Sunday 12 July 2009

Newquay's bad press

It is always sad when somebody young dies, as they have recently in Newquay as a result of too much alcohol and unawarenss of the how dangerous the cliff-tops are. However, it is unfair that Newquay is getting all of the blame for this accident, and many facts are not being reported.

Newquay is being portrayed in the press as a place where no clubs ask for ID and where drink is easy to get hold of. This is simply not true. Newquay has a very strict no ID no entry policy: if the clubs get caught letting underage people in then they are, potentially, out of business, which isn’t an option for a seasonal town.

Newquay’s off-licences also have a strict ID policy. In some of the shops the bottles of drinks are tagged so that if an underage person is caught with a drink it can be traced back to the store, or traced back to the person who bought it for them, using CCTV.

The police are constantly patrolling the town to try and stop underage drinking.

In my experience of working at a campsite that does accept 16 year-olds, the parents are often the ones that provide the drink. Of course this is not all parents, but a lot of them did. Some tragedies are going to occur when children are left to their own devices, especially with alcohol.

Possible solutions? Places in Newquay shouldn’t accept under 18s, as there isn’t anywhere for them to go in the town. Or if they do continue to accommodate under 18s then they should be made more aware of the fatal mix of darkness, the cliffs and alcohol. And finally, and most importantly, parents should try and take more responsibility.

Monday 6 April 2009

Can’t eat, still haven’t slept, or stopped

So I am back from the ‘big smoke’, and I have had a weird stomach which won’t allow me to eat lots of food anymore else it goes into a complete spasm for about four hours. It could be a good thing I guess, as I can no longer over-eat. So, Now was a great experience for online stuff, key words and links for SEO (Search engine optimisation – I know what that stands for now, oh yes). Web writing is so different, well in this case (celebrity gossip), strict structure and very formulaic. I found it quite hard, but I imagine once you’ve done it twenty times it’s pretty easy – maybe - actually, don’t hold me to that!

I have been working since I got back with all my jobs needing me (Easter, Newqay, credit crunch = busy) and I have work to do, and a hen party to organise. Sigh, no rest for me, so so tired.

Saturday 28 March 2009

Now Online

Note: First week at Now online, and I am learning lots of new techy-stuff like content management systems and META key words. I never considered myself to be a techy person, but hey it helps today. I will probably do more writing next week hopefully.
I am enjoying the pace of London - even though 9-5 always makes me feel that I am just working all week, with no spare time - welcome to the really world!
The building is daunting it is huge, modern with 12 floors.
www.nowmagazine.co.uk

Saturday 14 March 2009

Credit Crunch Car Boot

It’s the credit crunch blah blah blah – it doesn’t actually make any difference to me as I am always skint. I decided to have a car boot today. Perfect timing I thought with the credit crunch in full swing people will buy loads of my clothes and other rubbish I don’t want anymore. I priced them really cheap, let people heckle them down even more, and I made - £6. After all the hours of pricing, finding everything, moving the boxes in, doing the car boot, £6! That’s less than a pound an hour for my hard work. I guess it’s so bad now that people can’t even afford to spend 50p on a few tops. How depressing.
A quick run down of the week. I was at Wed again Monday and Tuesday, and I went to a hair shoot, which was fun. I like that I got to do other stuff there too aside from writing. I have just been working really, writing a lot and re-editing my features. I am doing publicity for a website called Bloc http://www.bloc-online.com/, which will be good PR experience, as jobs for writers aren’t looking so good in these financial times…

Saturday 7 March 2009

Eating, working and doing a whole lot of not enough…

Started off the week with being in the office at Wed and on the Tuesday I went to this food shoot, which was very exciting as we got to eat the food after! It was a shame it had to be photographed first and therefore went cold, but great food nevertheless. I had a few starters and a whole desert by The Round Kitchen www.theroundkitchen.com – who do the best food if you are looking for some wedding caterers in Cornwall.

I’ve spent the rest of the week doing some work, but not enough of it – I have several features that I have to improve, but I haven’t got around to it. I spent most of yesterday wondering what I should write for an opinion feature, but I have now decided to write a piece on being frugal with fashion. I am glad I’ve decided now, as I was really stressing out about what to write about!

Today I went to Bodmin to write some stuff about the Bodmin gaol and Lanhydrock house for this Manifesta bid (a bid for a biennial European art festival and Cornwall is bidding for it to be hosted here). I took some photos and that, but I should have probably gone in the buildings, but I am too skint, and I have been there before. I keep volunteering myself for things that involve more and more work, as I promised myself that I would volunteer for lots of things on this MA!

Must go now – meant to be going to Watergate bay to listen to some Irish music! Should be doing work…

Sunday 1 March 2009

Quick update of work exp. etc

I have had a great week at Wed magazine (http://www.wedmagazine.co.uk/). I love that it isn’t a conventional wedding magazine and has a fun cover – instead of a cheesy bride on the front!
Absolutely knackered though (2hour round trip and Uni work to do on top!)! But, it’s worth it! I am there again on Monday and Tuesday. I am looking forward to Tuesday as I get to go to a food shoot, and eat the food after! Hope they have some good desserts!
It has been really good to get an overview of a whole magazine, as it is on a much smaller scale than any newspaper/magazine that I have been too before. It will be completely different to NOW at the end of the month.
It’s really helping me in my writing and making me think and know what to do for my MA project in the summer (I plan to launch my own magazine, or prepare to rather – it’s still a little sketchy). Anyway, this is a quick one! Bye

Saturday 21 February 2009

My Addiction to Sweets


I love sweets, and I have four fillings to prove it. I haven’t been to the dentist for a while (does that make me gross?) so I probably need a couple more. It isn’t just the taste that I love, but the childish excitement and childhood memories that come with sweets. I am still mourning the loss of Woolworths and the Pic ‘n’ Mix – every Saturday after ballet class I was at the Pic ‘n’ Mix as a child.

Today I went to a fantastic sweet shop called Mr Simms’ Olde Sweet Shoppe in Falmouth, where I and all the fellow Pic ‘n’ Mix mourners were. Even though this sweet shop is better than Pic ‘n’ Mix – better than any sweet shop that I could pick from my imagination even, that is how good Mr Simms’ Olde Sweet Shoppe is.

Hundreds of jars of traditional sweets, specialist sweets, favourites, Pic ‘n’ Mix – even better than Woolworths, trays of lollies, foot long marshmallow, popping candy, and a separate section for chocolate, but that section didn’t bring as much excitement as the sweet section. The shop was packed with excitement from children, but also adults seeing sweets that they hadn’t seen for years. I found some fish and chips, which are white chocolate shaped like fish and chips. The last time I saw them was in my local newsagents, which shut over a decade ago – 6p a portion they were. Sigh.

Children must have sweets, yes I have four fillings, yes they are bad for you, but the memories, the fun, and the excitement make it all worth it. Maybe I am addicted, but I don’t plan to recover.


www.mrsimmsoldesweetshoppe.com

Friday 13 February 2009

I am a stylist!

I’ve had quite a busy week, as I have had to do my work in the evenings after University. I am at Wed magazine on Monday and Tuesday! I am excited as I am helping out with the styling and cover shoot! I know it’s not writing, but I don’t really care as it will be useful and I love clothes and accessories so to me it sounds fantastic! I am not looking for the hour drive there and back though! Then again people commute all the time in the city. I would prefer it if it was an hour on the train then I could get my work done. I commuted to Plymouth and I would have my books read before anyone else, because I did it on the train! Maybe some days I will get the train from Truro…
Anyway, I am reading a fantastic book called Girlfriend in a Coma, Douglas Coupland – read it! Even though, as usual, I haven’t had time to finish it yet.
Still working on a feature on the controlled currency in Venezuela with views my friend’s, who lives in Venezuela. I am trying to keep it as balanced as possible and put as much as my friend in it too. It is a big subject.

Saturday 7 February 2009

Snow and Stuff

Another week has gone. It scares me how they go so fast. First I will mention the snow, as I can’t not mention the snow, especially as I live in Cornwall where it hardly ever snows. Yes it snowed. On Monday and Tuesday, and it looked most lovely, as snow does. I am glad that I didn’t have to go anywhere on Monday or Tuesday, and it was kind enough to melt away in time for my seminars on Wednesday. Enough on snow, because quite frankly I am completely snowed out by the media coverage etc.
This week I have been to Uni to the usual seminars, and I am training in ‘In Design’, which may come in handy, but technology doesn’t half make me sleepy. We were a computer suite and being surrounded by computers and no natural light makes me so tired – maybe a solution for insomniacs.
Yesterday me and my cousin (who took the photos) went to interview two Falmouth artists Yolanda Mack and Sarah Bunker (for www.creativefalmouth.org), who were both very nice and it was nice to spend some time in Falmouth. I am supposed to be going to a Photography exhibition on Monday in Falmouth – open bar.

Thursday 29 January 2009

Networking, blogging, twitter, feedcat, websites

I am being forced to conform to the new world of technology, and to be honest I am not that impressed. If anybody actually looked at any of this (blog, website etc.), who was of professional importance, maybe I would be more convinced, but at the moment I can’t see how it can do anything for me professionally!

My friend, Sam (who is following this blog) is a techy, and she has sometimes said to me, when I don’t know about something technological, ‘What? I can’t believe you don’t know …..’, and I have always replied that I am bookish. I took English Literature – you didn’t need technology, but now I do, and it hasn’t impressed me so far – probably because I still don’t understand it.

You see, today we had a session on blogging, and I am trying to come to grips with it. Also, this week I have been working a bit on my Venezuela feature ‘Controlled Currency’, which still needs work. I always do it to myself – pick something too complicated for my frivolous and fancy free mind. I am starting one on construction companies going bust starting off with my home town Newquay, as it is quite an extreme case. Lots of flats started getting built for posh, rich, London surfers (f**k off!!! - Joking). Last year the Guardian said how it was booming, as (my friend actually) sold a place for a lot of £££££’s to be changed into posh flats and it used to be a shitty backpackers - with skint surfers (ah those were the days…).

Excited about work experience at Now magazine – exciting opportunity. Also Wed is coming up, which will be fun, and interesting. The editor of Wed launched the magazine herself, so it will be great to talk to her.

I went to watch ‘The Life and Works of Hunter S. Thompson’ last night, which was good – he wasn’t quite as crazy as I had thought he would be, as it showed a balanced view of him. I may be inspired to write some gonzo style journalism soon.

Sunday 25 January 2009

Dog Friends

I keep finding lost dogs, yesterday, and today. I should start carrying a lead around. Today me and Kevin were walking around in Colan woods, where there are lots of ruins of a old house, and then we found a old collie dog, and it was crying :(. We took it to the dog home, and we think it may have been abandoned. Yesterday I found one walking around too, but it looked okay so I thought it's owner may have been near it, somewhere - I feel a bit bad about that now. I am sure it is okay.

I get sick of my computer - yesterday I just had to turn it off for a while, but we are friends again now. I just get sick of looking at the screen all day when I am working, and when it is on I get the urge to check my facebook/yahoo/blogger/twitter about every hour - the seduction of technology is worrying I feel inhuman by the end of the day.

This weekend I have done a bit of work, but I needed a bit of a break. I will crack on tomorrow. I need to find interviewees for creative Falmouth (www.creativefalmouth.org), as I am the visual arts editor, would you believe.

Friday 23 January 2009

Update

There hasn’t been much going on this week. There is no guest speaker, and I am yet to pick up a new book – so I am still with the psycho Mike Engleby.
We have the opportunity to write for stranger magazine http://www.stranger-mag.com, for business writing. It promotes events in Cornwall, Bristol, London and Brighton. Also, for features we are putting together a features supplement targeted at the Sunday Independent (though it is not actually going in The Independent, unfortunately). All of the features have to be about the credit crunch, and I think that I will do something on property or fashion.
I have got some work experience at NOW magazine up in London for two weeks and this is on top of the Wed one. This will be good – even though I am not sure how I feel about staying in a backpackers for two weeks, but it will be worth it.
I can’t afford to go to the London book fair now because of the work experience, but I’m not too bothered, because Now will be more valuable to me.
I am going to see a documentary on Hunter S. Thompson, and Gonzo journalism next Wednesday, which will be interesting, as I don’t know much about Gonzo journalism. I did read about Hunter S. Thompson in Elle one time – a story from his wife/partner, and I have seen Fearing Loathing in Las Vegas, even though I always seem to fall asleep in it…maybe it is because it is so soothing….

Tuesday 13 January 2009

Survey....

For my MA project I’m thinking of creating a magazine aimed at female students, but first I have to find out if there is a market for this, so if you are a female student please take this survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=cX2KFe8eJHld8WGnpRq0sA_3d_3d

It will be a huge help, and it is not very long.
Thank you.
(If the link does not work as a link then copy and paste it into the address box, and it goes straight to the survey J)

Monday 5 January 2009

January Blues

This is my first blog for a while, after a long break from Uni. I feel like I have been off for ages, and I am getting kind of bored with being off now, as Christmas and New Year have gone, and I have recovered I feel like I should be doing something. I wish I had a job at the moment too, so that I would be bringing a bit of money in at least. I walked into town today to go the job centre, so I would feel productive, and there were only 3 jobs. I wasn't really expecting many jobs, but 3 is depressing.
I hate January too it is just a bad month-nothing happens, it is cold, and dark, and there is nothing to look forward to. I wish I was off travelling somewhere.
I have done hardly any writing since I have been off, and not enough reading either. I have been socialising and spending, and drinking too much. Christmas is like a lost bit of time, and a break from reality. I especially find the days between Christmas and New Year odd, as is Christmas over? Should I stop eating so much? I have had a good time though, and for New Year I went to London and watched the fireworks, which were great.
I have also been pestering every magazine for work experience, and I have had little response. I am consoling my self over the lack of response by thinking that before Christmas and New Year is a bad time to contact magazines; however, I was expecting a few responses today from the magazines I have contacted before Christmas-nothing.
I have got the January blues, which are not helped by the fact that the press is says that this year is going to bring nothing but financial gloom, and depression - the year when I actually have to try and get a decent job and move away. That is another thing - I really want to move away, I am bored of Cornwall and I want to have my own place, a good job and have everything - now! But I have to wait until I graduate, and then I probably won't even get a job, as un-emplyment is set to rise dramatically and the media, newspaper and magazine sales are meant to get worse, hey ho, what's the point in this year? Though, I have always had a good feeling about 2009, as nine is one of my lucky numbers, though so is 5 and 2005 was rubbish, anyway Happy New Year.