A Sight for Sore Eyes

Eco-Friendly Coca Cola Can Designed by Ryan Harc

Phew! that's a relief - an elegant and refined piece of design. A welcome respite after all I have had to endure of late...

Right Royal Whinge

Red, white and blue crisps! For ****s sake! Are we the only people in the whole country not cashing in on the Jubilee.

Two more enforced Bank Holidays…no-one will be shooting on those days… another two days with no money coming in.

Yeah, really makes you feel like partying doesn’t it?

Can’t believe that Stoke Newington’s got so… in to it.

I thought people here had a bit more…

Class?

Class, taste…. I don’t know… what happened to the free-thinking, non-conformers that used to be so prolific round here.

Dunno – all at home baking cakes for the massive Church Street tea party. They’re closing the road you know: all day.

Outrageous.

I can’t stand all the ugly tat everywhere you look. I find it quite offensive. Piles of ghastly Union Jack mugs, tea towels, biscuit tins. Every bloody thing has a Union Jack or a crown on it. Even the washing powder. Even the dog food. At the garden center all the flowers were red, white and blue. It’ll all have to be flogged off cheap afterwards.

Or end up as landfill.

I am NOT going to any street parties. I’m telling you that now.

Don’t worry. I wouldn’t be seen dead at any. In fact I think I’ll go up into the loft and find my Anarchy In The UK tee shirt from 1977.

Good idea.

Play Without Words

Booking tickets for this...

Empty Tank

I got an email the other day from the people at Bistroteque to say they were opening a new restaurant this weekend at Kings Cross: in the disused service station on Goods Way. That petrol station that was a murky green glimmer in the wasteland of abandoned industrial darkness? That petrol station that was the only structure from the 20^th Century between the gloomy gothic arches of St Pancras Chambers and the run-down tennements of Caledonian Road. That petrol station that ravers would pile into after an all-nighter in a nearby empty warehouse?  That petrol station that we used to fill-up at regularly after crawling along the Euston Road on a Sunday night? The one that we would pull into and run to get sweets and crisps to stop the boys hitting each other with plastic dinosaurs after a tiring day out at the Natural History museum (shop)? Yep, that’s the one…

It’s now called Shrimpys – not sure why – and here it is.

We went with Ed on Saturday night. From the architects pictures and the view of the outside I imagined that we would be sitting in a translucent, vaulted area about the size of an aircraft hangar but the restaurant is just the bit that used to be the shop. The concrete forecourt is empty, suprising on such a warm evening, especially as it’s right by the canal. The food was nicely cooked but main courses are more like starter size and all veg, salad etc is extra. Of the three deserts on offer two of them involved quince… strange: one poached quince and the other quince jelly. Ed wasn’t impressed. We were hungry on the way home so stopped at a petrol station for twiglets and chocolate. 

West End Wonder

Spent all morning doing a sweep of local newsagents...

There's Ed - centre stage.

and spending all afternoon having a jolly good read...

Too Hot to Work...

Too hot to drive, too hot to cook, too hot to sleep, WAY too hot to be fitting underlay and carpet in Ed's bedroom.
Perfect for...

HELLO SUNSHINE

Welcome back warm rays of afternoon light...

Sunlit chandeliers...

Scrolling shadows...

and the sweetest silhouettes.

CAKE

We've been promised sunshine! Yipee! 

Hum di dum dum didi dum dum... I'm waiting... Ahem... still waiting...

Bored... baked an Opera House chocolate cake... still waiting... is that a bit of blue out there? No, it's grey.

waiting... still waiting...

Heyy!!! sun's out. Can't move.

Prom Night

Joe and Phoebe on Prom Night...

Jacket - Alexander McQueen, courtesy of Brian.
Shirt - from the Marks and Spencer School Uniform Line.
Tie - John's.
Shades - 'found'
Giant inflatable 'O' - model's own.

Thank God it's the Weekend

Booking and paying for 2 seats and 2 pieces of luggage on AirAsia Flight FD3617 Phnom Penh - Surarnabhumii (Bangkok) and communicating all relevant details to John via Facebook.  
2 hrs 10 minutes.
Searching internet for flights to Milan and back to London via Trieste and sharing findings with various other third parties via email.
1hr 15 minutes.
Series of lengthy, complex emails to Joe's potential college in an attempt to reschedule his essential music theory course which he is missing due to him to going to Italy for a month to recuperate from massive strain of GCSEs.
50 minutes.
Baking scones, chatting to stylists and admiring roomfuls of Tesco's 2012 Christmas baubles, trees and tinsel being shot here this weekend.
1hr 45 minutes.  
Studying spreadsheet schedule for Singin' in the Rain while simultaneously synchronising Ed's performances to friends and families availability.
Ongoing.
Arranging with non English speaking FedEx employee the collection from here and delivery to lengthy, unpronounceable address in Chiangmai, Thailand of John's replacement bank card that he lost at a beach party. 
45 minutes.
Trying to to activate John's new card and access pin when he's given me the wrong ****ing password for his account.
Endless.
Dying Ed's old, red suede Nikes black without getting any dye on the white tick, while Ed is watching. 
2 hours and my eyesight.
Driving Ed to Waterloo to meet up with friends for sleepover in Surrey.
1hr 10 minutes.
Tracking down 4ft x 6ft mattress for Ed's new 'compact' bedroom when all mattresses know to man are 6ft 2.
Waiting for the opportunity to be able to go to the cinema, a restaurant, a bar or an exhibition without organising childcare.
19 years 7 months.
Summoning up the energy for a night out.
Impossible.

Shot in the Penthouse

Mari Sarai was here today photographing... well not sure what. Lots of bulging suitcases were hauled to the top floor bedroom, then an assortment of gorgeous people traipsed up there followed by a hefty, bodyguard-type wearing a suit. He had a briefcase handcuffed to his wrist and said he had been sent from Chanel. Can't wait to see the pics! Here's a sample of what she shot last time she was at Lordship Park.

Woman in Black

Ed's tiny, top floor bedroom is getting a make-over... of sorts. He has decreed that anything pre circa 2012 be removed. Doesn't leave much. Still, his loss - B's shifted this mottled old Victorian mirror onto the landing.

Scared the shit out of myself coming up the stairs in the gloom...

Dam Square Parents

Joe and his mate Ian have been plotting an Inter Railing holiday around Europe this summer, starting... and finishing in, wait for it... AMSTERDAM. Ian's parents are calling round this evening to 'discuss'. Won't take me all evening to say 'NO' but that doesn't mean we can't sit around the table for a couple of hours with a Campari and a cheese straw.

Some Front

Reservoir Ducks

Now, I couldn't make up my mind whether to show you this little video that I took yesterday while we were walking the dogs up at the reservoir...
or... these pics of TOWIE's Billie Faiers from a recent Nuts shoot here at Lordship Park. You decide.

Holiday in Hackney

The SWIFTS are back again and seem very excited about spending the whole summer in Hackney. The fastest birds in existence are quite tricky to film...

Double Booked

ED! ED!! Ed come here. Quickly. Listen, I've just thought of something.

What?

When's your school show?

What show?

The CONTI END OF TERM SHOW THAT YOU'VE GOT A LEAD PART IN. THE ONE YOU'VE BEEN REHEARSING FOR WEEKS. What other school show would I be talking about? When is it?

Dunno.

Oh God! I bet it clashes with Singin' in the Rain. It's bound to. Where's that letter with all the school dates on? I thought it was in this pile. Or was it on an email? I can't find anything in this place. Switch the light on. Who left all this rubbish here? This is impossible. Brian!!!

Let me look on the computer... God there's dozens of emails here from school - I haven't opened half of them. Shit. Here it is. Junior show at the Shaw Theatre 18th July. Matinee 2.30, evening performance 7.30. Right, now find that schedule thing that came yesterday. Wednesday 18th July - Team Green, matinee 2.30, evening performance 7.30. I knew it! You can't be in two places at once. What the hell are we going to do?

I don't know but you'll have to sort it out. 

Hey, you lot. Look at this.

Not now Joe.

No look, it's sick. You know that Tupac rapper g that was shot four times.

No.

Yes you do. So, he's dead, right , proper dead but they made this kinda hologram thing of him and played it at some festival in America. It's sick man. It looks like he's really there, like, on stage like for real. Rappin' and movin' around and stuff. Everyone in the audience was well freaked out. Look, I'll play it...

Find out how they did that. Now.

Tough Schedule

Ooo, what's this big envelope addressed to Parents of Ed Munro? Look it's got Stage Management written on it. Heyy Ed!!! It's your schedule for Singin' in the Rain. How exciting!! Lets have a look... 

I best not be performing on my birthday.

Why not? It'll be fun. They'll make a fuss of you. Let's see. Crikey this writing is minute! Where are we,

June, June, June 24th - Team Green?? What colour team are you?

How should I know.

Oh look! here it is at the bottom. Team Red, Team Blue, Team Green. Here we are, Team Green - Ed Munro. So you have a show on your birthday, how lovely!

So long as I can still go Womad.

Yikes! When's that?

I dunno. Sometime in July.

I think it's in the diary, let me see. Weekend of 28/29 July. Check the schedule... July, July, July. Saturday 28 July. You have 2 shows!!! Fantastic! A matinee and an evening performance.

What about V Fest... I've already got a weekend camping ticket for that. I'm sorry but I'm going whatever...

I'm sure that'll be fine, let's see. V Fest - 18/19 July. Ooops - another matinee and evening show on the Saturday. Wow!

Well Molly is having her birthday at Centreparcs the last week of August and EVERYONE is going. I'm NOT missing that.

Hmmm.. that's the Bank Holiday week isn't it? Oh Lordy! Wednesday 29th - you have a 2.30 and a 7.30, Thursday 30th you have a 7.30. Oh well, that's showbiz!

Firework night?

Yep. Team Green. Two shows that day...

Hallowe...

A 7.30 

Please tell me I'm not working Christmas day...

Haha! I'm sure the theatre will be closed on the 25th of December darling. 

Check

Gosh!! Well I bet there'll be a lovely atmosphere there on Christmas Day.

Sexy Shard

One positive of the new car is being able to smugly pass right under the nose of the congestion charging cameras and then imagining them gleefully computing the car reg only to find that we're exempt. Hah! Makes me smile every time. My spirit is further lifted by the perfect view from the top of Goswell Road down towards the city - the shimmering, ethereal Shard is flanked on either side by the solid concrete mass of the Barbican towers, a marriage made in design heaven. Some days the Shard is completely invisible, you wouldn't know it was there - just empty grey sky between the gloomy bastions. On a blue sky day it dazzles in the sunlight and the mirage becomes a real part of the London skyline. 

I tried to capture the view today...

Where's the bloody wipers on this thing...

That's better. You can just about see it in the cloudy haze. One tiny criticism. Are those final sheets of glass staying like that? in that kind of crown shape. Not sure that I like that.

Ed and I think it looks like a piping bag nozzle - which is a lot less sexy than a 'Shard'

Inspiring Weather

ANOTHER grey day in Hackney...

... inspired another beautiful, rather tasteful and not overly expensive considering the size (5ft x 4ft)  landscape by Brian [buy through Hackney Chateau quoting discount code:WKD-ART]

COVER BOY

Ed having his picture taken for the front page of The Stage while simultaneously being filmed for BBC's School for Stars.

"Where's the Ketchup"

These black noodles took my fancy in Wholefoods the other evening...

...they only take five minutes to cook - a couple of bags of  microwave spinach, some slithers of raw tuna, chopped spring onions, a dash of ginger and wasabi dressing and you have a colourful, elegant supper in no time...

well I thought so anyway...

May Day!

Let's go for a paddle...