18 & 19. 18th and 19th January 2025. Not pretending now

 So where were we? I'd bought some vinyl in the Dig Vinyl 50% off sale. Results: Prefab Sprout's Swoon, as wondrous and weirdly fractured as ever, Lambchop's This Is What I Wanted To Tell You, gorgeous; Kurt Wagner using autotune and ambience to create a sort of alt-soul that feels both modern and classic, slightly  out of time, slightly dislocated, warm and fractured. Sits nicely with The Bible and Show Tunes. Lovely to write to. Room In The Wood's 'We're The Martians Now'? Not entirely sold yet, think it might be a grower. Quite bare but quite psychedelic. If that's not a juxtaposition too far. Got Dragonfly on at the moment. Given the group's pedigree (The Room and Benny Profane) and that I know the producer, the drummer and the flautist (a little bit on that last one, met him once) I'm going to grow into it.

The match yesterday? Watched it on a stream from the states. Peacock TV. Which died completely on the 89th minute. 88 minutes of watching on a phone as we're knocking on the door and it not quite happening, get the ball into the box and everything stops. 

By the time I get the image back our away end (we're at Brentford) is celebrating and I have no idea what's happening. Then the feed dies forever. Turn on Radio 5, we've won 2-0. And Nunez has scored both. Head into town, leave home with Arsenal 1-0 up. The title's getting to be a close race. Park up as Villa equalise and suddenly we're back to 6 points ahead with a game in hand - widening the margin again. Twists. Turns. 

The evening is excellent. Arrive at Hope Street Theatre to find that the final will be three one woman shows and a four hander, which is going to make the decision more complicated. The eventual winner deserves it, the conversation around who should win is long and involved, the job's taken seriously. 

Catch up with JB from the theatre. She's read the latest 8 pager for DD, seems happy with it, thinks it works, the flow's there. KF is reading it, there'll be notes but she thinks they can definitely something with it. Just waiting on the next conversation now. 

Catch up with the winner and the other finalists. Good work all round, find that the winner's from Hull which gives us something very much in common. Stay out till midnight on one glass of wine. 

Catch up with Evan and Maisy - both really excited to be starting work on what I've always referred to as Brief Conversation but they're short handing as Inevitability. Possibility of AR going on the short list for director - had  conversation with her about something she wants to pitch to the court, a West Side Story set as Mersey Side Story (that would actually work if the logo is right). Threw in a few comments. Her reply, are you writing it then? And I might be. (My reply, do you want to know what my next two years look like? Perhaps I've just added the first work of 2027?)

Tonight, me and J, the Odeon. A Complete Unknown. Honestly try to just relax and do absolutely bugger all but fail repeatedly. 

Also - met Susan Hilton (now Sue Dooley) from school last night. Recognised her immediately, although decide her name was Susan Reaney - no idea who that is.

Maisy's later comment, "You went to school with my nan's mate" made me feel utterly ancient. 

But I'm looking good on it. Refusing to grow up.