Jon, Ray and Roy in China2010 - 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.
