Lovely work by Portsmouth University BA Fine Art graduate Richard Oakes. Really like his illustratrative drawings around Portsmouth and Gosport. His website can be viewed at – http://www.oakesart.moonfruit.com/ and he can be contacted at : richard.oakes79@hotmail.co.uk.
Nestled amongst the many bijou boutiques on Marmion Road is Lusseau, a brand new independent food store dedicated to French produce. Run by the charming Marie Lusseau, the store sells everything from cheeses, pates, tinned goods, freshly baked goods to vintage clocks, french cookbooks and other gallic inspired items. Although having only been open for eight weeks, the shop is already a firm favourite with many locals, with her croissants and other delicacies flying out of the door. Being the perfect host, Marie sat me down with a cup of Earl Grey and a croissant (amazingly buttery) and talked me through some pretty exciting plans for the shop, including wine and cheese evenings (licence providing) and French christmas hampers. Sounds like just the shop I have been waiting for! I wish Lusseau all the best for the future and I look forward to becoming a regular.
Click here for further photos.
The next Art on the Pier will be held on Sunday 6th November 2011 on South Parade Pier. Anyone wishing to exhibit should visit the website www.artonthepier.co.uk to register. Spaces are limited so be quick to secure a place, the fee to exhibit has been reduced to £30. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with like-minded people and sell direct to local people. The doors open to the public from 10am –5pm and entry is free. We will be asking visitors to vote for their favourite display which has proved very popular with Dean Martin winning in April and Julie Chappell winning in July, both excellent artists.
Local Southsea electro artist Diamondback Kid launched not only his second e.p. ‘Initiate Contact’ this week, but also his own record label, Diamondback Recordings.
His first e.p. ‘Electro Superstar’ released in March 2011, reached number two in the Juno Download chart (Juno is the iTunes for dance enthusiasts) and Diamondback was featured as one of the first Pet Sounds guests to create a Spotify list at the same time.
The lastest e.p. ‘Initiate Contact’ is a stronger and darker collection and is released on October 28th on Juno Download and Diamondback’s Bandcamp page from Monday 31st October. Diamondback Kid hopes to not only use the label for his own releases but also to begin releasing material by other local and UK artists in the near future and, in fact, is in the process of organising the second release on the label, an e.p. entitled ‘The Tournament’ featuring 10 of the scene’s most respected artists including Pip Williams, R21, Grow, The Hidden Persuader and DVS NME.
For more information on Diamondback Kid and Diamondback Recordings see the following Facebook pages HERE and HERE, and also check him out over at www.soundcloud.com
A seasonal selection inspired by one of many fine compilations made for me by brother Andrew www.paranoidfoundation.blogspot.com. He’s responsible for rescuing my early MOR musical meanderings when one Christmas when he bought me the albums Dry by PJ Harvey and Copper Blue by Sugar.
We both hail from the Isle of Wight where ghost stories have always been rife and we both share a huge passion for Ventnor favourite The Bees, a band who we’ve both seen more than any other! Seeing them perform a rowdy set on South Parade Pier at the time of their Octopus album was a particularly memorable night.
Living close to the Wedgewood Rooms for many years I have been able to enjoy some fantastic local music at the drop of a hat! Some real gems too including Broken Social Scene, Nitzer Ebb, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Les Rhythm Digitales, Paloma Faith, Franz Ferdinand, Stereolab, Yeasayer and Laura Marling…keep it coming Wedgewood Rooms!
Grab the playlist HERE and check the past playlists HERE.
Happy Halloween!
The playlist:
01 These are the Ghosts – The Bees
02 Walking with a Ghost – Tegan and Sara
03 There’s a Ghost in my house – R. Dean Taylor
04 Ghost – Turin Brakes
05 Ghost – Rogue Wave
06 Your Ghost – Kristin Hersh
07 Ghost Highway – Mazzy Star
08 Ghost – Neutral Milk Hotel
09 The Ghost of a small tour boat captain – Artery
10 Drove through Ghosts to get here – 65daysofstatic
11 Ghosts – Ladytron
12 Ghost Song – The Doors with Jim Morrison
13 The Ghost (Marcus Garvey) – Burning Spear
14 Ghost Town – The Specials
15 Ghosts – The Jam
16 Giving up the Ghost – DJ Shadow
17 Ghost Rider – Suicide
18 Ghost – Bombay Bicycle Club
19 Is there a Ghost – Band of Horses
20 Ghost – Antony & the Johnsons
Righto chaps, it’s time to clean shave your boat race and get that mighty moustache on the grow in support of Movember for The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research. For 30 days of November you can help support and raise awareness through selflessly parading your top lip for charity.
You can sign up yourself, as I’m sure many of you already have, or you can join the Strong Island team and seek out sponsorship as a team. Through the Strong Island Movember page you can ask people to join the group, make donations, upload photos and post updates via the MoSpace page, Facebook and Twitter.
Head over to www.mobro.co/StrongIsland if you would like to get involved and grow a Strong Moustache to help raise awareness, or simply head over to www.uk.movember.com and sign up to personally raise money.
The funds raised in the UK support the number one and two male specific cancers – prostate and testicular cancer. The funds raised are directed to programmes run directly by Movember and our men’s health partners, The Prostate Cancer Charity and the Institute of Cancer Research. Together, these channels work together to ensure that Movember funds are supporting a broad range of innovative, world-class programmes in line with our strategic goals in the areas of awareness and education, survivorship and research.
Poster: Tristan Savage
The last roller disco of the year at the skatepark is a special one, it’s on Halloween. The roller discos have been getting really successful all through the summer and this one is sure to be amazing. Find out more at:
Portsmouth Film Festival put this great little promo together a while back showing how the sights and sounds of Portsmouth can be great inspiration for creativity. The film festival is a labour of love and with the cuts, etc is always in need of volunteers, funding, sponsorship so if you can help in any way please get in contact via EMAIL or FACEBOOK.
While in Shoreditch earlier this week I stumbled across a t-shirt shop called We Admire. Inside I noticed Portsmouth’s HMS Victory on one of the tee’s. If you like the design you can buy it HERE.
As you may know each year we run a home brew competition in February where the winning brew has the opportunity to be brewed by Irving & Co Brewing Co. and sold around the city in the summer. Last year’s brew, the Strong Island Hopper Ale, was hugely successful being one of Inving’s best selling ales and selling out so quickly it went through a second brew run. This year’s winning ale is Dry Dock No. 1, originally brewed by Lee Immins, went on sale in some of Portsmouth and Southsea’s pubs over the weekend.
We spoke to The Hole in The Wall in Southsea who said the new ale went down a storm with it being their best seller on Sunday and with almost two barrels empty by the end of the Bank Holiday weekend. Those guys at the Hole in The Wall and their regular ale drinkers know their stuff so for us this was amazing early news with the ale.
To officially launch Dry Dock No. 1 we are having a launch party with the lovely souls at The Belle Isle on Thursday evening. The ale will be on full flow, come down and try a pint or two. As well as being on sale all around the city the ale will also be available in Chichester’s Belle Isle too, so you can drink it away from home for the first time too.
Just over a year ago, a group of Strong Islanders were sat on the Isle of Wight ferry on our way to the yearly Randonnee cycling event; 60 miles around the island spread across 5 checkpoints. Whilst on the crossing we couldn’t help but admire various enthusiasts and their custom team jerseys. Fast forward a year and it is my great pleasure to unveil the Strong Island cycling jersey. Made as a one off for the event, the jersey is our way of representing this city and all the values that come with it. Thanks to the combined designing efforts of Chris Ballingall and Tristan Savage, we were able to produce this clean, retro looking jersey that 11 of Southsea’s finest could wear to conquer the island’s endless hills. Well done chaps.
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