Christmas missive 2010

Jon, Ray and Roy in China

2010 - China and a Coalition government

The year has just flown by…

Our creative hub was established and our first tenants arrived – a bunch of ex-Sony gamers, not that I know anything about computer games but it is a huge earner for the UK and these designers are some of the top in the country. We also gained a contract from Liverpool City Council to provide business support for graduate entrepreneurs. That will give us an income into 2011.

The hub looks good and with Milky Tea in there – they do most of the Lloyds TSB adverts that are everywhere, it should take off.

So the new team is Jon the young director of Milky Tea, Ray and myself. We have also picked up a bit of other business support including some for social enterprises. We have a good range of clients mainly from the creative industries including designers, fine artists and musicians. We now have a small team to help us. Helen joined us from Blue Orchid (that’s not a lap dancing club but one of the major business support agencies in the NW) to help keep us organised.

We are working on another EU project. This time around we have a contract in Liverpool to write a project on urban agriculture and communities…much more ‘down to earth’.

In March I went to Barcelona for the Anna Lindh Foundation Conference – Inter-Cultural Dialogue. All expenses paid and the conference was attended by over 1000 delegates, mainly young and mainly from the Muslim countries around the Mediterranean. Only a handful of us Brits, a great few days even managed to see something of the city – and got lost (how could I do that in a city I know well, found myself in an area I had never seen before with only a couple of hours to get to the airport)

The Chic and Ethic sustainable fashion project is going well with 6 designers from Liverpool and another 30 from around Europe. It culminates in a fashion show in Bucharest in the summer of 2011.

First meeting was in Ancona, which I attended and I also attended the meeting in Athens in the summer. Athens was very hot and we were busy working, good fun but hard work looking after half a dozen young designers.

Didn’t get down to St Michaels in Wales much and regrettably decided it was time to sell it…what a time to sell but its such a wonderful place I know it will go to the right person – eventually.

My colleague Rob got married in May, first wedding I have been to for ages, almost forgot how to behave.

In June went to Avignon to see Ellen who was having a great time there for her year out in France. What a wonderful place to be ‘posted’ for a year. She has been teaching English in Lycee, but it has all been fully paid and the teaching load was easy. It was just nice to be there and experience a role reversal where Ellen was kind of looking after me, especially as her French is so good.

The business achieved Matrix accreditation and was also awarded the third best creative incubator in the World. Not bad going for something that has only been up and running for 11 months and as Jon said “we must be doing something right!” We also was awarded and Innovation voucher to help with our marketing strategy – helped us try and see the wood from the trees but we are all over the place and we are constantly reviewing what we are doing and changing direction.

Our friends Geir and Anita were able to come and stay for a few days so it was great to see them again, especially as I hadn’t seen Anita since Aarhus 3 years ago. Ruth and Jethro also visited again from Puerto Rico in September, they are doing so well in spite of their apartment burning down – the restaurant and guesthouse was not affected. Also met up with my old mate from Birmingham College of Art days. I hadn’t seen Boyd for over 30 years – it was great to see him again.

Where did those years go?

In October went to China for the World Expo in Shanghai. Our friend Cathy organised it for us and as she is from China was a great guide – our feet didn’t touch the ground. I need another couple of pages to fully describe our adventures in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Needless to say it was exciting, frightening but a very enjoyable experience that included getting lost in the middle of the night, finding ourselves in the wrong but identical hotel, loosing my suitcase and passport and being driven for miles in a mini bus without shock absorbers.

Joan has had a difficult year with the band but is now back on track and is in the recording studio as I write. She is also finishing off her PhD. The animals continue to amuse and we have had a complete change in our transport, Joan has a great gig van – and is now “White Van Woman” and I have gone from a 4x4 to a new mini which I love but have already picked up one fine, its just to easy to go fast!

Ellen is back in London and I went to see her recently, working hard for her final year. Not looking forward to Christmas as usual as it just gets in the way…

Oh! Where has the year gone, so much to do and so little time!

Seasons greetings to all.

Christmas letter 2009

2009 – Bob Dylan, catching up on old friends on Facebook and our latest office

It was a year of frustration with the business. Trying to work with Liverpool City Council and their development department called Liverpool Vision – they have no vision! But hey! We soldier on and at least now we can say we done it without any support. Our major contract should have started in April and we are still waiting.
In the meantime we have moved office again to the Cultural Quarter of Liverpool in a huge renovated warehouse and have started our own creative industries incubator – the first companies are moving in this month.

On the European front I had a visit to Italy and Spain, even had time for a good look around Madrid. Great city with lots to do and eat! (Even as a veggie I managed all right!)
We also hosted two meetings in Liverpool, one was the final meeting with our Polish partners and the other was a study visit, “Entrepreneurship for the Creative Industries”. We showed a group of assorted Europeans how we work with artists and designers and we won a best practice award for our efforts. Must be doing something right!

Still exploring the technical joys of the internet and I spend too much time on Facebook etc. but its great for catching up on old friends around the world, unfortunately its emphasis on the old – where have the years gone.

Finally got to see Bob Dylan when he came to Liverpool in May. It was a great gig and very nostalgic for me, singing along with tears in my eyes, well I say singing, never could sing.
Also gained a new pet, I was out walking Frankie across the fields and came across a rejected hamster in an open cage, so what could I do but rescue him. He’s beautiful and fearless and Frankie play bows to him when he’s out and about.

Joan’s band had great success at a festival in Belgium but unfortunately the accolades went to the lead singers head and made it impossible for Joan to work with him, so she is without a band at the moment, but watch this space. A great pity because this band, apart from the superb musicianship had something special going for it– oh! the joys of band politics.

I have acquired a new shed…the Rolls Royce of sheds – its wonderful, huge and is already full of my rubbish – a man has to have a shed, especially when he reaches a certain age.

Ruth and Jethro visited from Puerto Rico, their restaurant and guesthouse is very successful and they had their first super star guest for breakfast this autumn, Bjork.

Ellen’s second year at UCL went well and she did well in her exams and she has been rewarded with a study year in Avignon. It sounds wonderful and beautiful and has lots of international students there. Ellen is working as a language assistant and the Lycee in the city centre and has a small apartment in the old town.


Pacificstream has only two projects at the moment. We are working with Preston City Council preparing a European bid for them and we have an international fashion project with a company in Romania where we take fashion students around Europe for two years and then they get a fashion show in Bucharest ant the end of the project.

The Christmas season has started and we had our office party this week, a good Chinese in a ‘real’ Chinese restaurant in China Town complete with Karaoke, needless to say I didn’t attempt to sing!

New Year Missive 2009

2008 – Capital of Culture, Facebooking and iPhoning…

Liverpool was full of culture with a giant spider roaming the streets and Lambanans everywhere. Ringo was beheaded (or rather a statue of him was) for not appreciating what Liverpool has done for him.
Although our Capital of Culture Year didn’t provide loads of cash for the creatives, it did put the city on the map and helped to turn around the poor reputation of the building site that is Liverpool. Unfortunately it looks like the impending doom from the fall out of the credit crunch will put everything on hold. It could be worse; we could be living in Siberia where unemployment and lack of investment seems to be increasing dramatically. (and its -20°c!)
The company has been going along steadily with our EU projects and we have moved into the city centre above a bar in a renovated Georgian house, the office still isn’t finished and we have to enter via the bar, so no hardship there as we have to exit that way as well. I cut back on my travels but still went to Slovakia, Antwerp and Dresden. My Russian adventures have come to a halt with the repercussions of the Litvenyenko affair and the closure of the British Council. My emails to Russia have been blocked and my colleagues in Krasnoyarsk have lost their jobs – spooks and politicians, when will they grow up and stop playing the Empire game.
Did manage to get some designers over from Siberia for the Liverpool Design Show, my idea of years ago finally made it with hundreds of designers and over 6,000 visitors. (see www.creativesiberia.info)

Ellen’s been a busy student and although she likes London doesn’t care much for UCL, its too big and impersonal. I think now she would have preferred to go to Liverpool. She had a good holiday busking around northern France in her little Citroen with her boyfriend and is hoping to have her third year out in Provence or Languedoc but it might be Alsace. Joan has been teaching in the music department at Hope University and working on her research. Her new band, yet another new band has a CD out. (go to www.thehexmen.co.uk) and she is the star of the jam nights down at the Albert. Frankie continues to be a joy and I actually enjoy the early morning walks across the fields or on the beach, he’s just a gentle pyjama case of a dog and although weighing in at over 7 stone he is still a playful puppy.

My big creative industries project comes to an official end today but I now have two months of reports and chasing up final financials. We have put in a big tender for creative industries business support but as many of these decisions are political it will be a miracle if we get it.
Nothing in the pipeline at the moment, but for some reason I’m not worried – something will turn up, did Mr Micawber say that and look what happened to him. With all the complaining and whinging going on around me I actually feel confident and I think 2009 is going to be a good year.
So get your wonderful iPhone out, get onto Facebook and get networking – beyond the sillyness these technologies could be the answer.

Christmas Missive 2007

2007 - Year of the dog, again!

A difficult year- adjusting to suddenly being 60, silly I know but it’s a shock, however, one with lots of joy and fun in the shape of Frankie. We have had him a year now and he has grown and grown and is now touching 6 stone. We knew he would be big, we had seen his dad! Frankie loves his runs on the beach and across the fields. He still annoys Little Joe but they sort of get on. Joe doesn’t realise he just wants to play, as he does with everyone and everything. We really missed the gang (pets) went we went on holiday. Yes, we actually managed a proper holiday this year – first time since Oz 5 years ago.
I have had lots of travelling with the job and EU projects; Joan has been very patient with me. The new office sharing with other designers has been good and is fun having other people around. Our main project around business support has had its ups and downs – imagine working with creatives! The paper work is always a nightmare with these things, reports and keeping records and receipts. Rob from Creativebias has joined us to run the other project with Poland and we have other freelancers - so we now have a small team.
Went to Berlin (for the first time) in March and Ellen came with me, so while I was in meetings she was seeing the city and we all joined up in the evenings. Great place and very cheap.
Then I was off to Siberia again, third visit so I feel very much at home there…still snow around and cold but a very warm welcome. Meet my mate the major again and appeared in the local press. Also in March went to Denmark with the creative industries project. May was Slovakia, Bratislava and Kosice. I was able to meet up with my friend Milos for the first time in about 10 years – Bratislava has really changed, full of tourists and all the old town is now renovated, so different to my first visit in ’89. My other visits were to Lodz, Copenhagen, Lisbon and Badajoz, Spain.
Ellen had enough of Foundation art at Shrewsbury and started her degree at UCL. Her main subject is French and French literature, great accommodation just at the top of Tottenham Court Road. She is enjoying the big city and is off to Paris at Christmas. We had a few days at St Michaels together in the summer with Frankie – he thought it as great, all that space and freedom.
Joan’s new band the Mysteronz is great, loud and full of energy with superb musicianship and although they have only been together as a band since the summer they have lots of gigs, including Liverpool. The band is formed out of the old Tomcatz but with a new young drummer. Joan was accepted at Hope University for a PhD but this time with a scholarship, to write about the Stadium, a significant music venue in the 70’s and 80’s. She is also teaching at St Helens College and will be lecturing at Hope – so all is looking good.
We went out to Puerto Rico for a long holiday in November to stay at Ruth and Jethro's hotel. It was paradise and the hotel was on “the road to happiness”, so the car sticker says! We had a wonderful time and it was so good to be able to spend time with the Rincon kids. It was one of those holidays when you really didn’t want to come home. (Especially as the journey takes 22 hours and we went from 30° to 0°C)

Krasnoyarsk September 2006

I will start a Russian diary just see what I can do.
Day 2 yesterday went for walks. Across the Yenesy to the park. Snack lunch and then a walk around the State University through the birch woods - came across an enactment of medieval Russia? All very surreal. Then to the foothills of Stolby for salted pickled mushrooms and salted cabbage (rich in vitamin C) at a Siberian traditional restaurant.
Today went to the city’s centre for culture. A very shabby place full of amateur artists and aerobics. All very welcoming and an early lunch of things without the meat. The BC youngsters took me to Stolby where we sat on the rocks and had intense discussion on "liveart" and what it is and politics. Marina hates Indians from her experiences in London - "they're all mean!"
Then to a pizzeria and an early night after more intense conversation. Alex told us of his village where there is still a population living in exile and the criminals control the fuel. Also his surname means hare and he has the ears to match.
Tuesday - after a meaty breakfast, its hard being a veggie in Russia I walked to the BC in a warm damp morn and met nice girl from Radiotechic. Katya so pleased to see me - hugs in the street. In a long meeting I gave a presentation that confused them so they spent the rest of the day discussing it! They do get very intense & philosophical about it all. I just said in Lpool we just got on with it and worried about it after. Some good people met Sergey curator of museum - he will be visiting the Biennale in Oct after I had slagged it off. Yoko Ono and all that...
Wed. Very good morning from sunny Siberia. Another day of meetings and another long tortuous lecture byme! Yes, Krasnoyarak you do want business incubation!
UAZ jeeps and vans?
Went to the culture and historical centre saw Lenin exhibition that they have presented in an almost ironic fashion or so it seemed.
The arrival of the bossy women from, Moscow - are they all bossy from the city when they come to the provinces. However, 1lena did get to the point of why discuss the issue of is the CIs commercial and a business. An agency need to be formed that looks at incubation, information, projects, several suggested inc, Museum Night Biennial, TV (virtual incubator) Elena "what is your aim?"
They keep asking for my opinion. After hours of confused loud discussion they ask what I think! The Russians even make the ordering of a meal into what seems like a debate. Do Russians smell? Is this because they are in the habit of not washing or is it like it was when I was young you didn't have the access and it was expensive to wash. Like having a shadow and PA.
2 barriers - finance & long-term development
I will look like an aubagine after this week. Eating at the restaurant below Stolby. Christmas vodka, cranberry juice and aubergines in sour cream but did have lots of salted mushrooms and quails eggs.
Justin 0'Conner from U of M project in St Petersburg. No HG tonight Amile instead at least its more visual.
Last day - morning with my shadow to folk lore museum the one that looks EGYPTIAN good artifacts and v interesting 20 c illustrations bought Lenin banner celebrating workers competition at least 70 yrs old for 19 pounds. Then for coffee and shopping for vodka etc. lunch with Vassily Dept Mayor good to see him again still seems keen but is clear that people in the city do not know what is going on. ELANA jumped in and has already orgnised seminar with Sergey for Feb. Russians coming to Lpool at that time to see the world of CI.
Eve with ML to Chinese that couldn’t serve "the problem is that the chef is Chinese" pleasant eve.
Russians don' smile because of the way they talk. We use the sides of our mouth and therefore naturally tend to smile when we talk. However the Russians don't and tend to move their mouth only up and down so they are not grumpy its just the way they speak.

Siberian Diary March 07

Arrived in Kras 10 below and 5 o'clock dark sans luggage. somewhere in Amsterdam. no veggie, Sim air even the pot salad had chicken in but the wild mushrooms were good..and the beer.
Monday...after sleep in the morn met by Irina and went to the Italian for lunch, lots of salad etc. brief meeting with Victoria. Then to shop for shirt underpants etc. toothpaste and vodka purchased. Up to see ski resort - closed because it was Monday and then to the Irish bar for lent menu - no meat. strange jazz trio with accordion.
Tuesday
Russia does not have BlueTack!
Sasha from Omsk joined us (Marsha on Thus) the Siberian BC gang. Went to Turkish restaurant and told of the conditions in 1989 when Irina's boyfriend left her for Israel and she was paid in boots with nothing for the baby. Sash told her experience of the Russians invading Azerbaijan with shooting outside her house. Husband’s family is from there.
Wed more of the same but the document is getting done. Vladimir took us to the museum. Went behind the scenes to his office missed Sergey but although I have been before it was interesting as always. An early night after the Irish bar and the Lent menu.
Thursday
Irina's birthday couldn't find card but bought chocs. Everyone made a fuss of the 'boss' André brought cake and flowers - but the cake never appeared although we had wine at lunch with our pizza (veggie) had pineapple ugh! Marsha arrived From Irkutsk the Siberian triumbirate was complete. After dinner with the ladies at 'Tet a tet' Vladimir showed Sasha and me around the museum centre - Sasha had never seen it on her many previous trips to Kras. I had a ride on the 'bicycle'. A very friendly good bye from tall Sasha (she met her solider husband when she was selling ice cream as a teenager) - I managed to escape for drinks with Marina didn't get drunk or fall over in the snow. At least I got out even though it was to the Irish bar again.
Friday
The big day - chicken on the salad! for breakfast but the omelet was good. and fresh orange juice.
Visited Virkov house - turn of century artist. Old wooden house v interesting. Full of small smelly school kids - one with shaven head, nits maybe, some looked v poor. Little old ladies in all the museums. The ones here smelt of old ladies! Virkov house an oasis in the middle of the city. Early snow soon disappeared into mud and slush seems to be no street drains to take the water away.
Following a meeting she had Irina tells of underlying feeling of soviet times in the relationship between UK and Russia - something is up and about to break, spy case or something.
Sign missing from the front of the BC building! First to the city hall in the corporate lecture room. Went ok but still nervous. Krill’s face looking anxiously up to change the slides. Only a few mistakes Marina lost confidence with Irina’s critical looks. Met and had tea with Vassily. Off to museum centre. Met André and he took us to see the Henry Moore show going up.
Then our act again all went ok with tiredness - well that’s my excuse- I made one or two silly mistakes. (Marina corrects my English) Then confusion over the dinner venue + Irina had invited all. Couldn’t escape. Ended up in 'Tet a tet' again but was with Elna? Olga and Kril so ok. To the Irish bar to see band and eat - 10:30 by this time. More beer and long chats . Band played 60s 'Pretty Woman', ‘back in the USSR’ and Beatles. Late back.
Sat
Woken with a start and it was 5 time to leave! Never dressed and packed so quick. Only 7 mins late for Helen and taxi downstairs. Set alarm for the wrong time but how did I know when to wake?

End of year missive 2004

"Hello all"

Will 2004 be a landmark year? I have been angry and depressed by World events but happy and elated in my own little World. Oh! Dear, how pretentious, I have to be careful what I say after all the comments on Radio 4 about Christmas 'round robins'.
After an extended Christmas holiday I finally washed up on the shores of the Liverpool Design Initiative, a small organisation that promotes the designer/maker creative industry. Great office in the Tea Factory, one I share with the Arts Council, Royal Institute of Architects and the Liverpool Biennial Art team, great colleagues and a great job but one that is so frustrating because the opportunities are great and no one shows any initiative! However, the Designers Block exhibition in London was great, a week of hard work but it was like a cross between a design show, the Edinburgh Fringe and Glastonbury - even the music was good and the beer was free.
Pacificstream has landed more EU projects and I have enjoyed trips to Burgas; Bulgaria, Bilbao, Larrisa; Greece and Lisbon. The visit to Bulgaria was interesting with a 6 hour rail journey across the country to the Black Sea - walking on the beach 70ºf in February! Joan accompanied me to Lisbon and outside the meetings we were able to explore the city and wonder at some bizarre religious art
Ellen had a very successful GCSE year and is now at 6th Form studying, maths, English, French and environmental science, as she is an avid reader of the Ecologist she could be going in this direction. She is also a member of Shropshire Youth Orchestra and off to the Edinburgh Festival next year.
Little Joe is still growing and is the size of a small dog - in fact I think he thinks he is a dog, he is still bringing sticks in!
Joan is still pursuing her research - and is down at the British Library as I write; though not enjoying it as she has the flu. She has started some part-time teaching to Foundation art and HND students at Runshaw College, Chorley. The new band, Tomcatz, is great with superb musicians, Phil ex sound engineer for the Smiths (and Andy Pandy!), Roger on vocals ex mate of Mark Almond and Trevor the guitar wheeling hairdresser
" …driven along by our own Lady Joan who gets better all the time and does not need to rehearse like other mortals!"
All are looking forward to the Christmas Eve gig. Joan has new Rickenbaker JetGlow guitar, purchased from Ebay which included an adventure to Glasgow to pick it up and yes it was there, we weren't mugged and it’s the genuine article.
We had visitors from Norway at the beginning of the year when Geir and Anita were over and in the summer Mark, Feng, Jenny and Glynn were over from Oz. This included a trip to St Michael's and fortunately the weather was good.
The New Year is a new adventure for me as I start my own company, I move into Digitalinc a business unit managed by John Moores University. I will be supporting design firms wishing to be involved with EU research and development funding - sounds a bit dull but I will be working in a very motivated environment with young companies and there is a lot of funding available. I need to take advantage of the last years of Objective 1 money for Merseyside and exploit the initiatives that will engage with Eastern Europe. I'm hoping to work on a project with Western Siberia!
Hey! Almost the bottom of the page without mentioning the US elections - what a disaster, what a fool! How could they do it…?