Well for a few lines, at least!

I submitted some audio for a few bit parts a while back and had some fun doing it, but hadn’t heard anything since. It was a very pleasant surprise when I heard my own voice on the latest episode. Thanks Chris, if you’re reading!

I know things are a bit quiet over here lately, but feel free to go listen to me in Chapter 13 – Making the Cut – I’m Lindy.

The hiss of my bike tyres on the tarmac turns to crackle as I pull off onto the woodland trail. This place is my sanctuary and I drink in the bird calls echoing through the cathedral of trees.

I’m alone with my thoughts here, or at least I can pretend I am. A rabbit hops across my path, its ears and white bob-tail are translucent from the bright sunlight filtered through the canopy. I carefully navigate past a couple of dog walkers – polite calls of “good morning” as I ride by.

The last part is the trickiest – a gentle incline that, while you can barely see it, always creates a burning ache in my thighs as I pedal up it. I’m careful with my breathing – midges congregate here at mouth level and I’ve swallowed many on previous rides.

And then, only shortly after entering, it’s all over. The trail returns to the tarmac cycle path and the crunch once again becomes a hiss. I leave the woodland path behind me and head for home.

The photographer’s crime? Photographing a public road. Yup folks, increasingly owning a camera in a public place is seen as potential terrorism.

Those that know me well, know that I have a terrible tendency to over-schedule myself.

I pack in every spare moment of time with projects, plans and routines and keep Very Busy [tm]. I need to justify every spare minute and then get upset when a day doesn’t go to plan and I don’t Get Things Done.

Recently, things have escalated to the point where I haven’t really been enjoying any of it. The To Do List started ruling me, rather than me ruling it. For the last few weeks I have thrown out all the lists and just been pottering about doing the stuff that can’t be put off and then just working on whatever I fancy. It’s been good.

The thing is, the blog and the podcast seem very low down on the now non-existent list of “things I fancy doing”. So where I’ve bothered, it’s been half-hearted at best. That’s not particularly good, and I thought you guys ought to at least know what’s happening.

So, I’m officially on hiatus. I know myself well enough to know that this won’t last. I like structure in my life far too much, I like the internet too much, not to return to some sort of more productive routine after a bit of a break. And then I’ll go through the whole cycle again. But for now, I’m off.

I’m giving myself the summer. Going to have a really good break. See Li’l Bhaji into school… then… we’ll see. I’m not saying I won’t post here from time to time, but I’m not saying I will be either. If you feel that’s not worth you sticking around, then I quite understand. For the rest of you, feel free to subscribe to the RSS so you don’t have to keep popping in “just in case”.

And have a great summer, won’t you?

There are more details about this campaign in this article from the Telegraph: Philip Pullman leads author revolt against age banding for children’s books.