Trackback #1 UNKLE – Lonely Soul
November 28, 2008
I decided to take to the sofa last Sunday, not leave the house and fill my afternoon with movies. Danny Boyle’s The Beach was one of them.
At eight years old, it’s maybe quite an old (very good) film but its soundtrack still packs a punch with tracks such as Mory Kante’s Yeke Yeke and William Orbits No. 1 hit Pure Shores by girl band All Saints…remember them? Hold out for the titles and you’ll get to hear the best track by far: Lonely Soul by UNKLE. Released in 1998, it’s equally as old as The Beach but I’d forgotten just how good it is. It’s also prompted me to start what I’ve entitled ‘Trackback’ (a music related flashback) and to have nothing but UNKLE’s amazing album Psyence Fiction on my iPod for the rest of the week.
Enjoy.
Milly Rose; vintage furniture with personality
November 21, 2008
A good friend of mine has just introduced me to Milly Rose; a brand new company that specialises in adding a contemporary, designer twist to vintage furniture. As a vintage enthusiast, I’m only too happy to discover somewhere new to feed my ever-growing addiction (as is my bank manager).
Everyone fancies Jeremy
Milly Rose is the brainchild of mother of two; Alison Parmer who scours the UK for well loved vintage furniture and then re-upholsters them in beautiful, statement designer silks, cottons and linens. Re-upholstered in MissoniHome, Kenzo, ROMO and Harlequin Harris fabrics, Parmer’s range compromises of one-of chaise longue’s and vintage chairs that are packed full of personality. Each item is lovingly personified with a name; from Susannah, Anushka to Holly and Amarante. Without a doubt, my eyes are firmly fixed on Jeremy. A 1950’s wooden chair complete with charmingly aged wood, Jeremy has been brought fashionably up to date with MissoniHome silk and cotton. With his extrovert colours and years of experience ‘everyone fancies this one’ meaning this bachelor’s unlikely to be on the market for long.
Having only launched in October this year, Milly Rose is still very much a fledgling company. However, with its niche quirkiness and Finders Seekers service where for a nominal sum Parmer will hunt down iconic pieces of furniture from the past, the brand is set to become a huge success. And with unquestionably beautiful products, a Milly Rose purchase may not come cheap (prices start from £450) but will guarantee a chic investment for years to come.
The End…of London’s club scene?
November 20, 2008
Following the announcement The End is to close in January 2009; the ill fate of four more London clubs has been sealed. Supposedly some of the glitziest clubs of London (and regular hang outs to C-list celebrities), Café Royal, Paper, Dolce and Chinawhite now add to the list of clubs to close.
In January this year, The Cross at Kings Cross shut its doors for a final time and the land was sold to property developers. With so many closures, it poses the question is London’s club scene dying a death? As a huge fan of house music and although not someone to frequent celeb haunts, I am saddened to hear that further clubs will be laid to rest. It would appear that once again, the land has been sold to property developers. To be precise, Israeli developer Alrov has signed a £90 million deal to renovate the site Café Royal has occupied for nearly 150 years into a decadent, exclusive hotel in a bid to restore glamour and luxury to the West End of London.
It has been reported that Paper, Dolce and Chinawhite are currently scouting for new locations but the historic Café Royal which has played host to people such as Oscar Wilde and Elizabeth Taylor will hand over its keys this coming January. To commemorate the London landmark coming to an end, Café Royal are hosting a Grand Finale on 16th December that promises a ‘glittering charity Christmas ball’. Tickets cost £84.50 plus VAT and can be bought here.
Thankfully, it seems The Egg at Kings Cross has no plans to close and with few destinations left in the heart of London for late night (and early morning) clubbing, I will be fully supporting London’s remaining club scene for as long as my love of house music continues to grow.
If you too have an opinion on London’s club scene, it would be great to hear your thoughts. Feel free to post your comments here or email them to clare@tinker-tailor-soldier-sailor.co.uk.
January 2009 - Set to be a sad time for London clubbers
From the horses mouth; top tips on credit crunch interviewing
November 20, 2008
I’ve recently been lucky enough to become a victim of the credit crunch and found myself back in the
interviewee’s seat.
Having had a couple of interviews, it would appear (as expected during economical decline) companies are experiencing a sea of candidates for few roles and are using it to their advantage. Wouldn’t you?
Interview processes are getting harder, longer and tougher meaning the process may be more drawn out and essentially, you need to be top of your game. A recurring pattern seems to be evident from the interviews I’ve had recently – accompanying the usual strength and weakness quizzing is a new breed of climate reflecting questions.
The credit crunch is prompting interviewers to play safe, asking tougher questions and reduce risk taking. You may find yourself faced with three or more rounds of interviews, some with up to five interviewers at once. So, if like me, you are one of the many fish in the sea hungry to snap up a new position, some well prepared answers to the following questions I’ve been asked may just help you to stand out.
Topping the list of credit crunch questions at interview:
‘How do you think (the company’s name) will prosper in the current climate?’
‘How do you predict business trends?’
‘How do you predict social trends?’
‘Can you give me an example of how you have analysed the success of your work?’
‘How do you instigate profitability?’
Packed full of nuts
Sunday soundtrack #2: Pryda – Armed
November 16, 2008
Under the aliases Sheridan, Moo, Cirez D or Pryda, Eric Prydz continues to release euphoric, floor filling beats. Armed by Pryda (released in April 2007) may have potentially been bypassed by better known tracks Proper Education and Call on me with THAT video but deserves a mention in its own right.
Discovered yet again thanks to the wonders of Last fm, Armed is one of those house tracks filled with simple beats that quickly become infectious. Just listen to the whoops, whistles and gratifying admiration of the crowd on the video above. There’s also another Pryda remix available featuring a recent favourite of mine, Deadmau5. Entitled Armed Contact, this Pryda Vs Deadmau5 mix may not be hugely different but it’s equally as good.
If you’re as much of fan and on the hunt for some new electro house music like me, it’s worth checking out Deadmau5 Radio on Last fm. As well as Pryda’s Armed, I’ve discovered a few other tracks that I’ve been clearly been missing out on – and will be sharing them here with you very shortly. In the meantime, Armed is being deservedly given the number two spot on my Sunday Soundtrack. Enjoy.
Sunday Soundtrack
#1 – Georg Levin & Leisure Suit
Styleshake; affordable bespoke fashion at the click of a button
November 11, 2008
Put one new media expert and one very talented Central St Martins graduate together and what do you get? Styleshake.com.
A funky little idea, Style Shake is a bespoke fashion eBrand that allows you to follow a set of simple instructions to become a fashion designer…and responsible for loosing a couple of hours of my afternoon doing so.
Choose your fabrics, choose your neckline, skirt shape and trims – you can design a complete collection of skirts, dresses and tops and in ten working days have it delivered to your door. In terms of sizing, you can order using standard EU sizes (e.g., 6 – 18) or have your design tailored to your specific measurements for no extra cost. Not bad for an average of £45-£50.
Hot on the social network bandwagon you can save your designs for other ‘shakers’ to view in the Style Gallery for inspiration. Members can rate and purchase your designs (the latter being great for the site and not so great if you’d hoped to design an exclusive one-off). There’s plenty of other ways to share your designs and big up your designer reputation by posting them to your Facebook or Myspace profile or sending them to friends.
Ranging from £29 for tops and skirts to roughly £55 for dresses in a vast selection of organic fabrics and more, Styleshake is perfect if you’re looking for something that little bit different. As of this afternoon, you can now even buy the Tinker-Tailor-Soldier-Sailor ‘capsule collection’ designed by my own fair hand under the alias Luckystar.
Left to right: Space Voyager £55, Milkshake £45 & Cookies and Cream £45
