And a lot has changed since then, back in 2011 I was merely a (fading) standup comedian, and now I am a (not quite yet shining) writer. Difference? I get to stay in more and watch The Great British Bake Off, and my tweets are less likely to be about motorway services. In fact I haven’t been to a motorway service station at 2am in about eighteen months. Something I can write with a form of pride.

So what happened and what’s happening? Well, I fell out of love with comedy and it wasn’t exactly standing in the street in its slippers and dressing gown begging for me to come back, in fact I think it’s sleeping with a succession of other middle class white men and probably can’t even remember my name.

I make light of it, but it was a big decision to make, in fact I think giving up comedy was a much harder thing to do than start doing comedy as at least then I was full of arrogance and naivety.

I had a good ride along the way, had a lot of fun and memories, but I haven’t missed it much and am trying to move on.

So, writing? Well, my Edinburgh shows were all stories anyway and, like a lot of middle class males I’ve been itching to try The Great British Novel (TGBN, not to be confused with The Great British Bake Off/Sewing Bee (TGBBO/TGBSB) and so have spent the last year or so feverishly writing.

I’m also a student, studying this MA at City University and actually starting on TGBN of my very own.

So why this self-indulgent blog, aside from that essentially being what any blog is? Well, I’m writing and working and doing stuff and want to self-indulgently put it out there again so am revamping this website (long time terrylanders will know I tend to do nothing but) and I’ll put up my various bits of writing, ideas, rants, escapades at the British Library – and I’m also feeling nostalgic and going through my archive and will put up various bits and bobs that I find.

So, here we are, back. Next post in April 2015!

I have done a new video, this time splicing myself into an existing one; The official Twitter video on the twitter.com homepage is a patronising affair with celebrities basically telling us how great they are and that we should definitely follow them or else we are not worthy.

So I included myself in the glitterati…

It’s by the lovely Helen Arney and Paul Richards and is called “It’s Going To Be An Awkward Christmas, Darling”

Here is some blurb…

One family’s uncomfortably suburban December 25th, perfectly captured in 11 original songs. Stories of holiday disasters, endless games of Monopoly, traditional family arguments and an irrational fear of snowmen all conspire to make your Winterval sound wonderful.

Wry, humorous, lyrically intelligent and unashamedly poignant — it’s perfect for Christmas fanatics and Humbugs alike.

If Alan Bennett and Victoria Wood wrote a Christmas album, it would sound something like this…

I appear as the lovelorn fool on the track “Office Party” (typecasting, I know). And this got played on 6music on Saturday just gone, so, I am officially a popstar.

Here you can have a listen to the album…

Then go buy the thing, yeh!

Out now on iTunes, Play.com and limited edition CD: http://helenarney.com/awkward-christmas for more info.

Happy xmas all

Well, I have been commissioned to do a little animation based on it for BBC Comedy, and here it is.

It’s for The Wave Pictures’ latest single, Sweetheart and is a tiny 3min war epic in which I drew a very good spitfire (alright I traced it)

Anyhow, here is is for you to look at, so please look at it.

Here it is

We are the public, we are the future, or something. And let’s do some consulting.

Write to the BBC Trust and tell them they are wrong (if anyone can work out how to spell the Family Fortunes  “Err-Errrrr” then that might be a good subject line.

The email address is trust.enquiries@bbc.co.uk do this now.

Here is the email I sent…

Hello,

It is with regret and disbelief that I send this email upon hearing
the confirmation to axe BBC 6music.

In the last two weeks I have finally taken the plunge from streaming
digital radio from the internet or watching/listening to them on
freeview to buying a small portable DAB radio. Despite all the
channels seemingly at my disposal, the only two I ever really listen
to are Radio 4 and BBC 6Music. It seems now I’ll have a one station
radio.

I don’t know whether I fit what the demographics tell you, but a
station that plays good music without the pressures of the charts or
commercial oldies is important, even a necessity for me. Radio 1
doesn’t speak to me any more, Radio 1extra doubly so (is this being
scrapped also?).

I’ve been a fan of 6music since its launch and I really think the
decision needs to be reconsidered. I’m sure the BBC needs to make
cuts, but chopping out what is a small, but vitally important station
that keeps alive the chance for new bands to be heard is a mistake,
not only for the corporation, but for music as a whole. It’s just
about the only station left that plays rare/independent tracks and has
DJ’s with some personality.

I sincerely hope that you at the BBC Trust refuses to let 6music go down.

Terry Saunders

Now, no one please point out how we all go up in arms at a niche radio station being axed but stay strangely quiet at earthquakes in Chile and wotnot… ok?