Colour coordinated weekend

Things have been blue and white here over the last few days - the bride wanted the colour and pattern of the blue invites and her ivory lace dress to be reflected in the cake.  I really enjoyed making and decorating her cake and my lovely mum enjoyed helping to deliver it.

A friend's new son arrived a few days early and a blanket was called for - finished just in time and spot on for a wee boy - with Northern Ireland having had the coldest July weather in 20 years, the cosy warmth was needed!

I thoroughly enjoyed all the baking, decorating and crochet.  It was an intensely creative end to the working week and it all left me feeling relaxed- just as well as I'd an early start back to work for a Radio 4 broadcast on Sunday morning.  The service was from the Corrymeela community on Northern Ireland's beautifully, misty coastline... more grey and white than blue and white though - a very misty, damp morning.

A wee bit of hooky, new baby cuddles and being part of someone's special day - and a programme that went smoothly. Perfect.  What makes you happy?

The Art of Celebration.

The Art of Celebration - the new album by these lovely people - the Rend Collective who hail from Bangor, Co Down (about 2 miles away from where I live).  

I love the title of the album - I've heard them describe the 'art' element as something that's both playful and something that has to be worked at.  It's all about joy - and that's a gift.

Tonight, I'm heading up to Belfast where we're recording their concert for a radio broadcast later in the year and we'll record a quick interview with them.  I've worked with them before and they're the real McCoy - joy-filled, lovely, happy, real people.  No celebrity nonsense going on here.  If you didn't catch them on Graham Norton's Radio 2 show and you like a slightly folky, slightly rocky, slightly whacky sound… have a listen to some of their sound here.  

Looking forward to this gig!

guess what I'm working on....!

It might be well thumbed, stained and with loose pages, but this is my favourite book from way back when. I think I bought it in 1974 at CSSM in Groomsport.  CSSM is like a non-residential camp organised by Scripture Union (Children's Sea Side Mission - or Come Single Soon Married for the students on the team!)

Every day we made a huge platform in the damp sand and decorated it with shells and flowers and trailing sea weeds, then gathered round with parents... scores of  us.  From the top of the platform, guitar playing students led us in choruses, stories were told, Bible verses were memorised and we learnt to love Jesus...

That summer, I learnt to love Narnia too.  I also learnt to see and love deeper, Biblical truths it taught.  CS Lewis (Jack) was from Belfast, my home town, and there was a certain pride that something so magical had been written by one of our own. 

I loved those books and still do, so imagine my delight to be writing a "journey through Narnia" in words and music for a festival in Dublin.  On Saturday evening, part of our choir, orchestra and band will be in Christchurch, Bray and I am so looking forward to sharing the good news about the real Aslan with the audience - I have so loved writing it. 

Words... music... and Narnia... bliss.



All change!

So I turned 49 at the end of November.  Time for a mid-life crisis methinks.  49 is a sort of a key number I reckon - my "seven Sabbaths of years" - a "super Sabbatical" before the big Jubilee.  

Time to change a few things in anticipation of the next 7 years (and I have things brewing in my head on that front.....)

So a new year, fresh diary and the fastest way to get a bit of control over things was to allocate themes to each month.  

January = "deal with it" month - tying up urgent loose ends;  two tax returns (yes TWO) - the IR "misplaced" the 2010 return.  Then it was pantomime time at the Ulster Hospital (it's behind me...) I had a brilliant band this year - great music.  Looking forward to next year already.

February = "Dump it" month.  Dumping from the study, the wardrobes, the fabric stash, the roofspace etc.  One thing I hadn't quite factored "dumping" was my job...  (thanks auntie beeb).  They say it's "restructuring" - the same old same old.... we're all the same and too old....   10 of us in the pot to go and 6 have already gone. (i still can't work out how that adds up to the "7 posts only to go" thing... maybe I need fresh batteries in my calculator.....)

March?  "Technology" month... though it's started early - dad come over all technological on us yesterday and insisted on loading up a database for his choir.  Brilliant!!  March will be for gutting out the picture and video files, changing internet/phone provider here and up north and silencing the tedious talk talk - which apparently is all they do.  I'd be happy if it was "do do" although in childish language, it sums up their service.

April I'm planning to spend finishing all the UFOs so it's "Sew and Sew" month - though if I've been pushed off the shelf in the office, I may get to this faster.

Any lonely millionaires out there?!

So it's been a while... and it's been a busy while too. I'm knee deep in an animation project to introduce children to French, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese - and maybe Irish eventually too.

I've also been on the fringes of some Songs of Praise recordings - for those not in the know, it's the BBC's longest running weekly music programme on television and is watched in the UK by about four million people every week, and many, many more internationally. It's been a pleasure to be involved in it - and it's not often I get to say that about work!

Added value is that the New Irish choir and orchestra are taking part and as I'm a member, it was fun getting to be on both sides of the show. (The hyperlink is to the trail for the Christmas concert but it gives you a flavour of what we're about.) Jonathan Rea's arrangements of the hymns featuring in the programme are wonderful. It was also recorded in the church I attend, so it's great to recognise lots of friends and family in the pews.

The first programme is for Sunday 13th March - and features Dr Helen Roseveare - she's only on for a few minutes, but she packs her punch as always and it's compelling viewing. Her story is the stuff of a Holywood filmscript - except her experiences of God's presence as she served through her medical missionary work in Africa are challenging. She starts by saying she fell in love with Jesus while she was a student, and finishes by reminding us that at the end, it's only what's done for him that matters.

365:132-136

365: 136 Sunday 16th

These were the "story reminders" we made in beginners' Sunday School today. Just wish I'd recorded the bangs, clatters and rattles of all the shakers, tambourines and bells. A couple of dozen very happy 3 - 4 year olds and happy - but deafened - teachers. The story was about David praising God.

365: 135 Saturday 15th
Big Kids. New playpark in Donaghadee.... hardly any kids in sight, but the big people were having a blast!

365:134 Friday 14th

Baby cake. Not into gender stereotyping or anything, but I don't think it's for a boy....

365:133 Thursday 13th

A wee poke in Maud's, Donaghadee - I'd arranged to meet Lynda and son William when who should drive past waving but ma and pa. Like they hadn't planned it. Hmmmm ;p

365:132 Wednesday 12th

Took days to get over this. I'm not allowed to order feathers with a website address cut into the fluffy bit and a biro bunged up the other end because a health and safety officer is concerned about the chemical makeup of Fairy Liquid. I kid you not. The feathers are washed in it - then rinsed three times, but teachers might suck them and where would that leave education in Northern Ireland. And to think I only asked in case there was a rule about things kids might shove up their nose.

365:118 Greenhouse

We'd a staff meeting today - 250 of us crammed into a telly studio to do some creative thinking. Some days I really like my job - just not the commute to Shepherd's Bush from Belfast via the ever busy Heathrow.

365:111 and 112 On the red eye again

And for once, I had an hour to kill before the flight home, so a few shots to include today. First off... two early starts in a row, so the dashboard blur on Wednesday - says it all really if you can read the time. I'm not an early riser by nature.

Then from London on Thursday, The bus/tempo shot amused me - from the sublime to the ridiculous really. (They're "tempos" in Nepal - what are they called in the UK? Bicycle rickshaws? Anyone know?)

Next is All Souls', Langham in the background and the lunchtime crowd at the Oxford St / Regent St junction. It's the church I used to attend when I lived in London.

And finally, my favourite. The staircase. One of life's ups and downs - I love this one - it's in the Liberty Store just off Carnaby Street.

365:104 Study time again

...didn't quite manage to take the point though.

365:097 So why am I working?

...especially when everyone else in Belfast seemed to be still on holiday on the Wednesday of Easter week? Oh to have such clear car parks every day.

365:090 Time out

One of those days when there just didn't seem to be enough hours in the day.... this was quittin' time - at least I'm off for Easter now.

365:083 rainy train

Bit of a change in the weather, but I'm happy - no sitting in traffic jams, no stress, just me, the book and a drink. Bliss. (And I liked the reflection!)

365:082 Blitzed

Recording a drama about the Belfast Blitz today... and the entire cast is under 15 years of age. Was good fun.

365:081 getting desperate

Desperately dusty keyboard (any tips on de-gunging them?) and desperate for a photo of something - anything for today.

365:076 Celebrations

Wearing the work hat here - our team's been working flat out to produce this site for a launch date today - think it's well worth a poke about. My favourite bit's the kids describing the man himself here.

Ok, shameless advertising over - normal service will be resumed tomorrow.

365:065 teeny weenys

I love these wee pencils a colleague bought me a while back. Having seen me colour coding script takes in studio with a big set, he reckoned these would be easier to carry. I reckon he thinks I have borderline OCD -so just to prove it Simpso - I haven't put the pencils in the right order. (Ok, it's killing me...... but they're still random!) They're so tiny. Such a thoughtful thing to do and since I've a script to work on this week, they're back in action.

365:049 Crush hour

Every time I go to London for the day on work business, it takes an average of five minutes on the tube to remind me why I chose to work back in Belfast. Looonnng day.

365:048 Early start

So maybe I should be in bed already?

365:043 Downpatrick today...

I've been in primary schools in different parts of NI yesterday and today. Today, it was the turn of St Brigid's. We've been "user-testing" a new website about St Patrick with 8 - 10 year olds. Some days it's a lovely job, despite the ridiculously early starts. The children had a display of crosses made for St Brigid's day which I think.. is at the start of February.

365:042 0530 start...

Dawn this morning... Belfast. Too early for any sane person to start work.