How do I do this?

How do I find words to describe how good this last week has been. It's pretty hard but I am definitely going to try. This past week I have been down in Birmingham for the BBC Good Food Show. Anyone who knows me will know just how much I am obsessed with cooking programmes and cooking in general, so this was like heaven for me. I was assisting on Tim Kinnairds stand. For those who don't know, Tim was in the final of Masterchef this year and is known for his amazing cakes.

I was there to help out on his stand with him and help sell his Macarons, Brownies and Hot Chocolate. It was the first time I had tried a Macaron before and I am now hooked. They are beautiful. When I first saw them I expected them to be crunchy like a meringue, but they completley melt in your mouth and I now need to find a way to feed my habit. I am completley addicted and can't wait until I can get them on mail order from Tims website. (They are available to buy in Norfolk and online from January)

Aztec Chocolate flavour. Dark Chocolate Ganache with Cinnamon

Chilli Powder and Nutmeg through it. Delicious.

My picture doesn't do them justice.

The week was such a laugh and I think I spent most of the time laughing. Getting to know all of the stalls around us was a definite highlight and made the week so much more fun. One particular stall I can't talk about enough. Gower Cottage Brownies. If you have ever eaten a brownie before and thought "that was good" forget it, move on and try a Gower Cottage Brownie. They are the best brownies I have ever ever ever tried and I am going to be buying in bulk in time for Christmas. Kate who makes them is so lovely and the joking between me, her, Tom and Tim made the Good Food Show so much fun. I also managed to get one of the much wanted BITE ME bags! Next time you go to send someone flowers, don't, send them a box of Gower Cottage Brownies.

The lovely lovely lovely Kate.

So many people recognised Tim (with him being from Masterchef), Kate started telling everyone he was from Strictly Come Dancing, it was so funny having people ask Tim how far he got. To get revenge we started to tell people she was Gillian McKeiths, younger, nicer sister. There was so many people asking why they recognised him, we changed Tims sign to make it easier for people to realise. There was a lot of fun with that magnet board. Whenever Tim had his back turned the board was changed to "Yes, I am from Mastermind" or "Dr Tim says eat more Macaroni." Not macarons. Someone even walked by and said to a friend "Why is someone from Mastermind here?"

Tims Magnetboard

The 5 days there where brilliant, it was spent laughing, trading for other food and meeting a lot of the chefs I have saw on TV. It ended with pie madness, as Anna and Tom gave away 6 spare crates of Brays Cottage Pork Pies. I have never seen Tom look so happy whilst he was filling his bag with pies. It was so surreal sitting on the NEC floor as the show was being taken down and seeing every single person walk pass either eating a pork pie, holding a bag of pies or walking with a crate of pies. It was amazing and if you love pork pies, definitely buy some from Brays Cottage. They are the best pork pies I have ever tried. I have made a delivery of them to my Nan, Toms freezer drawer is full and I think every member of my family has had one at some point. 

Nothing will ever beat Piegate 2010.

All in all I had so much fun and working there re confirmed how determined I am to make it within the events and exhibition industry. Fingers crossed I get to do more things like this in the future. Back to the real world now... 

How am I going to get through all of this free food?

Minibus tour...

On Saturday, Me, Carole and Cowsie took some of the Junior Art club and the Halewood Walkers group on a trip around the Biennial in Liverpool. It was a really interesting day and it was great to see some unusual and different art.

We started with a tour of The Bridewell. Karen one of the artists who is based here gave us a tour of the whole space and even let us into her studio. Something I am very jealous of, her studio was amazing and I want it myself haha. Her work is lovely too, her website has images of some of the lovely prints she produces... click here to have a look.

Part of the exhibition by Carol Ramsey. Inspired by the Everton Tower. The children loved going inside here.

Next stop was the Oratory outside the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. This was the first time I'd gone into the grounds of the Cathedral... (being a scouser this is shocking I know)... I could not get over the size of it. I knew it was huge, but standing within there I really could not get over the size, exploring the graveyard with the children was fun too. Even if they where really scared.

We where at the Oratory to see the Temple of a Thousand Bells installation by Laura Belem. It was lovely and I would definitely recommend a visit before the Biennial ends.

The next place we went to was Mann Island to see Hector Zamoras Synclastic/Anticlastic. The children really liked this one and I did too. It was empty when we visited and I felt the concrete silhoettes looked like birds, feeling like you where walking amongst a giant flock. One of the chlidren said it felt like they where being attacked by flying dinosaurs... I'm sure that is exactly what Hector wanted his visitors to get from it.

This week has been great. Busy but great and I am really looking forward to what I'm upto this week and in the weeks ahead.

Finally

I finally have business cards. Massive blog post coming.

Architecture and Life Drawing

So Anna (my little sister) got home from Spain on Sunday and this week has mostly involved catching up with her. She's been living in Spain since February and it's been great having her back. She's even decided to start coming along to art club and helping me and Carole out with the children.

Art Club - This week I have been helping Carole to put together our report about the Big Draw something I am still due to blog about... (awaiting photos then I shall write up a proper summary of the event). We also let the children do what they wanted this week in the Junior Artists Club, as long as it went along with the theme of fireworks. So there was a lot of splattered paint, string and tissue paper everywhere. All fun of course!

I also went along to a second training / workshop day with Places Matter. It is in association with The Royal Institute of British Architects and I have been along to one of the days before. Its a way of getting architecture more into the curriculum and as I volunteer with children 7-12 I could go along and pick up tips on how to turn what we learn into workshops for the children. I really enjoyed it. The two training sessions included lectures and presentations from some of the architects and urban designers involved in Liverpool 1 and Liverpool as a whole. It was great to do something design based again, it really made me miss Uni and it was great to learn more about the architecture of Liverpool.

This training day made me realise I want to make the most of all the opportunities Liverpool has to offer. When in the Places Matter office I picked up a LOT of leaflets and have now signed up for a free life drawing session as part of the DaDa Fest '10 and I have signed up for some lectures ran by the RIBA. Which I am really looking forward to.

Carole has asked me to plan a trip around the Liverpool Biennial for the children, so I have two weeks to sort out where to take them!

I also have my Halewood Arts at Home presentation next week, so I should get on with that too.

Liverpool Lantern Carnival

Halloween this year was spent very differently to how I have ever spent it before. If you have read previous posts, you will know that I have been working on a set of lanterns with the children at the Junior Art Club, Carole and Becky. Halloween was spent taking part in the Liverpool Lantern Carnival, ran by the Liverpool Lantern Company. It was amazing! Me, Mum and Anna went along and it was a really different way to spend Halloween. Thousands of people turned up to Sefton Park to watch the Lantern Walk procession and then to see the amazing finale. This years theme was above and below the water so there was a lot of fish, boats and of course the jelly fish I helped to make. There was so many performers, lanterns and at the end fireworks. It was a really amazing night and the atmosphere was great.

The Junior Artists Club getting ready for the walk.

Lewis and Charlie with the JellyFish lanterns they had made.

Finale, the ship exploding.

Photographs from the Liverpool Echo, The Procession.