J9

Thanks for all the lovely comments & tweets about the new-look Staple; it's all down to my fantastic friend Janine Stromberg. As well as being a rather talented graphic designer and style Goddess in her own right, Janine's encyclopaedic knowledge of music continues to throws up little drops of aural delight. Anyway, he regularly updated tumblr, Lil' Bumps is a constant source of wonderment...Kudos and 3 cheers for Janine!

We're All Going On A...

I've blogged before about getting out of town, but this weekend was so exceptionally good, that it deserves an honourary mention. Now that my parents have moved out of my old hometown (Ilkley, in the unlikely event that you didn't already know), I can't even have a big Xmas Eve piss-up with my mates, and we've always talked about having a weekend together, so this year seemed like the perfect time to get together for the now Annual May Bank Holiday Get-Together. We hired a murder-mystery appropriate mansion just near Whitby for the weekend and spent our time chatting, watching DVDs, paddling (or swimming if you're MAD) in the sea, playing boardgames and drinking Jeeves (aka Pimms). It was bliss. Lovely to catch up with all my fabulous home-friends, and for all of us to leave the real world behind for a stress-free, lazy, junkfoody weekend of indulgence. Getting away from it all is such an essential; although I've always been one to set aside time-out, actual, proper holidays are such a Staple. Something to look forward to, enjoy and return from feeling refreshed. Especially when you're cut off from the phone/internet, and paddling in the sea. It's the first of a few mini-holidays I'm taking this summer (decided that 8 festivals is a little much) and I cannot wait for more...Other Staples this week:
A relaxing Mini-break in Yorkshire
Having the whole of First Class to myself on the train (same price in advance)
Cycling to work
The Final ClubRees@the Fly (but there will be more!)
A big parcel from ASOS
Friendly Fires gig at The Forum
Ultra-large jars of Nutella

EXTRA! EXTRA!

This week, it's a double-bill of Stapling. I spent this Saturday playing the most fantastic game. Last year, some fantastic friends of mine put together a Monopoly board-based game, whereby a big group of us split up into teams and travelled across London doing rather odd challenges. On Vine Street, we hid in plastic bins and shot a video. I, predictably, got stuck, and the following hilarity won some points. One of my mates had to do a somersault on the trampolines at the Trocadero. We collected flyers, photos, and other random objects to get more points. Much to our surprise, we won. And it had been genuinely one of the best days I've ever had in London. So when this year's was announced, I was unbelievably excited. Despite going to bed at some ungodly hour of the morning and getting to London Bridge for 12 (where we demanded they open the pub), I was possibly the most excited I've ever been. The game followed a similar format this year of running around London doing mental stuff - digging up Green Park, finding out obscure knowledge, lying in the street imitating dying horses and vets, stealing flowers from the Ritz, playing 'bus darts' , buying tourist tat, taking silly photos at every available opportunity and spelling out our team name with a different shot at every stop. Saturday was one of the most exciting, interesting and superlative days I've ever had in London, and I want to thank Kev and Tom for organising one of the highlights of my year. Even if the defending champions only came 10th out of 14. But it didn't matter; it genuinely was the taking part that counted, seeing stuff in London, like Buckingham Palace, that you never normally would. Never mind, there's always next year...and if it's even half as good as this year, then I cannot wait. Literally, I cannot wait. This is an absolute Staple.

An Evening With...

So Saturday night was upon us, and after a little light retail therapy along the python of Oxford Street, we retreated to a good old Sam Smiths. Deciding to reconvene later and East, three of us headed back to mine. Where we stayed, happily ensconsed in pasta 'n' pesto, Duvel (absolutely perfect for an evening in; dark and tasty; a good 'session beer' in DadSpeak) and cheese straws. Who needs the hassle and hustle of the pub when you've got control of the music, - both volume and genre - good beer which isn't £4.50 a pint and comfortable surroundings on which to loll. And some of the best conversation, with no need to get as slaughtered as possible before the bar shuts, and spend valuable time with your mates queueing for drinks. When you realise that there's not anything that really suits your collective mood, and everything is so far apart, take refuge in your own home, chill with mates. It's perhaps a symptom of getting older, or perhaps a little serving of London ennui when leafing through the Guide, or maybe even a rebellion against blowing £40 for a few pints in somewhere vaguely interesting, but I have to say it was a lovely evening. Thanks to the fantastic company of Alvin and Julia, I'm kind of coming around to the idea that staying in, while perhaps is not 'the new going out' (what a vile phrase), but it is, at least, an alternative. Give it a try; it's a mini adventure. Other Staples this week:
Staying in on a Saturday night
Duvel beer
Candie Payne's album 'I Wish I Could Have Loved You More'
A black velvet blazer with an antique silver butterfly brooch
Kiehl's Creme de Corps
Paul Auster's book, 'Moon Palace'
Uniqlo's Pantone knitwear