Part 5 (2/2)
Her final task is to hand round rab the their options I put a cross next to 'pottery' in the education box, but add that I would be happy to do a creative writing course, or teach other prisoners to read and write Wendy has already pointed out that the education department is under- staffed However, she tells overnor's approval, and she'll get back to yroup They are about thirty in nue of four of theht for the rowing machines, while Alex places himself firmly on the tread and patience (soes two ht on a coold est he moves on to the step machine while I try to te ive him several demonstrations as to hoorks before he'll even venture on, and when he finally does, we start hie - hands waving up and doe increase his speed to one mile an hour, I next try to show him how to use the plus and minus buttons He conquers thisnew skill by the time he's walked half a mile While I teach him how to operate the machine, he teaches me to be patient
By the time he's done a mile, Paul hasI feel pretty good too
I look around the roo barons, ar just as es
Our final session brings all the group together in the gyame that's a cross between cricket and football, called catchball A plastic ball is bowled slowly along the ground to a child (I h they think like children, they are not), who kicks it in the air, and then takes a run If they are caught, they're out, and someone else takes their place One of the players, Robbie, catches al, whether it flies above his head, at his feet, or straight at hiht
By eleven thirty, we're all exhausted The group are then ushered out of a especial door at the side of the gyirls cuddle their favourite prisoner Carl, a handsoets more cuddles than any of us (they see no colour, only kindness) As they leave to go ho you will be there, and thus I discover why prisoners with longer sentences are selected for this particular responsibility I h and point atbus, Mr Maiden finally calls me back
12 noon Lunch I can't re papers Mary is given rave reviews right across the board - dozens of colu the way she handled John Hu words, Tree Jeffrey Archer', get a ford well, but enjoyed his wife's reply to Roy Ploford, have you ever considered divorce?'
Lady Longford: 'No, never Murder several ti Mary would have given roughly the sa the Australians leave the field - they were all out for 447 - when the cell door is unlocked and I'm told to report to the visitors' area I switch off the TV and head out into the corridor How unlike Belmarsh I even have to ask the way 'Take the sayht at the end of the corridor'
When I arrive, the two duty officers don't strip search me, and show no interest in my watch, which is secreted under my shi+rtsleeve For visits, all prisoners have to wear striped blue prison shi+rts and blue jeans
The visitors' rooym and is filled with seventy small round tables, each surrounded by four chairs - one red, three blue The red chair and the table are bolted together so there is always a gap between you and your visitor This is to prevent easy passing of illicit contraband The prisoner sits in the red seat, with his back to the officers In the middle of each table is a number I'm fourteen There is a tuck shop on the far side of the room where visitors can purchase non-alcoholic drinks, chocolate and crisps The one prisoner trusted to handle cash in the shop is Steve (conspiracy to murder, librarian and accountant) - would-be murderer he may be, thief he is not
Once every prisoner has been seated, the visitors are allowed in
I watch the different prisoners' wives, partners, girlfriends and children as they walk through the door and try to guess which table they'll go to Wrong alate She is wearing a long white dress which shows off that glorious mop of dark hair Will is only a pace behind, followed by ent and close friend, Jonathan Lloyd He and Will take a seat near the door, so that Mary and I can have a little tisat the Red Cross Their CEO, Sir Nicholas Young, has been most supportive; no fence-sitter he Because of his fir before I am moved on to an open prison She also feels that the Prison Service and the police have been put in an e that they had no choice but to follow up Nicholson's accusation
The Red Cross ainsther The lawyers' advice is, if they do, we should reree She beckons to Will who comes over to join us
Will tells h it's tough fordaily on ht when you wonder if anyone is out there But I realize when it comes to back-up, there can't be a prisoner alive with a more supportive family When Will's completed his report, Jonathan is finally allowed to join us, while Will goes off to purchase six Diet cokes and a bottle of Highland Spring
(Three of the cokes are for me) Jonathan has travelled up to Wayland to discuss my latest novel He also wants an update on the diaries I'm able to tell hih I still need to read it through once again, but hope to have it on his desk in about teeks' tihts separately, while allowing ht on the three voluree that nothing should happen until we know the outcome of my appeal, both for conviction and sentence
Once Jonathan feels his business is coain, so that I can spend the last half hour with Mary and Will When we're alone, we recap on all that needs to be done before we h phonecards to keep in regular touch
Steve comes across to clear our table - it's the first time Mary has met soant man looks more like a company secretary than a would-be murderer1 is her only comment 'You probably pass a est
Time for visitors to leave,' announces a voice behind e it for a twenty-dollar Swatch I purchased in a rashthe two officers, who are seated on a little platform behind me He nods, and we both put on our neatches
'All visitors must now leave,' repeats the officer politely but fir the last to depart
When I leave the room, the officer asks me to take off my shoes, which he checks carefully, but doesn't askh
417 pm Back in my cell, I find my canteen order has been left on the end of the bed Hip, hip, and my clothes are finally dry, hooray As I unpack my wares, Dale arrives with back-up provisions
600 p of Volvic
700 pm Exercise Dale joins Jies all three circuits On the last one, he spots the artist he tolda prisoner An inainst the fence in what he assumes is ais excellent, but the artist immediately declares that he's not happy with the result I've never known an artist say anything else As he'sat the saio (hotplate, Colombian) asks me if I would like to join him in his cell on the enhanced spur He's kindly translated the letter fro ree and needs a loan if he's to consider going on to do a doctorate I thank Sergio, and pen a note on the bottom of the letter, so that Alison can reply
'Lock up,' bellows an officer Just as I'ain so else I'd like to discuss with you?' I nod, wondering what this quiet Colombian can possibly want to see me about
DAY 31
SAturdAY 18 AUGUST 2001
6-21 a prisoners yesterday afternoon, and several of theht letting everyone knohat they would like to do to Ms Webb, the young wo, university-educated woman who is on the fast-track for proroup of prisoners co out the 'pecking order” At night, Wayland is just as uncivilized as Bel about it After all, the governor is sound asleep in her bed
At Belle cell after four days In Wayland I've been left for eleven days a men whose every second word is 'fuck', sorievous bodily har Let me make it clear: this is not the fault of the prison officers on the ground, but the senior ement There are prisoners who have been incarcerated in Wayland for soovernor I do not think that all the officers have met her Thaf s not what I call leadershi+p
One of yesterday's new intake thought it would be clever to slam my door closed just after an officer had unlocked it so that I could go to breakfast He then ran up and down the corridor shouting, 'I locked Jeffrey Archer in, I locked Jeffrey Archer in' Luckily, only a few of the prisoners are this moronic, but they still make everyone else's life unbearable
8,15 a and a toests we reement
900 am Saturday is a dreadful day in prison It's the weekend and you think about what you and your faether However, because we are 'unlocked' during the day, but 'banged up' in the early evening, there is always a queue outsideletters written, queries answered, or on the scrounge for phonecards and stamps At least no one bothers to ask me for tobacco So on a Saturday, my only chance of a clear two hours to write are between six and eight in the ht
1000 a of his Cat Show, - these ones are in fraes - so I don't waste a lot of his time, and promise I'll call him back on Monday
On my way back to the cell I pass Darren in the corridorand stop to ask hiio, whose cell is three doors away from his