam shut - Julie on her way out with the dog.

Apart from the website doing what the hell it wanted - note the change in its appearance... yesterday was a nothing day.

I was supposedly going to bake another steak pie as we still need to shift over a dozen rump steaks from the freezer.

The furthest I got was trimming the fat from five of them and putting the meat in a bowl and sticking some tinfoil over it.

I was bored and the pub was calling me as we'd not been since Sunday. As is generally the case, we ended up calling in at the Tandoori to pick up another shit curry.

Whilst in The Red Lion it had been noted that Dyno-rod had been seen on the rear drive of our property.

The blocked drain, however - was absolutely nothing to do with us and is a Severn Trent Water fix, as the blockage is out on the A161 - meaning the main drainage.

That's according to Andy from Dyno-rod, who gave me his part-life story whilst putting all his rods and hoses away.

Nice kid. From Dunscroft, originally.

Anyway...

Opposite and below are a montage of photograph's supposedly taken by Astrid Karcherr, the Bohemian, chain-smoking, ultra artistic German-born female character who has something of the hots for both Mellor sisters.

"She gives me the creeps," Gaynor initially told Mason, regarding Astrid.

That was before she'd had her in her rented studio and saw the end product.

"They look shit hot," Mason told her.

"Mmm - they do a bit, don't they?" said Gaynor, whilst intensely looking at her new portfolio of photograph's that created a bit of envy from her big sister, and which hadn't cost her a penny.

The highly talented Astrid is always around in Series 1.

Music. I uploaded the Stone Temple Pilots' I Got You (1999) to the music player widget (Opposite).

I first heard it on DeeJay95 - the Cyprus radio station - that, just like Radio Caroline - was good - and now it isn't.

During the writing of Series 1, there was a passage where Gaynor is sat at the top of the stairs earwigging (eavesdropping) - much like her daughter Jenny in Series 2, however - this was in two parts: 1) a flashback to a time before she met Mason; and 2) when she and Mason were both full-on and implementing their Long Term Plan.

Gaynor in the first instance, was nowhere near as worldly as she was in the second; yet the flashback and the in-the-now scene had similarities, and not just with her sat on the stairs.

This involved her mum and dad - Maureen and John Mellor.

It is an extremely emotional scene - and in the second instance there is music playing.

I originally thought of The Beatles' Tell Me What You See (1965)... Chorus only; but due to the stringent Apple Corp copyrights and what-have-you, that could have never happened.

Therefore, I thought of the Stone Temple Pilots' I Got You (1999), which works equally as well.

22 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 7:00 am.

The sun is out and it looks like a nice morning.

Julie is just on the phone to British Gas and implementing our extortionate Service Plan (insurance) and trying to get them to get someone out to clear a blockage on a sewer line from the grate that the sink and dishwasher drain into, to the main manhole on the property.

It is a 20 minute job, but needs Dyno-rod (or similar) out with their jetters.

The house was built in 1878 so it gives you an idea of the state of the drains - this one - a gravity sewer, having little or no fall on it.

It happens maybe once every five years.

In the meantime our Tracy has been back and forth on WhatsApp. She's at the specialist's today and possibly having a new bionic leg fitted (sic)... you know... The Six Million Dollar Man and that.

Yesterday, was a nice day.

Being Julie's birthday we both had the day off and did some shopping, and later on the kids came round and we had a Chinese delivered and ate in the dining room.

This was the first time, we had been in there since the Christmas Tree came down.

I also had a brief conversation via text with Julie's elder sister, Jane - who I have used as a minor character in Series 1.

I made an online order both without my glasses, and after I'd been out - and ended ordering two of something that I'd already got. Two pairs of identical Chelsea boots.

What a dickhead!

Anyway, Julie will drop them in for my brother-in-law, Carl, the next time she is over in the Dearne Valley.

Above. The Jane Mason character.

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Opposite are a few stills I've pulled from a 10 second scene of Anita Pallenburg, along with an animation of Anita, Jenny and the dog up in St. Anne's-on-Waveney.

In Series 1, Anita (known as Neeta), is a peripheral character, but in 2, she's married to Mason.

Her name came from the German model that hung around with the two guitarists of The Rolling Stones circa 1966/67 - Brian Jones and Keith Richards.

I needed the story to move on from Mason's break up with Gaynor and saw the Anita character asset as being totally different to Gaynor.

Music.

I've added Louise Distras' Girl in the Mirror (2023) to the music player.

Initially, I thought that this would be an apt track for the Gaynor character - as if you listen to the words, that is who she is.

21 April 2026.

Good morning?

Is it?

Not really.

It's Julie's birthday.

She's been sort of telling me all last week - and even Moonpig have been dropping reminders via my email that her birthday was on the 21st.

My excuse?

I was up at 6:00 am. And after I heard the back door slam shut, I shot up to the paper shop (for her card) only to find it closed.

A paper shop - shut at 6:10 am. What's all that about?

Lazy gits.

Anyway. I don't really have one (an excuse for not buying her a card) other than the fact that yesterday was a very frustrating fucking day.

I worked all deadline weekend and completed the layout of the magazine, with my big computer system struggling like hell as it's absolutely rammed with huge graphic files and software - so much so - and for the first time ever, my scratch disk was full, with warnings flashing that the hard drive was a few GB from being full.

I've had the custom-spec £15,000 mega system (computer box) on order since just before Christmas.

I told Scunthorpe Computers, that I wouldn't need it until March 2026, but they built it straight after the New Year as the price of RAM was supposedly going to shoot through the roof... and now we are 21 days into April.

Time just flies.

I emailed them yesterday and said that I'd pick it up next week.

No, I won't - they are on holiday until Friday, 8 May - the same day we are supposedly flying home from Cyprus. Therefore, I'm picking it up on the Monday. 11 May.

I'll also need a new keyboard and mouse, along with a 43" monitor - the latter being for the 3D animation.

So, was that my frustration?

Nope.

The printers and their fucking dashboard was the frustration.

You upload the files as .pdf's and the dashboard is supposed to do all the work for you. Splitting the files and providing you with proofs to sign off.

It was 5:10 pm before I signed the job off

Anyway - it's done.

Halford's also called around 10:00 am to fit my third battery on my car in six years... £178.

I only drive it a couple of times a month and the immobiliser drains the fucking thing like you wouldn't believe.

Opposite are some Chiaroscuro-style shots of Gaynor and Mason, including a lovely short animation.

Above. Gaynor and Mason photographed in monochrome

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Getting them to act and bounce off each other is really hard work.

What is weird about it is the reality of the assets.

They've morphed from waxy mannequin-like figures to what now look like real humans. And the technology is only going to get better.

Over the past five days I've had a 10 minute film that I've been fucking around with, so as to try and get au fait with not just the software, but the acting and timing.

As I said, I am a writer and no film director, so it's a huge learning curve.

The reality on some clips that I've been creating, however - is borderline scary...

Will I publish it for public viewing?

No.

Music...

I added the Eurythmics' Better to Have Lost in Love (Than Never to Have Loved) to the playlist.

I'd had this song in my CD collection for years and can never remember playing it - ever, and I only took notice of it after it was played on Radio Caroline - maybe two years ago.

The story behind it?

The track gave me the idea for the break-up of Gaynor and Mason and as to why what happened - happened.

Music - it's a great motivator.

20 April 2026.

Good morning.

I am up. It is 6:05 am.

Julie has just gone out with the dog.

I was working on the layout of the magazine until late last night.

Bar a few odds and sods, I should have it uploaded to the printers and signed off by the end of the day.

Opposite are a couple of photo's of Maureen Mellor driving her car.

I'd not really thought about what car Maureen drove / drives - ever, until last night.

In Series 2, it is Maureen who takes Jenny back and forth to school - the fictitious Christ Is King in Chelsea, so I thought a SUV would perhaps be the most logical, and as she and her husband John are quite affluent, I stuck her in a Jaguar F-Pace...

So now she drives a Jaguar F-Pace... and that's how this story writing works.

Talking about story writing - the real Tracy Westcott (my cousin and not the head teacher at Jenny Mellor's school who I named her after) hit me on WhatsApp a couple of times yesterday... I missed the first as we were up at The Red Lion and when I'm out I never take my phone.

So...

She broke her leg and ankle whilst on holiday so I asked her about that, and in other news my younger brother Shaun has given some old dog he met on one of these dating sites, Chlamydia or some other STD that's flying about.

Strange, as I only mentioned Syphilis on here a day or so ago!

Music.

I've put the annoying playlist widget on the right, and every time that I update it I'll delete the previous one.

Why?

Because the fucking thing plays at the same time as the other widgets...

Yesterday, I was wondering what was happening when I got three lots of Tess Parks Wowing at me.

This website server I use is absolute fucking pants.

The old one that I use for the magazine (same website server) has lots of widgets, when this one - the new one, has very few... and the thing is, is that this one is supposedly an upgrade.

Anyway. Trivialities aside.

I've added Owl City's Fireflies to the list.

The song takes me back to when I first started getting into the script, and the time when Mason and Gaynor had first got together and were studying together in the flat at Boelyn Mews.

The storyline changed so much I forgot how much time they actually spent together in the early days and it wasn't until I went back in time (in the script) that I realised just how much.

19 April 2026.

A belated Good morning.

I woke up at 7:50 am to an empty house.

Julie was already out with the hound.

We are due up at The Red Lion in a couple of hours for Sunday lunch.

I'm just on with the layout of the magazine and dropping in the photographs.

It is a highly time consuming part of the job. Not so much dropping them in, as that takes literally seconds, but finding the appropriate photo's to place.

Anyway...

Opposite are the two sisters having words and Maureen the mother, being the mediator.

This happened in January 2023, and some eight years later the relationship still wasn't that good.

The fall-out(s) were nowhere near as bad as with Anita and her sisters - as they could be brutal, it was more sniping at each other then anything, but the girls falling out hurt their mum.

Envy, as always - was the precursor.

Angie's new marriage was falling apart before it even started whilst Gaynor's relationship was on the rise.

"If she fell in a pile of shit she'd come out holding a string of pearls".

Was that ever said?

No, I don't think it was, as Maureen didn't like swearing in her house.

However, on Angie's part it was certainly thought.

And now... some music.

Wow - Tess Parks (2022)

This was the song that I used in one of the episode titles in Series 1. Wow, God Damn, I'm So in Love

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As a point of note, Julie absolutely hates Tess Parks.

Then again, she hates most retro garage punk-kinda-shoegaze music as she reckons that she can't hear what they are singing... and her looking like some heroin addict doesn't really endear her to the trouble-and-strife.

A lot of ideas regarding The A's was came whilst driving up and down the motorways, listening to Tess Parks.

She's knocked out a few great tracks.

As regards the music.. I'm getting rid of the previous lists from the blog as for some fucking reason - they all want to play at the same time... it's all trial and error!

18 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:55 am after hearing the back door slam shut - and Julie taking the hound out for her morning walk through the woods.

We have our eye tests at Specsavers around midday, and will call in at Big Scott and Edyta's to drop their kids in their belated Easter Eggs - and Edyta her birthday card.

Julie would have dropped them off earlier but Scott has been in Thailand.

Another 12 days and it will be us out of the UK.

Roll on.

The other day, Julie mentioned that she would quite fancy going back to China.

We went there with the kids back in January 1997 - a time when the weather was always minus 5-13 below zero and you could buy a carton of 200 cigarettes for £1.10, a suit for £8 and a silk tie for 25p.

It's certainly not like that now!

I still remember being sat in a bar on the periphery Tiananmen Square in Beijing and well over a dozen Chinese people staring at us eating through the window as though we were part of some chimp's tea party.

Back then, very few westerners visited

Anyway...

I'm on deadline weekend so hopefully I'll get the magazine fully completed and signed off on Monday.

Opposite, I managed to get Pat to the alter with his proper hair.

Archie, Marry Me - Alvvays (2014).

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I've just uploaded another song to the playlist.

Archie, Marry Me - Alvvays (2014).

This will hopefully be the track that plays in Episode 2 - when Angie and Pat marry at St Margaret's Church in Chiswick Green.

In my mind, it will be similar to a music video that just covers the days events... waking up to the birds, a nice sunny-early winter morning, the church, the reception...

The night do is where the story goes full-on... and becomes the Gaynor and Mason show... Hopefully I can make it work... Hopefully.

In reality, the 2D version of Pat (opposite) is absolutely fucking garbage compared to the 3D version.

The 3D version his complexion, eyes etc., are nothing short of brilliant. He's a really good looking kid.

Pat has a brother - Sean.

I used the same 3D asset for his brother as I did with Maurice and Francis Blum... you just alter their appearance a bit with a beard or different coloured eyes.

.

17 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:23 am.

Specific timing?

Julie was up and getting ready to take the dog out when I asked what time it was.

"Don't over exert yourself," she told me as she pretended to tuck me in like some kid. "I'll take the dog out."

Can she be sarcastic? When it involves me - most certainly.

I've just been exchanging messages over the phone with Alan Fred Perry over in Cyprus, who is originally from Darwen.

I was prompted by Radio Caroline who had just been advertising some rock venue over there.

I didn't see much of him last time I was over in Cyprus, as he'd just had some tumour taken out of his face.

It's 7:53 am (specific... again) and I can hear Julie at the other side of the house enjoying herself vacuuming with her new Dyson.

My sole audio player widget has now turned into a music list as according to the provider, my meagre annual plan only lets me have three widgets - each of which holds up to 50 tracks apiece.

A bit of a ball ache really, as it's not really what I wanted.

You have to be careful with these websites as even I get walloped by these stealth payments.

Have a 30 Day Free Trial... yeah, I've had a few so no thanks.

The Times and Financial Times were the fucking worst.

Trying to cancel the subscriptions was like trying to get rid of Syphillis.

Have I had it?

No - but I know a few people who have!

LinkedIn is another.

Anyway, todays music is supposedly Heavenly Nobodies by Lush.

A very It Girly band that gave me the idea of the car Angie Mellor drives in the series - a Fiat 500... You know - Shake Baby Shake - another song by Lush

A very underrated band.

Opposite is Pat Marshall.

Being a total dickhead I ended up animating him getting married as the Series 2 version (not Series 1) with the grey hair as opposed to him being younger.

Rushing never works.

I'll rectify that at some point.

I also managed to get the screens (TV, laptop, phones) to animate, which when I first set off doing this, I thought was like fucking rocket science.

I will need this in instances where there are split CAM scenes - especially in Series 2 when Mason communicates with both his wife and daughter... and Gaynor.

It's really good.

Everything appears hard if you don't know how to do it.

So....

16 April 2026.

Good morning.

It is 3:45 am.

I am in my study with a cup of sweet tea and looking through the window and all I can see is the dark.

I've been awake for the last hour. My mind has been absolutely racing.

It is a place that I have been before. Lots of times.

I was working all day yesterday on my day job whilst at the same time cutting dozens upon dozens of animations.

I'm going fucking stir crazy.

There's getting to be a knack for doing it. The positioning of the assets, the backdrops, the timings, the reactions, the humour.

There's hundreds of things to think about but the main one is the script and I haven't touched the fucking thing since the weekend.

In the early days I'd cobbled a lot of short clips together and stuck a song under it... which was from Elastica's self-titled 1993 album. Their debut single: Stutter.

Stutter by Elastica.

An in-your-face Indie rock song that helped me carry the original idea to what The A's has now become.

---

Obviously, because I'm writing a script / series with females as the main protagonists in the story, I began listening to some It Girl band's, which is quite wrong of me to say as Elastica are much like Lush, Veruca Salt, and Throwing Muses in that they are half-and-half. Male and female.

And for as talented as Justine Frischmann - the Elastica's vocalist is, and she is - she could never be considered in the same league as the main females in The A's.

There are different types of It Girl's and those in this story all look and act different. Like females... you know - the girlie sort.

Anyway...

The other day I took a look into the Storyline on this website and fucking cringed at the shit animation I had chucked up - Episodes 1-12 and 13-24.

What is strange is that back then I thought it was good. Dickhead!

It was the same with the magazine I publish... I look back at the first few and cringe at the sheer amateurishness.

Anyway, I'm taking that lot down and replacing them with 24, ten second animations.

Will it take me long?

Not really. I should complete after the weekend.

The most complex part is the actual idea and setting up the scene. Actually animating the thing is the easy bit.

So, I have that on my to-do list...

And now my computer system is lagging as the Adobe software is updating.

15 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:50 am.

By the time I'd made the bed, got downstairs and began getting the dog's breakfast ready it was sat at the back door waiting to come in.

Generally she barks for me to open the door, or if its slightly ajar, just runs in - no Good mornings, Fuck yous or what-have-you, and snaffles her food.

Obviously we don't feed her enough!

Yesterday, I did a lot of work on my day job as well as cutting around 100 animations and stitching them together.

As I keep on saying, this isn't to be put up on the blog / journal, it is just me trying to achieve a certain standard.

I managed to make a four and a half minute film, which didn't look too bad.

I'm not a film director per se, so it is a huge learning curve - much like animation or photography. However, if you look at the shit I was sticking up on here last year, you can now see a big difference.

The two types of photography, the lighting, the poses, the clothes they wear.

My yardstick for cinematography was emulating Matthew Weiner's 1950s / 1960s stylish period drama Mad Men - and I am now sort of there.

The storyline for the script has had to be changed immensely, as world events have pulled me in a different direction. It is pissy-offish, but not a problem. It just puts my timing back, which is sort of okay, as the delay gives me time to continue learning the film process.

Angel of The Morning by Merrilee Rush and The Turnabouts (1968)

I fucked Soundcloud off. Shite.

---

It is quite a nice song which I found when I was first packing my (Brennan) B2 with music.

The A's, I am hoping, will feature decent music, hence why I try and listen to a lot.

I have always been 1960s orientated - possibly through my love of The Beatles. But it goes deeper than that.

The 1980s / 1990s Indie scene brought with it some great music - much of which was based on the 1960s music - psychedelic / shoegaze , but whilst trawling the internet for ideas I dropped on some brilliant music... and even now, I can't believe some of the brilliant stuff I've missed.

In Series 1 - the girl's father John Mellor - the real name of Joe Strummer (The Clash), finds that his youngest has started to appreciated better music since a boyfriend on the scene and mentions in one particular instance where he wanted to put an axe through her music centre or whatever she had.

That idea came from the brilliant animated series that was created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, King of The Hill, whereby Hank's son, Bobby - got dumped by his girlfriend and started listening to Country music.

It takes different moments in life to give you a kick.

Anyway...

Opposite are some images of the two sisters using the Chiaroscuro method of photography, which I will use for the series.

Gaynor on a London bus which is a contradiction in terms as she states in Series 1 towards the end - that she can't ever remember having to ever get on a bus!

Then there's Angie, who had aspirations of a modelling career through an agency, that never materialised.

Her niece, Jenny Mellor - however, found photograph's media in her granny's loft and absolutely wouldn't shut up about it.

Jenny is very proud of who her Auntie Angie is.

There are some really nice scenes.

14 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 5:50 am.

I eventually went downstairs and did the dog walking duties. It was quite a nice morning - the sun rising from the east.

I got in and had a couple of coffee's and listened to Julie grizzling about her journey to work over the last few weeks.

The main road into Doncaster Airport is shut therefore there is a bit of a detour which takes her through the school traffic - and the Lollipop Lady becoming something of a nemesis.

"I felt like running her over," she told me.

She must be pissed off if she said that!

Yesterday, was a day whereby I blinked and it was 3:00 pm.

There just aren't enough fucking hours in the day to do what I want to do.

Highly frustrating.

I was cutting animation all day while I was working - the software and main computer doing whatever the fuck it wanted.

In the end I shut them down, cleared all the cookies and temporary files and it worked a bit better. Not much - but better.

We called at The Red Lion at teatime for a couple of beers just to wind down and lo and behold, a sort of indie-type song was played by the New York rock band - Sunflower Bean. Twentytwo from their album Twenty Two in Blue (2018).

Great song.

I've had a fuck about with the website and had a go at embedding the song below - as opposed to a YouTube clip.

Hopefully it works.

Twentytwo by Sunflower Bean.

---

Opposite are a couple of photograph's of Pat Marshall and Angie Mellor ala Film Noir.

Pat never really gets mentioned much on here, which is a shame as he's a good steady character.

In Series 1, Maureen comes home to find Gaynor sitting Robbie and Annie Coulthard's kids - Tiffany and Maddy.

There is a reason, which I can't say, however - their kids are much like Jenny in Series 2, and just say things.

Regarding Pat?

"My dad says your Angie's husband is about as interesting as an headache," said Maddy.

"Oh right," said Maureen. "What did he say about our Angie?"

Regarding Angie?.

"Dad said that she's definitely worth one."

That stopped Maureen in her tracks.

Pat and Angie struggle in the first series - and as a side order, Pat can't fathom Mason. Angie can - but Pat can't.

It's quite interesting.

13 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:40 am in hearing the back door slam shut.

It was Julie taking the dog for her morning walk.

It is Monday again.

Not that it really bothers me as I worked all weekend, and around 4:00 pm yesterday evening I finally managed two or three hours on the script.

My day off had supposedly been last Monday and since then, I've just been getting sidetracked with my day job.

Saying that - the magazine is nearly completed.

Whilst I've been working, I've been educating myself on a trial and error basis, with both the cinematography and animation process.

I have to be quite bullish here, as the former is becoming very near perfect.

Opposite is Anthony N'Gonte - head boy and sporting hero at 40 Martyrs College in Series 1.

I've finally got the college uniform right - which is basically the same as our uniform was when I was going through senior school at Dearneside Comprehensive.

I certainly never looked that smart, however.

Have I said the next bit before?

Maybe - but I'll say it again.

Anthony is a mature student, as he took a year or so out following his sporting dream - and is the oldest boy in college. Well, man really - as he's 21 or 22.

He is also quite a tragic figure.

A very interesting one, however.

The girl below is Maybelline Antrobus who is known as Bebe.

Whereas Gaynor Mellor is in the Uper-Sixth Form at 40 Martyrs, Bebe is a year younger, and is therefore in the Lower-Sixth.

Before the series starts, Bebe was perhaps Gaynor's closest friend and is in both Series 1 and 2.

The word "was" is an interesting one.

On meeting Mason, Gaynor's life exploded and she met new friends from a different area of West London, and Bebe was perhaps left behind.

Mason, who rarely engages with anyone at 40 Martyrs, however, shows Bebe a bit of attention.

I listened to quite a few albums at the weekend.

A mix of 1960s Garage music that I put on the B2 well over a year ago... There are some cracking tracks... It does make you wonder how the shite that got into the charts actually got there when the stuff that I was listening to did not.

Very indie.

I also listened to Veruca Salt's catalogue of albums - Resolver (2000), American Thighs (1994), Eight Arms to Hold You (1997) along with Kasabian's West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum - again.

Kasabian's Secret Alphabets (2009) caught my ear... very different.

12 April 2026.

Good morning.

I had a bit of a lay-in and got up at 8:30 am.

Aside of me finally baking the steak pie - which was very nice, I was working on my day job most of yesterday and at the same time trying to (near) perfect some animation.

I have firmed up the fact that the majority of The A's will be shot as film noir, neo noir.

As I have stated over the last few days. this type of photography is known as Chiaroscuro.

This is used in cinematography for extreme low key and high-contrast lighting to create distinct areas of light and darkness.

The contrast of light and dark makes for great cinema.

So - that is now a given.

That is not a problem with the nighttime, autumn, winter and most interior shots, but daytime spring and summer shots, I will need something that is known as High-Key Lighting.

Therefore, I am hoping that I can shoot the series in both.

Opposite (and below) are a few shots of Mason and Gaynor in her parents front room using High-Key Lighting cinemaphotography.

Gaynor: Raunchy, moody and beautiful.

The contrast is absolutely fucking awesome.

---

Anyway...

This morning one of our brilliant Royal Mail postmen - Lee Holloway - who looks like some biker hippie from the 1969 film Easy Rider, dropped us in a parcel... on a Sunday as well.

Julie had bought me a pair of Adidas joggers from ASOS.

These were an understated pair rather than the three-stripe version which she hates with a fucking passion.

I have around 20 pairs already - no kidding - the last two pairs of which, I've both not worn as yet, and which she hates due to the fact of the stripes.

I just wear them for in the house and dog walking as after a few washes they get a bit baggy and... washed-out... hence the term.

They are ideal for travelling in and a 100 times more fucking comfortable than jeans...

See... I buy Julie and state-of-the-art new Dyson vacuum, and she buys me Adidas joggers...

She definitely needs a new iron!

Today, I am working on The A's...

No distractions...

11 April 2026.

Good afternoon.

2:15 pm. A belated post.

I was up at 7:30 am and through the woods with the hound and hit some dog walking traffic...

This morning I've done some work on my day job along with some unbelievably good animation - over 150, none of which I will be putting up on here.

Why?

I am trying to achieve near-perfection.

To be honest, and for some strange reason, the main computer and software have been absolutely towing their bollocks off.

Maybe I am taxing it too much.

One thing is for sure is that it is very frustrating.

There has been numerous times it has been like this - however, that was quite a few months ago.

In the here and now it has - in the main, been okay.

Opposite and below is a bit of Mason Green with Gaynor Mellor using the Chiaroscuro style of photography - film noir.

A short animation of Gaynor and Mason on the staircase leading down to Hall 5 at 40 Martyrs College 40 Martyrs College.

Notice that Mason doesn't wear the college uniform.

He only goes to 40 Martyrs two days a week. Monday's and Tuesday's. And that is to complete the exams he missed when he was in hospital.

---

As is often stated, Gaynor is older than Mason, and what should be known is that she possibly used that age-gap to drive the relationship where she wanted it to go.

However, it could also be said that Gaynor drove too fast and when that happens... you crash.

Yesterday, was a day that never went to plan.

I was as busy as ever and the harder I worked the less I got done.

The highlight of the day was a new Dyson vacuum cleaner arriving. Certainly not a cordless but one of those that actually looks like a hoover.

Our other one was on its last legs and had some bearing-rattle.

Julie says it is a bit of gravel picked up from the driveway but I disagree.

The downside was that I never made the steak pie.

I cooked the steak and the mushrooms but I never got round to the pastry and we ended up copping a shit curry on the way back from the pub... again.

I will do it in a bit.

Anyway, sorry for the delayed blog.

10 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:10 am, the back door slamming as Julie took the dog out on her morning walk.

This week she has been sort of Up and at 'em - the main reason being that she has been taking the elder of Jamie's dog's to work with her - as the younger one is in recuperation-mode from his operation.

It sounds pathetic, but that's not the case. The younger one (Doofus) is a fucking nasty piece of work and has a cone on its head which spooks the older one (Chance).

Chance gets spooked by the cone and growls - and then there's a dog fight - and these dogs are very fucking vicious.

As I've mentioned before, Julie has done lots of charity work with dogs, and is very understanding.

Me?

A problem dog and it would be Goodnight Vienna.

Doofus - the younger one, is very lucky in that respect...

Opposite and below is Leoni Middleton - a girl who is integral to the story.

Money is what makes her tick - both in Series 1 and 2.

Leoni Middleton.

She never really got what she wanted.

---

Leoni is a few years older than Mason, is the same age as Kiki Dee Moran and just as clever but far more ballsy.

Her father, Sammy was a good friend of Mason's father, Vincent, and as that was the case, Leoni and Mason grew up together, which is something that Leoni continually winds Gaynor up about... their being close.

And Gaynor? She often feels threatened by Leoni.

In Series 1, Leoni was what could be termed as a courier and always carried large sums of money around South and West London - be it riding her scooter, or on the Tube.

In one instance during Series 1 she actually gets robbed at knifepoint.

The blame laid with Cyril Pope of Essen & Pope bookmakers, but Mason wasn't innocent in all this.

In Series 2, you will find her working for the Greenford Group as an accountant - a job that was promised her by Mason's father, Vince - some time before he died.

Yesterday, was another work day, although last night I managed a bit of work on the project, whilst listening to a couple of albums by Kasabian on the B2 which I thoroughly enjoyed.

These were the self-titled Kasabian (2004) and West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (2009), the latter of which I will part-use as a location in The A's... The West Ryder Lunatic Asylum.

Did you see the Angie photograph's from yesterday?

If not, just scroll down and see.

That's where she is.

There are other fictitious locations that I have taken from music. Itchycoo Park (The Small Faces) is another.

Anyway...

I'm tasked with making a pie today, so I took five rump steaks out of the freezer. By the time they are trimmed of fat, there will be four.

So - The Red Lion at teatime and home for steak pie and peas.

9 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:55 am.

Déjà vu?

Yeah. A bit.

The dog woke me up barking to be let in at the back door.

Julie had already been out through the woods with her.

The main news from the early morning dog walk was that she had scattered five rabbits post-chasing them and had been barking at a squirrel. The dog; not Julie.

I'd had an interrupted night of sleep.

I woke up around 2:00 am and didn't drop back off until 5:00 pm. Then I had my deep sleep and awoke both knackered and disorientated.

Anyway, I'm up and in the study with my third cup of coffee.

Yesterday, was glorious... Around 5:00 pm I walked the hound and couldn't believe how warm it was. I got in, made a chilli con carne, got a bath and chucked some shorts on and we went to The Red Lion.

Very unexpected.

I still haven't had my day off yet as my day job keeps calling me.

I'll try and do some work on The A's later on today and get round to downloading all the discography of the garage band - The Len Price 3.

Opposite are a couple of high quality film noir / neo noir images of Angie Mellor.

The horrible location and her reason for being there, I can't really tell you as it is a huge part of the story... it is, however, between Series 1 and 2, and will be seen as a flashback during Series 2.

They are good images and the animation I got from them is absolutely first class.

Again, it isn't for the journal / blog, as it will give an integral part of the story away.

As I have said, Angie is an interesting character.

I have a Tesco shop due between 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm, so that is something to look forward to.

8 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:55 am.

Julie was already in Alice-mode, and was out frolicking through the woods some time earlier.

(She'll get really pissed reading that!)

She said that she was up at 6:00 am.

I heard the back door slam, but that is as much as I did hear.

Yesterday, was supposedly a day with me doing me-things.

Not so.

I started dropping my work into the magazine and around 2:00 pm, Julie phoned to ask how my day of rest was going.

"It wasn't," I told her.

I have said this countless times before, but sometimes things take much longer than you want them to, and yesterday was a case-in-pont.

That said...

I did quite a bit of work.

Today, I don't know. I'll play it by ear.

I did, however drop on some music by a band that I've never heard before.

Radio Caroline played a song by a band called The Len Price 3 titled Misty Medway (2025).

It was quite catchy in a 1960s kinda way therefore I had a look into them.

They have done several albums: Chinese Burn (2005); Rentacrowd (2007); Pictures (2010); Nobody Knows (2013/2014); Kentish Longtails (2017); Ip Dip Do (2021/2022); and their most recent one, Misty Medway Magick (2025).

I know for a fact that once these are all put on my B2, I will find what Steve Chase once labelled as a killer track.

Steve was really a friend of some good friends as opposed to being a good friend if-yer-know-what-I-mean, but he was an interesting guy as he had been a sound engineer for Phil Collins back in the day, and through what was his most successful period as a solo artist.

Phil Collins... meh.

Against All Odds (1984) and One More Night (1985) are okay in a sentimental kind of way, in much the same way as Every Breath You Take (1983) by The Police.

Easy listening. The end.

The A's?

There will be scenes in Series 1 whereby Mason and Gaynor's crowd will be in dark or dimly lit bars or clubs outside of Hammermith, and where the music will be loud and live - such as The Crawdadddy in Chelsea or The 101 on Archway in North London... therefore I need something a bit raw and different.

Anyway. Opposite are a few snaps of Gaynor doing Gaynor things... The different hairstyle and make-up doesn't half alter the characters appearance.

As a guy, you never tend to think anything about it... Doing this - you definitely do.

7 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 7:30 am, and after some discussion it was Julie who took the hound for her walk.

I'm now on to my third coffee of the morning.

Being that I worked on my day job ALL day yesterday, I am having a day - just working on the script.

Just before the last magazine went to press I was sent in some editorial as a press release by a ground support company. Manchester-based MGF.

Just for the record it was their managing director and company, which I based the character John Mellor and his business - AGM Mellor-tech on.

They don't look alike as Simon - their MD, is around 6'5, but that aside - their demeanour is very similar.

Much like the ArcelorMittal editorial I had in front of me last week, I make a point in panning it out to make it interesting to the reader - the readers being middle management who feed on insider contract information

So, this job which they were doing for Wessex Water needed adding to, therefore I found 28 similar schemes that are in the pipeline from 2026-onwards and incorporated those, which took the best part of Easter Monday to put together.

So, I'm having a day off.

Yesterday's animation was frustrating but good fun. It took me the best part of 60 minutes to put together and 30 minutes to render.

I could have made it three times as good if I'd put more time into it, but it is what it is. Just a piece of animation for the blog / journal.

When i start production. Everything will be bang on. No half-assed anything.

Anyway - opposite is John Mellor.

I may have said it before, but John is a 100% family man.

John is integral to the storyline - especially the beginning of Series 1.

John and his wife Maureen are like most of the characters in the fictitious Chiswick Green and surrounding area - in that they were originally from the east of the city, and were displaced during the slum clearance and its subsequent regeneration.

6 April 2026.

A late post...

Good morning on this Easter Monday.

I was up at 7:30 am - the dog barking at the door to be let in.

Julie was out through the woods with her around 40 minutes earlier.

I stirred but I didn't get up.

At 11:40 pm last night, the dog woke up the house.

The near-neighbour's cat was obviously prowling around the property. I went down and let her out and she was doing a lot of chasing around the house barking.

Anyway... another interrupted night of sleep.

Yesterday, I did some work on the script before I broke off for Sunday lunch.

I think we got back in around 4:30 pm. Think, being the optimum word, as I can't really remember.

I tried some different tuff with the animation, whilst back on the script - some of which was really good.

Trying to get the characters to interact with each other - and the timing (acting), is an art - especially as I know in my head how they should act.

I'm certainly not putting any of that on the journal / blog as I'd be giving away parts of the story.

Opposite. I have finally got the Gaynor Mellor character into the car. I say finally, as it was always something that I was going to do - but something that I never actually got round to doing.

The animation of driving the car is absolutely-fucking-blooper-tronic. The outtakes are unbelievable You get 10 shit animations to one good one.

Throughout Series 1 she drives an orange-striped Mini Cooper with a private plate - G44 NOR.

This is bought for her by Mason - mainly so she can safely visit her granny - Maureen O'Hara, in the fictitious Sir Richard Reynolds Care Home in Chiswick - as the distance from the tube station to the care home is quite a long way.

Anyway...

Check out the full length video animation.

5 April 2026.

Good morning.

It is Easter Sunday, so Happy Easter.

I don't think Easter is celebrated as much as it should be, and in my humble opinion it is slowly being eroded from the calendar.

I blame the successive governments, I blame the church.

It all boils down to appeasement.

Appeasement = Weakness.

I was up at 7:40 am and out through the woods with the hound - the sun was shining and there was only a few clouds in the sky.

30 minutes later it pissed it down.

A typical Easter?

We are booked in The Red Lion for our lunch.

To be honest, I'm not that bothered about going anywhere when it rains.

Miserable.

Including me.

Yesterday, I worked on my day job - and put all those 54 schemes in the magazine along with a £107 million port development in the Scottish Isles which involves a lot of specialist work, therefore I didn't have any time to work on the script for The A's as we ended up going out.

Opposite is Jenny Mellor on the sofa with her Easter Eggs.

The type of photography is known as Chiaroscuro.

This is used in cinematography for extreme low key and high-contrast lighting to create distinct areas of light and darkness.

It is another thing that I need to learn - because imagery such as this is very film noir, and I love it.

Jenny's granny and granddad, Maureen and John celebrate Easter in the proper way.

Church.

My favourite Easter hymn...?

Probably, Jesus Christ Is Risen Today...

4 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 8:15 am.

A lay-in.

Most definitely, and one which was topped off with me not taking the dog out... again.

More déjà vu, claimed Julie.

You better believe it.

The last thing I fancied this morning was having to take the dog through the woods.

Am I getting lazy?

No. I worked all Good Friday and cobbled 54 Office of Public Works (OPW) schemes together for insertion in the magazine today... which are supposedly a follow-on from some editorial on the Waterford Flood Defence scheme that ArcelorMittal - possibly one of the biggest sheet piling companies in the world, sent me a couple of weeks ago.

They are a major advertiser in the magazine, and as that is the case, they get what they want!

As a rule, I hate using editorial, therefore I expand on it to try and make it more informative - and future schemes that are similar in nature, always pan-out these type of articles quite well.

Sorry - I'm boring you.

Julie's just nipped down to our Jamie and Lianne's with their Easter Eggs.

Today, I'm going to have some time with the script.

Opposite is Mason Green on the actual film set of the rear of the fictitious Boelyn Mews.

The rear of 24 and 24A backs on to a cobbled street with the garages opposite.

In Series 1, most things revolve around this property - however, in Series 2, it is rarely seen other than in flashbacks.

My initial idea was to have Anita have it for when her parents came down for the weekend, however - I kicked that idea in the head. This was mainly due to the fact that Anita has three overbearing sisters with horrible children, and in reality - this wouldn't be fair on Ana (Mason's Gran)... and I'm trying to keep it real.

So..

There is a scene in Series 2 where Mason is picking up some stuff from the flat and his gran calls in to have a chat... and where Mason tells her that's she's been watching too many old films.

"I don't think so," says Ana.

Now, why would he say that?

3 April 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:45 am but didn't surface until 30 minutes later - Julie opting for the dog walking duties.

She claimed that the Incinerator Man was nowhere to be seen. He obviously likes to stalk the woodland in the early hours looking for female companionship.

I've only ever seen him a few times - mainly backing his truck out of his the rear of his high-walled and gated property and a couple of times on the dog walk.

He once tried to engage in conversation but I tend to always have my headphones on, and on that occasion I just gave him a Good Morning.

Outside of shagging prostitutes and burning loved ones I wouldn't really have known what to talk about, so after he told me that he's seen Julie on the dog walk the day before, I acknowledged the fact, and stuck my headphones back on.

Does he look weird?

Not especially.

He has a strange voice though.

After working hard on my day job, we broke our seven days of no alcohol yesterday, and after work went up to the Red Lion and took the hound - who Hassan the chef, kindly cooked her a plate full of fish goujons, which were stacked that high you could have put a flag on top.

I have to admit. It was thoroughly welcomed as was the shit takeaway we got from the Tandoori on the way back.

The kitchen table looked like an Exocet missile had it it afterwards, and Julie went to bed leaving me with the all the debris to shift.

She upstairs now, whistling... No idea why... One thing is for sure is that she can't be doing the ironing!

Opposite is more of the Kiki Dee character.

Top - an animation with her son, and below - after doing some cleaning.

Hers is an interesting story...

That's me done for today.

2 April 2026.

Good morning.

A bit of déjà vu

I was up at 6:15 am, again.

Julie took the dog out for her morning trawl through the woods... again.

What didn't happen yesterday, however was her bumping into the Incinerator Man on the dog walk and him walking around the dog walking circuit - the woods and the three-legs of field.

I've mentioned him before... well, his boastful wife - Katrina, who likes to talk and never listens and who made out that she had been stalked on a dog walk a year or so ago, which we all now know, was bollocks.

Anyway, her husband was supposed to have threatened to do her in and sling her in an incinerator - hence the name.

Why?

Because he is supposedly a sex maniac and frequents various local brothels - the Purple Door in Kirk Sandall is one, and is supposedly on every dating app there is... and she of course found out. Hence her not being long for this world.

I've grown up around bullshit all my life and...

Right...

Yesterday, we had the power off all day, which not only gave me a chance to use my Smeg whistling kettle - four times, it also gave me a chance to put my day job to one side and get on my laptop and work on the script.

This, I totally enjoyed.

The un-Christmassy Series 2: Christmas With The Cranks.

It's got the lot - including minor parts for the guy opposite who has the mobile phone in his mitts - Dean Barclay and his partner J Andrew Morgan.

I've still not decided on whether they are good guys or bad guys. What they look like, however - is a pair of players.

Around 4:00 pm we had a visitor.

Julie brought our Jamie's eldest dog, Chance - to the house as he has to be separated from the younger dog, who has of course had a minor operation to removed part of a blanket from his intestines.

The dog totally enjoyed the visit as much I didn't enjoy the cleaning up after he left.

Pools of drool and white dog hairs. They were everywhere.

He had half a block of Red Gloucester cheese, an egg and a sausage and then a walk.

Julie's bringing him round again tonight, so I've took a rump steak out of the freezer.

Totally spoiled.

1 April 2026.

Good morning, you fools.

The first day of April.

The days are flying by.

It is 6:15 am and I am up.

I've been awake for the last hour, but I was just being lazy.

I said I'd come downstairs and have a cup of tea, as the dawn's not broken yet, and it's still a bit dark outside.

I don't mind dog walking in the dark as I take a torch, but I thought I'd have 30 minutes blogging before going out.

As I brought my drink into the study Julie came downstairs full of good intentions, and has just gone out with the hound.

Fair play to her.

We don't go back out to Cyprus for another 30 days and this is supposed to be a good month where we don't drink alcohol or eat shite... and we do a bit of exercise.

Walking the dog through the woods is all part of that.

So far so good.

I was feeling shite and I needed to get my head in gear.

It's in gear.

This will be my fifth day with no alcohol and the fifth day I've done cardio.

I also have some new seat rollers and bearings on order for my seated rowing machine from eBay.

As a guy, the rowing machine is as good as anything for tightening your stomach. Boring as fuck, but it works.

The seat rollers wearing is a right bug-bear.

If I can't get the thing working properly, I'll buy a new one.

Opposite is more Kiki Dee.

She is a quite a good character, as is her son.

Julie often asks "Why do you always make look perfect?" or words to that effect.

My answer: "They may look perfect but they are not."

Look at her little boy. He looks as cute as cute can be, but that's not the story.

I based him around my half-brother, Joel, so he will possess similar traits... but one which is very different.

In life, I have never known anyone that's perfect.

Same with the story.

It is what hopefully makes it tick.

In other news, our Jamie and Lianne got their dog back. Apart from the odd sock, it had eaten part of its blanket that it sleeps on.

An accident or boredom?

No idea. Ask the dog.

As for ours, she had what was left of the full leg of lamb as well as all the shit pieces I cut off.

If you ever want to see a dog enjoy itself... well, that works.

Today - it's more of my day job.

That's me done...

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