Sunday, September 24, 2017

Helsinki - Happiness Experiment

Sun 24/9/17 Helsinki - by the sea

Reading Paper Towns by the sparking sea

Working outside at a cafe by the sea with Ritva

Walking back to the hotel through the autumnal city listening to Van's Healing Game on my red ipod

Sat 23/9 Helsinki - on an island

Working in a room in the barracks building on the fortress island, working through from first principles

Walking round the island in the sunshine

Walking through the evening city guided by Ritva to the fine restaurant - cauliflower soup, pepper steak, berry granita

Fri 22/9 Helsinki - YLE

Watching A Date for Mad Mary on my hotel bed

Working on a big whiteboard at YLE working out strategy

Evening walk through docks to beach, listening to Brilliant Trees on way back

Thurs 21/9 - RCA

Spacious hotel room in Albertskatu overlooking the Alexander theatre

Teaching digital creativity at RCA Garden House

Lunch outdoors with Neville B

Friday, September 01, 2017

Happiness Experiment - Vienna

30/8/17

ORF
Terra Mater

Watching The Ivory Game at Terra Mater's villa

Dinner in gast garten with Doc Campus folk

Walk up from Hietzing to ORF in morning sun

31/8/17
ORF
The Third Man - Burg Kino
Prater

Watching The Third Man for first time in years in cinema in situ - followed directly by view of the Riesenrad

Walk in hot morning sunshine to Schiele's studio and death place down Hietzinger Hauptstrasse (then up to ORF)

Talking to Jon on the birth of his son from Viennese bus

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Happiness Experiment - Vienna

28/8/17

Vienna - Ferris Wheel, Prater; Walking tour of Jewish Vienna 1st

Doing Harry Lime on Wiener Riesenrad - EFA approved

Walking tour of Jewish Vienna culminating in Rachel Whiteread's bunker-library memorial

Evening drink in beer garden with Tom from ORF

29/8/17

Neulengbach

Finding and having exclusive time in Schiele's cell - contrast to 1984 - window glimpse

Visiting Schiele & Wally's neighbourhood outside of town in summer afternoon sun

Taking pride in the Kindertransport memorial in Westbahnhof thanking the British

Monday, August 28, 2017

Happiness Experiment - Vienna

27/8/17

Schiele pilgrimage to Tulln - with triple coincidence - see SP4

Dinner with Daniel Karslake in Hietzing (where Schiele's studio was)

Reading Barbara Trapido Hornplayer with feet dangling in Danube under a lowering sky at 34 degrees (following snooze on a park bench listening to river sounds)

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Happiness Experiment - Vienna

26/8/17

LHR to Vienna
Half-circuit boat tour Danube/Danube Canal
Banks to Donaukanal


  • seeing The third Man ferris wheel whilst walking across town
  • boat ride along the Danube and round the Canal, with a posse of Rhinemaidens on a hen-do
  • sundown by the banks of the Donaukanal, reading Atomic Blonde and drinking spritzer & coffee

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Happiness Experiment - Ireland

6/8/17
Carlingford
Carlingford via Ballymascanlon to Rush

Water colour painting of Carlingford from far pier

Rainy walk with kids to far pier via Murphy's railway cottage (about to be changed)

Walk along base of Slieve Foy with U via Abbey

7/8/17
Rush
Dublin (Mairin & Joe's)

Finding fossil for Des on Walk around Rush shore from harbour to our beach without path with Enfants Terribles

Rush pub with N to watch Gaelic match over coffee & red lemonade

Dinner near Joyce's house in N Dublin with Joe, Mairin & girls

8/8/17
Rush
Dublin
Holyhead
Chester
home

Listening to S Town en famille

Getting Fish Fight job outside Italian in Chester

Entering home to see Ziggy

Sunday, August 06, 2017

Happiness Experiment - Ireland

5/8/17

Rostrevor
Carlingford
Newry

Painting Carlingford Lough from Rostrevor

The lanes and cottages around the Rostrevor Inn eg Water Street

Going to the cinema in Newry with D & N - Baby Driver

Saturday, August 05, 2017

Happiness Experiment - Ireland

4/8/17

Church Hill
Gartan - Glebe House
Kilmacrennan
Rostrevor

Dinner with Seth & Deirdre in the Rostrevor Inn including live music from Dermot McQuaid who played May You Never & Whiskey in the Jar for me

The John Craxton in Derek Hill's house

Doing a watercolour of the view from The Rappa

Thursday, August 03, 2017

Happiness experiment entry - Donegal

3/8/17

Church Hill
Narin - beach
Glenties - Paul Moore
Ardara - Tony Gallagher

Drawing seascape on Narin beach

Having tour of Paul Moore's empty Connie building in Glenties main street

Chatting with Tony Gallagher in Nancy's, Ardara

Happiness Experiment entry - Donegal

Tues 1st August

Church Hill
Ards Forest Park - Meabh, Des & Elizabeth
Glen - Glen Restaurant/pub

Chatting deep with the kids on the beach - D, N, Meabh
The wild flowers along the beach path - Ards Forest Park
The steak at the Glen - best in years (from Limmerick)

Wed 2nd

Church Hill
Ramelton - Roy Greenslade
Kilmacrenan - Coffee Time
Letterkenny - Speer's
Rathmullan beach

Sneaky peak into Roy Greenslade's 18C home & library
Buying a soft cotton granddad shirt at Speer's old clothes shop
Walking & writing on the beach at Rathmullan

Monday, July 31, 2017

Happiness Experiment - Donegal

Sun 30 July

Glenveagh - head of the glen down to the lake
Letterkenny
Ramelton

The double bass player playing at the Bridge Bar, Ramelton after dinner & drinks with Anita & Don

The wonderful walk down from the head of the glen to Glenveagh House

Driving home in the rain from Ramelton listening to Serial

Mon 31st July

Falcarragh - Dee & Seamus
Dunfanaghy
Killahoey beach
Wild Atlantic Way
Horn Head

Watching the Enfants Terribles swimming at Killahoey while reading my book

The liquid amber birch in Seamus' garden

Looking down over the beach and coast towards Bunbeg - over wild fuchsias

Sunday, July 30, 2017

Yesterday's Happiness Experiment entry - Ireland, Donegal

Sat 29 Aug - Church Hill, Donegal

Church Hill
Glebe Gallery
Glenveagh

Playing table tennis with D

A Camden Town Auerbach in the Space exhibition at Glebe Gallery in the middle of Donegal

Watching The Verdict en famille from The Rappa's film collection

Friday, July 28, 2017

Ireland Summer 2017: Recent Happiness Experiment entries

Thurs 28 July

Playing chess with D in new space in National Gallery of Ireland

Hanging with Meabh, D & N in the Photography Gallery, Temple Bar

Watching Young Offenders with the De Burcas - Sean, Meabh & Orla

Rush
Dublin - National Gallery, Trinity, Hapenny Bridge, Temple Bar

Fri 29 July

Being welcomed to The Rappa, Church Hill, Donegal

Meditating on the beach at Rush during my run

Dinner conversation en famille at Larkins, Newmills

Rush
Castleblayney
Letterkenny
Church Hill, Donegal

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Ireland Summer 2017 - Yesterday's Happiness Experiment

Wed 26/8/17 Chester to Dublin/Rush

Long walk along Rush beach at sunset with Des, Dylan, Noah - very low tide, Lambay Island looking magnificent

Lunch outdoors on deck at Dylan's overlooking Menai Straits - at Menai Bridge

Listening to Serial in the car en famille as we drove across North Wales to Anglesey

Chester to Menai Bridge (via Colwyn Bay)
to Holyhead
to Dublin Port
to Rush (Elizabeth & Des)

Sunday, July 09, 2017

U2 Joshua Tree 30th anniversary tour (Twickenham)


(Whole of the Moon)

Sunday Bloody Sunday*
New Years Day
Bad (with "Heroes" and "Where Are We Now?" snippet)
Pride

Joshua Tree LP
With or Without You**

The Joshua Tree

Where the Streets Have No Name (with "All You Need Is Love" snippet)

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

With or Without You**

Bullet the Blue Sky

Running to Stand Still

Red Hill Mining Town

In God's Country

Trip Through Your Wires (with "Love Me Do" snippet)

One Tree Hill

Exit

Mothers of the Disappeared

Miss Sarajevo (Passengers cover)

Beautiful Day (with "Starman" snippet)
Elevation
Vertigo (with "Do You Remember Rock'n'Roll Radio?" and "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)" snippet) (Uno Dos Tres)

(Love works in) Mysterious Ways (with "Miss You" snippet) (women icons song)

Ultraviolet (Light My Way) (Syria song)

One

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/u2/2017/twickenham-stadium-twickenham-england-4be407ea.html

Brian Eno
Vanessa Redgrave
Stella McCartney

My U2:

  • Live Aid (1985)
  • Twickenham (Vertigo?)
  • This


"Fans attending The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 night two in Twickenham enjoyed a slightly different set from last night. There were more than 10 different songs snippets featuring band favorites David Bowie, the Beatles, the Ramones, and the Rolling Stones.  Both Stella and Mary McCartney were given shoutouts from Bono, which explains why there were so many Beatles snippets.
"Mysterious Ways" made its European leg tour debut as another female fan was brought onstage during the song.  
During "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," Bono praised Alice Wroe for the HERStory project. Ahead of "One Tree Hill," Bono remembered both Greg Carroll and actress Natasha Richardson, acknowledging that her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, was in the audience. Bono also thanked "on behalf of the entire nation" Brian Eno: "Let me say this off script: There wouldn't be side 2, and there wouldn't be a side 1 if it weren't for Brian Eno, who's here tonight.

Bono dedicated the show to the people of London and to the heroes of the London Fire Brigade. He also thanked his cousin, AJ Rankin, for being one of his heroes as he "always has my back.


The next show is in Berlin on Wednesday."


Sat 8th: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/concerts/u2-joshua-tree-tour-2017-twickenham-stadium-review/

Saturday, July 01, 2017

Star Spots No. 221

29/6/17

Michael Grade - outside House of Lords

Robert Winston - Embankment tube platform

Monday, June 12, 2017

Happiness Experiment entries - Sheffield

12/6/17 Mon

Reading 'After the Fall' on the train in 1st class

Helping interactive documentary makers at MeetMarket Sheffield DocFest

Watching one of the few good VR/360 programmes I have seen - about Rode, a Melbourne street artist

11/6/17 Sun

Discussion about You have no idea how much I love you with Amir Bar-Lev & Molly after the screening

Planning a doc with Yony L

Dinner at Piccolino with Andy, Alex, Alison & Charlotte plus encounter with Bill

10/6/17 Sat

Met Walter Murch

Annual dinner with Ritva at Piccolino

Breakfast with Daniel & DocCampus folk

Saturday, June 03, 2017

Helsinki - Happiness Experiment

2/6/17 Fri

Coast walk from Ritva's market building to main port market building in Friday evening sun ☀️ with N

Happiness & appreciation at end of Short & Sweet Programme 1 at YLE

Seeing classic American cars cruising near the port in the evening sun of 2nd day of Finnish summer

1/6/17
Dinner at the Green Vault in Kallio including lamb tartar

Wandering around Kallio in evening sun with N

Cafe chat with N outside Kallio cafe/hairdresser watching the world 🌎 go by

31/7/17
Trip out to Lonna island 🌴 in evening sun with N

Exquisite meal both outside & in including white fish

Watching participants near finished films including Long Live the Porn King and What is the essence of stand-up? (with my guard scene)

30/5/17
Walking through Helsinki with N round lake in evening

Reading Before the Fall on a plane ✈️

Sharing my hotel room with N

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Star Spot No. 287

Charles Dance - Renoir Cinema, Brunswick Square (now Curzon Bloomsbury) 3/5/17 at launch of Sheffield DocFest with Daisy Asquith & Alex H