LONG overdue update - May to July

Ok - so I started writing this in May... About time I finished it off.

May rant...

It's been a long time in between group emails and for once I'm not running around like to a headless chook at work - so what better time to check in with everyone.

Time has flown since arriving back from Australia on 2 April (note to self - never, ever do that flight twice within a fortnight again). Had a brilliant time catching up with friends and spending most of my time with family. I'm sorry I couldn't see all of you for very long and some not at all - but I'm aiming to come home before Christmas so I'll see you all then. For anyone that knows my niece Holly you will understand how hard it was to say goodbye after such a short visit!

It took a lot of adjusting to get back in the swing of London life. Thankfully there is a lot of exciting things happening at work which took my mind off missing you all. Speaking of work, would you believe Dermot Brereton (ex-Hawthorn) was in reception the other day??????? The MD of Home Ent here used to be CEO of Hawthorn and they are still mates, crack up.

We had a great event for the launch of 28 Weeks Later the other week - Robert Carlyle was there and the kids in the film, Danny Boyle (director of Trainspotting - ding dong!!!!!!!!!!), lots of DNA Films producers, some of the cast of Lost were all there. Drank raspberry mojitos till 1am.

The weather is definitely much better now which is making me happy - have packed away the winter coat and just need the spring coat or even just a cardi some days! Bring on the vitamin D and healthy glow I have been missing for too many months now!! Don't mean to rub it in - seeing as most of you are going into winter now!

Probably the most exciting thing that happened since arriving back was Maximo Park doing an in-store appearance at this great little record shop near where I live called Pure Groove. I was absolutely tongue tied and really don't remember what I said to them.

On to some other news now, James and I split a few weeks ago - nothing awful. We will stay friends for sure.

**********

That's where I got to in May! It's now the end of July and I have LOADS more exciting things to tell you and I feel awfully guilty that it's taken so many months to get around to it.

We've hosted 3 huge premieres between middle of June and this week - Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Die Hard 4.0 and we just had The Simpsons Movie UK prem on Wednesday night. Absolutely knackered I tell you. Close to coughing up red carpet fur balls (or yellow carpet in the case of The Simpsons).

Fantastic Four was the world premiere so there was a fair bit of pressure on us from La-La-Land to get it right. We had most of the cast over including Jessica Alba to the delight of all the boys in the office and some of you may have seen some press about one of the biggest stunts we have ever attempted - getting a huge silver surfer on the middle of the London Eye.

Die Hard 4.0 was literally 6 days after Fan Four so you can imagine how exhausted everyone was, but we battled through and Bruce Willis didn't dissapoint, although they ran into Owen Wilson whilst on the publicity tour and he ended up tagging along and kept Bruce out drinking to all hours...

For something different and equally as huge as The Simpsons - it was decided that The Simpsons Movie premiere should take place away from standard Leicester Square location and we held it at the newly relaunched 02 (formerly Millenium Dome). Absolute logistical nightmare seeing as the bulk of the industry is based in the West End but we pulled it off! 02 laid on free clipper boats down the Thames for people to travel down there and back. We built Springfield Avenue that led up from the boats and the tube so people were entertained down the incredibly long carpet and had saxophone players playing the theme song.

It was an amazing event and we had 2900 guests attend the screening and 1600 at the after party guests which makes it one of the largest events I've worked on.

Anyone would think all I do is work by the sounds of this email - but I do have a life outside that too - promise. Moved to a great house in Stoke Newington with Ant and my friends Lauren and Sharon. Had a nightmare with the scum of the earth they call estate agents over here - and we also got burgled the other morning while we were in bed, but apart from that it's been ace!

Went to the 02 Festival a while back and saw Daft Punk amoungst many other favourites - good stuff. Angling to get to Reading and some other festivals and gigs as well, bring it on.

Hoping to go on holiday soon for some much needed rest - San Sebastian or something equally lovely.

Decided I will go ahead and get sponsored by Fox so I can stay in UK for a while longer. Hoping to work it so I'm home for Christmas to get the new visa stamp in my passport.

I'm sure there are a billion other stories to tell you but I'm well exhausted and really just need to get this email out to you lot before life takes over again!!!!!!!!

Almost Famous

Crazy times over here in old London town. The shortest possible explanation for what I got up to last week;

During a mental week of working on preparations for a post BAFTA Awards party hosted by Twentieth Century Fox/ DNA Films/ Fox Searchlight (seeing as we received a huge 21 nominations for our combined films we thought there was reason to celebrate), I also got up to the following;

Thursday
London is covered in snow! Manic day at work followed by the RAAM Exhibitor awards where Fox won Distributor of the Year, quite cool. Kicked on in the bar until 1am.

Friday
Got to bed around 2am, up at 7am to endure the most manic of all days at work for the week - and at the end of the day my boss asked if I would like to come to the actual BAFTA Awards!, quick farewell drink for the lovely Julia who departed Fox, car to Euston station (via home as I left tickets there - idiot), get train to Rugby in the Midlands where James met me with much needed TLC.

Saturday
Up early to get train to Birmingham, explore city, see Bloc Party (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), afterwards we wandered the streets in search of good curry - very successful mission, sleep peacefully at hotel until 4am when our neighbours decide to have a punch on in the hall and various other antics.

Sunday
Get up at a very unreasonable hour and get train back to London (sadly dropping James at Rugby on the way) go home and arrive home at around 2pm to get ready for the BAFTAs. Car picks me up at 3.30pm and drops me at the scariest red carpet experience of my life. Attend champagne reception and awards ceremony at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, dinner at Grosvener House, post-party at Nobu. Talk to Toni Collette at the dinner and Rudge from The History Boys for about 15 minutes at the party! For a full listing of who won check here:
http://www.bafta.org/site/page287.html. One of the presenters was Jake Gyllenhaal!!!!! Still feels surreal that I was actually there.

Monday
Get to bed around 4am, get to work at 9am, zombie work day, go home, snooze…………………………

Still pretty tired from the crazy week but it was all worth it!

I have updated my photobucket with some pictures of the snow and the BAFTA Awards, sorry there aren't many but I had to rely on others! I now have a great new camera so you can expect regular photo blasts!

The rest of this week has been pretty quiet and boring but getting much needed rest.

xx

Happy ‘Stralia Day!

HOORAY FOR AUGIE MARCH getting number one in the Triple J Hottest 100 this year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One Crowded Hour is an amazing tune by an amazing band that I have loved since the early Sunset Studies days of 2000. Will never forget their set at the BDO that year – they were nearly first on the bill on the RRR stage! And then seeing them at Meredith – that unforgettable Meredith with Dan & Sav!!!!!!!! Brilliant stuff.

Notable mentions: Red Riders with Slide In Next To Me came in @ 96, Bloc Party with The Prayer @ 65, and Sarah Blasko with Explain @ 79 and Always On This Line @ 58 - go team!!!!!

I’m sitting at work streaming the Hottest 100 and pretending I’m in the backyard at Kew having a BBQ and drinking refreshing alcoholic beverages. Can’t believe how much I miss home today and the grand Australia Day public holiday!!!!!!!

Anyway, back to reality – here is what has been happening in London of late;

Well the slogan ‘It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over’ we have been using on the new Rocky movie campaign has honestly rung true! Sly Stallone was over here for the UK Premiere of the movie and oh my goodness – the whole country has gone mad for him!

I was looking after ticket requests for the premiere and was being bribed left, right and centre for tickets to the event which took place last Tuesday 16 January. Being the diligent employee that I am of course I didn’t take any! I did manage to get some tickets for Ant and his mate Russ and also my school buddies Matt and Dave. Matt and Dave accompanied me to the after party where they both successfully nabbed a pair of boxing gloves each! Good score lads.

Matt has now taken off out of London and is on his way to spending 3 months in South America before heading back to Australia – be safe my friend and have a ball!!!

A notable event during Rocky week was my boss being asked to fly on Stallone’s private jet from London to Liverpool for Stallone to make an appearance at the Everton v Reading match. This is exciting for two reasons 1) Ian is a huge Everton supporter and 2) a trip on Stallone’s private jet??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The trip happened as Robert Earl who part owns Planet Hollywood with Sly also is a major shareholder in Everton! Stallone walked on to the field at half time wearing an Everton scarf and the crowd went mental. Afterwards my boss was given the Everton scarf!!!!!!! That would be worth more on eBay than my annual salary I’m guessing! We are going to have it framed with some cool signed photos of the day etc.

Well more exciting news, it snowed in London on Tuesday night, the first time since I arrived!!! So strange to see a city covered in white – but let me just say, it was an improvement on the normal drab grey of London! I felt like a big kid when I opened the curtain and found my window sill chockers full of fluffy white snow, and all of the cars in the street was absolutely covered – it was like a winter wonderland. Very cool view from the top level of the double decker bus on the way to work on Wednesday too. I actually saw it falling on Thursday morning but it just melted as it hit the ground. Exciting stuff when the freezing temperatures actually result in something pretty and make it worth the frostbite!

James and I have booked our flights – we arrive in Melb on Sunday 18 March at around 8pm and depart again at midnight on 1 April so it’s actually 2 April. Hopefully Melbourne turns on the heat for us, I am the palest I have ever been in my life! I hate it but James assures me it’s good for my skin! It’s strange to be in a country where you look at the weather report and see the UV index marked as ‘low’… Can’t bloody well wait to get home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I’m hitting the big 3 0 next month and to be honest I’m not having a breakdown or anything like that like I thought I would be – I’m not particularly happy to be at the end of my 20’s but I’m pretty proud of how many gigs/ parties I managed to attend during the past decade!!!!!!! At the same time as climbing those first difficult rungs of the corporate ladder. It’s weird – I still feel like one of the ‘youngies’ in whatever workplace I’m in even though there are clearly younger people around… Perhaps it’s my immaturity??? My boss nearly fell over when I told him my age the other week – and said ‘oh, so that’s why you are so mature…’ I still don’t know if that’s a compliment or not!!

I’m getting my hair cut for the first time since February 2006 tonight… Brendan – if you read this please take this compliment, I’ve been too scared to let anyone else near it!!!!!! And how can I get my hair cut by someone I don’t go to gigs with? Doesn’t seem right really. Anyway I was walking back from the copy shop yesterday and took a short cut down D’Arblay Street W1 and stumbled across this great place called Fish Hairdressing – I did a double take just like I did when I found Tribe and Brendan, except no one was getting dreadlocks and there was no cute staffy called Ned wandering around the salon. But anyway – it looks pretty cool so come 6pm this evening we will know if I made the right decision! Chris (the hairdresser) better not make me regret it! It is too long and annoying for me to cope with anymore…

Anyhoo the weekend is nearly here – got a bit planned. After getting my hair done tonight I may trek out to Waterloo to catch Dave and some other Aussie folk at Duke of York to celebrate ye not so olde Australia Day. James will come to London tomorrow and we will probably go to Camden Market in the afternoon and forage the vast vintage section. Sunday we are going to help out at the charity premiere of Notes on a Scandal – Ewan McGregor is confirmed as attending so please check in next week for tales of me stalking him!!!!!!!!

ENJOY RAINBOW SERPENT EVERYONE THAT IS GOING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Be safe and have a blast - very jealous!

Happy Birthday to Sav and Poinwah who both marked the start of another exciting year on earth this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Over and out xxx

Seasons Greetings!

One of my New Years resolutions is to get to more gigs, the other is to keep in touch a little more regularly than I have been! I hope you all had a really great Christmas with your families and New Year celebration doing whatever you did. Read on if you want to hear what I got up to!

Christmas

I went to Rugby in the Midlands to spend Christmas with James and his folks. We took the speedy Virgin train from London to Rugby on Christmas Eve with bags full of presents and arrived to a lovely dinner. Afterwards James and I braved the cold and tried to hit a few of the local drinking holes - only to find giant queues at all of them! After attempting to stand in a squashed corner of one establishment we gave up and hit Threshers (bottle shop) and got some cider and headed home to drink it and watch Dig - brilliant music doc about the rivalry between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Woke up Christmas morning and Santa had certainly been advised of my whereabouts - I was absolutely spoiled rotten by James and his folks! After a scrumptious bacon breakfast and phone calls from all my family (apart from my badly behaved brother!) we headed to James' cousin's house to spend a few hours with the relatives. They are all so nice and welcoming and we all enjoyed a few beers and ciders despite the early hour! His aunties gave me some really cool fingerless gloves that fold over to become mittens and a gorgeous photo frame and some Jacob's Creek wine!

We then headed back home and proceeded to open an absolute mountain of presents each. I was so overwhelmed. James gave me an original Fools Gold by Stone Roses on limited edition gold vinyl - it's my favourite track of all time so you can imagine how happy I was! He also found me a 'Maximo Park: A Certain Trigger' banner SIGNED by each and every one of the band members!!!! It's brilliant. There are just too many other presents to list but I was very spoiled.

We had a beautiful turkey dinner which was absolutely divine and then finished off the night watching It's a Wonderful Life together in front of the fire. The only thing that would have made the day better would have been to have all of my family and friends there!

Boxing Day

After a mammoth sleep we all piled into the car and headed off to the Cotwalds which is about an hour away from Rugby. We saw a few areas including these;

http://www.the-cotswolds.org/top/english/know/villages/bourtononthewater/index.html
http://www.the-cotswolds.org/top/english/know/villages/stowonthewold/index.html
http://www.the-cotswolds.org/top/english/know/villages/moretoninmarsh/index.html

It was magic!

After our day out sightseeing, we freshened up and went for a walk into town for a great curry and a few drinks. All in all it was a great Christmas and Boxing Day - completely spoiled and thoroughly enjoyed!!!

New Years Eve

After much pondering we finally settled on going to Herbal (cool drum and bass club in East London) for a good old Hospital Records night. The line up was pretty classy and included the likes of my favourite High Contrast, London Elektricity and Cyanitic. Great tunes and I got to home-boy style touch knuckles with London Elek - nice!

Before we headed to the club we went up the road to The Alwyne (guess who we saw Pointi??) and also dropped into The Baring for old times sake (Jason still works there can you believe it??).

My head had definitely felt better than it did on New Years Day but I pretty much just lazed around and watched episode after episode of That 70's Show, Scrubs and Extras! Bless freeview digital set top boxes.

So... looks like the festivities are all done and dusted for a little while. Got my birthday coming up soonish and we are heading to Birmingham for the weekend before to see Bloc Party!!! And then we will be back in Oz in March for a two week break. Hope to see you all then!!!!!!

Take care xxx

Update I was meant to post on 18 December!

Hello hello hello

Firstly I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and wish you all the best for 2007. I know that a 'White Christmas' is meant to be tradition but I miss the long lazy warm nights leading up to the main event and also the terrible advertising on Australian TV eg. surfing Santas wearing board shorts and black sunglasses!

Once again it's been far too long in between emails/ blog updates so I'm going to back track! I'm not sure if it's because I'm so far away from everything that is comfortable and familiar, but my highs and lows have been so extreme since leaving home. I have been through so many just in the last few weeks as well – it's exhausting!

One of the exciting things that has happened in the past few weeks was I got to attend the British Independent Film Awards!! It was held at the Hammersmith Palais and I had to go along to organise cars for the producers/ cast members who had been nominated from the indie arm of Fox aka Fox Searchlight. We sat on a table with Dominic Cooper who stars as Dakin in The History Boys which I'm sure you have all by now guessed is my favourite film of 2006! We also had Damian Jones one of the HB producers and some agents etc. sitting with us. It was such a brilliant night and I was surrounded by stars such as Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent (he played the father in Bridget Jones' Diary and the ring-leader in Moulin Rouge), Martin Freeman (Tim from The Office!), James Nesbitt who hosted the night and Mick Jones from The Clash presented an award! You can check out winners/ photos etc. here: http://www.bifa.org.uk/news_story.php?news\u003d27\

The week of the awards was the start of the rollercoaster of events that at times made me want to pack it all in and come home! Probably the thing that impacted me the most in the last while was saying goodbye to Miss Pointi. We shared so much of the joy and pain of setting up life in London together and the thought of having to continue in the tough city without her was slightly devastating! I'm so happy that she is now home where the weather is warm, the people are friendly and is surrounded by friends and family for Christmas!!!!

Pointi – I will value so much the time we had here together and am so grateful for your friendship and all of your support in this crazy city! I miss you so much!\n Can't wait to hang out again when I come home for a holiday bella xxx

It was a pretty sad week that followed Pointi's departure. I suddenly felt very lonely, was working really long hours and also trying to avoid being at home due to an awkward living situation – but that is ok again and no more needs to be said about that right now!!!! I was just exhausted and awfully home sick! Thank goodness I got over that horrible patch in a few days.

For around the past month I have been working very hard and for many hours on ticket requests and guest list for the World premiere and after party of the new fantasy film, Eragon, which was held last Monday 11 December. It was a huge event in Leicester Square and we had many members of the cast attend including Ed Speleers, John Malkovich, Jeremy Irons, Robert Carlyle and Sienna Guillory. It really was an amazing event and the after party was something else – held at The Royal Courts of Justice on The Strand which is a huge Gothic building that was opened in the 1800s. Spectacular architecture. My staff pass allowed access into the VIP Area so James and I guzzled outstanding champagne and wandered past the likes of Mr Malkovich and Mr Carlyle! Had a sore head the next day but made it through another mammoth work day anyway!

On Thursday of the same week we had our Fox Christmas party. Seeing as I had already endured one weekday hangover I thought I'd do the right thing and book myself a car home for 10.30pm. This was good in theory. Turns out Fox thought it only fair to give us an open bar seeing as we had all worked so hard! The bar stocked my beloved Magners and I ended up supping quite a few of those along with vodka & lemonade… I ended up having to catch the night bus home and was finally tucked up just after 2am and somehow once again got through work the next day… It wasn't easy! People in the London really know how to celebrate...

Had some lovely news from my boss this week – he has offered to sponsor me if I want to stay in the UK. I'm not really ready to think that far in to the future right now so I thanked him very much and said I would let him know. Honestly, nothing happens by halves here!

I am absolutely hanging for Ant to arrive on 30 December! Losing Carms and Pointi to the sunny side of the world has really impacted on me and faces from home are worth squillions over here. Ant – I will meet you at Kings Cross when you arrive and deliver you safely to your new abode!!!!! It's quite close to where I live which is great. Hope there is a suitable leaving do in the pipe line! And I would like to see some photos of it too!!!!

Carms and Claire phoned me on Saturday night (soooo good to hear their voices!) and I was able to tell them then that the weather hadn't been as horrible as I had imagined but the very next day I think winter well and truly started! James and I spent the afternoon/ evening in Greenwich yesterday with my friends Matt and Dave. It was beautiful but freezing!!!

I'm even colder now that I have looked at the BBC 5 day forecast;

Mon: Max 7 Min 3
Tues: Max 5 Min 1
Wed: Max 5 Min
Thur : Max 6 Min 2
Fri : Max 6 Min 2

Brrrrrrrrrr!!!!

It's hard to believe there are very serious bushfires happening in Victoria while I'm freezing over here. I really hope the weather turns the right way and the fires calm down it sounds terrifying. Hope everyone's friends and families are all ok.

I would love to hear what you are all up to for Christmas and New Year so if you have time drop me a line and hope you all have a lovely Christmas with your families and if anyone sees my little Keiser don't forget to wish her a happy birthday too. She is turning 9 this year!

I will be spending Christmas Eve through to Boxing Day in Rugby which is in the Midlands with James and his family – it will be lovely. New Years is still very much undecided but James and I may get all dolled up and have dinner somewhere very swish and then we might head to a house party which is doubling up as Matt's farewell. I'm sick of saying goodbye to people!

Miss you all very much.

Take care and lots of love,

Ren xxx

What??

One of the things James has noticed about me is that I'm always shocked by the actual time, eg. 'It's 9pm??? I thought it was only 4pm!' and so on. He wasn't around to clock my surprise when logging in to my blog today and realising close to a month had passed since my last update!

I don't even know if I could remember half of what has happened in this time but I'll start jotting down things below and see how I go.

Carmel left London and is now enjoying being back in Australia. I miss her sooo much but am so happy things are working out so well for her (apart from the buggers that stole her one week old car). There is a huge gap in my London life without her here and I'm still deciding how to fill it...

We had a brilliant Monday night drinking session at The Langley in Covent Garden last week - the stars who stole the show were FRAN and GRAE!!!!!!!!! By George it was great to see these two and they looked so well and bought with them many stories from home and from their trip so far. Pointi and I were nervous as hell beforehand! It's been so long since we saw anyone from 'the crew' apart from those living here. But after the initial shock it was like we'd seen them just last week and was hard to say goodbye after only just one evening of catching up, knowing I wouldn't see them again for a while... It really felt as though we were sitting in a bar in Melbourne or something as Robbie and Simon were there, as well as Jess, Jess & Sarah!!!!! That night goes down in the history books for one of my fav times here. It gave me a little booster of Australia that I really needed! Didn't feel too rotten the next day either thank goodness, who comes to London for one night - with that night being a Monday?????

James and I have decided to come home for a holiday in March for a fortnight - we are looking at the second half of the month at this stage. Nobody is allowed to go away during this time or else! Be good to catch up with as many of you as possible. Cannot wait to see my little niece Holly who will be terribly grown up by then at 1 and a half years of age! Also my doggy Keiser - cannot wait to give her the biggest cuddle. I suppose it will be good to see the adult members of my family too!

Had a nice day in Notting Hill last weekend looking through the best Oxfam 2nd hand bookshop and record shops Rough Trade and Intoxica. Found a cracking pub when public transport was not in our favour called Establishment from memory. I could be lying though - the name has escaped me. Pretty sure it started with 'E' though!

Caught up with Sam from the Messy crew for drinks on Saturday - was great to see another face from home!!!! He is living just down the road from Pointi and I so we will hopefully see much more of him. James, Dean, Kat, Cheyne, Sian and Sian's friend Olga joined in the fun and we all crammed into my bedroom for lots of Magners, chats, laughs and tunes! I had purchased my longed for fairy lights that day and James skillfully (!) hung them around my two big windows so the room looked very festive. It was also Kat's birthday so it was great to have everyone together.

Dean is moving in to my flat in early December. Let the Archway revival begin! Deano, Sian and I will be the only Harberton Rd folk remaining for a while out of the original 11! When Kat and Cheyne get back from travelling in March hopefully we will be able to all get another house together. And Jaden is due back in April - too exciting. Carms - Jaden said he would try and fit you in his backpack!

Michael Parkinson was at my work on Friday (AKA Parkinson or Parky as he is more affectionately known) and I had to hand waters to him and his posse before they went into a screening. That was cool.

I can't think of anything else exciting that has happened in the past few weeks, oh except for getting my first Christmas present in the mail from my beautiful Nan - she put one in for James too! She is the best Nan ever who calls me her little ray of sunshine (how can you resist that?) and I can't wait to see her in March. I promise that we will wait until Christmas before we open them Nan, as hard as it will be!

Speaking of Christmas, this is the first time in my 29 years on earth that I will be away from my family - I know I will miss them very much. It is also Keiser's birthday on Christmas Day so no doubt I will have many moments thinking about the fact that I can't be there to give her a packet of Schmackos, a new set of tennis balls and new brush I normally give her - and help her unwrap... I will be spending this Christmas in the Midlands with James and his family and it's going to be so wonderful to be with them in a home environment rather than in my flat alone as I had pictured it when everyone started announcing their plans to return to Australia!

Well I suppose I'd better get back to work but I hope you are all well and would love to hear what you have been up to.

xxx

Rock steady

Get in!!! Got into work early this morning and managed to secure 2 tickets to see Bloc Party in Birmingham on 10 February. We are going to make a weekend of it and check out the fair city. Now if only February was next week...

So another week is almost done. Thank goodness I say, I'm tired! The plan for this weekend is pretty simple - having dinner with Pointi and maybe Sian tonight. Tomorrow James is meeting me in town as he is cashing in a birthday voucher I gave him (will explain more shortly) and then we may go to a place in Covent Garden for dinner called Fire and Stone - you basically pick your meal - whether it be Asian, Australasian, Italian - or whatever you fancy - and then they put it on a pizza! The Sydney one sounds superb.

I gave James a few things for his birthday the other week;

• A Mr Men story I made up about how we met, had it colour printed and bound.
• A jumper from one of his fav. shops in Soho - Jakes
• A voucher for a day of record shopping with me - and I will shout him a few choice items, in the fine print of the voucher it insists 7 Magners must be consumed throughout the day so I'd say it should be a fun filled one! Will report in on Monday!

Sunday we are planning a roast lunch in one of the lovely pubs around town with the fast diminishing crew, trust everyone to start heading home as the cold kicks in! Where's the love??? I will battle on and report in unless my fingers freeze off and I can no longer type. If this happens I will simply phone.

Have a fun weekend everyone!

Ren xxx

Just another one of those Bloc rocking beats

There are good nights out, and then there a GOOD nights out. Saturday night was a GOOD night out. It was Carmel’s birthday on Saturday and so after a few drinks at our flat we (Carmel, Pointi, James, Robbie, Sian) all headed into town to go to The End (where we met Jade, Kat, Josie and Kat’s friend) for the Bugged Out! birthday. We had to get there early (before 10pm when the club opens) due to the popularity of the night and the line up which was as follows;

Main Room: Miss Kittin, Uffie (live) & DJ Feadz, JoJo De Freq, Brendan Long
Lounge: Erol Alkan, James Priestley, Siesta Fernandez DJs (Razzmatazz Barcelona)
AKA: Ditched Disco feat. Bones & Ramsey and special guest

The club filled up quickly and as we were lining up for second drinks the line at the bar was 4 or 5 deep. James suggested moving to an area where we might get served a little more quickly so we did and not only did we find Pointi there, but a few people over, low and behold it was Russell from the almighty and my beloved Bloc Party!!!!!!! I went over and spoke to him and can you believe he remembers signing my bass guitar in Melbourne when they performed on, ‘that funny TV show’, as he recalls Rove Live. Pointi very kindly took our pic - see below. I still can’t believe I was so brazen to go up and just say ‘Russell, hi…’ and so forth. But very glad I did!!! I told him quickly about my Bloc Party adventure last year my travels thus far – he liked Australia and said he wants to go back for a holiday. He was lovely for letting me indulge in the moment.

So as if that wasn’t enough to make it a magnificent eve – I got to spend the next 7 or so hours with some cracking friends, celebrating Carm’s birthday, having many a laugh, dancing to Miss Kittin & Erol Alkan, and having brilliant chats and playing fashion and beverage police in the AKA bar with James. We all got the bus home at about 6.30am the next morning – terribly unglamorous mode of transport at that time of the morning, but at only 80p and a bus stop over the road from the flat, we no complain.

Yesterday was spent sleeping, awake for a bit, more sleeping, bangers & mash, resting and then waving James off at the bus stop in my slippers.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend xox