Thursday 9th July

I'm at the Woodstock pub with Alex K and Jackson. We discuss business and a range of other topics. Jackson knows lots about computers and I'm asking to hire his expertise.
Me: "I'm looking at 3 hours a week of posting online and promoting my book. You know about these things. How to recommend a product online. I'm not a member of any forums."
Alex K: "If you just go online and post promotions on forums the other members won't like it. You have to be an established member."
Jackson: "People on forums can turn very mean if you do something they don't like."
Me: "That's why I need someone who knows about this."

The discussion continues. The benefit of knowing lots of people is being able to get tips on how is the best way to do things. Jackson has lots of connections with lots of IT people who can do various jobs.

Me: "I'm also looking for someone to build a website. I'll design it on paper and even some HTML, but I want someone to neaten it up and do some graphic design."
Alex K: "Can't you do the graphic design yourself? Use your old website and change the text."
Me: "I wanted it to be different to my other sites. Also I don't want to spend too long building it when I've got to be doing other things."
Jackson: "When you're ready to build the site let me see it."

The discussion continues.

Me: "It has to be done soon. At the moment with the recession people are looking for jobs. So it's easy to find people to do things for reasonable pay. In 6 months the recession might be over and what costs £10 an hour could be £25 an hour. A few years ago during the boom you couldn't find anyone to do anything for a reasonable price."
Alex K: "You're right."

We finish discussing business.

Jackson: "At the weekend I was out with my girlfriend at the Slug and Lettuce and ordered a sharing platter. There was a lot of food. No need to eat afterwards."
Me: "Maybe I'll take my girlfriend there."
Jackson: "You should. It's nice."

We go to the Slug and Lettuce, they say they've stopped serving food at 10pm. It's now 10:10pm.

Alex K drives us to Fallowfield. He's driving the Honda Jazz sport which looks and drives great.

Alex K: "There's lots of police in Fallowfield tonight."
There's police parked on Wilmslow Road, outside the takeaways, on the sidestreets. Also there are police cars and vans driving up and down Wilmslow Road.

We have a look inside some new bars opened on Wilmslow Road. There's Trof on the corner. Also a place previously known as Sofa has been changed to a bar called Font. Font is nice inside and we agree to come here in future.

We go to a new pizza place opposite the Orange Grove and order some pizza for me and Jackson. Alex K has chicken and salad.
Alex K: "Where are we going to eat it?"
Me: "Over there." I point to a table in the beer garden of Orange Grove.
I climb over the wall, sit at the table and find a selection of coins in euros left on the table.
We comment how lucky it is.
Me: "I could have picked anywhere to sit, but I chose the one place with coins on the table."

We eat our food.

We go to the car and leave Fallowfield.

We drop Jackson at his. Then Alex K is driving along the streets in Didsbury towards my car.
Alex K: "One of my friends from school used to live there. It looks like the original building has been knocked down and built flats. If he goes back for the memories there's no sign of his old place."
Me: "That's it. You can go back to the place you remember from the old days and one day it could be desert. Turned to dust."
Alex K: "In this world you wouldn't expect anything less."
Me: "That's a good line for a film!" I laugh.
Alex K agrees.



Click here for Season 5 Index