Martha

 

Martha being her usual useful self in my office sitting on everything I need. Sigh...

NoChintz

Good morning from my new home at NoChintz, the most brilliant interior design studio in the UK. I'll be blogging and marketing from my little desk in the most amazing design studio you have ever seen in the uber cool Northern Quarter of Manchester, if only my house looked this good!

Watch this blog space for more info soon.

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Perils of the Single Speed

Well, Phillip does love his single speed but following a succession of pothole related accidents I'm either going to berate the council or take his bike from him! Fix the bloody potholes Salford!

Fab Lab

I nearly fell off my chair when I read about Fab Lab - and in Manchester no less! An amazing FREE resource where any individuals can pop own have an induction and use some amazing equipment from laser cutters to 3D printers. I've been after use of a laser cutter for about a year but haven't had the funds to really get going - now is my chance!

based over at Chips, the Urban Spalsh development in in New Islington, Fab Lab first started at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in inner-city Boston in 2005, now has over 35 locations worldwide.

Here's What they offer:

* A computer-controlled lasercutter, for press-fit assembly of 3D structures from 2D parts

* A larger (4'x8') numerically-controlled milling machine, for making furniture- (and house-) sized parts

* A vinylcutter, to produce signs, printing masks, flexible circuits, and antennas

* A precision (micron resolution) milling machine to make three-dimensional moulds and surface-mounted circuit boards

* Electronics assembly

* Programming tools for low-cost high-speed embedded processors

* Sewing and embroidery equipment


Open to businesses Tuesdays to Thursdays and for individuals Friday & Saturday. I actually can't wait to get in there and start making!

For more info visit their website www.fablabmanchester.org

The Manchester Weekender

It's all too much! Sack the person that put on three festivals in one weekend in Manchester! We spend most of the year waiting for something great to come along and what do you know, like buses, three come along at once. The annual Manchester Food & Drink Festival is back with some of Manchester's top restaurants churning out excellent food in Albert Square, though I think I love the posters more than the idea of standing in the rain eating! See the full programme here.




At the exact same time Abandon Normal Devices (AND) festival is also on, with workshops, films and installation art all around Manchester. I'm looking forward to seeing Phil Collins' latest short film Marxism Today at the Cornerhouse. See the full programme here.

If that wasn't enough Un-convention is on this weekend with Bill Drummond, Jah Wobble, Jarvis Cocker, to name a few, are playing at a host of venues across Salford, namely the Salford Lad's Club where tonight Billy Bragg and Kid British are playing at the iconic venue. Great event, although I found it utterly confusing how you buy tickets, and frankly £50 for a festival pass for one weekend is pretty much most of a weeks salary for some of us Salfordians. Seems as though it's more for people to come to Salford, not for us to see things in our area, what a shame.

Finally the Manchester Weekender, which combines some of the above three but adds some more extra activities, just in case you couldn't find something to do! It rather handily divides the weekend into three choices, The Urban Weekender, The Classic Weekender and the Urban Playground, giving you a slice of what's on whether your preferred weekend includes your fixie bike or your three kids.

Nevertheless it's been a crazy two days in Manchester, but a bit of a shame these things weren't spread over the month as only those with the time to trawl the extensive festival listings packed in enough to get a flavour of what was to offer.

Shall try and catch some of the AND festival exhibitions as the continue over the next day or so. Shall report my findings!

Freelance Space Manchester

For those talented freelance designers in Manchester with the uber-tiny space to work in shared with a cat, two flatmates and an old sandwich, help is at hand! The excellent studio NoChintz has launched Studio 17, an amazing space for freelancers to rent a desk in their eames chair filled space complete with meeting rooms and an enviable business address. Spaces are £250+vat a month, for more info contact Dominic at NoChintz on 0161 236 1412 or email studio17@nochintz.co.uk

Only a hundred more clients and I can have one...

We've Moved!

Several arguments, one leaky boiler, one broken Peter Blake later we've finally moved! You'd have thought that moving two streets over would be a piece of cake but alas no, loading up the tiny car every evening for two week is possibly the most laborious way to move. But here we are in our first house, and finding it really strange being able to paint any wall we fancy, after almost six years of renting it's a pretty odd feeling! I shall be posting all the disasters in due course, there will be many...

Oh, and Phill really isn't that odd looking in real life!

Sky Lanterns

The latest Chimney Pot Park lovely craze is Sky Lanterns, no party in complete without letting a few lanterns go - there's something about fire and pretty paper that mesmerizes. We got ours from the pound shop in Salford precinct but you can get them from amazon.co.uk here.

Salford Sunday Flea Market

Nothing we do gives us as much pleasure as fear than Salford Sunday Flea Market, next to the precinct, or Salford Shopping City to be precise. The combination of tat and treasure is surely unique to Salford, as combinations of used 90’s make-up and war time pocket watches can’t be found anywhere else. It has to be said nine times out of ten we leave empty handed and wondering if that was in fact our neighbours stolen bike for sale, but the summer time is when all the best stuff comes out of the woodwork. Some stalls consist of literally tat, bin bags overflowing poured onto the damp tarmac and piles of ‘obtained’ irons, blenders and oddly, breadmakers. Other stalls however, which aren’t always there every week, have collections of antique teapots, old Manchester maps, 1920’s sheet music and, like last week, Victorian picnic hampers complete with vintage wineglasses and butter knives. If you can handle sifting the tat, and can put your game face on some little treasures can be found. We recently picked up a 1930’s picture frame for 50p and a set of eight teacups and saucers for £2 (see picture), and have great luck finding unusual picture frames and teapots.

I have to say I did in the end purchase a bread maker for £10, needless to say I daren’t ask where they got it from!

Salford Flea Market, every Sunday, Salford Market next to Salford shopping city, 9am - about 1ish. Get there before 12 though any good stuff goes!