I’m off to the Birmingham Bloggers Meetup, and aside from having ongoing internal discussions about whether there is any ‘possession’ implied between the words ‘bloggers’ and ‘meetup’ the last few days have been a mixed bag and I wanted to put something online about what I’ve been up to before I get all hyped up about tag-based OPML-generation or whatever is going to be the hot topic tonight.
Screen West Midlands have had the foresight to launch a new Advantage Development Fund for digital media companies. The basic idea - if there are great digital media ideas in the West Midlands, support them with seed capital to help them grow. If they work, they recoup the investment once they reach market.
If they don’t, then there’s no personal risk for the companies trying to push the boundaries. A great example of an agency really ‘getting it’ - internet startups need to get investment fast, with no complicated red tape involved - they’re risky, fast-paced and exciting and have big things to offer the region when one or two of these ideas start paying off.
To cut a long story short I sat down for several days writing a 50 page document, polishing up a prototype of something I’ve been working on for about a year, and filling out about another 50 pages of application forms. It’s in their hands now - I’ll report back if there’s any news.
Winning £3,000 (kinda)
3form are one of forty companies that have won £3,000 to spend against ‘innovation’ (read R&D) on a new product, service or idea through Aston Business School’s INDEX scheme.
The idea being to get small companies to buy the services of an academic to do something interesting and cutting edge. It’s early days, but in my original pitch I put in some time to work with Paul Bradshaw on a huge idea that we’ve been cooking up. Who knows where this one will lead - it could even hook in to the ADF thing.
Some new projects
I’ve been asked to work on the web production for a nice new range of ethical, organic baby products launching in April. Should be fun!
And we’re currently putting together a site for an historical documentary film company called Archive TV. That’s as well as working on all the other cool stuff I’m up to - nice to have some good clients to work with!
A meal out for the first time in ages
It feels like a looong time ago that Emily and I went out for a ‘proper’ sit-down meal. You know the ones where you telephone in advance?
Yeah - we actually had one of them. And it was lovely.Thanks to the staff at Brasserie Blanc for a great night on Friday. I can actually say without exaggeration that the fillet steak there was quite possibly the best I have ever had. Perfect.
A day with the little one
Saturday I managed to have my first day with the little one for ages, while Emily went off and did a photo-shoot for a family in London. Challenging, but great. We played at sticking stickers on eachother, doing a spot of walking (she’s trying to jump at the moment but can’t quite do it), and went off to buy Grandad’s 60th birthday presents.
Grandad Joe’s 60th
A 60th Birthday is a very special occasion and we went to The Grove just near Watford for their unbelievable ‘buffet’ (translation - anything you want, on a plate, now, for as long as you can continue eating). Lovely.
Dad was in a great mood all day, and we had a great time. My brother made him a box of ’sixty wishes’ - a box-frame with sixty buttons in it and some artwork that he’d done. Lovely. Betty, one of the little one’s ’special friends’, had bought him a hot air balloon ride - looked great. And after much dithering I buckled under the hint-dropping and brought along a shiny new iPhone, as well as a gift from the whole family - an Oris watch.
Happy birthday, dad!
(Shame I dropped our £1,000 lens on the floor and broke it - sorry if that dampened the mood!)
Today
But today’s not been so great. Last week we heard the sad news that a friend and neighbour of ours who recently moved to Australia had died in a car accident, and today was the memorial ceremony in the UK.
So we cancelled everything to go down to it. I guess for both Emily and I it all felt surreal - because the last time we saw him was to say goodbye before he and his partner went off to the other side of the world.
The whole community seemed to come out to give him their best wishes - the fairly large church hall was crammed to standing room only! His brother gave a particularly moving and eloquent speech, which was the emotional focus-point of the ceremony. Other than that the event was weighted mostly toward the religious side of his life and I guess that I didn’t know him well enough to connect my mental image of him as a person with that part of his life.
I still can’t quite connect my image of him with the fact that he’s no longer with us.A sad day, and I’m left with nagging questions and just feeling ‘unclosed’ if that makes any sense. I guess it will take a few days and for Emily too.
A sad day indeed - good men like him shouldn’t leave us so young.
Swimming and Sunsets
So I wasn’t really feeling much up to anything at the end of the day. We all went for a swim and the little one managed to actually remember that she _enjoys_ swimming lots! Which is good, because we all enjoy a good swim and until recently she’s been complaining and pulling faces whenever we try.
And so it’s ‘no TV’, just the sunset looking out over Birmingham. We have an amazing view of the city up here, looking out over the University and the park.
This evening the sky turned a wonderful shade of red and I turned off all of the lights and just looked out at it all.
Sometimes it’s best to just put a day aside and say ‘Enough - I’ll pick everything up tomorrow’.
One Comment
I just wanted to say thanks for writing that about Matt. He was an amazing guy and I’m so glad we were friends with him. I will always, always remember that we saw him and Cherry on that morning back in December 2006 very early in the morning on our way to the hospital…and a few hours later a very special someone was born!