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30.6
Have a shufty at Butterfly Boucher. Nifty website, good music and a marvellous voice. What more could you ask for?29.6
I've just been reminded of a funny incident that happened in my home town this time last year. Read about the MYSTERY OF TWILIGHT ZONE FOR ENGLISH MOTORISTS.Following speculation about UFO presence, electrical disturbance and unscrupulous garage dealers, it turned out the interference was being caused by the TV audience research box in my parent's front room. The following report then appeared on BBC News:"Twilight zone: A mysterious problem afflicting car owners in the village of Eccleshall has been solved. Cars parked in one street in the village wouldn't open with automatic key fobs, so much so that the local garage was doing a good trade in new batteries. It turns out it was all to do with a faulty TV audience research transmitter. The box has now been turned off."
Not strictly true. For the following month or so my father's favourite party trick was to assemble any visiting guests at the front window, turn on the box and the group would spend ten minutes pointing and sniggering as motorists tried in vain to get into their vehicles.
28.6
Ben just returned from what sounded like a fun holiday in Valencia. He got this great picture. Ben: "...the summer solstice party on the beach involved 300,000 mad Spaniards jumping over bonfires and praying to the flame gods for more money, whores and salted ham. It works apparently..."
27.6
Sadly, public knowledge of our mother tongue is in an abysmal state. Many people don't understand the difference between such terms as depreciation and debasement. Well depreciation is an accounting method of reducing capital asset value and debasement is de room under de ground floor.
ISIHAC, R4Check out balloonhat.com, a project where Addi Somekh and Charlie Eckert have been travelling to different places in the world, making balloon hats for people and taking photos of them. The UK equivalent could be visiting inner cities around the country tying different coloured ribbons around the syringes of the skag addicts and getting them to smile for the camera.
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20.6
Here's some pictures of the Central St Martins theatre and graphic design degree show which is taking place on Back Hill in Farringdon. Worth a visit if you get the chance. Free beer too. The theatre design section was great - a mad miniature world I'm sure I've visited in crack fuelled dreams.
16.6
Just got back from an evening previewing the BA Graphic Design degree show at St Martins. Some remarkably good stuff and the odd guff. Interesting crowd. An evening made somewhat surreal by my friend Jamie who took the opportunity to get some shots for his current Independent on Sunday assignment which is to photograph lady's feet (which he did on regular occasions tonight). I enjoyed seeing the faces of his subjects who weren't quite sure if if he was telling the truth or whether in fact he was a secret foot fetishist on his way home to knock one out panting over images of their leather slingbacks. I am in no position to comment.-*-
Steve discovered today that Love are playing at the Borderline in London next week which is great news - I can't wait. "They're locking them up today, they're throwing away the key, I wonder who it'll be tomorrow - you or me?"
15.6
Both times I've seen them play, the Shins have done a terrific job. Looks like they're carrying on the tradition back in their native US.14.6
Most people seem to have read the brilliant Life of Pi by Yann Martel. If, like me, you found yourself perplexed when you reached the end (and wondering what the hell the island was all about), then you'll probably like this handout prepared for a philosophy of law course. And if you haven't read Life of Pi, shame on you.
13.6
A day sat in Russell Square thinking about social inclusion. I quite liked the look of the fountains as the sun was going down.
12.6
Following a recommendation from my friend Jamie, tonight I went to see Bad Education - Pedro Almodóvar's classic film noir set in Madrid, 1960 - 1980. A mad story of love, cinema, transvestism and paedophilia. An interesting story with impressive cinematography by José Luis Alcaine.
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10.6
While the rest of the UK was enjoying one of the hottest days of the year yesterday, this is how it looked in Glasgow. Thunder, 'tropical' rainstorms, the lot. I think the Scottish arrange it especially for visits from the English - along with the obligatory pissy drunkard who gets on the train at Motherwell and insists on sitting next to you and recalling his entire life story slurred through a breathy haze of Tennants Extra.
I was up there to meet the people behind Cog Magazine and Graeme Murdoch who is chief executive of the Scottish National Photography Centre to talk about a photography project I'm keen to get off the ground. Great meeting - it's going to be a biggy. All we need now is the £300k to finance it. Doddle. I also got a sneak preview of Editor Steve's photography exhibition which was great. It was smashing to finally meet the team behind the best magazine produced in the UK.
7 .6
Here's some useful advice from which we can all benefit.5.6.2
They were right, Ronald Reagan has apparently just died. Another message from ITN at 2217: "Sorry to call so late but we're very keen to get you in the studio in connection with the death of Ronald Reagan". I'm afraid everything I know about RR will stay with me until I die. Which incidentally is nothing.5.6.1
I had quite a surreal phonecall from from ITN as I was getting changed in my gym this afternoon - it sounds like Ronald Reagan is on his last legs, they're lining up a selection of people to be 'on stand-by' to go into the studio and pay tributes when he turns his toes up.5.6
British D-Day veterans are off to Normandy for the weekend to mark the 60th anniversary. A few years ago a group of us went to the commemorations as guests of the French Commando Association. It was a humbling experience marching down the road being saluted by the soldiers who had fought there in 1944. We were given a tour around the battlefields, walking alongside veterans recalling their memories of each location. We ended with a service at the church of Sainte-Mère-Eglise. Other memorable parts of the trip included 'sleeping' on the floor of the local town hall which had no hot water for four days and getting changed out of my service dress in a toilet cubicle and looking down to see it covered with the overflow from the cubicle next door.
1.6
Brighton is great. It made me wonder what I'm doing living in a dirty aggressive craphole like London. I'm beginning to think about moving there. Over the weekend there was lots of reading on the beach, clubbing and making new friends. Disappointed that my camera battery ran out at the end of my first day, but this is how Brighton looked on Thursday.
