matter + box

Accosted Tim Milne, of Matterbox, at i-design conference and gave him a business card. From this gesture, I can only guess that he was suitably impressed...

Met the boys from MOTH and watch Jens Heine from a distance. A lot more on i-design later.

£25.40

That's how much is costs to print one brochure. Spent my lunch break at the printers. The brochures are beautiful, high quality, slick and expensive as it turns out. But they will win the attention of the right people. Guess it's time to find some money.

the brochure, the drama

Yesterday Paul and I spent seven hours at his office putting the finishing touches to it (him), proofing it (me) and peicing it together (us).

Of those seven hours approximately 90 minutes were spent on our knees, in turn, peering into the inner workings of a tempremental Canon.

French printing is labour intensive but the results are stunning. I will be so proud to be putting this into an envelope with the first round of letters to go out next week.

Off to meet Isobel Durrat who go in contact with me last week. She's heard about the project form the minutes from the wandsworth community council meeting.

Isobel organises the London's Blue Badge Guide walks in the area so there are two things I must be mindful of going into this meeting - a colourful building will mean a boost in business for Isobel. And secondly Isobel probably have the ear of the council.

art on the 10th floor of a peckham multistorey car park

The only way to ensure that you will make it to the 10th floor of a Peckham multistorey car park, sans escalator, thereby not missing a single art installation on the way? Put a bar on the top. Genius. The genius in question is artist, Hannah Barry. The bar is run by an independent business man called Frank. Kat and I made the ascent to Frank’s Café and Campari Bar. Within 20 minutes Frank was speaking to us candidly about how he ended up at the top of a Peckham car park. Hannah Barry had approached him about setting up this 'pop-up cafe' and she, or rather her contacts, helped steer him through any troubled waters with local council, residents or alcohol license acquisition on his journey - Cllr. Lewis Robinson was a personal friend of Barry's and he had helped her find the space.

Frank saw worth in painting the Heygate and talked about donning his overalls when the time came. He used to live opposite the Heygate and had also marveled at the sheer grandness of the building.

Would Hannah Barry see worth in such a project? In a word, no, said Frank. Not unless there is something in it for her. Bold Tendencies' (the name exhibition staged in this Peckham car park) proximitiy is right in the heart of the Peckham community but the art itself is not community based and similarly the takings in Frank's till are not Peckham pounds.

So perhaps our next question is how to turn the Heygate into a carrot that Hannah Barry wants to chomp down on hard.

i-design 09

An impressive list of speakers at i:design conference. And I am lucky enough to be going. I will talk to David Taylor. I will talk to David Taylor. I will talk to David Taylor. And Bill Thompson.

us moths

Paul, Judith and I went down to the estate not last weekend but the one before that. On the Sunday. Paul went off doing his own thing and Judith and I just sat watching Claydon House. A single family on the second floor flickered in and out in daily activity, basking in the solitude of their stage. The stars of the show. The exclusiveness of it all had registered. They were happy. Another family picnicked in this, the most unlikely of settings: a 2oth century motte-and-bailey. A barebacked man sat swigging from a 2 litre bottle - but all eyes on the three teenagers massaging the concrete with their fledgling attempts at free running. Their going to break their heads, we all thought.

Paul returned and with that we moved on to the Aylesbury House, which sits at a right angle to Claydon House. There was a fluorescent jacket blinking about halfway up. A security guard. I tried to have a constructive conversation. Him on the 6th floor. Me on the ground. It was ineffective. Clearly bored by manning an empty building he signaled to me he would come down. He shook our hands like we were here on official business, like he'd been expecting us. I asked if he would show us around. He obliged as if it were a common request. During the tour we were told there was one resident left. By chance we met him on the six floor. A lease holder. Smoking a cigarette. Looking out at the bustling roundabout below. He felt our approach and without even turning his head: "No comment" he said. He probably thought we were journalists. Why else would we be in the six floor of a vacated building. Without warning the security guard nipped into a tiny room to flick a switch. A women with an electronic voice bellowed something about an alarm being activated. Startled, I queried the commotion - he deactivated and activated gain to prove he was the instigator. He smiled at me, proud in his responsibility and locked the door with a flick of his wrist. Without a word we began the descent. Another round of hand shakes and he was gone.

Within days I learned of another visit. It took place exactly a year ago to the day click here . Reading this account induced a spectrum of emotions but the final thought crystallised. I was just another moth mesmerized by light radiating from the Heygate bulb.

we are five

The inaugural meeting took place on 19 August. A three hour epic. Twenty four hours, a set of minutes, and no second thoughts later. We commence our journey together. The trailblazings of Paul, Kat, Kristal, Jonny and I, to the heart of the elephant.

One designer, one copy writer, one art director and an artist. And me. Five. Jonny has just climbed Mount Blanc for charity. At least one of us is taking this seriously.