On the 9th and 10th of this month, I had the pleasure of performing two magical nights at the Comedy Lounge in Hull. It was such a great experience — I was doing middle spots between two fantastic pro comedians. On Friday, it was lovely catching up with Jed, who was MCing, and on Saturday, Steve took over MC duties.

Getting there, though — that was the challenge. Snow came down heavy on the Friday morning, so I had to leave my car on the main road and dig myself out. Thankfully, I’ve got some brilliant neighbours who helped me. They all said, “You should stay up there!” But what people don’t realise is that for disabled people, staying in a strange environment can sometimes be worse than going home.

At home, I’ve got my own bed, my recliner, my toilet — all my comforts. If I’m in pain, I can rest in the way that works for me. That makes a huge difference.

Anyway, the gigs went great. And the best bit? The headliner Bill Walker saw me perform both nights — and on the way home, he messaged me asking if I’d come and do his gig near Blackpool soon. That’s what it’s all about — taking the middle spots, going the extra miles for a small fee so other promoters can see what you can do. It’s about building relationships, building foundations, and showing what’s possible.

Back in the shed, I’m still creating my 3D artwork, and it’s starting to sell quite well now — slowly, but steadily. I’m listing things on eBay to try and generate a bit more income. Every little helps.

I’m still dealing with the Jobcentre, trying to get a bit of support just to pay the rent. But in the meantime, I’m putting more energy into making content for TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, building my profile and hopefully turning that into income one day too.

Good news: from the 16th to the 18th, I went away to visit my friend Lucy in Farnworth, and it was brilliant. She’s got cerebral palsy as well, so we could relate to each other. We spent a couple of days exploring the town, switching off, and just enjoying each other’s company.

I even caught up with Emskima on the way back — only for an hour, but it was so nice to reconnect. I’m really looking forward to going back down again in March. That’s what this year’s about for me: work hard, play a little, and enjoy good company.

But here’s the thing — I’ve been working nearly every hour I can lately, and it’s finally caught up with me. Today I pulled a muscle at work. Normally I’d just power through, but it was a reminder: everyone needs rest days. We all need at least two days off a week to recover — from work, from travel, from stress. But we don’t get that, do we?

And that’s on the government. They’re making people work harder for less, and it’s wrong. We voted for change — well, you voted Labour thinking it’d be better — but it’s looking just as bad as before. I don’t know what’s going on, but what I do know is this:

I’m not giving up.

I’ll find the money. I’ll keep creating. I’ll keep supporting other disabled people. I’ll keep going.

And finally — some good news. I’ve found a support worker to help me five mornings a week. It’s already making a difference. I’m getting more done, I’ve got more focus, and it means I actually get a couple of hours off every morning to rest and recover.

Anyway, that’s me. Here’s some photos from my holiday if you want to have a nosy.

And don’t forget — we’ve got Disabled Cants on the 26th of January at The Vat and Fiddle in Nottingham. If you’re around, get yourself down. It’s going to be an amazing lineup.

See you there!