lemon curd >> a rabbit?

I believe in concious streaming, I don't mean going with the flow but stopping to take note of a stream of thought. I had already decided was I would be writing this blog about today when I was in the kitchen & carol asked me for a lemon curd sandwich!
I have never liked lemon curd and so never taken much notice of the stuff. but the making of the sandwich changed things I looked at the label and almost made me want to even eat the stuff, excellent piece of marketing and design. the change didn't stop there I have just been on the curd making company's web site bitontheside it is a really good site in my opinion and I realised that I have been enjoying the more savoury fayre they provide for a while.


never mind concious streaming I still keep thinking of the rabbit and the butcher joke on davidthedesigners blog, have a look it is a good one. and what is more it doesn't matter, the blog that was planned can wait for another time.

driving >> good things

it seems that since getting back from france I have spent just as much time driving about on different errands and family visits as well as crossing from coast to coast to get to the beaches. one of the many good things about cornwall is that even in the middle of the busiest week as far as holiday visitors there is still space.
when you have views like this one an area of bodmin moor (for a change it is not a picture of the sea) it is no time to complain about anything.

what's in a number >> 64

whilst I was in france I had my 'let's see if there is anything new' eyes on. I found many things that interested me but this was the best. what a fantastic idea market the number of the region/area of france with the best waves 64.
64 is the number that is the prefix for car number plates (so residents) registered in the local area, as well as the prefix for all local postal addresses. putting it within a surf context takes the number and makes it more. without promoting the 'locals only' attitude that is common in many parts of cornwall, california, and australia.


the marketing was very subtle as the number just appeared on surfers cars as a sticker and sponsored the the life guards t-shirts. I had to find out what it was and eventually found the small shop that was the centre of the '64' empire in guethary, (pays basque) deep in the heart of serious surfing in europe.

the brand is being marketed so well and controlled in my opinion that it will sit happily along side the major surf labels without having to compete at all, as it is cool already.

safely back >> I have to go away to realise how lucky I am?

we had a great few weeks in france, driving more than 2000 miles. we went chasing the surf and found some good waves south of biarritz, as well as thunderstorms and unusual conditions for the time of year. as the french coast, like the californian coast is experiencing some strange weather conditions. california suffering the coldest summer on record and south west france not fairing much better as well as having some strange tidal conditions, said to be caused by climate change probably because people like me are driving 2000 miles just to go surfing!! at least it is better than flying to bali as far as carbon footprint.


I thought I would put this picture in taken yesterday after surfing very near where we live in cornwall & wonder why we travel so far looking for something that is on our door step. all that said I would move to the basque area of france if I had the chance!

off to france again >> hope its a good one

this will be the last post for a couple of weeks or so. I will update if I find a coffee shop with broadband but I will not be hunting one out. I am not taking a laptop, (and only going to turn my blackberry on for half an hour each evening).
I hope that you all have a stress free time and enjoy some summer weather that's what I will be trying to do.
I have just been checking what the surf/weather forecast for where I am going using magic seaweed, and found this picture taken by eothen which I thought would be good to add.
& don't worry I will be sure to have lots to say about the surf and the trip as well of course any design jewels I find along the way when I get back. see you all in a couple of weeks.

surfing >> conditions and contests

some of you will know that I have been involved in surfing for years and years first as a lifeguard then for a short time a competitor, more recently a contest judge, as well as a surf writer for Go2 magazine and the owner of surf98.

so one way or another I have be around the surf scene in the UK for more than 35 years. we have just had a really good weekend (for summer) as you can see from the first couple of photos, but today monday (last picture) the rip curl boardmasters contest started, a 5-star contest for both men and women and the surf went to mush. I always want to apologise to the visiting surfers who come to compete as we do get great waves just not very often in august. but if you read the rip curl contest website it seems as though the waves are fine.

that is summer in cornwall not the most constant surf, that is why we are off to france in a couple of days.

picture credits (moby & 'the wilkin')

pedantic me? >> land rover clock

as you will know if you read this blog I have recently changed cars. the new (second hand) one I got had a clock radio/cd display unit that never worked properly. when I was buying the car I didn't think would bother me as all the units works just the display that didn't. but as each day passed it started to be a real problem and I could stop thinking about it. so I got in touch with land rover and was quoted a stupid amount of money for the replacement part.
carol suggested e-bay I have used it a bit over the years but have always had contempt for it. even though carol got me some fantastic climbing shoes that are still fantastic two years later. well sure enough a display unit came up and I bid for it, and won it (I have always thought that is such a clever way of saying you have to pay). then a week or so went past and problems with pay-pal and stuff and I started to doubt e-bay again.
then this morning it arrived and I fitted it and it works even does more than I thought (news, traffic info and some other stuff) and all in all it cost me a quarter of the price.
so today I am happy with the world. though a little unsure whether it is a good or bad thing if a working in car display unit can make me happy?

oh yes, I have found a great place for my dog rusty to spend some time while we are in france. up on bodmin moor in a highly recommended kennels.

dogs >> !?

dogs a strange subject for a post even for me but still. you will either have stopped reading by now as dogs are just not your thing, fair enough I have no problem with that. I like them.
you will know about sammy the surf dog, (he has rather a good clothing range as well as a good surf report for the outer banks of north carolina).
I have kept a little quiet in this blog about my dog rusty (named after the legendary surfer/shaper rusty preisendorfer).

anyway today was spend chasing around trying to find someone to have rusty for a few weeks while we go away as well as taking him to the vets to have his yearly booster injection. haven't got it a place for him sorted yet but close.
we were going to take him to france but he doesn't like extreme heat being a true cornish (west country) dog. a parson terrier, not to be confused with a jack russell terrier. a parson is longer legged, faster and recognised by the kennel club of great britain as a breed.
he likes it best when the wind is blowing hard and the temperature is just above freezing and he has the beach/moors to himself to just run. so the cornish autumn suits us both good waves and warm water but a lower air temperature and nearly always windy.

travel accommodation for free!! >> check this idea

I am sure for some of you this isn't new. for me saying with friends sleeping on their couch was something I used to do when the night got late and the transport facilities were limited or in the days when I drank alcohol it was simply too dangerous to walk home never mind drive!

any way I was having my usual look through guardian unlimited when I came across the couch surfing site and thought it would be a good one to share. especially as earlier today carol and me were working out the fuel costs for our surf trip next week. we were outside the bank which is next to a travel agent that was offering late booking package deals to places I didn't want to go but at prices that were so low! it did make me think though.
so back to couchsurfing the guys there have this to say, quoting directly from their web site;

"as a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. couchsurfing isn't about the furniture- it's not just about finding free accommodations around the world- it's about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. we open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. we create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. couchsurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!"