Sunday morning and I’ve done two nights in this bed. The mattress is barely two inches thick and the rest of it is made out of steel. Sean was right, it is going to take some time to get used to. My cell mate let his name slip in conversation yesterday so I was able to find out what it was without admitting I wasn’t listening properly on Friday night. He has been to prison loads of times for drug offences including stints in Holland and South Africa, and obviously knows this place inside out. He seems like a good bloke and has certainly made the effort to help me calm down and settle in. His first words yesterday morning were “welcome to your first day in paradise”, which was almost funny.

We were unlocked for an hour yesterday, it is called ‘association’, and I wandered up and down the landings getting an idea of the layout. There is steel netting spread across the balconies to stop people jumping more than one floor, and everything else is just steel railings and cell doors. Gave the showers a miss until I get some more guidance. There are a couple of pool tables and a table football machine on the landing, but needless to say demand was exceeding supply, and as the average participant seemed to be in excess of seven foot tall I think I will give them a miss for the time being. Next thing I knew I was locked back up again. Wasn’t able to phone home as the family are not in on Saturday afternoon, but will give it a try today depending on what time we get let out.

The calls are 14p a minute so the £2 phone card is not going to last long. They have given me a form to fill in, on which I have to write all the names, phone numbers and addresses of people I intend to phone. I am allowed 15 private numbers and five for legal, but no indication of how I get phone credit. I did bring £20 in with me so hopefully I can use that. Just found the book of instructions they gave me Friday night so hopefully that will tell me more. Lunch is at midday so at least I will get out of the cell again for ten minutes. The meals are at 12 and 5pm, everything comes with four slices of bread and we get four tea bags to last 24 hours – reminds me of those signs in reception – Only one tea bag!! The food itself doesn’t seem too bad but then my expectations were obviously low.

Must try and find out how quickly I might be transferred to an open prison. Doubt if they can do much at the weekend and don’t want to annoy them unduly, so will probably wait till tomorrow morning to ask.