My first blog

I suppose everyone - at least everyone as disorganised as me - will have the same thoughts when they set up their first blog entry. What the hell do I write about? Well here goes with some introductory information about moi. Sort of top of page CV stylee:

Real name: Adam Holdsworh Username: DaggersDukc. Er, the Daggers part can be explained by where I live, Dagenham, Essex, which isn't really sure whether its East London or Essex proper. Anyone from Essex proper is probably disgusted by this notion, especially if they're in a nice part. But you'd be surprised how many Londoners don't know where my town of non-choice is. More on this "non-choice" later I'm sure. I'm originally from the centre of cool. AKA Hayes, Middlesex. A sort of Dagenham in West London.. Dukc? Well a while back I started using an alternative e-mail persona who'd write to his friends as a really stupid duck - complete with bird-brained thoughts, quacks (quakcs?) and the kind of ramblings only a creature confirmed to a lake in Dagenham can have (there are several lakes here believe it or not). This sad old water-borne avian could not even spell his name properly, poor fella. It’s not a persona that I used for long, but I liked the idea of him and the username has stuck. It’s as good as any I suppose.

Partners, kids, etc: Married to the lovely Lynn - been so for four years now. She's from Craigavon in Northern Ireland but she's been living in London on and off for the last 20 years or so, so I guess that makes her a 'dual national' so to speak. Although she'd object to that as she's one of those orange NI-ers who think they're British (that was a *joke* in case anyone's getting hot under the collar). I have a daughter (step if you really must know) called Carly who is doing a whole load of A levels in Hereford. She's pretty damn bright for a 17 year old. Destined for great things...but then I'm biased of course. We also have a canine called Kizzie whose mugshot I'll try and post here some time in the near future. She's a 9 year old golden labra-dog.

Hobbies/interests blah blah blah: Music - will give you an idea of what I'm listening to at the end of each entry as I do get through rather a lot of music. Food: eat tons - I'm a big lad. However, I'm currently doing low-carb, sometimes known as the dreaded Atkins. Which seems to work when I can motivate myself to stay on it long enough. Wifey is also doing same which helps enormously. Reading: Will also give you an idea of what books are passing my face at any given time as I do read a lot - though not enough as I'd like. Tend towards horror/SF/suspense/thriller but not really limited to any genre especially. In January I'm started an introductory creative writing course at the City Lit in Holborn. Which leads me on to....

Career/jobs: Currently working as Database Administrator Assistant at Royal National Institute of the Blind (http://www.rnib.org.uk/) in Neasden, North London. A bit of a trek form home and a job I think I've done now for long enough. Before that I've worked at Lec in Bognor Regis as an assembler of fridges - a student job I'd rather forget about; a WP operator at Heidelberg Graphics in Brentford, Middlesex. A job I think I was as glad to see the back as they were glad to sack me. I've also worked as an exhibition guide at the Royal Festival Hall, a Housing Admin bod at the lovely Reigate & Banstead Council - do I miss that place? Yep, surely do, if only for the lovely people who worked there, some of the best! I've stuffed envelopes during the Abbey National Share issue - classy people, mainly studes at Sussex Uni - shame about the pay. I'm hoping to make a career in writing. More as we go on, but that's why the creative writing course is going to be taken in January. Age: 35

Places lived: London, including: Hayes, Heathrow flight path, New Cross and Deptford while studying at Goldsmiths College, North Ken, Hackney for six years - great place, don't let anyone say otherwise - and now, Dagenham, which I'm fond of in a love-to-hate-you kind of way. Mainly the hate stems from the useless late night service on the District Line. Doesn't make going in to Central London seem especially fun when you know you'll have to wait 20 minutes or more for the tube home.

Places visited: Spain, Greece, Barbados, France, Belgium, The 'dam, South Africa, and I've also been a star in New York and a star in LA earlier this year. Loved NY, one of the few places I felt instantly at home in as a Londoner by birth and breeding. So I guess that makes me a product of the city, right?

Currently doing: at work, thinking about going home (or to the pub with a few mates in Whitechapel, haven't decided yet, must make some calls... Will probably learn some lines on the way home. I'm in an am-dram group called the Venturers (alas, no website) who are putting on a performance of JP Sartre's Huis Clos (No Exit). I'm the Valet and we're playing at the Cockpit Theatre on Edgware Road on 29-31 Oct if anyone's up for it. Rehearsals are my social llife at the moment. Will be glad/sad when it’s all over, but until then it’s a lot of work. If not going for a drink, then heading for a 'bab and a nice cosy evening in with Lynn and Kizz. That's it for now I reckon.

Moozik: Rock Follies soundtrack

Book: Iain Banks - Raw Spirit. Mood: Thank Crunchie its Friday!!