Hell and handbags

Word. Yesterday I was emailed a 20% discount flyer for all shops in and around Carnaby Street. The offer was only on from 7-9pm and so I thought I may well head down. It seems the rest of London got the same email... I eventually found myself in what can only be descibed as Dante's vision of Nether Hell. People were shopping like they have an unlimited budget and only one day left to live. Carnage at Carnaby Street... I got in, got the job done and got out. Pity the fools who were queueing for a free crépe and cocktail. They're probably still there.
After a much needed Wong Keis, I headed home to help Helen with her haute couture handbag handbook. She designs pretty fantastic and outlandish high-end leather bags and is currently putting a book together. Here is an example of her work.

Chat chat chat. Thud.

Well I feel a little rough today... It was only accidental and I didn't mean to stay out. It was the Read or Dead handbag launch, which was hosted in an upstairs bar just off Oxford Street... It was quite funny actually, as Read or Dead typically like everything to be relatively kitch and twee, they decorated the room with a myriad of ornate framed paintings and prints. It was clearly hastily done on a shoestring as the frames were only held onto the wall by gaffa tape, which made me giggle as every so often you'd hear a thud as another painting would slip from the wall onto the floor, one of the Red of Dead team running over to secure the picture back on the wall... Chat chat chat. Thud. Giggle.. Chat chat chat. Thud. Giggle...
Then I went home.
...No I didn't I went to another bar.

Genuine pluko

Funny how a smell can whisk you back. I've been out of hair wax for the last couple of days, in the meantime my hair looks as if it's been styled by Crazy Meg. Enough was indeed enough because today I found the pharmacist had some Black & White Genuine Pluko. I've not used, or even seen that stuff since I first moved to London in '94. Nearly fifteen years concertina together allowing a peek into the bathroom at Mornington Terrace, sniffing the heavy applications on bleached hair before a trip to Wong Kei or a night ride around the city on the Fibre Flex... Amazing how you can remember the minutae with one recollecting sniff... The Mean Streets poster and the marker penned picture of 'The Weekend Bacon-Buyer Boy'. The bobble hats on the bannisters and the sounds of Souls of Mischief....
So anyway, I'm hoping to tame that beast with the whip of my youth, tomorrow will be less Crazy Meg and more Slick Rick.

Jaundice Tuesday

So... After the blue Monday comes jaundice Tuesday. I'm happier today, which is why the day is tinged with a yellow hue. It's amazing what powers a pair of tickets for Steel City Tour can do to alleviate most mundanities. Yes! ABC, Heaven17 and Human League in one sugary spoonful!... But I'll have to wait until December to embrace the synth onslaught.
In the meantime, I thought I'd share with you the poster I whipped up for the Christmas party here at work. It's a beaut. My boss said it was the most polished thing he'd seen me do. (I hasten to add, he knows nothing of my skills.).. Click to see it in all its glory.

Aaron leaving card

Another post!... God I'm keen... It's only because I'm new to this blogging, so I'm quite literally going HOG-FINGERING wild! After a departmental shake up two people have taken voluntary redundancy, Aaron is the first to go after 11 years service, he's moving on to pastures greener. I've done him a leaving card... Click to see it proper, like.
I'm digging my new style and recently I've taught myself how to paint with Photoshop. It's amazing how versatile that program is. I still want to get my hands on Painter, unfortunately my employers are pretty tight.

First Post

So here I go... After deliberating for some time, I've decided to start a blog of all things Meric. I'm not sure what direction this will be taking, I'm pretty sure music, nights out, illustration and events, food, petty annoyances and experiences will be the subject matter...

Let us begin by saying that Sundays are a great night to go out. Apart from the fact that you feel more Monday than you'd expect the following day... Here are some people on the tube feeling Monday. Click the picture and share their joy.