I took the day off work today. It wasn’t because I was ill or had a relaxing holiday planned but because I wanted to be at a protest against the drastic cuts to disability and sickness benefits that are putting countless lives at risk.…

It’s taken some time but I’ve got myself a new regular tic. It comes out with a mischievous intonation in a slightly silly voice. Although I still say “Biscuit” a lot, my sentences are now punctuated with “Rummage” as well.

Anyone who’s ever been to a jumble sale will know what it means to have a good rummage, but for those unfamiliar with the concept, it describes an ‘unsystematic and untidy search through a mass or receptacle.’…

This evening is the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics, which looks set to be an impressive and widely enjoyed celebration of disability sport. It’ll showcase incredible athletes and hopefully promote discussion of issues affecting disabled people amongst a wide audience – which is good because we need to be talking about disability.…

Over the last few months I’ve had a handful of episodes where I lose my speech, but without having any of the usual motor tics associated with a ‘ticcing fit’. I know exactly what I want to say but my words come out as incomprehensible noises.…

I woke up in a bad mood – it was probably a mixture of tiredness and post-Shambala blues. Throughout the morning I got increasingly frustrated with my lack of independence and I was taking every opportunity to feel sorry for myself.…

I did my first ever festival gig this morning with Captain Hotknives in the Shambala Radio tent. It’d been quickly arranged following our impromptu performance in the camping field yesterday. I enjoyed letting my tics take to the stage, and amongst the many odd ideas they came up with, three key themes emerged:

1) We were a campaigning political party – ‘The Bipolar Tourettes Alliance’ – and our manifesto included giving “Every fourth person a chandelier,” and “Everyone with lungs a biscuit.”…

I drifted awake to find our tent warm from the early morning sun. After I’d got myself together Fat Sister and I went in search of some breakfast. When we’d eaten we headed to where Leftwing Idiot and Poppy are camped.…

After spending the day wondering about the festival generally, I made a firm plan for what I wanted to see this evening. I was keen to catch two things: The Sheffield-based band Bison, and the poet Kate Tempest.

I already know loads about Bison because I’m friends with many of the people in it, including Chiv.…

I made a dramatic entrance to the Shambala Festival earlier, with an ambulance escorting me right onto the site. While we were queuing to get in I had a ‘ticcing fit’ in the car and by the time the stewards checked our tickets it’d been going on for quite a while.…

Tonight’s been a strange mix of frantic packing and sticky-backed creativity.

The reason for both is Shambala where I’m heading tomorrow. It’s likely to rain, so there’ll be lots of mud, and I’ve tried to pack sensibly with this in mind.…