Dans le noir on NYE....

....Alicia and I didn't spend Christmas together, so New Year's Eve became the day that we exchanged presents and went for dinner.

(presents)


Our choice of restaurant was borne out of the joint decision for something intimate, new and memorable - so we booked a table at Dans Le Noir. Here, you eat in total darkness and are waited on by blind staff....surely ticking all the boxes we required!

(restaurant)


We were led to our table, after a pre-dinner cocktail, along with two other couples who we sat alongside. Literally right next to one another - straight away the 'intimate' part of our dinner was lost, as a group conversation ensued that really couldn't be avoided. In all honesty, it wasn't a problem and we all got on, but Alicia and I couldn't help but feel we had ended up coming to dinner with four others rather than just ourselves.

(follow my leader)


I chose the 'special' menu, where I had no idea what I would be served and Alicia went for the (safer) vegetarian option. Three courses and three glasses of wine followed - all of which I used my hands to consume! I managed to guess the majority of my food - it was tasty, but certainly not outstanding...I felt it was a pretty safe menu to be honest. (Mine was foie gras / steak, liver & mash / dark chocolate mousse & elderflower sorbet).

Time absolutely flew, (and without watches - that are left in a locker along with phone / camera etc - we had no idea), and when we emerged from the darkness it was suddenly 11.55pm. We were offered to the upstairs bar with a glass of champagne and then before we knew it, it was 2009. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(2009 is now)


Alicia and I got back on our bikes, came home to share a bottle of bubbly, have a dance in the living room and that was that!

(tiny dancers)


We had a great time - a great dinner, but a compete one-off. I do, however, recommend it - it was an experience like no other, placing trust in others, your taste and your senses. Try to ask for a private table though.....

(happy new year from Roy & Lic)

Back to life....

....Back in London, back to life as normal and still trying those backward circles. Nearly!


Untitled from Roy Barker on Vimeo.

Bicycle Thieves....

....I went to the Tyneside Cinema today to see Ladri di biciclette, (The Bicycle Thieves), a 1948 Italian film. It was very good, although I was slightly disappointed to find that it wasn't being shown in the Classic Art Deco cinema screen as advertised, but in one of the newer screens. Still, I thoroughly enjoy visiting the Tyneside, and recommend it to anyone who finds themselves in Newcastle any time soon.

Tyneside Cinema


'Classic' Art Deco screen


Ladri di biciclette

Saturday 27th....

....My penultimate day was spent watching Newcastle Falcons draw 16-16 with Worcester Warriors at Kingston Park, followed by drinks in the evening with those still left in town.

Mum & Dad's place....

....Has always been nice, as it is the only home I've ever known, but it's all in the detail!

Boxing Day....

....Andy's parents Jean & Nige arrived today. At lunchtime we went for a walk along the promenade, after which I cycled in to Tynemouth to meet Paul briefly and watch Newcastle lose. The early evening brought the Laing, Wenzel and Whitehead families to Queens Road for our annual Boxing Day bash, at which yet more food and drink was consumed amongst homemade quiz's and board games.

Christmas Day....

....Another Christmas day is gone, but a great day it was. Nothing other than the familiar routine between family and the Brannens', (who are as good as family anyway!). Moderate(!) amounts of food, alcohol and board games were had:

Christmas Skype....

....A trans-Atlantic Christmas day Skype call with Matt & Tess in New York. (Spot the Barker family crammed in to shot in the bottom left hand corner!)

Christmas Evie....

....Congratulations to Tom & Sarah, whose baby daughter, Evie May Dixon, was born today - on Christmas Day! She is a wholesome 10lbs 10oz and mother & baby are doing well.

Christmas Eve....

....After a few games of pool at Whitley Lodge Snooker Centre, a few of us went for dinner together at Avanti in West Jesmond. Following that, we went to our usual xmas eve haunt, the Lonsdale, for drinks amongst old friends.

Newcastle Gateshead....

....is looking beautiful under Christmas skies.

The Sage & The Snowman....

....Mum and I went to the Sage today in Gateshead to watch classic film The Snowman, accompanied by a live orchestra and chorister. As a kid this was my favourite (Christmas) film and to hear the score played live as we watched was superb. It was also my first real visit to the Sage - many times I have photographed the exterior, but to be on the inside made me appreciate even more the wonderful design of the Lord Foster building. Not to mention the incredible acoustics from inside the main hall. Below is a slideshow of photos I took of both the inside and outside today.

Geordie racer....

....My local ride is a Raleigh Pursuit with, shock horror, gears!

Have a break....

....join Tupperware club!
For as long as I can remember, Dad has used this classic KitKat Tupperware container to take his lunch to work. He'd be more than welcome at AMV where myself and a few others unashamedly flaunt our ware and the packed lunch we carry in it. It is the Credit Crunch after all.

The Seed....

....Johnny Kelly of Nexus has created this beautiful short following the life cycle of an apple seed.

The Seed:


He was also responsible for this incredible short, that I posted on this blog some while ago.

Procrastination:

Charity shops rock....

....Another joy about being back home, Whitley Bay in particular, is the large number of charity shops within walking distance. I first started shopping in them from the age of 14/15, much to the dismay of class mates at the time! They have served me well over the years and yesterday was no different.

Mum's Mug / Dad's mug - loving the typography!


Faux Barbour style quilted jacket made by our very own G.T Sportswear of Gateshead!?


Stacking mugs

Angel Of The North....

.....I am now back in Newcastle for Christmas, and for the first time in 10 years since its erection, I managed to get up close and personal with Antony Gormley's 'Angel'.

Christmas feast....

....Hannah & Max hosted a dinner for several friends last night.
It was an incredible spread that made my last night in London pre-xmas a well fed one before leaving for Newcastle today. Thank you guys.

Hannah & Max's place....

....is smart. Beautiful design and even an espresso cup collection.
Heck, there are even pillars outside - P O S H !

The last stand....

....TBC decided to gather one last time in 2008.
Drinks in the Princess Alice were followed by curry at Lahore, followed by fun on top of Spitalfields car park.
A record nine of us made it out and had a great time - confirming that 2009 will be a strong year for TBC.







TBC Last Stand from Roy Barker on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas....

....from me & some microwaves. (you'll need sound for this).

Pasta al burnto.....

....What happens when you put pasta on the stove then wake up 4 hours later? This:

Andy Vs Robin....

....Today Chris and I went to the Hayward Gallery to see the Andy Warhol and Robin Rhode exhibitions. I didn't really know whether or not I was a Warhol fan before today, but I have realised that I'm not. The show was over bearing and much too focused on his random video pieces that I had no patience to endure. His photographs were intriguing in that they captured celebrities of the time and his screen prints are iconic, but they were few and far between. The Robin Rhode show, in contrast, was superb - fresh, new, fun and purposeful. Instantly understandable, I appreciated this work straight away...more so for seeing it after Mr. Warhol!

Warhol ('s rubbish)




Robin Rhode (is very good).

East End Friends....

....Richie had a poster in One Ton Show, at Shoreditch Town Hall. Chris, Nick and I went to see the show, then caught up with Rich, Anne & Clementine in the Geffrye Museum cafe afterwards, along with quite a few others!

Masters....

....Nana got an early xmas pressie from mum & dad - a trip to the Royal Albert Hall to watch the Masters tennis. I lucked out and was included in the deal, so spent a great day with nana, tennis and food.



The tennis itself was fantastic and I was privileged to finally see Pete Sampras play live. I played a lot of tennis growing up and whilst Agassi was my hero, it was 'Pistol Pete' I regarded as a true genius. Despite his loss, he still showed signs of the grace, agility and power that won him so many titles in his illustrious career.



The surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall was a wonderful backdrop to the afternoon, that culminated in a doubles match involving Henri Leconte and Jeremy Bates amongst others. It turned in to something of an exhibition, with Leconte in a particularly clown-like mood, leaving a smile on everyone's face as they left.

Say you, say me....

....AMV have a canny knack of reminding us why we enjoy working for the agency. At the final bar meeting of the year, they played this video of certain members of staff, proving that we're all able to work & play hard. Spot my cameo!


Say you, say me from Roy Barker on Vimeo.


We also had a sneaky xmas party, after thinking we'd been Credit Crunched out of one this year:

ABC3D....

....Alicia bought this book by Marion Bataille. Genius!

Caffeine hit....

....Climpson & Sons on Broadway Market, E8 is far and away the best coffee I have ever drunk. Mix it with some breakfast and natter with friends and you have the perfect combination to start a Sunday.

TBC Friday....

...On a cold damp Friday night, TBC took to the streets.
It all ended with drag races on Pall Mall, in which I
stormed to victory!

Charity art sale....

....At work the artbuying department held an anonymous photography sale with proceeds going to Kids Company.
250 unnamed A5 images, all signed, (on the back!) and priced at £35, were on display two days in advance of the sale. Employees were then invited to pick their favourites and race to reception at 6pm last Thursday to buy them. I managed to bag a James Day portrait of Thom Yorke and a customised bicycle from Satoshi Minakawa.

Thom Yorke by James Day


Customised bicycle by Satoshi Minakawa

Cardboard concept....

....Magma book shop has a concept store on Earlham
Street, London that is furnished entirely with cardboard.
It's been open a while, but I've not yet pulled my
finger out to make a visit. Click here for more info.

Pinch and a punch....

....for the first of the month.
December is here and so is an installation in the reception at my work. The salvaged tree with paper leaves is a collaboration between Hattie Newman and Alex Ostrowski, whilst the illustrated doors and windows are courtesy of TipToe Collective.