Billy Elliot....

....I haven't watched it in years, but claimed back then, that it was one of my favourite films. After watching it again on Friday, nothing has changed - in fact it's got better. And I've got weaker. I was reduced to tears yet again. "Ballet?! Ballet?!..." Gan on Billy lad!

Online....

....A few weeks ago I posted some photos of me, taken by a friend, for Levi's Dockers. There was an outside chance that these images would make the website, but as the stylist was having an off day and made me look ridiculous, I had hoped they wouldn't.
Well tough luck for me - I'm published! (If you so wish to see them at first hand, then from their home page, click 'main menu', then 'your style'.)

Running Man....

....I was made aware of this blog recently. No one I know, a little odd, but actually a very nice idea. The sandals / giant calf muscle combo is a little scary though!

Fixation continues....

....Even in this tough economic climate, (and perhaps as a result of it), bikes are more popular than ever. Like skateboarding 20 years earlier, fixed gear cycling is the current trend that shows no sign of abating - and I'm well and truly hooked. The latest venture to spring up is 14 Bike Company.



No website as yet, but plenty of chatter on forums, blogs and some photos here.



Fortunately, I can wander around the corner and judge for myself - it seems the shops has opened at the back of the Truman Brewery, just off Brick Lane.

Keith Haring....

....I've posted before about my love for Keith Haring's art and now I have just spotted that a documentary film was released last year about him. Directed by Christina Clausen, 'The Universe of Keith Haring' gives a glimpse in to his transition to a world famous artist.

Joaquin who...?

....Joaquin Phoenix is either in the middle of a huge breakdown, or taking the piss out of Hollywood by adopting a new persona. 

He's gone from this



To this

St Valentine....

....I'm not a believer, Alicia is. Cue a power struggle on Valentines Day! We reached a compromise and began the day with breakfast at Hackney City Farm.


Just before the Big Farm Breakfast rendered us silent

Our day lost it's course a little as the sofa swallowed us up following the short walk home, but it allowed us to plan the next most important part of the day - dinner!


At the 10th attempt it was funny

After the food shop we indulged in a quick game of Scrabble - my usual dominance quashed with an overwhelming defeat. I was reduced to playing, 'YEP', as a word. Is it?!



Cooking began and we decided to go with a recipe stolen from my mum, who in turn stole it from Nigella - ham cooked in Coke. I actually used a slightly alternative recipe, found by scouring the web. 


Baste!


Carve!


Coke ham, roast potatoes & butternut squash, minty mushy peas. DONE.


Oh, and a home made apple & rhubarb crumble with ice cream for desert.

And so, to bed.

Alicia is 25....

....Last weekend 'Lic celebrated her 25th birthday. No big frills, just dinner and drinks with friends. Oh, and a fantastic Betty Boop cake made by her little sister Xochitl. Lovely.


Opening ceremony



Betty by Xochitl for Alicia!

Wahaca....

....For Ivvet's birthday yesterday, she planned a low key dinner at Wahaca before the debauchery tonight at Boogaloo. After hearing a lot about this restaurant through others I was glad to get a taste of it myself. I was warned that as there is a no booking policy, we could expect a wait to be seated - I hadn't, however, bargained on that taking over an hour.

Fortunately there is a small bar in the entrance where you can have an aperitif, but even that was overcrowded, and to the all male bar staff I was rendered invisible. The only thing keeping my, (and Alicia's) spirits up, was the impressive design - not necessarily the interior design, (which was typically canteen-like, modern and inoffensive), but more the paraphernalia. By that I mean the menus which took the form of fold out pamphlet's on recycled paper.


'Ola London!

Well thought type has been used and illustrated articles sit alongside interviews and of course the menu itself. (A bit of research tells me that BuroCreative are responsible.) Wahaca's business cards take the form of a book of matches, only to reveal they are removable sticks of card from which you can grow your own chilli plants. Alicia, (our Mexican in residence owing to her dad's birth place), also complemented the authentic furniture that resided around the entrance and stairwell.

And so to dinner. I chose a slow cooked pork burrito with frijoles & chorizo on the side. Served by very friendly and prompt staff, the dinner was fantastic - not the chilli and cheese drenched food I had very wrongly associated with Mexico! A couple of the dishes we received came out cold, but they were soon replaced and taken from the bill. 

Kat, Ivvet, Alex

Nisha, 'Lic, Roy

For desert we all tucked in to churros y chocolate and left with a (guilty) smile on our faces.

New toy....

....I've succumbed to a new camera. A better camera. A beautiful camera. Ok, so it is a cheap man's Leica, but at a fraction of the cost and still with a Leica lens. This is the Panasonic Lumix LX3 and I cannot wait to start a brand new photographic collection. Plenty more pics to follow.

Roy by Joss....

....Here is the cleaned up portrait that Joss took of me, days before I had my permanent front teeth put in.

Six feet under....

....Well, not quite. More like six inches. Of pure driven white snow. In London! Certainly the most I have ever seen. As expected, it caused chaos - including trains and busses out of service and a day off work for many.

Slumdog Millionaire....

....Alicia & I took advantage of a snowy Monday to finally see this much hyped Danny Boyle film. 

It has been billed as the 'feel good film of the century', which quite honestly baffled me. There were some pretty gritty scenes throughout and only toward the very end was there any real positivity. The direction from Boyle, particularly in the opening half hour, was superb - sweeping cinematography through Mumbai slums, artistic use of subtitles, (with, gasp, a good font!), use of stop-motion photography and scenes shot as though using positive slide film. I enjoyed it, even though the ending was 'written' from the start. Top marks.

Mum & Dad....

....have been in London this weekend. Amongst other things, they drank from named mugs and took Ian, Susie, Alicia and I out to dinner. Good times.

Doug is 28....

....Liam, Ross and I surround his Highness.

TBC 3d....

....Lorenzo's been on the space cake it seems.

One and a half....

....Look closely and you'll see one and a half backward revolutions.....just before the snow settled. Finally starting to get it.


Full Circle from Roy Barker on Vimeo.

Image bank....

....Recently taken photos around London.

Satellite Centre


Yard by night


Cut


Chocolate saucer


Snow's arrival

London type....

....Stolen from Rich, this is a lo-tech, informal and personal look at the use of typography within the City of London. It is a bit geeky, but very interesting nonetheless. It's renewed my love for Futura, anyway!


A Typographic Survey of the City of London from Michael Bojkowski on Vimeo.

Swarms....

....Click on the picture, (courtesy of James), and check out the hoards of people, (2m apparently), that clustered like ants to see Obama's Inauguration.

Coffee @....

....London's best and my favourite local coffee shop chain, Coffee@, have closed their doors. Rumour has it the bailiffs have been called and the owner has fled to foreign shores. Serious.

And I only needed to buy two more coffee's to get a complimentary cup as well. Damn.

Coffee@ will be missed should they not return - in the meantime I need to find a new favourite in E2, starting now.

Snowblog....

....Jon Snow has a cult following which shows no signs of slowing down. He now writes a blog for Channel 4 that gives his fresh outlook on the latest news stories, but also the daily traumas of choosing the right tie!

Wax works....

....Richie keeps his quiff intact with various pomades including Sweet Georgia Brown and Murray's. Lovely tin design.

Organised spontanaeity....

....A few days ago, perhaps following in Honda's leading footsteps, T-Mobile created this ad in Liverpool St station, London. Well, it made me smile.

Poster Boy....

....I like this.

I could be a part-time model....

....You'll only find the title of this post humorous if you've watched Flight of the Conchords. If you haven't, you should. Anyway, I digress. Yesterday I (un)willingly helped soon to be photographer to the stars, Robin, on a shoot for Dockers. He works with friend Lior under the name 'F/27' and they embarrassed me on camera by using a stylist that was clearly still asleep at 8am this particular Sunday morning!







I look like some strange hybrid of Will Young and Jake from Scissor Sisters. O H D E A R. It's a good job the images are technically brilliant - keep an eye on F/27 you lot.

Charity case....

....I've made it. I've finally made it. Dad left a message on my phone to tell me that as he strolled through Whitley Bay, he noticed something familiar in the window of the Age Concern charity shop.

There it was - a framed, signed(!) print of one of my Degree show photographs - in all its glory. Dad whisked inside and bought it for a bargain £4.99, (although I'm not sure it was because he wanted it or was simply saving embarrassment for the Barker family and their son's education!)

reawakened....

....Before Christmas I had been obsessionally looking at fixed gear mini edits that crop up all over the internet. I rarely posted them. Today I stumbled across another that reminds me why I love riding my bike and the fun you can have on it. Oh and the soundtrack probably helps!


guava from Eric Hires on Vimeo.

Tutorial....

....Clementine refused to accept the artistic integrity of Roy's blog.

Superhero....

....We've some new photographs on our stairwell at work from the agency, East. The stand out for me is a series from Kai Wiechmann, called 'Superheroes'.