I've been writing my blog, Cotton and Coal, since moving to the top floor of an old warehouse in city centre Manchester in autumn 2007 (don't worry, I have a bed, clothes, washing machine, unused dishwasher etc). I tried to imagine what it would be like to live up here as a Victorian bachelor and did some research. Then I scrubbed the research and started writing about all my friends dressed up in weird clothes and stuff and - for my admittedly tiny readership - it seems to work. 

Some of my favourite things about the blog:
- Miss Jordan, Batson's busty cleaning lady
- Bateman, Batson's nemesis
- Batson's army of carrier pigeons which, like many a mobile phone, are prone to loss or untimely destruction

Have a look for yourself by crossing your fingers while clicking Cotton and Coal

These illustrations by the talented Nicola Mostyn are amongst half-a-dozen to be found in A Batson's Guide to Manchester- a penny pamphlet of piffle to be found in This Box Is Yours, a long-anticipated, already-legendary art exhibit in a box. 
What is This Box thing? Only a collection of work from some of the best up-and-coming, occasionally established, artists and writers in Manchester, that's all. 
When is it out? The release was marked by a supporters party on Wednesday 12 August 2009.