Old Lady Raymond: "speaks"

Thankyou!
Hello. Good evening. Or morning. Whatever. It’s Raymond here. I thought it was high time I posted a blog here on the glorious Sundown website, to take the heat off Jove a bit. Aren’t I nice?
Well. It’s all getting VERY exciting isn’t it? I’m not talking about Christmas, no no no, I’m talking about HOW MANY ROADS? Eeeeeeee. Never before has Southend seen such a gorgeously unique event. Not even when they do the Eastenders specials and film on the grimy beach. It’s better than that. I for one am gagging to find out which music has inspired our four poets, and I am also ridiculously excited about Jonny Trunk’s compering, as he used the phrase ‘jiggery pokery’ at the Arctic Circle and this scored several cool points.
I’ve just finished the Press Release for this project, which as I type is being converted into a PDF document, check me out alllll technical (I still don’t know what PDF means but I like pretending I do).
This morning it was REALLY frosty and crispy and bright, quite lovely. Far too nice a day to stand inside and sell books to middle aged women. But still. We make a living as best we can. Sorry, I’ve started talking a bit like a posh old lady. Maybe it’s because I just had a cup of tea and a mince pie.
I hope you’re all looking forward to the new year, it’s going to be an amazing one for Sundown what with How Many Roads? and the Luke Wright partnership stuff. I’m so happy to be part of it, yes even down to the PDFs and the accounts.
We have a lot of fun, don’t we?
S’nice.
Ok then chaps, I’m off to view the spangly new press release, have perhaps another tea, and read about the Mitford sisters.
Swell.

Bye for now!
Ray xXx

Coffee and Cakes

I'm beginning to completely take cakes at meetings for granted, and biscuits. Malcolm staged another lovely Sundown meeting recently round his with cakes and flapjacks, mmm. As you may have heard we will be working on a project with the Arts Council England in January. This is very exciting but it is also hard work, I have been working everyday on it and trying my best to plan but already I have learnt new things. Things I would change for next time, things I would improve, things I would do better. Sometimes I feel really snappy at meetings and am convinced that everyone goes home thinking I'm a moody conker but I hope not, I hope they see how much it all means to me and that sometimes, I'm just a bit tired. We are going to be working on the press campaign for our How Many Roads? project, also we'll be scouting the venues for our forthcoming big fundraising PR stunt - 'Sundown-a-thon'. Information coming soon for that one but it will be FUN, FUN, FUN and a little bit er, mental. Not in a mum-wearing-novelty-reindeer-antlers-"Oo look at me and how wacky I am"-mental kinda way but in a more let's-read-poetry-to-angry-white-Essex-men-mental way. Explained?
Good. Time is pressing on already for How Many Roads? and the next Sundown - both taking place on January 27th. A little known holiday called 'Christmas' seems to be getting in the way. I have become mega skint and can barely afford money for the bus. A recent lunch with Luke Wright has taught me that here is one of the most talented young men to come out of the British poetry scene, ever. He has the energy of a child after eating a bag of Haribo and the style of a 50's detective and he has been most supportive of Sundown, you really must check out Luke Wright today on the interweb thing, yeah.
In the bakers the other day, they were selling bags of marzipan, this made my eyes go a bit OOOOOOOO and my brain went "mmm the best bit of cakes!! in a bag!! on the counter!!" and then I left to contemplate whether what I'd just seen was really true. It's really time for a new Sundown podcast soon so look out for that, we're planning to interview Simon Blackman and perhaps some others, in Chris Davison's bedroom again, where he likes to cast pods.
Gremlins grew in pods didn't they? There are Gremlins all over Chris' bedroom floor.
No there aren't. Who said that? Meanwhile we are becoming increasingly worried about the table & chair situation at our venue. At this rate, we may have to employ people to mime as chairs and get other people to sit on them. This could work, we could market it as live performance art. Went to the recent Arctic Circle Christmas Concert and it was brilliant, haunting and unique and Arcticky. www.jointhecircle.net
I've rented Sherry Baby - let you know what it's like. I watched Dawn French interviewing Russell Brand the other day and decided that I quite like Russell Brand. I don't like men in tight trousers though. Someone else really should write a wee blog entry apart from me all the time shouldn't they? I keep spilling eucalyptus oil on me. By accident. It's not something I'm into.
Anyway, the How Many Roads? show must go on but keep your ears around for a new podcast soon and start looking for our flyers and posters, they are OUT THERE. Don't forget to keep checking the website for news of our 'Sundown-a-thon'. There will be clipboards.

Love,

Chief x