Day Eleven : and its my Birthday....

30 today, tea in the bath, a good haul of pressies.

Ramones on loud

Hey ho! Lets go!

Day Nine : Last day of my twenties

Looking back on the first 30 years, Im pretty pleased with how its gone, I've achived alot that I set out to do, although my time and indeed my love for making music has come to a close, I had a damned fine time with some very good dudes making it.
Its a shame that the very tools that made making music more accessable and economical were also its downfall, filesharing and home recording battered an already oversaturated marketplace. To think I once made a living just being in a band is laughable now, but it was an awesome time, especially playing large hometown shows and far away in the desert of Las Vegas, unimaginable good luck.
The idea of having my own buisiness worrys and thrills me in equal measure, but I have to strike out. If we dont change our future, others will for us.
Spin the wheel, roll the dice.
Life wont wait.

Day Nine : Escaping the wrong way with a 'naughty-cool' adventure.

Two hours in the English channel. Watched everyone catch something. I did not.

Day Eight : Floating Free

Of late I have just got stuck in to work, its been busy, a blessing and a curse, taking on a manageral position can be daunting, but I'm so busy I just dont get time to worry.

I miss working at Keepsake Tattoo, I miss being in a band, but not so much as to do it again!

After seeing two teenage boys covered in blood after a Lambrini fuelled fight I felt in the mindset of 'I HAVE TO ESCAPE ALL THIS'  and now I know I can.

The family paid us a fleeting visit for a Geocache, the ritual eating of the family cheese, finally the taking of silly photographs, enjoy. X

Day Seven : Quick, wake up, lets have pancakes.

Ooooosh, wanted to try out my new Hoodlum tattoo machine in lieu of getting my licence in the next month, or however long it takes B&H council to process my application. Only fair I test it on myself, ouch, I'm too old for this lark.

Its 10pm, we've been in bed an hour, watching River Cottage season one.

Jessie has been crowing about these cinnamon swirl pancakes she saw on Tumblr.

Suddenly, quick, like a bunny, my mind decides.... I must have pancakes.

The deed is done.

Come to the dark side..... We have pancakes!

Day Six : WOULD YOU SELL YOUR SOUL FOR AN iPAD?

Law firm teams up with Apple to provide ... ipad for all no win no fee customers with estmated compensaton of £20k+  - Hilary Meredith Solicitors, you have lowered the bar lower than anyone ever has.

Day 5ive: where a very ill girl tattoos a melon.

Today I'm essentially watching the clock until its time to do a late shift at work.

A car is driving around playing circus music and trying to convince all of Hove to go to the event tonight, instead it worried me, initially reminding me of Fallout (video game).
Please Stand By.

My girlfriend was essentially housebound due to a persistant and nasty cold, there is only so many magazines you can read.
The solution was to introduce her to the subtle art of melon tattooing, I have to admit I was a bit jealous by the results, she seems to have a natural talent!

Now if you excuse me, Im feeling a bit ill and Will Smith is about to save the world.

Day Three : Where I decided I would like some chickens and needing a bread oven I find myself needing to learn to lay bricks.

My Girlfriend's Father is a heck of a bread baker, a few years ago I could be caught in the kitchen baking bread every few weeks, he bakes once, maybe twice a day, for home consumption couple that with half a dozen fresh organic eggs a day, well I have a case of green eyed monster, was I seriously considering taking a pointing course so I could learn to build a brick bread oven?
YES! will I do it? maybe.

Eggs? Chickens! which comes first? well I need chickens to get my eggs.
I might want some fancy chickens to show off as well as some solid egg laying ladies.
My Dad described the Eglu as "an Ipod for chickens" - I can see why ( http://www.omlet.co.uk/homepage/ ) I don't think its QUITE for me, however, it has driven me to start thinking about also keeping bees, they are responsible for pollination and other important things, besides producing honey, which i could use to make mead!


Compromise is boring, I'm looking for a bike that I can drag up the hills and along fire roads for a tea and cake fuelled Sunday 20 mile ride as well as a adrenaline fuelled 3 minute downhill mosh over hellish rocks and roots last seen in Mordor. Unusually I'm happiest in massively technical descents in pine forests where slippery roots reign on a throne of sharp rocks, frozen rain and broken toes aside its where I'm home. I do fear with prices how they are, I'm going to be waiting at least until next year before a new steed arrives for this huntsman.

Day Four : My thoughts on Jamie Oliver

Its easy to hate on Jamie, I'm guilty of it, I bet you are too.
Does he try to be your friend too much? Or do we just dislike the Essex boy wot done good?

Tonight I'm really enjoying His summer dishes, its fun and simple enough for most to follow, I cant wait to try some of the silly rustic recipes all crammed with simple flavour.

Jamie, stop making cookware shut down some of your stores, open a cookery school, help our kids cook like you helped me when I as a young gun. Britain needs you.

Day Two : The impossibility of reality.

Fantasy plays a strong part in my life, inspiration drawn from the top end of the 'sensible idea scale' weaves a rich and exciting fault line through my self.

Where 'common sense' fall most heavily afoul is the aspirational dream, I've recently got to thinking how much of my life could and has passed by without succumbing to whims that to most would be fantasy pure and simple, the answer, heartwarmingly is, not much.

A lazy Sunday picking through Dirt magazine and Country Homes, drinking so much Earl Grey that I deserve an award....

I'm also very pleased to announce that my record player is working, is there anything finer than spinning the wheels of steel. No.


So tonight I think I will busy myself looking for that 'right move' the house I can make a home and raise a family, and one month before my 30th Birthday, it cant come too soon.

Next post will include charity shop finds, chickens, wood burning stoves, alpine bikes and baking bread.

Day One : In which I explain why I have begun to deplore this pretty seaside town..

I live in an amazing city, by all accounts we were once a thriving hub of music arts and liberation, shabby, yes, crusty, sometimes.

I noticed gradually as the venues closed down, the price of a pint skyrocketed close to the £5 mark, the advent of Facebook had meant that I started to feel I was actually becoming quite quite isolated, digitally standing in the corner of a party no one invited me to.

Maybe, this relationship has run its course, I wont lie, I have flirted with the idea of escaping to the country ever since I first saw River Cottage, I think that's fair enough, obviously, there is something oh so romantic about running away from the cruel city, raising a smallholding and ending my relationship with the rat race.

Certain realities must be faced, eloping to, say, the South of France on paper sounds wonderful, however I have read 'A year in Provence' and I can imagine myself struggling for the French for "help my toilet is overflowing with rats" or crying when the Mayor explains to me that due to being a British, two gentlemen will be coming to beat me senseless steal my house and urinate foracbly on my face, Merci.

So assuming the struggle of moving in the first place will be challenge enough, lets agree English must be spoken in this country freely, almost by accident I chose Wales, specifically Snowdonia.

Price has been a great factor, honestly seeing a four bedroom house for under £100k is a staggering delight, access to a high speed rail link to London is nice too, I might want to return to see live music from some god awful American rock band or go clubbing at White Mink, Im a strange lad.

In short, Brighton I cant say when the magic started to wear off, the burnt birdcage on the beach, I still find you beautiful, but in old age this lady has become crazy, tiresome and sometimes just plain annoying