July Updates

It's been a month since I last updated readers on how everything's going which means it's probably now time for me to write another update. So, what's been happening this past month? Well, not loads, but not too little either.

As I said I'd been planning to do in my previous post, I've been frequently posting and replying to Gumtree ads looking for writers. I thought I'd been having some luck, but it appears I haven't. The first email was from someone who ran/runs a RoyalDocks website and wanted me to write a piece of UEL, London City Airport and the ExCel Centre. The first 2 I did, but having received no reply nor payment for either, I haven't done the ExCel piece (yet - maybe I'll get a very late reply) so that's been given up on and put down as yet another mess-arounder. I think I'll keep these pieces as part of my portfolio now. I might even upload them here for those who are interested.

Similarly, I received a phone call around a week and a half ago from someone claiming to be a celebrity (but not giving any hints AT ALL) who had a new music project running which would apparently cause genuine hypnosis. Being the music fan I am, I accepted the job as well as giving him Lauren's details as a graphic designer. We both though we had it in "the bag" after he said he could tell we were interested. Over I sent a few pieces of work. That, however, was now over a week ago and the best either of us have heard from Mr. Celebrity is 2 rings on Lauren's phone using his withheld number. So much for professionalism, huh?

Next up is the email I received today from a London Escorts company looking for a blog writer who can do around 3 pieces weekly. I've sent them my rates and can now only hope I get the job. It'll be something new and hopefully interesting. Who knows, I might even get some free nights out and trips around London. Which brings me onto my new writing project: London Walks.

Having now lived in London for 3 years and a lot of it being with just enough money to buy food and drink, I've done a lot of walking. I was taking a walk through the city on Wednesday and casually studying the buildings and people around me when I began to think about how everyone uses the (cheapish) public transport of buses and trains so much that they miss out on being able to take just stand back and look at everything around them; buildings, rivers, people and the overabundance of push bikes. This gave me a new idea in which each week, day or night, I'll be taking a walk through London, both well and less well-known areas, and documenting my walks.

Sure, it's not to everyone's tastes, and some people even prefer to have their head jammed into a sweaty armpit during rush hours, but Michael Hodges (timeout.com/hodges) put it best in this week's '1001 things not to do in London' (No. 422) by saying "I was ambling along, considering just how exotic London is if you look above street level to the upper floors of the buildings we don't usually consider" which is exactly what I'd been doing. I wouldn't want to spend my days sat in one of the offices in these buildings, but there is still something fascinating about the architecture within London, whether it's the Victorian redbricks or the shiny skyscrapers such as the Gherkin or the Walkie Talkie.

I've pitched this idea to Time Out and visitlondon.com and can only hope for the best, but if both of these pitches fail, I'll still be going for walks which means a weekly piece. I can definitely safe that it's something I'm looking forward to doing. Sure, London isn't 100% paradise, but there are some great places to walk with my favourite being along Victoria Embankment and the connected riverside walk which ends at Tower Hill.

Next up, I've just received a phone call in reply to my Gumtree ad from a charity organisation based in Edgware Road who are going to send me some details (i.e. website links) for me to look at. They then want to meet me in their office and take it from there.

Eroticus is coming along slowly as I'm starting to run out of juice for it. Saying that, I'm still going to push on with it and hope for the best.

That's all for now, updates next month.