Workshops Update

Workshops are coming thick and fast at the moment with recent trips to Manchester, Glossop, Colchester and Broadstairs and trips in the next week to Islington, Grantham and Birmingham.

I'm having a wide range of experiences, meeting some great students from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. On Friday 6th I had the pleasure of a trip to the Heath School in Stanway, Colchester. The lads there are all difficult cases who haven't found mainstream schooling easy (for many reasons) but they were keen to talk about their lives and seemed to think things were getting better for them. We were shown around the accommodation wing, the lads only too proud to show off their huge communal TV, their bedrooms and kitchen. One 13 year old explained that he'd be cooking there later. The staff at the Heath School are a dedicated bunch. There was a real family feel to the place, something I'm sure these lads get a lot from. I wish them all the best.

My visits to Glossopdale and Dane Court, Broadstairs gave me a real chance to work with some talented young writers. I'll be posting some of their work on my website over the summer.

I had to stay in a hotel on Tuesday night, such was the timetable. The room was okay, if not a little soulless, but a combination of thin walls, heating system humming, unfamiliar surroundings and my own tiredness led to a night of broken sleep. I had to pay extra for breakfast too! Not glamorous at all really...