I was given this Graphis Annual as a present a few months back and have been meaning to put up a post about it for what seems like ages now (sorry Angharad). Anyway. Graphis has an extraordinary record of celebrating design talent and has produced a series of annuals and magazines each year that represent [...]

I was recently asked to name my all-time favourite graphic artist or illustrator and I found myself mumbling and gibbering in the roughly the same manner as when I forget a birthday or shrink one of my girlfriend’s woollen jumpers in the wash. In the end, I automatically spewed out some random designers for equally [...]

I’m suddenly very much aware of the fact that I have been ignoring some rather marvelous illustration work of late. Sites such as the Behance Network and Grainedit have (as usual) been working overtime to plug the gap, whereas I have sadly been in the garden staring blankly at my veg patch. Tut tut. ‘Well [...]

So. The London 2012 Olympic franchise has finally sealed its own fate it seems. After the public debacle of the pupil-itching, Wolf-Ollins designed, acid-frenzy that is the 2012 logo, it seems that the top brass weren’t content with making the United Kingdom the laughing stock of the design community just once. Yes… Ladies and Gents, [...]

I just had a great weekend away with my Dad and my Brother watching some stock-car racing at the Northampton International Raceway. As a young kid in the 1980′s I was exposed to Stock-racing on a regular basis with them. They were seasoned spectators and knew many of the drivers – some were even from [...]

I like booze when it’s time for for booze. I’m rather fond of making it too and recently I embarked on a challenge to remake a traditional old English recipe for a drink called Noyau Gin. I first saw the recipe in the 1970′s classic (but altogether indispensable) Food For Free by Richard Mabey and [...]

I remember seeing a rather scarce complete set of Kenneth Townsend mugs at a carboot sale once and being inflicted by a severe case of tightness, I decided to refrain from purchsasing them. How I wish I had snapped them up now. Not only are Townsend pieces quite valuable now, they have that splendid 1970′s [...]

May Bank Holiday. Britain. There’s never much chance of the weather being great for this weekend, but at least today the sun was shining on a little corner of London for the afternoon. Even if it was irritatingly nippy out. I decided a long overdue visit to the Chelsea Physic Garden was in order when [...]