What I was doing at 5.35pm every day from 5th January to 18th July 2025
Sunday 5 Jan
Setting up google spreadsheet for recording these sentences
Monday 6 Jan
On northern line to early dinner and art opening.
Tuesday 7 Jan
In Cork and Bottle, Leicester Square, paying bill for red wine and pitta.
Wednesday 8 Jan
Reading Jane Eyre and drinking tea at home.
Thursday 9 Jan
Reading Lucy Lippard's The dematerialisation of the art object, at home.
Friday 10 Jan
On train pulling into Marylebone.
Saturday 11 Jan
On Piccadilly line to take part in performance of You Me Bum Bum train.
Sunday 12 January
Watching Arsenal vs Man united on tv.
Monday 13 January
Helping Anna with her maths homework.
Tuesday 14 January
Having wine in bar of Oxford and Cambridge Club after talk.
Wednesday 15 January
Reading Alan Hollinghurst with cup of tea.
Thursday 16 January
Walking through Marston on the way to Elsfield.
Friday 17 January
On packed train from Oxford to Marylebone.
Saturday 18 January
Reading Peter Gizzi on tube on way to perform in You Me Bum Bum Train
Sunday 19 January
Warming up gumbo.
Monday 20 January
Making leeks vinaigrette
Tuesday 21 January
Listening to Dr Harry McCarthy give lecture on early modern boy actors and race.
Wednesday 22 January
On train from Oxford to Marylebone assessing research applications to Balliol.
Thursday 23 January
Cooking burgers for dinner.
Friday 24 January
In Cork and Bottle wine bar eating pitta bread with red wine.
Saturday 25 January
Watching Traitors with Anna and Ezra.
Sunday 26 January
Reading a PhD on 17th-century anti-semitism for a viva next week.
Monday 27 January
Laying the table for dinner.
Tuesday 28 January
On northern line on way to Tottenham Court Road.
Wednesday 29 January
Reading student's PhD chapter on train approaching Marylebone.
Thursday 30 January
Doing emails with cup of tea.
Friday 31 January
In a PhD supervision with student.
Saturday 1 February
Talking with Ben, Eliane and Jacob about hypnosis.
Sunday 2 February
Collecting car battery and jump leads from
Monday 3 February
Making mashed potato.
Tuesday 4 February
Listening to talk by Professor Kevin Killeen on poetry and uncertainty.
Wednesday 5 February
Bakerloo line between Paddington and Edgware Road.
Thursday 6 February
Listening to lecture by Professor Leah Price on domestic reading.
Friday 7 February
Cycling home in rain.
Saturday 8 February
Proof reading Inscription volume 5.
Sunday 9 February
Returning from bowling with Anna and 9 friends for her birthday party.
Monday 10 February
Doing quiz for Anna's birthday.
Tuesday 11 February
Drinking coke in kitchen.
Wednesday 12 February
Reading Miranda July on train approaching Marylebone.
Thursday 13 February
Talking to Anna's drama teacher at parents evening.
Friday 14 February
Drinking wine and reading menu at pub in Marylebone.
Saturday 15 February
Having cup of tea in room in Imperial Hotel, Blackpool.
Sunday 16 February
Walking past North pier on Blackpool seafront.
Monday 17 February
Eating wraps at home.
Tuesday 18 February
Talking to Siobhan about teaching.
Wednesday 19 February
Emails in office.
Thursday 20 FebruaryMaking tea. Friday 21 February
Reading PhD thesis on train.
Saturday 22 February
On beach at Whitstable.
Sunday 23 February
Driving Anna to Edie's.
Monday 24 February
Editing friend's research proposal.
Tuesday 25 February
Cooking pork noodles.
Wednesday 26 February
Reading PhD for viva in train.
Thursday 27 February
Waiting at Oxford station.
Friday 28 February
Walking along northern line platform at Kings Cross Station.
Saturday 1 March
Entering Tufnell Park underground station.
Sunday 2 March
Working out karaoke settings on Spotify.
Monday 3 March
Writing notes on index cards.
Tuesday 4 March
Listening to lecture by Professor Gill Woods on theatrical dumb-shows.
Wednesday 5 March
Marking essays on tragedy in train pulling in to Marylebone
Thursday 6 March
Listening to lecture on 18th-century women book collectors by Dr Melanie Bigold.
Friday 7 March
On train from Oxford to Marylebone.
Saturday 8 March
Tidying house and putting out cheeseboard in preparation for party
Sunday 9 March
Listening to Arsenal play Manchester United on radio.
Monday 10 March
On underground at St John's Wood.
Tuesday 11 March
Backstage before performance of You Me Bum Bum Train.
Wednesday 12 March
In meeting at school about Anna's football trip to Holland
Thursday 13 March
Walking to meet Anna at Tufnell Park to take her to guides.
Friday 14 March
On train and pulling into Marylebone station.
Saturday 15 March
Having a drink in Cork and Bottle wine bar.
Sunday 16 March
Reading about art history.
Monday 17 March
On train pulling into Marylebone.
Tuesday 18 March
On tube at Mornington Crescent.
Wednesday 19 March
Watching Anna play football in the school team.
Thursday 20 March
Visiting exhibition on Lewis Carol at Christ Church Oxford.
Friday 21 March
On tube at Euston.
Saturday 22 March
Making beef wellington with Ezra and Anna.
Sunday 23 March
Reading Akenfield by Ronald Blythe.
Monday 24 March
Reading The Hole by NF Simpson.
Tuesday 25 March
Texting Eliane.
Wednesday 26 March
Having dinner with Anna.
Thursday 27 March
Walking to Ezra's school parents evening.
Friday 28 March
Having glass of wine in Nell Gwynn pub, Covent Garden.
Saturday 29 March
Playing cricket with Eliane, Anna and Ezra.
Sunday 30 March
Walking back from seeing off Kathy Acheson at Kentish Town tube.
Monday 31 March
Anna is saying ‘Your alarm is going off!’
Tuesday 1 April
On Northern Line with Eliane heading to Tottenham Court Road.
Wednesday 2 April
Making chorizo and beans for dinner.
Thursday 3 April
Making a salad.
Friday 4 April
Having drinks outside with neighbours, chairs on pavement.
Saturday 5 April
Scraping peanuts into a pan for a noodle sauce.
Sunday 6 April
Drinking tea and talking to mum.
Monday 7 April
Making wraps for Ezra and me.
Tuesday 8 April
Eating chicken pie with Ezra.
Wednesday 9 April
Eating chicken pie with Ezra and Eliane.
Thursday 10 April
Buying coffee beans on Monmouth Street.
Friday 11 April
Asleep.
Saturday 12 April
Writing a story on laptop.
Sunday 13 April
Making dinner of meat balls and rice.
Monday 14 April
Booking a haircut.
Tuesday 15 April
Making hot dogs for Anna and Ezra.
Wednesday 16 April
Talking at kitchen table with Katherine Hunt and Nick Gaskil.
Thursday 17 April
Editing The Hole by NF Simpson for amateur village production in the summer.
Friday 18 April
Walking up stairs to bedroom to have nap.
Saturday 19 April
Walking through Elsfield listening to Daft Punk.
Sunday 20 April
Cooking sausages.
Monday 21 April
Reading Solvej Balle's On the Calculation of Volume.
Tuesday 22 April
Taking Ezra to Camden Youth Theatre.
Wednesday 23 April
On northern line to Tottenham Court Road.
Thursday 24 April
Getting off tube at Tottenham Court Road.
Friday 25 April
Getting on Elizabeth Line at Tottenham Court Road.
Saturday 26 April
Walking over bridge with Eliane.
Sunday 27 April
Reading Solvej Balle's On The Calculation Of Volume.
Monday 28 April
Marking student essay on John Lyly on the train.
Tuesday 29 April
Turning off 5.35pm phone alarm in lecture by Professor Leah Price.
Wednesday 30 April
Waiting at lights with Ezra at Tufnell Park.
Thursday 1 May
Listening to Professor Leah Price lecture on servants and books.
Friday 2 May
On bus to meet Molly Murray at the Edinboro Castle, Camden.
Saturday 3 May
Reading On the Calculatoon of Volume, volume 2, by Salvoj Balle.
Sunday 4 May
Making mushroom sauce.
Monday 5 May
Having a bath.
Tuesday 6 May
On train pulling into Marylebone.
Wednesday 7 May
Reading Joanna Trollope's A Village Affair.
Thursday 8 May
Chairing panel discussion on the antiquarian book trade.
Friday 9 May
Sleeping.
Saturday 10 May
On underground to Tottenham Court Road.
Sunday 11 May
Sorting out recycling.
Monday 12 May
Writing a text message to Emma Smith.
Tuesday 13 May
Watching Anna at football trials.
Wednesday 14 May
Setting up launch party for Inscription 5 at Senate House.
Thursday 15 May
Taking to Eliane in secret garden behind Phoenix Theatre.
Friday 16 May
Boarding Kings Cross train to Cambridge with Eliane.
Saturday 17 May
Buying coffee at Monmouth in Covent Garden.
Sunday 18 May
Walking with Ezra eating an ice cream.
Monday 19 May
Cycling past Gospel Oak station.
Tuesday 20 May
Walking on Hampstead Heath.
Wednesday 21 May
Listening to lecture by Michael Robb on book selling.
Thursday 22 May
Talking about Romeo and Juliet Globe performance with Balliol students in pub.
Friday 23 May
On Northern Line with Eliane.
Saturday 24 May
Eating boiled beef and schnitzel in Cafe Korb, Vienna.
Sunday 25 May
Listening to overture to Tannhauser with Eliane at Vienna State Opera, both of us crying.
Monday 26 May
In rooftop pool in Hoxton Hotel, Vienna.
Tuesday 27 May
Walking along Weiburg-Gasse, Vienna, with Eliane.
Wednesday 28 May
Talking to Eliane.
Thursday 29 May
Listening to Paul Nash lecture on early printing.
Friday 30 May
Watching Anna and Ezra swimming.
Saturday 31 May
Drinking Prosecco with Tom and Siobhan.
Sunday 1 June
Walking home with tin of tomatoes, pasta, lettuce.
Monday 2 June
Cycling along Parkhill Road.
Tuesday 3 June
Crossing road at Tufnell Park.
Wednesday 4 June
Ordering curry.
Thursday 5 June
Eating leftover curry with Ezra.
Friday 6 June
Drinks in garden with Eva and Eliane.
Saturday 7 June
Reading about artist Richard Wright.
Sunday 8 June
Helping Anna find wrapping paper.
Monday 9 June
Cycling past Regents Park.
Tuesday 10 June
Talking to Eliane.
Wednesday 11 June
Cycling home.
Thursday 12 June
On train to Finchley Road.
Friday 13 June
Eating noodles with Tom Templeton in Soho.
Saturday 14 June
Having drink in Southampton Arms with Dennis Duncan.
Sunday 15 June
Having wine and crisps in garden.
Monday 16 June
Having drink with Abigail Williams in Kings Arms.
Tuesday 17 June
In online meeting with neighbours.
Wednesday 18 June
Talking to Ezra about woodwork.
Thursday 19 June
In exam board meeting at Cambridge University.
Friday 20 June
Pavement drinks with neighbours.
Saturday 21 June
Driving to Phoenix cinema in Oxford
Sunday 22 June
Reading PhD chapter on Catholic poetry.
Monday 23 June
Unpacking food shopping.
Tuesday 24 June
Talking to Ezra.
Wednesday 25 June
Talking to Eliane at Dartmouth Arms.
Thursday 26 June
Warming up macaroni cheese.
Friday 27 June
On train to Winchmore Hill.
Saturday 28 June
Dancing at the Scala, Kings Cross.
Sunday 29 June
Talking to Nathalie outside The Chesterfield Arms.
Monday 30 June
Eating hoisin duck wrap at Paddington station.
Tuesday 1 July
On train to Paddington.
Wednesday 2 July
Talking to Anna in the kitchen.
Thursday 3 July
Talking to Ezra about his brass band performance.
Friday 4 July
Listening to Eliane talk on phone about this evening's plans.
Saturday 5 July
Salsa dancing at street fair.
Sunday 6 July
Looking up used second-hand diaries from the 1920s on eBay.
Monday 7 July
Reading Gertrude Stein.
Tuesday 8 July
Having drink with Eleanor Baker at The Turf.
Wednesday 9 July
On train passing High Wycombe.
Thursday 10 July
Walking to Dartmouth arms with James Kidd
Friday 11 July
Watching end of year prize presentations at Acland Burghley School.
Saturday 12 July
Sitting on Hampstead Heath with Molly Murray and Eliane.
Sunday 13 July
Reading Gertrude Stein on Hampstead Heath.
Monday 14 July
Checking route to the O2 arena.
Tuesday 15 July
Talking to Gill Partington in kitchen about next issue of Inscription.
Wednesday 16 July
Making haloumi burgers.
Thursday 17 July
On number 4 bus approaching Holloway Road listening to Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain'.
Friday 18 July
Making noodles.
i love that it's a little snapshot of what you were doing every day at that exact moment, which leaves a lot of gaps for us to fill in. for example, when did you go to vienna? i mean when was the plane ride, when did you pack? not at 17:35 the days prior. Also, who are anna, ezra and elaine, or eva, tom and siobhan--your family and friends, i would presume, if i can speculate without breaching any of your privacy.
Found myself a little jealous of all those wonderful lectures you went to, and fascinated with that period of 3 days where you, almost as if continuously, sat on the line to and fro Tottenham Court Road...
i'm impressed you managed to keep up with it for so long; did it at any point turn into "muscle memory" where you knew the time was here, but still maybe a minute or two before the alarm--kind of like how your body will wake up by itself at 8am if you continually put your alarm then, even if that particular day your can sleep in?
Oulipo-esque