tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64507677970109355482024-02-18T17:56:45.463-08:00Pencil It InUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-73020759156001565402012-08-26T06:08:00.002-07:002012-08-26T14:02:47.096-07:00Salford Museum and Art Gallery<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUyaWeI_o0QG4zm-CgpLb0v8y4NssubmZMIryKKvp_m8BjYhFsPt0Ku7m5P8SPrymg39qHhdPvEfg8TUdzeLjz4A6sUO4ayxb8lHON7MB4DQVBqrkyTxoBxsup_XiKc18G_k8C61LPHe9/s1600/salford9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPUyaWeI_o0QG4zm-CgpLb0v8y4NssubmZMIryKKvp_m8BjYhFsPt0Ku7m5P8SPrymg39qHhdPvEfg8TUdzeLjz4A6sUO4ayxb8lHON7MB4DQVBqrkyTxoBxsup_XiKc18G_k8C61LPHe9/s320/salford9.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0cm;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-ansi-language:EN-US;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
first time I visited <a href="http://www.salford.gov.uk/salfordmuseum.htm">Salford Museum and Art Gallery</a> I was volunteering for the <a href="http://www.familyfriendly.org.uk/">Family Friendly Film festival</a>. While helping out on a crafty workshop, and handing out questionnaires to parents there was little time to explore the
museum, so I returned to have a proper look around the current exhibitions. These
include, '</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Wondrous Collection of Encapsulated Time: an exhibition by Sue
Platt,' and 'Lost Salford Streets.' The former<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>exhibition displays a collection
of ornate clocks, which have been transformed from their primary function, into
a piece of art. In each clock a different treasure, or strange object can be
found. The work is eerie and magical, reminiscent of the Victorian 'freak show,' displaying jars of strange oddities. I later discovered
that the </span><a href="http://www.sue-platt.com/"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">artist Sue
Platt</span></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">is
inspired by this era, and
in particular the fascination the Victorians had
with collecting strange </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Calibri;">artefacts to display in glass cabinets.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">'Lost
Salford Streets' is a historical exhibition, displaying photographs and original metal
signs of street names, from the lost streets of Salford, which have now been
replaced with apartments, shops and housing estates. This was a very
nostalgic exhibition, which I visited with a friend whose family, as far back
as her grandparents, have lived in Salford. This was therefore very relevant to
her family history and also gave me an idea of how my own family would have lived
during the earlier part of the 20th century, not to far from these
streets, in South Manchester.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9URl-HRyXcYcogTpgeUTQuv1HKXqS3gcLWToeWYj0om7p5TVVrfym_NEHavKAOMTerqao96zFbwi51ZlVEIQl2DpMs6T-Nh7SUyZLgnzroKAgQczalNR2_C1Caf_BaNpjFqFVXc8fny6/s1600/salfordmuseum.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9URl-HRyXcYcogTpgeUTQuv1HKXqS3gcLWToeWYj0om7p5TVVrfym_NEHavKAOMTerqao96zFbwi51ZlVEIQl2DpMs6T-Nh7SUyZLgnzroKAgQczalNR2_C1Caf_BaNpjFqFVXc8fny6/s320/salfordmuseum.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I
had not known on my first visit to the museum of a secret Victorian street
hidden away down some stairs, via a corridor or two. This was something
my Salfordian companion led me to, with great glee, knowing that I had no idea
where she was taking me. Surely enough I was taken back in time to the
Victorian era, on a cobbled Salford street with a horse and carriage, windows
into shops, and Victorian homes, and a pub full of the sounds of
rowdy punters, and joyful piano music.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Although
the museum is not as 'flashy' as the museum and galleries in Manchester it
still has a charm about it. I do however hope that eventually the museum will
gain some funding so it can be on equal terms with it's friends across the
river. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-77204047297757747632012-03-11T14:07:00.001-07:002012-03-12T06:31:15.530-07:00Pinteresting All Day Long<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The word <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> has been popping up on Twitter a lot recently. This is perhaps down to how fast the social networking site's user base has grown in such a short space of time. The website launched in 2010 and already has 13 million users, and is now one of the top 10 social networking websites. But what is Pinterest? In its simplest form Pinterest is a virtual pin board. It allows
users to save any image they find on the Internet and add it to
their Pinterest pin board. Images can be stored in various boards, which the user can title, such as ‘fashion’
or ‘home ideas.’ Users are able to search and browse other members' boards and 'repin' the
images to their own ‘pin board.’ </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The idea is similar to <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>, which I use as a virtual scrap book, but what makes Pinterest more effective for this purpose is how easy it is to organise your images, instead of a long feed of often unrelated images. The way the website displays other user's pictures, shown below, makes it easier to quickly scan for relevant 'pins.' </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCiXX1fZ7SEZYMGOdsseHz4BQgAuqkZ0BIQ8bKpfXTEoGccWa4g0sxbCHLW-6yHDmsu_iswkhM31gUpQRU3SeTdGY2pbS1ynLme1r3ZaJPRE4hHslbnxHMvRLDi2bkSV7y8yR0J7pOfSA/s1600/pinterest2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCiXX1fZ7SEZYMGOdsseHz4BQgAuqkZ0BIQ8bKpfXTEoGccWa4g0sxbCHLW-6yHDmsu_iswkhM31gUpQRU3SeTdGY2pbS1ynLme1r3ZaJPRE4hHslbnxHMvRLDi2bkSV7y8yR0J7pOfSA/s400/pinterest2.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have been spending less time on Tumblr since I created my Pinterest account, but the one major down side is the lack of a Pinterest app for Android phones, and therefore still spend time on Tumblr via their app when I am away from my computer. There has also been a major debate on copyright infringement, as users are essentially taking other people's images without the owner's permission. However I don't see how this is any different from what Tumblr or other social networking/social bookmarking sites have been doing for years. Not to say that I condone it, but the popularity of the platform must surely bring a lot of traffic to the owner's website, as every image on Pinterest is linked back to the image's location, and therefore this must help to promote the artist/photographer/designer/illustrator. The images are always credited this way, unlike Tumblr, which often does not link back to the image's original online location. Pinterest responded to these concerns by releasing a short line of code, which can be added to a website to stop users pinning images from that site.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
There has also been a buzz within the digital marketing industry regarding the benefits of Pinterest for brands. <a href="http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/9141-11-ways-to-use-pinterest-as-a-brand?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed">Vikki Chowney</a> recently wrote an article for Econsultancy about ways in which Pinterest could be used by brands. Chowney gave <a href="http://pinterest.com/katespadeny/">Kate Spade Pinterest</a> as an example of a successful brand account, which is filled with images that inspire the designer brand, reinforcing its vibrant, colourful and retro branding, with board titles such as 'dress colourfully,' 'travel colourfully,' and 'think colourfully.' Chowney writes that the titles of the boards 'might just be a naming convention, but the repetition means that the message sticks.'<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlLzQat6_564mS8nkkGKMHqDEgT6u-jbyan9hkwEYAKO9TvR62mLSGvByHqAlhs0wVn6_d9N51PYe6HeBk9Cof2Bv5Irk_Q1hwLjnIEBAOT4YL5l-C7PYZeo51rYxymMQNEJornuuYLDs/s1600/katespadepinterest.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlLzQat6_564mS8nkkGKMHqDEgT6u-jbyan9hkwEYAKO9TvR62mLSGvByHqAlhs0wVn6_d9N51PYe6HeBk9Cof2Bv5Irk_Q1hwLjnIEBAOT4YL5l-C7PYZeo51rYxymMQNEJornuuYLDs/s400/katespadepinterest.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Pinterest is flexible, and simple to use, and will thrive on our ever growing consumer culture and obsession with beautiful things. I just wish they'd hurry up with their Android app!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-51182783591644624362012-02-19T08:34:00.001-08:002012-03-12T06:46:08.321-07:00Cornerhouse Manchester<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri,Times,FreeSerif,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphO-iCDBj3e3UVmcnRYBnVVbOfnG6V1ylrf3pfXTkKzTtqbmSIcm6WD8pWIte-iuMQEbzal3g1Ftah6Ry_Jxi59tQWJAZBjhpTA_ipH_VcwWxlIpkqh1xvU26dDsVBgT6cjfPZFjZBigD/s1600/corner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgphO-iCDBj3e3UVmcnRYBnVVbOfnG6V1ylrf3pfXTkKzTtqbmSIcm6WD8pWIte-iuMQEbzal3g1Ftah6Ry_Jxi59tQWJAZBjhpTA_ipH_VcwWxlIpkqh1xvU26dDsVBgT6cjfPZFjZBigD/s320/corner.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yesterday I visited <a href="http://www.cornerhouse.org/">Cornerhouse</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">, a arts funded exhibition space and independant cinema in Manchester. There current exhibition is 'Lost is Found,' which showcases work by nine northern based artisted who explore found 'beauty in the redundant and discarded, delving into past lives, finding new stories in transformations and fleeting identities.' I always find exhibitions at Cornerhouse to be often too conceptual for my simple tastes, I much prefer a good old design or print exhibition, but saying that I did like this show. The idea behind the exhibition is simple and easy to relate to with ideas of past and personal experiences. Emily Speeds' piece, which is pictured, explores the idea of the physical place, the home, which is shaped and tied to the memories and lives lived by the occupiers. The pieces are like small little memories you can carry with you, but they have an eerier feel, a feeling of coldness presented by the stark whiteness of the pieces.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri,Times,FreeSerif,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">After viewing the show me and my companion had a swift couple of bevies in the very trendy and buzzing bar at Cornerhouse. I enjoy drinking and socialising here, even though it is often difficult to find seats due to the popularity of the venue, which isn't surprising since the atmosphere is so nice. The only downside is the expensive prices, but to be fair these are standard for the city centre. The venue also contains a cinema showcasing art house films, and has a much more personal & relaxed atmosphere compared to the big cinema complexes. </span><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri,Times,FreeSerif,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWEexzVloL_6WSfhv8hsl1cfdr8LzbERgb892IWduExEHRFQTFDIvxNKrkD4b9LJhbUm4FZpPfSj9G1sbbGELPNAlI-Hc7uez4VDLfQYmDCJOi7s-IgccOehXQLLoRUMZmxv9QD28yYsq/s1600/digworkshop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHWEexzVloL_6WSfhv8hsl1cfdr8LzbERgb892IWduExEHRFQTFDIvxNKrkD4b9LJhbUm4FZpPfSj9G1sbbGELPNAlI-Hc7uez4VDLfQYmDCJOi7s-IgccOehXQLLoRUMZmxv9QD28yYsq/s320/digworkshop.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri,Times,FreeSerif,serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Before leaving Cornerhouse I picked up one of their programmes, and inside I found a section called <a href="http://www.cornerhouse.org/creatives/creative-events-strands">'Creative Industries,'</a> which included several Digital Skills workshops. The workshops are aimed at the creative industries, showcasing how social media can be used within the sector. Most of the workshops are targeting social media novices, and as a previous Social Media Specialist I imagine they would cover most of the areas I already have knowledge of. However t</span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">he next workshop taking place is called '</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.cornerhouse.org/creatives/creatives-events/workshop-tools-trends-on-the-horizon">Tools & Trends on the Horizon</a>,' and is presented by </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #131112;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">The Next Web’s European Editor, <a href="http://www.martinbryant.net/">Martin Bryant</a>, whose name I recognised through my engagement with Twitter and digital events within Manchester. The workshop looks at new tools, such as apps and devices, which can help to improve the way we work. The workshop takes place on 20th </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; line-height: 12px;"><span style="color: #131112;"><span style="line-height: 14px;">March and cost £4/£3 Concs. If you are interested in doing other creative courses, and gaining some new skills then you should look at the many projects Cornerhouse has to offer on their <a href="http://www.cornerhouse.org/creatives/creative-events-strands">website</a>. </span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-52545279146184447092012-02-01T05:20:00.000-08:002012-02-19T08:34:39.791-08:00Museum Meets: After Hours<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifOP2IpCwOy1mgQyZwDAtLQ7xTkywe2w-t5Cxw8-grTnT6UwjEqGbdUEiCgf2SFAobz4CRcc8cEd0iXesKPGpkxXNcDWg-1LCBrEoPYMjYgCyJ1edOu3zV_Ldy7k89HNhS8FturxwP2-C/s1600/logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgifOP2IpCwOy1mgQyZwDAtLQ7xTkywe2w-t5Cxw8-grTnT6UwjEqGbdUEiCgf2SFAobz4CRcc8cEd0iXesKPGpkxXNcDWg-1LCBrEoPYMjYgCyJ1edOu3zV_Ldy7k89HNhS8FturxwP2-C/s320/logo.jpg" width="320" /></a>Last Thursday I attended my second <a href="http://museummeets.wordpress.com/">Museum Meets: After Hours </a>event at Manchester Museum. This time the event took place in the Ancient Egypt, Unearthed Egypt galleries and The Tales of the Nubians exhibition. We came a little late to the proceedings and quickly joined the advertsied 'candlelit' (torchlit) tour of the Ancient Egyptian section, which was more than a little over perscribed. Unlike the previous After Hours event this was over flowing with attendees, so at first it was impossible to even hear the tour guide and later we discovered that there had been over a 100 people on the tour, much more then they had expected. Obviously word it getting around about these little events. Word had also gotten out further and reached the families of Manchester, and I was a little disapointed to find quite a few children at the event, which spoilt the 'adult only' aspect that made the previous event so alering for the single twenty-something like myself, and therefore made it feel more like a standard visit to the museum.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6ZwGclJyoHBh18Ht6sgbPmYE9kmr0aI2ImcpC5_pGZF2LqzECtuDI09RNG5KinqwGkQdvaDBovlsL3ZU5TLtklR4E90uaObLNqblPsRyrvvdBdSJ9hQfmub08S2Yp4RfUz8IOgeRoPye/s1600/meridian.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6ZwGclJyoHBh18Ht6sgbPmYE9kmr0aI2ImcpC5_pGZF2LqzECtuDI09RNG5KinqwGkQdvaDBovlsL3ZU5TLtklR4E90uaObLNqblPsRyrvvdBdSJ9hQfmub08S2Yp4RfUz8IOgeRoPye/s320/meridian.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
To be honest this second event had a lot to live up to, compared to November's I was a little unimpressed. There was no obvious bar area and coat stand as you walked in and there was a lack of workshops to take part in. The events are free so I shouldn't really complain, and I also will most likely attend the next event in March, but I hope this time the event is more strict on it's 'adult' aspect and also has more interactive elements.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-8712256413412200502012-01-08T14:59:00.000-08:002012-01-22T12:46:20.508-08:00The Vintage Village Stockport<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHJUxNK2Bff0is1CNWTT-qQbldXooBBZ-sqY5AdXusmv_Yt9BIFF07l3KXSPgRVgo0iC2lucd1AEVo1HDV1nW1uXq07qRxNarA6Mr0oHbYf4l7lbmcf8mhImLxtVi8ThiY-fAhxD564wt/s1600/vintage2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidHJUxNK2Bff0is1CNWTT-qQbldXooBBZ-sqY5AdXusmv_Yt9BIFF07l3KXSPgRVgo0iC2lucd1AEVo1HDV1nW1uXq07qRxNarA6Mr0oHbYf4l7lbmcf8mhImLxtVi8ThiY-fAhxD564wt/s320/vintage2.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is nothing nicer
than spending Sunday afternoon rummaging through a vintage fair, so this Sunday I headed down to <a href="http://www.vintagevillagestockportmarket.co.uk/">The Vintage Village</a> in Stockport. The fair takes place once a month at Stockport’s
historic covered market hall, which is filled full of vintage clothing,
accessories, homewares, jewellery and hand made crafts. I was on the look-out for some unique ceramic ornaments to decorate my home, but instead walked away with some lovely jewerllery and a birthday gift for my friend from <a href="http://www.folksy.com/shops/ooohbetty">Oooh Betty</a>, whose stall is made-up of both vintage and crafted homeware, and gifts. There was lots of ceramics, but mainly of the kitchen ware variety so if you are looking to buy a vintage tea-set then this is the best place to find it. My favourite stall was Trov, a antique silver and gold jewerllery stall run by Katie Popperwell, who unfortunatly doesn't have a website, but is planning on opening an esty shop soon. Katie sold me a beautiful plain silver ring, which I will add to my growing collection, and current obsession.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5w_pwCqNHxZsBESOHnTEUrmY4Qw8v3W11cIt-Y9aFPqxP2bvLnKjUUOXcdmuA0hKR0kC9cMuTrVs6aiymZWyuecMh0pyhRGF6NATKByUeu8-bleBLgXCSaTQ1zNNXMPAOujPN_5UicQ5F/s1600/vintage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5w_pwCqNHxZsBESOHnTEUrmY4Qw8v3W11cIt-Y9aFPqxP2bvLnKjUUOXcdmuA0hKR0kC9cMuTrVs6aiymZWyuecMh0pyhRGF6NATKByUeu8-bleBLgXCSaTQ1zNNXMPAOujPN_5UicQ5F/s320/vintage.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a><br />
The fair was very busy so it was differcult to have a proper look at some of the more popular stalls, but if you get there early and spend a good hour ot two there you'll eventually get to have a good old rummage through everything. The fair had an abundant amount of vintage costume jewellery, and clothes and everything was reasonably priced. The fair has strict rules regarding the age of items sold, so you won't come across anything 'made to look vintage' unless it is hand-crafted. I will definitely be going again as I am kicking myself for not buying the vintage illustrated plains in the photo, so cross fingers that the stall will be there next time I visit!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoZJpprkxdlFiEZdRLm2F0JPLDZk90srYVL-pVUVhDsXi1tl6DUWrKCLVEbqEPwX7CfEMbY4x4vSJ2oU4kUCrbVzzB94p9cNCpTYrDo4V3hFXvV53uyPac5ZSik4B0sBf3G9fmyT9Vz5A/s1600/vintagemore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoZJpprkxdlFiEZdRLm2F0JPLDZk90srYVL-pVUVhDsXi1tl6DUWrKCLVEbqEPwX7CfEMbY4x4vSJ2oU4kUCrbVzzB94p9cNCpTYrDo4V3hFXvV53uyPac5ZSik4B0sBf3G9fmyT9Vz5A/s320/vintagemore.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I also recently started following <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/VintageMCR">@vintageMCR</a> on twitter whose website caters for vintage enthusiasts in Manchester and is run by vintage blogger Susan Earlum. Useful <span style="background-color: white;">sections of the website include the events calendar, which details all vintage related events taking place in and around Manchester, but my favourite section is the<a href="http://www.vintagemanchester.com/featured/vintage-inside-out-part-one-vintage-pleasure/"> 'Vinage Inside & Out,'</a> that looks at 'the 'Movers & Shakers' on the vintage scene in Manchester,' giving you a peek into the interviewee's home. Definitiely a website to bookmark!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-90123065680474452042011-12-12T13:10:00.000-08:002011-12-28T11:05:16.859-08:00Night at The Museum<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
There are two main reasons I love Twitter, 1. I get to read funny tweets,
which lighten up my bus journey to and from work, 2. I find out about
exciting events happening in Manchester via my Twitter feed. Last month's found event on Twitter took place at <a href="http://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/">Manchester Museum</a> after closing hours, and involved lots of mini creative
workshops and an exhibition, '<a href="http://www.museum.manchester.ac.uk/whatson/exhibitions/weareextinked/">We are extInked</a>,’ which combined art and ecology.
The exhibition steamed from a previous project called ‘<a href="http://extinked.blogspot.com/">extInked</a>.’ ExtInked involved
100 volunteers who each had an original drawing of an endangered species
tattooed onto their bodies. I knew two of the volunteers who took part in the project and who are now
ambassadors for their chosen tattooed creatures. While at the event I took part
in one of the activities that required me and my companion to choose three objects from a table that we felt would create an interesting composition, these objects included
museum artefacts and items from the museum shop. The objects were then handed
to a photographer who we worked with to help bring the objects together and produce an interesting image/narrative. We were told that the photograph would be used for a future display at the museum, I hope this is true!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhXNHzoUZeVPhqNz8KvzcntuVOvPwFQ8HwWfE6ahkPvuEmp1Gic10F5SvnNbP-zakyWFRszRLyHOg8S1q7SNAmHjabikFqtgIKTnuGjN3yMSylzlnYducM1PV1W0ItH2KZbYnIjazGNGm/s1600/rocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhXNHzoUZeVPhqNz8KvzcntuVOvPwFQ8HwWfE6ahkPvuEmp1Gic10F5SvnNbP-zakyWFRszRLyHOg8S1q7SNAmHjabikFqtgIKTnuGjN3yMSylzlnYducM1PV1W0ItH2KZbYnIjazGNGm/s320/rocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I also created a self portrait print that
incorporated the encased butterfly display, using a pencil and piece of square
foam. This workshop made me feel like a kid on a school trip to the museum, and
as I recall there were many trips to Manchester Museum during my school years.
I have also previously worked at the museum as a volunteer as part of the
‘<a href="http://www.goseethis.com/filmclub">Family Friendly Film Festival</a>,’ assisting with the creative workshops. I enjoyed the fact that on this occasion the event was for adults only and I hope they'll continue to bring new exhibitions and evenings such as this to the museum for us excitable adults who also enjoy making things and looking at dinosaur skeletons, but with a bottle of beer in ours hands, of course. I will keep my twitter eyes peeled as I heard this event is the first of many!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-48122499663554741772011-11-12T10:30:00.001-08:002011-12-23T11:21:25.993-08:00Critical Mass Part ii: Creatures of the Night Ride<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
On halloween weekend I attended the October's critical mass halloween special, which started off the Cyclogeddon Festival, a week long festival of free events and activities to celebrate the bicycle. Unfortunately I was only able to attend critical mass, missing out on lots of interesting events including a treasure-hunt on bikes, a bike fixing workshop and bicycle polo. Critical Mass: Creatures of the Night Ride started at the usual meeting spot at St Peter's Square and concluded at Platt Fields park in Fallowfield. It was the first time I'd completed the group ride having previously abandoned the event half way through to meet non-cycling friends, and wasn't really sure what to expect. It was dark by the time we arrived at Platt Fields and riding through the huge pitch black park was a little scary but also exciting with only a stream of red bike lights directing our way. Reaching our destination was the highlight of the night as we were greeted by the Platt Field's boat house surrounded by hundreds of Chinese lanterns hanging from the fence around the lake, fairy lights twisted around the veranda and huge creature shaped lanterns danced in the night.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnAY3enQULyc6GHG8TlmInYeFFmcXnxgmwuitkQI_IKUqcT2P_SGhTB7pJ9K4V1QGbv3kfaz4hiBHHLLrtws604vfmJtRPG6ijRV8eTwa6WO-ysBsKZsi623c-59baZdDLnvWEWZCIRt7/s1600/owl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdnAY3enQULyc6GHG8TlmInYeFFmcXnxgmwuitkQI_IKUqcT2P_SGhTB7pJ9K4V1QGbv3kfaz4hiBHHLLrtws604vfmJtRPG6ijRV8eTwa6WO-ysBsKZsi623c-59baZdDLnvWEWZCIRt7/s320/owl.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
The event included pedal powered horror movies, a spooky performance from the bike dancing troupe <a href="http://thespokes.wordpress.com/about/">The Spokes</a> and an amazing band who sang a love song about Platt Fields Park.<br />
Events such as this are why I love Manchester. If I can bring myself to bere the cold winter weather than I will be attending the next event on 25th November, the theme is 'colour crazy' and participants are encouraged to attend in their brightest and most clashing colours<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, 'Bitstream Vera Sans', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-89884708024850999672011-11-05T04:15:00.000-07:002011-12-23T11:14:54.662-08:00BlankSpace: The Title Prize Awards<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSCfz6HD8L0NFOtOaeCNsFq4KPkKmaEziWCSVRc4c9H6YuQ3NiIOM6-CPQ27HHA2ugraaGQ3QmPkRXvVnEtL27gq94fmo3B5m44MYxpLaBoS1oRWlkECBOkJsm86ZswYQbwajE4wmyUv1/s1600/blank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifSCfz6HD8L0NFOtOaeCNsFq4KPkKmaEziWCSVRc4c9H6YuQ3NiIOM6-CPQ27HHA2ugraaGQ3QmPkRXvVnEtL27gq94fmo3B5m44MYxpLaBoS1oRWlkECBOkJsm86ZswYQbwajE4wmyUv1/s320/blank.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Last week I attended the open night of the new exhibition at <a href="http://www.blankspace.org/">BlankSpace</a>, the creative hub of <a href="http://www.blankmediacollective.org/">Blank Media Collective</a>. The exhibition was to launch their new <a href="http://www.blankmediacollective.org/events/exhibitions/thetitleartprize">art prize</a>, which also coincides with the organisations 5th birthday. The exhibition showcases the uk's top emerging artists. My favourites were <a href="http://www.blankmediacollective.org/PORTFOLIOS/JAMIECREWE">Jamie Crewe</a>, <a href="http://www.blankmediacollective.org/PORTFOLIOS/JACKIE">Jacqueline Wylie</a>, <a href="http://www.bartoszbeda.com/">Bartosz Beda</a> and <a href="http://www.lisadenyer.com/">Lisa Denyer</a>. The prize winner will be ancounced on the 12th November and the exhibition runs @ BlankSpace until 27th November.</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-64585005775234156242011-10-30T13:00:00.000-07:002011-12-23T11:16:52.955-08:00Manchester Bloggers<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
This week at work I was asked to look at how bloggers promote their sites online, I
already had some ideas of how to gain traffic with directories, such as <a href="http://technorati.com/">Technorati</a>,
and via link recommendations on other blogger’s blogrolls but it was interesting
to investigate further while also discovering some interesting blogs. I’d heard through the
social media grapevine that the <a href="http://www.manchesterblogawards.com/">Manchester Blog Awards</a> had taken place recently
so this provided an excellent resource. I found some really interesting
Manchester bloggers, including <a href="http://onwardmanchester.com/">Onwards Manchester</a>, which was shortlisted for best new
blog. The blog is written by Kristian and Samantha who both work in editorial
and use the platform to write about topics they are unable to cover within
their everyday work. The content is focused mainly on culture, including posts
about exhibitions, music and Manchester events. I found their posts interesting as I'd attended many of the events and exhibitions they had written about so it gave me a different perspective. The blog is also a great resource for finding out about current Manchester events and overall is steeped in content which stimulates my passion for Manchester. </div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
I also discovered the blog <a href="http://unemployedhack.wordpress.com/">Unemployed Hack</a>, which is less about
Manchester and more about the writer and his personal life dealing with unemployment. His writing is often funny, touching and very honest. He describes his blog as 'memories of a downwardly-mobile journalist.' His most recent blog post lists the top 10 perks of unemployment as he tries to
put a positive slant on his situation in an honest and humorous style. <span lang="EN-US">His circumstances are very reflective of the situation
of many people and I can image it brings these readers a lot of comfort. I myself was unemployed for several months last year and this
is probably a big factor in my fondness for his writing, as I too understand the emotions that coinside with unemployed life.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-US">Previously I only had two or three Manchester based blogs within my extensive list of website bookmarks and through further investigate I
found other Manchester bloggers from the recommended links within these blogs. </span>I enjoyed looking through the award's shortlist and discovering a thriving Manchester blogging scene, which further enhanced my view that Manchester has so much to offer, not just because of the events/exhibitions/activities but because of all the incredibly interesting people.</div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-12002859766797653792011-10-04T14:17:00.000-07:002012-01-21T08:16:51.798-08:00I Bike MCR: Critical Mass<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri, Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">I started cycling (as an adult) 2 years ago after I visited Stockholm and fell in love with the Scandinavian lifestyle. Once I got home I retrieved my old purple Raleigh mountain bike from it’s dusty storage place and fixed it up with a new saddle. The bike is not anything spectacular but in the 13 years I’ve owned it it has never let me down, and has been especially resilient over the past 2 years. My purple Raleigh has gotten me from A to B, and saved me a fortune in bus fare, but as September started to get gloomy and I become fed-up with arriving to work soaking wet almost everyday, I decided to swop my Raleigh for a bus pass. Then just as September was ending the sun started to shine and my friend asked if I wanted to go to a cycling event with her called Critical Mass. ‘Critical Mass is a cycling event typically held on the last Friday of every month in over 300 cities around the world. The purpose of Critical Mass is not usually formalized beyond the direct action of meeting at a set location and time and travelling as a group through city or town streets on bikes.’</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs151YqhKloYiDgeOein_TTUC1x85NbGFy4_odZjLXapGOy5lr0eMW5JFpdI2C-d3NreFYPCAQMiFTKSnIrwlqj5_01VAF_lma2G9s2veMVY6Ou9ZQxsBfci0PtreLLioLFb3Y4FBWsCqD/s1600/1317470512241_63647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs151YqhKloYiDgeOein_TTUC1x85NbGFy4_odZjLXapGOy5lr0eMW5JFpdI2C-d3NreFYPCAQMiFTKSnIrwlqj5_01VAF_lma2G9s2veMVY6Ou9ZQxsBfci0PtreLLioLFb3Y4FBWsCqD/s320/1317470512241_63647.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: calibri, Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px;">The atmosphere that Friday evening was vibrant, with around 60 cyclists attending the event. One organiser (I Bike MCR) was easily noticeable by the huge sound system attached to their bike (God knows how he managed to ride with it), which was playing music, adding to the Friday night party atmosphere. Critical Mass' rules are simple, if the traffic light is red you stop, if the traffic light is green you go, but if the traffic light changes while the group is cycling through than you carry on. As you can imagine we received lots of attention from passersby with around 60 cyclists ringing bells, and loud music blasting out from the sound system. The route went from the meeting point at central library through the Northern Quarter and then out of the centre towards Fallowfield where a venue was waiting to be filled by party ready bike lovers. I missed out on the party due to other arrangements but I am eager to attend the next one. Witnessing so many beautiful bikes with baskets and expensive brown leather saddles made me so envious, as much as I love my purple Raleigh I have always longed for a town bike with a basket and bell. This has resulted in the impulse buy of a Bianchi Spillo town bike with not only a bell but also curved bars, perfect for a basket, mudguards, stand, and a rear rack. I also have my eye on a few accessories so I can pimp my bike before the next Critical Mass.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-91215798932736906832011-10-02T09:26:00.000-07:002011-12-23T11:19:51.720-08:00Baking Chocolate Brownies<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwi3UIhB3Uy8VFH_eZVr2IJhglcs_ULipNvSVSIWcCHDDcTDTbrUE84qHnfbA5Q1moF6iFAQkt9o-YrDpaVex5bo-YVvHqjTIgUdoZcKEx2CZIvanj_A0FXnoHvutmN_ptPynAhuyQlpD/s1600/brownies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAwi3UIhB3Uy8VFH_eZVr2IJhglcs_ULipNvSVSIWcCHDDcTDTbrUE84qHnfbA5Q1moF6iFAQkt9o-YrDpaVex5bo-YVvHqjTIgUdoZcKEx2CZIvanj_A0FXnoHvutmN_ptPynAhuyQlpD/s320/brownies.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Today was a day for baking. I’m a novice baker, so I am easing myself into it by making the more basic recipes; I had a slight disaster trying to bake a chocolate cake a few months ago, my ganache frosting had a liquid consistency and ended up as a puddle at the bottom of the cake. Today I decide to make traditional brownies using the recipe in ‘The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook’ by Tarek Malouf who owns the famous Hummingbird Bakeries in London. The book is filled with baking recipes, from cupcakes to biscuits to sweet loafs and pies (yummy). It also has lots of pretty pictures, and easy to follow instructions, which is important for a novice like me.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: justify;">Another brownie recipe is </span><a href="http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/chocolate-recipes/bloomin-brilliant-brownies" style="text-align: justify;">Jamie Oliver’s </a><span style="text-align: justify;">‘Bloomin’ Brilliant Brownies,’ which includes chopped nuts, and looks delicious. I am also waiting to receive a new cookbook I ordered called ‘British Baking’ by Oliver Peyton, which a friend recommended. One reviewer on Amazon said ‘I can't resist saying this book takes the biscuit.’ I am expecting a lot Mr Peyton, please don’t disappoint me.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6450767797010935548.post-41826307854419042812011-10-02T09:05:00.000-07:002012-03-11T16:26:45.465-07:00BarCamp MediaCityUK 2011<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9Hhaqc14v-1hukbiU4fzOPf_TpblkklZ8y53sjukMx53iQ2cbwgtIffj4RBVP41BPf5O9JadSnqj-9sm3Fx_XrUXrJjXtgYFQQHzlsmcZ3rgfNvWG0LSX6M52uTr6nF-lY-wELcwgnbG/s1600/bbc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9Hhaqc14v-1hukbiU4fzOPf_TpblkklZ8y53sjukMx53iQ2cbwgtIffj4RBVP41BPf5O9JadSnqj-9sm3Fx_XrUXrJjXtgYFQQHzlsmcZ3rgfNvWG0LSX6M52uTr6nF-lY-wELcwgnbG/s320/bbc.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A few weeks back I visited the BBC Quay House at <a href="http://www.mediacityuk.co.uk/">MediaCityUK</a> in Salford to attend the <a href="http://barcampmediacity.co.uk/">BarCamp</a> un-conference. The website describes the event as, ‘a group of enthusiastic people gathering to share their knowledge about technology and anything else they are interested in.’ The talks were very varied and included discussions on 'how to rob a bank', song writing and being happy, but the majority of the talks orientated around technology and web development. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more sessions on social media or blogging, though arguably I could have organised my own talk, but I am no authority on the subjects and would have been intimated by the vastly more knowledgable academics that were present. This included the very friendly Helen Keegan, a lecturer from the department of Media at Salford University, which is now based in MediaCity. She presented the only talk that day which did cover social media platforms, discussing digital communication through visuals and how image networking websites can provide a bridge of communication between other cultures. The main areas she discussed were <a href="http://barcampmediacity.co.uk/">instagram</a>; an iPhone photo sharing application and networking website, <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?gcx=w&q=emoticons&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1280&bih=627">emoticon</a>; the symbol based font, and also <a href="http://www.flickr.com/">flickr</a>; the image sharing social networking website. In the session she explained that she had gained more followers from Asia using instagram then any other photo sharing or networking website. The images she took using the application were mainly of food and seemed to connect with this culture more then the previous photographs she had uploaded, and had therefore connected her to a new audience. The session was very insightful and generated a discussion on the different realms of image sharing including the darker side of flickr such as users who collect niche fetish images, one example being photographs of women wearing scarves.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbgQ7g1OoDteF5dALg_EFoN4ENXYL9F0Rx7eMUry9JDPuTXdOStBD28OWgjRM62lqEWF_g2JKkeIwwTSclAojB7uioAkk9ddXm-2UkvftXpuACuyh2oA2xx4JiGA0N3GAddVrSm4nOyPF/s1600/bbc2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbgQ7g1OoDteF5dALg_EFoN4ENXYL9F0Rx7eMUry9JDPuTXdOStBD28OWgjRM62lqEWF_g2JKkeIwwTSclAojB7uioAkk9ddXm-2UkvftXpuACuyh2oA2xx4JiGA0N3GAddVrSm4nOyPF/s320/bbc2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Each session lasted around 20 minutes, so it was difficult to go into too much depth on the subjects presented, which was sometimes disappointing. The event was run by attentees and the time was adequate enough for some presenters to mainly plug their businesses, these were the less enjoyable sessions but an enviable factor when a free platform is available such as this.
Overall I really enjoyed the whole experience and particularly enjoyed seeing MediaCity for the first time. I hope that this event is one of many to take place at MediaCity as I am very excited to see how the area develops in the future and would like to have a excuse to visit again.</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0