| House of the Fairy Tales |
[Nov. 9th, 2009|08:13 pm] |
A traveling art circus came to town for Halloween, this is what happened:
It was a great end to October which has been an amazingly good month to me. Working here closely with the New Art Gallery in Walsall to organise photography coverage of the event. Superb! |
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| Diwali in Walsall |
[Oct. 25th, 2009|09:24 pm] |
On Saturday the Art Gallery were hosting an afternoon of dance for Diwali, here are some photos that I managed to take.
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| Listen to Ellipse |
[Aug. 22nd, 2009|09:00 pm] |
I absolutely loved Half Life when I heard it.
Also this week I found a flickr user with an awesome taste in music, on google reader sharing the news story about the Ellipse preview from Immi's site. Anyway got this girl on last.fm and a very high music match. There has been so much excitement over Ellipse around the web it's amazing.
"I'm clinching my ticket to the only way out" ........
MONDAY!
MONDAY!
MONDAY!
MONDAY! |
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| It's Coming OMG |
[Jul. 8th, 2009|10:22 pm] |
It's Coming OMG
It's Coming OMG
It's Coming OMG
It's Coming OMG |
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| Godiva 2009 |
[Jul. 8th, 2009|08:06 pm] |
Right, I've finally got a spare evening kicking around to mention Godiva 2009! It just gets better and better every year, this being my third Godiva and it seems everyone now wants to join in the fun! I've only ever been on the Sunday and Friday so was awaiting the delights and the huge crowd numbers of Saturday.
Saturday
This year a crowd of friends were all checking plans and seeing what days they'd do, checking transport plans and such. Ian from Flickr was there somewhere and Lee French who I used to work with may have been there too.
In the end on Saturday, we sustained a few drop outs, as last year the other Lee came along, who was joined by Richard and Kelly as we watched Al Britten kick off the micro acoustic stage in the bar area that had been assembled and settled in for a great day with a trip aboard the Pimms bus. Al Britten, I've seen before and he's getting better all the time, I loved that the PA there was playing Kristy Gallagher inbetween sets, she's a lovely local girl, who I've met at previous Godivas. Local rock group Satin Dolls were actually the first band me and Lee saw on the main stage while awaiting arrivals, after cheering each and every correctly placed road signs to the festival. Each time I've been I have got lost, so the direction signs were a welcome help, along with getting in the mood with that song "C-O-V-E-N-T you gotta try".
We generally walked around, explored the layout which seems to take over more of the park every year. A fairground on the other side, which had amoungst other things a massive Connect 4 frame, I must say I was tempted to enquire about the size of the circular game pieces. I believe Lee went off for much of the day as he prefers the entertainment and also the hippy aspects of the festival, so he managed to get himself a Circus show, a head massage and by the end of the afternoon a trip to St John's for heatstroke and sunburn, the later being something I found myself grappling with.
Saturday then was all about electric music, and promised an awesome lead out to the day which included the Twang, Idlewild and Toploader. There are so many highlights within these sets it's hard to pick em out but Achilles Heel by Toploader, Either Way by the Twang were as awesome but not quite as awesome as American English by Idlewild. Myself, Richard and Kelly had sneaked out from the front to the back of the crowd for a swift get away after 10pm and it was a great way to end the day, the three of us linked in, belting out American English, well someone had to make up for all those kids who'd have been less than 7 years old when that track was out.
I also made a few ellipses of my own during Idlewild, well they aren't Ellipses, did you know that you can make "Lee Lips" from Imogen's new album title? LOL. Getting back home on Saturday was only complicated by a closure of a junction on the M42 meaning we had to take a lengthly diversion. Exhusted we hit the sacks almost right away, we both tended to our obvious sunburns. Sunday morning we did get up late but we made up for this on the road and arrived at a decent 12:30pm, it's that close and it's so handy to get to.
Sunday
Sunday morning and after reading Imogen's tweets I got Lee up and we were ready for the day, a bit late though. Sunday then was Acoustic day and headlined by Newton Faulkner.
Sunday is altogether a different day, the trainer throwing, trash talking teenagers are swept away with the plastic cups and replaced by people with a love of folk and a liking of sitting down rather than standing up, it's a lot more laid back. On the main stage they offer 15 minute sets to any acoustic artists to fill in the time before the main acts. Jonny Darely was certainly my fave of this period of time sat out in front of the main stage. He did a few of his own songs and then performed the most perfect cover of Why Georgia by John Mayer, I bloody love that song and loved singing along, he then went Andy McKee on us and gave us a taste of Newton Faulkner. Amazing.
The day passed really quickly and before we knew it Newton was on stage giving us some new songs as well as doing UFO and Gone In The Morning. Just as he finished it started raining and we were off, taking only half an hour to get back to Lee's to drop him off and a further 20 minutes to mine, I was home by 8pm! And so Godiva came and she went. More happened on Saturday rather than Sunday this time round. I always love Godiva and can't wait for the 13th festival next year. |
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| 138/365 - ABC of Melanoma |
[May. 4th, 2009|11:16 pm] |
It's Melly Monday!
Know the signs of a malignant mole .....
Asymmetry, Border and Colour / Change
Google ABC of Melanoma.
Thank you for reading :)
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| No Arrivals |
[Apr. 4th, 2009|11:26 pm] |
New Street Station at 4AM, as you rarely see it. This photo is from Matt! ACE!
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| 102/365 - Blossom Begins |
[Apr. 4th, 2009|11:15 pm] |
I'm sure you'll agree with me, this is quite a picture! On Sunday I took myself for a stroll around Walsall Arboretum and was instantly and without question or reason drawn to the blossom.
Air France - June Evenings (intro): "Spring has arrived early here, a time for lovers and it's as if the season mocks my sadness.". No Way Down is SUCH an amazing album, summer is coming!
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| 4AM - Walsall Bus Station |
[Apr. 4th, 2009|10:59 pm] |
"Building up a big picture of the world at 4am." 4amproject.org/about/
So I did it, set the alarm and ventured out with a few subjects in mind. Having been inspired by the recent "Britain From Above - 24 Hour Britain" episdoe of that series I tried to capture the stirrings of the day as well as how empty normally busy places are at that time.
I got stopped a few times to ask what I was doing, amazingly there are a staggering amount of people still about. Deliveries to Supermarkets, bus station staff and a few late night clubbers trying to get the only taxi around in town. Oh and the first bus of the day as the driver checks his bus!
Spooky but Walsall is now part of a global snapshot of what the world looks like at 4AM.
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| 87/365 and 3/12 - SFY |
[Mar. 18th, 2009|11:54 pm] |
Imogen Heap - Speak For Yourself
A lot had changed by the time "Speak For Yourself" was released, I had got my first ever car and was finding the joy of driving to work soundtracked to this amazing album which contained the following standout tracks.
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| I can see you |
[Mar. 16th, 2009|01:07 pm] |
Guess who got snapped without knowing by his mother while on a float with The Father Teds at the St Paddy's Parade?
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| Cursed |
[Mar. 5th, 2009|10:21 pm] |
The irony of having your American car start to leak chained petrol the day after you meet a man who went on an unchained journey in an American car that broke down (quite a lot), while avoiding chained petrol, is not lost here!
Susan - Sorry
I'm really sorry to Susan because there was no way I could have made it over to her Birthday get together in time without the car. I got home at 18:45 normally it's more like 17:25 and needed a bath, wouldn't have got there even by taxi by 20:00.
I filled the tank up last night because the 100 odd miles to Worcester had really drained it, got up went to work as normal. I've taken our new web developer under my wings and decided it might be nice to run him up to our newly revamped lime green Co-operative at Boley Park which is not far away at all. On returning back to the office I notice the smell of petrol and thought that's not good. Left her for a while and went back to find that yes the smell had got worse and set about trying to find out why.
No stains on the ground, but I drove up to an independent garage for an opinion, the guy there jacked up the car and we walked underneath it to find that the petrol tank was seeping from the seam between the top half and bottom half. It was a proper garage with page 3 pin ups, that wouldn't be allowed in a chained garage, in fact they'd refuse to help because chained garages have refused to fix my car in the past. Mind you I'd refuse to fix my car given the chance but she's my first one, and actually it's quite good cos you learn things that you should really know if you drive. The verdict was don't drive the car and I'd need a new tank. Worcester it seems has a habit of breaking that part of my car, last time I was at the Marrs Bar a whacking worm hole had opened up in the exhaust.
Drove back to work and waited for a quote meanwhile I had called another garage who quoted cheaper and could help sooner, so have left her with them. The irony here is that Lidl had turfed them out of their old garage next to our offices and so they've had to move down the road.
I'm glad I chose to get the first train home (gotta get on it) because by 4:30pm she was dripping onto the car park. I like the smell of petrol, I really do, but when you know something could go kaboom outside your bosses office you think erm, well I'd rather not have that kind of insurance claim on my hands.
So erm, in a strange sort of way my car is living the dream of rejecting chain gas.
Read more about it |
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| 77/365 - Meeting Dave Gorman |
[Mar. 5th, 2009|10:20 pm] |
Last night myself and Rich had managed to sit in on a book reading by DG, America Unchained. I might have blogged about how the documentary about that really related to some of my own experiences owing a second hand car and having it break down? Also how the Leamington choices were swayed by trying to avoid staying in a chain hotel?
It was a charming evening and I managed to squeeze in a question about Taylors, which although answered turned into an "American people are nice" thing. Which yeah good point. I asked if Taylors raised the bar too much in terms of the rest of the trip.
We got our books and DVD slips signed and had photos. I filled up that evening (after giving £8 to NCP, £2.65 to Starbucks, £10 to HMV, £4.99 to Waterstones and about £7 to Weatherspoons) at Shell, for about £30. So having my car breakdown and leak chained petrol after spending an evening with someone who was trying to avoid what I did, was just one of those strange things that seem to happen in my life all the time. You can't script or predict my days. I sat on the (first) train home (gotta get on it) and read some of the book about unchained.
He really explains photography in a way I can't, how it's an escape and best done alone. I haven't had much time for the book today apart from the first train home gotta get on it (which may start the album I hear), but am wanting to read it proper.
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| 76/365 - Rod Thomas |
[Mar. 4th, 2009|01:25 am] |
Seriously talented singer/songwriter in a sort of electroacoustic, layered loop genre. One man, many sounds all of them very cute. Dropped a huge hint to Immi, hoping she gets him on tour with her.
Bit of a last minute one for myself, Sam Isaac sold me a wristband on the night, It's a strange world! Sam Isaac, who'da thunk it, LOL! I thought Richard Clarke was also very good with very nice finger picking, and a band Irony, they were also very good. Wes seemed to have good local support, but I'm not really a Ryan Adams man myself.
Klaus Says Buy The Record is on 21st March at the Marrs and I'm gonna make an effort to go cos cute is what I go for.
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| Joss Stone - Surprise Gig |
[Feb. 24th, 2009|08:44 pm] |
In my last post I mentioned Joss Stone? Well now there's a story!
An email had gone round from seetickets.com inviting people to a very impromptu gig with her at a very intimate venue in Birmingham, the rainbow in Digbeth. Being at a loose end I thought yeah why not! Took some time to make sure it wasn't a scam etc and booked a ticket at 2pm. The gig was obviously on the night and so I took my confirmation code along, wasn't expecting a great deal just so I wasn't getting carried away with excitement, but got a very special night!
AMAZING!
It deserves a fuller review and will do so in the next post.
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| New Town Shops |
[Feb. 19th, 2009|10:19 pm] |
I 3> Leamingtons "New Town" grid like road layout.
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| Midlands Co-op Travel |
[Feb. 19th, 2009|10:18 pm] |
It's soooo clean in Leamington, lovely!
Also shop frontage for prosperity :)
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