March 2026 | James Durose-Rayner's website

MARCH 2026

The A's

ALL IMAGES OPEN IN TECHNICOLOUR

31 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:35 am.

I would have possibly been up early was it not for the interrupted sleep.

I had the dog barking her head off at 2:10 am.

The near-neighbours cat was in the garden... again.

I let her out and she chased the thing around the house and came back in to be praised for being a good guard dog.

I spent the following hour or so tossing and turning as these shingles under my arm were out in force and I was lopping like a bitch.

Anyway, I'm up and on my own.

Lianne's in panic-mode and has just had Julie on the phone.

The younger bulldog - Doofus, has eaten a sock amongst other things and he is badly.

Julie's not happy.

They - and I mean they, spend too much time out of the house and those dog's are neglected, therefore, they get bored.

This is not the first time.

Last year he ate some rope which took three weeks to pass through him and he's always eating socks.

This time... well, Julie feels there won't be a next time.

They are now on their way to the emergency vets.

Anyway...

Yesterday, I made my best quality animation - ever, which was of Kiki Dee and which is opposite.

When you play it, go into the settings button and alter the quality taking it from 720p to 2160p and then hit the widescreen button.

The detail is nothing short of fucking fantastic.

And it is only going to get better.

From her complexion, to the detailing in her clothes - the creasing in her nylons, and the shine of her shoes - she is beautiful, and a great yardstick for me to work to.

I set it from two separate images.

These were created in 4K as are all my recent images - however, the algorithms on these were manipulated in a different manner to the other photo's.

To create her son, I did the same as I did with Anita's gran - Freja Pallenburg, and used Kiki Dee's characteristics to morph his character.

As the The Stone Roses said: This Is The One (1989).

I now need to follow the same pattern of manipulation of the algorithms and try it with some other images / animation.

All also did more work on the script whilst playing music on the B2.

Wolf Alice's The Clearing (2025) got another play - and is becoming a very nice album to listen to; and I played Kasabian's 48-13 (2014) which I was totally enjoying before I knocked of at Cowboy Time - 9:50 pm - ten-to-ten... You know, the Lone Ranger music!

Anyway...

Today, my day job beckons, therefore I need to get my head in gear and smash it.

Later dudes...

30 March 2026.

Good morning.

I am up and it is 5:10 am.

I am in my study with a cup of tea and at the computer.

I've been tossing and turning for the last hour.

A few years ago I got shingles and over the last few weeks they have resurfaced with a vengeance.

They are under my left arm and beneath my abdomen and they are as annoying as fucking hell.

The only thing that would calm the last lot was me getting in the pool. I never sunbathe ever - but that month I came back with the greatest tan ever.

Being that it was too cold to go in the pool whilst in Cyprus and I'm now looking into the dark through the window at the rain, the only thing that seems to calm them is Germolene.

They are like the proverbial boring fucking wanker who turns up at your table and just stands there wanting to chat shit.

As I said - just annoying!

Yesterday, I did quite a lot on the script and I have to admit, the story became quite emotional... and it's me actually writing the thing.

You get an affection for the characters - and remember, these have been in my life much longer than 456 days.

Series 2: Christmas With The Cranks.

There are stories within the story, but the one who is taking note is the little girl who will go on to write an essay in the New Year titled My Three Christmases and The Boy Who Couldn't Talk.

Jenny is highly inquisitive picks up lots of information, as she asks questions. And she eavesdrops on conversations between the grown-ups.

"What are you asking me for?" her father would reply. "It's you who's the spy."

If her mum wants to know what Mason is doing she asks Jenny... as does her granny.

Mason doesn't need to ask what Gaynor is doing as Jenny just tells him.

"Mam looked right pretty when she went to work this morning," Jenny would say. "She had a nice dress on and her hair up, and I know that you like her hair up cos I remember you telling me."

She doesn't do it discreetly either and goes All Guns Blazing and says what she thinks whether Anita is there or not.

Anyway...

Opposite is a photograph of Gaynor outside the care home which has been captured from the animation as opposed to being staged, along with the actual animation below - which could need the settings changing.

In a perfect world everything would be in 4K.

Music...

I'm listening to quite a bit.

Yesterday, I did an hour on the cross trainer and listened to a couple of albums I bought: Up To Now (2009) by Snow Patrol and Human Conditions (2003) by Richard Ashcroft.

Aside of that I did in Adult Fear by Holy Wave (2018) and The Clearing (2025) by Wolf Alice, both of which are lovely albums.

29 March 2026.

Good morning.

I am up and it is 5:10 am.

The clocks have gone forward.

I was in bed at 7:30 pm last night.

Travelling with the very early morning start takes it out of you.

We got back home at 1:00 pm yesterday - the half-hour delay on the M1 being the roadworks before Newport Pagnell and some incident before the Loughborough turn off whereby the police purposely held up the traffic to shift it.

The dog was pleased to see us and after barking to be let in copped a tin of pilchards and a couple of eggs before Julie took her on a walk through the woods.

Aside of love, feeding and walking Dogs like familiarity and consistency. Do that and you'll generally always have yourself a good dog.

I emptied the fridge when we left and brought back some fresh pasta Ravioli and Tortellini, and some ham.

So, after the Tesco delivery came I knocked up two lots of pasta and Julie took it down for the kids.

Jamie had six days working with his new firm - just up off the A1 at Scotch Corner, with Kettering planned for this week - the latter meaning he stays away from home.

Whilst this was happening the general manager from the firm he left asked him to come back and offered him, what is a better management position than he had and quite a considerable pay rise.

Therefore, he is now back where he was.

I've worked away from home before and it goes against the grain of having a family. Yes, you provide for them, but you are never there.

Opposite is the Gaynor Mellor character in the garden.

Julie mentioned me making the characters too posey in that the females are starting to look a bit Barbie-dollish.

In animation, you start the animation in a pose to keep the characteristics in the face.

Therefore in this animation I animated her to start trimming and that is what you see.

Right, I'm looking out the window of the study and it is dark.

I have a cup of tea, so I'll have an hour with the script and take the dog through the woods as dawn breaks.

Have a nice day.

28 March 2026.

Good morning.

It is 12:00 am (GMT+2) and a long day awaits.

The taxi is picking us up at 2:30 am and our journey home begins.

Hopefully we get home for around 12:30 pm.

Fingers crossed as we have a Tesco delivery between 3:00 - 4:00 pm.

Tempting fate?

Definitely. Last time we were rushing to get the Tesco delivery some gadgy collapsed on the plane.

Fortunately, the WizzAir staff managed to bang his head a few times trying to get him off the floor and he behaved himself after that, and for the remainder of the flight he was happily drooling against the window on seat 3A.

If I recall right, I think he was a diabetic.

There was another instance where we had to drop down in Athens following someone having a heart attack.

That delayed us around 3 hours.

Anyway...

For me it has been a productive week with The A's.

The script has been coming on great and I've got a lot of personality flowing from various characters - in particularly the little girl who is starting to show some flaws in her character.

It could be quite funny if it wasn't so sad.

It revolves around Kiki Dee Moran and more so her little boy the latter of who I haven't yet cast.

Saying that, there are quite a few who I haven't cast yet.

Opposite is a near perfect short animation of Mason Green and Gaynor Mellor. It would be perfect if the software would let me render at 4K.

That day will come.

Both characters are of course, main characters who have evolved brilliantly...

Right. Hopefully, I may see you in Larnaca Airport.

---

We are in Larnaca Airport's Skala Priority Lounge.

At 4:45 am they should be bringing the eggs, mushrooms and bacon out. I have to admit - they do a great fry-up, albeit the sausages can be a bit hit and miss...

I'm continuing with the script...

Mason and Gaynor aren't seeing eye-to-eye...

One wonders why?

27 March 2026.

Mia polý kalí méra se ólous sas

A very good morning to you

I was up at 7:o0 am (GMT+2)

The back door is open and the sun is out.

I have a cup of coffee in front of me along with my laptop and I am working.

Julie is also up.

She is full on and preparing for us to go home - meaning that the bedding is currently being put through the washing machine and tumble dryer and she is upstairs clattering about in the bathroom and bedrooms.

The vacuum cleaner and mop and bucket are still downstairs so it can't be that serious yet!

It's been a nice week away - even though the weather has been shite.

Today, however - it is glorious outside.

I have said it once and I'll say it again - the sun shining makes everyone feel better.

Oh right - it is serious!

Julie's just commandeered me to carry the vacuum cleaner upstairs.

She treats me like a slave!

Yesterday, I did quite a lot of work on the script. Series 2: Christmas with the Cranks.

Stories within the story.

There's a nice scene in the truck as Mason, Anita and Jenny drive up to St Anne's-on-Waveney for a couple of nights.

I broke off around 1:00 pm and Julie went to feed the feral cats (again) that live in and around the church at Agia Triada harbour.

We then went up to Fosis Coffee Shop to find the main man AWOL, which was the second time in two days.

I'll be nipping up there today as I want a haircut and shave from Tony the Barber - next door.

I think we are also on about taking some Cypriot Easter Eggs home.

We shall see...

26 March 2026.

Kaliméra

The back door is open and the sun is out.

I have a cup of coffee in front of me along with my laptop and I am working.

I got up at 7:20 am (GMT+2) after having another crap sleep.

I need to drop my alcohol intake to nil when I get back and start to do some exercise.

My 40+ days of sobriety from January did nothing as all I did was substitute my alcohol intake with chocolate and cake.

Anyway... I'm boring you.

I did quite a bit on the script yesterday - Series 2: Christmas With The Cranks.

Is it Christmassy?

Not really.

The Christmas in Series 1 is, however - I'm Dreaming of a Miserable Christmas.

The piece I'm writing brings J Andrew Morgan into play, as well as Kiki Dee Moran - who was a peripheral character in Series 1.

Kiki is Eurasian - her mum - Kirishima, being from the far east. In Series 1, she has left to go to university in Norwich to study marine geology, part of the move being that she had a placement with Fugro - a leading geotechnical company.

Even though she was a peripheral character, Gaynor saw her as a huge threat.

Check her out opposite.

Kiki is slightly older than Gaynor and was around after the death of Mason's parents, and helped him cope with the loss.

Mason's gran - Ana Reung, maybe saw both her and Leoni Middleton as a bad influence as they were round at the flat all the time.

You have to draw your own conclusions.

In Series 2 Kiki is back in West London (for Christmas) and Mason calls. The first thing she does is hug him and then give him a bollocking.

Why?

Well, that's all part of the story.

As for J Andrew Morgan, his character has what's had me tossing and turning all night.

Good guy, bad guy? I'm not sure yet.

Being Greek Independence Day yesterday, we called in at the Salamis bar in Avgorou to see the owner - Anthony.

As with Fosis, we have known him years.

We then called in at The Lionheart on Protaras Avenue before coming home and having Salmon en croute, baked potatoes with cottage cheese and salad.

I then had a glass of red wine and watch another episode of Series 2 of Landman.

Is it getting woke?

No - just fucking annoying.

They've cast Guy Burnet as some - get this - geologist, and his accent borders on being fucking pathetic.

I had to look him up this morning - thinking that he wasn't actually English as absolutely no Englishman speaks like that.

It has to be the American perception of an Englishman as say - Ryan Cartwright's John Hooker (Moneypenny) character in Mathew Weiner's Mad Men.

The accents sound fucking stupid and not real and about as authentic as the stuttering and stammering woke-boy, Hugh Grant.

25 March 2026.

Kaliméra

After being awoken by the heavy rain I got up at 6:30 am (GMT+2).

I have to admit, I slept rubbish - the night sky continually lighting up the bedroom with flashes of lightning at the window every twenty or so minutes.

What is strange is that I never heard any thunder. Weird that.

Anyway - I'm up.

Yesterday, I worked on the script some more and finally brought a new character into play.

Last year, whilst I was trawling through the It Girl bands on my (Brennan) B2, I came across a song titled Rollercoaster by Sleeper - whose lead vocalist was Louise Weiner.

It was from their album Pleased to Meet You (1997).

The song gave me an idea and now that idea has come to life.

Opposite is J Andrew Morgan - senior partner of Morgan Barclay LLP - a wealth management company that offer a specialised financial advisory service for affluent clients, offering a holistic, consultative approach to managing high-net-worth assets, blah blah.

His partner is Dean Barclay, another new character.

Notice how I make them sound like bankers?

Morgan Stanley Dean Witter... Barclays?

It is how ideas form.

Back to the song - Rollercoaster... it starts "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Morgan; How you feeling today? Isn't it a lovely morning; I've seen you looking my way."

So... who has he been looking at?

Well, I'm not telling you.

I've not had time to figure out if he is a good guy or a bad guy, yet. I'll have to see where the story takes me.

What I can tell you is that he is 33 years old and divorced.

Does he drive?

Why not - he perhaps has a Mercedes or BMW.

Where does he live?

In a flat - rented.

The Fulham area - possibly near Putney Bridge Station.

So, what else did I do yesterday?

Nickolas - the ex-waiter-cum-traffic warden from the now-up-for-sale Red Ruby restaurant was supposedly calling to the house at 10:00 am, but messaged Julie to say that there was no way he was going anywhere whilst it was raining.

He rides a bike and it was slinging it down.

In fact it never let up for three hours and then came the sun.

I also had another email from Rachel Abbott - the bestselling author of 4 million copies, who from her messages, appears quite keen in having some involvement with The A's.

I'm certainly not ready for anything as yet, as the script hasn't been completed, my new state-of-the-art computer system to handle the animation isn't yet set up, and my indexing is all over the place.

As I've often said, there isn't enough hours in the day and my day job of writing an 84-page magazine is always calling me.

Anyway...

We ate out at the Bulgarian open kitchen last night - which was the first time since Julie was diagnosed with having a gallstone trapped in her pancreatic duct.

Svetlana was more pleased than she generally is to see us.

"Nice to see you James and Julie. Go fucking sit down and I'll fetch you a menu."

It wasn't quite like that - but you can imagine.

She'd definitely get a job with WizzAir!

The History of The A's. Anita Pallenburg

---

Jenny has been nagging (like her mum) and wants to show Anita (Neeta) her new bike that her mum bought her for Christmas.

Gaynor is working, so her granny - Maureen Mellor, walks along the Chiswick Path which runs alongside of the River Thames, to her father and Anita's house, whilst Jenny rides her bike.

Obviously, Anita ends up in conversation with Maureen and it is quite strained.

In Maureen's mind, Mason should be with Gaynor and Jenny. The end. It is how she was brought up. The sanctity of marriage. The family and the church and all that

Maureen worked hard to keep Mason in the family and in her mind, her daughter and Mason would always end up back together.

Not so. Gaynor left.

She was gone over five years before Mason brought her and his daughter back to London and put them in the house opposite.

Mason had been planning it a while and had said nothing.

Can you imagine how proud Maureen was when that happened?

To say Maureen's relationship with her youngest daughter was strained is an understatement.

Why?

It is all part of the story.

"Christ, what will my mam say?" Gaynor asked whilst on her way back home.

"You know what she'll say," Mason told her. "She hasn't changed that much."

On getting home it was emotional.

I really enjoyed writing that, as I did Mason explaining to his daughter about how much he had loved her mum after Maureen had let the cat out of the bag.

So - this piece I'm writing was always going to happen, I just didn't know when. I do now!

Yesterday, we had the afternoon at Fosis Coffee Shop in Vrysoulles after calling in at Litsas supermarket, which is somehow attached to Waitrose in the UK and on driving back towards Frenaros, we hit a first.

A tornado.

Nice weather and then boom. We saw it twisting over the village and as we got closer the rain came down like you wouldn't believe and on exiting the village it was dry again. Unbelievable.

We also called in at Dave's Bar where we bumped into a couple that we'd not seen in 20 years.

Julie knew we knew them but couldn't place them.

He was some market trader from Islington and she a schoolteacher from Hertfordshire. Mick and Diane.

I don't think they lived here back then, but they do now.

It was quite nice to see them.

Julie finished the evening by feeding the feral cats at the church on the harbour at Agia Triada.

All in all a nice day.

Let's see what today brings.

23 March 2026.

Kaliméra

I was up at 6:20 am (GMT+2).

The door is open and it is sunny out with thunderstorms predicted.

It is the same forecast yesterday, yet the sun stayed out all day.

The storms over the past week or so have played havoc - and have even uprooted one of the palm trees in the back garden.

Julie tidied up around the pool area whilst I dragged the tree down the street for the dustbin men to deal with.

They aren't like those wankers that work for North Lincolnshire Council - these binmen actually take everything.

Julie must have been in mad-mode as she even washed both the car and scooter.

I did quite a bit of work on the script for The A's and broke off to go Lidl which is located on April Avenue and just off the Paralimni / Derynia roundabout and filled up the fridge.

It's Salmon en croute tonight - or Lobster Ravioli with mushrooms in a tomato sauce. Ideally we need fresh basil, but I never saw any yesterday - not that I was actually looking.

I'll probably pick some up when we nip to Fosis Coffee Shop this afternoon.

Julie's just come down the stairs after speaking with our Lianne and is now sat eating cereal outside in the sun.

The news from home is that our Jamie isn't a morning person, and this getting up at 4:00 am for his new employer smarts a bit.

Welcome to my world.

I did it for years.

We have just had The Terminator call to the house unannounced. .

Bandolis (his real name) is our insect and pest control man - however, he likes spraying the house with insecticide a bit more than it actually needs doing and is just after the €30 each month.

Anyway...

Opposite is Angie Mellor with her niece.

Angie and her husband Pat both work long hours, but they make a point of spending time with their niece.

Gaynor, however, is hardly the nicest person when it comes to her elder sister.

Why?

22 March 2026.

Kaliméra apó tin Kýpro.

That's Good morning from Cyprus.

I was up at 6:30 am (GMT+2).

The back door is open, the sun is out and there's not a cloud in the sky.

Not for long though.

The weather forecast looks gloomy and according to the forecast, won't pick up until Friday.

There has been storms over here for the past week.

It's strange as last year was exactly the same.

January and February was great weather - nice and sunny - March, not so.

The good news is that the kettle I brought over is really good.

Morphy Richards. £29.99 from their factory shop off eBay.

We have a Smeg kettle at home which is far more expensive, but this one, I have to say - is just as good.

Angie Mellor - pictured opposite in 8K, is holding the exact same one.

Hopefully, when I start animating - 8K will be the norm.

We landed at 5:00 pm and after rearranging my wardrobe, I recoupled the battery on the car and we drove as far as Dave's Bar where I managed a couple of beers.

We got back in and whilst Julie went to bed, I started watching Series 2 of Landman.

I can't remember much about it, as apart from being knackered from the early start and all the travelling, I had a couple of large glasses of Courvoisier.

Aside of Ouzo, it's the only short I drink - and I make a point never drinking shit brandy. It's either that or Rémy Martin cognac.

Hence why I've woke up feeling groggy.

I think I am going to have to reboot this laptop as it is dragging like you wouldn't believe, and reading the external hard drive is highly frustrating.

Anyway - I need to get on with this script.

21 March 2026.

Good morning.

It is 3:10 am and a drive down the M1 to Luton Airport beckons.

We fly out to Larnaca at 10:25 am.

I'm sat in the study and it's dark outside.

I have been here before. Lots of times.

Cyprus.

Iran recently hit one of the the UK military bases over there with a couple of drones which has rattled a few people.

Fucking Iran.

I still can't believe how I foresaw all this happening.

447 days ago I had the guts of a series with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz very much prevalent - with the pre-titled Episode 24: Iran even up on this website, with the ideas flowing and awaiting being written-up in detail.

The reconnaissance I undertook on the country and in particularly Bandar Abbas International Airport took a while and was highly detailed. The story was always going to head towards Iran. Always

"Dad says that it's the most dangerous place on earth," Jenny told her mum.

I thought after the U.S had dropped the bunker bombs it would quieten down and I could salvage the story...

Obviously not.

So - a story change?

If there's a change of regime and the Shah gets put back in power - that is a given - however, much like Kier Starmer and his lousy fucking government, they will see their country burn to the ground before they cede power.

People like these do not care. Power is their God.

Anyway, I don't start animating until 2027, so a lot of things can happen by then.

The thing is with me, is that I like to keep it real.

Julie often calls it my O.C.D.

I've used fictitious places such as where the characters live - but I draw the line at inventing a country!

Wild Geese (1978) was a great film starring Richard Burton, Roger Moore and Richard Harris that was based on Daniel Carney's then-unpublished novel The Thin White Line which did just that.

For me, it never sat right and I could never take it serious.

For me, the devil is in the detail.

Anyway... The bath is running and I am being summoned.

Cyprus is currently being hammered by thunderstorms - with rain predicted until Friday...

So...

20 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:10 am and out through the woods with the hound.

It's not as nice as it was yesterday, but the good news is, that there is no rain.

We are flying out to Cyprus tomorrow morning, and by all accounts - the weather over there has been horrendous. Storms. We shall see.

Julie has booked us in two carry-on flight cases as I have to take a new kettle over, amongst other things.

I checked my emails this morning and had a lovely message from author Rachel Abbott, via the Writer's Guild of Great Britain.

By all accounts she is the bestselling author of the DCI Tom Douglas psychological crime thrillers

Have I heard of her? No, but I have now.

Opposite is a montage of photograph's of the Pallenburg family up in St Anne'-on-Waveney.

What is strange is that before yesterday, all they were is characters in my head. Now look at them.

Over the past week or so I've been working on the personality of Anita - and that includes how she presents herself - style of dress, hair etc...

As for her parents... and grandmother... wow.

Unlike the figures I use, Freja isn't a 3D asset - far from it. Using the Olaf character (her son), I generated her using AI. I then stuck her some old ladies clothes on her and began animating her to gain better expressions - and bingo! She looks absolutely brilliant.

I totally enjoyed doing these.

Although the story tends to revolve around the Mellor's - the Pallenburg's are prevalent - especially in Series 2.

As Olaf said in his The History of The A's animation, his youngest daughter was in two minds whether or not to leave West London and go to Norfolk with them, and it was only Mason turning up at their door in St Anne's-on-Waveney, that she made the decision to stay.

It is never said when that exactly happened - but it must have been just after Jenny was christened - between May 2024 and January 2025.

So, where was she actually living after her parents left London for Norfolk?

That is an interesting question.

So, what made Mason go up to St Anne's-on-Waveney?

Again, that another interesting question.

Both answers reveal a lot of the reasoning of why what happened, happened - mainly Gaynor leaving.

19 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:30 am to an empty house as Julie had got up 20 minutes earlier and was through the woods with the dog.

It looks like a decent day again, with the Met Office stating that it will get up to 15°c by 4:00 pm.

Yesterday, everything was signed off with the magazine and I dedicated four hours to tidying up both drives and jet washing around the house only to notice that the fucking council's useless fucking binmen refused to empty our burgundy bin as there was apparently some anomaly in it.

We have been here before, but not for a long time.

Ideally the council should give you their names so you can seek them out and go dump your shit on their drives.

Binmen are paid to empty bins - not go rifling through your fucking trash with a fine toothcomb.

Really annoying.

Post-me complaining, the council said to leave the bin out and they would empty it today.

Too late.

Julie bagged up all the plastic and cardboard and stuck it in The Beast. She'll dump it in the skips at her offices at Doncaster Airport.

So much for recycling. Wankers!

As it was still sunny, and I was absolutely filthy from my afternoon jet washing, I hosed off the sludge, got a bath and we nipped up to The Red Lion for tea.

I had Haddock and Chips and some - some nuclear reactive Cottage Pie with no meat in it and a roof of mashed potato and cheese, that was literally on fire.

"It just won't cool down," she said.

And that is one of the problems with eating there.

All the pre-cooked food is really hot.

I've had Lobster bisque with prawns a couple of times and in the end and after burning the inside of my mouth, I had to tell them to stick it in a wider bowl as it was taking half an hour to cool down.

18 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:30 am and out through the woods with the hound, with the sun coming up from the east.

According to the Met Office it's going to hit 18°c around 4:00 pm.

Get in there!

And as The Beatles sung on their Abbey Road (1969) album, Here Comes the Sun.

The magazine has been completed and uploaded to the printers. I'd generally say, Thank God, but it was a straightforward month with plenty of news kicking about.

I wish it was like that all the time.

Yesterday, we stayed in and had a Feta Salad for dinner along with Tesco's finest Chicken Breast Kiev's and finest Southern Fried Chicken Breasts, and afterwards I totally enjoyed watching the football results come in.

I have to emphasise the word finest as there is a big difference.

Opposite are a couple of shots of Anita Pallenburg character at work, along with an animation of her driving the car.

When I first started animating in 2D everything was shit - from the resolution, through to the actual animation.

If I would have put more time into the car animation I would have improved it by 1000 %, as I now know what I can and cannot do when commanding the algorithms that generate the body movements.

Boring stuff, I know - but these past 444 days have been all trial and error, whilst I put the story together.

As for Anita, I have totally firmed-up the character - both the personality and indeed the appearance.

You stick the Gaynor or Angie characters in a dress and heels and they look great, but when I did that with Anita it never looked right - which sounds stupid if you look at Anita sat at the desk - as she looks shit hot.

However, it is true.

I therefore began dressing her in a top-heavy kind of way - bulky jackets, short skirts, opaques and clumpy boots - or a pair of cropped trousers and heels.

And this worked, much as it did with Jenny... with the Adidas-thing.

Above. "We love Jenny, Jenny Mellor."

An excited Jenny pretending to drive Anita's car.

---

It's really interesting, as it is with the change of appearance when you take the hair off their faces.

As a guy, it had me scratching my head, as just the smallest detail actually alters the overall look.

A guy with short brown hair can look dull and mundane. Stick some blond through his hair and spike it up and he is a completely different person.

For me, this is really interesting...

We fly out to Cyprus on Saturday morning, so hopefully, I can chill out and work on the script some more.

Roll on.

Anyway, that's me done for today.

17 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:50 am and out through the woods with the hound.

It looks like it could be a nice day.

Hopefully, I can get the magazine signed off later today.

The roofer stroke-odd-job man came on Friday to do the gutters so I need to get outside, sling some brick acid around, and do some jet washing.

Our house has two huge gables and the downpipe that drains the 1000mm-wide gulley that runs between them had been blocked with leaves and debris from the trees and was holding quite a bit of water following the recent heavy rain. So, that lot came down the front of the house and brought all the shite down with it!

In fact, The Beast (the dog's car) needs washing as well, as it's positioned under a tree on the front drive and the amount of pigeon's we have - also leave their mark.

I keep saying it - but, that car needs part-chopping for a new one - my thoughts being something like a Mini Clubman... you know, something the dog can get in.

Anyway...

Opposite are two summer photograph's of the Gaynor Mellor character - one sat out in the rear courtyard at Boelyn Mews and the other coming out of Mason's gran's florist in the fictitious Little Brittany area of Hammersmith.

She would have just got caught on with Jenny around this time.

Always remember - Gaynor's pregnancy wasn't a shock. Jenny was planned, and was part of their Long Term Plan.

Gaynor wanted two kids - daughter's, so everyone could enjoy them whilst they were young enough - that meaning her parents, John and Maureen.

Mason?

Whatever Gaynor wanted - she got...

That was until the day she didn't.

16 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:30 am, Julie moaning at my non-dog walking stance as soon as I opened my eyes.

"We are supposed to take it in turns," she said.

I think January and February burned me out with all the bad weather.

The dog has to be 11-year old and she's still chasing rabbits and bouncing around retrieving the stick like an Alsatian half her age.

I say chasing rabbits as to my knowledge she's only caught a couple. She doesn't kill them - she's just inquisitive, sort of picking them up and putting them down as she would a pup.

It's our Jamie's first day at his new job today.

I heard his mum on the phone to him at 6:30 am and I've messaged him on WhatsApp.

Touch wood it all goes to plan.

We had Sunday afternoon in The Red Lion and had a Mother's Day dinner of roast beef and Yorkshire Puddings.

I don't think we were planning on doing the whole afternoon - but the sky went back and it absolutely hounded it down.

Eight beers and a bottle and a half of Pinot Grigio later we were home.

In days gone by we would have called in at The Curry Leaf and had out teas there, but yesterday - we'd had enough. Well, I had, anyway.

Opposite are three similar photographs during the Christmas holidays, of Jenny Mellor making a snowman - under supervision of the dog, outside the home of the Pallenburg's.

Theirs is the stone house at the end.

For a seven-year-old child, the surroundings are idyllic.

15 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 7:30 am and seeing as it is Mother's Day, I let Julie walk the dog.

She totally appreciated it... not.

It is now 10:00 am.

Julie is down at Wombwell Cemetery with her sister, Jane - taking some flowers to put on their parents grave.

Sad.

Our Jamie was supposed to be coming round to pick up the lawn mover this morning. I tried firing it up, but it's not having it.

I put a new spark plug in and had it running for a few seconds, but that's as much as it is doing.

When the new lawn eventually gets put down I'll buy a new one.

We are supposedly nipping out for Sunday lunch... The Red Lion again...

From reading between the lines, it does appear the Fat Fred - the owner-stroke-landlord, is culling some staff as two of them have supposedly retired.

I'm sorry, but I cannot believe that these two would offer their own retirement as one is superbly self-important and the other doesn't have a life outside the pub.

Watch this space as I reckon Teddy Bear Legs will be the next for the bullet...

She's the one who was scamming me when I told her to stick herself a drink on. £7 for a glass of wine, one time - a straight £10 the next.

Some people take advantage and it is something that I've had it all my adult life...

Opposite are more photo's of St Anne's-on-Waveney.

The fictitious village is mentioned in Series 1. Firstly by Gaynor to Mason following a visit to the flat by Maureen and Mrs Pike, and right at the end by Anita... to Mason, which is a nice scene (I hope).

I now need to create a story within a story for visiting Anita's parents as I'm getting lots of ideas.

The top photo of Anita and Jenny baking is something that Anita does with her on a regular basis.

Jenny's mum - Gaynor, couldn't boil an egg as she was spoiled. Anita, not so.

Anita always involves Jenny.

In Series 2, when an unwanted visitor appears at the house, her dad - Mason, tells his daughter: "Go make him a sandwich."

"Who - me?" she asks.

"You know how to make them, so yes," Mason tells her, before focusing his attention on her friend, Dottie.

"And Dorothy can make him a cup of tea."

"What does he want on the sandwich?" Jenny asks.

"It doesn't matter," her dad replies. "If he's really hungry - he'll eat it."

An interesting story as the unwanted visitor appears during the night.

14 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 7:40 am

A lay in. Most definitely.

I was up until 11:00 pm last night trying to finish watching Series 1 of Landman starring Billy Bob Thornton.

So far, so good.

Very anti-fucking-woke.

Will that change?

Knowing the TV and film industry - probably.

At the moment the series is 100% pro-fossil fuel and is bang on the money when it comes to what the powers-that-be call green energy, the latter of which is life's ultimate fucking con.

Getting people to throw £100,000+ to buy some hyper-induced milk float that only possesses a range from our house to Luton Airport before the lights start fading, is nothing short of fucking criminal.

No wonder people are getting depressed.

Do I do the green thing?

Absolutely-fucking-not. I drive a V8 5.0 car - and own three other plus a motorbike / scooter, fly backward and forwards to Cyprus every month, and have every light on in the house.

I'm here once. I grew up with people telling me what I should and should not do, and Julie is the same.

Fuck that. Enjoy yourself whilst you're here.

I uploaded the nine CDs that were delivered the other day - Richard Ashcroft and The Verve.

I managed to play The Verve's A Northern Soul (1995) whilst sat in the kitchen with a Peroni or four.

It needs another listen to be honest, as on first hearing it, it was just noise.

I animated more of Jenny Mellor yesterday, but of the 20 takes I did, I couldn't for the life of me, get the accent right.

This is obviously a software glitch and the main reason why I will most probably be using real voices that will be converted digitally.

It is just another one of the thousand things that I have to do!

As you can see, I have firmed up how she looks.

At first, she was a bit ragtag and bobtail in that outside of her school uniform, I had her wearing just a different succession of rags.

Now, with all the state-of-the art software, I have managed to give her a certain style.

Julie never liked her hair, so half the time it tends to be clipped back off her face; and the clothes she wears tend to be Adidas-based and very girlie-cum-tomboy, which I think works really well.

Her mum and auntie Angie, are ultra-feminine and dress as such...

However, Jenny dresses very similar to Anita - therefore, you can see who buys Jenny most of her clothes...

13 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 7:20 am and out through the woods with the dawg.

We were in The Red Lion last night and it absolutely hounded it down - the strong March winds and the fact that the owner-stroke-landlord - Fat Fred won't fix the conservatory, making it appear ten times worse.

There was water everywhere.

So, it was a surprise to get up and see it look like a spring day in Cyprus... the sun.

It was out for an hour.

Friday. The weekend begins, eh?

"It's Friday the thirteenth," Julie told me.

That's okay - I was born on Friday the thirteenth. It was just that being a midnight child, the midwife put me down as fully arriving at ten-past - therefore, my birthday has always been known as the fourteenth.

My dad once broke his hand on a Friday the thirteenth... apart from that, I can never remember any calamities.

Saying that - it's 9:45 am and Tom Lowther - the roofer-stroke-odd job man has just turned up at the house to clean out the gutters... therefore, I won't hold my breath.

£160 for 30 minutes graft. Fucking daylight robbery!

Opposite, I am still in St Anne's-on-Waveney... building characters and storylines.

In Series 2, and how it stands, Anita, Mason and Jenny are seen visiting in both summer and winter.

In summer it is a sort of flashback with Anita speaking to her three sisters during a meal at Facchetti's Sicilian Trattoria (restaurant) and describing how their parents love Jenny and vice-versa.

The second time, where she is six months older, is during the Christmas holidays between Boxing Day and New Year - Series 2: Christmas with The Kranks.

It does have an episode number, but the script is moving around a lot, therefore it will most probably change.

I did a short animation of Jenny on the bed speaking to the camera (opposite).

She is turning into a very pretty little girl, as her appearance changes... especially when I take the hair from around her face.

I need to take all these things into account as the story moves on.

She is now continually looking like her mum and dad.

A bit of history was made last night: the Pallenburg's dog was named in The Red Lion... by Julie.

It is called Lad.

I few years ago Julie rescued a similar looking dog from Paralimni dog pound and paid for it being homed.

As a point of note: Julie works with a lot of dog charities.

This particular dog wasn't the most sociable of dogs but as I've said - that is generally on how the owners treat it.

Julie followed it's life through its new owners and it was homed very well... and it ended up getting entered in competitions at Crufts.

I can't be 100%, but I think it won a few.

A nice story.

12 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 5:30 am - the dog letting me know she wanted to nip outside as she was bursting.

We had a full leg of lamb last night, and against Julie's wishes I gave her the bone. Not Julie that is - the dog. And that being the case, it must have made her thirsty as I noticed that she'd drunk all her water.

Anyway, I took her out around 6:30 am and bumped into quite a bit of dog walking traffic amidst her chasing rabbits and squirrels.

The change in the weather must be bringing the dog walking set out.

Anyway...

Last night I incorporated a dog into the story as I needed a reason for Olaf Pallenburg and Jenny to go out walking at night - and Olaf having a dog was the obvious answer.

Being that we've had three Alsatian's (German Shepherd's) - four, if you count the one we had when I was a kid, I thought that an Alsatian would be the obvious choice.

I've not put a name to it yet, but I will.

It is a male dog by the way...

It is the first time that I've animated a dog and I can't believe how real it looks.

It also gives me more angles for the story.

As you can see on yesterday and the day before's journal - where Jenny is toasting pikelets over the fire and paddling in the river right outside their house - Olaf and Louisa must be very laid back.

Unlike Jenny's Granny Maureen, who is a stickler for tidiness and makes everyone take their shoes off when they come into her house!

A tale of two seasons.

Eating pikelets by the fire in winter, and catching crayfish in the River Waveney in summer.

Jenny loved visiting the Pallenburg's.

---

It is a case of me constructing characters as they can't all be the same.

Anita's sisters aren't that nice, yet Anita is. However, if you listen to Olaf - he'll tell you that Anita can be fiery when rubbed up the wrong way - and as you will see - she does have her moments.

Her mother, Louisa is the same - as is her cousin, Alice - who is the wife of Teddy Layne (the Mellor's neigbours).

Again, building these characters and making it all make sense is a time consuming process.

I've got a couple of fillet steaks, two bags of scallops and some king prawns out for tonight... I think we are having salad with that... I think.

11 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 8:00 am.

A lay in?

Hardly. I was up at 4:00 am, I wouldn't say that I had eyes like a bush baby but I could have easily got up.

I tossed and turned for God knows how long, and as usual - had my deepest sleep until I finally awoke.

Anyway, it was my turn to do the hike through the woods with the hound. That was after I pulled the green wheelie bin in.

The highlight of today will be sticking a leg of lamb in the oven. Julie's not bothered about having and vegetables with it, so we'll just have sandwiches.

I did quite a lot of imagery yesterday, which revolved around the Jenny Mellor character.

I have her personality sort of bang on - however, I am working on the relationship that she has with Anita's parents.

Olaf Pallenburg - the father of Anita.

---

Olaf comes across as an extremely nice person and up until Jenny found out that Mason was her father - he was just Anita's dad.

Finding out was a lot for Jenny to process and I remember writing up part of Series 2, maybe two years ago and Jenny in conversation with Anita maybe a week or so after she found out.

Olaf and Louisa Pallenburg suddenly became another set of grandparents.

As I said in Monday's Journal: Jenny never referred to Anita's parents as Granny or Granddad - just Olaf and Louisa.

And then she found out.

"Do they like me?" Jenny asked Anita.

"Why would you ever ask that," Anita replied. "My mam and dad think you're Aces."

This was an interesting conversation because it was tied into the subject of two other non-familial grandparents - Dave and Vonny Harrington.

Vonny had written to Jenny, which had messed with her head a bit.

"Do you think that I should write back?" Jenny asked Anita.

"I think you should do whatever you feel like doing," she replied.

"What would dad want me to do?"

"Your dad is just happy you being down here - and just as long as you are happy - he is," Anita told her.

Then came the question.

"Would your mam and dad like it if I wrote to them?"

"My mum and dad would absolutely love it if you wrote to them," Anita smiled.

And she did.

This totally pissed off Anita's sisters: Cheryl, Kajsa and Sienna.

Why?

Well, that's part of the story.

10 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:30 am, Julie opting to do the dog walking this morning.

She came in complaining about her back, neck, stomach, gallstones, hernia, foot, fingers, high cholesterol, blood pressure tablets, wasting time at the doctors, and of course me.

No idea why, as I am fantastic to live with. I made a steak and kidney pie last night.

It's not just me.

The engineer from British Gas has just phoned and he got it in the ear as well.

"You're not touching that boiler - 'cos every time you do, it ends up not working," I could hear her shout.

It is that dog boiler we were conned into buying during Co-vid when all the 50% energy grants were flying around.

Saying that, most gas engineers that we have had are garbage.

Anyway...

Last night whilst on pie making duty I listened to two albums. The La's self titled album - The La's (1990) and Forever - The Singles (2006) by The Charlatan's which is obviously a compilation.

Totally enjoyed them as I haven't heard them in years.

The Charlatans' Weirdo (1992) is a great track and The La's There She Goes (1990) - timeless.

But both albums are very listenable all the way through.

In other news, our Jamie was offered the job at Alf Kitching Ltd (Earthmovers) and he starts on Monday, so that was really good news.

He's been at his current employers 11 years (including the new company that took over last year).

Both above and opposite is a short video and a couple of photo's of the family.

---

Yesterday, I made a decision regarding one of the major exterior 2D film backdrops - that of the fictitious Norfolk village that is St Anne's-on-Waveney.

I will base it on Castle Combe, which is a village close to the town of Chippenham in Wiltshire and use various river and woodland shots.

As you can see in the video and recent photo's. It is an extremely nice place.

And as for Jenny, she's fearless. Nothing phases her.

Tonight, we are nipping to The Red Lion and hopefully calling in at the Tandoori and copping a shit curry on the way home... all being well.

9 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:25 am and out through the woods with the hound.

I got back in to Julie making the coffee's whilst on the phone to our Jamie. Last night he had a job offer from some construction-stroke-earthmoving plant company which is located on the A18/A161 roundabout.

The firm he currently works for were bought out the other year with big ideas pending - none of which have transpired. Personally, it looks like the beginning of an asset stripping exercise - but what do I know?

Anyway, fingers crossed he makes the best decision for him and Lianne.

Last night we met up with Cuban Pete and Broken Arm Sue, the former who was in a pensive mood, whilst continually earwigging what is wife was saying.

It reminded me of Tim with his wives - however, whereas Tim would take hold of any conversation by the scruff of the neck and manipulate it, so that he was in total control of what was being said, Pete did not.

It is the second time that I've seen him like this.

The subject yesterday was Wills and Power of Attorney and and the fact that he's not on the title deeds of the house.

The time before it was her refusing to pay for their expensive holidays, whilst he squanders away his money in trivialities.

Her money, his money?

Her first husband sadly died shortly after they moved on to the Isle of Axholme and she was left "well provided for" as she often likes to put it.

The Cuban, as most people who know him state - is nothing more than the lodger. And that's after 18 years of marriage.

One of his mates once told me: "He can't argue with her otherwise he'll be out on the street and sleeping in his truck."

He's a lorry driver, by the way.

We live in a close knit town where gossip is rife. In fact, you want to hear what they say about me and Julie!

Not to our faces of course.

Anyway, seeing different lives at close hand you get loads of ideas.

Music. Radio Caroline, from what I catch when moving about the house seems to have been knocking out nothing that has really jumped out at me bar one by Richard Ashcroft - former front man of The Verve, which I have already mentioned (I think), and a song titled Fabulous People (2026) by the 71-year-old Joe Jackson.

Trendy? Absolutely-fucking-not. A good song? Very.

He sang the new wave singles Is She Really Going Out with Him? (1978) and It's Different for Girls (1979) - both of which have stood the test of time. Very underrated.

I've just gone on Music Magpie - the eBay seller and bought Richard Ashcroft's entire library: Alone with Everybody (2000); Human Conditions (2002); Keys to the World (2006); These People (2016); Natural Rebel (2018); and Lovin' You (2025) as a solo artist and A Storm in Heaven (1993); A Northern Soul (1995); and Forth (2008) whilst with The Verve.

I already have Urban Hymns (1997).

Opposite. More photographs of Jenny Mellor doing the hobby that she perhaps likes the best. Fishing.

From catching minnows in the Waveney when she was just a little girl to hunting crayfish and crabs in the Thames, she has always been fascinated by the river...

Hence why Christie Gotleib thought it was prudent to learn her to swim.

Jenny never refers to Anita's parents as Granny or Granddad - just Olaf and Louisa.

"Do they like me?" Jenny once asked Anita.

"Why would you ever ask that," Anita replied. "My mam and dad think you're Aces."

Jenny, then told her something that she'd overheard one of Anita's sisters say.

Anita immediately dealt with it.

What was it?

Now, that would ruin the story.

8 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:20 am.

Julie opted to take the hound through the woods.

She did, however, have to do a detour as she spotted the Incinerator Man's wife with her two dogs at the far end of the wood.

"I would have had to engage in conversation and I couldn't be bothered listening to her bullshit," Julie sort of said.

It's her whose husband is some sort of sex addict who was supposedly going to murder her and throw her in an incinerator - hence her nickname.

He never got charged and she is still with him, so you have to take what she says with a pinch of salt.. hence Julie's detour.

The kids are down at Crufts today, so Julie is spending the day at theirs looking after the dogs - which translated means that she'll be cleaning their house from top to bottom.

We are off to the Curry Leaf later.

Broken Arm Sue has been texting Julie, therefore, we may see her and Cuban Pete in there... or not.

We had an hour in the Red Lion last night and came back to bacon and sausage sandwiches.

It's fucking rubbish cooking after five pints as nothing makes sense. They looked great sarnies but when we picked them up to eat them, they fell to bits.

I trimmed four rump steaks and five kidneys yesterday, which will be getting cooked in red wine, and which will end up in a pie on Monday.

Proper pie and peas. Something to look forward to

Opposite are a couple of photo's of Anita Pallenburg in Notting Hill and White CityTube Stations.

Jenny is fascinated by the underground trains and towards the end of Series 2 is let go on the Tube (sort of on her own but) with her 15-year-old friends one Saturday afternoon - one of whom is Dottie West. The destination: Chelsea baths.

7 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:40 am and took the hound through the woods.

It's quite a nice morning.

I had a bit of a conversion as I came down High Street, with the father of one of the mechanics who service our cars over in Crowle.

He's a bit of a music buff and is well into Pink Floyd.

I always have my headphones on when I walk the dog, therefore it's sometimes a point of conversation..

"What are you listening to?" he asked.

At that precise moment - Veruca Salt playing Yeah Man, which is off the album Resolver (2000).

"I can't say that I've heard of them," he said.

It's a crying shame that shit music gets air time when good music does not.

It is the same with TV.

It's why I've never watched TV or listened to BBC Radio in God knows how many years.

Our Jamie hit the nail on the head a couple of years ago when he referred to todays music as forced music.

It's the Big Con. Mind Games.

Certain music is shoved down your throat whereby gullible people get to think that it is the norm, when it certainly is not.

It is the same with TV and their woke and diversity agendas.

People, however - have had enough and are starting to kick back - however, the MSM - the mainstream media... TV, radio and indeed what's left of the press, are doing their utmost to supress it.

Anyway, enough of that.

Opposite are a few shots from the kitchen at 8 Marquis Gardens.

I do have some great animation of the bottom photograph - whereby Gaynor is in conversation with Mason.

It's quite funny.

6 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:20 am.

Well, I wasn't really, I was up at 5:25 am - the dog barking at what I assume was the near-neighbour's cat.

As always, I had to go down and let her out and watch her race around the periphery of the house.

I say assume, as it was still dark.

Anyway, on getting up I did the morning's trawl through the woods and three legs of the fields into the churchyard, where I watched the dog chasing squirrels up and down the embankment that takes the church path into the Market Place.

Yesterday, was another nothing day, the highlight of which was a bit of surf and turf: fillet steak, prawns and scallops, dry fried with mushrooms with red wine, garlic and pepper, whilst I did in two of the 143 episodes of Sgt Bilko.

I did, however, do a bit on The A's.

Opposite are Angie Mellor and Pat Marshall from Series 2.

The two sisters by this time are very much chalk and cheese.

Are they friends?

It's hard to tell as Gaynor gives very little away.

It is the same with Maureen.

Her mum wants to talk but Gaynor does not.

In fact, the only person Gaynor lets in is Mason, which is a fact that has both her mum and elder sister scratching their heads.

"Remember," her mum tells her. "Mason's married."

"Yeah, I know - I've seen her ring," Gaynor replies.

That is actually an untruth as although Anita is certainly married - she never wears a wedding ring.

It is one of a few facts that were told to Jenny after she found out that Mason was her father.

"And that's why I'm called Jenny Mellor even though I'm really Jenny Green?" she asked Anita.

"That's right. And it's why I'm known as Neeta Pallenburg and not Green."

"Doesn't it bother you?" Jenny asks.

"It did, but it doesn't so much now," Anita tells her.

This could be one of many things that helped create a bond between the two. That and the fact that Anita spoils her to death.

And for all Gaynor's idiosyncrasies, foibles or whatever - she appears to put up with Anita...

5 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 7:30 am.

No dog walking as Julie opted for it and came back in to say that it was quite foggy over the fields.

According to the Met Office it's supposed to hit 14°c today.

I managed to jet wash away all the sludge from around the house yesterday, after the window cleaner had graced us with his presence.

The lack of new lawn is doing my head in and it can't come soon enough.

We had an Iceland delivery yesterday.

It's an online shop that has gone severely downhill in my humble opinion. It's also a bit of a con.

10 for £10 deals.

Not so much for us, but for Jamie and Lianne.

They have a busy life and Lianne in particular sort of eats on-the-fly and often grabs a pizza from Tesco or the Co-op in Crowle.

The 10 for £10 was Goodfellas pizza so I went online with the intention of getting them 20 to stick in their freezer.

It didn't happen. It was coming out at 8 for £10.

That was still okay so I got them 16.

I also stocked up on Del Monte tinned fruit - pears, peaches, Ambrosia Rice pudding and Branston Ravioli and Beans and Sausages - the latter of which come in handy when we have bacon, eggs and sausage.

All 10 for £10.

Not if they don't have them in stock it isn't as it's normal price - and they didn't.

I ordered three bags of scallops for £10. Only two came - £11.

As I said. A con.

Moan done!

We did a bit of Déjà vu and went out again last night and copped a shit curry on the way home.

The gossip was that one of our three postmen that make sure that our mail is ALWAYS delivered has been suspended on a sexual harassment charge.

As yet, I've no idea what the real story is, but in the workplace any banter with the opposite sex is a no-go.

That's why it's always best to employ one or the other. Male or female and never both.

In The A's there are workplaces and these are very much one or the other and rarely both.

Union Street is the exception, but it's not something that I'll go into as it is a big part of the story.

Anyway...

Opposite are three photograph's that have supposedly taken between both Series 1 and 2 and after Gaynor had Jenny.

The top one is a good photo as it shows Gaynor's life falling apart, which is exactly what happens.

Also, check out her expressions.

This is the complicated and complex Gaynor.

The self-destructive Gaynor.

4 March 2026.

Good morning.

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

Our morning cup of coffee was made more interesting with the police outside the house. Nothing sinister - just a petrol / liquid tanker broke down in a jack knife scenario on the four-way traffic lights on the A161/High Street junction.

Last night we went out to The Red Lion and copped a crap curry at the Tandoori on the way back.

The dog had had been bathed and had hair cut at the dog groomers, therefore she tagged along and had a plate of chicken goujons.

Above. Dazzling Daz wetting everything through.

Hopefully, the next time he comes, he'll be walking on a new lawn and not trudging sludge around the house.

---

Julie came in the study earlier and asked if I'd got any money on me. I did. €165 and £20.

She gave me £30 to go with my £20 so I could pay him.

This window cleaner doesn't have ladders and uses some jet wash on an extension, so everywhere gets soaked - and with there being no lawn everywhere will be covered in sludge... and we pay £50 for the privilege.

We have some gadgy called Tom Lowther coming round next Friday to clean out the gutters.

Now he is someone who does have ladders and and no doubt he'll hit me (again) for some slate tiles that have moved once he gets up there.

Opposite is another shot of the Gaynor Mellor character in and outside 24A Boelyn Mews.

3 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:30 am and out through the woods with the hound.

No rain - thank God, the highlight of the morning being the dog darting up an embankment on the church path whilst chasing a squirrel.

The landscaper came back yesterday after I signed their confirmation and paid them the deposit for the new lawn.

They must get ripped off a lot to want a deposit.

Strange.

I always remember our (now retired) decorator, saying that he was decorated some house in Owston Ferry and they refused to pay him.

£3500, I think was the figure that they owed him.

I'm not sure if he ever got it back.

He also decorated the opera singer Lesley Garrett's house / cottage - a few times, and he said that she was another bad payer.

Anyway....

Opposite. Gaynor Mellor on the Clash Steps at Chalk Farm in Camden.

As the series is based in West London - in particular, Hammersmith, The Clash are mentioned. Not so much by Gaynor, but certainly by Jacob Gotleib (Series 1) and Gaynor's daughter, Jenny (Series 2).

Therefore, I thought I'd have Gaynor standing on the steps at Camden Market that were on the cover of the band's first album (inset) on a typical English summer's day.

The Clash consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Joe Strummer, lead guitarist and vocalist Mick Jones, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon.

And do ya wanna bit of trivia?

Joe Strummer's real name was John Mellor, which is something that Jenny picks up on.

And if you want some more trivia. The Clash made their debut performance on 4 July 1976, supporting the Sex Pistols at the (long since gone) Black Swan, which was located on the corner of Snig Hill and Bank Street in Sheffield.

Other stuff...

Iran is back in the news again, which gives me a problem with the script - and especially the series' end, if the country falls and a Shah gets reinstated.

I still cannot believe how On The Money I have been with what is happening in both the UK and the world - politically.

In Series 2 it is 2030/31 and we have a coalition government in power. It doesn't say what, but the only way Reform won't get in power at the next election is by lying and cheating.

A Lib Dem/Lab/Green coalition would probably stop that.

Who knows?

2 March 2026.

Good morning.

I was up at 6:40 am.

Julie opted for dog walking duties this morning and copped some decent weather with it - as in no rain.

The dog seems happy to be home and dragged Julie's arm out of the socket and barged through the back door for her breakfast.

She is at the groomers tomorrow. The dog, not Julie.

The smell of fox shit has gone, but she needs a bath and a cut for spring.

19 days to go and we are back out in Cyprus.

The beach bar should be open by then, or so I am informed.

The 31-year old FTO has been running okay since the cooling system was replaced but it could do with some new bushes for the front suspension.

I'll have that checked out when we go back.

The boot and bonnet could also do with a spray job.

They aren't expensive jobs, just a pain in the arse dropping the car in and picking it back up.

Having the scooter helps - not that Julie enjoys being pillion.

Today, I have some bits and pieces to do on my day job. Not much as the magazine is just about completed.

I really need to drop back into a regime of exercise and concentration on the sole reason I set up this website. The A's.

At the moment the 3D assets are looking brilliant - my favourite being Jenny Mellor.

The fact that I can now get them inside vehicles is also a plus.

I'm still holding off on chucking up some substantial animation on here as without using script, it can be quite time consuming. So, if I do throw any up, it will be just 10 and 20 seconds.

Yesterday evening whilst having some penne pasta and mince steak in a Bolognese sauce, we ended up doing in the full Series 2 of Peter Kay's Car Share.

We have seen it before, but the second time around it is much better.

I initially thought the idea was a bit naff, but no - I was wrong,

The dialoguing is quite brilliant as is the affection the two characters have for each other.

I totally enjoyed it.

1 March 2026.

A very Good morning on the first day of March.

I was up at 4:30 am but got back in bed and dropped straight off.

That was after Julie asked me the time.

I'd looked at the luminous hands on my watch which sort of told me that it was 6:20 am.

Anyone can make a mistake!

Anyway, I got back up around 8:00 am and took the dog through the woods.

She's happy to be home and was as Happy as Larry and barking her head off when Julie pulled on the front drive with her in The Beast.

That soon changed when Julie took her on the patio with a bowl of hot water and a bottle of Head & Shoulders.

Whilst on a walk with our Jamie a couple of days ago she decided to have a roll about in some fox shit.

Take my word for it - fox shit absolutely stinks.

My job while she was doing it was to empty our green bin and dump the rubbish at the recycling centre - where some old biddy and her oversized daughter were blocking the entrance pontificating on which bit of rubbish goes in what skip.

I also took all the dog cover out of the car along with some old towels and dumped the lot. The car doesn't just want a clean but part-chopping for a newer vehicle.

"I'm not paying fifteen grand for a car just to horse the dog backwards and forwards," Julie stated.

That was after I pointed out a Mini Countryman or Clubman at the local dealers.

"The dog would like it," I replied.

So, after 12/13 hours travelling everything was back to normal.

They are very long days - and in another 20, we'll be flying back over again.

Our life is mad at times... and compared to 10-15 years ago, we have quietened down tremendously.

I did a Tesco shop yesterday evening, whilst uploading seven albums by Snow Patrol onto the B2. These are: Final Straw (2003); Eyes Open (2006); A Hundred Million Suns (2008); Fallen Empires (2011); Wildness (2018); as well as two compilations - Up To Now (2009) and Reworked (2019)

I'll give them a listen this week whilst I'm enjoying myself with the script.

I also designed some clothes. It's not something that I have done much, but I have done it.

Generally, it is school uniform.

Series 1 - Gaynor in the 40 Martyrs College; and in Series 2 - Jenny at the Christ Is King All Girl's School.

And that is another reason, whilst I am on Day 430.

It isn't just my day job holding me back - it is the fact that I have had to learn the animation process from scratch and learn to manipulating the 3D assets and produce poses... designing clothes is just another angle...

Check opposite. The tracky and the trainers...

Towards the end of Series 2.

The 7-year-old Jenny Mellor.

The little girl who along with her mum, was brought back to London by her dad, and who once home - embraced everything that WAS good.

Ana Reung took her to Taekwondo and Christie Gotleib learned her to swim. And she moaned like hell about doing both.

Nevertheless, she kept it up.

Here she is at the London Aquatics Centre at Queen Elizabeth Park in East London.

It is a nice photograph as you can see her appearance changing as she gets older - mainly the third generation Eurasian appearance shining through.

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© JAMES DUROSE-RAYNER 2026