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why i love the internet #462

2011-03-31T15:59:00.008+01:00

Here's my webtrip for today and yet another reason why I love the internet (I don't know if this is the 462nd reason but it can't be far off).

I visited the Pramblers Oxfam page after being sent a link at work. I loved the font at the top and wanted to know what it was. I started with the Posterous site (which, incidentally, seems pretty cool, cross between a blog and Facebook? They've just introduced a new feature where you can comment on things posted on your site through your e-mail, apparently e-mail is the new e-mail... interesting). They had what looked like the font across their homepage so I searched around their site to see if I could find out what font they used. I couldn't.

After trying to work out for ages what the font looked like, I realised what it reminded me of: the (RED) font. So I searched for (RED) font and came up with nothing, and went on the (RED) site to see if they had any information about it. They didn't.

So I searched for "how do I find out what font a website has". Immediately a forum appears at the top of the results and after a click and a scroll, someone writing back in 2006 tells me to right click, click on View Source, and it will be "in there somewhere".

They were spot on. It was. It's this: Alternate Gothic FS No 3

It's my new favourite font.

I'll leave with this which ends today's webtrip. Whilst on the Posterous blog, I also found out about these guys, "We sing your tweets". Quite a cool idea and I think they sound pretty good.

beginning of british summertime

2011-03-28T21:54:00.005+01:00

I went to the beach at the weekend with Holly. She borrowed her Dad's sports car which was amazing to drive around in.

When we arrived into Beaulieu, we had to follow these horses who had decided to be cars for the afternoon.

We visited the beach which inspired Anthony to write Calshot Beach for the band. The view was stunning and it finally feels like Summer's almost here.

gig 2: jericho tavern

2011-03-25T17:09:00.004Z

We had our second gig on Tuesday at the Jericho Tavern in Oxford. Went really well and got a great response from the audience. Think we've got a pretty tight, professional sound and are much more confident with playing the songs live now.

Brighton Song

Calshot Beach

Thanks to Holly for photos and videos and to everyone who came down to support :)

second gig

2011-03-16T10:45:00.006Z

We've started sending the recordings out of our songs and have got a gig next Tuesday 22nd March, 8pm at the Jericho Tavern in Oxford supporting The Heartbreaks.

We've also got our Youtube channel sorted which has this video of us rehearsing Old Friends:

the size of africa

2011-03-16T10:44:00.002Z

This map is pretty impressive at showing how big the continent of Africa is in comparison with the rest of the world.

old friends on culture lab

2011-03-11T19:45:00.002Z

My friend Lizzie was doing a show for International Women's Day on the Newcastle University radio station, Culture Lab, on Tuesday and offered to play one of our songs which was awesome of her :)

live and unsigned audition

2011-03-09T14:21:00.000Z

Check out our audition for Live and Unsigned. Looking forward to the next round!

bond for women?

2011-03-09T14:11:00.005Z

I came across this video on International Women’s Day yesterday. It stars Daniel Craig as James Bond and Dame Judi Dench as M. Isn’t James Bond, both the character and the film franchise, the antithesis of equality for women? Is that the point? I’m not sure it works. Obviously they want as many people to watch it as possible and they’ve drawn on a famous actor and character to appeal to as wide an audience as they can, and I totally support raising awareness of the issues of gender inequality widely, but doesn’t this just support the male-dominated society that still exists, especially in film? Doesn't it perpetuate the thinking that it's the men in society who get more attention, are more famous, get the best jobs? Not that these are things that women should necessarily be aiming for, but why use a chauvinistic male character (who still sells millions of cinema tickets and DVDs) to suggest maybe things aren't right with how the world works? The fact that James Bond is the reason so many people will watch this is a reason in itself for the world to change.

It’s a very well-made, interesting idea but I think they could have really underlined what the day is about, especially for the 100th anniversary – a celebration of everything awesome that’s been done by women, and a focus on the inequality that still exists. I'm not sure this does that.

Check out this conversation, “What does the F word mean today?” between 6 inspirational women on the Guardian. They raise some really important issues which show just how unqual the world still is. Would it have been too obvious to have got a famous woman to make the advert? Could it have been used to provoke people into thinking about what equality actually means? Using Bond is definitely original but I’m not sure it’s going to achieve much more beyond conversation. Women need to feel inspired and empowered to stand in solidarity with other women and make their lives better. I think a powerful, women-filled video could have done a lot more to promote equality.

between the lines

2011-03-07T22:15:00.002Z

I think I might have put this up before but it's such a stunning song it deserves to be put up again...

afghanaid video editing

2011-03-05T22:04:00.005Z

My brother Thom has spent the last few months doing an internship with Afghanaid which has meant videoing and editing loads of video footage together to make lots of short films to launch their 10000 days campaign. Check out the videos on the Afghanaid website and donate here if you can spare £10, it's such a worthwhile cause for people who really need our help and support.

it's all about jessie

2011-03-05T16:27:00.002Z

Jessie J is just too cool. Love how funny she is in this.

Really interesting comparing her earlier videos to the ones now, shows what the music industry does when artists are signed and on the way up. I guess you do have to wear the make up and the clothes etc., but her introduction to her "Dare Jessie J" episode 1 is so very different from this and makes you wonder if she'll be able to keep up the "Just be who you are" message she's pushing in this video. I hope she can keep her down-to-earth attitude.

just too beautiful

2011-03-04T13:38:00.003Z

This song is incredible. It's amazing how people are willing to put themselves out there through their song lyrics.

This is one of many of my favourite songs by women I'm planning to put up in the next few days in the lead up to the 100th International Women's Day.

People from different country offices at work have started e-mailing with "Happy IWD" messages, it's inspiring feeling we're united across the whole world through a day which marks the importance of half the population which is so often knocked down. We keep getting back up and always will, don't worry.

colour your world

2011-03-04T13:35:00.001Z

How cool is the Tracy Chapman site?! The background starts white, and you can colour the different bits in. Very cool.

absorbed

2011-03-02T15:36:00.000Z

After I finished reading about Karen Carpenter, I got up to go to kitchen and was walking in a bit of a daze, I guess because what I had read had obviously affected me. But it made me realise how much screens can absorb you, whether they’re showing images or text, you can get totally disconnected from real life and absorbed into another world, powered by your thoughts and feelings which instinctively react to what you’re reading or watching. You end up having to kind of shake yourself free of the impact of the screen in order to re-attach yourself back with what’s actually happening around you. It’s a bit disconcerting, but also quite freeing that it’s possible to totally escape like that, especially if in real life you’re somewhere you don’t particularly want to be, either physically or emotionally.

karen the drummer who sings

2011-03-02T15:33:00.001Z

My friend Jade sent me this video showing Karen Carpenter drumming:

I’ve never really watched her in anything before. The only exposure I really had to The Carpenters was a record my Mum owned that I used to listen to when I was younger. I knew Karen had died but I didn’t realise she was so incredibly young. I started reading about her after watching this and she was only 32 and died from an anorexia-related illness. I almost started crying reading about her life and death. She was so talented and it’s so sad that she was so worried about her weight that it led to her dying.

It says she was known mainly for her singing but referred to herself as "a drummer who sings". I'll always think of her as a drummer, especially after watching this :)

2 years late

2011-03-02T15:28:00.003Z

It's only taken a couple of years but I've finally got into Adele. This song's incredible:

the school crawl

2011-02-22T16:51:00.006Z

I tried going a different way to work yesterday and it was quite a bit quicker than the way I have been going, round the ring road. I was really excited it was so clear and wouldn't take so long each day until I was having a conversation with my flatmate in the evening and realised it's half-term. That's why there are noticeably less cars on the road in the morning and the evening.

It's crazy how many people must take their children to school by car. I know some people will be off work this week as well because they'll be taking holiday to spend with their kids, but that wouldn't have such a massive effect as this. People take holiday throughout the year but no school means far less cars. The roads are virtually clear around Oxford before and after work this week. It'd be so nice if it was always like that.

in the oxford journal

2011-02-21T12:38:00.005Z

There's a really great article in the Oxford Journal this week about our band. It's got a really lovely quote from Anthony, thanks Ant :)

"A young band from Oxford hope to break into the music business by winning one of the UK's most high profile competitions for unsigned acts.

The Freemantle sailed through the audition of Live and Unsigned 2011, and now face a live showcase where they will battle it out onstage against the cream of the country's amateur acts in a bid to secure the overall prize. On the line is a record deal with Future Music worth £50,000, a tour across Australasia, Asia, America and Europe, festival slots and all-expenses paid trips to India and Italy.

Celebrity judges of the competition include former Slade frontman Noddy Holder, r'n'b star Shola Ama and Radio 1 DJs Annie Nightingale, Ras Kwame and Tom Deacon. The group formed in the summer of last year and plays a brand of indie rock they liken to The Smiths and Kings of Leon.

Front man and songwriter Anthony Whitehead, 24, a music teacher, said: “We are unbelievably excited about getting through to the regional finals, we are so glad that all our hard work over the last year is finally paying off and we are extremely proud to be representing Oxfordshire in this nationwide competition."

The band is completed by guitarist Matt Stevens, 23, bassist Johnny Pav, 23, and 29-year-old drummer Olivia Flint. The group met at school in Oxford and Anthony told the Journal: " I have been writing songs for many years now but it is the band who really make them come to life, we really have something special going on here. I am always amazed with how my songs progress and grow in such a fundamentally beautiful, inspiring and exciting way under the influence of Matt and Olivia. They are no longer my songs, they are our songs.”

The Freemantle are hoping to wow the judges in the Live and Unsigned regional finals on April 17 at the Beck Theatre in Hayes. The grand final of the competition takes place at the O2 Arena in London later these years.

Chris Grayston, Events Director of Live & Unsigned. said: “Live and Unsigned is all about originality, live ability and credibility. We don't accept demos or submissions and everyone auditions live. We've got some fantastic prizes up for grabs this year in a £100, 000 prize pool, so there are lots of opportunities for everyone entering. Plus the Live and Unsigned Festival means 2011 will be the biggest competition yet.”"

view across the mersey

2011-02-10T22:31:00.004Z

When we did the filming in Liverpool, we had a stunning view across the Mersey from our hotel.

first audition for live and unsigned

2011-02-10T22:12:00.005Z

We went to the first round of auditions for Live and Unsigned on 22nd January at Beck Theatre in Hayes. We played 2 minutes of a cut-down version of Luminescence and were put through to the next round, the regional finals.

Looking forward to the next round where we get to play in front of people and have got 3 and 1/2 minutes to impress the judges and audience.

gig at the regal

2011-02-10T21:45:00.003Z

Come down to The Regal next Friday 18th for our 1st gig - guestlist only costs £2 if you e-mail the venue.

the freemantle on thamenews

2011-02-10T21:37:00.003Z

Our first piece of online coverage about being in the Regional Finals of Live & Unsigned came out today on ThameNews. Pretty cool:

the regal gig in nightshift

2011-02-10T21:28:00.004Z

Here's The Freemantle's first mention in a music magazine - Oxford's Nightshift - about our gig at The Regal in Oxford next Friday 18th Feb:

week 5: new job

2011-02-04T16:38:00.002Z

I went for an interview for a 2-month contract at Oxfam and have been offered it. One of the people interviewing me asked before the interview started why I’d applied for the position and I told her I was being made redundant. She said one of her friends is going through that and it has really affected her. That made me feel a bit better about the way I’ve been dealing, or not dealing, with it over the past week.

I start next week so I’ve only got 1 day left at Christian Aid which is very strange, but I guess it’s a better way to do it than have another couple of weeks of feeling undervalued and resentful of the situation and waiting to leave. I’ve loved working for Christian Aid but the last few months of not really being given any work so having to create projects, and not feeling part of a cohesive team working towards the same goals has meant I’m not feeling so sad about leaving. Just feeling better about having a job to go to where there are things for me to do to contribute towards something.

week 4: new low

2011-02-02T16:36:00.001Z

I think because the filming was the last thing I had to do for Ctrl.Alt.Shift and it’s now over, the idea of being made redundant has really got to me. I’ve become pretty desperate in the search for a job and started convincing myself I’m never going to find anything. It’s really frustrating me how much it’s affecting my ability to be myself and be happy. I don’t feel depressed within myself, I really am looking at this as an opportunity, and I’m really angry at myself for letting a job define me, because it shouldn’t and it doesn’t, but I guess it’s just the society I’ve been born in to that a job is what gives you purpose, as well as to pay the rent.

And I suppose the kinds of jobs I've always looked for are ones where I can use my skills to make a difference, especially through a development charity, so most of them haven't been "just a job".

I don’t know why I’m finding it so difficult to consider being unemployed and spending time doing things like learning design software or sorting out gaffertape stuff. I just don’t seem to be able to motivate myself to do those things when I’m not working though, so ironically I think I’d find more time to spend doing those things if I was also working.

week 3: skillset

2011-02-01T15:44:00.003Z

I spent a couple of days in Liverpool this week helping make a short film written by a Platform2 volunteer. Two of my brothers and my friend Sally came to film and be in it and, while we were having dinner on evening, we were talking about editing the film and got on to talking about computer software. Someone mentioned how I'd done quite a bit with Illustrator and I said how I really enjoyed designing stuff on it and would like to know how to use it properly.

Later I started thinking about how the characters in The Sims computer game get different skill points through the things they do - creativity for playing the piano, mechanical or cooking for studying etc., and I thought I really need to take this opportunity of redundancy to expand on the skillset I've got and study things I'm interested in. So I'm planning to get a recipe book and try and cook more, and get a book or look at getting on a course for Illustrator so I can get better at using it. Then I could build a portfolio of stuff I've designed and offer to design things for people, just because I enjoy doing it.

My friend sent me this really cool poster a few months ago which someone had designed based on a hand-written flyer they'd found which they'd copied the information from, made it look cool and then replaced the original with their professional version. Doing something like that could be cool. I might try and have a go at doing something for my band over the next couple of weeks, just to provide a focus for it initially.

In Liverpool, we were also talking about if we had children, what we'd encourage them to do that we didn't do when we were growing up. I said to not give up on stuff too easily and take whatever opportunities they can get. That got me thinking about how I can't dance and I think it's the one thing I've always wanted to be able to do but have never had the courage to try. I've just accepted it's something I can't and won't ever be able to do, but I've never tried so now I'm thinking maybe I should at least try so I don't always think what if.

new header

2011-01-30T19:53:00.000Z

week 2: realisation

2011-01-21T13:52:00.003Z

This week I was talking to Holly about not knowing what kind of job I’d ideally like to do. I talked about some of the jobs I’m applying for and the fact that I’d found this video editing job which looked amazing and I’d really love to do. She suggested that maybe video editing is what I’d ideally like to do.

And then it hit me.

I’d love to do video editing as a job.

I remember coming to this realisation a couple of times in the past, and even keeping the job description of a video editor job at Amnesty a few years ago so I could see the kind of experience I’d need and try and get the training to be able to apply for a job like that in the future, but then I totally forgot about it. I also kept asking to do some work experience and training with the video unit at work but this never became a reality.

Also, I remember looking for video editor jobs a few years ago and there were hardly any around but makings films has become far more accessible recently and so many more companies are using it which means there are a lot more vacancies for people with the skills of filming and editing videos for websites, presentations and as a main way of conveying information. People are more likely to watch a couple of minutes of film than read a few pages of text, especially online.

I've done quite a lot of filming and editing over the past few years, as part of my job and in my spare time because I love doing it, so looking through the job description of the one I’m now applying for, I realise I do have all of the experience needed and could do the job. So fingers crossed I get an interview, but if not, at least I know what I’m ideally looking for and can keep looking for it.

As two of my brothers are really into filmmaking as well, my dad suggested setting up a video production company with them... possible option, will see what they think.

if all you have is love, make sure you die empty

2011-01-21T13:10:00.006Z

I love this line from one of the Platform2 returnee's poems.

Platform2 finishes at the end of January having been changing young people's lives for the past 3 years by giving them the chance to live and volunteer in developing countries for 10 weeks. I'm really proud to have been involved in it since the beginning. I hope it continues to touch the lives of the people who went on the trips.

week 1: epiphany

2011-01-13T15:40:00.002Z

I'm 1 week in to my 8 weeks notice before I'm unemployed. I was told I'd probably be made redundant before Christmas but it didn't properly hit me until they told me officially last week. I spent the first few days feeling pretty sorry for myself and depressed about the whole thing. I've been with the organisation nearly 5 and a half years and, on the whole, have loved working there. It's a bit of a shock to the system being told you have to leave when you're not ready and haven't made the decision yourself.

But, this being the second time they've made me redundant, I'm feeling like this is the time to go. Over the weekend, I came to the realisation that I need to imagine I'm already unemployed, that all I've got to focus on for the next 7 weeks is finding myself another job. Not worry about my previous job or my old team, but concentrate on writing applications and hopefully going to interviews until I've got something that will pay the rent again, even if that's not my dream job.

And use this time to sort my head out and get motivated again, inspired to take on the next challenge instead of heading further into a black hole of misery that can become your life if you're not careful.

I'm the luckiest person to have so many supportive friends and family, so I know I'm going to be ok. I just need to make the most of having a few weeks to look for another job. That's been my epiphany.

so over understudies

2011-01-07T15:03:00.003Z

Sally, Jade and I rushed to see Legally Blonde before Sheridan Smith finished as the lead this weekend, and she wasn't there. We had 4 understudies (is that even legal?). Still good but not as good as we were hoping.

oversized decorations

2011-01-07T14:47:00.004Z

These were hanging from the ceiling in John Lewis. They looked amazing and reminded me of my friend Sally who would have loved them. Jade was worried about the health and safety aspect of them falling on our heads. They didn't though.

new year's day

2011-01-07T14:41:00.004Z

As my brothers and friends were leaving after New Year, I thought the way they were stood looked like they were in a band... Arty.

sea of bees

2011-01-07T12:37:00.002Z

Loving this song.

photo a day 31

2010-12-31T13:17:00.000Z

My best friend seeing in 2011 as The Year of the Pirate.

photo a day 29

2010-12-29T13:08:00.001Z

Owen and Hayley came round, I had my electric drum kit set up and we started practising Rrrrent. Exciting!

photo a day 27

2010-12-28T19:45:00.003Z

This is one of my awesome presents I got for Christmas.

(The day after Boxing Day is the new Boxing Day, in case you were wondering).

photo a day 26

2010-12-28T19:42:00.002Z

I watch Match of the Day while Thom and Jonathan "watch" Match of the Day but really play on their laptop and text.

photo a day 25

2010-12-28T19:41:00.000Z

A beautiful start to Christmas Day.

photo a day 24

2010-12-28T19:38:00.002Z

Eefs and I get ready for Christmas at the cottage.

photo a day 23

2010-12-28T19:28:00.002Z

I had a really painful sore throat so Holly brought round loads of medicine for me including Ribena and honey, Strepsils, TCP and cough medicine. Don't know what I'd do without her!

photo a day 22

2010-12-28T19:04:00.001Z

Katie and I met for coffee and had a lovely time catching up and putting the world to rights :)

photo a day 21

2010-12-28T18:32:00.001Z

I managed to get back to Oxford and by the third day, the council had managed to get their diggers out and start clearing the main roads.

photo a day 20

2010-12-21T18:05:00.000Z

These are my comfy warm slippers I have to wear when it's cold.

photo a day 19

2010-12-21T18:03:00.000Z

I got snowed in and Jade's mum let everyone know which one my car was ;)

photo a day 18

2010-12-21T18:00:00.002Z

We made cakes with Jade's little sister Lola. They actually turned out pretty well considering we left them in slightly too long...

photo a day 17

2010-12-21T17:55:00.003Z

We went to see Jade's brother Nico in a professional pantomime at the Lighthouse. He played one of the Lost Boys to Deborah Stevenson (of Bad Girls fame)'s Peter Pan. It was pretty good and Jade's parents arranged for us to get a shout out at the beginning which was cool :)

photo a day 16

2010-12-17T13:48:00.003Z

Yeah so I forgot to take a picture until just before I went to bed last night... So this is me, just before I went to bed.

photo a day 15

2010-12-16T19:00:00.002Z

Jade's parents have painted this on her bedroom wall. Looks awesome.

lissie live

2010-12-16T18:50:00.002Z

Saw Lissie live at the O2 in Oxford. I really liked her more upbeat songs but think she played a few too many slow ones. When I'm Alone was still the best one.

photo a day 14

2010-12-16T18:46:00.002Z

Holly and I went to see a photo exhibition of pictures from the Democratic Republic of Congo at lunchtime. It was in this really beautiful church. I'm really grateful to have a friend who takes me to loads of things I wouldn't otherwise go to and I always get something out of them.

my brother the actor

2010-12-15T15:54:00.003Z

This is some funny stuff. Very proud of my brother for getting the job though (the acting one, not the census one...)

photo a day 13

2010-12-14T17:25:00.001Z

I saw this poster and just couldn't believe they'd been allowed to have it as an advertisement or that they'd want to. Such an awful sentiment and I hope no one uses them!

photo a day 12

2010-12-14T17:21:00.002Z

Matthew, Caroline and Ethan came to help me unpack. Matthew was pretty tired.

photo a day 11

2010-12-14T17:19:00.000Z

My parents and I drove to Oxford with lots of my stuff for my new flat. My Dad hired this blue van which we think was a bit cheaper than other vans because it kept not wanting to go into gear.

photo a day 10

2010-12-14T17:16:00.000Z

I went home to sort out my stuff for moving into my new flat and we played Tension. We were all pretty bad at it to be honest.

photo a day 9

2010-12-14T17:03:00.004Z

I can't show this picture yet because it uncovers a Christmas present and I'm not sure if the person who it's for reads this blog... if anyone reads it (if you read it, please could you put a comment underneath this one saying "I do" or something like that...?). Maybe after Christmas I'll post the original picture.

Here's the original picture. I think I could have put it up before but you never know.

photo a day 8

2010-12-09T12:53:00.001Z

Caroline, Ethan and I went to Costa. Ethan quickly decided it wasn't really for him and started screaming until we got him back in his pushchair and outside, where we stood and quickly gulped down our drinks ready to head back out into the cold.

photo a day 7

2010-12-09T12:51:00.003Z

When I looked out of the window when I woke up, everything was white...! It hadn't really snowed properly but it all looked very pretty in the early morning light.

loving listening to lissie

2010-12-07T15:57:00.000Z

I can't stop listening to this at the moment, such a great song.

best before 02.06.11

2010-12-06T20:05:00.001Z

I saw this on a packet a while ago. Thought it was pretty apt.

making not drinking cool

2010-12-06T20:02:00.005Z

I'm not a massive Coca Cola fan but I thought this advertising campaign was quite clever and I'll always support anything that encourages people to drink soft drinks instead of alcohol. Think the tagline "Why let good times go bad?" pretty much sums up what happens to a lot of people's nights out when they drink.

photo a day 6

2010-12-06T19:59:00.004Z

This evening I got the strobe light out of my brother's bass drum by unscrewing the cover, unscrewing the lead and unscrewing the metal bits coming out from the lead. There was quite a lot of unscrewing and the pack of tiny screwdrivers I got in a cracker a few years ago came in very handy.

photo a day 5

2010-12-06T19:57:00.004Z

Had band practice today. Really enjoyed it, love playing the songs and we've got a set list of 6 we can just run through now which means we're pretty much ready to start gigging. We recorded a couple to use as demos to send to venues and they'll hopefully be up on myspace for people to check out soon.

photo a day 4

2010-12-06T19:54:00.003Z

The plug for my laptop broke, hence the delay in uploading my photos for the past couple of days. I think something in the lead burnt because I could smell burning when I plugged it in. Not a good sign. I went into town on Saturday to get a replacement but found out they cost £55. Pretty extortionate for a plug I reckon.

photo a day 3

2010-12-03T21:38:00.002Z

I had lunch with my friend Holly. We had soup. It was very nice.

hang with me

2010-12-03T12:32:00.001Z

Really like this song.

photo a day 2

2010-12-03T12:16:00.003Z

I went to see the singer of my band do an acoustic set at The Cape of Good Hope in Oxford last night. He was so good, I was really impressed :)

photo a day 1

2010-12-03T12:09:00.003Z

I was planning to do Photo of the Day in December but I forgot until yesterday, but then I realised I've actually taken a photo both days so far so thought I'd still do it. Here's mine for 1st:

I hung out with Caroline and Ethan. Had a really lovely time.

may angels lead you in

2010-11-24T21:42:00.010Z

It was my Grandma's funeral on Monday. It was a really peaceful, blue-skied sunny day and I thought the service was really fitting for such a cool, kind and loved lady. She was totally herself right up until the end and I will always be grateful for that and for having the privilege of knowing such a very special person.

I went to see Jimmy Eat World yesterday and cried during Hear You Me as they sang "May angels lead you in" thinking of my Grandma. It's such a beautiful song and I could relate to the lines, "I never said thank you for that, Now I'll never have a chance" thinking about wanting to thank her for being such a lovely person to us.

Today would have been my Grandma's 92nd birthday. Happy Birthday Grandma.
"I'm going to miss you." xx

my new band

2010-11-14T23:02:00.002Z

My band The Freemantle has sorted itself a Myspace. Looking forward to starting gigging :)

saying it like it is

2010-11-14T23:01:00.003Z

I saw this on a t-shirt at the weekend and thought it was very funny and pretty true.

tama granstar drum kit for sale

2010-11-04T16:22:00.005Z

I'm selling my Tama Granstar drum kit on Ebay if anyone's interested.

Here are a few pictures:

Full kit

Cases

Additional tom holder

Close-up of toms and rack

arranging u2 beautifully

2010-10-13T14:31:00.002+01:00

If there's a more beautiful version, I haven't found it.

quote of the day

2010-10-13T14:02:00.005+01:00

I phoned my friend Sally to find out how close Nottingham train station was to Nottingham bus station because I'm trying to arrange transport for someone to get a bus from London to Nottingham and then a train from Nottingham.

The coach arrives into Nottingham at 8:30pm and the train leaves at 8:29pm. I asked Sally how close the 2 are in case it would be possible to make it to the train.

She said, no they're not close enough to get there in minus 1 minute.

Fair enough.

this never happens

2010-10-11T13:29:00.004+01:00

Just been listening to The Script's new album, Science and Faith (great name) and I love it, straight away, one listen I'm their's. When the first album was as good as their first album, it very rarely happens that the second one matches it, let alone seems to surpass it. Only time will tell if it has the staying power of the first album, but at the moment it's up there with Villagers for not being able to get enough.

5-piece 1-man band

2010-10-11T13:26:00.005+01:00

I saw Villagers last week. They were soo good, really impressed, haven't stopped listening to their music since.
Virtually impossible to find any photos of the whole group though - if you search for them in google, you just get loads of pictures of the lead singer. Are they a band or a solo artist? If the latter, maybe they should change their name to Villager. If the former, more band pictures please.

great branding exercise

2010-10-07T13:32:00.009+01:00

I'm impressed with this as a way of getting the name out and offering something useful for people to use. Excellent exercise in increasing brand recognition and getting a positive association with the company. (Not that I'm suggesting they're a good bank, they're not. I just think they've done well at trying to get people to see them in a good light and that is, after all, the job of marketing.)

northampton beat liverpool

2010-09-23T13:43:00.006+01:00

Don't need to say much more than that. Last night had the most amazing atmosphere and we fully deserved to win :)

Really interesting account of Northampton's history on the Guardian.

social network trailer

2010-09-14T21:46:00.002+01:00

Really like this version of "Creep", and hoping this film will be cooool.

rocking my soul

2010-09-13T22:26:00.001+01:00

Listening to this song loads, loving it, and a lot of her other stuff too.

one of the nicest things

2010-09-13T12:03:00.002+01:00

I absolutely love this. Beautiful.

song of the day

2010-09-09T14:01:00.000+01:00

the ideal view

2010-09-09T08:43:00.002+01:00

If I could live anywhere in the world, my ideal place would be somewhere which had this as the view from my window.

ethan at greenbelt 2010

2010-09-09T08:38:00.002+01:00

Camera shy, typical Flint ;)

Matthew carrying his son

Perfect.

if they were a band...

2010-09-09T08:34:00.001+01:00

...I think their promo shot would look something like this:

a drop in the ocean

2010-09-09T08:32:00.001+01:00

Such a beautiful song. Love this line, "It's like wishing for rain as I stand in the desert."

changing dreams

2010-09-06T10:03:00.003+01:00

"Sometimes the dreams you come in with may not be the dreams you leave with."

So true.

broken heroes

2010-09-06T09:59:00.005+01:00

I love this image. There are times when I feel exactly how I imagine he's feeling, with his head dipped and the rain coming down.

Strange how super heroes are always so broken and yet still want to do good and help people. I think we can learn a lot from that.

back to the game

2010-09-02T13:13:00.001+01:00

Just when you think it can't get any more exciting, the Back to the Future computer games are nearly here...

northampton win 4 - 2 on penalties

2010-08-25T21:34:00.005+01:00

I've seen some exciting Northampton matches in the past - playoff at Wembley and replay at Rotherham to play Man Utd come to mind - but I've never seen them as committed and playing their hearts out as last night against Reading. Reading went a goal in front 3 times only to see Northampton equalise 3 times minutes later. They fully deserved to win.

blimmin blenheim prices

2010-08-25T21:18:00.002+01:00

My friend Holly isn't very impressed with having to pay to go in to the park around Blenheim Palace, which I think is fair enough, but paying for 1 day and getting a whole 1 year's entry, I think that's a pretty good deal.

an evening with owen

2010-08-25T21:04:00.007+01:00

Owen's one of my oldest and bestest friends, without either of us really realising I don't think...! We had a really lovely evening together last week and I really appreciate how supportive he's always been to me and how our friendship has only got stronger over the years.

While we were wandering around Margate, we came across this really old cottage at the end of a street with normal, modern houses on. It looked really out of place and stood out like a... very old cottage in a modern town, but I thought it was very pretty, especially the way it was lit.

ethan with his parents, 4 & 5 weeks

2010-08-25T10:50:00.003+01:00

where bad girls was filmed

2010-08-25T10:46:00.005+01:00

This is so cool. The jail where they filmed the Bad Girls tv series is in Oxford and is now a hotel...

there's even a sparkly new poster

2010-08-19T16:34:00.003+01:00

There's hype, and then there's actual amazingly cool things that happen. This is not hype.

the first time i've ever looked forward to october

2010-08-19T16:28:00.004+01:00

Back to the Future comes back to the cinema on 1st October, and the Blu-Ray disk is released on 25th October, exactly 25 years since Marty went back to 1955. I actually can't wait!

satellite heart

2010-08-18T17:21:00.002+01:00

I really like this, especially when the strings come in at the end... Echoes of Macy Gray in her voice I think.

new releases at indie rock cafe

2010-08-18T15:44:00.001+01:00

I found this site today and been listening to new songs on it. Really like the player that's incorporated into the site, very cool.

falling into the lounge

2010-08-17T12:52:00.002+01:00

This website is soo cool: The Lounge Group.

The objects fall into the room and then do different things when you put the mouse over them... Look out for the eyes peering out of the box and the reindeer's red nose. Genius.