Wimbledon Final: On Paper

WIM•BLE•DON from BRYANKU on Vimeo.
Thought this was a really nice simple idea that works really well with the added soundtrack from the 2008 final. I've been watching bits of this years Wimbledon here and there and find myself really getting into it. Have you been watching any?

Cup & Saucer

I found this slightly forgotten looking cup and saucer in a little shop in Saltaire, when i went a few weeks ago. It wasn't being sold as part of a set, and i've been looking for a nice espresso cup ever since i got the Nespresso machine for my birthday back in October. I love how the gold and blue bits of paint are worn down and faded in places, like it's been used well in a past life. 

The BBC & Me

Through some stroke of bizaire luck, i've managed to land myself with a few weeks worth of work experience with the BBC. I will be helping the art director dress and prepare the graphics for the set of a new children's tv show being filmed. I'm two days in and i ache all over. today i spent six hours doing graffiti in a school stairwell, my arms feel like lead. I have a feeling that by the end of the week (let alone the month) i'm going to be utterly exhausted. Blogging (and life) may have to be put on hold for a few days whilst i get used to my new 6am start to the day and 7pm home time. It feels good to be doing something again.

On Your Marks

I will be spending this evening at the preview of the Manchester School of Art degree show. I won't however be spending my time previewing the talent on display, i will mostly be stood behind the Design & Art Direction bar, serving drinks dressed in a white tracksuit adhering to the chosen 'theme' (can you guess what it is?). The show runs till Wednesday so i'll hopefully get the chance to have a proper look round when it's quieter and in normal attire. 

Good Food

On Wednesday morning Nick & I caught the train down to Birmingham for the Good Food show. Neither of us had been to the NEC before, and we were both a bit flabbergasted at the size of it. It was VAST. The exhibition halls were filled with pop up stalls selling all sorts of different produce. There were loads of cheese, chutney and oil stalls, at which we took full advantage of the samples on display. I didn't really take that many photos, my mind was very much somewhere else, but you can get an idea of the scale of it from the ones below.

There were a couple of little restaurants and cafes inside too, however we decided not to sample them. Instead we hovered around the lone oyster stall where Nick tried his first (and 4th and 5th) oyster. They went down an absolute treat, and we both agreed that we should make an effort to go coastal in the near future and locate some more. Fine with me!

Tacked on alongside the Good Food show, was the Good Gardens show which was equally large. It didn't hold quite as much interest for us, but we did stumble across these nice produce baskets of tomatoes and beans. I thought the tomatoes were particularly lovely. 

If you do get the chance, the show runs until Sunday 19th. It's a really good day out.

Good Food Comes to Those Who Wait

For the Man Candy's birthday back in March, i got him two tickets for the BBC Good Food Show, held at the Birmingham NEC. We've both been looking forward to it since then, and finally the day has just about arrived. Tomorrow morning we will be up and on the train by half eight (urgh) and pootling south, stomachs empty and elasticated waist-bands on.
Watch this space...

Salts Mill

Yesterday my Mum and I took the train to the little village of Saltaire. The whole village was built to house the factory workers of Salts Mill in 1853. We went to visit the mill which is now a gallery, but had a stroll round outside too. All the streets were named after the mill-owner, Titus Salt's children. It was such a bizarrely quaint place, it felt like a model.

Inside the mill we had a good long nosey at the main gallery, which was filled with David Hockney paintings on the walls, and books and art supplies on the tables. The rooms were vast. I loved the high ceilings and the brickwork and wooden beams. We spent all day wondering from floor to floor examining all the arty books, stopping for regular 

tea breaks. 

It all got a bit much for some people clearly. We found this gentleman fast asleep, quietly snoring quite happily in a corner of the gallery. Lovely day out.

The Manchester Museum

Not knowing quite what to do with all my new found free time, i decided to pay a visit to the Manchester Museum. I've never been in despite living here for nearly four years, so i thought it was about time i had a nosey round. I was a little upset to find that i had chosen to go on the same day as all the primary schools in the UK (it felt like that). With small children running around screaming and yelling about mummified Egyptians and skeletons of whales, it was difficult to lose myself in nature's finery. I did however really quite enjoy the display cases of butterflies, moths, insects and other small crawly things. The photos aren't great but you get the idea. Definitely one to go back to on a quieter day.

Another very exciting part of the museum was the 'Living Worlds' section where they had LIVE CREATURES! It was like the reptile house at the zoo, only free :D

Lobster Nets

 

When we went down to the beach on Thursday i found this lobster fishing cage and loved the colours of it so took a few snaps. I thought the close up shots could be quite nice printed and framed to hang in a bathroom or something.

It's Canny Up North

The Man Candy and I have taken a little trip up to the North East to visit his parents. The beach is pretty much on their doorstep so yesterday we took a walk up the coast and skimmed stones into the sea. Sunny times.