1 Saturday morning: only a month to go now. Spoke to Auntie this morning. They never searched his garage and he wants his keys back. I told him not to talk to Nemeth at all. I'm not sure what my medication dose is: the screw on this morn- ing gave me one Brufen and told me to come back this lunch time if I wanted more. Yesterday I was given four for the day. No carton of milk this morning; a ladle of milk on the Weetabix. Roads was entertaining me and Kern in the laundry this morning with tales about his trial. 2 Apparently Salih met Martin in Col- dingley in 81/82. They've done bird together before. In Cyprus! Faces come and faces go; I haven't seen Lavie for a bit so pre- sume he's gone. Just had my lunch; burger, yoghurt and foul mushroom soup. Have left the apple for Eder; he's on a visit. Spoke to Cern 3 this morning about Judicial Review; he's being extradicted 4 for drugs and money laundering. Went to gym, too. Elliott's number is RW0620. That black Hoffman (who nearly started a fight over the TV one day) was talking to the screw (Steve) and some others about, apparently, how black kids in Brixton are all mad. The screw said that this was not the sort of thing a white person should say (or words to that effect). Eder has just got back. I think there's a bit of a gang scene in Brixton (where Hoffman comes from, apparently), although I've never seen any of it. Getting a bit stronger; I can also skip faster in spurts but I still have the grace of a three legged elk. Played cards with Larry this afternoon and not much else. Since I gave Chapman a few bags of sugar he keeps coming back to me. He may be paranoid but this is only human nature. Spoke to Morris and Nick; I told them both 5 that their documents hadn't arrived but they were in the office. I've already had a letter from Morris. KERN is spelt thus. On the rock show last night there was a request from a nick in/near Hemel Hempstead. Far from the first time I've heard such a request. I heard one a while ago for someone on A Wing in some nick. I think that was when Vance was on the Rock Show so it must have been some time ago. I remember when I was in Highpoint I heard a request on a radio station for Highpoint, at least I'm 99% sure. I think it was Laser 558 or even Caroline (a later incarnation). There's a notice up, no visits Good Friday. I didn't even know Easter was coming up. Got a letter from Sakrouge; it appears to have been a proper fuck up. I made a resolution that I was going to do some heavy writing and some reading today. I've done a bit on my case but I've done no writing at all. It's partly his fault. We played chess earlier and we've just been talking about God, etc. He got right narked in the last game; I fucked up the opening (playing black, a Philidor, P-KB4 variation) and lost the exchange. He was in a very strong ending (with queens on) but fucked it up. I let him revoke quite a few moves too but like I said he got right upset when I pulled it out of the bag. Believe it or not Chapman wanted some more sugar off me later. I think he got some off somebody else (at slop out) because he was smiling. Kern is in for "drugs and money laundering". 6 7 Sunday: tempers are getting a little frayed here, by Salih at least. He complained about me getting up too early, and other things. The guy's got a lot on his mind. Gave my medication a miss this morning, and last night. I don't wanna be a Brufen junkie. 8 Phoned Auntie; he said that watch will be in the post to me tomorrow. Mick Amos decided he wanted some more chess this morning so we played in the cell. He's obviously been studying a bit of theory because he abandoned his usual queen's pawns today for king's pawns. Unfortunately he hasn't been studying thoroughly enough because I slaughtered him today. Apparently Stacy no longer has the chess computer, 9 I wonder if Mick's got it. Hornsby told me he could beat it on the top level. I'll believe it when I see it. Stacy told me there are 72 levels. Got gym this morning too, a short session, the way I like it. I managed to bench 50kg. Okay, not even half a set but I'm defini- tely getting stronger. I decided to do that because I thought it would improve my chins. Time will tell. I managed to get down in time for the chicken today. Somebody remarked they don't give us those small coffee sachets any more. That's true, we haven't had that for a bit. No carton of milk this morning either. Chapman has been on the ponce for sugar again. I told him no. Maybe tomorrow? Yesterday I heard that lifer, Williams, had failed a drug test and that he was down the block. He isn't down the block so I asked him this morning. He said they'd found cannabinoids in his piss but he told the Governor down the Block that he only smoked cocaine. He's pleaded not guilty and there will be a second test or something. He said "No comment" when I asked him if he had been smoking but he obviously had. He said he's in here because he killed a man in a fight over cocaine. Another boring afternoon, played chess with Klaus and Stacy. Klaus beat me! The first game I fucked up against the Philidor exchange variation 1. P-K4 P-K4 2. N-KB3 P-Q3 3. P-Q4 PXP 4. NXP ... 10 I was the exchange down but pulled a 11 Philidor's Legacy out of the bag. Klaus had never seen it before and he was very impressed with it. The second game I was playing black against Guicco 12 Piano; I was a piece up but fucked up. No, I didn't take liber- ties with him; I don't take most of these games seriously. Klaus - *************************************** - has a horror story to tell. He runs a group of companies, a hundred employees or something, and said he was done for being knowingly concerned in importation, got 16 years and after 3 years, had his convic- tion quashed. He's in for some sort of alleged property fraud now, fighting extradition to Germany. He's obviously a very bitter man but not so much with the drug laws as with the British legal system. 14 I told him it's getting bad everywhere. According to Fuleihan he was a wealthy man himself but lost a lot of money in Kuwait and elsewhere. Salih is a talker and often doesn't know what he's talking about. He's arranged a cell change for tomorrow. Going to do some more work on my case later. Iro- nically I seem to have less spare time in here than I do on the out. I'll have to pack in this chess. Monday morning: Brimah appears to have gone; I noticed he wasn't on the hotplate yesterday. He might have said goodbye. Eder was up well after midnight reading the Koran. 15 He's annoyed this morning because his cell change has fallen through. The abscess on the bottom of his spine is also giving him problems. He's had three operations on it over the years and has just put in a slip for the doctor. Went out on exercise, first time for ages. There were 15 of us at one point; I came in early as did Levin. The reason I've never played this guy at chess is because he doesn't appeal to me. He's slightly buck toothed, speaks good English and is not very like- able. 16 Gone tea time; Eder has gone on a legal visit - booked for 5.30 - with his barrister. I think I had a late visitor 17 from that barrister in the Scrubs. The visits room is supposed to close here at 4.30 but the other day he told me that barristers can 18 come late. I didn't believe him. Roads got 10 years. He beat the major rap too! Spoke to Goodman this morning and to Morris this afternoon. Went to gym this afternoon but managed to leave early, so did Zrelli. He's the Tunisian waiting for extradition to Germany. Going to write to Trench about my civil case. 19 Eder is changing cells tomorrow; there should be some Irish guy moving in here, 20 in a complex move (which will cost him 2oz!) he'll be going in with his co-d. More good news, my walkman is not working except on medium wave, am or whatever. Hopefully it's the battery, but I doubt it. Just finished my letter to Trench. This is an historic day. Association was cancelled and then reinstated. Stacy beat me twice! Kern was watching - he was playing backgammon with Laycock; 21 I tried to kid him that I threw them but I didn't. Both games he was white; the first I threw away a piece again; the second, well, these aren't serious games. Stacy was right chuffed to beat "that Arab". Got some extra cake from the kitchen later, off Elliott. My man got back from his legal visit about 7.30. Going to learn a bit about his case. Yes, it was the batteries, thank fuck! It's nearly 9 o'clock and I've done fuck all today. It's amazing how time flies in this place. I've done fuck all today. Roads never got a mention on TV tonight, but his co-d got life. Later: he told me he read the Koran 22 in Turkish and in Arabic (which he can't understand) and he's now doing it in English. 23 Apparently, this is a regular thing in Turkey, nobody understands Arabic. Earlier today his co-defendant told me he'd been on a dive to the Lusitania. He reckons the wreck has been doctored - to hide the fact that it was carrying munitions. I've noticed my hair is going grey, or is it white? I've found the odd white hair before coming in here but I've noticed many more since. Williams the Lifer came out with some stuff earlier which sheds a new light on this racism shit. He said he used to live with a woman and used to make "Nigerian jokes" (my brackets). 24 She told the police that he hated Nigerians. It was, apparently, a Nigerian he killed. This was ruled inadmissible. I think the jokes were about their accents. Screws told me earlier that Brimah went to The Mount on Friday. 25 Tuesday lunch: Eder moved out this morning. There was an Irishman supposed to move in here but somebody's going to court or something so his cell change has been altered. Presumably he is still sharing with Martin. I've got a young guy named LANTRU. 26 He is French, black and Catholic (Red card for Catholic; blue for Jew). 27 He speaks very good English. 28 He's in for drugs. Sandie Shaw wouldn't let me work on my case but I still managed to do a bit. A bigger problem though is that the bubble jet is still out of ink and there are problems with the laser. Her bark is far worse than her bite. Roads has got a job on the hotplate; he looks remarkably uncon- cerned for a bloke who's just got ten years. He's also got an- other charge and the bastards are after seizing his house. Modern Chess Openings 29 arrived this afternoon, so did my new watch: delivered to the cell door. 30 I managed to do a bit more on Sandie Shaw's class. Even at my typing speed I would be able to finish that off Thursday, and hopefully print it out. The one thing I didn't do today - because I clean forgot - was take 31 a shower. Or perhaps that should be dirty forgot? I got the first letter to Michael in the Education Department. It has been mailed out proper and was returned in a post office envelope. 32 I also got a letter from the housing benefit department asking me to obtain information about my so-called savings. Ie to get someone to send it in. This is clearly harassment; I'll be wri- ting to them about this, and Piers Merchant. For all the good this will do. Michael has put up a notice on the landing asking for entries for a chess tournament; I hope I'm not here to win it. It was Stacy hijacking me this afternoon to play chess that made me miss my shower. Goodman has sent me a copy of Why Britain's Police - a photocopy. 33 Incredibly he has also sent me the wrong affidavit. I phoned his office and left a message with Martin. I phoned Goldsmith too but she was unavailable. This guy is very quiet; he's currently playing patience with my cards. He's a non-smoker. 34 Roads has moved out of his cell; so has Larry, with someone else. Ie in with someone else. He's been given a cleaning job, which he's not happy with, but cleaners have an easy time in this nick. Well, on this wing. Roads is in the "Times" today. Apparently he was described by his counsel as "Ronnie Barker rather than Ronnie Kray". 35 Wednesday morning, ten to nine: this guy goes to bed early. I may teach him backgammon or something. Yesterday I met that guy Khan on B Wing; he gave me that day's edition of a bi-lingual newspaper. 36 I think he's serving 6 months. Jumping bail, al- though the original assault charge was dropped. (The Internation- al News - an Islamic paper). 37 Lunch time. Stacy's cellmate has been circulating a petition or something to have the canteen opened on time; probably against my better judgment. 38 I told the landing officer Adams had threa- tened to break my arms if I didn't. They also want it to stock tins of mackerel! My cellmate's name is Christopher Lautru. LAUTRU. 39 He's back at the Old Bailey for sentence on April 4th. I may be in court about then too because Goodman said something about liberty to apply. The prosecution still haven't produced that transcript. He answered the phone himself this morning. He said he won't get paid for a lot of work he's doing now. Went to "Pipeline" this morning. Michael said my two essays won't be entered for the Koestler Award! Damn. Apparently it's only fiction they want. That's not the way I read it but never mind. That affidavit of Gable's - December 1995 - is actually in the Plaintiff's bundle. I suppose I'm half to blame - I told him the defendant's - but he still sent me the wrong one. Evening slop-out has come and gone. Larry said he'd received divorce papers today! I taught this guy the rudiments of backgam- mon. There is talk of the entire wing moving to G Wing but that's not until July, when I'll be long gone. 40 Have done a letter to Griffin and have started one to Piers Merchant. Spoke to Williams today; he confirmed something I was told by someone else, that he was sacked from his cleaner's job because he failed the piss test. I asked him whatever happened to inno- cent until proven guilty? About 20 to eight I heard the ice cream van, not for the first time. A couple of guys (both blacks) were in here earlier chasing burn on account of the canteen being closed today. This guy is a non- smoker but he's also a Bible freak. 41 He finds it difficult to credit I don't believe in God. He's 21 and has done 8 months - he was arrested in August - his birthday month. He's from Paris and was in Belmarsh. Spoke to Vladimir yesterday on the way 42 to class. About chess. Maybe the guy isn't such an arsehole after all. 43 Thursday: ten to twelve and lunch is over already. I finished off my closing speech at class this morning. 44 There may be one or two paragraphs to move about and not or two things to augment but I can leave that till the trial. Frankly I don't think I'll need this speech. 45 The man's name is KLAUS *********. Back on computer class. Just spoke to Williams; he said losing his cleaner's job has nothing to do with this drug business. 46 Sarah 47 Macmanus read (part of) my closing speech this after- noon. I think I may have endeared myself to her. She said she was denied benefit and appealed - getting three grand toward her mortgage after 18 months. She said something about having to check what we'd done because somebody had written something defamatory about an officer. When I was talking to Hill and another remand prisoner the other day about this supposed transfer to G Wing they mentioned a leaflet. It didn't occur to me that this had been produced on the computer class; I thought somebody had scribbled a note or something, like Hornsby 48 petition. Got my canteen this afternoon; my cellmate hasn't had his yet. Unbelievably there's a printed notice up in the canteen (typeset, perhaps from a prison circular) to the effect that if tobacco packets are cut in half the health warning has to be exhibited on both. (Just this minute got a letter from Steve Sargent). Phoned Chris - who was out - and Sean, who answered the phone at once. He said his package had been returned addressee unknown for (at least) the second time. My faith in human nature has been restored; I left my phone card in the phone and a none too respectably looking white guy pointed this out to me. After I'd taken a shower I gave Stacy one 49 game of chess, black pieces of the Scotch Game. Although I made an absolutely crass blunder in the ending, losing a whole rook, he managed to loose 50 it with rook and bishop against rook and two pawns. I think that in spite of my enormous layoff I'll be a better player now. Most or all of the games I've lost in here have been down to blunders crass and stupid rather than positional mis- takes. Chapman is on the ponce again; I gave him yet another sachet of sugar. Eder's co-d has been shipped out to Wandsworth. He'll give me that 1oz back tomorrow. 51 He spent 2oz for zilch, apparently. Smoking - Deborah McGivern S&T Services 01536 202101 ext 275. 52 Yeah, Eder said he helped himself to my backgammon earlier. The nerve. Dropped my walkman again; this is only 53 the second time in three months but it can't help. It's certainly looking a bit fucked. Sean said Chris knew about my conviction already and had since c1991. I find that difficult to believe in view of the way he laughed at Gable's innuendo once. Marjorie knows I'm in here, apparently. Judith certainly does. Lautru told me he was 21 last night. 54 More to the point, Larry told me Nigel Benn had been charged with the attempted murder of his wife. There was nothing about it on Radio 4 6pm news. He said he'd heard it earlier. We didn't have association tonight and there were very few staff on so I didn't get a chance to see him. Wrote to Piers Merchant earlier about today's expose (reported in the Times.). 55 More on racism, a black on the computer class, Modeste, [sic?] refers to Levin as Ruskie, all the time. Not such a good Friday. Still, I suppose it's better than being nailed to a cross. I was up really early this morning; it's a good thing my 56 current cellmate is so easy going. That story about Nigel Benn was in yesterday's Daily Star, 57 reported on threatening to kill and assault. Apologies Larry. The alarm went off this morning just prior to breakfast. Got some letters to write. Amazing isn't it? I studied this crossword yesterday - Times 58 20,438 and couldn't get a single clue. Now I've got three straight off: Swift, Mangoes, Old Bailey. It's ten past nine and those fuckers are going hammer and tongues 59 at table tennis. And the remedial guys downstairs. It's gone twelve and no sign of lunch yet. Strange. We had a belated bridge session this morning. When I came back I found Lantru 60 making our beds, yes, he made mine too. Apparently the cell got spun looking for excess kit or something. LAUTRU! This morning, Larry's cellmate told me workforce get visits on Sundays, 61 I knew that under this enhanced regime they got extra, but I didn't think there were any Sunday visits in this nick. Five past five or so and another day is virtually gone. There was football immediately after unlock but the gym orderly (one of them, the old guy) told me there was no gym so I jumped into the shower. No sooner was I in than Fuleihan was chasing me. We spent the afternoon playing bridge, finishing off the morning session. It was quite uneventful although Hill and I ran out winners. Early on I had a very strong hand and opened 2D. Hill jumped to 5D. I had two aces so couldn't bid a grand slam. In the event I passed and we made 12 tricks. Sigh. Fuleihan is easily wound up; Sas sees the joke when I take the rise out of him, but he doesn't. Sas is in tomorrow all day; I want to go to gym tomorrow. When I came down for a mug of coffee Stacy came after me (Kaspar- ov, he calls me), but I told him I was playing bridge. He seemed a bit sad; he spent most of the afternoon leaning over the rail- ings. Klaus was looking for me too to play chess. Tomorrow, perhaps. 62 My cellmate has got some cards on a religious theme - not playing cards but similar looking. To improve his English, no doubt, although he appears to be a devout Catholic. LAUTRU is 21 years old. 63 Twenty-five to seven; they've just cancelled association. Lautru is already in bed but I'm going to get the fucker up soon. Later that same evening! They opened us up at 10 past 7 for association. Looks like we won't be getting it tomorrow. Adams wasn't happy; he was even less happy when I thrashed him at chess as usual. Eder ponced a couple of batteries off me; he still hasn't given me back that 1oz. Taught Lautru to play 31 tonight.
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