Did You Know There’s a Giant Pikachu Hiding in Plain Sight in Bangor Town Centre? He’s in My Favourite Non-Residential Bangor Building.

My favourite non-residential building in Bangor is one that you may not even take heed of. It’s sort of faded into the patchwork of the Main Street over the years, but when you take a good look, it’s a very unusual, modernist marvel.

From the front you can see the huge glass front door panel, and the windows are massive, and by the looks of them, still single-paned, which must mean it’s a pain to heat for current tenants Boom Studios. 

The building was originally home to the Allied Irish Bank, built in 1969 to a design by Shanks & Leighton. Again I’m mourning my loss of a certain book, An Introduction to Modern Ulster Architecture, by David Evans, as it’s got a photo of the interior when the building was first built. It’s interior design was as modernistic as the outside. The walls swooped down to a curve to meet the floor, making the offices look like the inside of a spaceship, if perhaps the alien HR department.

A nice touch is the fact Boom Studios have had a poster made by Neal McCullough from Hand Drawn Creative (lots of great prints for Christmas gifts in his store by the way)  featuring the building itself.

So, the Pikachu? Well, Smix spotted it one day when we were walking down the town. It’s peeking out of one of the top windows, round the corner just off Main Street. Watch out for him next time you are down.

Top Teacher Christmas Gifts They’ll Love To Receive, Including Gorgeous Diaries & Planners From Ryman Stationery

It’s that time of year again, the toss up, do you gift your children’s teachers candles, soaps, or sweets? Well, this year you can give them something a little different, but something they be able to use and really appreciate. 

Ryman Stationery’s online store has a wealth of gift ideas, including lots of beautiful diaries and planners. My absolute favourite pick has to be the gorgeous Zodiac themed notebooks, which would be suited to a family gift, as you will have to know their birthday to work out which to purchase!

This year my son has a male teacher for the first time, so I chose this very cool Retro TV Games Console, which is actually on sale for £7.99 right now (I hope he isn’t reading this!) It plugs directly into your tv and had over 200 classic games, perfect for family fun on Christmas Day.

There are also gift guides in the Ryman Christmas Shop, with presents at every price point. Everything I’ve featured in this post is under £15, with most being under £10, so super for that tricky to buy teacher gift, or stocking fillers for your loved ones.

You can take advantage of free shipping for orders over £40, or free click and collect for all orders. 

Have a nosy and try to resist buying yourself some fresh, shiny stationery if you can!

Rudedoodle.tk- The Belfast Local Music Scene 2001-2005

Yakuza, The Front Page, playing ‘Curfew’ a yearly pre-12th of July look-down type affair

I read ‘I’m With the Band’ recently, and it made me suitably nostalgic for my time when I would turn up to The Front Page no matter who was playing, at local gigs at least three times a week.  

I saw hundreds of shows, probably hundreds of bands, and loved the local bands more than the huge touring shows. Thirty of us dancing to a band playing their first show in the upstairs in Auntie Annies was my idea of heaven.  

The Dangerfields, Belfast’s hardest working, most on-the-road touring band, with dozens of members throughout the years

The Killing Spree

I started loving only punk and rock, but as I met people, made friends, and agreed to go see their friend’s shows, I started loving dance music, indie stuff that I spent years mocking before, and by the end I would have turned up to see a guy banging a bin if it meant a good night out. 

Lightyear in Auntie Annies

Back then I had a blog, this is 2001 onwards, so it wasn’t called a blog, but it was a website that I updated with all the photos I would take at whatever gig the night before. By 2003 I found taking snaps of my friends, and strangers in the crowd, became almost as fun (and easier) than my always blurry digital camera photos of the actual show. 

Tracer AMC in Giros

So my site really took off then, as people would log on to see if there was a photo of them the next day. I blogged a lot on MySpace in the later years, 2004 onwards, and I wonder are there still photos on there. ... I’ll have to look.

Clockwise from top- Alan LaFaro & me, Cathal & Johnny Behind, Iona & Graeme (the proper photographers), Andy & Steven from Clone Quartet, and lastly Fastfude message board night out in Laverys. 

Cave In, Auntie Annies. 

But for now, here are some of my favourite pictures from that era, and if you want to see more, there are hundreds and about a hundred bands on the remaining site. 

There are three sections, local bands, touring bands, and snapshots, which are some of the crowd shots I treasure the most of all now. 

At the time 2000-2005 didn’t feel like it was a scene. It wasn’t the sixties, or the grunge era, but we definitely had such a beautiful music scene in Belfast, I will always keep fond memories of Skibunny, The Front Page, my stint working in Liberty Blue & that Little Pack we ran in for a while. 

I hope these photos bring you as much joy as they do me! Even though they are such terrible quality! 

Dirty Stevie in The Empire,  Fallout in Katy Dalys, The Debonaire's in Auntie Annies.

Feline Dream, The Limelight

Gavin from Panda Kopanda backstage in the Limelight, on stage in Katy Dalys. 

Ciaran from Bloodbath Callaghan on stage in Auntie Annies, and Ciaran & Cathal near The Rotterdam

Duke Special at The Waterfront

Clockwise, Los Cabras The Front Page, The Vichy Goverment, The Uterus Women, and Goatboy in The Front Page

Clockwise, Iden Green in Giros, The Evangleists in The Empire, Corrigan in Auntie Annies, Funeral For a Friend in The Mandela Hall

The Most Luxurious Kitsch Scarves by Karen Mabon BLACK FRIDAY SALE

I’ve been refreshing the Karen Mabon store since last Friday, well, because I thought last Friday was Black Friday.  

Karen designs the most ‘me’ scarves imaginable, and I love that she does a Black Friday sale, so I can bombard my parents with not so subtle hints to which print I would like from Santa this year.

The scarves are finest silk and cashmere, which means they are investment pieces for the quirky of us who would prefer a fancy dress dog print scarf to a posh handbag.

I truly think Karen’s pieces will only increase in price over the years, I’ve even got one of her scarves framed in my bedroom.

So get over to the sale and snap up a bargain! 

IKEA Turn Kids’ Drawings Into Real Life Toys & Your Child Can Enter This Year’s Competition Now!

Now in its third year, IKEA has launched a range of soft toys designed by children for children. 

​The collection, SAGOSKATT, has been designed by children from across the world who were asked to let their imaginations run wild and create their very own fantastic creatures as part of the Soft Toys Drawing Competition. All proceeds from sales go to Save the Children UK.

Locally, IKEA Belfast will also be donating toys to East Belfast Mission’s (EBM) Bright Sparks Project. The local charity provides a safe environment in the city, where children can play, be happy and healthy. Shoppers can donate to the store’s local cause by having the opportunity to “Give Twice” by picking up an extra toy or book at checkouts and place it in the donation bank for EBM, whilst donating again to Save the Children UK.

This year IKEA selected ten lucky winners from over 70,000 entries to be given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of having their drawing recreated as part of a limited-edition range sold in stores worldwide and online, with prices starting at £1. From a monster to a mythical hippo and crocodile hybrid, the drawings are expertly transformed into near-identical versions of the youngsters’ creations to bring the exact imagination of the child to life.

To be part of next year’s range and for the chance to see their designs come to life children can now submit their entries in-store by Monday 11 December.

For more information on the campaign, visit www.IKEAfoundation.org

Feed Your Paddington Mania in M&S Food Hall #LoveTheBear

I think it’s fair to say that Marks & Spencer are the runaway winner of Best Christmas ad of 2017.  ‘Paddington & The Christmas Visitor’ has been viewed over 5.5 MILLION times, and it’s only mid-November.

M&S have been clever and have brought in lots of Paddington themed Food Hall items, so you can relive the magic at home.

Smix has loved Paddington since our first visit to London in 2016, so he’s delighted with all the Paddington goodies on offer. You can stuff Christmas stockings with a pair of chocolate Paddington Boots (£2), or have his own special thick cut marmalade (£1.50)  on toast on Christmas morning.

There are paw print biscuits (£1.50) and a whole selection of mini treats like the Paddington Chocolate Lolly (£1.50) and tiny tin (£1). 

There are even Paddington Marmalade Muffins, which would go down a treat with a cuppa while you read the book based on the Christmas ad. It’s available in stores priced £3, with £2 of every sale going to NSPCC Childline. We actually bought our copy last week, and they are waiting for more to come in stock at our local M&S. So if you can get your hands on a copy I would advise buying it ASAP!

As well as the Food Hall delights, there is a whole range of Paddington themed cosies in the kids’ clothing department.  

Smix desperately wants the gorgeous onesie, but unfortunately it doesn’t go up to age ten. He insists he can squeeze himself into the age 6-7, but I think maybe the Paddington slippers might work out better for him! 

Lastly, if you haven’t seen the advert and don’t know what the fuss is about, here it is. Joint the other 5.5m views and fall in love with a childhood classic all over again.

Northern Irish Advent Calendar From Studio Souk -Free UK Shipping Code

How cool is this? A twelve days of Christmas advent countdown calendar, filled with a selection of artisan, local brands. From Suki Tea to The Bearded Candlemakers, to a little mini H&W crane made by Cowfield Designs.

The advent boxes will be in store at Studio Souk from the morning of Monday 20th November, and are also available for pre-order and postal delivery on the Studio Souk online store.

Priced at £44.95 it’s a cute way to make yourself more familiar with some smaller Northern Irish brands, or to send to an ex-pat to let them enjoy a little taste, smell and feel of home.

Right now you can get FREE UK SHIPPING with the code CHRISTMAS2017 ends 12th Nov, so be quick!

Support Children In Need 2017 At Your Local Asda. Exclusive Light Up Pudsey Ears!

​Asda is supporting Children in Need 2017 with a huge range of fun Pudsey clothing for kids, and even adults. They’ve been partners since 2000, raising over £17m for the charity.

You can shop this year’s Children in Need merch, including light up Pudsey ears which are exclusive to Asda only.​