Category Archives: Blog

Thank you to Rachel Clarke and Martyn Polkinghorne for inviting me to join a session with the ‘Help to Grow’ management course cohort and talk about my personal experiences with developing, vision, values and company culture at Grapevine.I had to share this great quote from Javier Bajer at the EOA Annual Conference which has beenContinueContinue reading “Help to Grow guest talk”

My 2025 year of gigs has started with the earliest first show in the calendar since 2008. Two under the belt and three more to come before the end of February is a strong start and we could be into personal best territory by the time the year is done. Not only was it an earlyContinueContinue reading “It’s cold out there”

It’s a new year, 2025, or is it 1997 again? It is every Friday night in my house as I continue to follow the Top of the Pops repeats on BBC4. Some of you are probably fed up of my regular updates about who just made their debut on the show, or who was numberContinueContinue reading “Across sound and time”

Thank you for your support and interest in my various projects throughout 2024. I’ve been ‘creating’ for years now (or is it decades?), projects have come and gone, many of you have been along with me for that ride.  This year saw the long talked about ‘Collect Us All!’ finally materialise in written article formContinueContinue reading “Something to leave the house for”

Back from a few days in surprisingly sunny Telford at the EOA Employee Ownership Annual Conference. My head is full of thoughts from everything I heard and saw across the event. Thoughts on what more we can be doing in our business, on the importance of the community and collaboration for EO businesses, on theContinueContinue reading “EOA 2024 Conference”

Last night I attended the launch of BCP Film Office alongside approx. 199 other people at THIS Workspace in Bournemouth. Congrats to Amy Orchard, Claire Main and the team on a sellout success! Kudos also to Jackie Goddard who delivered a masterclass in event hosting. 👏When I embarked on my AVCE in Media Communication andContinueContinue reading “BCP Film Office launch event”

Multiple scenes from The Phantom Menace were shot at Whippendell Wood (just north of London) incl. the Gungans’ Sacred Place where Padme and the rest of the Naboo appeal to Boss Nass to join them in battle against the Trade Federation. We went to check it out last week and I took the big manContinueContinue reading “Toy photography on Naboo”

Last week I had the novelty of seeing Attack of the Clones in the same cinema and screen that I first saw it 22 years ago back in 2002. Here’s my ticket from that night alongside last week’s. £3.75 in 2002, £5 in 2024, and let’s be honest the latter is a bargain. I rememberContinueContinue reading “The saga begins, again.”

Today I’m celebrating 9 years with Grapevine. My 9th year started with the huge recognition we received at the Dorset Business Awards last Autumn and we rode the wave of that through into 2024. The 2nd half of the year has presented the question “what happens when you’ve finished telling everyone that your business isContinueContinue reading “Celebrating 9 years with Grapevine”

The press has a way of capturing the cultural zeitgeist. Select magazine coined the phrase ‘Britpop’ in 1993, Top of The Pops magazine gave the Spice Girls their iconic nicknames. Let’s not wait 30 years to credit Caroline Sharp and the Dorset Chamber team for documenting a new emerging scene in the August edition ofContinueContinue reading “Dorset Business Focus EO article”