Joss, Cli, Rich & Lynn host BBQ....

....The awesome foursome had a BBQ yesterday in the ongoing awesome weather.



I reckon there was at least 30 people there, in their finest summer garms.


Clem skirts the issue of food with dad

Joss took the helm of the BBQ and looked every bit the part.



And the food was as diverse as it was tasty.


Whitebait

Thank you for a lovely afternoon.

Saturday sun & Kev hits 30....

....The weather this April, to date, has been incredible. The sun shone again today, so I took advantage with a little visit to Hannah & Max.


Tending to the garden with Max & Hannah

Liam & I then joined others for a read of the papers and general lazing in Victoria Park.


Ice cream justice.

And to cap off a great day, friends gathered at the Edinboro' Castle to celebrate Kev's 30th.


Kev, Nick & Doug

A lovely day and I even managed to get a little burnt! (How very British of me).

366 Goodnight Stories....

.....Very happy with this.



After spotting it at Andy's, I ordered this 1963 edition of 366 Goodnight Stories - which has exactly that.



But also lovely illustration too, as showcased by this brilliant Flickr set.



One for the, erm, future.

(Another) dinner with Dad....

.....Another dinner with Dad. Another dinner at Boulevard Brasserie.



This time we got Susie, Ian, James & Theresa involved too.



Great evening.

On the market....

....With great sadness, Goldman Close and I are parting ways. After seven wonderful years here, the house is now officially on the market. The plan is for Kelly & I to buy somewhere of our own, a little bit further East. Look here for the full spec.

Jude meets family & friends....

Kelly and I travelled to Leeds today to meet Jude for the first time.


Auntie Kelly gets winding!

After first hello's and cuddles, we went out for a walk at nearby Roundhay Park.



On returning, we relaxed and doted a bit more before Andy cooked up a storm. On Sunday, both mum & dad and James & Theresa arrived to add to the fanfare. Cue more holding and cuddling.


Theresa & James

The men popped to the pub for a gas and the ladies stayed at home to do the same, before we came back for a fantastic pork roast. (Thank you again Andy!)



Dad, Kel and I left on the evening train and mum has stayed on for the week. Nana arrived on Monday, (or should I say Great Nana?!) and so it has been quite a few days for Jude, mum & dad.


Great Nana & Jude

It was wonderful to meet him - a real little character, yet a very placid little boy.



I'm a pretty proud Uncle if I'm honest.

Full slideshow

Dinner with Richie and Anne....

Tonight, (yes, even on a school night), Kel, Nick, Harrie and I were invited to an adult dinner with Rich & Anne.


Rich, Nick, Anne, Kel & Harrie

The only reason I point out it was adult, was due to Clem being upstairs, asleep, throughout.



Richie took the reins with a lovely roast chicken dinner, followed by his classic pear & fruit crumble, with custard.



A lovely evening, amongst wonderful company. Thank you

Submarine....

....Kel & I ducked the anti-cuts march, the England qualifier, the Cricket World Cup and the boat race, to enjoy an afternoon at the cinema. We went to see Richard Ayoade's debut feature, Submarine, after decent critical reviews.



And, well, that was what I thought - decent. It is, ultimately a dark film, of love and relationships, peppered with wonderfully funny moments.



However, I thought that after a bright start, it got a little lost and slow in the middle, before picking up and ending nicely. It's a coming of age film, where through the protagonist, Oliver Tate, (played by Craig Roberts), we witness a tumultuous few weeks in his life where he strives to maintain a relationship with his parents, neighbours, classmates and potential first girlfriend, Jordana, (played by Yasmin Paige).


Oliver & Jordana

It's well acted, warm, sad, darkly comic and runs to music written by Alex Turner, but for me the swampy middle makes it lack real memorability.


Neighbour, Graham, (played by Paddy Considine).

I did like the titles though, (as in the font and how they were set), and I also liked the film format of Prologue / Parts / Epilogue, as though Oliver may have written it himself, (or at least wanted to make it seem that way).


Debut director, Richard Ayoade

In all, a decent debut by Ayoade. Worth a look, but maybe hold on for the DVD.

The Man Who Knows Everything....

...In the same week that Max launched Joy of Living, his equally talented other half, Hannah Martin launched her latest collection, at Dover Street Market.



The Man Who Knows Everything has been inspired by Masonic imagery, occultism and general dark arts, spawning, in particular, a stunning Pyramid ring at the heart of the collection.


Pyramid ring

But this was more than just a jewellery launch - it was also a state of the art, world first - this ring, by the wonder of technology and augmented reality, can be tried on by anyone the world over. Just download the App.



Geeky eh?! The collection has been photographed by Joss, and can be seen here. The show itself is on at DSM until March 30th, so pop along.

Joy of Living....

....Max conceived and curated this exhibition, The Joy of Living, in aid of Maggie's Cancer Caring Centers.



He has worked tirelessly to collate 100 artists and designers to respond to the same brief - on a single piece of A4 graph paper, create a desirable artwork that expresses the joy of living.


The result is a breathtaking and ultimately moving body of work, where craftmanship and raw emotion have created a special exhibition, at Somerset House. Each artwork is for sale for £250, with the artist remaining anonymous until after purchase - and with the close of the show today, Max has made an astonishing £25,000 for Maggie's.


Joy. By Richard Ardagh

But the show must go on - so it does, online, where a couple of pieces remain for sale and ongoing initiatives will lead Max to a target of £50,000 raised. Incredible.


It Is My Heart. By Hannah Martin

I went along today and bought a piece that turned out to be a John Pawson original - so as well as a good cause, it could prove a good investment too.


Artist House, Highgate. By John Pawson.

Take a look. Please.

Chatsworth Road Market....

....Today we explored the new market, that is held on this street. Only every few months at the moment, it plans to become a fortnightly, then weekly fixture before the year is out. Sights are set on this being the new Broadway Market - which would be no small achievement and based on what we saw today, it certainly has the seeds sown already.


wrap-tastic

Food, cake and coffee stalls aplenty. Vintage clothing stands, chintz and fruit, veg & cheese stalls. Kelly and I were joined by Harrie, Nick, Aimee and Kenna, for a little wander follwed by coffee and crepes at Creperie Du Monde.


Nick + Crepe = happiness.

I'm looking forward to coming back again, but if nothing else, it further cemented my desire to live in that neck of the woods...so watch this space on that one too!


Nick, Harrie, Aimee, Kel, (Kenna out of shot)

New Tayyabs with Albert & Rachel....

....Our long standing dinner date with friends Albert & Rachel was had at Tayyabs in Whitechapel.



A highly thought of and much awarded Indian restaurant, that is permanently packed, (tonight was no exception), but amazingly is very reasonably priced.


Lamb ribs to start

We had a veritable feast on our hands, choosing to share a range of exceptional dishes. The lamb ribs fantastic, the chickar chana the best I've eaten. And ditto, the peshwari naan.


Sucker

We finished with a brilliant pistachio frozen lolly, that topped things off perfectly. We headed over to Indo for a digestif, or two, to round off a fantastic evening.


Rachel & Kel


Albert & I

Jude's Skype premiere....

....Mum & Dad introduce Jude to Kelly & I. Wonderful.

Hey Jude....

....I hereby announce the birth of baby boy Jude Ellis Preston at 18.35, Tues March 15th 2011. Weighing a healthy 7lbs 15oz, with both mother and father very well. (And delighted).

Jude Ellis Preston

Grannie & Grandpa, (Margaret & Neil), are beside themselves and you'll find them loitering along the A1(M) on a regular basis to-ing and fro-ing between Leeds and Newcastle. Uncle Roy is happy he has a boy to help learn football. And I have already sold the film rights to Miramax of an epic tail of a young man's rise to football super stardom, led by his innovative Uncle. Release date due 2031.


Similar? A pic Ruth recently found of me?


The newbie, Jude. Proud mum looks on.

Special mention too must go to our, now, Great Nana, who is well chuffed!

Animal Kingdom....

....The credits to the film have just rolled. I'm in the house on my own and it's dark and quiet. Believe me, that makes a difference having just watched this.



It's not a horror, (in case that's how I just made it sound), but a tremendous, gripping, psychological, crime drama that is coated in suspense for good measure. My arms are stiff - I can only imagine it is because I was clenching my fists throughout.



An Australian film, directed by David Michod, it portrays a young Joshua Cody, (played by James Frecheville), who's mum has recently died. This leaves 'J' with no alternative but to move in with his extended family and get caught up in the crime, drugs, and death that is their everyday life. And at the head of the family, it is all over seen by a 'Godmother' like figure in Janine Cody, (played by Jacki Weaver).


J and Janine

Whilst it is impossible to take your eyes from the film at any point, it is not owing to gratuitous violence or in your face action. In fact the pace is relatively slow and brooding, but packed with suspense. Wonderfully subtle in it's lighting and magnificently acted throughout, I felt a real affection, (or more correctly disaffection), for many of the cast.


Darren Cody, Craig Cody and Pope

Guy Pearce, playing good cop, Leckie, is typically commendable. His character is tasked with trying to help J out, in what is a torrid situation. For J is, as Leckie's analogy about the animal kingdom goes, a 'weak creature'. One who has only survived through the protection of the 'strong'.


J and Leckie

But these stronger animals are also the ones most attracted to crime, and with that the kingdom of J and Janine, gets shaken up beyond all of their expectations.

Riveting. Go and see it.

Howl....

....With the onset of a post pancake low, Doug, Kel and I decided to watch Howl, a Rob Epstein & Jeffery Friedman film based on Allen Ginsberg and his now infamous poem Howl.



James Franco plays the Beat Generation poet, as the film, from beginning to end, narrates the piece. It is done so through the court proceedings of it's alleged obscenity, a personal interview with the poet himself, his first delivery of the poem to a local crowd and some obtuse, stoner animation.



Each intertwine wonderfully, lucidly and Franco is convincing in his portrayal of Ginsberg.



Peter Orlovsky & Allen Ginsberg / Aaron Tveit & James Franco

I, (perhaps shamefully), did not know any of the content of Howl, but can gladly say that this film has immediately made me want to search it out and study it. Like when I first heard Burroughs, (yes, an audio tape), or read Plath. I think deep down I love poetry, and this is no exception.



By its very nature, the film can be intense, so might not be for all, but it was certainly a hit for Doug and I. And Kelly. Kelly? Are you awake? Oh, never mind. Go and see it.