What happens when you put two handsome, funny Scots in a room with a few bottles of fine whisky and an audience? “A dram good time”.

I was lucky enough to attend the launch event for the Simply Whisky Library Club last night at the Smithfield Gallery.  Simon and Franchi are great examples of creative entrepreneurs who are combining their knowledge of a popular beverage with charm, humor and connections to deliver entertaining events all around Europe. We tasted four varieties of whisky, some were even paired with chocolate, cheese, or a relevant ale. The evening was interwoven with some poetry (of that great bard, Burns) and music.

Smithfield Town Hall

Long-tailed Widowbird / Langstertflap – R832

Welcome to summer and all the birds in their colourful breeding plumage as sown by this bird recently photographed outside Smithfield.

While breeding, the male Long-tailed Widowbird’s plumage is basically black, with an extremely long tail (up to 50 cm). On his wings he wears stripes of red and white like badges of authority. His floppy, ungainly flight pattern makes this male stand out in the veld as he flaps off the road or across the grass.

Very visible in our area at the moment, the breeding male performs slow display flights low over his territory, wings flapping slowly and erratically, long tail depressed. Between flights you can see him perched on bushes, grass tufts, termite mounds or fences. Generally he is seen in flocks, especially in winter. During that season, the male looks more like the buff coloured female. Watch out for these birds as they forage on the ground next to the road for seeds and insects. As you approach they will flit away, males pumping their broad wings with long tails streaming out behind.

Usually silent, the male calls a sharp zik, zik, zik, zik in flight display and in alarm, and also sings a repeated phrase of 4 lower and 4 higher notes:- twi-twi-twi-twi-zizizizi.

Oh for enough time to “shoot” all the birds that can be seen at this time of year! Happy birding.

Hello Hello Hello

On friday we played at a place we’re very familiar with-The New Cross Inn. We’ve rehersed there many a time and we always have fun when we’re there, whether it be playing or partying. Our set went well and we played a few songs from our upcoming E.P ‘The Only Way to Travel’ and some newer material due for release in the near future.

Alfie and I bought chicken just before the gig which is nearly always a good move. In Dixie Chicken they give you ketchup and mayonnaise in the same pot. Now, i know what you’re thinking…’this could get messy’….but it doesn’t! they arange it in such a way it looks like Yin and yang. Complementary opposites within a greater whole… 

Rum Shebeen were fantastic and just seem to get more entertaining the more I watch them. At one point a man dressed in a lion costume jumped up on stage-this was a particular highpoint!

The headlining band, The Entertainment, we’re great too, seeming to weld funk, rock and rap into a surprisingly palletable force.

After the gig we stayed at the ‘inn for a while then headed to a party in Camberwell which although wet was fun, until the council came and told everyone to ‘leave now’. So we did and we went back to Dave’s (singer in Rum Shebeen) flat. He had a really cool dog that did seem to divide opinion. I personally liked it, although it was heard to have been called ‘good looking rat’ and ‘rubbish cat’.

Looking forward to loads more gigs coming up in the next few weeks to support our debut release, ‘The Only way to travel E.P’. You can buy it from our website here, or on itunes, as well as many other places which i’m not sure of.

Also don’t forget our E.P launch, this friday at Puregroove Record Shop in Smithfield, London. Let’s make it a good one!

goooodbye

gaoler’s x

by sylvia

So the long Thanksgiving weekend is coming to an end, and the reality of working full days is fast approaching.  It was a good holiday for the Mr. and Mrs. Sylvia, as we spent time with the requisite family members, did little to no cooking or dishes, napped a lot and play an abundance of video games.

We spent some time with Bianca and her family yesterday, partaking in their goodies and enjoying my homemade cranberry/blueberry/orange sauce which I am craving now and regretting leaving it all at Bianca’s house.  Here’s a picture as proof:

Cranberry Blueberry Orange Sauce - Let me know if you want the recipe!

And some other items from our feast on Saturday:

Smithfield Ham with Paula Deen Blessed Glaze, y'all

Salad....by Mr. Sylvia

Peppermint Meringue Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting...

...and what it was supposed to look like (it was still good)

The green bean casserole that tested Bianca's marriage

a pretty kitty....

....and cleavage!!!

and got drilled in the face with a ham during her photo opp. poor paula. she was just trying to help out at hosea feed the hungry, a very worthy cause and an atlanta community tradition. perhaps those smithfield hogs were just sending her a message.

happy holidays!

Turkey Family Day is planned for Saturday, November 21 at the
Lazy O Farm in Smithfield. Its planned for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The charge is $8.00 per person

Bring your Thanksgiving party to the farm. Bring a Nibble (snack) or a Gobble (feast). Our picnic barn is the perfect place to gobble up whatever you bring. Make it a day to remember by wearing Pilgrim hats and Indian headbands. Just take a gander at some of the other “Turkey-rific” things you’ll find: cow milking simulation, boneyard, egg display, draw water from a well, outhouse, and much more. Use real turkey feathers to color a coffee filter, add a clothespin and watch it transform into a unique turkey to take home. Learn all about the turkey and his gobble. As always–hayride, farm animals, picnic area.

The Lazy O Farm is at 3583 Packing Plant Road, Smithfield, NC 27577. You can call 919-934-1132.

Exhibition Gallery

In this exhibition, the Dodo Collective investigates the concept of Utopia. Originally defined by Thomas More in 1516, the Utopian ideal has been a pursuit both in actuality and allegory. It has been mused about in literature and music, treated in art, and attempted in politics. Yet it remains as elusive as when it was first described. Perhaps the problem with Utopia lies in its proposed singular nature; is it at all possible to apply this idyllic ideal to society as a whole, or is it a concept that fails due to our individual nature? This exhibition is an attempt to question the concept of Utopia collectively; whether this is indeed achieved as a collective should provide an answer.

取材やミーティングのため、オフィスの外に出ていることが多いのですが。最近は時間がある限り歩いて目的地まで行くことにしています。

ロンドンはお散歩するのに最高の街。

観光地化されすぎてしまったPicadellyやOxford Circusを歩くのはあまり好きではないのですが。

大好きなのはオフィス街。

オフィス街にも、外でランチが食べれるような芝生やベンチのある公園があって。新しいビルたちの中にも昔ながらの教会やVicotoria調の時計台などなど街の中心となってきた建物がちゃんと残されている。歩いている道の足下をふとみれば歴史を刻んだ刻印たち。

昨日はBarbican Art Centreに向かう途中にSmithfieldを通ってきました。Smithfieldはお肉専門のマーケット。1752年からずっと、イギリス最高級のお肉やハム、ソーセージを世界に届けています。メインはポーク。鮮度が落ちてしまわないように、マーケットが開いているのは午前中だけ。日本の築地市場のお肉版といったかんじでしょうか。上の写真がそうなのですが、設立当時から変わらない建物は本当にきれいです。

実はこのマーケットの周りもオフィス街。主に新聞や雑誌の出版系の会社が多くて、Blueprintのオフィスも去年はこの近辺にありました。マーケットの向かいにあるソーセージ屋さんで売ってるホットドッグが本当においしくて、よくBlueprint編集部のみんなでランチタイムに食べに行っていました。

マーケットの周りには当時倉庫として使われていた建物がたくさん残っていて。中には内装工事をされているものも。使用されなくなった倉庫をレストランやギャラリーに改装するのが普通なイギリス。どんな用途で生まれ変わることになるのか、楽しみですね。

Download the free Holiday Hosting Guide From Paula Deen here.

Thanks, Common Sense with Money & Savings Makes Cents.

For anger management classes in North Carolina visit www.masteringanger.com or call 704-804-0841.

When I first arrived in London in 1982 friends introduced me to NZ News UK.

It was a give away paper in which you looked for work, flats, British  and international news of interest to ex-pat Kiwis and news from home.

One issue had a story about the conditions at the Smithfield meat market which became front page news back in New Zealand.

Chris Reeve, a former national president of Young Farmers, was appalled by the casual attitude to hygiene at London’s market after the expensive and extensive hoops meat companies in New Zealand had to jump through to meet standards for export.

The paper has been an important part of the OE experience for New Zealanders in London for years but publishing was suspended in July.

It’s not surprising because anything the paper did, the internet now does better.

Due to unplanned circumstances, the Smithfield birders could not make what sounds to have been a wonderful weekend. Thank you to Louise Coetzee for her report and an amazing photo.

BirdLife Free State undertook a club outing to Tussen-die-Riviere on the weekend of 30 October to 1 November 2009.  The reserve looked extraordinarily beautiful and green due to the recent rain.  We arrived on Friday afternoon, entering through the eastern gate, as the bridge over the Caledon River was flooded, blocking off the main entrance.  On the way to the rest camp, we encountered Grey-winged Francolin and Eastern Long-billed Lark – already testing our “Little Brown Job” skills.

On Saturday morning we explored the interior of the reserve by visiting the Versterspos picnic site for breakfast and then went on to the “Klipstapels”.  Here we observed a pair of Pririt Batis at their nest and Layard’s Titbabbler.  During the morning the LBJs put up a good show, as we saw the Karoo Long-billed-, Largebilled-, Spikeheeled- and the ubiquitous Eastern Clapper Lark, as well as five species of pipits – African-, Long-billed, (what we thought was) Kimberley-, Buffy and African Rock Pipit.

After lunch at the easternmost picnic site, we returned to the rest camp via the Orange River route.  However, we had to turn back half way as the road was flooded.  The clouds built up heavily and later that afternoon we experienced a proper Free State thunderstorm.  Just before sunset the sun broke through the heavy clouds, treating us to a beautiful sighting of a double rainbow.

The thunderstorm put an end to the electricity, but luckily to braai electricity is not essential.  The power was restored some time during the night.

On Sunday morning we followed the Middelpunt route, but again could not complete the route due to muddy roads.  On the way out we had lovely sightings of Fairy Flycatcher, Red-throated Wryneck and African Rock Pipits – all close to the road.  We left the reserve about lunchtime, leaving us enough time to return to Bloemfontein before dark.

Tussen-die-Riviere remains a favourite birding destination, not only because of the challenges to identify the LBJs, but also the scenery and pleasant accommodation.

Louise Coetzee
BirdLife Free State

A family of more than 50 Blue Cranes were sighted near the road on the way from Norvals Pont to Oviston

The Lesser Kestrels are swarming in layers over Smithfield in preparation for their communial roost.

An awesome sight!

I am sure that is what this masked weaver is saying.

More later…..

Some of the Lesser Kestrels seen circling overhead.

Saturday night looks to be a cracker – James ‘Stroll On’ Batsford in our favourite Smithfield venue, Karaoke Box!

KARAOKE BOX FEATURING STROLL ON DJ: London’s youngest, hottest and most-turned-on DJ bar NONE. He’s the secret weapon of 360 Degree Music, and when he’s not busy filling up the likes of The Social or The Macbeth with his own Stroll On nights, he can be found THUMPIN’ *out* HITS down at Whisky & Blood or Bungalow 8, his latest conquest… James has recently become the DJ du jour for many celebrated parties, including the Samsung launch party at Proud Galleries, Twestival’s Childline charity event at Venopolis and various other special events. November sees the Stroll On brand cross the water for the first time, when James DJ’s at exclusive Dublin nightspot Odessa…

FEATURING NASH NOVA DJ: Member of the hottest band in London, The Supernovas, Nash drops by to bang out the tunes for your pleasure, expect songs that will keep you stuck to the floor…

IF YOU WOULD IN FACT LIKE TO HAVE A GO ON THE KARAOKE THEN VISIT THE WEBSITE & BOOK YOUR GROUP IN
FOR ALL DETAILS ON HOW TO FIND THE PLACE, GO HERE
ENTRY IS COMPLETELY FREE – DRINKS ARE VERY CHEAP – KARAOKE IS VERY FUNNY…

Acacia Pied Barbet R465 Bonthoutkapper

Seen and heard around Smithfield at the moment, the Acacia Pied Barbet is a medium to smallish bird with a bright red forehead, a black hindcrown, broad black stripe through the eye and broad black bib from chin to chest. The rest of the underparts are white. Its back is black, with narrow yellow streaks, and the eyebrow is also yellow. These, plus the dark eye, prominent blackish horn bill, blackish legs and feet, and white soles are all strong identifying features.

Even if you have not seen it, I am sure you have heard its distinctive call; either a loud tin trumpet-like pehp, pehp, pehp, repeated up to about 12 times, or a Hoopoe-like toop-toop-toop-toop, with bill pointed downwards, throat inflated, repeated up to 20 times in quick succession (not in short phrases like the Hoopoe), sometimes speeding up towards the end.

This striking little bird is usually seen alone or sometimes in pairs and its flight is fast and direct.

It feeds on fruit, nectar, and certain seedpods, and is known to eat bone fat.

Breeding takes place from August to April. A nest hole is excavated in soft or dead wood, often of willows.
Roberts 6 identifies this bird as the Pied Barbet, and interestingly, the French name for it is “Barbican pie”.

The Swallows have returned and so have the Diedrick Cuckoos. They have both escaped my camera, so far!

For anger management classes in North Carolina visit www.masteringanger.com or call 704-804-0841.

London Blend: Comptoir Gascon
Londonist, October 26, 2009 9:31 AM

Comptoir Gascon is probably more famed for its ultra-lux lunch menu and provisions. But the home of the £14 “Signature” duck burger (which – with pan fried foie gras – makes a bacon double cheeseburger seem like diet food for paupers), provides the right setting for a delicious, and reasonably priced, cup of coffee. And the pastries? Ooh la la!

READ THE COMPLETE REVIEW:
London Blend: Comptoir Gascon