Retrospective of January 2009
I started my 2009 off in a mad way! Having acquired a speeding ticket in November for doing 36 in a 30 (in roadworks!), I opted to take the ‘speed awareness course’ offered by Northumbria Police, rather than getting the three points. For those who have never completed this type of course, I can tell you it is informative, and it does make you more aware, I suppose it helps if you are a contentious driver! Anyway since then I have been incredibly conscious of my speed, especially when the road signage is not great.
Work wise, January was a busy month! I did a lot of travelling, around the country, and up and down to London. Something new to me was filling in my tax return, well there is not much to say about it, but I did manage to do it, so I was pleased!
For Skillfast-UK I embarked on the re-working of the Dyeing and Finishing NOS, where one to one interviews were required: I visited Schofield Dyers and Finishers in Galashields, a great visit that was very informative, and an honour to see the fantastically traditional processes that are still being used; I also visited Bluemills in Leicester, a much smaller dyeing operation, but the time I spent with John was very worthwhile; I also visited I dress myself, a t-shirt screen printing company in Nottingham, it was good to see a small business that has promoted itself as a business that is based on their ecological priorities.
I went to London for a follow-up TAG for the Advanced Design NOS, for those that were unable to attend I completed one to one interviews, one with Jane McMillan based in Fullham, and another with Bronwyn who had a business in Brixton. These three appointments were over two days, so I spent the night in London. My friend Dr Pammi Sinha (who I am working with on the CRR project) told me there was a fashion show on at the V&A Museum that evening, so I arranged to go along with her, Penelope and two friends from my time at Nottingham Trent, Lynn and Helen. It was a fairly big event held to showcase LCF MA students work. There was a champagne reception, where I was fortuitously introduced to Martin Stone, a representative of the British Fashion Council. On my way into the show I also saw Rose Sinclair (whom I had met in HK), who suggested I went to a show that Rachel (also from HK) had at the RCA, which I did the following day, and managed to catch up with her!
The work for CRR was ongoing, as compiling the case study reviews were required. I attended an event they held in Loughborough entitled: Closing the loop on end of life, a final stakeholder meeting for a project they were doing for Defra.
At the end of the month I had been asked to be involved in an event called Sustees, arranged by Paul Dennison at Teeside Uni. There was a talk on the Mon evening, which was great, Rob Holdway from Giraffe Design in Brighton was speaking, he outlined his passion for sustainability and the promotion of more ethical and ecological practice. By the end of his talk I realised that he must also be working on one of the Defra clothing sustainability projects, we had a good chat afterward. On the Thursday there was a full day of speakers, me being one of them, discussing many different aspects of sustainability, my talk focused on the work I was involved with for CRR. It was a great event to have been involved in, and I was very chuffed to have been asked!