Good afternoon! welcome to open door design…
Gig marathon! Seven days, nine bands, three gigs
Monday, August 24th, 2009 Posted in Personal Lives | No Comments »
Well what a week… it might not be Glastonbury, but it’s not bad for a little village in the Holme Valley (and Sheffield!). How about going back to the 90s for a week and seeing three of the most influential bands of the decade, two of which were on the doorstep and the other the biggest band in the world, The Charlatans, The New Beautiful South and U2!
The Picturedrome in Holmfirth played host to both The Charlatans and The New Beautiful South within seven days of each other, and offered the chance for many die-hard fans to get close and personal with the maestros of alternative music in this intimate venue. Very rarely do you find a venue that has so much character, excellent acoustics – not to mention access to a bar from every angle!
To check out what other acts are coming up at this wonderful venue, visit www.picturedrome.net/music_events.htm
And to round the week off and on my first visit to Don Valley, what can I say… the biggest band in the world once again in their prime, playing to a sell out crowd! It takes me back to my first ever gig, of course U2 but in Roundhay Park alongside 85,000 others for the ZOO TV tour, way back in ‘93! The gig was amazing, a real mix of golden oldies mixed in with some fantastic new songs that made for a night to remember. The only downside, as there are to these kind of gigs, was the drive home. Two hours back to sunny Huddersfield – one of which was spent in the car park waiting to move! None the less, a very, very memorable night!
Anyway, to summarise, a few beers were imbibed, a lot of songs sung and many voices lost over what I can only explain as a memorable week!
Camping in style
Monday, May 11th, 2009 Posted in Personal Lives | No Comments »
I recently took a week off to do some volunteer work as part of Leeds Atheist Society’s Rationalist Week 2009. During the week the society erects a marquee opposite the student union and runs a series of talks, debates, socials and other events in order to raise awareness of the society and it’s beliefs.
This year the tent was open 24 hours a day and ended up with the most hardcore of us pretty much living in the tent for the week – despite it being April and us having a heater it was still freezing! Still we managed to survive and are no doubt stronger for it 
.
During the week I managed to get myself through six talks and speeches though the real stars of the show were our debates with the Christian Union and Islamic Society as well as the range of bands and entertainment we put on. Needless to say we were all shattered by the end of the week but definitely well worth it – roll on next year!
He ain’t heavy… He’s my brother.
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 Posted in Personal Lives | No Comments »
Just a little shout out to my brother who had his debut fight at CFC (Cage Fighters Championship) UK 6 on 25th April. Dave entered the ring to the song ‘Why can’t we be friends’ by War and fought against fighter Jack Mills in the Ametuer Light Heavyweight category. He managed to tap his opponent out in just 54 seconds (Win by Key Lock). He was also voted submission of the night by an independent news site.
Well done Dave!
Dave is a member of Medway submissions, a gym based in Kent, specialising in MMA and is also an advanced Kendo competitor. As brothers we couldn’t be anymore different in our recreational interests and tastes. As kids, I was always into art and design and he was interested in military history and martial arts. And yes, we’d fight like crazy occasionally, usually spurred on by myself, which could be why he’s such a great fighter today (don’t thank me!). But seriously I respect his choices and am very proud of him!
Durham
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 Posted in Personal Lives, Travel | No Comments »
Last week I headed up to Durham for the day to help out at the Durham University Humanist Society’s Reason Week. The society are doing some really great work up there and so I was glad to go up and give them a hand, though I may have swallowed up more of their time than I actually spent helping lol!
In between events Ellis even managed to provide me with a tour around the city and many of the college bars too including Castle Bar which is built in the basement of the castle’s keep! Drinks up there are significantly cheaper than Leeds too so it’s a fantastic place to drink as well as absorbing the sights.
Big Gigs
Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 Posted in Personal Lives | No Comments »
My recent foray into online shopping a few weeks ago has taken a turn for the worse. Ordering prescription glasses online obviously sounds like a great idea. There’s no hassle – No salesman sitting you down and trying to sell you a special lens coating for an additional £30 pounds for your first pair and a further £15 for your FREE second pair to be coated! Fat chance, but the spiel and demonstration is always good for a giggle. I went in to this particular store with the sole intention of acquiring a new prescription and then bolting out of the door to find a more suitable/funky pair on the WWW. But why I toyed with the sales assistants emotions for half an hour, I don’t know.
Now, online, your choice of style is endless. And I’m looking for that certain ‘geek chic’ look. So thick black geeky looking frames are what I’m after specifically. I find a few pairs… great. I have an unusually large head so I better go for the widest pair, I think to myself! (Dimensions are provided). I enter in my prescription, part with the money and wait in anticipation.
Two weeks later, a little package turns up. And out of which come the biggest pair of glasses I have ever seen! Seriously, they’re on par with those oversize joke glasses you can pick up in fancy dress stores!… I can’t wear these I thought?!? So I’ve spent about a week wearing them around the apartment, trying to warm to them, but to no avail. They now sit in the living room as some sort of ornament and have also become a bit of a party piece when we have friends round. My bad experience is now their joy and possibly yours! Photographic evidence below!
Big Gigs
(Note: Geek chic refers to the embracing of stereotypically unpopular “geek” characteristics such as glasses, comic books, and computer games).
Give Me a Break
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 Posted in Personal Lives | No Comments »
Due to the bad weather and my finances still recovering from the festive period, I seem to have spent alot of time hibernating in our front room recently.
After exhausting my classic Reeves & Mortimer dvd’s I got for christmas and waiting for the lovefilm.com subscription to kick in I’ve been forced to watch tv. In between the football and skysport news on loop I’ve been trawling through the endless channels of US sitcoms and 1980’s drama re-runs to find something to watch.
Among all this brain-numbing tv though, there are some brilliantly creative commercials on the box at the moment. Of which the following ones have really stood out;
Audi Q5
Typical of the Audi brand; this is clever, innovative and slickly produced. It’s definitely one of those “how did they think of that” ideas, that competitors will be envious of. The quirky music also adds a sense of effortless cool to the ad.
Microsoft
This is so interesting I was shocked it was for Microsoft! Brilliant Monty Python-esque animation perfectly illustrates the open-minded, free thinking message they are plugging. The slow toned american accent gave the Microsoft game away though!
6music
We’re big 6music fans in the studio, so they can do no wrong in our eyes.The humour and playlist on 6music is a unconventional and unpredictable mix which makes it more entertaining than other stations. So graffiti cartoons running across the side of a wall in a jerky stop animation style to a upbeat Vampire Weekend track sums it up perfectly. Different & fun.
Proof, that there’s something worth watching on the box after all!
How I met Richard Dawkins
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 Posted in Personal Lives, Travel | No Comments »
I was down in London last week for the press launch of the National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies (thankfully abbreviated to the much shorter name, AHS) to which I sit on the board of trustees, as we made ourselves known to the British media.
We managed to rack up an impressive line of speakers including AHS president Norman Ralph, British Humanist Association president Polly Toynbee, Professor A. C. Grayling and Professor Richard Dawkins (described unknowingly by Lil as “the posh old guy with the banana”). It was all very exciting, I said “what type of microphone would you like” and Professor Dawkins replied “a lectern will be fine.” That’s my Richard Dawkins story 
.
We got coverage by The Guardian and The Independent (who were impressed by our president’s “sharp suite and trimmed goatee”) as well as plenty of donations so the future is looking bright for the AHS. All eyes on our national events now.
Pictures: Richard Dawkins poses with myself and other members of Leeds Atheist Society, myself asking people to take their seats for the second round of speeches (ha, how glamorous) and Polly Toynbee delivering her speech.
Feeling skeptical
Monday, January 19th, 2009 Posted in Personal Lives | No Comments »
With the original London based group of Skeptics in the Pub recently having celebrated their tenth anniversary and the concept rapidly spreading elsewhere with groups starting up in Birmingham, Leicester and across North America too, Leeds was certainly overdue for a group to get started. As such, this January saw the first meeting of Leeds Skeptics in the Pub.
And who was to deliver in the inaugural lecture to the group you ask? Why, yours truly of course. Talking about the It’s Only Water campaign which aims to raise awareness of the pseudoscientific joke that is homeopathy, I delivered the talk to a packed out room at Carpe Diem before tucking into a well earned pint. Perhaps skeptics aren’t so skeptical after all!
GOOD/BAD/REALLY REALLY BAD/GOOD/GREAT/BACK TO NORMAL
Friday, December 12th, 2008 Posted in Personal Lives, Travel | No Comments »
Phew! Confused? So am I!
First it was Queen in concert in Madrid – GOOD NO GREAT! Because of the company, time away from the kids and work with my wife and best friends and a lot of laughs albeit just for a couple of days.
BAD – missed the kids (first time without them) and had to catch up at work after!
REALLY REALLY BAD (In fact it doesn’t get worse!) – Scarborough, North Shore, Zero degrees surfing, 14’ + swells and a big long sea wall. Thanks to the coastguard, RNLI, passers by and especially Brett and John (big big balls) for risking yourself – it really shit us all up! Physically + psychologically not a good thing to do.
GOOD – made the effort to go in the sea again albeit with another board now, not in the UK in Fuerteventura, with expert assistance in 5’ waves to start!
GREAT – confidence back, happy family, cool time with Oscar (Hotzone) – Thank you, you knew what was in my head – demons not gone but under control – more than a healthy respect now. Reef surfing, cool tunes, great surf and fantastic tips and support plus time with loving family.
Work has been solid for 2 months now, so has the team and odd seems to be growing in confidence and ability – keep it up please!
Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all. My parting message for 2008 – I love my family, friends and life even though it might not show sometimes but no more big scares in 2009 please I’m getting too old!
London town
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 Posted in Personal Lives, Travel | No Comments »
A weekend in London for me and 21 of my close friends? Sounds good to me.
As part of my society’s annual weekend away we headed down to London at the very end of November for a few days of eating, drinking and partying (and maybe even some educational activities too). We found a number of great watering holes hidden away in back streets and alleys as well as a selection of good clubs as part of London’s legendary nightlife.
While we were there we also got round Conway Hall, the Natural History Museum, Speakers’ Corner (at which I got up on a ladder and did some preaching myself) and the Church of Scientology so, having picked up a copy of Dianetics, I will soon be ready to cleanse those pesky engrams from the reactive minds of my colleagues back in the office.
