Holiday!...

....Day 5-6: Fulvy & Auxerre, Burgundy

British, us? Wine tasting, (again), a barbeque and a Skype chat
with Nana rounds off Tuesday. Whilst a trip to Auxerre on Wednesday
allows us to bask in the sun with a picnic and a river boat cruise,
(entirely unclassy, believe me!).
Tomorrow we head off to Orleans to visit close friends Guy & Anna,
who are likely to feed us beyond comprehension. I can't wait.

Remember, a full selection of photos are here:


Un cave en Chablis


Wine 'tasters'(!)


BBQ underway


Nana - champion Skype user in the over 80s category!



Auxerre


Centre Ville avec un cafe


River boat cruise, British style!

Holiday!...

....Day 3-4: Fulvy, Burgundy

The rain has been and hopefully gone. We've managed to get
to the local market, (more Spitalfields than Brick Lane),
and wine tasting. We visited the local Chateau in Ancy le Franc
and returned to an open fire. Today I persuaded Andy to hire
a bike with me, which we rode along the canal, dodging puddles
and yapping dogs.


Market Sunday


Le Chateau


Un lavoir, (communal (clothes) washing pool).


Nearby industrial town


Hand painted, weather faded Dubonnet advert


Dad, donning a Panama, aboard the hired bike


Mum & Ruth at lunch alongside the Canal


Dad, Andy and I

Remember, the full selection of all Burgundy photos are here.

Holiday!...

....Day 2: Fulvy, Burgundy:

We arrived mid-afternoon, Saturday, at our Gite for the next week.
'The Coach House' is in the beautiful secluded village of Fulvy
and spoils us with facilities including a swimming pool and table
tennis. We have no plans for the coming days, but they are sure
to include plenty of wine, food....and hopefully sun.


The Coach House I


garden view


Earl Greyed


toy table


table tennis table

Remember, the full selection of all Burgundy photos are here.

Holiday!...

....Day 1: De Bois-en-Ardres

After meeting up with mum & dad and Ruth & Andy,
we crossed the channel via ferry and stayed the
night at a beautiful B&B in nearby Ardres.


setting


entry


us

For the full selection of all photos over the coming week,
click here.

Bicycle Magic....

Book Bond....

....Penguin have released all the James Bond
titles with newly illustrated covers. Rather nice.

Procrastination....

....I love this short film by Johnny Kelly for his
MA show at the RCA:

Teeth-gate....

....A little update on on the state of my teeth
following my accident on my bike last May:



I am due to get my permanent porcelain teeth placed
on to the titanium poles at the end of July.
In a way, I'll miss the gappy look!

Birthday Bond....

....Nick's birthday dinner on a fine summer
evening at the Queen's Head and Artichoke.


Dinner served


Bond Wonka

Stoked?...

....not really. Dropped in to StokeFest yesterday, but
the baking sun, thousands of people and crap sound
system didn't add up to my kind of party.

Hackney City Farm....

....After a hearty and very tasty breakfast, 'Lic and I
ventured out to see the animals at City Farm.

Book Camp....

(Post) Birthday dinner....

....Nick treated me to dinner tonight at St. Alban.


Nick, the host


Crushed swordfish starter

I don't think i've ever eaten any where like this before.
I wasn't a fan of the design - almost cheesy, cruise
liner-like, but the food and service was superb.
Thanks Nick - a thoroughly enjoyable night.

Birthday....

....Yesterday was my 27th birthday.



After going to my friend Robin's photography
Private View at LCC, Alicia and I cycled in the
wind and rain for pizza at Gabriel's
Wharf on the South Bank.




And 'Lic hand made me a beautiful present. A pop-up book
of words, (beginning with 'P'), that remind her of me.


Old newspaper wrapping

The book:


Peas, Pebbles, Postcards

The Y-Front line....

....Liam buys up American Apparel's full colour range!


Load of pants

Hotel liebe....

....Check out the Propeller Island Hotel in Berlin.
Each room is designed to a different theme - from suspended beds
to sleeping in caskets! It's incredible value too, so impress
someone and take them here.


Castle Room

Swatch watch....

....really, really want one of these
limited editionKeith Haring Swatch
watches. Apparently I'll need a few
hundred quid to secure one though. Boo.


The black one please.

Bike crash....

....a photograph made available today, a car collides into cyclists participating in a race in Mexico's northern border city of Matamoros on Sunday. At least one person was killed and 14 injured when a driver slammed into the bicycle race.


really really nasty.

(Not quite) The Economist....

....Spotted this guerilla Economist ad in Hackney the other day.
There's concern at work that it's been posted without permission
from client or agency, (us!).
Still, pretty funny though.


Rogue


Regular

(Pre) birthday dinner....

....Some friends and I went for dinner last night to help me celebrate my 27th birthday this Tuesday 3rd. We ate at Tre Viet on Mare Street and it was a great feed amongst great company - many thanks to those that helped me celebrate.
For the full selection, click here
In the meantime, some pics below to whet your appetite:


guests


Guest's mugshots (courtesy of Richie)

The art of music....

....Just caught wind of this hilarious and
imaginative site where you submit a
photo of yourself, but with a record sleeve
taking centre stage. Sleeveface
lets you become Phil Collins, The Beatles,
even Grace Jones if you fancy. Genius.


from sleeveface.com


from Goldman Close

Liam, via Paul, to Roy....

....Liam arrived back from Manchester this afternoon
armed with a surprise early-birthday treat. In hand
was a rhubarb tarte from Paul patisserie.
If you've never been, then go and you'll realise why
this was the best birthday treat ever!


from Liam (& PAUL)


to Roy

Casualties of war....

....scanning today's newspaper revealed a centre spread
of the British soldiers killed to date as a result of the war
in both Iraq and Afghanistan.



Only then did I notice, in the bottom
right hand corner, that the most
recent casualty was James Thompson,
a lad I went to school with and was in
my class for several years.

BFF NYC....

....The Bicycle Film Festival is ending today in New York.
It is the first of seventeen cities the festival will travel to,
with London being the tenth in October.
Last year the popularity was incredible, but I think this
year will be even bigger and better.


BFF NYC poster


'Walking Bike' by Max Knight for Dear Velo exhibition

Ripper result....

....I was a little disappointed by the Jack the Ripper exhibition. I thought it was curated terribly and because he was never actually caught, there were only ever tenuous links to the Ripper himself. In fact, his name seemed to be included in texts at random opportunities to remind you that the show was even meant to be based around him at all! It was, however, an interesting insight in to London and particularly the East End in the late 19th Century. Possibly the most affecting part of the show was saved for the very end. Tiny, original photographic slides of each of the victims post mortem - one in particular was horrific, showing the brutal disemboweling and disfiguring that had given Jack The Ripper his very name.


Mary Jane Kelly