Free Lazy Bear T-shirts

Head on over to Lazy Bear Records for the chance to win one of these highly sought after t-shirts. Free t-shirts! Go on, you know you want to!

Lazy Bear Records

Just finished this sketchy logo for the ever-expanding empire that is Lazy Bear Records. The bear likes it, I like it. Check them out here.

Moments

Been pretty busy on the recording front these past few weeks with Keith and Georgia. We've set up a semi-permanent studio in Georgia's kitchen - handy for the fridge and toaster. Most sessions involve a lot of laughs and a fair amount of beer. We're aiming to produce an ep of four songs we've been paying live for a while, but we tend to get side-tracked in new directions and have written at least one new song plus a good selection of bits and bobs.

The first finished result is the definitive version of Moments, and it's now playing on the jukebox above and also available on our MySpace site here: www.myspace.com/copinguk

We're all pretty please with it. There are also a couple of remixes on the site by Keith and myself, which are fun. We're working on mixes for three more songs and hope to have them online really soon.

Awww...

I'm not usually one for the false commerciality of made up celebrations, but I was tickled by the card I got on Sunday from Ruby (7 1/2 months old).

Stephanie had secretly taken this picture of her and made a card entitled 2008AD.


Yep, that's my daughter, and, yep, that IS my priceless, first edition, mint condition Johnny Alpha action figure (no, not a doll) in her mouth. Never mind the choking hazard it really made my day. Thanks hon x

Rattus Norvegicus

Strolling along the boulevards of Plumstead, minding my own business and taking my baby daughter for a sleep, I paused by some wasteland to admire the view (I could almost see the back of our house).

I lowered my gaze and made a mental tut noise at the various bits of old junk, rubbish and, oddly, slices of white bread that had been left strewn around this informal wildlife reserve.

Then I saw the rat. Quite a big one, shouldering its way through the undergrowth. It stopped and caught me in its beady gaze before we both ambled off on our own separate ways.

Unashamed music plugs

Anyone out there interested in hearing some brand new soulful jazz should get themselves down to Straight Up Records inmmediately! Check out the new release from Keith Caden: "Hard to categorise, at times abstract at times danceable...but always full of soul!".

Keith is one third of Coping, a band I'm in with his sister Georgia. We're busy working on songs for a new EP and it's getting exciting.

While you're mooching about, have a look at Lazy Bear Records too. You won't regret it.

Pot Noodle

Just say no. 'Tis the snack of Satan.

New bike (well, almost)

Just got my motorbike back from the menders. After the little prang I had with the twit who u-turned without looking, plus the damage cause by it blowing over in the freak winds of February, the poor thing was looking a bit tatty and had more things dangling from it that Dan Dangler, winner of the All England Dangling Championships for the past forty years.

Not any more though. Looks like a new bike. Even the mileage has been reset (new speedo). True to form, another car driving numpty tried to smear me across the road as they did a left turn with no signals. Luckily my wits hadn't deserted me and I managed to avoid another crash. I don't know if it's just me but there seem to be more idiots on the road these days - AND THEY ARE ALL TRYING TO KILL ME!!!!

That said, another prize specimen hove into view on foot the other day in sunny Woolwich. I was saying goodbye to my lunchtime companion (fresh from a slap up veggie burger courtesy of Star Express) and unlocking the bike when this slope-browed individual speculated aloud that he ought to knock it over as the bike is of German origin. He left us (jaws sagging) with the stunning riposte to "Buy British".

Lovely.....

Post Office

On a recent visit to sunny Woolwich I scooted through the new Post Office at the back of Smiths. Nice big queue! Reminded me of an occasion when I was waiting in the old PO, staring vacantly at the pony-tailed head of the woman in front of me. Something caught my eye. At first, I just though she had mega dandruff. Then I saw some of it move. The hairs on the back of my head rose up in shock. Lice? Nice...

More good neighbours

While I was away my motorbike blew over in the storms. Thankfully, my next door neighbour picked it up and kept the bits that got broken - he had to enlist the help of another guy from across the road 'cos it's a bit of a bruiser. What else can I say but thanks peeps!

Bin a while

Nowt posted recently due to being on holiday. The title of this post isn't meant to be a reference at the current furore over the new collection service in Greenwich. But while we're here, it makes me smile how much vitriol has been sprayed over the interweb about this. And how little understanding about what, I think, is a pretty simple scheme (I'm too bored by it now to go into the reasons why). If people got this wound up about things that REALLY mattered we'd have had a revolution in this country ages ago. Sigh....

Nowhere by Yesterday

That's the title to a new song we've been working on for a while. We'd been calling it Dub Roots until now because it's a curious hybrid of dub and, er, folk. Georgia's been working on lyrics and sang us the chorus (and title) when we got together on Thursday for a jam/record/rehearse/drink beer session. Keith and I loved it immediately.

It's the first song that we've written as a group. Until now, we've adapted our individual songs, so we're really pleased with the result.

Some berk nearly killed me today

I'm still reeling a bit from it. I was riding home yesterday evening, minding my own business, when the car ahead decides to do a U-turn right in front of me. Without signaling. Or looking. Before I know it I'm lying on the road with my bike on top of my leg and I'm swearing my head off. He pulls over to the other side of the road and comes over to see if I'm all right. I've managed to get up but am still swearing. The anger fades and I go into a sort of numb shock as we move the bike out of the way and then exchange details. To give him his due he's very apologetic and nearly as shocked as I am.

Still a berk, though.

Down in the Tube Station...

Spent Monday and Tuesday filming at Kings Cross Underground Station. Working with deafblind people to make a training video for Underground staff on the particular needs of this section of society. All in all very tiring and brain-shattering, but the passengers and staff we worked with were all, without exception, fantastic. It does the head in, though, spending all day under artificial light. Hats off to the peple who do it for a living and seem to keep their sense of humour!

Brain's going

As I stagger towards the ripe old age of 43 I'm becoming increasingly aware that my memory is fast disappearing. I keep a diary and without it I would not be able to remember what I did yesterday. A case in point recently was comepletely forgetting about a friend's birthday, even though I had been told about it only last week. Not only was I embarrassed but also a bit worried about the state of my grey matter.

Being neighbourly

I like living in Plumstead a lot. Over the years I've got to know a few of my immediate neighbours, enough for a chat in the street, swapping Christmas cards etc. Yesterday my neighbour across the way saw me heading out to post a letter and offered to take it for me since he was heading that way. Good stuff.

Sunset

Riding across the Common today at around 3.20 I was struck by the golden quality of the sunlight as the sun hit the horizon. After the murky rain-filled day it was refreshing. If only I'd had my camera (or the energy to come back out with it instead of having a cup of tea and a sit down)....

Meanwhile, here's one I took earlier:

Commuting is fun

We were filming near Westminster yesterday so I had to catch the 7.29 from Welling to Victoria, carrying a heavy bag of lights and a cumbersome tripod. I wasn't looking forward to the trip since it brought back memories of my two years of commuting hell (from Hither Green to Edgeware Road) in the mid-80s.

As it turned out the experience wasn't that unpleasant. Welling Station was busy, but I got a parking space easily. The platform was pretty full but everyone seemed friendly enough. To my surprise the train wasn't jammed full and I got a seat all the way. I don't know if I'd enjoy doing it every day though...

Worklife

I'm lucky enough to work from home most of the time. Means I can keep my own hours and be flexible. I miss the regular wage packet and banter of office life, though. I don't miss interminable meetings and impossible demands, on the other hand. As a partner in a small multimedia company we meet a broad cross-section of people from local authorities, charities, businesses, schools and government departments to name a few. The majority of the time we have a great relationship and will produce work that exceeds the expectations of our clients. Every now and again we get a bit narked when the lines of communication are confused - my biggest bugbear is the "hurry up and wait" scenario where we work bloody hard to finish a project to the client's deadline and then they sit on it for days, weeks, even months before signing off.

Dadlife

I always said didn't want to be one of those people who mentioned their kids at any opportunity, and I think, ten weeks down the line, I've pretty much kept to that policy. That said, it's been an incredibly exciting and (at times) terrifying time since our daughter was born. We're very lucky to have a baby who hasn't really caused us any worries or problems, whose smiles and gurgles make our day, every day. I think we've taken parenthood in our stride (kudos to my wife especially) and are really enjoying it.

Nightlife

Such is the excitement of my life! I was out in the back garden on New Year's Eve, hoping to vicariously experience some fireworks, when I took this shot. Something about it intrigues me