Back to School

So back to school again. However this time, for the last time! Woo! OK, so maybe it's not that great as it may be potentially the most important year of my life, but still I am looking forward to it. In a strange way I am really glad to be back. as much as I enjoyed my summer, there is only so much minecraft you can play a day and only so many times you can play solitaire on the computer before you really start wanting your routine back. Yes I am weird, yes I am old fashioned, but I do like my routine. But we have established that already.

So as well as being in my final year of school, I have also signed up for extra responsibilities of looking after the smallest people in the school and helping to organise my school house. Great I know, especially when you can't even remember what the name of the house is. It really enjoyable though. As many will know (and those who don't need to) I am bit of a control freak, and fortunately for me, the new year 7s like listening to me! Joking aside, I do really enjoy my position as deputy house leader, and it is great to be able to organise things for the rest of the house to do. I feel like I am giving something back to the school after it has looked after me for however many years. Again, I know I am weird.

Also I am glad to be getting back to school because of the large amounts of clubs and bands which are now back on. Basically music is my social life. That is why I am now typing into a computer for about 16 people in Indonesia and Alaska to read. So now I have my friends back! Woo! Also one of my best friends from the Jazz Band which I am part of has moved to 6th Form of my school, thus meaning I can see my band friends outside of school. My social life is being extended guys!

So conclusion of being back at school is: I still ahve no life, I am still old fashioned (while my friends were all out partying in the summer I was volenteering at the local Arts Festival and building a chicken run) and I am still a tiny bit weird. Result

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peachy146

The Posh Schedule To Download

Here is a look at the image for the posh schedule. You will see this about a lot. Please note this is subject to change! As noted today, where we started an hour late due to technical difficulties and also had some issues about midday with the mic, which we have now all resolved. Currently chilling at the Studio with Tom Leedham doing a fantastic job here!

You can listen to the station: http://tinyurl.com/alrewasradio

Follow us on twitter: @AlrewasRadio

Alrewas Radio: Official Timetable

I am proud to present to you, the official timetable for Alrewas Radio, supporting Alrewas Radio 2012! I do also have to make the disclaimer that although we will endeavour to maintain this at all times, it is subject to change!

Firstly, The morning show, where we will be explaining all the day's events and looking back at the previous, then generally warming up for another fantastic arty day.

The second show of the day is with me, Tom, which will involve a lot of lovely music to keep you going until lunch, as well as some chatting and hopefully some special guests, but I better not get you too excited! I will also try to cover all the workshops going on in that morning session as well as keeping it entertaining for the rest of the village.

Interconnecting the afternoon's proceedings are various pre recording sessions involving artists and bands from the local area, including long standing band The Hoovers, who have a very special anniversary this year. more to come about that.

To look out for is the Decades show, which will take you on a musical journey from the 60's right through to the teenies, playing some of the highs (and possibly lows) of those decades. Co presented by Rob Spall, this looks to be a great show.

Also to look out for is the alternative show, for all those who are a fan of alternative music, there will be all sorts to listen to on their, with the 2 incredibly funny and talented Tom and Alex presenting that for you.

Finally make sure you catch the special Last Night Do. I can#t reveal to you what that is yet, but I can assure you it will be fantastic.

Also you can keep up to date with us on twitter @AlrewasRadio and with the hashtag #AlrewasRadio, which I am not entirely sure how that works, but I am assured by people who spend a lot of time on twitter that you can get the important info from there. also for further information please go to the Alrewas Arts Festival website. Have a fantastic festival week and I hope you can also enjoy the beautiful sounds of our voices throughout.

Here is the link for the radio internet stream: http://radio.canstream.co.uk:8032/live.mp3.m3u

I can assure you this link works as I have spent about 2 hours today trying to get it to!

A big thanks to Jim Ralley for making this happen, and James "Womble" Richardson for managing to organise this!

Will I be able to take back my comments about Apple? Ever?

Now for the Alrewas Radio project which I am involved in (god knows why somebody decided to put me on the radio, I thought youtube was bad enough!) we have had a lot of new kit, and one of these things happens to be a MacBook Pro. The one made by Apple.

Now I have said quite a lot of scathing things in the past about the aforementioned Computer Manufacturer and designer, mainly based upon the price tag about the 3 times to price of the same specifications of a PC, but also due to it's lack of compatibility, the sparse amount of software actually available for it, and the shocking bar and the bottom which disappears and re-appears. What does it think it is, the genie?

Now as I say, during the past few days I have been engrossed in such a piece of technology trying to get it all working and ready for the big Radio starting on Saturday. (If you would like to listen please go to the Alrewas Arts Fest website for more information on where about to find it)

Now even that has been the bane of my life. Not only has there been countless downloads and installations to be doing with it, we have also had find our way around the system to alter settings and the such like to get everything to run together properly, which also involves a basic way about the way it would work, which on a windows PC, I have no problems with that, but a Mac. Oh No.

I have to say though, for whatever reason, when I am working with images or video or something arty farty like that, it is something which very I have warmed to. I am not yet saying I am a mac convert, but they are growing on me. 

I am nowhere near saying I would go out and buy one, but having the chance to use one has been a pleasure. And I do have to say one thing, they have incredibly good in built audio and video facilities, which I would not have expected from a Mac!

Anyway, I have to go now, back to my lovely homely Windows laptop. Thanks for reading

Twitter: @peachy146

Real Life Minecraft

One of the current garden projects is to extend the chicken run out to accommodate double the amount of chickens. Now because my parents are my parents, they have to do it in a very convoluted way and make it as complicated as possible.

Anyway, in taking up the lawn to make space for the new part of the chicken run, I was tasked with moving the pieces of turf after taking them up so that Dad could patch up areas of the lawn elsewhere where the grass had died. Fair enough.

so I set about this in the usual manor: tea in one hand; spade in the other; and my sister bossing me about, even though she didn't really know what I was doing.

After I had moved a few pieces of turf, my sister from the other end of the garden suddenly pipes up: "Tom, that looks like real life Minecraft!"

Minecraft Huh?

twitter: @peachy146

PROJECT MINOR (Part 1): Official Morris Minor Owners Club Member!

I am pleased to announce that I am now an official member of the Morris Minor Owner's Club of Great Britain, now that I am officially the owner of a lovely 1968 Morris Minor Traveller, navy blue, a dead battery, 4 flat tyres, and seized engine, a leaky roof...

Still I am very much looking forward to the project of doing it up and will keep you well and truly updated with how it is going. Now the first thing is getting it back from North Yorkshire, with the seized engine and the 4 flat tyres.

Nonetheless, first thing tomorrow I am off down the garage to try and scab and trailer in exchange for my car to fix and make happy again. Genuinly can't wait to get in it and drive round the UK in my Moggy!

Twitter: @peachy146

Thanks!

Project OddFellows Photography

For the Arts Festival within the village, we have being taking part in a project which has been on-going to celebrate the 101st birthday of the village hall. (Don't ask, the hall is called Oddfellows Hall. I think this explains enough)

To commemorate this "spectacular occasion" we have received funding to be able to take a photograph of a person from the village for every year of the 101 years that the village hall has been around for, so we are really pleased to now officially call this project open!

It was a load of hard work for all the people involved, including the marathon of photographing 214 people in 1 weekend, between me and fellow photographer Katie Greensmith, which was a feat in itself. Also a massive thanks to Jim and Paula, as well as Joe and Peter for their support during the whole project and also the contribution to actually sticking up the pictures.

Now neither me or Katie are what one could call professional photographers, but we have really improved or love for the art and also our skill level throughout the project with the inclusion of the workshop which we took part in to learn and deveop the skills which would prime us for the crunch time of actually taking the photos!

Last but not least on this project I would also like to mention the funding which facititated the purchase of the best camera money can buy, the Canon EOS 5D Mark III (OK well maybe not THE best, but certainly up there) which is now in the possession of the village. We are looking to start up some photography clubs and workshops to pass on our skills and passion for this hobby within the near future and are very much welcoming people from the local community, not just the village to get involved. If you would like to find out any more info about this, or would really like to get stuck in with some photography yourself but just don't quite have the knowledge or the skills to do so, then please follow us on twitter for further info.

Our twitter is @OddFellowsPhoto so as I say please follow us to find out loads more about events, workshops, clubs and exhibitons which we will be putting on.

Thanks for reading!