This site is amazing!!! A colleague showed me it about 18 months ago, but I managed completely forgot what it was called... Until today, when a completely different work colleague was browsing Paperrad and it's neon flashing depths.

I have literally no clue what the hell it's all suppose to be about, except that it's possibly the purposefully bad, but completely awesome website, of some kind of animation collective / crew / gaggle.

Get involved, there is so much stuff in there that it'd take you an age to get through all the content, watch all the animations and work out what hallucinogenic drug they were on when they made this behemoth. Obviously a number of people, other than myself, are into what Paperrad are doing, as they have been nominated for a number of highly prestigious awards.

Oh, lastly, if you are susceptible to bouts of epilepsy, then you should definitely bang this site up as your browsers homepage.

November. November was the last time I rode my bike, I can't fucking believe it myself, that makes me nearly as soft as a fake BMX photographer. The Beak was in near the same boat with only a stint over christmas and a couple of cheeky "Scotts ramp" sessions under his belt. So as the moons aligned and he reached that rare moment in which he was yet to start drinking and had fully sobered up from the night before, we decided to venture to the near mythical "Four feathers" skatepark, located somewhere within a youth centre in Marleybone.

Emails were sent round and a few were up for it, Team 2000's solo representative Dom was getting very excited and even threatened a one foot wable. Rob was still taking it easy after his foot coming off and The poof was doing a poof.

The "park" is in an sports type hall, with a 5ft quarter and flat bank one end, a four foot quarter and flat bank at the other and a mellow as shit 4 foot spine in the middle. Oh, and various groups of urban youth milling about. There isn't much to report from the park, its pretty shit, but at least we rode for once. As usual the youth wanted a go on our bikes, they didn't seem too aggressive and since we were behind locked doors it should be alright, right? They could tell we weren't fully convinced, so to prove they were not going to try and nick them, they gave us their mobile phones and £400 in cash, yes, £400 in cash which they just so happened to have on them. (I'm guessing it was either savings that they had just withdrawn from the bank or one of their birthdays and they have a large and generous family which tend to send money rather than buy presents?). Turns out they wernt any trouble and after dropping in and screaming like girls they got back to being urban and smoking doobies, which we were later blamed for by the Youth centre manager (various groups of urban youths, or the well spoken older BMXers? hmmm... ). After a few more bar turns and a lack lustre game of horse; "go backwards? are you fucking kidding me?!?!" The 'session' was over, and we left the building. But not without another warning about smoking doobies - "Yes, yes it was us, we have knives too by the way..."

We finished off the night by heading back to the Grand Union, which turned out to be a bit of a left turn as it was full of basics and punters, mixed in with the odd cunt with wearing wooly hats with peaks on the slant like they are so fresh out of Bristol they still have Massive Attack ringing in their ears. Ross inisited it was something to do with the Vet school just up the road but I was pretty sure it was Prick school that had just kicked out....

Alliteration alert! Awesome, ambient, addictive and... er... ace. I Found this, linked to, from a pretty rad design and what-not blog. It had me hooked for at least and hour (although I was at work, so wind that in to about 20 mins of normal time).

It's a basic sinewave synth type affair, which, unlike most other "press a few things and make a loop up" type deals, actually makes really pretty sounding loops without an ounce of effort. Judging by the feedback on the site, I wasn't the only one drawn in by it's sound flashing square shaped charms.

Not much has been going on of late, hence the slackness on the old updates - partly due to our focus on heavy drinking but also coupled with the fact that it's cold as shit, and the bowl has been wet or snowed under for about 5 weeks, at least. Where the hell is Summer, I'm bored of this already!

In rubbish BMX based news, a new company has emerged, FULT, you may have heard of them. They like putting 15 wallrides from flat over something or other, in one web edit, and illegible fonts. Great. Speaking of web edits, Dye has put together one of these, with bits and bobs of some Wednesday regulars dotted about there. Take a look... And speaking further on the same subject, Chris actually made a start on our Barca, Bezzie Lads on Tour trip, 8mm footage, edit. 2011 release?

Oh, we might even have a Wednesday riding update after tomorrow. Maybe. Watch this space!

The first annual "Bezzie Wednesday Xmas Party" was a civilised affair, suprisingly, unfortunately - I was expecting a full on rager, nevermind. Basically nobody turned up so it was more of a Barcelona crew re-union. Plus team Crackney, plus Andy J, plus Pete, who left early due to being incapable of controlling his "Wade" pace of drinking, concluded by full expenditure of his pocket money after about an hour.

We met some delightful people in our second stop of the night (Lock Tavern). Some guy who looked a lot like Dave, of the Hairy Bikers, but slightly more cyber goth, with definately the worst hair ever. Plus some odd girls who where staring over at us giggling like school kids. This was either due to the ever popular "you guys all have the same shirts on" line, or the fact that they probably thought we were all hot shit. I'll go with the latter. Chris "Roy Walker" Gordon went with "their eye's aren't painted on" and "they ain't made of wood". Adam said they didn't look enough like boys. Go on the Poof!

In retrospect, I would imagine that the whole event would have been more popular if it wasn't raining, allowing people to ride as well as booze. I'm under the impression that most people are more into the riding part of Wednesday, rather than the "hanging out, drinking, with a bunch of miserable salty nob heads" part. Yeah? Anyroad, have some snaps.

This is neat. Kind of the same ilk as the 389 blog post that Easty Ross posted over on Sticks & Stones the other day (go look if you haven't already seen that). This is a pong game (always a good office time waster, especially during wind down week before Christmas)... but with a twist, as it uses browser windows for the pong and pongers (yes, that is what they're called). God knows how though, defo some sort of technical witch craft jiggery pokery going on. Fun.

Yep, a Christmas party! This coming Wednesday... Wednesday style. Which basically means that we'll do exactly the same as every other week, but drink more, and eat food other than chips. Sweet.

Check out the flyer (thanks to Rob for that!!) for more information, but to summarise - bowl at 7-ish, bunnyhop comp at 8, Grand Union at nine for food and beer, then on to wherever (Lock Tavern? Proud?) afterward for more drinks. We plan on booking an area / table at the Union, so if your intending on coming, please RSVP in the comments so we know how many to expect!

The only sour point is that BBC are forecasting light snow on Wednesday, and it looks like being about -2 degrees. But I'm sure we can work around that. (i.e. Pub o'clock might be brought forward an hour or two.)

EDIT: It's still looking like snow, so I took the liberty of booking an area at the Grand Union for 8pm... Be prompt please! Haa

With this Wednesday™ being a washout, riding truely is thin on the ground ATM. I think we say that on here almost as much as we apologise for the crap photos and the late blogs, I've got one to write from about a week a go and I'm actually just going to lie an pretend its not late, hell, you can write any old crap on the internet and people will believe you. The place is full of liars.

I remember at its peak, when evvveeerryone was on the internet and MySpace, you used to get random friends requests off girls that looked hot. I remember getting one of this girl and she was in a bikini and she looked pretty good. I think I showed her profile to Netley and he was like "dude, shes fat" and I was like "she cant be, I can see her whole damn body!" and he sent me a photo of her and she was a beast, and he was like, "told you she was fat! castle did her".

So if I was to tell you that John Dye has mellowed out, grown a mullet, switched from coffee to pills and has started going to the East London 90's power ballard raves you'd be all like, "thats complete bullshit" but then when I threw you this link to his latest Union web edit you'd be like "oohhhhhhhhhh..."

There are two reasons for this post:

1. It's dry for once, so club night will be on if this weather holds... And

2. I just received a newsletter from POW, with the above thumb's image which is the best thing I have seen in months. A just released print by Paul Insect, who is mentioned in this previous post. Available to buy for a mere 300 odd quid at POW

Also to note is that there are a ton of Insect "baby heads" around my office, not in the office, but outside, Farringdon, you see....

Following on nicely on form from Chris' previous post, here is a late update from last week. Personally I'm blaming the Stumpweasel for this one, he said he would 'do a blog' last Friday, then changing his mind to Saturday, then to yesterday without any of his promises materialising. Slacker.

So what happened last Wednesday? Guess? Yep, correct - bowl, chips, beers, stunts, pub. Yeahhhh. In that order, pretty much.

There was a pretty good turnout actually, for a blisteringly cold November evening. No jabroni's either. Perfect. Word must be out. Only a couple of stunt pictures I'm afraid, one of which I stole from the Union site, and the other is of me, test riding my new bike. White and ice blue, very season specific.

This is good, and completely unrelated.

Holy f*cking shit I just popped a full on nerd boner. Just out today, this second, right now (The Beak and myself already have it installed), is Photoshop for iPhone.

Yep, you read that right, Photoshop for the iPhone... Ok so its a very "Lite" version of it, but it does all the basic things the Punter snapper will ever need, bypassing the need to give em a tickle once you are home in RAW editor before wacking up the vignette, grain and dropping the sat to upload to the blog.

Now all we need is a new blog back-end and we can do blogs direct from the pub (a week late as per usual...)

Here's a link to the iTunes store. What? You don't have an iPhone? Grow the fuck up!

It was bloody windy on Wednesday, but it didn't really affect things too much. The eager ones rode, the slack ones drank beer. Usual story. Then we went to the pub for some much needed beers in the warmth and a heated debate about both English and Yank culture / history, with some American girls, Chris was in full flow, naturally.

No photo's this week I'm afraid, instead we have a delightful collection of moving images. No, I do not mean animated GIFs, I'm talking about a fully fledged web edit of the evenings action, courtesy of Dye, topped off with a track from Simons old school band. Mint. Go take a look. There is even a barspin in there, on a flatbank no less! Whoever said Wednesday was all about tables, turnbars and salty old caunts was wrong. Oh, wait a second...

I get annoyed by many things, queuing, people faffing, people who can't read maps, stuff that doesn't line up, 5 door cars, most of BMX... The list goes on. One of my favourite annoyances (is that possible?) are the painted bike lane symbols that adorn our roadways and cycle paths, specifically those that look absolutely nothing at all like a bike. Personally, I feel that if your gonna forge a career path that is solely based around drawing bikes on the road, (yes, that is all they do, I'm pretty sure), at least take some time to learn the basic form of a bicycle.

Anyway, this dude obviously gets annoyed with blundered bike path logos too, or maybe he appreciates them, in some backward masochistic artsy fashion. Never the less, they've created a flickr group full of examples. Some interesting frame designs going on here, maybe JAD will take inspiration from these and make a comeback. We can only hope.

Simon will hate this post, Chris will call me a nerd and The Poof will wince a bit and eat some more flowers, but I don't care. This site gives two tips on how to make your (least) favourite computer software package, (that's Photoshop) run faster.

I followed these steps, and to be perfectly honest I'm not sure if it has made the blindest ounce of difference, because I haven't done any work since. The website does have a very pretty background though.

[Edited] It has been brought to my attention that the site also features fake sponsorship logo's in the footer... cheeky. Most amusingly (to me) is the addition of a tongue in cheek, cliche, fashionable designer web hosting platform companies logo. Brilliant.

Suprisingly, there was a good turnout on Wednesday night, despite the damp conditions in pretty much the whole bottom of the bowl. There was just enough room between the slickness to do the usual flyout lines off the nuggets (are there any other lines?). However, the deep end even proved to be to wet for puddle enthusiast Shane, hard times.

Most people decided to grumble and drink rather than ride, Simon managed to grumble and ride, obviously. Dye, Jimmy and the Witch turned up fashionably late, blaming Arsenal traffic - most of which fresh office boy Pete probably caused, by dodging a cold night at the bowl for a Champions League match. Punter. Some Child Catching peado made an appearance, much to everyones delight. Then we went to the pub, that was the best bit.

Team 2000 mainstay, Dom, managed to pull the first Rupert of a Wednesday night (see previous blog for jargon explanation), although the jury is still out on weather it actually counted. Chris and Rob bought some shit chips from the shit Falafel King. Then we advised their prospective (Swedish girl) customers that the Kings chips were in-fact shit and that they should go across the road to buy the better ones. Falafel king man did not look happy. The Poof then decided to live up to his name by telling us that he didn't like the Swedish girls because they didn't look enough like boys. Talk about digging your own grave.

Games on the iPhone are a wonderful thing, especially for blissfully dwindling away the minutes of a mid morning, coffee induced, work dump.

Personally, I'm not into the overly complicated, pointlessly plot heavy, gives you RSI from tapping too much, adventure, 3rd person, shoot every caunt going type game. It's all a bit much. So, thankfully, Blockee is right up my street; Cute, multi-coloured blocks, with roaming eyes, slide about and disappear when you have positioned them in their correct, colour-centric places. A friend of mine made this game, his first attempt at an iPhone app, and I reckon he did pretty good job.

70 levels of 2D pixel-pushing are yours for less than the price of a tin of pop.

I got an email from team 2000 member Donny a day or so back, he is on his pan Asian solo bike trek right now, pedaling away that mid life crisis and just "hitting the open road (maaaaan)". Here is a copy and paste special,also to note while I have been writing this the song that Donny and I decided pretty much explains how to live your life came on my iTunes DJ playlist, followed by "NOFX- Build me up buttercup". Too fitting.

I'll have a beer for you this weekend Donny, come back soon.

The Email:

"Hey dude, here's something for your blog. I know full pipes aren't exactly in vogue anymore but here's some 20 footers i spotted half way up a mountain pass in the Himalayas... took my panniers off and got over vert on my tourer!"

Oh great, more tourist photo's from that bunch of nobodies Barcelona beach holiday. Yep. This time from Ross' disposable camera. These are actually lo-fi, rather than our usual game of "lets make these photos look dead grainy and lo-fi in PS 'cos they are actually just crap iPhone shots".

Weather's looking alright for tomorrow nights Wed Club. Chris is talking about making a night of it (boozewise) after riding, mainly because he has the next day off work. Who's in?

Good turnout on Wednesday night, few new faces, most of the same old faces blah blah. Good times. Turns out the few new faces are involved in this blog and they kindly did a Wednesday Club update of their own. Awesome, saves me a job! Go check out the snaps! Especially the one of da Fritz "learning" no handers. Think that was like his 4th try. Dialled!

The only photo that we managed to rustle up, was this pub shot courtesy of The Poof, and even this was cutting it fine. Talk about slack cunce.

Bezzy Dad™ fact kick off:

The second largest city in Spain with a population of 1.6milion.

It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Rhine-Ruhr Area, Madrid and Milan with the population 4,185,000.

The modern name of Barcelona can be directly transcribed from ancient Catalan. “Barce” short for “Barcestados” was a common phrase to describe an annoying cowardly thief. “Lona” literally translates as “wayward hippy”. Even though the developed world has long since forgotten the trend you can still see the ancient art of white-man dreadlocks post millennium in this historic city. The recession doesn't seem to have made a dent on this place either as traditional family businesses like bag snatching and other sketchy petty crime is a booming industry with global effect.

The trip kicked off on a salubrious 7am Terravision coach (living up to its namesake on our return) from central London to Stansted. Bezzy Dad™ breakfasts accompanied with Lads-on-tour Weatherspoon Pints (yeah I had a coffee, big whoops, I'm still a man). No airport hitches or lateness put an excellent mood to the start of our trip.

We arrived at our apartment in Barceloneta, a tramps nipple from the city beach. Now I've seen some small places in my time. I've been to Singapore and stayed in the most cramped hotel room I've ever seen. Lets not forget, being a northerner, I generally have pretty low expectations on life. But this place was small even by Chris Gordon standards, who incidentally joined the trip, along with The Poof, Rupert and The Beak.

The steps up to the room were deffo from the Fritzl school of architecture; minimal chance of escape. The lift unsurprisingly couldn't even accommodate Union bars. Fortunately as Rupert spent most of the trip Doing A Rob© there was enough room for us to manoeuvre, even if having a shit meant doing some sort of cross between the Limbo and Bikram Yoga!

Oh yeah riding, shit hot. This was my first time in the city, I'd seen the endless street spots on Facetube etc, even checked the places out on Bezzy Dad Google Earth™, but it was still quite amazing to see first hand what can be achieved architecturally with a bit of frikin balls. It seriously shits on most cities I've ever visited, while still managing to retain its historical charm ...even though it's full of thieving gypo's and punters. Needless to say we came, we saw, we shut down, stepped up, there were so many hammers dropped it was like a bomb had gone off in B&Q. Information to exactly what went down is a little hazy, errr footage may have been stolen by the 'Deadline Crew' but I can proper draw you pictures of what we may have done, deffo. If you see any of Ty Morrows Stuff just imagine it was us, done.

Skaters, funny bunch aren't they? Usually perfectly alright, although they do always think they're a bit good, but then you would in comparison to BMX (eeeeeps). Then you get the Dicks, El Cock Grande. We met one chump who decided we were steppin' on his turf or summit. He didn't get Brief Case Wankers' jokes ...then again who does. Offering to stab someone for a bad joke, while his 50 mates give us beat downs 'Warrior' style is pushing it a tad I'd say.

Rupert did a Rob, then got robbed 3hours before our flight. Passport and cameras taken (with loads of sick footy on 'em honest) by an annoyingly sly manoeuvre while waiting for the bus. Thieving slimy gypo's! Seriously though its like an accepted career out there, it can't be that hard to frikin get rid of them. That's the only downside of that place and its completely rife.

Ross took two weeks to write the above, and it still wasn't finished. So this is Ben speaking now. To summarise, the holiday was 'shithot' the weather, the beach, the beer and the pizza were 'shithotter' but Chris' lame attempts to (unsuccessfully) pair the rest of us of with Michael Jackson's younger, fatter, whiter, uglier Welsh cousin, were definately not 'shithot'. The poof seemed keen though, in between aggro cartwheels.

The pictures above might paint a better picture of how great a time we had, and if you need some help deciphering this gobbledygook (racist) then check out the lingo dictionary in the post below.

As with most trips the combination of over excitement and testosterone (less so from the poof) mixed with bikes and alcohol tends to lead to a special holiday-based dialect being made up with names and phrases evolving thoughout the time away. Here is a list of the nonsensical drivel we began to spout after a few beers and days in the sun.

Punter: Someone who is a tourist of life, no real individual character traits or unique interests, a good example of which is anyone who lives outside the M25. aka. a Basic.

Bezzie Dad Cam: A top of the line consumer model camera as owned by a dad, a stock example of a bezzie dad cam would be a D30 Digital SLR.

Punter Cam: A less impressive version of a Bezzie Dad Cam. Mid to low range digi point and shoot camera, usually from a well known jack of all trade company rather than a dedicated camera one.

The Poof: Adam's new nickname, hard to argue against it when you get heckled by transvestites on Las Ramblas. When a women with a cock questions your sexuality, its prob time to address the issue.

Poofy crap eyes: The poof in the morning.

Rupert: Robs alter ego, no not a wacky one with a catch phrase and daft fancy dress like a fresher in their first semester or some never was on RoadFools, but one that on a "Brits abroad lads booze and bikes wheay tour" bins off his mates on day one for a week long relationship.

Bezzie Trip Dad: Whoever owns the map is Bezzie Trip Dad. Ben and Ross were pretty much having a Bezzie Trip Dad off, all holiday. Bezzie Trip Dads also know a lot about everything, so Bezzie Trip Dad fact offs are also proving grounds for the title, even if you have to make things up, like a "Hyrdonosphone", like i did.

Captain Solo: See "rupert"

To Ross: Like an inverted bezzie trip dad, taking two weeks to fail to write a blog.

Easty: Ross Tepereks tripname. He's from Ukraine or something, not Leeds. I think Simon let him in.

Briefcase Wanker: Trip nickname for Chris. Pilfered from a now infamous line shouted at Will on the Inbetweeners. Chris is basically Will. Brilliant.

Giggsy: The full phrase will have to remain on the couch at Spooks where it originated, but even the short version works. "Giggsy" can be shouted to show appreciation of any affirmative physical action, be it putting a can in a bin, catching a frisbee, or, in its most appropriate use - kicking something. A true homage to the Brit abroad and lad culture, best washed down with a pint of Stella or Carling. For those not fully clued up with Punter "culture" Giggsy is the name of some lad who knocked a football about for the Great Britain team or something.

Two events from happened over the weekend, one bike related and one not. First off was the "premier" of the bookends Epsom summer 09 video at Bubbas flat in leafy old Surrey. You have prob seen the pic of eveyone with Bubba masks on facebook, so no need for that here. The video itself was pretty rad, especially the bits with me in, especially the bits with me in slow mo and def especially the bits of me in reinacting 1999, inc back wheel landings. Bezzie tricks.

Oh, the Head and Booky had ok sections, I guess Slattery, Mulville and the Fortes were above par too... unlike the Heads attempts to ride a fixie on our way to town...

Second event was one of the best parties I have been to in a long time, even better than the shit ones Simon takes us to in squats, an 80's cocktail party. Spaz Tom and his house mates Ian and Elana put on a full on 80's cocktail party inc Bar, Cocktail menu, canopes and the film Cocktail on loop.

90% of people made the effort and dressed to suit, a few folks didnt which is pretty embarrassing, shame on you. Tom looked just like Pat Sharp and Ian must of Waltzed straight off the set of Miami Vice. The poof also kept up his gay run by going to sleep halfway though the night in a chair and my taxi drive didnt realize the 2 inch thick wedge of £20 notes was infact one photocopied note and a pile of cut up newspapers looking like he was going to mug me as I stepped out of the cab, good times....

Thanks to Ian, Elana and Spaz for a jolly fine knee's up...

I'm not gonna explain the title, if you don't understand then tough. I like in jokes and alienating readers. Separates the punters from the non-punters.

Short one this week, Jaz sent over some snaps from Wednesday, which was a lovely suprise, so i thought I'd put together a lack luster blog post. Check out Jimmy's wild new line, street innit. Kinda.

Talking of street, i think Robbie Loeber (aka Rupert) is bringing a hop bar setup down next week, so we can have a bunnyhop comp. No street chumps allowed though, that'd spoil Posh Chris' plans of winning.

Now then, yep we have been taking blogging to new levels of slackness, but bear with us, Wednesday regulars have been away for a week in Barca, dragging our knuckles down flights of stairs.

Well, no, not really, more drinking beer and and kicking back on the beach. More on all of that later, including a whole new set of phrases which border on a new language and Wednesdays first web edit, yes, web edit, no poofy bar spins though, and all filmed on Super 8, in the meantime here is a font I have made recently...

I had kinda resisted the Super slab display font craze for a year or so but if you cant beat them, suck it up like a man and do your own. So here it is, Heavy handed V1 , only caps atm and still needs some work but i'm pretty pumped on it at the moment...

Shit hot.

Things are a bit slow around here at the moment, although that could just be my head running a bit lean after taking a bang to the swede the other day (see pic 3). Wednesday sessions have been running along nicely still, although for some reason the 'street' course seems to see far more attention these days, not that anyone (me) is fussed - just means more room for legitimate riding in the bowl. Plus for the last couple of weeks a fair number of folk have ventured out actual street riding when the park closed, someone got completely the wrong end of the stick there, did they not read the Wednesday club manifesto? Anyroad...

Shane was on some sort of 4 teas with 4 sugars high yesterday, which was actually a welcome change, meant he was talkative and smiling, instead of being the usual miserable specimen. He was piping up about having a back wall aerial comp with Jimmy, which after numerous anti-pump bowl circuits and heckles from the crowd, he lost. "Yeah, but seriously. How high was I really, innit? yeh?".

Check out a few snaps from John and Jaz up there in the usual place. There's a couple more of Dye's pics from last night up on the Union site as well.

In other news, a few of us are having a Wednesday 'lads on tour' trip to Barcelona, starting next Wednesday - to avoid riding street, avoid the pickpockets, but definitely dial in our "drinking a beer on the beach" and "ride to the corner shop for more beer" skills. Expect updates of that nature in around a months time when we finally get our fingers out.

In other, other news, I have ordered a new batch of stickers seen as though the other ran out months back and fair few people have asked about getting one, easily at least 2. Should have those in the not too distant future!

Bob Log 111 is a dirty blue’s rock n roll slide guitar mystery man. He sings about boobs in scotch, clapping tits and sports a helmet with telephone receiver microphone glued to the visor so his arms and legs are free for guitar and drums. He played recently at the luminaire in Kilburn which is a nice little venue except for the “don’t talk when the bands playing” signs on the walls, Yeah cheers for telling me!

After a back wrecking capsize at a recent show he didn’t come out crowd surfing in a rubber dingy but instead on his roadies shoulders. Once log bomb was done he breaks out of his tux into a blue spandex cannonball man jumpsuit.

The show is a sweaty guitar dance party with some fucking funny banter in between songs. Now I can see why Donny has been idolising him for years! “Some people have a limp because they got hit by a bus, some people have a limp because they got polio, I got a limp because I bounced too many girls on my knees!” - Bob Log 111

Right, I better rattle this one out or the beak will be texting me all day inquiring about its status, jesus, you can tell he is a web geek, everything has to be done in a split second, maybe he is just panicking and trying to keep this internet fad alive despite the fact we all know its going to die out in about 6 months, just look at myspace...

Anyway... After a rain stopping play last week I was pretty pumped on riding this week, even though it was poor mans trails (concrete park). I think my enthusiasm was mainly due to the fact that I had finally put every last finishing on my new bike, I call it new because its like nothing I have ever had before- dialled. That and the fact I knew I was going to have a good laugh at Shane over his "i hate park rats" claim.

Team 2000's sole representative Dom took my bike for a spin and finally realised the year 2000 is after having a spin on my bike and has now pledged to update his bike before the end of the decade. Exciting times.

Jaz was the camera man for the eve, and he managed some good uns, although a few too many of Ben, but its only to be expected as he is a perpetual show off. I think Ross made my night by dropping a Dazed and Confused quote at the pub, perfect end to the night.... (but where's pete?)

I love them red heads, yes I do...

Jeezus... I was going to start with an apology for the lateness of this but then I realised all our blogs are pretty late so its no news...

Saturday was wednesday dodger and all round excuse maker Dayno's (second) leaving do, and another good one was had. A whole bar to ourselves and food on tap, Epsom rustled up their passports and got them stamped for their bi annual night out in the big smoke, all except the Bookend who missed out on meeting the girl who broke his heart, along with half a dozen other London bmxers...

After a few drinks Rosshead dug out "the list" and began to rattle them off, I think an extra name was added for each drink he had which was quite entertaining, I believe he ended the night with a new phone number from someone who wasn't even at the joint, maybe Ross' best trick of the summer?

We all left Dayno's with a skin full of alcohol and Dayno left us with a new phrase for bailing on a pre arranged event- "To do a Dayno". Til next time big man....

Yesterday, it rained. So no-one turned up at the bowl. At least that's what I'm guessing here, because myself and 'Posh' Chris went over to Epsom anyway, to check out the 'Oakley Trails Championship' tour (masterminded by Ross Head and Kye) which was making a stop there for the day.

I managed to get down early enough to see some riding and have a peck at showing off (which is obviously gonna fall on deaf ears / eyes when the likes of Robbo, the Forte clan and Lima are present). Chris managed to turn up just as everyone was packing up, obviously his massive parachute was slowing down his journey somewhat. This didn't bother him, as the main reason for his visit was to show off his new look bike, which he has made suprisingly good job of renovating, bar the 'ten to 2' crank positioning. Someone needs to wear his geek goggles at times other than his regular Grand Theft Auto stints.

As I mentioned, the pro's packed up just as Chris arrived, to head off for trip treat mexican meals and plush hotels - Nathan told me the first hotel they all stayed in on the trip had full spa facilities (which he duly took advantage of). Somehow I wasn't in the least bit suprised, Ross had organised all this after all. This departure left us with a bit of time to ride, time for PC to direct iPhone shots of himself, time for a bag of chips and some Polish beer, and time for me to punch Seymour. Or so it would seem.

Keep tuned to the Ride site for updates on the trip, which apparently are daily. I've only seen this one update so far though. Slack!

This one's over a week late, but do we look like we care? Probably a little too much actually.

Last week was a scorcher. Which pretty much meant no-one could be bothered to ride that much, 'cept Shane of course, so you'll have to endure a couple of photo's of him up there. Thanks to Johann for a number of those, you can blame him for the slow response time on this post, week late with the snaps! We do have deadlines to meet young man! Haaa

I have pretty much forgotten what else happened, except the fact that Lemsip made a welcome appearance for a chinwag and beer or four. He is back over from NZ for a brief stint, although unfortunately not riding due to a gammy knee. It's always good to see him!

So, other than that, this is a short one. Look at the snaps and hope the weather stays that way for the foreseeable future. Actually someone told me the other day that it was Autumn already, the pessimistic gobshite.

This past weekend a few Wednesday regulars - or not so regulars if you believe Dye - embarked on a mini trails road-trip to the dull North, accompanied by a couple of Epsom trails transplants. I was concerned that I might just ramble on and write a long winded account of everything that went on, so I sacked that idea off and went with this bullet point run of events and other stuff kinda affair. I feel it works rather well, although it also ended up being pretty long.

Dead baby seat - The trip got off to a good start with the taller and sensibly proportioned amoungst us (everyone else) realising that only Chris could physically fit in the dead baby seat of Ross Heads monster truck. Gutted.

Villij - First stop, nuts trails, built by smaller guys. Seriously the size of the local builders becomes an issue when trees are hitting you in the beak and shoulders throughout the course of a line. Scary stuff. Robbo and Frog are rad as hell though, and it was a treat watching those two shred their local trails, and for letting us turn up and embarrass ourselves! Cheers guys!

Regal - With Ross head on a trip you can't be camping in the filthy mud in the woods, so much to Simons grumbling disgust and everyone else's delight we didn't, we stayed in hotels. The first of which was the 'Sky Plaza' on the sixth floor of a multistory carpark in Leicester. Not so regal.

Leicester - Minging. As soon as I mentioned the place to anyone, they said "oh, that's easily the worst place I've ever been." It was, and I'm from Grimsby. Good curry though.

Las Vegas Fish Bar - What else would you call a Leicestrian kebab shop? Makes sense to me. What about a shopping arcade? Malcom Arcade? Yep, perfect.

Leeds - The bars and our posh apartment. All mint.

Brighouse - Soundest of sound bunch of guys and the smoothest trails you'll ever ride. We really wanted to ride here on the sunday as well, but after hitting the booze a little too hard on the saturday night in Leeds, we decided against it fearing we would kill ourselves, instead we prayed for rain, which didn't come, and fled to London.

Crashing - Most avoided it, but I'm pretty sure i crashed more on this trip than in the last 3 years. Idiot. Once I crashed, winded myself and sounded like this, it was great.

Wingham Locals - If your gonna ride other peoples trails, at least return the favour at least once. If your gonna make up lies, and least get em straight. If you don't want people ringing up asking to ride your spot thats suppose to be on the DL, at least have the brain capacity to realise that maybe you shouldn't be advertising the place all over the internet.

Feral Kittens - Emerging like a small plague from a hole in a wall by one of Leeds fine Pizza establishments and were the most unfriendly animals I have met, what absolute shits.

Crap Trev - Simons new nickname. Appropriate, if you know Trevor. Trevor is better.

In all it was a wicked trip, thanks to all the locals who entertained our presence, to Ross Head for driving and booking the Sky Plaza Hotel, Joe Bailey for a few non iPhone snaps the rain for just about staying away and Chris for having short legs.

Okay, you were going to have the pleasure of Pete writing this blog update, but Denny and Ead-o (aka his parents) are down in London Town for the day, so he had to meet them and claim some "beer tax" from his father. So in his absence you'll have to make do with a weak "we rode a bit then went to the pub" update from me. Dull...

Wednesdays session started out with fruity text messages from Dye, who was pulling a Dayno, while Dayno also kept up to form by pulling yet another Dayno, but with half an excuse of being in Madrid. Johann was deemed designated snapper (see snaps for proof) while Pete was trying his hand at being and iPhone paparazzi peado, skulking around taking spy photos of young girls. Where's that iPhone peado zoom app when you need it?

One surprise was Pete's eagerness to ride, blitzing his past records of about 5 runs with a solid 2 or 3 hours riding! A new leaf? I'm skeptical. What wasn't at all suprising was everyones eagerness to get to the pub, including a few new faces which is always good to see. This weeks watering hole of choice was the Lock Tavern, and a fine choice it was, with most people staying till past twelve and sinking a good 6 pints (unfotunately with any ladyboy chasers) followed by morning rotten gut inducing portion of chips, cheese and chilli sauce, or was that just me and Pete? Hmm, anyway, the In the word's of PC (Posh Chris) "chin chin"

Just a quick one here to point you in the direction of an awesome blog done by new(ish) Wednesday gang (I am today referring to Wednesday club as a gang in an attempt to gain us the street cred my supposedly "posh" accent denies us) members and brothers from different mothers Rob and Ross.

The blog is defgrip - hip hop + awesome x UK (or in Ben's words – "shit hot") and they produce a magazine/book from it every 6 months too which pops it on the next rung up on the awesome ladder.

"Read a book" is one of my favourite put downs, it's a great way to make fun of someone when they pipe up with their daft opinions, the one exception where it doesn't work is with Simon, as he reads far too many books, but they are daft ones about being a hippy and living off the land/outside of the system/beating the machine read on the balcony of the massive West London town house he house sits in (remember his 'fuck the system but keep benefits' plaque?).

Coming from me "Read a book" is also quite an ironic insult as I don't actually read that many books myself, so I kinda have a little chuckle to myself in my head when I say it because I'm basically playing a game of intellectual chicken.

So, to try and lend a bit more legitimacy to the insult here is a top 5 books I have read...

1. The Catcher in the Rye - J D Salinger
Everyone should read this book, I think I read it 3 times in a row on a family holiday when I was 15. It was the most I have ever been into a book.

2. The Art of Travel - Alain de Botton
I was made to read this one years ago at Uni as it related to my major project. Alain is a French lad and writes philosophy which is actually useful in everyday life. He is a bit of a pisser and whiner, and obviously has a slight aversion to actual travel itself but it is a good antidote to those god shit awful holiday adverts you see on tv... "Australia- where the bloody hell are ya?" well, we are in Europe, enjoying some ancient culture and history you thick back packer killing racist jock convicts.

3. Dancer - Colum McCann
Zoe gave me this book to read as it wasn't like the books I usually read, and I did resist reading it for a while seeing as I had no interest in big gay Russian ballet dancers, but it did in fact turn out to be pretty good. Its all about a big hotshot ballet dancer in the 60's called Rudolf Nureyev who was pretty much ballets rock star and a raging homo, two things that didn't go down too well in communist Russia. There are bits in it when talking about rebellion and passion for dance that kinda remind me a bit what it was like riding BMX 10 years ago when it wasn't such an easy choice and saturated with kids in daft new era hats, plastic pedals and Nike trainers. Also to note, one entire chapter is written as in one long multipage sentence, which is pretty good going.

4. On the Road - Jack Kerouac
The beatnik bible, the story of bumming round America, hitting the road and living footloose and fancy free, basically living Team 2000's dream (Check out that link as it looks like they are having a pretty good time on the Rally and seeing some amazing places). Will make you want to pack up your belongings in a ruck sack and just jack it all in, but then you realise your 23 inch Apple cinema display wont fit in your rucksack, there wont be a place to charge your iPhone every night, you cant take a rucksack and a hamper and it won't look that great on your CV.

5. A Million Little Pieces - James Frey
Guest review from Ben: "Shit hot!"

I wasn't going to write a blog this eve seeing as I am on deadline at work and am at a screen about 50 hours a day, but after putting my country playlist on spotify while I did some online banking and drinking a tin of tyskie I became notably more pumped so thought a few more mins.

We all know Union owns the weather, so I wont dwell on that here, but fuck me its dire atm. That coupled with Bens bare face lies ("yeah, it's raining here, not shit hot") lead to a pretty piss poor turn out. I think Ben needs to be a bit careful with his porky pies or he is going to end up looking like Pinoccio, oh, oh hold on.

There are a few snaps and tales from the night, pub session featuring Beddows and winding up Simon included, but I cant be bothered with them right now. Instead i'm going to point you in the direction of John Henrys wiki page wiki page. Mathew Sabatella did a fantastic song about him called . This Old Hammer A good example of a man from a time when men were men and not the slack jawed metro sexual faggots they are these days, although his victory was quite a Pyrric Victory, heres the wiki link for all you spastics who have no concept of ancient history, whatever next? don't tell me you have never been taught latin? oh dear god...

Today, like most days, I received one of those all of the office is cc'd in emails from someone. You know the sort that has a link to something funny, impressive, arty. Most of the time I ignore them because they usually contain stuff like that keyboard cat rubbish (which chris seems to like), Ken Block driving round in circles or that trails/hopscotch bike video section that someone has sent because they think I will be impressed with it - "You ride bikes dont you? Can you do that? Or that? What about that?".

Anyway, this turned up in my inbox today, it's a collection of images that initially had an incorrect level of ethnic diversity, so they have been fixed, badly, in photoshop. It's political correctness gone mad, i tells ya! Then if you liked that you should take a internet waddle (I'm assuming your fat) to this site as well, as it's vaguely related.

Q: What do you get if you combine 1998 style bars and 2008 style bars?
A: Shanes.

Yep, Shane turned up at a near dry bowl with a combination of the two and enough grips to go round a whole crew of northern street riders. A few runs and snaps later and the rain clouds above started piping up and put a dampner on things, i say dampener but to be honest we have very little interest in actually riding the bowl these days, I mean, trails have been running most weekends and skateparks are a pretty piss poor substitute for mud bumps. A quick stop at the beaks for a few tinnies (and a nose full of the aroma created by a £500 kitten shitting in the shower) while the rain dried up and then back to the park for a heavy 25min session! Ross rolled up halfway though that, telling us he had to tick his tricks off before going to the pub.

With the piss poor excuse of riding out the way it was off to the Hawley Arms, which brought others out of the woodwork inc Johann with the most acidic coloured top this side of wack a day, but in a good way.

To be honest, I hate the Hawley, I think its on the list of places not to bother with again, along with that dire place Johann took us once (sorry Johann...). The Hawley is full of nerds, full stop. I jotted it down in a new section, right after "turning up and not saying hello and just dropping in and trying a tailwhip tyre tap first go" and the 2-3 people we have bullied out of Wednesday, are we that mean? Rumor has it that we are all salty cunts and don't like people coming, which to be honest isn't completely true, that's just Simon and Dye, oh and Ben, on the sly...

This is turning into an essay, and we only have a couple of pics to go with it, oh well, you are prob pretty familiar with the style of pics anyway, what you are less familiar with is two naked people swimming in a canal, I on the other hand, are thoroughly familiar with both...

If there is one thing that Country music has taught me – Don't take a knife to a gun fight, and don't take empty pockets to the pub...

I almost forgot that the arrival of summer also heralds the start of the Uni "private shows" which are of course open to every single member of the general public and usually feature a decent supply of free alcohol. This weekend saw the opening of Tinheads show along with the rest of his course from Brighton Uni. Some predictably good work from one of the best art schools in the country and always goo to see the big man...

However, like a good soap opera or bmx scene (same thing?) it wasn't without a little bit of controversy or drama, namely- where was Daisy and Redbull? The fat lad arranged all sorts of free drinks and a DJ in their name but after years being promised a full time job at Redbull upon graduation he, well, wasn't, and seeing as he was no longer a student he couldn't well be the student rep anymore so they had to cut him loose... and the stuff he arranged for the show evaporated with his job offer...

Hmmmm... oh well, enjoy the work in a double image update.

More photos from the Brighton University art show...

My girlfriend has been involved in creating an online campaign for the ethical underwear brand Pants to Poverty. She assures me that it is not just a load of hippy shit, (like Simon) it's actually a really good company that stands for a valid cause, so have a look.

Cooooooor it ain't half hot mum

The sun yesterday, (hottest day of the year?) meant that the session was more about drinking beers and chinwagging than riding - around ten seconds after dropping in, your hands got all sweaty and rendered them useless for holding onto anything more than a cold tin of pop. Nevertheless a few soldiered on and made like it was 1988 with an impromptu high air comp on the 'back wall'. Nobody won anything cos nobody actually got that high. Dissapointing.

Great amusement was had by all and sundry with the discovery that I used to Snakeboard™, in my youth. I'm not going to deny this for a second, but I will add that I was an impressionable 14 year old, lost with what how to reply with when when posed the question shortly "what do you want for your birthday?". I received said Snakeboard™, and soon became the best in my village.

Pub o'clock rolled round later than usual after the Scottish cow forgot to kick us out of the park. So we headed to the Grand Union, where about 3 people bought pints and ten sat drinking 'street beers' from the corner shop on the conveniently placed pub benches. An awesome plan until the barmaid came out to clear up at closing time and found all our empty cans, muttering "This is reeeeaaally bad lads". A collective schoolboy error if ever I had seen one.

Tom "the exception to the, all skaters are ignorant dicks, rule" Crowe, made a new Scottish alcoholic mate at the pub, who was calling him a diamond one minute then telling him was going to kill him the next. Things seemed to take a turn for the better when the old boy ushered Tom to the toilet, to which he replied "oooh, are we gonna go we some drugs?". It turns out that wasn't the plan when the guy tried to headbut him. Although apparently, he "couldn't help eeeeet. Ahhm from Glasgewwwwww". Help what? Being an alcoholic c*nt? I beg to differ.

Alright you lot, Bicycle Bingo Round 2 is coming up!! July the 11th at the Elevator Gallery in Hackney Wick. It's going to be even bigger and better than last time round so make sure you don't miss it... If you weren't at the last one check the video out on our website. (Or some snaps from the last one on here). Click on the thumbnail above to check out the flyer.

All proceeds go to Mercy Corps and CNCF, hopefully we'll hit our target with this one! And we got plenty of space too so bring your buddies...

Bingo aside, it would also just be great to see you all before I (Donny) head off as i may be away for while!

I was having a little hunt online for the rules for Cantelowes skatepark to see if they permit a BBQ when i came across this post by a skater on an unoffical Cantelowes park website - www.cantelowesskatepark.co.uk

"An awful lot of bikers at Cantelowes last night who've clearly commandeered Wednesday evenings for their own. I was, I must admit, a tad disgruntled, and started to speculate on the relationship between skaters and bikers. Is it mutualistic (a relationship between two species of organisms in which both benefit from the association), or parasitic (a relation between organisms in which one lives as a parasite on another)? If mutualistic, where, I pondered, were the BMX parks, lobbied for by BMX users, which skateboarders could also use? Would a BMX park be identical to a skate park? Where were the biker-produced 'Save the Southbank' documentaries? I e-mailed the council asking if there were any plans to build a BMX park. The council responded that there were no such plans, though they thought a BXM park would be a great facility for Camden, and that they had not had any contact specifically from BMX users wanting their own facility. Clearly those skaters who get things done perceive the relationship to be mutualistic, presumably on the basis that requests for skate facilities carry more weight if those facilities can be demonstrated to be of use to other user groups. Are they right to do so though, or does this merely demonstrate a lack of confidence in the discipline of skateboarding - that it needs to be packaged up with a series of other sports to make it more attractive? To the question then - is the link between skaters and bikers an asset to skaters, or is the biker an intransigent and exploitative partner who should be booted out of the marriage bed?!"

If you cant be bothered to read all that let me paraphrase it for you- "Whinge, whinge, bloody whinge".

It reads like an A level biology paper by a guy who was only able to stop concentrating on pissing his pants for long enough to pick up two technical words and still goes nuts when his mum mixes his alphabet spaghetti with his chicken dippers.

Its going to be a real black eye for this sissy when we plan to commandeer tonight royally, with the intention to buy a bbq from tescoooos to add some flavour to the evening, that and some beers no doubt.

I'll be doing this at work tonight, good ol deadlines.

Looks like rain anyway, caunts...

Apples weather widget is notoriously awful at predicting the weather for some bizarre reason. For instance, today apparently it's 95 degrees. Well it was before I geeked out and found this hack. Follow these steps (3rd post down) and you might be able to get a more accurate report.

Or if that makes no sense and you live in London, just copy and paste this - EUR;UK;UK124;LONDON - into the location on the back of the widget. Done.

Me a geek? Yes.

Bloody 'ell!

Talk about opening a can or worms, start a casual blog and before you know it you are getting it in the neck for not enough updates, the wrong type of up dates, iphone photos and suspect photoshop work, and there I was thinking it was all just a bit of fun?

Well to keep all the grumblers stocked up here is one more day late iphone/photoshop bonanza for ya.

As its now what passes for a summer over in ol' Blighty Wednesday sessions have been overspilling on to other days to such an extent a sunday supplement is needed. With Simon phoning folks the eve before with instructions to bring BBQ stuff It was bound to be a good session down Epsom. I proved everyone wrong, as per usual, by cooking burgers from frozen without letting the coals go white- black on the outside, white on the inside, just like Obama, and it all evens out. While tucking into said burgers I witnessed Rosshead getting absolutely wild, Jimmy successfully doing lines that don't work and I might of even heard Dye have a little grumble about something, if you can believe that, sadly I was too busy kicking back eating my double cheese burgers to respond with my "out of office auto reply" in full effect...

Right, i'm off to turn up the "good" knob and turn down the "suck" knob in photoshop, any jokes about sucking knobs will be ignored as I am all growns up .

This is a late one. I'm blaming Chris though after he stated "oh, I'll write the blog post for Wednesdays session, ill do it this evening, I can come up with something good". This was last Thursday afternoon. It's now monday. Anyone would thing we had lives or jobs or something.

Pretty chilled session this (last) week. Although a video camera was flapping about in the short arms of Chris G. Looks like we are making a web video, talk about bandwagon jumping. Dunno when you will see that one appear, but basically it will be a moving image version of the same turndown, turnbar, table photos you see here every week. Perfect.

Go look at the photo's above anyway, even though you have probably seen some of 'em elsewhere already, because we took so long in firing this blog up. Slackers!

So last week Jere went back to Finland, not before giving us his contact details inc. website for a future trip to Finland.

I had seen him lurking about with a camera a few times but I always thought he just took a few "snaps" on a decent (ish?) DSLR, its an easy assumption to make when the person in question is pretty quiet and modest (A bit like Chris Hill-Scott but without the slight possible-serial-killer-experimenting-on-the-bodies kinda vibe).

Anyway, long story short, the photos on his site are really good – capturing some beautiful ephemeral moments. Here is a selection of them, in the words of Susan Sontag, "heroic copulations with the material world" , or, in the words of Ben and Pete, "Shit hot".

I'm guilty of kicking up a fuss when certain individuals post non-bmx related Wednesday Blogs; nevertheless I'm posting one myself. I've been getting pretty into hypocrisy lately! This is, however, a bike related post.

This Wednesday (see, this is relevant), Julian Sayarer is setting off on an attempted world-record circumnavigation by bicycle. That's just over 18,000 miles in less than 180 days; broken down that's over 100 miles a day, everyday! Sounds tough eh? Well luckily Julian's a bit of a badass. This record was set last year by a Scottish guy who rides for a bank and a phone company. I feel I should live up to my reputation and have some sort of rant about how "this is not in the spirit of adventure" and that "this will make the world shit" etc. etc. but luckily Julian's already done that, and he's much more eloquent than I. Go to his Merlin Mason designed website at www.thisisnotforcharity.com and have a read of his manifesto, it's quite amusing.

In bmx related news, I'm in Brighton with Julian at the mo, about to get the ferry over to Dieppe (not bmx related), and it seems that they've re done The Level skate park, which looks pretty fun now. Bad news though, looks like infamous U-Pipe under the bridge (the big brick thing) has been blocked off. Bloody council.

Well first off, I'm bloody glad I booked today off work I can tell ya...

It was Jere's last wednesday session and it all seemed a bit weird at the bowl, grey skies and being more used to riding trails, we were all a bit over it, even Now then Ben wasnt his usual Bee-in-a-Tin-can and kept the wafting about to a below average amount.

I tried to relieve the tedium of riding skateparks by doings tricks resulting in the predictable spill and signature swellbow. On the upside, the constant hammering of the right side of my body (dislocated collar bone, broken elbow, repeated knocks) and some would say – shorter than average limbs, has left me with the near un heard of ability to lick my own elbow, a really fucking useful skill I can tell you.

Luckily 9 o'clock rolled round pretty quick and we could stop pretending to enjoy riding our bikes and head down to the pub for a few drinks to toast to Jere's deparure. Dayno even did a reverse Dayno and came along with his pocket money to listen to Si grumble like a miserable old man and art direct various shots from this blog.

The crowd was thinning and once the Hawley kicked out we ambled to the Proud Galleries where we were not feeling the large que nor the £8 to get in (yes we are tight). After an already longish night of showing off I figured I could sort this problem so I sauntered over to the girl with the guest list sheet and in an altogether cadish manner enquire if we were on it , and if not, although we didnt know who's guest list it was we prob should be, and for some strange reason she concurred – on the promise I bought her a drink later on.

Safe in the knowledge that I would never see the young lady again, let alone have to make good on the promise of the drink, we all descended into the bowels of the proud Gallery where Jere said his fond farewells to England...

Ello ello, what do we have here? The combination of Ben being away, shitty weather (cast your mind back..) and my increasingly heavy workload – not to mention suspect characters lurking on grassy knolls, blogs have been a bit thin on the ground over the last month. I know you are all missing the endless pics of 45 degree bar turns mixed in with a few tables and the odd turn down so here are a few from a week or so ago featuring House of Pain taking photos while wearing sunglasses, a real genius move that one, like.

But more importantly, and the real reason for actually bucking the fuck up and firing out a couple of paragraphs of waffle – it's Jere's last week in sunny old England before he heads back to Finland so lets see if we can all make it this eve and give him a jolly good send off... Bowl, Beers, Hawley....

See you there.

Wednesday Club members Team 2001 (AKA Dom and Donny, AKA Team Radio Silence) are taking part in a rally . Over 10,000 miles. To Mongolia. In a car that must have, ideally, a 1L engine or less.

To ensure that it’s a little more than just a stress-free holiday through some of the more glamorous parts of Europe and Asia the rules also stipulate raising some money for charity. To that end they supplanted a usual Saturday night’s entertainment in Hackney (guncriming each other) with a usual Saturday night’s entertainment in Blackpool (bingo).

Wednesday Club made a good showing, and while Johann and George singularly failed to dress with any variety, the range of prizes on offer made up for it. It became apparent that bringing a female assistant was a winning strategy, effectively doubling the chances of victory over the numbers. Though I was close enough to the juice maker to taste pulp. Just one number away...

The star of the show for most (excluding Pete and Simon, who were getting especially fervent over certain girls) was the home made, bicycle-powered, bingo machine. Whatever the cause of the entertainment it’s fair to say a fine evening was had by all. Now heads down, same both ways, it’s 69!

Im sitting here, kicking back with Scott Miller playing on youtube its grey out and i'm beat, the weekend just gone was worth it though. After a shitter of a bank holiday Monday (at work 10-10 after getting home at 9.30am from lunchtime drinks the day previous) I took the last day of the week off and headed to some rocky 'ol goat paths and met up with everyones favourite Arayn princess- Adam Borrer, for some digging. Ian, Tinhead, Worthing Jake and leader of the soft troupe Richard "Soft" Stacey were all present too.

After dialling in a good few jumps we headed back to Brighton to hit a house party where Wingham Will proceeded to tell every girl he could I was 30 and cover the entire house with talc, bloody kids! The long walk home as the sun rose was also not appreciated. I was so over digging sat and swore not to touch a spade the whole day (ended up putting one landing up a bit... but that barely counts) so just rode non stop and made Will look like the old timer while he hobbled about pissing and moaning about being tired. Some of sheet turned up, with a bundle of folks with slightly dubious credentials but all seemed alright (millford?) as well as Elwood from Seventies who had a tiny fall and a massive break, followed by 2 days in the local hospital, get well soon man.

After jumping on a train back to london for another party I passed out at said party at about 11 30 and went home to bed so I had enough energy for Wingham on Sunday which was fast and rad as hell, no if we can just have some rain those last sets will be finished, after rain in May? Whatever next? (Where were the april showers ey?).

Team 2000 didn't make it to Wednesday club, we were down the Ace Cafe instead for The Executioners Spring Riot. As usual it was packed full of cool old hot rods, customs and drag cars. We got there to catch the last bit of sun and sit up on the grass with some tins watching the cars rumble in. This place gets loose. You get to stroll around and check out the cars, listen to the bands and eat some good old food. Then when it gets dark people start to line the road out front and it gets messy. Huge rolling burnouts, passes by street legal drag cars, passes by full blown drag cars, and even some skinhead in a knackered old Sierra doing doughnuts round the roundabout not realising the cops were two cars behind. Lots of over excited guys and people scattering everywhere while cars pass at stupid speeds through a crowd, all the time with tyre smoke thick in the air. Other highlights were the Jumpin' Jalapano gasser, faired Triumph racer, the gumby's and a guy doing a huge burnout 'till his tyres blew, the whole time with his kid sat in the passenger seat. Dom put a short video together for our rally blog, if you want to take a look it's here

Oh dear god, this is only my second blog actually doing it myself and Ben is not here to correct any daft mistakes I make, am I about to mess up the entire blog? Who knows? Who cares? I know Simon wouldn't because he is too busy on www.schoolboypilitics.com

Anyway... a week a go da fritz gave me a few copies of The Source's "Deal with it!" DVD, which I was after because I knew it had a few clips of Spooks on it. Turns out the DVD is pretty good for a shop dvd, decent riding and good editing, a bit too much street but its no NSF which was essentially 30 minutes of throwing bags of spanners down stairs at a slow pace.

I did plan to put them on ebay and make a small killing but he said something about giving them to other folks so shotguns in the comments...

Fewer numbers, fewer marbles, more punctures, more wind. Not that any of this stopped us having a jolly good time.

Un-local colour enthusiast Jimmy Rushmore showed up, claiming he he had been "smoking pot longer than Dan Lacey had been riding bikes", and managed to look more of a local in 1 run than all the locals could manage in 10. Pete made an appearance, for the first time in what seems like months, took more runs than John then went home to leave a log in my toilet. 10 flushes! Other notable events included Shane managing to escape being humbled by the 'back wall' by the skin of his pearly whites. I swear he is going to be 8ft out before that day comes.

Oh, went managed to go to a different watering hole after riding this week, namely the Hawley Arms, which seemed to go down well with all concerened. More of that next time please.

According to master twig and berry protester, Simon; Shane is going to be "better than us soon". Which I think is a compliment and a concern combined. Other Wednesday night words of wisdom from Whitlock (yes, today is alliteration day) featured his conclusion that "Wednesday Blog is shit" and "all that marketing fashion show rubbish is shit." Unfortunately I'm going to Thailand, so Chris is going to be at the helm of this behemoth for a few weeks. Which only means more cardigans, more marketing fashion rubbish and more country music. Have fun.

I know blogs have been a bit thin on the ground recently but the snipers have been out so I have had to keep my head down, the coast is momentarily clear so here we go...

If this was some other blog this post would probably go along the lines of - "found this stuff I like". Which pretty much means the author sits on the internet all day trawling random sites for something that catches their eye like a peado in a playground, but its not, and it wont be after any "jump" because no one on here is hip hop, thank god.

On a recent browse of my favorite fashion photography blog I came to some photos that caught my eye, so I checked out the guy's website and saw some people I recognised... From what I can gather this guy lives a few doors down from Spazz Tom (I think), is good friends with some pretty attractive girls who are alllllways kicking about Brick Lane, loves suspect fixed gear bikes (oh oh, another mention!) and knows ex metal bikes super star Ross Tanner

I had a good long trawl through his site and in between tits and arse and stopping till it gets hard again, I found pics of Ross 'throwing down" massive street drops and pics of an exhibition that I blogged a few weeks ago, including a photo of Zoe, doing what she does best, consuming alcohol.

"Shithot", "small world" and "isn't this shit kinda over?" Ahh who cares if you get to see some tits and arse.

Another wednesday, another post about the fact that we went to the bowl then the pub. Suprised? Me neither.

Numbers were slightly down this week, not that we are counting, although that could be blamed on Chris for his group email earlier in the day suggesting a 'street' ride after the bowl, instead of the pub, that'd definately scare off even the most hardened street nuts. Which given Benson's reply of "pub sounds better", I think it did.

Despite preaching the mannaisance to whoever will listen, Chris failed to live up to his own hype and take another go at an an alley-oop out the deep end transfer. Nearly going aye-oop 360 to fakie by accident obviously shook his mesh be-hatten head a little. That's two scares in 2 weeks. What's next? Flair to bitchcrank to barspin to baseplate? No, that's Mark Webb's job.

Johann made an appearence, hot off witnessing his hero, Craig Campbell in the bowl over the weekend, and stoked on EMER clothing's relaunch. More on that soon. Roots.

Photos of the same tricks are up there. Plus a stow-away.

Following in the tradition of the last two posts and coupled with my inability to find anything else to write about other than the friggin weather, Summer seems to be well and truly here.

I'm basing this decision on the fact that it was still warm enough at beer o'clock (9pm) after the miserable Scottish park warden stopped her picnic saving long enough to kick us out of the park, for us to sit outside the pub with a cold beer or two. And sit outside the pub with a cold beer we did, all 20* odd of us.

Another bumper session was had, with a decent crowd (literally) and plenty of scabby shins on show. There's something about the warm weather that makes people want to sit and drink beer rather than ride. Not that I care, means there is more chance for me to show off. Shane made a welcome, brief, and surprisingly chirpy appearance with a birthday present paint-job and a couple more feet of air on the 'back wall', wet tyres and all. Ryhso, another one who isn't adverse to a bit of wet tread action, must have been tricked by the sun into thinkng he was back home, either that or he had heatstroke, whatever it was he was certainly shredding.

Team 2000 finally earned their stripes, well, badges.... well actually, stickers. And celebrated by playing a game of SKATE. Surely that should be BMX, or BIKE or something more fitting? No? Okay... Chris took Eddie Cleveland's seat on a Gary Young esq lipslide / air all the way over the love seat from the deep end 1/4. Unfortunately no-one captured the trick, or the mortified look on his face. Let's see that one again next week yeah?

Snaps up there. Click click.

*Estimated figure.

Will just linked me to this video of Wingham getting dialled/run in. looking pretty good. Lets see if the trains are actually working for once, so i can get out there this weekend...

Summer is well and truly on the way, last nights jaunt down at the bowl saw t-shirts all round and a slew of fresh faces. Well, not so much fresh, pretty haggard to be fair, but new ones none the less. A pretty good, and pretty legitimate turnout overall.

Wednesday regular Da Fritz was again in attendance and blasting, naturally. Norwich was pretty well represented, even without Team 2000 and a fair gaggle out-of-towners were present. Chris didn't ride due to his downside (?) tailwhip (flyout) injury last week, and instead spent the time finishing off his school photo assignment.

The usual post bowl, pub o'clock, was in record breaking swing, with about 15 drinkers. And John.

One dissapointing side to the evening was the disctint lack of any sort of Shane sighting. Where was he? Answers on a postcard (in the comments).

I was cruising my usual sites and checking out some work from various people, including Merlin Gary Mason and noticed these folks he is doing some work with atm: Wyld stallyons. They actually work just round the corner from me and do some really good motion work including a piece on their Facebook which is basically posh porn. (Or here for those of you without a Facebook account.)

Hit the links, watch two Merlins in one film, then settle back to watch half naked girls and if anyone says anything just don't register it, just turn round in all seriousness and say to them "The art direction in this piece is fantastic, not to mention the grading, what skin tones!"

Well this one is easy, John has done an update on last nights shenanigans over on the Union site, so I'm just going to link you through to that instead of writing a replica. Oh, and we didnt leave early cos we are soft, we went to the pub, that's manly. Dear god, I sound like Chris. Speaking of which, he rolled his foot pretty bad last night after trying fly-out whips, which serves him right. There is a time and place for those things (infamously Cockmaster in Sheffield 5 years ago)

Wait a minute, this is turning into an update. Cheerio!

Now then, now then, now then. The sun's out! The ground is dry and my new iPhone tilt shift photo application is working a treat (liar). All this after everyone was dismissing this week as washout, even MetCheck is on our side today, which is somewhat of a revelation.

Bowl from 6 (ish)? I'm in...

Bit of a late showing last night, it might of had something to do with all the stinking lay about freeloading hippies piping up about things, maybe if they spent less time listening to regGAY music and making home made T shirts with such insightful slogans as "cops everywhere, justice nowhere" and spent more time on not having dreadlocks, buying some soap and actually getting a job - the economy wouldn't of collapsed in the first place. Oh well.

Good times were had once everyone showed up. Shane was complaining about his free frame which was rather good of him, I think if someone gives you something for free you should def complain a fair bit about it, that or sell it on for a profit, who do we know who did that?

Now the more astute of you may have noticed a suspect number of wheels in one of the pics above, well yes, after fixed gears we have stooped yet again and included skating, from a certain Mr Tom Crowe who somehow everybody knows. Tom is from Norwich too (one of 5 people last night) and is prob the wildest guy on a board or bike I know.

There are also rumours of a Wednesday away trip, on a Sunday, on big bikes, round the countryside, with a hamper of cheese and frequent stops for pints of stout, lets see how that one pans out, chin chin....

Good news, the suns out, deadlines have been met, fancy road bike frames have been purchased and a big beast crawls back out from the dark...

Luke, from the previously mentioned Insect, has his new site and work online including stuff for Volvo and The Prodigy in his usual amazing dark weird sinister illustrative style. This guy is probably in my top 5 people to work for/with but the chances of that ever happening are pretty much slim as fuck.

Oh, and need I even say, with the sun shining down on Cantelowes park as I type and the extra hour of daylight, who's in?

I had pretty much sacked off any hope of riding on Wednesday night, after a day full of gusty winds and rain. But following half an hour of sitting at home, feeling guilty that I wasnt at the bowl, I decided to trek the Tour De France stage rivaling distance from my house, only to find that everyone else had also decided to sack it off too. A much different scene from the past few weeks club night, only Shane, Leon, Mick, Andi and Ashley had braved the winds.

Despite the shit house riding conditions I did manage to catch up with the eagerest bowl dwellers latest tales, aboard his new bike - "09 Trinity innit" - which was sporting the Ractcatchers ripped off earphones around the handlebars. Apparently these were acquired during a recent scuffle he had with his favourite date raper. No, not rapper.

That's it. Weak club night = weak update.

Oh, in fashion news, it seems the Simon Whitlock look has become even more en-vogue. A headless version the speccy farmer was caught modelling in Urban Outfitters this week (see photo 3).

It's friday, the end of a pretty lame week, deadlines and bad weather. Not much to say about it all except leave the working week with an amazing song I found via the best radio station in the whole world (Bootliquor on Soma FM).

This is what real men listen to, non of this hip hop or dub step nonsense for clowns and slack jawed faggots. Go home, take your shirt off and get the tool kit out and do some work on your bike/car/van/mototrbike while listening to this with a bottle of suds in the other hand...

Welcome to the Manaissance.

Another week another "private view". Private views are much like public schools - no, not in that they are the best way for children to be educated in the ways of being an English gentleman, without the fear of run-ins with toe-rags and "urban yoofs" (you are at a higher risk of sodomy from the head boys after they steal the headmasters fine scotch collection) - but in fact they have contradictory names. Public schools (wot oh!) are very much not for the public, and private views, are in fact a free for all that any scruffian can waltz into and get a round of beers for free. So with that in mind we headed off to the Stolenspace gallery on the corner at the other end of the street where the bbq is on Brick lane, for the work of an artist who goes by the name "Word to Mother" whom I have a feeling resides in Brighton (his/her graffiti can be seen there).

As it was down Brick Lane there was the usual array of suspect fixed gear bikes knocking about and a couple of BMX's. I think i saw Ross Tanner in there but didn't go over for the usual slightly uncomfortable small talk which only ever ends in the realization that we dont know each other and dont actually have much to say. There may of also been a Ratcatchher sighting, but I stay far far away from anyone over the age of 20 who wears New Era hats, so I couldn't be sure. One person who is always a pleasure to bump into is a chap (and believe me that is the most fitting word for him) called "Super Ted" who is pretty much the physical embodiment of a classic Boys Own comic - and even though he chooses his fixed gear over his BMX to do tricks on, you can't but help let it slide because you know its just another plucky adventure for him...

Enough waffle, on with the pics, enjoy the work, its good...

"You've spelt 'life' wrong Shane?"
"Nah, it's just quicker to spell that way innit."

Shane, always weary of pressing time constraints. Maybe it was so he had enough time to get a quick ride in, build yet another new frame up and revise for his maths test before bedtime? However, last night was less about Shane, and more about Fids, or Da Fritz or Finnish Mark. Boosting about as high as I have ever seen anyone boost down the bowl. Good show!

Chris and Dayno (in summertime attire) were attempting some over / under antics until our man from the land down under bust his sprocket. Livid. I think it's those massive legs, no sprocket would put up with those things, 'cept maybe one of these. Someone dropped a marble in the bowl a few times, pretty much putting a halt on things. Which, coupled with a chilly evening breeze sent us packing to the pub earlier than the scheduled 9pm slot - only to find some obnoxious sod had locked his MTB to our tree! Damn cyclists.

Photos are up there, get clicking!

P.S. Sorry for the late update. Work, excuses, busy, excuses, lazy, excuses, eating, blah blah.

As if it needs to be said, Wednesday club is full steam ahead and chocks away. Suns out people so there is no sorry excuse for any one being soft and not coming.

The usual nerd division are confirmed, as are Team 2001. Bowl and beers, and prob a little bit of screwball scramble in a somewhat tepid manner.

Don't forget to ask 'The Beak' about Pete Doherty getting knocked "the fuck" out.

Do you know you times tables? I sure as hell don't, nor did i take much notice of the periodic table at school either. Although, what with having mild OCD and being obbessed with things lining up, I did think it looked quite pretty.

This 'Periodic Table of Typefaces' is a bit more up my street, it takes the idea of type based novelty items like this or this and runs with it to a whole new, er.. page? Probably the geekiest thing i have seen for some time.

That said, I trying hard to resist the urge to print it out for my wall. Looser.

After a mention on Defgrip last week this weeks update had best be a good one - shame it was given to me, then. (in joke)

So last nights session got off to a roaring start, with some big lines that I have not yet seen at the bowl, fired out courtesy of Kye Forte. At the other end of the spectrum, Shane (dut watch dat), was going mad for the camera. However, I was going mad for the 16 year old girls football team, good job they're caged in, otherwise the five-o would have be there quicker than teddy can mention himself in a conversation... Do you know what the main reason for peadophilia is? Sexy children!

Cameras were out in force and blog update's were the main talking point of the evening. However beer wasn't, last night everyone seemed to have an excuse for why they couldn't head down the boozer. The pub session turned into a male version of 'Sex and the City' (without long noses and big warts like that slag on there) with Donny telling his tales of online dating.

Check out the snaps, especially Shanes lookback, clicked!

Now then! The weather looks good for one of our infamous 'Wednesday Club' meetings this evening, so long as you ignore Metchecks unfaltering, pessimistically soggy view of the country. Miserable sods.

Bowl from 6, pub from 9?

In intergeek related news, I added a special 'Simon' button or two over there (looks right), so he can filter out all of that 'marketing bollocks' which we put on here. Sound.

I have been meaning to write this for a little while now as it may be the best thing to happen this decade, no forget that, the best thing to happen in my entire fucking life - Monster Munch have reverted back to both their original packaging and their original size.

This is even better than proving your maths teacher wrong and making five go into one down a dark alley after a night at a rock club, this is the proof that all those damn chocolate bars and packets of sweets have been getting smaller, its not just that you are getting bigger.

This is all the lies you were told put right in one pack of truth.

This is 40 whole grams of pure joy, sticking them on your finger (they now only just fit on my little one) and giving a big fuck you to the world, for all the snacks we have slowly been cheated out of, the shrinking fingers of fudge and the increasing curly wirly prices. These take you back to a time when things made sense and actually fucking mattered, when your 9 to 5 was middle school and so long as parent evening went fine and you had a pockets full of ten p's and penny sweets then shit was all good.

And on the back there is a picture of the monster and someone is asking the question "where have you been all this time?" and the purple monster is standing there looking all pleased with himself and is like "living the dream" and you are all like, "yeah man, yeah! L-I-V-I-N"

I first heard of Peter Bjorn and John after seeing the video for ‘Young Folk’ on ‘Special Ten’ the DVD and short film magazine. The stand out video and song had me hitting the back button after every play, as well as annoyingly forcing other people to watch it.

I really thought it was exceptional - unfortunately so did everyone else - and before you knew every clothes store, nightclub, commercial radio station and DJ were spinning it like a chav mounted moped on a roundabout.

On Thursday night (5th March) they played at the Scala, a bus ride from Cantelowes bowl. They rocked out a few of their new tunes to a well behaved and appreciative audience - but definite highlights had to be 'Young Folk' and 'Up against the Wall' (aka Matt Roe's song from stoked on being pumped).

Check out their stuff on www.peterbjornandjohn.com

Through Shorditchs’ sea of private views, free booze guzzlers, scultures made from fluff, tied to a shoelace tied to a coat hanger - You might come across an amazing design exhibition.

Thursday saw the opening of the first British solo MWM show at the Concrete Hermit gallery. MWM Graphics is a design and illustration studio based in Portland, USA. Matt W Moore’s distinctive sharp vector style has drawn a very impressive client list from The Guardian, to Burton and Nike. He’s progressive style branches out of client based digital design work to handmade non comercial personal artwork.

Was good to see such an established designer remain a humble and well grounded chap.

www.mwmgraphics.com

I didn't wanna turn this blog into something negative, but f*ck it, that's what the internet is for, right?

This Epic fork snap is hilarious. Well, okay, it's not, but it is slightly amusing watching people fall on their face and it's even better watching someone using an unsuitable tool for the job and it coming back to bite you in the arse (face). Oh, and "massive face plant"? No it wasn't you soft sod, you fell from 2 feet up.

Right, I'm off to Scandanavia to compete in the latest round of that wierd offroad cliff driving they do, in my mums Mini. Followed by a quick run round Regents Park in my girlfriends stilettos. See you in hospital.

Coor blimey gov it was nippy...

While one wed club member was enjoying a Tina Turner gig at the O2 arena with a gay paki a good number took a notably more manly approach to Wed night entertainment inc. big hitters: Dye, The Marv and Fenlon.

The big shock of the night, apart from Dyes multiple runs, was actually being able to convince Ben to put his bike down for 10 seconds to get some snaps of other people, "But if I'm taking pictures like 'ow can they be of me like?" sorry Ben, we needed some snaps of other people too, like.

Here's the usual array of bar turn snaps and a snap shot of petes night elsewhere.

Shit hot.

Ello ello, radio silence has been the order of the day here, what with all this work stuff going on hence slim pickings on the blog front. expect things to buck up from next week, oh, whats that? you dont give two shits either way? fair point.

Weather is looking ok for this eve, so lets call it on and see ya down the bowl. for now have a bunch of iphone overflow snaps from last week.

Oh, also, private view at Concrete Hermit tomo night, MWM Graphics exhibition, 6 til 9, chin chin!

Yeah yeah, I know the more astute of you will realise that header/thumbnail needs an apostrophe in there, but it looked ugly, okay?

Word seemed to have got out about Club night, last nights session saw 20+ attendees, which has it's good and bad points - primaraly the fact that there is less deck space for no-handers to manuals, aye Shane? Speaking of shane, he kindly introduced us to 'Flat Pannies on the back wall' last night too, whatever they are. A fully fledged walking (urban)dictionary that kid!

A few decades were very well represented, which is always nice to see. Dom and Donny made an appearence for the second week running, straight out of 2001. Trevor and Simon - unfortunatly without Moonmonkey - made the trip from the 90's and I think one of Dexy's Midnight Runners got Eileen to drive 'em up from the early 80's too, specially for the session. Priviledged!

Plenty of eager beavers got their stunts on, all be them the same 4 stunts that appear everytime we run photos on this blog. Simon managed to keep his dripped-up, infected arm intact. Yeah, riding with a drip in your arm is the new fashion kids, get on it! If you can't get your local GP to hook you up, just shove snapped off bit of biro in there, it'll do the trick. As per usual, we headed to the pub for a few light beverages afterwards. Plans were even discussed to sample some different watering holes for future post ride drinks, not to sure on that one. People don't like change.

The usual array of snaps are loitering up there, take a peek! See you next week.

It's Wednesday, it's grey (meaning the logo actually turned out to be pretty appropriate) but it's dry, and I could do with some stunts and beer. Who is in for a Club night this evening?

I hear Simon may even be about, after he has endured a tough few weeks fighting off refugees, avoiding meat and banishing gangrene in hospital. Treats. Ask him nicely and he may even show you his new prototype Bicycle Union wallet...

Now then, Now then... (as Ben and Pete would say).

A good Wednesday session, with plenty of "posh London kids" (Mike Netley 19/02/09), only left turn was giving "street" a go and bashing my bike into ledges until I broke the chain. Great. Street riding is like shit hop scotch and only suitable for cock snoggers and whizz plankers, which is pretty much the same thing?

We missed the last train home but picked up a drunk girl for the ride, who felt Dom's bench shaking farts where a great ice breaker. After fending off a big gumby she was left with the clinical Chris Hill-Scott, did he or did he not clench the deal? Who knows?

The obligatory photos are all above, non of this "after the jump" nonsense, whats that all about? Who is doing the jumping? Ok hip hop, wind your neck in, no one is...

Shit hot.

On one of my frequent trawls through the world of the internet, these few design / geek / type based games where brought to my attention. I'm pretty sure this post is only gonna appeal to a select few of you, and I know it's another post about "marketing" and shit rather than riding (Simon) - but if you hadn't noticed it's winter and the last 3 Wednesdays have been rained out, so riding posts are inevitably a little thin on the ground.

First up we have two iPhone / iTouch games. Kern, is a bit like tetris but with words and letters, with your score being worked out with some relation to font weight, size, leading and other design jargon. Geek central. Eye vs Eye is another game from the same US design company, FORMation, in which you have to match colours using only RGB sliders, you can even play this one as a two player contest, but best not to pit yourself against your colourblind dad, that'd be cheating. Both are only 59p and available in the Apple App store, that's less than a Snickers bar nowadays, and those things a f*cking disgusting anyway.

For those of you who are stuck in the 20th century who prefer paying money for actual real life things rather than lines of code and pixels, you might like this (unless your from Grimsby, then you wont get it what-so-ever). It's that that childhood playground favourite, Top Trumps, with a typographical twist.

Shit hot.

Also, if the weather holds out, who is in for a Wed Club night tonight??

Now, if you are from up north or work with your hands, you probably think that Londons east-end art scene is all about "cunts with daft hair in pointy shoes" - well jokes on you, because it isn't, it's all about free alcohol and penny sweets. Oh, and some art stuff.

There was a recent exhibition just off Broadway Market (good place for cheese, olives and various other picnic hamper fillers on the weekend) in what wasn't far off an abandoned squat, which featured various photographers work - including Wednesday clubs very own Rupert Bear; George "Teddy bear, Moonface (etc.)" Marshalls' pics.

Most Wednesday club regulars went, and there was a near endless supply of free alcohol and all the penny sweets you knew as a nipper 'til closing time. Flying sauces? Damn right there were!

Anyway, have some snaps, good times...

Surprisingly enough, after England going completely to shit because of 3 inch's of snow last week, we managed to get a ride in over the weekend. Although, not without a struggle and a few words with the council / parks dept, who had decided the park wasn't gonna open on Saturday due to one of the inspectors (jobs worth's) slipping over on some black ice in the bowl! They had been to check it out in the early morning (when it was still about -2 degrees) and decided it was unsafe, so never unlocked the gates - instead of doing something normal, like putting some salt on the ice, or clearing it up. Useless. That bowl has a puddle in the bottom of the deep end 350 days of the year and it's open every single one of them!

After all this hot air, we still managed to get a good Saturday afternoon session in, despite the presence of some pretty questionable characters. We even managed a few iPhone snaps which have been generously displayed for your perusal above. Sunday also saw some more bowl action, with a pretty big turnout, but I was pre-occupied with showing off, so I forgot about taking any photos. Where's those damn photographers when you need em!

I got an email from Merlin the other day, which simply read - Out of date typography, pretentious copy and a shed load of slappers, deadorred.com

Fair call all round, but I don't think he was saying it in a negative way. They probably started that flash site when that daft font was en vogue... Oh the fickly world of design!

With the whole country wetter than the average Guardian reader, bike themed action is few and far between. Simon and I took a trip out to Wingham to slap some mud about with the locals (Will, Louie and Pete). A pretty good berm got whipped up and a lip in the Nick Jagger line got near finished too (yes, thats Nick not Mick, his lesser known brother). I love digging in woods, it makes you feel like a big man, even more so than watching 300 or Sin city and doing push ups. Is it about time the Manaissance was mentioned?

So to punctuate the posts about "packaging companies" (Simon Whitlock, read a book that isnt the right wing hippy handbook you speccy twat) we have some digging photos from Crazy Pete at Wingham, featuring a grown man, in shorts, at this time of year...

Good times.

Boom! With all this snow and a deadline out the way, there is nothing else to do but sit at home and have a pot noodle and a wank. Oh, and that thing they call the internet... In slight reference to Merlins email here are 'youworkforthems' choices for best font of 2008.

We all know Black Slabbath is the hot shit atm, good to go bat shit wild with this one for another 6 months until we all start playing with wild negatively tracked wide lightweight serifs (maybe). Dubby is also a killer in my eyes, have wethepeople used it? If not then they should....

Check it out at http://www.youworkforthem.com/blog/2009/02/01/best-fonts-of-2008/

Wed club regular (sideline coffee slurper) John Dye went over to Europe on a combined Union and Movment jaunt. The trip was pretty eventful, with numerous van break downs and weather that only a cod would be happy with. Check out the web edit, plus a photo feature just here (alternatively just click the thumbnail). Oh, the video is available in HD too, so give that little icon on the player a click!

Okay, less of the 'slim chance' it's more like 'no chance' on the riding front, for a club session this evening. Bloody England. Although, to be fair, we have been spoilt with the two previous dry Wednesdays in a row, in January. Maybe next week then.

Here's two links to keep you occupied on such a beautifully grey day: Some people with a Caravan problem. Plus, this guy, who must have some skills, nothing to do with just putting your foot to the floor, honest.

This ones a bit late but i was damn busy yesterday so i will have to have that as my excuse.

This generations design rock stars, Designers Republic, have gone down the pan. Now this is my second post on design agencies going bust, and I dont mean to do it as I hate grumbling old negative blogs (except Union of course) but both of these companies (Insect and tDR) are/were big deals and its definately worth mentioning. tDR were solely responsible for every damn art schools design wing to be filled with images of abstract architecture and wacky typography at the start of this decade.

For a better written and more informed report on this check out this post on the Creative Review Blog

Doff you caps and bowlers for another big man down (but not out).

"You manage to find the place okay then Alan?"
"Yeah, it was piss easy."

Modern Toss is ace. It started out as a series of comics, some of which were later compiled into proper books and finally culminating in the production of 2 series' of televisual crudeness. The drawings are shit, the animation is sketchy, the subject matter's mundane and the language is extremely offensive - perfect.

There are over twenty different, re-occuring sketches and characters, but two that have become the most loved, amongst Modern Toss' cult following are; 'Mr Tourette' - a french signwriter who produces signs bearing no relation to his customers instructions.' And 'Alan' - a black scribble who plays practical jokes on his middle class brother-in-law, usually to the tune of classic 90's track 'I like to Move It' by Real to Real (in the TV show at least).

Personally I prefer the books to the TV show, and I would strongly advise you try and pick up a copy of one of them. Unless you are American, or a fan of Friends, in which case you probably won't get it.

Here are a few links to some of my favoured sketches for you to take a peep at. You can also check out the Modern Toss website while your at it.

Mr Tourette:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JXLJMYd35aU
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=A1GgWAhq-lY

Alan:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=6Xspafr-t2A
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=2VNRtv5PB7Y

Work:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=FTHQHV5FXH0
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=W1tiNBSUreY

Strong turn out for a late January session. Near all the regulars, fresh convert Dayno, local hood rats, plus 2 Morgan Wade impersonators.

Robin Fenlon made an appearence and after diving into the bowl to do his warm up routine in front of everyone (5 push ups, 7 an a half sits ups and half a dozen star jumps), he got looser than an oppressed housewife at a swingers party. Shane tells us Robin did both 'T' and 'D' whips, whatever they maybe.

Meanwhile, Ben and I art directed sticker placement with the aid of our iHandy level iPhone aps, funs all very well and good, but you need some rules!

After some tall tales in the pub and a few slip ups in George's repertoire we jumped the train straight home only to bump into a few more riders who were at uni somewhere and oh so high on life. Uni folks are brilliant, they are all ernest and still believe in things and really care, so when you tell them you are first year on some lame media course they are full of pithy words of slightly condescending advice, delivered with thinly veiled smugness - bless the little scamps.

Wednesday.

Yeah, it's Wednesday, the suns out and I can't see a cloud in the sky (well that's a bit of an exaduration). Who is in for a full club meeting, including beers afterwards at the usual watering hole?

Insect were one of the first design companies I really looked up to, I think I found their work in the first Ubersee book in magma on a trip to London in the first year of uni. Their illustrations were pretty much insane, crazy dark vector based montages of man beast and machine. they were the hot shit and were in all the relevent publications. They were definatly an influence through and after uni, so much so I contacted them seeking a work placement, and to my surprise, and from what I remember, they were into my illustrations and the idea. As it turned out I ended up on a placement closer to home so stopped chasing that one.

Recently the two main guys at insect (Paul and Luke) split the studio and went their seperate ways (online) but still use insect as a surname - paulinsect.com / lukeinsect.com. Today the old insect site has "exceeded its bandwith" which is pretty much a nail in the coffin for any site.

It's weird to see something you looked up to for so long go, something you thought was far too good to end, gives you a bit of a shake and makes you worry, might be time to get up off those laurels you've been resting on for a little too long.

Here is a selection of Paul's work from his site. (click the thumbnail).

New eightarmedpet site at the end of the month.

If you are looking for a wife you should pretty much get straight on this, Crazy Pete sent me the link to this a little while a go, I'm not 100% sure what the hell it's all about really, I think there is a bit of a myspace/facebook kinda side to it too but I have never really looked into that.

It's basically a bunch of girls who are pretending to be an american apparel advert and a few token poofs but thats pretty much the ideal guest list at a house party.

www.lookbook.nu

Now then. John sent through a small selection of shots taken at Camden bowl over the course of the year of t' rat, so I thought I'd put up a quick post with them on. Check out the sky in a couple of them, it's blue! Haven't seen that in god knows how long! Roll on summer - I have heard rumours that this years is gonna be a treat!

Finally! After a few weeks of rain, wind and some blokes birthday, we managed to get a wednesday night session squeezed in. There was a pretty good turnout, including most of the the usual crowd (except those who were building refugee camps or grinding blocks). Plus, there were a few new faces present, which is always good to see. Two parts of team Japan were down - including Kase, for his last ever Cantelowes session before he heads back to Tokyo! That is gonna be a sad loss to the scene, Kase is definately a good old egg. Dye made a flying visit, and couldn't even muster up one run - although he was pleading injury, so he can be let off this time I guess. Staple bowl dweller Shane still has a disregard for the pond in the deep end, and obviously aint riding too much street at the moment - his Laser cut hub guards seemed to be absent.

The winter chill kicked in around 9, so we continued the session in the pub, although numbers had dwindled by that point. It seems that word has got out about Wed nights, as the usually empty Grand Union was pretty rammed.

I'm not really sure what else to write, maybe next time I should compile a list of tricks, people like reading about that kind of thing right?? Chris and Chris took a few snaps, click the image and have a peep.

"Curry nights" are amazing.

The formula was devised about 4 years ago when i lived in Norwich with Merlin Gary Mason. It goes like this- round up at least 8 people, get everyone to chip in a fiver, then go take the kitty to the local supermarket and buy in bulk, get a few girls in the equation as they tend to eat a bit less and rarely drink the beers plus they are perfect for showing off in front of and you have a damn good night set up for you. It's best avoiding putting any meat in because, 1, meat is for gays, and 2, it costs as much as the rest of the curry combined.

If you need to convince a northern monkey he doesn't need meat in his food to make it food just lay it out real simple for him- "It's either a bit of meat hidden somewhere in the curry or 40 beers" and he will be like, "ohhhhh... beeeeeers like. shithot".

Ok, so in between facebook/need for speed sessions I managed to read about 4 books last year so what are the chances of one of them being made into a film? Well turns out one of them has been, Yates' tale of the death of a dream- Revolutionary Road, and it looks pretty shit hot (although not a patch on the book no doubt).

I'm not going to harp on too much because most of you are just thinking "why do I want to watch a gay film with that fat guy from titanic in like" while dreaming of trouncing 9 year olds in colouring contests but it really might be worth checking out. See this as a "date" tip, take a date to this, say you have read the book (chances are she hasn't) and when you get back to hers and slip your hand up her top to cop a feel she will think you are an uninhibited intellectual rather than a sex pest and just go with the flow.

Out at the end of the month.

Click the thumb or just here to view the trailer.

Dun watch dat indeed. "Cantelowes' unofficial bike night, now has very official looking stickers. Not my words, the words of Ride BMX UK magazine.

Anyway, enough of the vague Partridge references, we got some stickers made up and they look pretty shit hot. Available to deserving club members in Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and White. Check the snap for an example of how well these caunts stick to stuff.

What the hell is Wednesday? Well if you wanna scan your eyes a little to the right on this page, there is a brief synopsis. Although in retrospect that probably doesn't actually tell you all that much.

The initial plan is that we are gonna update this thing every Thursday, weather that actually transpires is a another matter, but at least the thought is there. So check back soon for updates on the latest Wed club sessions at the bowl (probably accompanied with photos of turndowns, tables or moto-airs), photos of beers, art related stuff and anything else that we think might be of interest.