PCTGRM
ISSUE TWO
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EDITOR / DESIGNER MIKE FROST
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PCTGRM IS PRINTED FOUR TIMES A YEAR
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E D ITOR’S NOTES
F E ATU R E D W R I T E R Hannah Stocks is a writer who likes to travel. Tell us a little about yourself. I’m 28 years of age, living in a flat in Southbourne where a shell house used to lie. I recently spent a year and a half living in the beautiful state of Tasmania before politely being asked to leave by the government. I love to write, always have. From being a release for feelings and emotions in the angsty days to more recently writing about escapism with the hope to inspire others to break the routines of everyday life and find adventures. Also, just because it’s fun. I started up a blog nearly two years ago; writing poems and stories. Favourite rainy day activity? On the off chance that there may be waves, I’d opt for a rainy day surf. Failing that, I can entertain myself for hours making cards and pressing flowers. Most treasured photograph? (see above) One of the many pictures I treasure, is shot by my boyfriend, James Bowden, who had it printed and framed for me. We had to leave a whole lot of amazing friends when we left Australia, so this picture captures one of many moments we all had together. Favourite book? ‘Storms’ by Carol Ann Harris a glimpse into the life, love and music of Fleetwood Mac. I couldn’t put it down, I was stuck to it like glue. Also, I’ve read ‘Damage Done’ by Warren Fellows a few times. There’s something about drug busts and jail stories that really interest me, don’t ask me why?! www.triptogether.co.uk
03 / HOUSEKEEPING
Somewhere between graduation and the search for employment something snapped, I don’t think it’s that I’m unemployable, It’s just I don’t really like the idea of internships. The way I saw it I had two paths ahead of me and both options were a gamble. I could play the game, go live in the city, work for experience, stress about someone else’s problem and hope that one day, maybe, someone would offer me a wage. Or I could invest the same time, efforts and money into starting something up myself, on my own terms. I started my own design pratice ‘Pictogram’ because I didn’t much like the alternative. This magazine, ‘PCTGRM’ exists because enough people believed it could. I am forever indebted to the people who have helped make it possible. Thank you.
D E D IC ATION TO MR & M RS Untill about 4 months ago PCTRGM was being designed and printed from a small bedroom, which was far from ideal. Sam Williams, knowing our situation offered us a solution. He opened up his home to provid PCTRGM with a temporary print studio whilst the magazine gets off the ground. The space has been an amazine opportunity for us, and so I would like to dedicate this issue to the newly weds; our Digital Editor, Sam Williams, his wife Laura and their beautiful daughter Olivia. WIth out them things would have be very different round here.
C ONTENTS
03 / HOUSE KEEPING A bit like a school assembly but without the register. 05 / THIS IS HOW WE DO IT Insight to the ethics and production behind the zine.
15 / PLAYLIST Songs that have made this issue.
30 / CONCRETE How would you define concrete?
16 / THIS SCENE ISN’T DEAD Proof that Bournemouths not just about stags and pensioners.
31 / HOWLER Stuff that’s worth Howlin’ about.
08 / OH HAPPY DAY Sunny snippets of good news for good people.
18 / DIY CAMERA Step-by-Step instructions on how to make your own camera and a chance to win one from Lomography.
09 / HTTP Six websites worth a Google. *Other search engines just aren’t as good.
22 / A CHANCE ENCOUNTER ‘Saviour Named Damien’ Creative writing meets experimental layout design.
11 / INTERVIEW: ERRORS The Scottish post-rock heros deliberate over their favourite Back To The Future film.
25 / CENTRE SPREAD *Spoilers* It’s a picture of a bike. To have your artwork featured email: news@pictogramstudio.co.uk
14 / INTERVIEW: BASTILLE These guys really do play a blinding cover of Rhythm of the Night? Rhythm is a Dancer?
27 / IN CONVERSATION WITH Illustrator and printer designer Nicholas Frith talks us through his creative process.
33 / SWILLIAM SHINES ’Near Miss’ The next chapter in the adventures of... 35 / WE ARE COAST We discover Poole’s best surf spot. 37 / FROM THE FIELD Diary of a festival addict. 43 / NOT WHAT YOU THINK We asked a bunch of space cadets what they did for day jobs. 49 / MAKING A MEAL OF IT Like a food section, but less fancy. Cover Image by Oscar May Freja Howat-Maxted @ Bestival 2012 CONTENTS / 04
The magazine ‘PCTGRM’ is a limited edition art zine that we publish four times a year, it’s not backed by some fancy publishing company looking for a new edge. At the core there are three of us, and at the moment no one takes a wage. I run Pictogram with the support of Sam Williams, digital editor/landlord, and Lara Skowronska manager/wife (not yet by law). Between us we have a hand in all of it, from sourcing content and writing articles to the design, printing and distribution. Physically producing every copy ourselves. The whole magazine is printed in-house on an ancient piece of kit called a Risograph; a machine once used to produce religious and political propaganda, but these days more likely found keeping graphic design students amused in East London. Essentially it is a really ugly looking photocopier but it’s economical for printing in
05 / THIS IS HOW WE DO IT
high volume and it’s got a unique print finish with an authentic imperfection to it. Photographs print in low-resolution halftones, colour is limited and sometimes misaligns. Each colour has to be printed separately, one layer at a time, and that’s the charm. It’s stripped back, raw and accessible. We are passionate about being an environmentally responsible company, doing our bit to preserve the world’s natural resources and this belief resonates throughout the business from our printing methods to the editorial content. We don’t believe in preaching ‘green’ but we are proud of our sustainable credentials. Pictogram uses 100% recycled post-consumer waste paper and prints using, sustainably sourced, solvent free inks. All our inks are soy based and free from volatile organic compounds. This means no virgin fibres or toxic chemicals are used in our print production methods.
watch the film online
“Our Risograph printer runs on a fraction of the energy needed for a laser printer, it uses about 3 amps of electricity, which is the equivalent of leaving four 100 watt light bulbs on.� Our Risograph printer runs on a fraction of the energy needed for a laser printer, it uses about 3 amps of electricity, which is the equivalent of leaving four 100 watt light bulbs on. When we printed the first issue we had no backing so we quite literally did everything. To make 5,000 copies, we first had to cut 55,000 sheets of paper, print 300,000 impressions, and then sort, fold and stitch every copy by hand before going out to distribute by bicycle. This huge task was only made possible by roping in friends and family members along the way. Every step has been a new lesson and opportunity for us to refine our craft. We started small but were building fast and thanks to support from our friends, readers and advertisers we are already starting to achieve so much more. WORDS MIKE FROST PHOTGRAPHY JAKE BAGGALEY THIS IS HOW WE DO IT / 06
Southampton’S fineSt
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CHAMPAGNE & COCKTAIL LOUNGE
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OH HAPPY DAY / 08
HTTP://
fashion
art/Design
www.pimkiecolorforecast.com Ever wake up in the morning and can’t decide what to wear? We’ve all been there. Check this site before you leave the house and see what colours the world is wearing.
www.statigr.am Hands up if you’re addicted to instagram… thought so. Want to know exactly which of your pictures is the most liked and who isn’t following you back? Check out Statigr.am, statistical data on the world’s favorite photo blogging app.
music
www.boilerroom.tv A new age in pirate radio, secret parties streamed live from abandoned spaces around the world for you to enjoy from the sofa. Gilles Peterson describes it as ‘The future of broadcasting’.
Entertainment www.animalsbeingdicks.com The name really says it all. Hilarious gifs of animals getting their own back on humans.
art/Design
app
www.incredibox.com I absolutely LOVE this site. Conduct your own choir of human beatbox loops, ingeniously animated into cartoon forum. Waste minutes, even hours perfecting your tune and succeeding at the challenges.
www.bu.mp Bump allows you to transfer stuff like photos and contact details with out the need to sync or type, simply “bump” with another device and your files will magically appear.
Words Sophia Tagliavore & Sam Williams Illustartion Sean Hines
09 / HTTP
MOSTVIEWED /THEBOILERROOM.TV
Check out the full interview
“It was just a web-cam taped to the wall”. This is how Blaise Bellville described the humble beginnings of the game-changing electronic music website he started
with Boiler Room co-founder
with friends Thristian Richards and Femi Adeyam. Boiler Room Started in March
Blaise Bellville online:
2010, when these guys decided to broadcast a live mix through the streaming
www.pictogramstudio.co.uk
service Ustream. The Boiler Room has since gone from strength to strength, their parties being watched by thousands of people all over the world, with sets from the likes of Jamie XX, James Blake, Fourtet as well as international stars like Flying Lotus and Erykah Badu. Boiler Room takes the exhausted formula of the guest mix and turns it on its head, these guys are breaking down the wall of pointless exclusivity that’s often associated with big name acts. They throw Boiler Room parties in small, interesting spaces around London, Berlin, LA and New York and rather than keeping these rare and intimate gigs to themselves they stream it all live online for anyone to see. No longer must you know the right people and wear the right clothes to see the coolest shows, for all it matters you could be watching in your PJ’s over a bowl of cereal. All you need is an Internet connection and a passion for great new music. The plan from the start was to become “a comprehensive music discovery channel”, states Blaise, and they have more than achieved that. The Boiler Room brings everyone into the conversation. Creating a scene that’s removed from geographical constraints, sharing free music instantly with anyone who wants to hear it. The whole thing reeks of pirate radio and 90’s warehouse parties elevating London’s underground music scene out of N1 and E17 creating a worldwide playground for DJ’s and producers.
MOST VIEWED / 10
We met up with Steve Livingstone from Errors to ask about what they are up to, what the new EP has in store, and what his favorite “Back To The Future” movie is. Standard. In your own words, how would you describe Errors?
the ones least likely to complain, I think the bands tend
I’d say we’re an ever-evolving, difficult to describe sort of
to spend more time moaning about it because they worry
band. I’ve heard various phrases that people have used
that their hair might get wet or their suede loafers might
to describe us but none that I have ever been entirely
be ruined by the mud (or maybe that’s just us).
happy with. I think part of our sound comes from the fact that we are quite indecisive people. I hear records
At Bestival you expressed your love for swimming
sometimes and think WOW I wish we sounded like that,
pools? Why do you like them so much?
then I hear something from a completely different genre
I’m not sure why I said that - I think I panicked and it
and think the same so our sound ends up becoming the
seemed appropriate - in my head it was probably
sound of four or five different influences from opposite
something to do with Pleasure Palaces as I’m sure it was
ends of the spectrum.
just before we started playing that track. Our last album cover features a picture of a slide in a swimming pool in
What were your festival highlights this year?
Glasgow so there was probably some link there? I dunno
Field Day in London was probably the highlight- we
I say a lot of pish when I’m talking down the mic.
were pretty blown away by how massive the audience was and I think the show was pretty good too. Having
Your new single ‘Relics’ has quite a different sound to
that many people at the show tends to give me a boost
previous work. Talk us through it.
of confidence rather than making me nervous. It was
It was one of the first tracks we wrote for this record.
a shame that the weather was mostly crap this summer,
I had been listening to a lot of dark European synth music
though I’m always impressed that the festival goers are
at the time and I think that’s where it started. I put vocals
11 / ERRORS
on it but I wasn’t happy with them so we asked Magic Eye
Speaking of which, you are playing at a place called
if they could help us out. They were really great people
Great Scott on your upcoming American tour. This
to work with and it’s started up a friendship now, which
prompts me to ask what your favourite “Back To The
is always nice.
Future” film is?
I like how minimalist this track is compared to a lot of
That’s difficult because I love everything about the first
others from previous records. I think we were keen to
film and I love the vision of the future in the second film,
have this approach overall for “New Relics” though it’s
but without the first the second couldn’t exist and there
very hard for us because we love layering sounds as much
are so many brilliant scenes in the first that I remember
as possible.
recreating as a kid such as; when Marty is skateboarding and holding onto a car… which I remember recreating
The new EP is out this month. What was the inspiration
with my friends when we were wee guys… me on a
behind ‘New Relics’?
skateboard holding onto a bit of rope attached to the
I came across an old phone, (which I had only stopped
back of my friend’s bike… but i’ve never really liked the
using a few months ago) thought how ancient it looked
3rd film to be honest. I sort of don’t like the Wild West
compared to the latest model and realized how ridiculous
theme, there’s something depressing about it. If the films
that was. That was pretty much the starting point for this
had been set in Britain they could have gone further back
record.
in history I guess… a medieval Back To The Future would have been amazing!
How do you feel Errors have changed since the release of your first album?
What does next year have in store for Errors?
I think our influences have broadened - I didn’t really go
I think we are going to rest for a bit next year. We’ve got
on music blogs until 2010. I’m listening to a lot more new
other projects that we want to get on with. We’ve had a
music than I ever had before so I think that helps us to
pretty busy year so far, so it’ll be nice to do some other
stay aware of what’s going on around us.
things for a change.
There are some amazing bands coming out of Scotland
And the question we ask everyone. If you were in the
at the moment. Who would you say is your favourite?
woods alone, what would you do?
There are so many. Even Glasgow alone has a huge
Hopefully thrive, but probably die. Depends if I could
amount of brilliant musicians and bands right now. I’d
manage to remember all those Bear Grylls episodes or
say my favourites being people like Mother Ganga, Cru
not.
Servers, Ben Butler and Mousepad, Silk Cut, Tangles. There are so many all doing pretty different styles. My
“New Relics” is released on Rock Action Oct 1st.
friend has started a label in Glasgow that a lot of those bands are being released on, it’s called Instructional
Errors will be on a UK / European tour in Oct/Nov
Media and is definitely worth a look. These are all bands
check website for details.
who are making music for the enjoyment of it and are
www.weareerrors.com
really supportive of one another and I think that’s a really positive and important thing to have within the cities music environment.
Interview Katie Dane
ALBUM “NEW RELICS” OUT 01/10/12
A band that have exploded into the mainstream after a summer of hard graft on the festival circuit. We caught up with Bastille at Festibelly to talk about their creative influences, music videos and cover songs.
Sound: Radio friendly? From: South London. Tracks: Flaws, Bad blood, Overjoyed.
It’s only recently that Bastille has blossomed from a singer-songwriter project, what influenced the change? I thought it would be a lot more fun to be a band and to tour with friends who are also really involved with the whole thing.
I was really young that have big memorable hooks, and also picked a couple of more ubiquitous contemporary songs. I wanted to nod towards some of the films and film music that I love, and I was obsessed with Requiem For A Dream for a while and really wanted to use its music on the mix tape somehow. I tried it with a few different things and just seemed to work really well with Blue Jeans, which I think is an awesome song anyway.
People have found it hard to categorize your music Pop songs with dark undertones – do you shy away from labels? I’m probably too involved in the band to objectively categorise what the music is. I guess I never set out to make music in a particular genre and just wanted to try out different things from song to song. I hope that the songs don’t get labelled as one thing or another because it’d be great to have the freedom to change things up a bit in the future. Your videos are beautifully crafted, do you enjoy adding a visual dimension to your music? How creatively involved are you in the process? Thanks, I’m glad you like them. I’m as creatively involved as possible. The visual element is really important to me, especially considering that the inspiration behind some of the songs comes from film and other visual arts. I do hope that the videos don’t prescribe any kind of meaning onto the songs though. With the mixtape – Other People’s Heartache – Is there a link between the songs you decided to cover? Could you describe the thought process that led to piecing Requiem for a Dream with Lana Del Rey? I wanted to choose songs that I thought people would recognise but maybe not know where from, or who they were by. I picked songs I remember hearing on the radio when
Your set at Blissfields ended with a blinding cover of Corona’s Rhythm of the Night – do you have as much passion for the songs you covers as you do for your own creations? Not really. We made the mixtape for fun, and tried to address producing the songs up into tracks in the way we would approach a Bastille song. The cover is really fun to play, and at a festival it’s always nice to play something that everyone knows and will sing along to. But it’s definitely not as easy to get passionate about singing someone else’s song. How have you enjoyed the festival circuit? Will you be taking a break after the Summer or do you have projects lined up? We’ve had such a great Summer so far. Playing at loads of festivals has been a brilliant excuse to play gigs in parts of the country that we’d probably not be able to tour in yet. We’ve been massively taken aback by the number of people who’ve come to see us as well. We’ve got a tour in October and a few other things planned so I don’t see us taking much of a break to be honest. It’s great to be busy though.
Interview Caitlin Jones BASTILLE / 14
PLAYLIST SONGS THAT MADE THIS ISSUE WORDS ABI-PAYNE HUMPHRIES
LUCY ROSE – LINES ‘Lines’ is a beautiful mixing pot of harmonic, sliding vocals with staccato piano pieces swirling into smooth guitar melodies. Swelling with that signature Lucy Rose intimacy and emotion, it’s just another tick on the checklist as to why the explosion of her success this Summer is well deserved.
DESTINY’S CHILD - SAY MY NAME (CYRIL HAHN REMIX) Taking a diva classic such as Destiny’s Child and manipulating it until it’s no longer recognisable should be a disaster, but this Cyril Hahn remix breaks all boundaries. The threesome’s voices are dropped a couple of octaves, the track is slowed down and smoothed out creating melting melodies that ooze a completely diverse, emotive feel to the original. It’s utterly gorgeous, strangely calming and in an entirely different league to the stompy girl power hit.
HUNDRED WATERS - THISTLE From Hundred Waters comes an atmospheric, ethereal, busy little track which features a stop start piñata horse being released and roaming the world in it’s video. It’s trippy as anything, and is a highlight from their recent EP on none other than Skrillex’s label OWSLA (but don’t let that put you off...)
HOT 8 BRASS BAND - GHOST TOWN (SPECIALS COVER) This cover of Specials’ ‘Ghost Town’ is thick with brassy tones, having a completely new and exciting feel to the track whilst still allowing it to be very heavy in it’s ska qualities. It’s instant toe-tapping happiness, and is only urging the release of album ‘The Life & Times Of’ in November to be upon us sooner.
FRIENDS – I’M HIS GIRL From the off, this stubborn song weaves its way into your brain and refuses to leave. A sultry voice packed with attitude and innocence, punching into the ribbons of elastic basslines, guitar pop and cowbells that interlace to bring the genius which is ‘I’m his girl’. A track we’ve had on repeat for yonks and yonks which has still impressively managed to maintain it’s fresh feel.
BAAUER – HARLEM SHAKE A big bass track to pick you up and shake you around. Pitched-down vocals and rolling snares are guests on the track, and whilst it’s not an earth shattering track, it’s a big favourite this Summer having already been sampled by the likes of Diplo, Brodinski and Rustie. Worth a listen just for the impressive incessant roaring lion sample alone. 15 / PLAYLIST
This Scene Isn’t Dead an exploration of bournemouth’s local music scene.
Bournemouth is a strange place for young musical
Youth’ combo. With the gimmick of being a band from
talent. It’s definitely not a town that has ever been
Boscombe, this in turn led the way for more great acts to
recognised nationally for its thriving music scene. In fact,
gain some recognition. A great example would be New-
there’s only one band that comes to mind that actually
Milton based YRRS (pronounced YOURS), who’ve just put
“made it”. This would be the mid-noughties indie pop
out their debut single ‘Mob Life’ with Italian DIY label
band Air Traffic, who sounded exactly like the sort of
Keep It Yours. Their noise-punk anthems have echoed
thing people would buy if they found Coldplay a bit too
those of No Age and Male Bonding, and have made
edgy. They hailed from Bournemouth, and went on to
them one of the best live acts in the country. Theres also
sign for EMI in 2006. Pretty impressive at the time, but
groups like Vlad, who hail from the village of Wimborne.
now, it would be incredibly difficult to find 15 people who
Not exactly a breeding ground for awesome grunge-
could remember one of their songs. So what’s changed
revivalists, but Vlad have produced some excellent tracks
since then? Arguably, not a lot. There are still some of
that have seen them also feature in the NME. Hazey & The
the same bland groups that were performing at the same
J’s are another example of exciting local talent, and their
local bars every week, and the Dorset Music Forum still
psychedelic pop tunes have made this Poole based band
somehow thinks it makes a difference. However, don’t
one of the most interesting acts to hail from the region.
let this downbeat opening paragraph put you off from
These are just four examples of some of the great
the rest of this article. There is something different that
music coming out of our town at the moment. There’s also
makes the town look a lot better. This would be the
acts like Kinnie The Explorer, Yoofs, Saturday Sun, New
recent discovery of Bournemouth bands that actually
Volunteer, Blackwater and others all exciting audiences
play exciting, new music.
across the county. We’re reaching a point where bands
Last summer, the rest of the UK found itself going
should actually be proud to be part of this new wave of
nuts over Boscombe formed band Bos Angeles. With
music. It means that we can head down to places like 60
their catchy surf-meets-pop guitar music, it summed up
Million Postcards and not fear the prospect of seeing a
the exact feelings of everyone in the country. They were
local band perform. And who knows what these bands
able to find themselves on the pages of the NME and The
could achieve? This time next year, any one of these
Guardian, which was a pretty big deal for a Bournemouth
bands could be headlining the 02 Academy in Boscombe,
band. However, they only managed to put out one single
and rightfully so.
– the incredibly addictive ‘Beach Slalom’ and ‘Days of
Words Michael-James Dent
THIS SCENE ISN’T DEAD / 16
D.I.Y CAMERA TO MAKE YOUR OWN CAMERA YOU WILL NEED... • 1 x Pencil • 1 x Black marker pen • 1 x 35mm colour film (200 ISO) • 1 x Scalpel • 1 x Ruler • 1 x Matchbox • 1 x Drinks can • 1 x Black electrical tape • 1 x Empty 35mm film canister • 1 x Plastic ringbinder • 1 x Pin • 1 x Scissors • 1 x Sellotape
DIY CAMERA / 18
D.I.Y CAMERA Step by step instructions on how to build a working camera out of house-hold items. The DIY section is all about taking something we like, learning how to make it, and then stripping right back to basics so that anyone can have a go. In this issue we team up with Lomography to take a look at the pinhole camera. Tweet your photos @pictogramstudio #DIY for a chance of winning a Diana Multi camera! (ends 1st Dec.) www.pictogramstudio.co.uk/lomo
STEP ONE: Cut 36mm x 24mm rectangle in the centre of matchbox tray. (This will define the border of your photos.)
STEP FOUR: Cut a 15mm square out of an aluminium drinks can, make a pinhole in the centre and colour in black.
STEP FIVE: Place the aluminium square on top of the matchbox sleeve (coloured side down), making sure the pinhole is in the centre, tape securely in place using electrical tape.
STEP EIGHT: Cut one section off a plastic spiral ring binder. Take your loaded film canister and place the pointed end of your ring binder ‘clicker’ into one of the sprocket holes, tape in place and trim the lead off your film.
STEP NINE: Feed film through the matchbox, with the emulsion side (non-shiny side) facing the pinhole. Slide tray back into matchbox and splice the ends of film together using clear tape. Wind the spool of the empty canister anticlockwise to wind camera on.
19 / DIY CAMERA
STEP TWO: Colour inside of the matchbox and tray with a black permanent marker. (This will stop light reflections inside the box.)
STEP THREE: Cut a 6mm x 6mm square hole in the middle of your matchbox sleeve.
STEP SIX: Cut two pieces of card for the shutter; a 32mm x 32mm square and a 25mm X 40mm rectangle. Cut a 6mm square in the centre of the square piece.
STEP SEVEN: Place the square piece over metal pinhole and tape in place on 3 sides, Cover the rectangle with electrical tape and slide into place to make your shutter.
INSTRUCTIONS: To wind the film on, turn the winder on the empty take up spool 6 clicks anticlockwise. Exposure time for a 200 ISO film is about 1 - 2 seconds in the sunshine.
STEP TEN Make sure all slack film is taken up and that the edges of both canisters are pushed tight to the matchbox so no film can be seen, blackout the whole camera body with eletrical tape paying extra attention to the joins.
Exposure time for a 200 ISO film is about 5 seconds in the shade. Exposure time for a 200 ISO film is about 5 - 10 seconds indoors.
DIY CAMERA / 20
RULE ONE: FOLOW THE STEPS TO MAKE A DIY CAMERA. RULE TWO: TWEET US YOUR BEST PHOTO.
(Ends 1st December 2012)
TWEET: @PICTOGRAMSTUDIO #DIY www.pictogramstudio.co.uk/lomo
In association with
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER When writer meets designer. Creative writing interpreted by guest designers.
Words & Photography Hannah Stocks Guest Designer Jon Cox
Maybe it was a sign when all hope of transport seemed doomed and each avenue we seemed to go down lead to a dead end. Maybe it was then that we should have cut our loses and decided that perhaps we weren’t meant to go away this weekend and perhaps maybe we were meant to stay put in Hobart and twiddle our thumbs instead. All these thoughts magnified of course while stood outside of our borrowed 4x4 land cruiser, staring at the drive shaft sitting boldly on the tarmac below, listening to the ‘Oh farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrk’ coming from the boy with both hands on his new army style haircut, nervous laughter about to erupt at any second. This was the moment we all wondered if we should have stayed at home. SAVIOUR NAMED DAMIEN / 22
It had been a day of indecision and frustration. I stayed away, a recluse in my bedroom while they toyed with the options and tried to make plans. So many obstacles standing in the way. The rain continued to dampen spirits until that ever-so-important phone call. ‘So, hey man, you know, so, like, asked Luke and he said we could, like, totally, use his Land Cruiser.’ High fives, whooping and a kitchen full of excited boys. It was back on. When morning came we would be driving 6 or so hours in search of waves and new sights. We packed up and got ourselves ready to leave first thing in the morning. A car full with boards, food and tents. The ever-increasing vibrations didn’t cause alarm at first, instead, becoming the centre of jokes and slight irritation which then carried on across the table over coffee and a date scone; as well as the conversation of the potential red headed bombshell that might just happen to be working in a pub in Marrawah who just happened to be 23 / SAVIOUR NAMED DAMIEN
looking for a tall, German partner, preferably a PhD student. Quick game of not-so-musical chairs and the new driver stepped up. Fresh. Buzzing with coffee and feeling like Nigel Mansell. You realise on long journeys that there are only so many new sleeping positions you can try before you have to admit defeat. The caffeine low kicking hard at my shin. At 60kph it appeared we’d hit a new low, driving at the speed of your half-sighted grandmother whilst experiencing severe shakes. Now was the time to admit we had problems and quite possibly should pull over to inspect the damage. Then it came…
BANG.
“Ok, just pull over real slowly”, urgency apparent in the tone. All of us now wide-eyed and slightly nervous. Grins appearing. There before us lay this heavy piece of black, cylindrical metal. Still intact. Like a piece of road kill, we stood round it to see if there was any life. Whilst inspecting the undercarriage of the vehicle, the drizzle began. Hoods up over our heads, the remaining passengers traipsed back up the previously driven road in search of nuts and bolts. Logging trucks racing passed. We were on a mission. So it turns out we may have been driving a fair old way with only 2 nuts and bolts securing the drive shaft. Laughter erupts once again. Instructions then came through
the vessel of modern technology and heads (and beards) were scratched in unison. The ever so important part of the car was slung into the foot well of the back seat and a very painful journey began. ‘Bang, clunk, bang, clunk’ getting louder and faster the higher the revs. Hazards on constantly. When the duck tape didn’t hold the ball joint in place, we moved onto rope, when rope didn’t work we moved onto a ripped towel plus lots of duck tape for a cushioned effect. Whilst our speed never exceeded 10kmph, we watched the world go by at the speed of an Olympic walker, lights flashing warning fellow drivers. A painful 40 minutes later and we’d covered ground of 2km, at a now personal best of 5kph. We pulled into the closest town’s service station, the thought of waves now far from any of our minds. Damien, with his long beard and shooting stories peered at the drive shaft in our hands through misty glasses. Not a mechanic, but willing to give it a go and save our day. With a shed full of tools behind him he got to work, uncertainty appeared but determination took over. After an Austin Powers moment of pushing the car back and fourth, Damien, let’s call him ‘the saviour’ had our motor ready for the road once more. And we’d done him a favour; we’d taken him away from serving customers, filling up their empty tanks, making idol chit chat. He’d go home with a real sense of achievement; I think everyone felt good about that. Big smiles waved goodbye to Damien. Sights set on the open road, which would lead us to our now muchanticipated destination. Drizzle led the way. Headlights pulled us into a soggy playground area and the perfect tent space was spotted. The cows soon came over to say hello, intrigued by our tent-erecting skills. Artificial light filled the BBQ area and shone down on our pre-made dinner, the camping chairs sat patiently, waiting to cushion our behinds. Wrapped up in hats and scarves we chatted over dinner about the day’s events, how we came so close to not leaving home at all, how flights to the mainland were considered and looked into and that final telephone call to say it was all back on. The highs and the lows. Going from the moment we wished we were still all sitting in our houses drinking tea to gleefully pushing obstacles out of the way and finding our way to our final destination. Whatever happened now, the odds had been defied.
We were there.
SAVIOUR NAMED DAMIEN / 24
“ LE HAND PICKED BICYCLE ” BY MILAN ABAD
S E N D YOUR BIKE ARTWOR K TO NEWS@PICTOGRAMSTUDIO.CO.UK
IN CONVERSATION WITH
Nicholas Frith
Nicholas John Frith is an illustrator, designer and print-maker based in Bournemouth. Combining simple character designs with a hand drawn illustartion style he creates fun, humorous and nostalgic images. I caught up with Nicholas over a beer on the terrace of a local bar to talk about his work...
How long have you been working as an illustrator?
Do you work from home? And are you pretty good at
What sort of background have you come from? It’s
staying self-motivated and focused? Yeah, I work from
really only been around two and a half years. Drawing
home, in a little studio space I’ve made for myself on the
and writing was something I always did out of love and
landing of our small flat.
compulsion, but the day finally came when I had some
Motivation is never really a problem. From the moment I
focus and clarity and said to myself ‘it’s time to give this
wake to the time my head hits the pillow I’m either doing
a shot and try to make it your career’.
or thinking about my work. Focus within a project can be
My background? Art related or otherwise? Born and
an issue, but focus for where I’m going and what I want
raised in Buckinghamshire, no real family history in the
to do is not.
Arts. Spent some time in London, Sydney and elsewhere. Now here in Dorset.
You have a really unique and consistent style, is that
I’d say I’m pretty much self-taught, though many moons
a conscious decision or just how it comes out? Thanks.
ago I did go through the art college system after leaving
Yeah, it is a conscious thing. I’ve spent quiet a while
school.
Learning how to Screen Print and how to use
working on it, for me it’s important. But hopefully it’s
Photoshop all on my lonesome, over the last two to three
not too contrived. At the beginning I was trying to force
years feels like a small accomplishment.
certain styles but in the end my head and hand had a
27 / IN CONVERSATION WITH
little conversation, and I let go a bit more, doing what
wood, early 20th century history and traditions, places,
felt more natural. But it was always my intention to put
Nobrow Press, food, beautifully made paper goods, Bjorn
across a concise, recognisable style. I want someone
Rue Lie, Carson Ellis, old ‘vintage’ posters, Blexbolex ......
to take one look at an illustration of mine and say ‘that looks like the work of Nicholas John Frith’. I think a sense
Do you have a set design process? I work generally
of knowing what they are going to get is also important
using pencil, brush, indian ink and Photoshop. Whether
to a client too.
I’m producing something as an illustration, design or to become a screen print, it always begins with these.
Could you talk about your influences a little? I think I’m
I usually produce work with just two or three colours,
influenced by everything. Things I love always feed into
including black, and go about my illustrations as I would
my work. Recently it’s been mid-century children’s book
a screenprint, producing the image in layers, one for each
illustration. But I think it’s really easier for other people
colour. I start with a ‘final’ sketch and trace the layers
to maybe see the influences than me.
separately. Colour is only added when then layers are all
Inspiration is something I think about more than influence.
scanned and on the mighty Photoshop, where I piece it
Current and continued inspiration comes from, for various
all together.
reasons, nature, americana music, beer labels and mats,
IN CONVERSATION WITH / 28
I N CONVERSATION WIT H N I CHOLAS FRITH
You’ve done some work with the children’s magazine
You recently had an Exhibition at Lion Street Store
Anorak, could you tell us about that? Sure. Anorak is
in Rye, showing your ‘Imagined Brands’ series, how
an amazing magazine. And being published by them for
did that go? Very well thanks. It was actually my first
the first time 2 years ago was really my break. It was the
real solo exhibition, with a private view etc. so that was
motivation and confidence boost I needed when I was
exciting. Given free rein, I went a bit ‘concept’ with it, as
just starting out. I actually approached them with a short
you’ve said, it was a series of work based on fictitious,
children’s story I had written, and happened to mention
Imagined Brands. At one stage I was shitting it a little,
that I also drew. They said they loved the story and
as I thought it could all go wrong and turn out like some
would I like to illustrate it too?! I jumped at the chance,
lame-ass college project, but I was super stoked with the
though at the time I wasn’t drawing much, struggling
result. And the Lion Street Store, is such a beautifully
with formulating a style and had just started to teach
curated shop and gallery space.
myself Photoshop. All went well though, and this summer I had my fourth piece published by them, Greedy Gulliver
What have you got planned for the future? Plans for the
Woodpigeon. It’s a 6 page cautionary tale of sorts, and
future? God, yes, lots! Way in the distance, a handful of
it’s gone down really well I think.
children’s picture books, a graphic novel, more writing... On a nearer horizon, I’ve just been doing some fauna/
Animals feature a lot in your work, are you an animal
wildlife illustrations, designs, in collaboration with a
lover? Strange, but no. I don’t think I am an animal lover.
company called Magpie, to feature on a range of crockery
‘Animal lover’ makes me think of pets, and of horsey and
and other products. I’d love to get back to doing more
cat people and strange ornaments of hedgehogs or some
screen printing. I also started work on a 2.72 metre long
such, sorry not my thing. I am a big nature lover though!
accordion book last February, based loosely on the short
Wild animals are super fascinating. Bears and whales
life of Robert Pershing Wadlow and the song ‘The Giant
especially. I like watching the squirrels outside our flat
Of Illinois’ by The Handsome Family, so I’d like to finish
on a big oak tree too.
that. So much more.... but I can’t think. On a practical note, basically keep making work and
You’ve designed a mug too how did that come about?
building a good client list, to bring home the bacon!
Oh yeah, that should be in the shops imminently. I was asked to design it for the lovely folks behind the boutique
Interview Sam Williams
tea towel company ToDryFor, who I did a tea towel for a
Illustartion Nicholas Frith
while back. The mug’s for their new brand Beast In Show.
www.nicholasjohnfrith.blogspot.co.uk
It features a tea-loving bear! Whether they know it or not ToDryFor have been a big support to me.
29 / IN CONVERSATION WITH
Concrete
Adj; 1. Solid, real 2. Made of concrete Noun;a mixture of gravel, cement etc used in building. I have no idea how it got to this. There was a point where I was more accepting, things were what they were and there was no question about it; now I can’t help but eat, sleep and breathe the complete opposite. So riddle me this, and go easy while my mind is worn on its sleeve. Paint yourself a scene and build it with concrete. It’s mundane, uninspiring and I’d be willing to bet my bottom dollar that it’s a sight you wouldn’t normally think twice about. But here it is in my mind’s eye, mottled and confused by it’s own existence; something so simple becoming so complex – how does my mind twist it into this? For the moment I’m suffering from artistic differences with the dictionary, begging the question of which definition is right… not that one is wrong, but which relies upon the other? It’s a wonder of whether concrete as a noun came about as a result of needing to prove concrete as an adjective could exist; or whether it’s that the substance became so pure as an answer to the word: it’s reliance, it’s complexity; it’s ugliness. The make-up concrete wears dresses it as a windworn gypsy, it’s rawness so brave and tough, and yet, it’s as fragile as an English rose. How can this and the adjective of solidity sit so tightly hand in hand? Sand, gravel and stone, each element so strong alone, so brave to each and itself, prepared to crumble if all else fails. And then there’s polished concrete; the way it's hardened self gleams in glitter, ready to take on the night. It has become so proud to be known as concrete, standing as an arrogant disturbance enjoying the drama and melodramatics of our lives.
But concrete forms the basis of our current existence, look out the window and each of us is surrounded. How is it that we have come to have immediate trust with this material? Could it be deception from the solidity of the adjective rather than the immediate noun? I suppose one man’s building is another man’s playground; another man’s sanctuary is a third man’s fear. And yet, when people see wet concrete, they don't wish it to reach it's splendour as a dry, tough and respected being. They feel an overriding need to vandalise it and make their mark in that tough, complex matter then so simply viewed as a roughly drawn heart encasing two names in love. Concrete lives as a teenager, grasping anything it can in order to be seen and understood – elements binding together like sweaty teenage palms in the midst of first love, ready to be sworn at and torn apart by the love
so
fragile.
Words Harriet Montague Illustration Eleanor Hughes CONCRETE / 30
ENJOY. KATIE & CHLOE X
Katie and Chloe from Howl Agency share their picks of gigs, art and other fun treats.
ART: SAMUEL ESQUIRE Illustrator magnifique. www.samuelesquire.com
Samuel Esquire is an illustrator working between London and Bournemouth. His work takes influence from a plethora of sources, including modernday popular culture, ancient myth and Victorian literature, and focuses on the macabre and fantastical. He is one of the founding members of Puck Collective; a group of practising and aspiring illustrators based around the UK and abroad. His style is a mixture of analogue and digital; starting of from reference, he takes a very 19th century approach, concentrating on line and tone, inspired by the work of Gustave Dore, J.J. Granville, and John Dickson Batten. Then he occasionally adds colour and composes the composite image digitally before, more often than not, it returns to the analogue, in the form of limited edition screen-prints.
GIG: HOWL PRESENTS: FOALS + TROPHY WIFE Dec 7th @ Sixty Million Postcards. www.sixtymillionpostcards.com
PLACE: PIE & VINYL 61 Castle Road, Southsea. www.pieandvinyl.co.uk.
Yes you heard right. The one and only Foals will be joining December’s edition of Howl presents for an intimate gig at 60 Million to kick off their new album. The Oxford-based band have pretty much been in the studio for most of 2012, and we can’t wait to hear their new material.
Your attention please... Introducing the marvelous Pie and Vinyl Record Cafe!
Supporting them will be the very talented trio Trophy Wife, who are also native Oxfordian. They describe them selves as “ambitionless office disco” we are not sure what that means, but it sounds damn good. Lead singer of Foals Yannis Philippakis tweeted that he is “super excited to be getting into some dank & dirty sweatbox shows. Gonna be killer.” We agree. Tickets are avaible from SeeTickets. www.trophywifetheband.blogspot.com www.foals.co.uk
www.howlagency.co.uk
Started by Rob Litchfield and Steve Courtnell, combining two of their loves, Music and Food! Pie and Vinyl was created out of pure necessity, they felt there was no decent record shops in Southsea so they decided to do it themselves. Not stopping there, they go a step further by incorporating traditional pie and mash to the mix. Not only have they curated a comfortable and ingenious gem, they are also sourcing their teas, pies and even furniture from the Portsmouth and Southsea area. Specialising in new music and new artists, they are also using the venue to offer local bands and artists a space to showcase their work. Pie & Vinyl is quite literally an experience for all of your senses… and the Howl vote is that you need this in your life.
@howlagency
33 / SWILLIAM SHINES
“A Night of Beer, Glitter, Pritt-Stick and Safety Scissors.” 07th November 2012 05th December 2012 06th Febuary 2013 SIXTY MILLION POSTCARDS www.sixtymillionpostcards.com www.pictogramstudio.co.uk
FREE ENTRY
In assosiation with Dorset Scrapstore www.dorsetscrapstore.org.uk
Coast Surf, Skate, Ride. With a nod towards Australian surf and coffee culture, ‘Coast’ is a surf, skate and bike shop with adjoining cafe, or is it a cafe with adjoining shop? Either way, Coast is a family run business offering something a little bit different. Recently surf and skate culture has become increasingly creative, with more and more independent ‘DIY’ brands popping up on the scene everyday. This shift in attitudes see’s a move away from the mainstream brands with the emphasis now on craftsmanship and environmental responsibility - a kickback to some of the more grass-root ideals that founded these sports in the first place. Coast understands the unique market of these brands and has carefully sourced a selection of the most innovative, forward thinking companies from around the world including; Rhythm clothing, Patagonia Wetsuits, Almond surfboards, Penny Skateboards and Foffa bikes. Keeping things local, Coast recently started up a collaboration with Bournemouth-based surfer Mike Winter. Winter is a talented shaper who translates his ideas from a background in sculpture and love of the ocean into hand-shaped surfboards. His riding style and creative thinking go hand in hand with the rise of a non-aggressive, free approach to surfing. His brand ‘acre’ surfboards will be appearing in the Coast shop soon.
Aside from the shop, the cafe offers the same attention to detail and quality with great coffee, locally-sourced produce and a library of independent magazines to flick through (Pictogram included). The workshop is just another string to Coast’s bow and allows the team to provide a full service, customising skate decks, servicing bikes as well as getting to work on their own personal projects. A family full of creative minds and innovative ideas, Coast has a lot up its sleeve, throughout the summer they organised a series of weekly bike rides; which promoted their beautiful display of Fixie bikes but was also an open invitation for the local pedal-powered community to get together and take off on a two-wheeled adventure.
Words Hannah Stocks
With plenty more events in the pipeline follow the blog to avoid missing out.
Photography Jason Rubino
www.wearecoast.com
35 / COAST
COAST / 36
from the field DIARY OF A FESTIVAL ADDICT We spent this summer on a shoestring budget, traveling the length and breadth of the English countryside in a vehicle unsuited to the task at hand. Swimming in our luggage we flitted between festival fields. The highs were the obscure discoveries such as the sauna (yurt) filled with naked hippies chanting Hakuna Matata, the builder leaving a ‘Glitteration Station’ with every last inch of his body coated in sparkly gold and the ivy clad Bestival worker who proudly boasted responsibility for wrapping every metal pole on-site in coloured ribbon. The lows included a broken knee, tent wars with temporary neighbors and the exhaust pipe falling off the Cleo. We established from the start that this would not be another gloating review, instead we sort out tactile experiences, meeting and greeting some pretty interesting people along the way. The following series of essays documents our findings, and discusses British festival culture with the people we incountered in an attempt to discover what it is about festivals that makes us all want to escape to the countryside and dance around in the rain. Words Mike Frost
37 / FROM THE FIELD
KADA BENDAHA. MOORISH FOOD, SHAMBALA FESTIVAL. Festival food is tricky business, it’s pricey, and has this irritating sobering effect but when its done right, it’s hard to resist. Moorish Feast is a touring restaurant that takes full advantage of it’s Algerian roots. The restaurant, inspired by North African and Middle Eastern culture is a touring banquet with no fixed abode. It is the creation of Kada Bendaha, a Parisian trained chef and Algerian native who gave up his successful coffee shop and restaurant business to pursue a more adventurous lifestyle. “Originally I’m a nomad, I grew up with Souk Markets where everybody is screaming and shouting. So for me it is quite natural to be here with a lot of noise and music and people having fun.” Moorish Feast tours between festival sites throughout summer operating from a beautifully presented, traditional North African tent. The menu steers clear of predictable Eastern dishes such as, tagines and couscous, offering instead, a fast food twist on the street food of Algeria. Their award winning ‘parcels’ are based a Moroccan dish called ‘Pastille’ consisting of filo pastry, sliced goats cheese, harissa paste and merguez sausage (lamb sausage).
www.moorishcatering.co.uk
The Moorish concept is inspired by childhood memories recalling time spent in the street Markets of Algeria during Ramadan. Kada studied how street venders could lure people in to eat even when they should be fasting by using the showmanship and smells of freshly prepared food. ‘It creates massive queues because the people are starving so they want to buy it all. When you are hungry you want to buy everything.’ Moorish emulates the traditional market stall vibe, all of Kada’s ingredients are carefully selected and never compromised. Proudly out on display, “The olives come from Wazein, a little village in Morocco. It’s the closest taste to the real olive, I remember when I was younger we used to go with my father and pick olives from the tree, you would have to slice it and pickle it and then and get excited about trying it. I’m trying to take that culture and bring it closer to the people here in an environment like this where people are happy, relaxed and willing to try.” Kada’s passion for good food is evident in his attention to detail. His ability to translate his own life experiences into ideas allows him to tap into the human physique and understand exactly why people want, what they want, when they want it. Out of session Moorish Feast is run as a series of pop-up restaurants offering an intimate, oneoff dining experience complete with traditional Middle Eastern cabaret.
Words Mike Frost, Photography Oscar May FROM THE FIELD / 38
JORIS GUNAWARDENA. THE PANCAKE PEOPLE, SHAMBALA FESTIVAL.
For most people a festival is a sort of holiday, an escape from social restraints and the boredom that comes with 9-5, but whilst most pack for the weekend making difficult decisions about inflatable beds and fold-away chairs, these guys are shopping to feed the 5, 000 whilst they construct a festival friendly vehicle for their mad, mobile, pancake making antics. Meet The Pancake People, a dedicated clan of festivalgoers who have taken it upon themselves to cook pancakes on mass, serving them up for free from a purpose built mobile kitchen buggy, exclusively at Shambala Festival. “It’s got a little car stereo on it, and we can actually cook whilst moving, delving pancakes out on the move.” With no hidden agenda and no official affiliation to the festival, The Pancake People’s motivation is simply to promote the concept of Gift Economics - the act of giving. “The idea is that if everyone brings what they are willing to give then we would all receive what we wanted and there would be nothing clouding our decision as to whether we really want something or not.” The 10-strong group is largely made up of old family friends with a few tag-alongs who have been adopted along the way. The initiative was inspired by experiences of Burning Man, a landmark American festival famed for
it’s anti- capitalist attitudes. Where money is obsolete and bartering becomes the only form of currency. “The first time I went by myself and I really didn’t have anything to give because I kind of hitched in and hitched out but I came across this group called the pancake camp and they did American style pancakes in the mornings so the next year I thought I would take crepes and do it mobile all throughout the night … We ended up having some strange interactions with people, no-one expected to find a pancake at 5 in the morning in a temple in the middle of the desert!” This project, which started with a couple of guys and a potable gas stove, has grown organically to a team of friends who meet once a year in there muli-coloured chef whites. They refuse financial reimbursement, trading 120 eggs, 6k of flour, 1lt of oil and 20lt milk for that rewarding feeling you get from giving, forcing others to question the value of money and inspiring others to give; “We had a young lad the other day who was quite inspired I think, he said “The next festival I’m going to cover my whole body with cereal boxes and give them out for free!” it was so random but he was inspired to do something for free, in gift.”
Words Mike Frost, Photography Oscar May 39 / FROM THE FIELD
WAYNE HOOPER. SPOON MAN, BEACONS FESTIVAL. In Wayne’s world, spoons aren’t just something he needs to stir his tea, they are his passion. When he isn’t whittling them himself he’s holding whittling workshops teaching others the skill. But isn’t life too short to whittle a spoon? Not according to Wayne: “Everybody likes spoons, everybody likes eating, we like cooking and so it’s a good way of getting people to sit down, carve and let their minds just rest a little bit”. Cutlery-making isn’t the biggest festival draw but Wayne discovered his talent for working with wood at The Big Green gathering six years ago and he has been whittling for himself ever since. It was only last year he decided to share his skills with others: “There’s this thing called The Association of Polelathe Turners and Greenwood Workers and I went to their Bodgers Ball where there were loads of old men that have been doing it for 30 years and you go up and say ‘O how do you do that?’ and they were really willing to share there skills. “I think a lot of these skills are really old crafts that have been passed on and they were nearly extinct like 50 years ago but there’s been a regeneration of people remembering these old skills.
“I mean pretty soon when oil runs out and shit like that things like working with green wood are going to be pretty important you know? “ Wayne works for love. He doesn’t charge – “The skill is there I can’t charge for I have just found a way to help people realise what’s already there.“ “When I sell spoons I’m like; ‘Please use that don’t just hang it up’. Some take hours to carve. This is a man who has worked his life around his whittling, living out of a seven and a half ton Mercedes horse box he travels the festivals up and down the country spreading the word about spoons. “So many things about living in a van suit me but ideally I want to build my own home out of cob or straw and put down some proper roots in the earth ... Also living in a van, it’s sustainable it’s economical, I’m very much empowered. “If I need electricity I need to get that, If I need water I have to deal with it. Everything that comes in or out of the van I have to physically think of, but I’m living my life to support myself and this is exactly the life I want to live.” Out of festival season Wayne will head south to build up a good stock of spoons – he can never have enough.
Words Lara Skowronska, Photography Mike Frost 41 / FROM THE FIELD
LIZZIE HARRISON. REMADE IN LEEDS, BEACONS FESTIVAL. For designer Lizzie Harrison, being thrifty and experimental with fashion has shaped her lifestyle and company into a fashion forward brand that revolves around her local community. “I think my whole perspective as a designer is that for me, it’s about the challenge of what you have got and what you can make from it.” Re-Made in Leeds is a fashion business with two main aspects, Antiform a fashion forward brand made of upcylcle textiles, which retails for up to £200 and Remade in Leeds, a community based social project, which provides workshops based around artisan skills. “Remade in Leeds is a social enterprise it’s non-profit, we aim to provide services, skills and creative solutions to help people make fashion more sustainable but at the same time still be fashion.” Lizzie worked for a bunch of fashion brands in London before choosing to move her life and study BA and MA Fashion in Leeds, because for her, this is where it all began. “I wanted bring manufacturing back to Leeds and take it to skilled makers out in the community.”
Since the launch of Re-Made in 2010, the business has attracted the attention of the fashion-conscious; those who perhaps have a Primark budget but are look for something much better quality. Their monthly swap shop is decked out like a boutique with a stylist on hand to help, as well as workshops that teach customisation and useful skills like basic repairs. I caught up with Lizzie at Beacons festival in Yorkshire this summer. The team of seventeen girls and one guy making this unique-looking stall a real success with the festival goers, I asked why Re-made works so well at festivals: “Well we do Beacons because it’s a really good way to meet people in the area and get the message out, when people are at festivals people are really open to new experiences they are very relaxed and just get really absorbed. I think life’s hard at the moment, people have had a rainy summer and are still worried about their jobs and people just want a bit of escapism.” The future holds great things for this community fashion project with the fall line about to go into shops. Lizzie will also be holding workshops for Friends Of The Earth at this year’s Annual General Meeting and you can catch up with the team at their Christmas pop up shops in both Yorkshire and London.
www.remadeinleeds.org Words Lara Skowronska, Photography Mike Frost FROM THE FIELD / 42
not what you think WORDS MIKE FROST PHOTGRAPHY OSCAR MAY One of the really nice things about Shambala Festival is that people really go for it, I’ve never come across such decadent camping at a festival before. The campsite was flooded with yurts and bell tents and it felt like people where setting up homes not putting up tents, hauling arm chairs and full on kitchens in to make their temporary living quarters. We meet one lady who didn’t speak a word of English. She was sat on the path early one morning, cooking some sort of green beans over an unusual stove. Conveniently when we stopped to take her picture, an English-speaking friend popped their head out a tent and explained that this woman was roasting her own coffee beans... to think people took the piss when I wanted to pack an espresso peculator. As we continued to navigate though the festival fields we couldn’t help but question what some people did for a living, the level of dressing up was incredible and we wondered how characteristic this flare of creativity would seem juxtaposed by job titles from these people’s day to day lives. So we asked them. The full series of images is available on the Pictogram website. www.pictogramstudio.co.uk
43 / NOT WHAT YOU THINK
OUR MUSE THE CAMPSITE BARISTA
THE NURSE
THE DENTIST AND THE GRAPHIC DESIGNER
45 / NOT WHAT YOU THINK
THE PHOTGRAPHER
NOT WHAT YOU THINK / 46
THE CLAIMS ADVISER AND THE PRINT MONKEY
47 / NOT WHAT YOU THINK
THE PAINTER / DECORATER
THE WOODEN BOAT BUILDER
NOT WHAT YOU THINK / 48
making a meal of it like a food section, but a bit less fancy
It’s safe to say that things went a lot smoother this time for ‘Making a Meal of It’, no car break downs, no last minute venue changes. As a matter of fact, the evening was a complete dream! We held the evening at château du Harvey, the residence of this issues’ guest chef, the lovely Lauren, 22, from Bournemouth. The entertainment for the evening mainly consisted of lounging around on sofas with god-knowswhat on the TV in the background. So a lot of chat helped along by Cidré (not cider) …of course. The perfect way to spend an evening! We’ve mixed it up a little this time, and instead of giving reviews in the form of numerical figures, we have drawn our enjoyment in glorious monochrome for you to interpret! Doesn’t beat eating it yourself, mind… but what the heck.
“contrasting tangy bitter sweetness”
1st Course: Based on a recipe courtesy of the wonderful Jamie Oliver, Lauren created a main course of ‘Spinach & feta parcel with a mixed leaf side salad and roasted new potatoes’ - Yum. Lauren refused to put pine nuts in this little number as they were too expensive. Scrap that, we’re on a budget! 2nd Course: Again based on a recipe by ol’ Jamie Oliver (clearly Lauren’s favourite!), we had a ruddy glorious ‘Fake lemon & raspberry cheesecake’ for dessert. As Sam is allergic to hazelnuts, Lauren gave him a special dessert only using ginger nut biscuits, what a diamond.
“I wish I could have afforded Pine nuts to add to the recipe, I’m not over the pine nut ordeal yet!” 49 / MAKING A MEAL OF IT
SPINACH & FETA PARCEL Serves 6 Ingredients Big bag of spinach 400g butter 5 eggs 300g feta cheese 50g cheddar (grated) 1 lemon Pack of puff pastry Splash of olive oil To season - salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, thyme and nutmeg. Preheat oven to 200 C / Gas mask 6. Wilt the spinach with a bit of butter and oil, you’ll have to put it in a bit at a time whilst it all shrinks down. Next in a big ol’ bowl, crack in the eggs, crumbled the feta, and mix together with the grated cheddar, the zest of a lemon and a bit of paprika and thyme. If you’re feeling flashy, toast some pine nuts and put those in too. Keep stirring the spinach! Roll out the pastry till it’s pretty thin making sure that it’s bigger than your pan – you want it to flop all over the edges. I just used a baking tray with high edges but any pie dish would also work wonderfully. Line your baking tray and lay your pastry sheet on top, push in the corners and leave the edges to hang over. The spinach should be cooked, so chuck that into the eggy/cheesy mixture with a bit of grated nutmeg. Then pour the mixture on top of your pastry and fold into parcel form. (Mine was a pretty poorly wrapped package so don’t worry about the presentation too much!) Place on the top shelf of your oven, and bake for about 20 minutes until good and brown... Romeo done.
Words Chloe Weaving
fake LEMON & RASBERRY CHEESECAKE Serves 6 Ingredients 50g knob of butter 10 ginger nut biscuits 50g Chopped hazelnuts 250g Cream cheese Splash of Milk Jar of lemon curd 200g raspberries 1 tbsp Icing sugar 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract Bar dark chocolate First off, put some glasses/tumblers into the freezer. Melt your butter in a pan. Bash about 8 ginger nut biscuits with a rolling pin (or a wine bottle). Mix in some chopped hazelnuts, then pour into the melted butter and mix. When the glasses are pretty frosty, split the biscuit mix between them and pack it down so it’s firm. Spoon a big dollop of lemon curd on top and add a few raspberries. In a bowl mix up some cream cheese with a splash of milk, a big spoon of icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract. Add a big spoon of this creamy mixture on top of the raspberries, and then smash some dark chocolate on top of that to finish!