With 2013 upon us, it’s time to look back on an eventful 2012 for me.

January

I was based up in Wigan for January, staying in a Premier Inn for almost the entire time. Just as well they’re comfortable, clean and friendly.

Another photoshoot with the delightful Polly Lockitt … which I haven’t really edited yet. Oops!

January also saw the end of an irritation for me: the psycho ex-girlfriend had been badgering her local police trying to get them to take action against me for what she claimed was harassment by me. They’d been in touch with me to make an appointment for them to come and see me for an interview and a time and a place to suit me, so I saw them at a Solicitors’ offices in Liverpool. It was a very light-hearted afternoon given the increasingly bizarre allegations we went through and we finished by me giving them some real evidence of her (sadly ongoing) harassment and stalking of me. Needless to say, it wasn’t long after this that they dropped their investigations against me completely.

Of far more importance was my father’s funeral. It’s sad that it’s only times like these when we get to hear about people from others’ perspectives. My stepmother was upset not to be able to attend but she had been admitted to hospital herself the day before.

My wife and I agreed terms for our divorce at the very end of January. I suggested we get her Solicitor to tidy things up and agreed to share costs doing so, assuming – very incorrectly as it turned out – that we’d be divorced by my 50th birthday in April…

February

A short month, mainly spent in Wigan.

March

With a few days to spare following the completion of my work in Wigan, the highlight this month was that I took the chance to head off to Barcelona for a break and a few photos, taking a suite in a fabulous luxury hotel on Las Ramblas.

The month ended with the first of many gigs this year – Pop Will Eat Itself – and a weekend away staying in a suite at Luton Hoo with another quickie photoshoot with GT thrown in for good measure.

April

My 50th birthday was celebrated in a lovely restaurant in Ireland with GT where we’d gone for a week’s break. My first time visiting Ireland as a tourist rather than on business. That came the following week with some work in Dublin.

GT ran the London Marathon prior to which we decided she’d do the Venice Marathon in October. On the same day, it was Kawasaki Day at the Ace Cafe which meant a blast to the Ace in the morning – and a dyno session – before heading to the finish to meet GT.

The month ended with me heading off to Vienna to do some client training.

May

May saw a load of work and play in Manchester plus another photoshoot with Marlyn Lindsay.

June

A busy month, mainly in Manchester for work plus lecturing at the University of Vienna which was good fun.

And of course there was the BBC Radio 1 Hackney Weekend. That plus the House of Burlesque (with me on stage…) was where it was all happening!

My Decree Nisi was granted in the middle of June, some 4 months after getting things moving.

On a sad note, my stepmother joined my father on 24th June.

July

It started getting a wee bit hectic in July. The month started off with work in Manchester and the Marilyn Manson/Lacuna Coil gig, plus my day driving a Ferrari on track.

Then it was Paris do some training for one of our clients there.

And then, of course, there was my flight to Chicago…

August

…for my little trip across the United States along Route 66 on a Harley. Truly epic stuff.

Once back, it was more work including more training for a client in the Paris.

September

More work, more champagne receptions and more shopping, mainly! Most of it was recounted in this blog entry.

October

I started October with trips to Paris for two clients as well as another breakfast seminar. This one was videoed and a copy was allegedly on YouTube for a while! It’s now forming part of our company showreel.

Mid-month and I was finally divorced: almost nine months after starting the divorce process on an uncontested divorce!

At the end of the month, it was off to Venice for GT to take part in the Venice Marathon and a lovely stay in a luxury hotel. Great time! Oh and confirmation that I was booked to take part in the Berlin Marathon in September 2013…

November

More of the same, work-wise. Birmingham, Glasgow and London mainly.

Gigs included Fields of the Nephilim and Marilyn Manson with Rob Zombie.

And some mucking about with a camera with my friend Alix and, of course, Movember!

December

As the year drew to a close, my diary was a little crammed.

Work was London and Paris and there was a little trip out to Fuertevenura before Christmas which was great to recharge the batteries.

Gigs were Fear Factory and the Prodigy.

2013

And here we are! Crawley this week, Paris next. And so it starts all over again.

I need to start some training for the marathon and then buy myself somewhere to live in London to plan for the future. Torn between apartments and penthouses and actual houses.