Category: Misc

Coworking spaces London #1: Google Campus review

Google Campus notice board titled Collaboration

I'm spending January in London for work. But my Fridays are free for random work, meetings and hopefully a bit of Friday School. So today, on Stef's recommendation, I tried out Google Campus and met with Andy Bull, author of Multimedia Journalism to chat about brand journalism training.

My one line review of the free basement cafe of Google Campus as a coworking space is: busy Shoreditch hipsterish beardy semi-friendly MacBook hangout with good coffee, lack of food (only two ham croissants left at noon) and superfast wifi but crap phone reception.

Here are a few pics…

Continue reading "Coworking spaces London #1: Google Campus review"

2012 in review: volcanoes, photos and a few personal firsts

steampunk_binoculars

So that was 2012: work was good, travel was good and life was good. That's 2013 jinxed then. Here's what went on in 2012 in the form of a quick(ish) roundup…

January

New Year opened with me standing agog at my first sight of a horse and hound (non-fox) hunt in the North Cotswolds. Two weeks later, I was on a train headed to the Cantal in France to snowshoe Europe's largest volcano. The month ended with the inaugural Friday School – my invention of a weekly freelance training programme involving a moveable cake-fuelled feast of learning.

Continue reading "2012 in review: volcanoes, photos and a few personal firsts"

Ein! Zwei! Drei! Vierrrrrr!

I don't know what I can tell you about Birmingham Opera Company's latest – Stockhausen's six-hour avant garde epic Mittwoch Aus Licht aka "Wednesday from Light". It was an experience that was not wholly enjoyable and yet at the same time it was pretty darn great. I'll let this video and these photos do the talking because I'm all out of words. Continue reading "Ein! Zwei! Drei! Vierrrrrr!"

In defence of brand journalism

When Andy Bull got in touch for a masterclass he is running on brand journalism for his current book/website at Multimedia-journalism.co.uk, he got me thinking about exactly what this term means. He reminded me of a comment I left on a post of his, which goes:

"I call myself many things – web editor, blogger, content strategist – but have only recently come across the title 'Brand journalist'. The slipper seems to fit as I work for a digital publishing agency.

"I'm not producing marketing material but I am creating editorial that focuses on where the target readers' interests meet the business. The work is not just being a brand reporter but a sub-editor, commissioning editor, publisher and change management adviser – since brands are new to publishing and need a point person on many publishing fronts.
Continue reading "In defence of brand journalism"

From little Acorns…

A little bit of family history was made today. This afternoon Moselele (the ukulele band I play in) performed a gig as part of a sensory weekend for the kids at Acorns Children's Hospice in Selly Oak.

Acornselele

There were four or five young people with Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties listening in, along with carers and volunteers. Music is one of the things that stimulates the children with PMLD and as we ran through our set, some were smiling or waving their arms response to the music. It was a lovely sight.

But it was a particularly poignant day for me because my mum was Ann Cullinan, the founder of the Acorns Children's Hospice Shops. Here she is standing in front of the first charity shop in Cotteridge in 1987 – before the hospice even had a name.

When I got home from the gig, I went up into the attic to find a certain box containing a certain chapter of Acorns history.
Continue reading "From little Acorns…"

"The years have passed and so have I" – R.I.P. Davy Jones

Some personal memories of Davy Jones, who passed away this week aged 66…

I became a Davy Jones addict aged 12-13 when the BBC started playing re-runs of The Monkees on a Saturday morning. They were like a human version of the Banana Splits. Davy was so… well, beautiful is probably the word, that I used to sit close to the TV screen and not blink so as not to miss a minute. After the show was over, I was gutted to have to wait another seven days to see Davy again. Puberty had arrived. Continue reading ""The years have passed and so have I" – R.I.P. Davy Jones"

Roller disco by the reservoir

It's a disco but it's on wheels. It's roller disco! Back from the 70s/80s and currently going strong in 2012 at the old-school neon pink glitz of the Tower Ballroom by Edgbaston Reservoir in Birmingham. Tonight featured a very mixed crowd (from 18 to 70+), a punter being stretchered off to hospital by paramedics, the Cupid Shuffle line dance on skates, slamming into the bar, skating back from the bar with pint in hand, and lots of wibbly-wobbly laps. 10 out of 10. Go. Meanwhile here is some lo-fi vid featuring power ballads and Whitney-pop to whet the appetite… Continue reading "Roller disco by the reservoir"

Photo School, Friday School and Social Media Group Therapy

This is obviously the Year of the School. Firstly, there's my moveable cake-fuelled feast of learning, the Friday School, while over on the other office sofa, Pete has just launched Matt and Pete's Photo School.

Photo School is a monthly 'photo club', that's also designed to combine learning with fun. It is based in Birmingham and the idea is to learn more about your camera, the art of photography and how to improve your picture-taking skills both in and out of the classroom. It is all but sold out for the launch session this Sunday but there is more to come in March so book ahead to reserve your spot – here's the flyer: Continue reading "Photo School, Friday School and Social Media Group Therapy"