RoZo are underway....

....Lorenzo and I had mentioned it previously, but only in jest. However, a couple of weeks ago we decided that we'd like to team up and take on the advertising world. Him the art director, myself the copywriter we would form a creative team, building a portfolio of work that would eventually let us leave our current careers behind. Our first brief has come through AMV and is for a competition called Young Lions. It is for Christian Aid, to raise awareness that poverty is the root cause of HIV and Aids. A tricky debut brief then, but we've mixed morning meetings with weekends, (and even some work hours!), to create an ad we are hugely pleased with. It has been approved by AMV and will be entered for the competition. It will be the first ad in our portfolio. Here's to many more.


The making of....


Our proposed ad (click to enlarge).

The Princess and the Prince....

....Richie, Anne and Clementine hosted several friends with lunch at their local (gastro)pub, The Prince, on Saturday. Clem managed to grace several laps in succession before Sophie the giraffe stole the limelight. 


Anne, Richie and Clem


Lap I: Alicia


Lap II: Lynn


lap III: Nick


Dinner for ten

Please Q here....

....A sign at the entrance to a craft fete in Newcastle.

Father Tom....

....When I was back in Newcastle last week, I paid a visit to Tom & Sarah and their little Evie. As ever, Tom was casually and easily taking fatherhood in his stride!

Riding high....

...Quoc returned to London last month for both social and work reasons. His shoe design expertise has a taken a skid in to fixed gear bike culture, with the production of some cycling specific shoes. They will be launched officially soon, (there are 5 London stockists already), but in the meantime, here is a sneak preview:

Ceilidh....

....Part II of Mum's 60th birthday celebration was last night's Ceilidh, where 100 friends and family got, erm, jiggy with it! Participation was plentiful, effort faultless, but technique more often than not, sadly lacking. Everyone had a great time and Mum's idea to ask for donations to NASS, rather than presents, meant that £500 was raised for a worthy cause.


Full slideshow


Dad took a couple of videos - mostly of Ruth & I looking confused, but I'm pretty sure there's some dancing in there somewhere aswell!

(Dancing)

Untitled from Roy Barker on Vimeo.

(Confusion)

Untitled from Roy Barker on Vimeo.

(To look at all of Mum's 60th birthday photos, including both dinner in Leeds last weekend and this Ceilidh, then click here.)

Mandy & the green custard.....

....You may have seen on the news this week that as Peter Mandelson stepped out of his car, he was 'attacked' by a protester. I saw it, and didn't think too much of it......until I read today's Guardian. The woman who had thrown green coloured custard over the Business Secretary was Leila Deen - an old flatmate of mine for a year when I first moved to London. She was complaining about Mandy's lack of 'green' sensibilities regarding the new runway at Heathrow. Leila, protesting on behalf of Plane Stupid, has now been arrested and released on bail - but at least she's all over Google when you type in her name!

Paper Cinema....

...On Friday night Alicia and I went to Toynbee Studios around the corner to see Paper Cinema.



I had booked the tickets a few weeks ago, without really knowing what to expect - Alicia's fascination and skill with paper meant that the name of the event was enough to lure me in! It is part of this year's East Festival and revealed a wonderful new venue to 'Lic and I that we didn't even know existed. In fact, the performance was a revelation - reminding me why I love East London for constantly surprising me and why I love being witness to something unique and creatively brilliant. We took our seats in an old theatre-esque room, with sloping wooden floor and battered red cinema seats. In front of us was a large screen, above a stage, on to which the film was to be projected.



As Paper Cinema began, the home made title sequence looked a little rough round the edges, some of the hand cut names from card not quite filling the full screen. It was only then that we realised it was all being played live before us - two performers crouched at the front, under a table lamp, held their hand crafted card in front of one stationary camera, that was simultaneously projected on to the screen.





Accompanying them, Roger Eno played piano and accordian live, to provide the soundtrack that was part Amelie, part The Snowman.
The half hour performance saw us delve in to the dreams of various (cardboard) people living on the same (cardboard) street - these lucid, vivid dreams saw cycling birds & elephants driving cars -it was wonderfully funny, engaging and beautiful in it's childlike lack of showiness.



A true one-off, I urge you to go and see the show if it is not already sold out. But if you can only get along to Toynbee Studios for a visit, the bar and cafe are worth it alone for a bit of respite from the bustle of nearby Brick Lane.






"King Pest" : This is not the same performance that we experienced, but gives you a great idea of how fantastic Paper Cinema is.

Salts Mill....

....Whilst in Leeds at the weekend, we took the opportunity to visit Salts Mill. It is a vast gallery, book shop, restaurant and more, housing numerous Hockney originals in a cavernous and beautiful setting. Alicia and I had to be dragged kicking and screaming from the book shop that was the biggest and best I had ever been too. The art, architecture and design titles seemed to never end......I took a souvenir home by buying one myself. Well worth a visit if you're in the area.

A-Z....

....My type obsession shows no sign of abating. Here, two more lovely examples that have lured me in. A-Z on newsprint, by Phil Yamada (click to expand)



And this toothpaste type, spotted here: (downloadable too!)

Mum is 60....

....The family met in Leeds this weekend to celebrate Mum turning 60.





Alicia & I, Ruth & Andy and Mum & Dad ate dinner together in a private dining room at Piazza in The Corn Exchange.



The setting was grand and the evening a thoroughly enjoyable one. There was even the opportunity to present mum with a gluten free birthday cake - naturally it fell apart upon slicing, but it's taste did hold!







This was just the starter ahead of the main course this coming weekend, that is Mum's 60th Ceilidh dance. I can't guarantee any Gay Gordons, but I'm sure there'll be at least one Dashing White Sergeant

Prop stars....

....Alicia is interning at Faye Toogood, (actual name!), and in the last couple of days has been visiting various prop hire warehouses. Here's a small selection of many curiosities that she stumbled across.

Pancakes & Fleet Foxes....

....Shrove Tuesday had a good look to it. Alicia and I dashed home and got straight to work on making ourselves several pancakes. Alicia's plum filling the undoubted success whilst I took the honours in the flipping contest. (Alicia didn't even try, so I won by default!)





We then hopped back on our bikes to the Roundhouse where Fleet Foxes were performing their final gig of a three day residency. The band have only one critically acclaimed album, but it was enough to see them through over an hour on stage. Easily. In short, they were incredible - Robin Pecknold stealing the show with an unbelievable vocal throughout. Two thirds of the way through he even played acoustically without a mic and was left alone on stage by the rest of his band to serenade a stunned silent audience. His band were not short on talent either, bringing impeccable harmonies and an almost vulnerable humility to the masses.



We had a great night and cycling home agreed that it was a superb gig - one that far outweighed my own expectation. To celebrate we had a midnight beer and pancake and rolled in to bed.

Fleet Foxes: Mykonos. Live @ the Roundhouse 24.02.09

Coffee @ last....

....I posted a little while ago that my favourite local independent coffee shop had closed it doors. Well, now it's back, under a new name. Same same but different. Brick Lane Coffee, (website soon to launch), has a cleaner look, but otherwise the same great coffee, food and comfy sofas. Get in.

Model cyclist....

....Ruth & Andy unexpectedly bought me a little gift after seeing it in Paul Smith, (of all places) and knowing my obsession for bikes. It is a scale model of a fixed gear bike, (similar to mine), that has fully mobile parts......and even tiny toe clips! They can also be bought online here, should you so wish.

Oliver!...

....Ruth & Andy had bought Alicia & I tickets to accompany them to Oliver! as a Christmas present. Yesterday was the date booked and we headed to the Theatre Royal Drury Lane to take our seats.



Alicia and I love musicals, although I was a little unsure of the Oliver! story line other than the famous, "Please Sir, can I have some more?" scene. I enjoyed the show - particularly the first half, where the stage design and art direction was incredible. However, from the start I was disappointed by the performance of Oliver himself. Perhaps I'm being a little harsh on the youngster, but he looked lost, dazed and confused on stage whilst others around him stole the show. In particular the Artful Dodger and Fagan, (played by Rowan Atkinson in a blend of Mr. Bean and Blackadder comedy), were triumphant.



Nancy brought a mockney, (almost Eastenders!), quality to proceedings and displayed a huge vocal talent. I was less familiar with the second half of the show - much darker and less comedic as it is. As a result I left the theatre slightly underwhelmed and was baffled by one or two attempts at a standing ovation. It was good, but not that good.

Sleepover....

....Alicia's little sister, Xochitl, stayed with us on Friday. She and 'Lic went to The Museum of Childhood in the daytime and made me a fantastic pair of Elton John-esque glasses. In the evening we ate pizza and stayed up late watching films, then we spent the following morning at Hackney City Farm and a playground nearby.


Roy / Elton


Xochitl attacking the trampoline


Alicia rolls back the years

Basking....

....London was swathed in sunlight and Spring-like warmth yesterday. This cat on Columbia Road took advantage of a car roof, whilst basking in the moonlight is this long standing graffiti by Sweet Toof.

Adam's bearded aftermath....

....Adam Blencowe decided upon the strangest decision last year - to ride solo from London to Delhi on a 125cc motorbike. Well, before christmas, he made it and is now residing out there with his girlfriend Hannah. Amazingly, she has allowed him to keep the beard that he cultivated along the way too! More photos here.