surf nation >> alex wade

about a month ago I remember reading about alex wade who I have heard of within cornish surfing and seen the name on articles in the british press but I was introduced to his blog through paula who as some of you know is based in north carolina, USA.
paula runs a cool blog herself queen of the surf pirates and daily surf check for the outer banks area, small world!

if you haven't checked it I recommend you have a look at alex's blog surf nation, as well as looking out for his new book surf nation (in search of the fast lefts and hollow rights of britain and ireland alex wade), published in the uk in early july.

so busy today >> only stopped for this

sorry for such a short post today, I have been ridiculously busy and only managed to force myself to stop for enough time to take this picture of the sunset.
I was outside my house getting in to the car on my way out to somewhere else!

> kneeboard >> should be good today > north coast, cornwall, uk

I had to put this photo up it is (kneeboarder) karl ward, surfing in the world kneeboard championships at santa cruz, california earlier this year. to me it shows power & speed as well as total commitment.
the north coast of cornwall should be getting a good'ish clean wave, check surf98 for more details.
special mention to pushing tide & surf in oregon both well worth a look if you get the chance.

track map >> bank holiday

the tracking system I use on my surf98 tells me so much. just looking at this screen shot taken on Friday pm I can see that it must be a bank holiday weekend certainly a weekend as no one from cornwall has even looked in the last 10 minutes as the map shows.
in days passed people would drive down from all over the UK on the off chance of surf but now with all the surf forecast and report sites like mine you check on-line first.
on the subject of bank holidays I will not be updating this blog until tuesday next unless I can't help my self.
the surf98 forecast website of course will be updated as usual.

maybe >> ?

maybe it is because still in the back of my mind somewhere amongst the rubble are the years of study at art school three of which were specialising in textile and fashion (remember I left in 1982 so a lot has changed). but the sight of washing especially light colours in sunshine makes me think of openness to fresh ideas as if I was starting work on a final design, working on cartridge paper with gouache in the days before computers were in charge.

maybe it reminds me of sunny days spent in rural sussex as a child, and the influence of the people and places I grew up with, I don't know.
whatever it is just walking round the corner of where I live now and seeing this made me think, maybe?

new bathroom >> well nearly

isn't funny builders & plumbers acquire names like steve, bob, and dave and also have at least 4 spoons of sugar in the tea, rarely coffee, read 'the sun' of 'the mirror', 'the mail' (that was hard to type, I have a problem with the paper, that's a different story) when the want an intellectual view!!
it is with apology that I have not included the fact that there are women builder/plumbers I haven't been able to find one locally, believe me I have tried they are probably happily working all the time.
male plumbers in my area of the country are few and far between so are also impossible to pin down to a day or a date. something always happens to the van or it will have to be next week.

I am only making these largely unfounded claims (or perhaps not) as since january this year the builder/plumber has be evading us. he eventually arrived on tuesday to say that he would be starting today thursday. so he reasonable asked that we strip the bathroom of all the old fitting and tiles, as you can see in the grainy picture. living up to archetype guess what he didn't turn up and now wont be here until next week. so we now have a bathroom with out being able to use properly.

I fully realise in context it is hardly a hardship as more people in the world don't even have access to clean drinking water than do. but it just that if we as designers or creative people in what ever field took months to turn up we would never be employed.

if he arrives next week as now planned I wont say anything or complain instead probably just welcome him in with the offer of a sugary cup of tea! probably whilst I smugly hide behind the guardian, I feel embarrassed now.

you can't live on a view?

I think I am really lucky the picture below (taken 10 minutes ago) is the view from the window that I have my currently incredibly messy desk next to. I think it is one of the best views in the whole area, the weather in not too good today and the light is very flat. on a clear sunny day I can see the sea, the harbour mouth and the fishing boats in the bay.



I had a good friend, I only met her as an elderly lady. I visited regularly in her later years both in her home and in the old peoples home she eventually had to move to. she was a wonderful font of information I remember her telling me that she saw the council putting up the first set of traffic lights in cornwall and people drove miles just to see them. as well as passing her driving test in 1939 after already been driving for a few years, as she told me the driving test wasn't compulsory then?!


her room over looked a fantastic view not unlike the one on this page, except hers was more dramatic, as the sea was closer, the cliff edges of south cornwall were clearly viable the only disruption to the view were livestock in the fields. I used to gaze out of the window happily always looking for something new, very often finding it. I always enjoyed the visits to listen to her stories whilst watching the place where the land and the sea meet.


something she said has stayed with me for the years since she passed away, however much I enjoyed looking out through her picture window, she always said to me, 'you can't live on a view, it is people that matter'.
I think she was probably right.

I haven't given up

just in case some of you had thought that I had stopped blogging far from it. I have however a whole heap of work to get done this week, so I haven't been able to research stuff and write much. I do have these pictures taken on monday for you, should be back to normal blogging by the end of the week.

just two >> took many more

yes I know I said I would not update for a couple of days but I was drawn to add just two pictures taken today at the beach, just because I liked them, still no real blog until tuesday.

stone castles in cornwall | dg may 2007

tide line | dg may 2007

>> another one of those days

a very hot (temperature) evening at the local hall, ben being very serious in the choir the best thing of the day, you should have see the way people park! all amongst another one of those days.

I have to get some 'real writing' done deadline arriving all too quickly, so I am having a couple of days off (well I plan to) so the next updated blog will be tuesday 8th may, speak then.

today >> just one of those days

I am not going to bore you with my stuff today. only to say the picture above was taken tonight from my front garden. that was a good bit of the day, so how can I possibly complain!

two things >> one very achey man

I did two things today

1, I played in a game of rugby parents (I was one) versus the team (children, ben was one) I hurt a lot now but I am very glad that I played I even scored a try, and protected my shoulder with my face! after the game the royal navy air sea rescue helicopter visited publicity / recruitment that sort of thing.














2, I went to the 'favourite beach' where I realised that the grasses I love and grow in my garden are the same grasses that grow on that beach. I had never noticed it before and I have been to that particular place / beach probably many hundreds of time since I was a small child.

surfing >> moby picture >> Go2

I don't want to turn this blog an extension of my surf web site surf98, but I have to include this picture as I like its composition so much.
it is not a picture I took myself rather a picture I would have liked to have taken. my man on the north coast 'moby' took it this morning it was amongst a few pictures he set to be included in the forecast page of the site. the fence is the border of the golf course at fistral beach, newquay, cornwall. so the picture is taken from a good distance away.

what looks like a black dot is a surfer waiting for a set wave to take, gives the waves a scale.
whilst on the surfing subject I have to say I have been surprised at the positive comment already for the first article in the new magazine I mentioned in yesterdays post Go2. I am sure that a few will have bad things to say but that goes with the territory when you write you views down in ink!

sorry for another short blog today but I seem to be extraordinarily busy at the moment (this is a good thing).

the hammock

one of the best things I ever did when I set up an area in the house to work (when not at work) if that makes sense. was to put two hooks in the walls each side of an alcove that doubles as a dining area. in which we have a square table, a couple of computers, and the dogs crate on one side on other side is a round dinning table.

when we have family staying and we have to juggle bedroom space or when I fancy an afternoon relax I get my parachute hammock (carol bought it for me when I was away in france a couple of years ago) hooked up using a couple of climbing caribinas. (I love caribinas)
today was such a day I cut the grass in the front (its a very small garden so it is not much work) and generally took it easy outside in the beautiful spring sunshine. then came in an put up the hammock and had a lovely snooze ZZZZZZZZZ ......

another short blog

not feeling too great tonight, I spent the most of the day not doing much except worrying about gabes.
poor guy he had a very long journey from here in cornwall to brighton today.
and after two coach accidents and 18 phone calls between the two of us, he is fine and safely back so that's good.

I will have to wait for another day to be inspired.

lazy day >> but still posted this

I have been so lazy today all I did was played a bit of very light rugby outside in the sunshine for a while with the my boys. then searched to see if there was any beach to go for a surf. we didn't go any where looked a bit crowded and small.

I know it maybe strange for someone who runs and updates a surf website every day (me) surf98. I live on one side of cornwall and rely on not just computers and forecasts but real people to check that my reports are correct for the other side if I am not going. no-one was around today don't blame them lovely day and beaches to sit on, etc.

I found this link that's really cool not only can you look at the surf on a north coast beach but you can control the web cam as well just when its busy you have to wait your turn is good fun click this

I know Mr Nielsen doesn't like a link to use the 'click this' but still.

saturday people >> we won

me and my family (except luca back in brighton hopefully revising for his exams) went to the rugby in really warm sunny saturday weather. to watch an always well contested local derby and the biggest crowd of the season also, so a few thousand other people had the same idea. our team won, though it was much closer and more exciting than the score of 19-9 suggests. there was no trouble on the terraces, no hassle parking and walking around the ground was fun. I thought I would take some pictures, during half time to document what it was/is like amongst the crowd. all people there were there to support their teams avidly. there was no segregation of fans but cheering, shouting and even heckling, with opposing fans standing next to each other with only friendly light teasing.
as our team won my lot where very happy as of course I was.
I like these pictures as they are just people, people who I don't know, people who tonight having shared the same experience of watching their team win or lose. they could be happy or sad. they could have been dragged there by someone else and couldn't care less.
I am not someone who looks for crowds or likes crowded places. I prefer space but I like rugby and I like watching good rugby and I did today.

family eating out >> pizza express, starbucks

today we were in our city again, first to starbucks then after a good look around the shops and the new mall! rather too long in waterstones looking at books is so unbelievably absorbing. as me, carol, gabes (13) and ben (8) were all totally engrossed in books for ages. all we bought was a dr who book (ben) and a small model of stonehenge (don't ask).
we decided to go to eat, now I have probably as much trouble finding somewhere to eat as the fussiest child. I don't eat any meat or cheese but I have started to eat fish in the last few years, so starbucks is fine for a coffee and a snack.
I have always liked italian food and much as english style pizza especially at pizza express is not really italian in the true sense well it is close, much like starbucks isn't only a little coffee shop I am prepared to buy into the world of a corporate money making image. if it tastes ok, does not harm any one, does at least something positive (fair trade coffee, for example) and is designed well.

pizza express is somewhere I can remember going to as a child, it has been around since the mid sixties I know that italian interior designer enzo apicella designed a lot if not all of their restaurants and the corporate identity / logo. I was looking at their logo today while enjoying the meal all with the rest of us and I am sure that is has changed over the years, I have no basis for this just I think it looks different than it did in the 70's. does anyone know if I am right?
any way thats all except to say the idea of having a children's menu at last is nice especially bambinoccino a bit corny but ben liked it.

one of those days >> thinking too much?

I have been so unproductive today, I can't think it was just because the clocks moved forward or we had to get to falmouth for ben's rugby match (his team won again). we were a bit late as well as had to relying on the sat-nav to get us there which in its self quite interesting.

all the time I was involved and watching the game but thinking about the ideas I have for the hub again as well as trying to work out why the mp3 recordings I have been gathering for the podcast dgthekneelo.podbean aren't working properly. since I have been not getting round to doing stuff by finding other things to do that don't really need to be done, so as you can imagine I haven't got anywhere. in a way it has been an OK day though, I can't expect every day to be the way I want it to be.

I have had one of the least creative days for ages. I did manage to achieve something I found a nice place for coffee in truro. I also bought a nice new cup to drink it from when I got home.
oh yes I bought some good coffee as well.

short but sweet >> calm >> beach time

I have been chasing my tail for the last few weeks sort of achieving. I have so many different design projects in the air and combined with the hectic workload of a teacher to think about I don't seem to be as productive even as successful as I would like...
I am really missing an important part of my life.
I hardly have had time (or when I have had time) I haven't bothered to even go to the beach.
I am so lucky in that I can walk to a really beautiful cove (takes about 8 minutes!) but I haven't got near to even visiting it. yes the weather has been cold and wet, and its dark and I could go on listing any other number of excuses.
I am in no way complaining or moaning even if it sounds like it I fully realise just how lucky I am. however I need to motivate myself to get out to the beach, even though I can't surf at the moment because of the shoulder problem I can and should still be able to enjoy the feel and smell and look of the ocean.
I will add to this post in the morning until then I am going to rest from the hypnotic power of this amazing media and turn my computer off.