This is me, being moody and that in' 86. This looks like it may have been taken somewhere near the Norwich art school Garth studio. We drove round the country for two days looking at degree courses at Art colleges, Liverpool, Birmingham, Coventry, Chesterfield and Sheffield spring to mind. 6 people one Morris Minor van a flask of tea and some sleeping bags, The car broke down between Birmingham and Liverpool, I hastily joined the AA on the side of the road, who then instructed me on setting your points with a pack of Rizlas.

We got lost in Liverpool at 11.00 at night and got stopped by the police so many times I lost count, finally in desperation they escorted us to our destination, we all slept on a tutor called Diane's Living room floor in Lodge Lane in Toxteth, in a huge half derelict house full of car thieves and boxers (pugilists not the canine variety) who advised me to park the car with the back doors against a wall "to stop the other scallies" I felt oddly safe with them.

Just up the road from a burnt out garage and several upside down cars in the road, it was all very 1980s. Then we came home again. It was wasted youth on a wasted trip, as I don't think any of us got in... but it was fun as I remember it.

Tom Woods took this, he like me, ditched the painting eventually, he has just pointed out to me that we shared a space with Glen Brown, and I've only just realised he's the one that got away, making it in the world of pallettes and oils, now exhibiting with Saatchi etc. I'm just glad someone managed it.

So for those of you who have been wondering where I've been, here’s what’s been happening in my world.
I had a broken structural Lintel, above the back window in the lounge, I have been waiting almost two years for the Council to fix it, and finally they arrived, Yay. Bit by bit the plaster was coming off of the lounge wall and there was so much damp, I eventually got them to investigate.
So here are just a couple of pics of what they did and the mess, Oh the mess and dust, cough cough.
The first guys they sent where Romanian, one didn't speak any English at all, the other got by (as you would say?)
He had no respect for my Wood floor and was just basically chucking pieces of concrete onto it : ( also told me I shouldn't be there and I heard him telling the boss man Glyn, that he wouldn't be having a go at him about the lack of dust sheets on my furniture and floors, if your misses (Me) wasn't here.
Well the next morning, I ended up getting annoyed and he then got very aggressive and started shouting at me it made me a little frightened and upset, I rang the boss and they threw him off the job, and then sacked him.
I then had to wait 5 days in this state for another crew to arrive from Sheffield, they where Brill, looked after my home and where polite too : ) .
It's now been plastered and awaiting a painter on Wednesday, I was hoping that it would of been finished by my Birthday but it wasn't to be, at least I will be out most of the day.