I eventually ended up in Greenwich, (via Eltham, losing a Panda in the aftermath), and through loot, a flat, that was both above and below an antique shop, although this later became a flower shop, then a hairdressers, sharing with two scientist guys called Keith and Al.
I was still on the dole, and managed to get myself on a touch typing course in Greenwich, I figured a proper job would require typing and this is probably the single most best skill I have ever learnt, I urge anyone to learn to touch type.
I was covering the rent with savings and 'matrix' housing benefit payments, and had just got a 'placement' through the course to work in telesales at an accounting staff recruitment consultancy, I sort of led my newly acquired flatmates to believe I had a proper job in the city.
I was the wrong side of the Thames from all my Nottingham friends that had already moved down, and consequently spent a lot of time in my room, being lonely and wondering whether this whole move to London thing was such a good idea afterall.
This state of affairs led me to writing poetry again, even though I had kind of given up, and also playing guitar, and writing songs. The telesales job gave me access to a photocopier!! - and out of the ashes of these circumstances I put together the pamphlet 'Grey Flowers'. This song 'Fruitless' is one of the poems that appeared in it, it isn't as good as my earlier work (always the way with your favourite artists) but it is infused with being in London for the first time, and commuting and working in an office, and so I quite like it because it reminds me how I felt at the time.
The placement led to a job in the accounting staff agency and had another creative outcome, because it meant that I could lie and act as a referee for Glen and Dom so they too could move down to London, assuring their prospective landlord that they 'worked through the agency', as 'data entry clerks' and would definitely be able to afford and pay the rent, (although of course they couldn't and would be on the dole and drawing housing benefit!) Now I'm not claming credit for all their subsequent creative output, but it's clear that some is obviously attributable to me and this small lie on their behalf, if they hadn't moved to London together at that time, armed with my pseudo-data entry jobs, then would there have even been a Piano Magic ?