Coales' Notes: Taking a swat at the fly on the wall: Gordon Coales contemplates baring his innermost soul to the viewing public

MONDAY

Bob informed me this morning that over the weekend he had put together 'An Evening for the Miners', to take place tomorrow. Readings and a 'symbolic dig'. He said that he was giving me due warning, in view of the overtly political nature of the event - so that if I wished to balance it with another event, putting the case against the miners, I could do so. But I think I'll let that one go. I said I would prefer it if no coal was brought into the Centre. I have had another call from the man at 'Wall Eye Television'. He has rethought the concept of the programme. Instead of focusing on the Centre as a whole, he now feels it might be better to do it as personal view, seen through the eyes of a single individual. Could I think of someone suitable? It struck me this would be an ideal showcase for our new 'audient-in-residence', when he or she is appointed. I promised to give him a definite reply by the end of the week. My advertisement appeared in the Herald today. I am not sure I should have specified an ORDINARY member of the public. One does not wish to deter the exceptional candidate.

TUESDAY

About 30 letters of application have arrived from potential 'audients'. As an initial response, this is encouragingly large. On a brief perusal, it seems I need not have worried about saying 'ordinary'. Of course it is early days yet. But thinking about the TV question, one really cannot be confident that whoever we do find will be quite right for the cameras.

WEDNESDAY

More applications. It is quite extraordinary what some people consider to be proper qualifications for this position. Mid- morning I came out of my office, trying to find someone who could tell me what precisely membership of 'The White Eagle Lodge' implied. The Centre appeared to be absolutely deserted, no sign of anyone, apart from Olly who was still faithfully manning the box office. I asked him if there was a fire. He said he thought someone had got hold of a copy of the Madonna book. I eventually tracked down the whole lot of them, crowded into the Education Office (including two members of the public). I could only glimpse a few pages. I made some remarks about 'priorities'. Fiona said we were talking about someone who was an important contemporary role model. I find this a ridiculous suggestion. I for one would not be willing to commit an act of gross indecency in public, and I certainly would not respect anyone who was. And to think that this person is now on the Board of the Institute of Contemporary Arts. One might as well imagine the Trustees of the British Museum, photographed performing some group activity in the Egyptian rooms. Well, no doubt it will come to that. What a very low collection of people I work with. I don't feel that any them could represent the Centre on television either.

THURSDAY

Given the present climate, I believe it is finally time we got ourselves a full-time Fundraising and Development Manager. Terry simply will not do. He rang me today, very full of an infallible insurance dodge he had just heard of, involving some sort of artificially induced infestation - the beauty of which was that the premises basically remained undamaged, 'so all the money is yours to spend.' I did not pursue the matter. When Terry makes these utterly impractical proposals, I know this means that the cupboard is bare. Which means we shall have to throw ourselves onto the mercy of the Council. Which means that we will rapidly have to vamp up our public image. Which means that I shall say yes to the TV tomorrow.

FRIDAY

I spoke to 'Wall Eye'. I said that after much consideration, I had come to the conclusion that it should probably be me who provided the focus of their programme. The producer said the concept had changed slightly over the past few days. They were thinking of a more real life approach. They would like to follow the focused individual both on and off duty, in public and in private. I told him I was prepared to allow the cameras into my office to observe me making a decision. And I was prepared to allow them to show me relaxing in my sitting room. But I made it absolutely clear that I was not going to take my clothes off, and that was flat. He didn't feel it would come to that. He wants to come up and have a look at me.