2 April 2025

My body clock is bollocksed.

It is 3:30 am in the morning (Cyprus time GMT +2) and I'm up, sat at the table with a cup of coffee.

Yesterday, we landed in a storm - the turbulence on the plane as we dropped into Larnaca being quite aggressive.

Cyprus supposedly has over 300 days of sunshine. Yesterday certainly wasn't one of them. It pissed it down

We had Chris from Empire Taxi and Rentals drop us a car off at the house on a 3-day hire, as I need to pick up the FTO from the body shop in Derenyia this morning.

We got to the house around 6:00 pm last night, dropped our bags off and went to the Red Ruby restaurant in Ayia Napa.

We had Chinese. 

I had Chicken Chow Mein, Salt & Pepper Prawns and Beef in Black Bean Sauce... and a big bottle of Perrier water.

Today is 54 days of sobriety.

I struggle around the weekend  mainly Friday's as there's nothing I'd like more than knocking back six or seven beers on an evening and getting a crap takeaway from the Tandoori on High Street.

Julie says she's not so much bothered about that - just that she misses having a glass of wine with her meal, when we go out to a restaurant - which, we did maybe 15 times a month.

I think she's lost 18 or 19lbs, and you can definitely tell.

In fact, everyone can.

I broke off from work on Sunday evening for us to nip round to The Curry Leaf for tea and Big Scott was in there with his girlfriend, Edyta and straightaway he noticed the difference.

It was nice to see them.

Not drinking, means not socialising - as we can't go out with anyone and not drink!

I said that I'd give it 60 days.

I am very close, but the thing is - is apart from me wanting to throw the two roast chickens through the window on Friday night in a fit of misery, is that I am feeling much better in myself.

What a boring bastard!

Anyway. I've got a week to work on this screenplay as I move towards the prospect of working with all the 3D assets that I have.

I'll put some animation up on here through the day.

First up two from the United Kingdom Security Services.

The guy - Jonty, takes a bit of flak from the rest as he was a copper who used to work in The Met.

Day 96

The A's - The Characters

Each day, I will put up a short animated video of one of the main characters in The A's.

(Above) Izzy Hell as they call her.

Abrupt and vicious.

Isobel heads up one of the desks at the UK Security Services (UKSS).

(Above) Jonty as they call him.

John Tyson - an ex-sergeant in The Met.

Jonty was around in Series 1, and knew quite a lot about Mason Green and Gaynor Mellor.

1 April 2025

The alarm went off a 2:00 am.

We are up.

I'm in the study now and have just approved the pdf file and signed off for this month's magazine.

76 pages of toil.

My fault as my preparation for it was fucking pants.

I'll have my coffee, chuck my laptop, headphones and external hard drive in my bag and nip back upstairs and get a bath.

Oh yeah - I bought some gear from M&M Direct during the week, so I've got that in a sort of Duty Free bag.

The Wizz Air Stasi in the UK love it if you have an extra bag, as they can charge you. However, if it's Duty Free - you're okay.

Well, we have been the last half-dozen times!

Strange - as when you fly out of Larnaca - no-one gives a shit.

I filled up the car on Sunday night so it's a straight drive down the M1 and through those dreaded camera's to Luton Airport, without having to stop off for the overpriced motorway petrol.

The flight is at 9:55 am.

Yesterday was a horrible fucking day.

Hopefully, I don't get another one like that for a while.

I'll see you in the Priority Lounge.

In the meantime, there's some nice animation opposite that is my sort of yardstick.

--

7:00 am.

We are in the priority lounge in Luton Airport, now.

The drive down was uneventful - Julie missing all the traffic as she was asleep most of the way, just waking up every now and again to moan about it being cold.

Still, it gave me chance to listen to Lush's 1996 album Lovelife on the way down, which went around twice.

A point of note as that I only actually have three CDs in the car!

Heavenly Nobodies and I've Been Here Before are cracking tracks with Ciao! (featuring Jarvis Cocker) easily the worst.

Strange that - as I quite like Pulp - their 1995 Different Class album being very good, the lyrics to the track Something Changed being very 'sliding doors'.

Speaking of music.

I managed 60 minutes cardio last night.

Due to work commitments and me being knackered, I did none Saturday and Sunday.

Anyway, I dumped a load of music on to my phone from the big computer that I set the magazine on, and just let it play.

After 40 minutes on the crosser - some Irish song came on.

When I'd been writing up Mason and Gaynor shooting off to County Galway for the weekend, I needed some inspiration, therefore, I downloaded every number one from the Irish charts, between when the charts started in the early-1960s, to the mid-1970s.

I have to admit - I played none of them as The Mekons' song - Mudcrawlers was enough to get me inspired (if you like).

I'm digressing again...

Anyway, I was on the crosser and this song came on and it definitely got me thinking, so much so, I had a lump in my throat.

Dermot Hegarty and The Plainsmen had a No. 1 hit in 1970 with 21 Years.

I definitely have to use that, both whilst they are in Ireland, and for Angie and Gaynor's mum, Maureen.

It's an awesome song in the mood of say Porter Wagoner's 1965 country song and international hit, Green Green Grass of Home, or maybe the Bee Gees 1968 No. 1 I've Gotta Get a Message To You.

A song to slit your wrists to?

Not really - it's just a nice song.

Speaking of Porter Wagoner.

He is a character in Series 2 (Skyhook - PS1 Prototype) and had already been written up.

Well, I've Just had a sausage, egg and bacon sarnie and a latte macchiato from one of the three coffee machines at the bar, and Julie has just come back from the Duty Free with a pair of £168 Rayban sunglasses for our Jamie.

I reckon, that's me done for the day.

I'll hopefully see you in Cyprus.

Day 95

Animation