Work is fun :-)

New to this? Check out the First Post

Hello
I've been having fun at work - but before I tell you about that I must tell you that Nathan has been interviewed for a MSDN website and now they have put the finished article up there - have a look here:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/ukmsdn/archive/2013/03/19/from-a-side-project-to-windows-8-store-featured-app-the-interference-story.aspx

They think that his story will be an inspiration to other developers - I am very proud of him :-)                                                                



Starbooks anyone? :-)

We have a few new projects in the library. Our first one is The Library Café (or serving hot drinks!)

There isn't anywhere you can get a cuppa in Silverdale - and we have been asked plenty of times!

But,  unless one of the local churches happen to be having a Coffee Morning - there isn't anywhere we can direct people.






So, we decided we'd do it ourselves. So, for just 30p you can get a cup (or mug!) of tea or coffee and biscuits. We think it might take off. We started on Monday - but only had one taker! I guess word needs to get around We have made a noticeboard with pink balloons on it - we'll put it out tomorrow and see how it goes!









Sadly tomorrow is the last day of term for the Keele Poets in Silverdale. They won't be back until September. On Tuesday Roger brought in their poems about Silverdale that he had printed out, for us to put up on the wall. Some of them have relatives that lived in Silverdale, or that were miners. Others were inspired by the black and white photos that we have up on the walls and by reading the local history books.

I have put them near the old mining photos that we have on loan from the Borough Museum. The poems they have written are amazing. Very relevant and moving. They are even paying to produce booklets with them in for us to give out. Come in and have a look at them - I think you'll be very impressed.

I like so many of them - but the one called "Waiting" by Megan has reduced most people who read it to tears. They are a very talented group.

What is Coming Soon???

Talking of talent - Tracy has been busy making flowers from yarn and have a look what she has done with them! The noticeboard is looking very colourful and eye-catching. She is doing a great job of getting people to ask about it! She had even bigger plans in the pipeline as her group are working on a "secret project" Watch this space!!







In other news - as members of CAMRA we were very happy to hear in the budget that George Osbourn has abolished the tax accumulator that was making the price of beer rise above inflation every year - and has actually reduced the tax by 1p.



Watch this space...

 

The number of pubs that have closed is terrible and it is good to see something that might help slow this down. We tried to do our bit to support the industry by attending the Porthill Beer Festival this weekend. It was held in the Cricket Club - and we went on Friday night initially - but it was absolutely packed! I don't know how they got so many people in the room! I have to say that there was a good selection of beers and a few interesting ciders too. They were each sponsored by a local business (for Example Tooltastic sponsored "Proper Job  or some other amusingly titled beer) This meant that they were pretty cheap compared to the usual guest ales you find in a pub.

We couldn't stay long though - as there was no room to breathe!

We were chatting to the manager the next day and he said he'd served 1400 pints that one night! They'd had to get on the phone early the next morning to the brewers to frantically try to get more beer for the rest of the weekend festival!

Saturday lunchtime was a bit calmer and we could try a few different drinks while eating their excellent cheese and onion baps. I had a rum cask cider and a whisky cask one - and I have to say  the rum flavoured one was far superior! It was strong and smooth. Very easy to drink.
Sunday was St Patrick's Day and we celebrated in Stone. had a very nice lunch with Nathan's parents. His dad got a very fetching hat to commemorate the day! I think it quite suits him :-)

Back to work....

New to this? Check out the First Post

Hi

It was nice to get back to work - and see it so busy! Seems that everyone is gradually coming out of hibernation - although we've had a couple of icy blasts at times!

It is sad that the Keele Poets have only two more weeks to go until they finish until September. The place is never the same without them! This term they have been working on (among other things) poems about Silverdale. I gave them all the local history books to look at or take away and from what Caroline showed me last week - they have come up with some astonishing and moving stuff. This week they are going to print them out and I am going to display them around the library under the photos we have of Silverdale Colliery and its workers.

The colliery closed down on Christmas Eve in 1998 and the site is now a beautiful country park with a lake and is teeming with wildlife. However it remains very much a mining village with a proud history. The photos we have are on loan from the Borough Museum in Newcastle - the poems should compliment them nicely!

Tracy is doing great with her new Knit and Natter, Crochet and Chatter group and we have been talking about finding a project for them to do together. Can't wait to tell you what it is - but I will - until we have photos and stuff. Watch this space....



Getting a bit longer...

I am still wearing my wigs - as they keep me warm. However under them - hair is growing still! I did have a lot cut off a couple of weeks ago - and now I do straighten it - so I got Nathan to take a couple of photos this morning. I think it starting to look a little more normal!

My friend Susan from South Carolina, America sent me a link to a very interesting article about Hyperthermia Therapy for the treatment of cancer. It was something I hadn't heard of before - but apparently it is showing promise as an experimental cancer therapy.



Cool spikey bits :-)

Seems they heat you up to make the cancer cells more susceptible to the usual treatments - but when they give you the radiotherapy and chemotherapy they can give you much lower doses. Sounds like a great step forward to me. They can only use it on certain types of tumours - but it sounds very promising.

Less chemo and radio have got to be much better for your quality of life after cancer. Less damage to other bits and bodily functions.

I am currently feeling great though - I don't have to go to the hospital at all this month! It is nice not to have to think about it until next month. :-)

In other news - Nathan went for his audition as the Yorkshire Ripper - he had to improvise a scene where he was questioned by police. The series is part of Crimes That Shook Britain series - and he would be in the background, but you wouldn't hear what he was saying or anything. Just a "reconstruction" Will let you know if he gets it - so you can all look out for him :-)

Hope you all enjoy the rest of the week!!
xx

Week off

New to this? Check out the First Post

Hello


Unboxing!

I've had a nice week off work. Pretty chilled out and quiet really. Typical - when I get  a week off Nathan suddenly gets busy! He's spent the week going into schools to give demonstrations of his new school app with his business partner Darren. They have been very well received so far!








Tuesday evening was exciting as the courier arrived with Nathan's prizes - at last!! Three lovely boxes for him to open. One with his new Nokia Lumia 920 in sleek black inside , another with his  ASUS tablet and the biggest one containing his Toshiba Ultrabook. Needless to say he soon had them all up and running. it doesn't take long to set things up with Windows Live Accounts and Windows 8. Simples :-)

Tablet Box



Time to open the laptop

We decided to celebrate Mothers Day early - as places are rammed and rushed if you try to take them out for lunch on the actual day. So we chose to go to The Wayfarer with my parents, Nathan's parents and my brother Dom and his wife Sharon. It is such a nice gastropub and we had been there once before to celebrate a birthday.

So we all went on Thursday lunchtime. It was quiet and we could take our time and the service was wonderful. So was the food! It is a bit pricey - but worth it! We were also celebrating my mum's birthday which is on 18th March!

Quite a few of us had the half a roast chicken option - with different sauces. Mine, Dom's and Sharon's were with barbecue and the mums both had it with lemon and garlic. Beautifully presented - with chunky hand-cut chips. N's dad asked if we had time for him to choose the 8-hour slow roasted lamb shank. He was assured that it had already been cooked overnight so we wouldn't have to wait too long!


Exciting :-)

My dad tried the duck and declared it superb - as was Nathan's Beef en Croute. I did learn something too - you can get much more juice out of a hot lemon.

Most of us had dessert too - only N's dad resisted! I was intrigued by the Baked Alaska with Pistachio Ice Cream - I haven't had one in years! That was a popular choice - as was the Ginger Crème Brulee with Rosemary Biscuit. N loves the chocolate - so went for Chocolate Brownie with Chocolate Sauce and ice cream.






Happy mums on Early Mothers Day :-)

It was all delicious and everyone enjoyed it very much. We retired to N's parent's house for coffee and Thornton's Mis-shapes ( my dad was very impressed with those!). We didn't need to eat for the rest of the day!

 

 What else did we do this week? Well on Saturday evening we met up with Jodie and his lovely girlfriend Claire for a few drinks. They were visiting his parents in Leek and decided they'd come over to Newcastle for a catch-up with us. Jodie used to be an apprentice at the college when Nathan was Network manager there and I was Librarian. He left there to go to Liverpool University and now works in London. We don't see him very often.

It was the first time we had met Claire who comes from California - a couple of hours drive South from San Francisco. She has been working in London for four years and met Jodie through a mutual friend (I think!)

We decided to introduce them to Brad,s pub - The Lymestone Vaults.



Enjoying a pint of Foundation Stone

 It was really quiet as we walked through the wet streets of Newcastle - but as we entered the pub the noise was deafening and it was practically full! We managed to get the last table - sadly the sofas by the fire were taken - and stayed put all night. Well, the beer is great and as N said to him - I bet Jodie was delighted with how much change he got after buying drinks. London drinks are much pricier!

They all tried the locally (Stone)-brewed beer except me. I'm not fond of the bitter taste. The only one I love is Floris Honey beer - but they didn't have that!
I started with some Two Trees Perry and then went onto the Stone's Ginger Wine - which is lovely and warming when it is snowing outside.


Jodie and Claire

We couldn't believe how quickly the evening went by - in no time we were being asked to drink up and go as it was approaching midnight. Hopefully we'll see the two of them again when we go down to London in September for Eurogamer, if not before.

So I am back at work tomorrow - Tracy tells me that it has been manic while I've been away! I look forward to finding out what's been going on in my absence!

Nathan has a busy week too - as well as more demos scheduled for schools he has a special appointment on Tuesday. For ages his mum has been telling him that with his beard like it is - he looks like The Yorkshire Ripper. Then last week he had a call from Seven (we are both registered with them - they are an extras agency) who told him that some client had chosen Nathan's photo from the book because he looks perfect for something they are going to start filming soon - it is a docu-drama about The Yorkshire Ripper! It may involve some acting too. I'm sure he'll be great :-) He has to go for the casting audition in Manchester on Tuesday!

Also before I go for now - good luck to Laura who has a job interview tomorrow with Staffordshire County Council. Hope it goes well - fingers crossed!

 

Oxford Weekend (rescheduled)

New to this? Check out the First Post

Happily it didn't snow this last weekend - so we made it to Oxford at last! We stayed with Nathan's awesome friend, Greg, who has moved there recently with his job. He has a great first floor flat in Summertown - in North Oxford. He has a huge window in his lounge that looks out onto a lovely garden and just beyond a College garden complete with deer (statues) We had a very nice stroll into Oxford - it is a city with no car parks so you can't go in the car. Could explain why there are so many bikes everywhere!

As it was lunchtime when we got there we headed straight for Mission Burrito - which is one of Nathan's favourite places. I had a delicious burrito filled with shredded pork, lettuce, rice and soured cream. They have a wide range of fillings and many sauces and salsas from mild to blazing hot. Something a bit different. While we ate we lamented the lack of one of these places anywhere near us. Do you think Stoke would be ready for something like this?? They do look a bit like  oatcakes - hehehe!



Awesome skeletons too!

Greg was keen to take us to the Pitt Rivers Museum - so that was where we headed to next. First we made a bit of a detour to the History of Science Museum - where we saw the very first penicillin culture in it's glass jar. All a bit dried up now - but still very impressive. Also many very early examples of astronomical instruments and measuring devices. The earliest examples were Islamic - as it was very important for them to know which direction Mecca lay so they invented many beautiful  mathematical instruments. Considering they were made in the 7th Century they were surprisingly small and intricate.



The first actual penicillin!

Having visited the Ashmolean Museum last time I was there with its pristine glass cases and wide open spaces with light everywhere I was quite unprepared for what we found when we entered the Pitt Rivers. The place is just rammed full of weird and wonderful things, packed into cases and cabinets all close together. There's hardly room to move! It was amazing! The cabinet full of shrunken heads was very impressive - in the section entitled "How to Humiliate Your Enemy" it explained how the skull was removed and the rest of the head boiled and dried until it shrank - then a smaller animal skull was inserted - to make the classic shrunken head which could then be displayed as a trophy - or warning! (Don't try this at home!)

I also loved the case full of jewellery made especially to "ward off the evil eye" - it was particularly sparkly and ornate - to catch the eye - so it didn't dwell on you. There was also a comprehensive set of tattooing tools and equipment and many outfits from all over the world. Pitt River was an archaeologist and anthropologist and was interested in the evolution of technology. He just collected so many random things from his explorations. A fascinating place - if you ever get chance have a look!




Astrolabes and other wonders

All this culture made us pretty thirsty - and ready for a sit down so we headed back to Summertown through one of the University parks and popped into Greg's local pub - the Rose and Crown. It is such an old-fashioned proper pub - first mentioned in 1867. It had real ales galore, wonderfully uneven floors and small rooms where you can get cosy by the fire. We intended to have an afternoon drink then move on elsewhere for food later. But we got so comfy on our corner table and the lady behind the bar remembered out round when we asked for the same again and the food smelled so good that we decided to stay put. Nathan and Greg were drinking a local Oxford breweries bitter called Scholar - and by the end of the evening they were certainly having intellectual conversations! :-)

I enjoyed the honey-glazed chicken and the chunky chips and the men had proper home-made burgers (Only fools eat horses!)

It was a lovely evening and we headed back via the local corner off-licence with more beer and chocolate. We continued the evening with a game of "Skanky Bones" - a name that Greg has given to something that he learned to play in Mongolia. Looking it up - it seems as if it is called Shagai - have a look at the link to see a photo of the bones and their positions. (I think I'd call it The Game of Bones...) :-)



Beautiful Orrery at the History of Science

Basically many games are played in Mongolia with the ankle bones of goat and sheep. These have four different positions - each of which equates to an animal. When you throw them down they can land in 4 ways - if the pointy bits are up they are goats, if down sheep, if  the side with the hollow is up - camels and if flat horses. It sounds complicated - and it does take a few minutes to get used to which is which. In the game we played, Greg tossed all the bones onto the table, Then when it was your turn you had to flick one of them and hit one in the exact same position. For example a sheep flicked at a sheep. It you managed to hit it - without touching or moving any other bone then you got to keep the one you hit - providing you remembered to pick it up with the other hand - not the one you flicked with.

It was actually quite fun - and we were getting into quite well. In fact Nathan won! It was quite hard to see which was which - but Greg had played it by candlelight with old Mongolian women who were experts! He bought a set while he was there - which came in a lovely embroidered red pouch. I think it is really ingenious to invent such a skilful game with something like animal bones. Actually there are examples of Shagai in the Pitt Rivers!

The next morning we went out for breakfast to Taylors Deli - had a very sustaining bacon and egg baguette. it was supposed to be a bap - but they'd run out! Then Greg took us on a bracing walk through the University Park - down by the River Cherwell. It's where he goes for his runs. Once we got back to the flat we had a drink and then prepared to head home. Before we left, however, Greg showed us his photos from his holiday in North Korea. He had long wanted to go there and got his visa last April. He had to go as part of a tightly controlled group. On entering the country they had their mobile phones taken off them and they didn't get them back until they left nine days later.



Mission Burrito - seems popular!

They had guides who went everywhere with them and they were only allowed to take photos when they were told it was okay to do so. He was lucky that they were there while there was some celebration to celebrate the birthday of one of the Kim family, They got to see a little of it - although most of the time they were kept well away from it. If they took a photo of a statue of Kim Il Sung they had to make sure it got all for him in - if they missed off the head or feet - or if someone was stood in front of him then the photo had to be deleted. All the time they were there their guides were making notes about what they did and said. Greg actually said that when they got back to China they all felt a sense of freedom and relief! Quite telling, I think.



Pitt Rivers Museum - full of craziness!

It did sound like a fascinating place and he thinks that he will never go to anywhere so "different" ever again. It has a completely different economic  model - they don't have shops at all. They have food and other things given to them from various distribution points. Of course he was only allowed in and around Pyongyang - the capital, where the elite live. The people he saw looked happy and well-fed and healthy. Who knows how the majority of the people live.

All very fascinating. I don't know where he will go for his next holiday!
Anyway sadly we had to leave to return to Staffordshire. Still I have the rest of the week off...


Hair!

New to this? Check out the First Post

I haven't had my hair cut since around October last year and it has been growing and growing quietly under my wigs. It was getting a little out of hand I have been wondering what to do with it. The problem is that it is so bushy! I try to blow dry it into (some kind of) shape but it won't stay put.



Crazy curls

N took a photo of it this morning before I went off to the hairdressers. I went to the same place I used to go along the road here - but there is a different lady there now called Tania. I told her of my dilemma and she understood as her friend has gone the through the exact same treatment and hair loss two years ago. Hers came back dark and curly too. She advised me to have it trimmed, then use straighteners to encourage it to straighten out a bit and stay flat under my wig. Her friend has highlights now rather than all over colour - as that involves fewer chemicals.

So, when I got home I used my tongs gently and my hair does look a lot better now. I still need to grow it a bit before I leave off the wigs though - especially for work.

Hopefully it will improve by summer and I can go au naturel once more!


N has had news of his prizes - they should be sent out on Monday. Besides the Lumia 920 phone he will get a Toshiba Ultrabook and an ASUS Tablet. It is all vey exciting!

In the meantime he is busy with his school apps - with his partner Darren. They are off around the area giving demos to schools. He is also entered for another competition - one where he needs people to vote for him. So, if you fancy doing that - have a look here:

Ubelly (Microsoft's unofficial official developer blog) is looking for nominations for your favourite things of the year at http://ubelly.com/critters  They have categories for "Indie Game of the Year", "App of the Year" and "Developer of the Year". Just saying ;-) The game/app is called Interference and his company is called Centrifuge :-)

In other news we have become pub quizzers again - we go to the Greyhound on Sundays nights to try their quiz. It is good fun - and always involves a picture round and four random catagories. We started quite badly - but are improving! Also - we get free sandwiches and pork pies :-)

I've been to see a couple of films recently at the cinema - as I read a report in Men's Health that if you go to the cinema once a month you are 62% less likely to be anxious or depressed.  So for Valentine's Day Nathan took me to see a lovely romantic  zombie film. You may not think that possible, but the RomZomCom is a recognised genre. It was called Warm Bodies and was basically Romeo and Juliet with zombies.

It features Nicholas Hoult, who has been in Skins and was the boy in the Hugh Grant film About a Boy.  It was really, really good. We both enjoyed it too in different way. Would recommend it highly.

I also went to see A Song for Marion - a real weepie. I went with my good friend Janet and we both came out with red eyes! A lovely film too in its way. All about the life-affirming qualities of music and singing. Maybe I should join a choir like Janet. :-)

Visiting the Mayor

New to this? Check out the First Post

Hello again. Can't believe the last week went by so fast! I haven't even finished telling you about the week before! But, I was back at work and the week flew by in a flash.

Nathan still hasn't received his toys - I mean PRIZES from his win last week. However - to keep us amused he features in the winners video. Have a look here: http://appgenerator.creativebloq.com/#video

I am very proud :-) He has been asked if he'll be interviewed for one of their magazines too - next week.

Our week of excitement didn't end in London though - oh no! On the Friday evening when we got back - we were invited to the Mayor's Parlour in Newcastle. Oh yes - we do move in exalted circles :-)



Interesting Night Out :-)

The Mayor was entertaining the parish councils - a couple at a time I think. So Silverdale PC was asked to go for "drinks and nibbles" at the Civic Offices. Not all members could attend to N and I decided to go along to make sure we were well represented. You were allowed to take your other half.

When we first arrived our coats were hung up and two gentlemen in white glove handed us drinks.





We had a look round his parlour, signed the guest book and peered into his cabinets full of glinting silver and gold. I was fascinated by the Mayoral Mace - and was running my fingers over its fine engraving when one of the gentlemen in white gloves closed the cabinet up with a polite cough.



What's behind the Door?

We were invited to go to the ante-room and enjoy the snacks prepared for us. There was a very fine large pork pie - that we wee assured was made locally and didn't contain horse.  Some very tasty sausage rolls as well and prawn crackers crisps and nuts. Went very nicely with the white wine.



Some of the Ceremonial Jewellery

While we were eating, the Mayor Mr David Becket  (who sports a very fine set of mutton chop whiskers) gave us all an A4 sheet of paper that had the Newcastle-under-Lyme coat of arms on it. He explained what all the different parts of it represented - including the tree on top with the two young goats next to it. That was put there when Kidsgrove  joined the Borough. It was interesting - and he was helped by his wife Anne who also told us something of the duties of a mayor. It seems that they are only Mayor/Mayoress until May. They have enjoyed it although at one point Anne did say that they did attend a LOT of carol concerts!!

He showed us the Mace - which no-one else is allowed to touch only the High Constable of the Borough. (Ooops - that's why the chap closed the cabinet up so quickly when I was playing with it!)
He said that there was a lot of valuable chains of office and other ceremonial jewellery around and we were free to wander the corridors and have a good look.



Some Previous Incumbents

The Untouchable Mace :-)

We had another drink and some more nibbles and enjoyed looking around and chatting to the other people from Kidsgrove PC. One of their councillors and his wife turned out to be the parents of someone who went to school with Nathan. he caught up a bit with them! Then when the Mayoress came over to chat it turns out she used to be the head of the Maths department at his school too. So he didn't feel out of place at all! In fact I think we were the last to leave!

Small world?




It had been a really good night - different - but good!


On Saturday we went to The Queen's Arms in Freehay to celebrate my parents wedding anniversary. Can you believe they have been married for 56 years?

We had a very nice lunch with my brother Dom and his wife Sharon and Sarah their daughter. The Queen's Arms is one of my dad's favourite places to eat - and we have to say the food is very good.

Okay - next week we are on a diet!

Creative Bloq Awards - London

 New to this? Check out the First Post

Nice empty train :-)

 Laura was nice and got up early to get Nathan and me to the station in time for our train to London. We went on London Midland - a slower but cheaper train! I like being on a train and find this so much more relaxing than the business people-full speeding trains of Virgin. There was lots of room, we got a table and it was all very nice. I could savour my hot chocolate and had time to read all my newspaper and do the crossword!



Seems a bit harsh. I put 50p in!

We arrived in the Capital just before 12 noon. In time for lunch!! Nathan took me to a pub, The Phoenix that he had discovered with his friend Martin. He said the food was great - so we thought we wold give it a go. It is also the place where Mitch Benn  holds his Distraction Club nights (if you are a fan of his - he is regularly heard on The Now Show on Radio 4)

We could tell it was a place of comedy - by the many signs around the place. We ordered food and Nathan got out the laptop we'd brought because he was having a bit of a panic that Interference wasn't working properly just as the judges could be looking at it! There didn't seem to be much activity on the game - but he had a look and all seemed to be well.

So we could settle down to enjoy our meal. I had half a chicken with red wine gravy and chips - very tasty! Nathan had some of their famous barbecued "pulled pork". I tried a bit and it was delicious!

Something a bit different I suppose!



Nathan makes music at the Science Museum

We had the afternoon to ourselves as the Awards Ceremony didn't start until 6.30pm. We had decided to go and visit the Science Museum as we had seen on the news that they had a new exhibit of a Bionic Man. A robot that was made up of all the best and latest technology in replacement body parts. The place was pretty busy - lots of school parties with excited children. It was good to see them enjoying science. We enjoyed it ourselves. There was some kind of Google Lab - where you could had to get a tag from the machine as you went in and then you could try different experiments and record the results on your tag. Then, when you get home you can have a look at what you produced - video, sound or pictures just using a webcam and your PC. There were musical instruments played remotely from a screen - some were being played over the web from all over the world. There was constant music in the room. You could compose a sequence yourself and record it - and put it on your tag.

A good likeness do you think?

 

My favourite part was  where you could be drawn  by a robot! You had to have your photo taken, then the computer turned it into a line drawing then a robotic arm drew your portrait in the sand. I managed to get a photo of mine before it as wiped and it started to draw the next one.

We did find the bionic man eventually - but they would not allow us to take photos. It did look amazing - we decided we must watch the C4 documentary about it - so we can see it in action rather than just in a glass case.

This one is better :-)

Nathan in sand

By the time we'd seen all this it was going dark outside and I was ready for a sit down! We decided to get over to Shoreditch, where Modern Jago is situated, then find a nice pub to have a drink and a rest before the awards ceremony at 6.30pm.

Happily there was a Brew Dog bar just round the corner! Brew Dog are a Scottish brewery and I think they hold some kind of record for the strongest beer in the world! It was called The End of History and is 55% and comes served from a stuffed squirrel. Aaaaanyway - we didn't have that as we didn't want to turn up to this event already wasted!

N tried some Trashy Blond (no comments please!) and I was offered several tasters before I found one I could actually drink. The first taster was Pineapple Sour" which was way too sharp to drink without stripping off your stomach lining, then I tasted some raspberry beer - far too hoppy and bitter. I eventually settled on a light-coloured ale that tasted of apples and cinnamon. That's the only problem with this bar - it only served beer!


It was raining as we set off up the road to find Modern Jago. I think I mentioned in a previous blog that it is situated inside an old school. It is beautiful inside - you can tell designers work here!

Magical Modern Jago

 It was nice to see that we were on the list - so they let us in! We left our coats in the cloakroom and headed over to the bar as directed by the lovely Marsha who welcomed us in thee. She works for Future Publishing - the hosts of the awards.

N had a beer and I had a white wine - all free. Waitresses were circulating with canapés. The micro fish and chips and burgers were lovely - and so were the smoked salmon ones and the spicy hot crackers. Not sure what was on those!

We met Richard again. he was the really nice guy who made the Font Picker app. He was also on the shortlist! It was nice to see him and catch-up with what he'd been doing since we saw him back in October at the Windows 8 Launch.


They are projecting our tweets!

It wasn't long before the old school bell was rung and everyone's attention was focussed on the stage where representatives from Microsoft and Future Publishing were going to announce the 10 finalists.

We held our breath as three winners were announced - then we heard the word INTERFERENCE and Nathan was called up onto the stage to receive his prize! I can't remember what they said that they liked about the game - but I am sure that they had said they were recording the ceremony. When they send us the link I will post it on this blog. Also Richard won too - with his Font Picker! The judges said that it was "indispensable for every designer"

Although we didn't win the Grand Prize - we were very happy to be a Top 10 App as N has put so much time and work into this game. We have more than 13,000 players now and some amazing artists! Even if you don't want to play - have a look at some of the pictures being produced - in just 10 minutes!! We have a great community on there too - from all over the world.


 Nathan has won a Lumia 920 phone, an Ultrabook laptop and a Windows 8 Tablet. Not sure exactly which ones until they arrive!

They will all help him develop the game for other platforms. Very useful for the business :-)

Nathan won!!

 After that it was party time! Nathan was interviewed by Future - they are also going to put the interviews onto their website. Also a really nice, very enthusiastic guy called Andrew came to find us to ask us all about Interference

He works for Microsoft and said that he was so happy that a game had won. It was the only one! He wants to keep in contact with Nathan and do all he can to help with promotion of the game and getting out to a wider audience.

That was the best prize!

( I loved the way he was describing our spare bedroom as an "Indie Studio" )

So we enjoyed a little more /beer/wine and some tiny chocolate brownies covered in glitter and then got the bus through rainy London over to Stoke Newington where the lovely Heidi and Si live. They had offered to put us up for the night. We took beer and Maltesers and continued to celebrate! Well, N and Si celebrated by playing Call of Duty Black Ops.

It had been a very good day :-)

 

Waiting for the Announcement

Nathan interviewed by Future Publishing



The Prizes are in the post.... :-)