Yes, it's all excellent while it's happening, but if your hangover is stretching into a third day  you are either old or you severely overdid it (both for me. Not only did I make an absolute moron of myself, but can remember all of about twelve hours from the whole festive period). I'm not writing this to make us all feel worse though, I am in fact going to try to make it all better. 

Okay...Here are ten reasons to feel great - no matter what happened over the last seven days 
(exceptions to be made if you lost any limbs - it's highly unlikely that a list of feel good factors will perk you up / you became bankrupt / or any other seriously shocking things. The following list may be of no help at all, apart from number 2 and the quote on number 10)

1. God. I've just realised I have ten positive statements to come up with and have gone blank. 

2. Okay...Here is one. At Redcar Urban Arts, we are doing a Buy One Get One Free offer on 10 x 10 canvases. This means, that for just twenty five pounds (the reason I typed out the whole number in text, is because for some stinking reason the pound sign doesn't work on this keyboard) you can get TWO canvases!! The only catch is, the offer stops at 30 people! To make this easier for you, you can tag an image from your facebook account to ours and we'll get it printed up for you within a couple of days. I'm sure you all have some cracking photos from over Christmas?! It's a good deal so grab it quick.

[That was supposed to be my grand finale of this post, but I got writers block. I really do want to share some feel good things too though...]

3. If the world is really going to end in 2012 - what's the point in worrying about anything AT ALL? Hell, let's all go mental! Who cares if you want to do your shopping naked or eat rice crispies all day? Tell people what you truly think about them and sing out loud to Jimmy Nails Crocodile Shoes. [If the world doesn't end, you may always be known as that freak that went mental back in 2012 - and you may have no friends left...but at least you were being true to yourself].

4. We have the new year to look forward to. I love a new year me. You can have a fresh start, set new goals and hibernate until spring time. Spring time is great. 

5. Now is a good time to think about where you might go on holiday. Even if you're short on cash there are some good alternatives such as camping, hitch-hiking around Europe, being a stowaway on a royal mail train or you could just become enlightened and travel far and wide in spiritual realms. The world's your oyster. (I actually don't get that? what does an oyster have to do with it? And why would you want to be trapped in a shell anyway? Answers most welcome).

6. All them smellies you got for Christmas? Pour the lot of them in the bath and get off your head. (Right, I'm clearly clutching at straws here. I think I need ten minutes and then I'll come back to it).

7. January. Do one crazy thing in the month of January. Why? Because it's dull and it'll inject a bit of je ne sais quoi back into your life. Me and my brother are thinking of re-creating a scene from Monty Pythons Holy Grail: you know the horse and the coconut thing? We might do that through the town one day. I'll let you know if we come up with something better. 

8. Look back over the past year and think about all the cool things that have happened. Yeah, I'm sure we all cringe at a few unsavoury situations we've been in, but what's wrong with giving yourself a pat on the back for all the things that DID go well? If nothing else, a few lessons have been learned, you're older and wiser and you can do everything better this time around. 

9. Festivals! Yep, we have summer to look forward to all over again. I have a confession. I ran out of 'feel-good' things and googled 'what to look forward to in 2012' and festivals was one of them. I wonder if they'll be doing Redcar Rocks again this year? It would be brilliant if they brought that tomato throwing one they have in Spain to Redcar High Street!

10. You're going to see some cool changes to Redcar Urban Arts in the new year, but more on that later! (this wasn't a cop out, there really is going to be some good things happening) but just to leave you with one final thought of goodness for the day: "Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive."- Elbert Hubbard 

Happy New Year to you all and I hope that 2012 is a good one for you. Oh, one more thing, if you don't want to tag your picture to our page, you can email it to  urbanarts@virginmedia.com 


Kerry x

Okay, so today's blog post is about dogs and is inspired by my bosses dog, Boo (named after Boudicca, who was the Queen of the Iceni people of Eastern England in Roman times and was of a strong and noble character). She is a bluey-grey coloured staffy and is about two years old.

Some cool things to note about Boo:

If you put a keyboard under her paws when she gets excited she could easily play a tune. She can jump as high as a salmon out of water but you wouldn't believe this unless you saw it with your own eyes, she just springs into the air...at least five times higher than her own height! Crazy. Change isn't Boo's favourite thing, even a seemingly small change such as the sandwich board being moved to a different spot. How do we know she doesn't like this? Well, she won't go near it and hardly leaves her bed. She's not overly fond of loud noises (is this a dog thing in general though?) and another thing, you can actually see the emotions in her face. She frowns and smiles. My own family dog, Dennis (a Yorkshire Terrier) can laugh and if you ever catch him 'at it' with one of his teddies, he looks mortified! Perhaps it's not that much of a mad thing that dogs have expressions though? Maybe it's just me who thinks it's amazing. While I'm on the whole dog/human thing - did you know that over the years, dogs have evolved to look more human? By this I mean that the iris has gradually shrunk so that more white is on show, thus making a more human looking eyeball. It's true.

Back to Boo though. One day, a while back, I'd bought myself a colourful new scarf to celebrate being alive. When I walked into work wearing it, all cheery and at one with the world, Boo came bounding over...jumped up and grabbed the end of the scarf then started yanking at it, clearly having a great time...whilst I was choking. Ironic eh?

Anyway. I love Boo. She gives proper hugs and snuggles right into your neck...excellent on a baltic winters day! I look forward to coming into the shop to see her. We have loads of dog loving customers and a canny few of them get canvas prints of their pets too. Sadly, more often than not it is when they have passed away :-/ Maybe we could start a new trend of getting your dog on canvas before they cop it? ha. Just saying.

Anyway, here are some interesting facts about dogs in general:

1. The first dogs were self-domesticated wolves which, at least 12,000 years ago, became attracted to the first sites of permanent human habitation.

2. The Basenji is the world’s only barkless dog.

3. The smallest dog on record was a matchbox-size Yorkshire Terrier. It was 2.5" tall at the shoulder, 3.5" from nose tip to tail, and weighed only 4 ounces.

4. There are an estimated 400 million dogs in the world.

5. It is much easier for dogs to learn spoken commands if they are given in conjunction with hand signals or gestures.

6. Zorba, an English mastiff, is the biggest dog ever recorded. He weighed 343 pounds and measured 8' 3" from his nose to his tail.

7. Different smells in the a dog’s urine can tell other dogs whether the dog leaving the message is female or male, old or young, sick or healthy, happy or angry.

8. Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures.

9. 70% of people sign their pet's name on greeting and holiday cards.

10.  An elderly woman was saved by her 12-pound Yorkshire Terrier who fought off an 80-pound Akita and survived with only 9 stitches.

I'll leave the facts at ten, but let's take a moment to reflect on how cool dogs are [1 minute reflection]. Another thing though, although I do like dogs, I would still have a panic attack if I saw a big strange dog running towards me on a field/beach and I was on my own. So have a care for the sensitive souls out there while you're walking and if your dog has an attitude, keep it on a lead won't ya? Oh, cat's are cool too by the way!

Kerry x

The other night I was wrapped up warm in bed and got to wondering about the homeless people out on the streets at this time of year. I get annoyed when I can't get my pillows 'just right'. Imagine having to sit on an ice cold bench or pavement all night? I'm not saying this to induce guilty feelings though...I'll come to my point soon.
 
After one of my classes the next day, I came downstairs and noticed a big stall set up with loads of leaflets. Being nosy as usual, I walked over and started chatting. They were promoting a local service called Nightstop. In a nutshell - these people organise emergency accommodation for homeless, vulnerable young people aged 16-25 for up to three nights at a time. There are trained 'host' volunteers who offer a room in their own home, a hot meal, a friendly chat and safety.
 
I wondered how it would go down with my two housemates and landlord if I did this. Then remembered there is only a tiny settee on offer and we wear five layers of clothing around the house rather than switch the central heating on. So, that idea was out the window.
 
HOWEVER...
 
A more feasible (and landlord-friendly) way to help, is to donate clothing and toiletries. Imagine not being able to brush your teeth? Wash your hair? Now imagine how good it would feel to be welcomed into a warm friendly home after being hungry and cold for days...
 
When I finished chatting with these nice people, I went and bought some toothpaste, toothbrush, a toothbrush case (cool invention) and some shampoo then handed them in. It's not a totally selfless thing to do (and I'm no Mother Teresa by a long shot) as I got a buzz from feeling like I had done a good deed. It's nice to know you might have made someones life a little bit easier.
 
To put this into a more personal context, Kris, my colleague at the shop shared his own experience. At seventeen, he found himself homeless and there was only so many times he could rely on friends. Consider also, the fact that his self-esteem must have taken a battering to be in a situation where he felt so dependent on others his own age. Kris came to a point where he really needed help and was referred to Nightstop.   That same day, he had a meeting with one of their volunteers so that they could determine how best to help him [note: If the young person is a drug user or is having problems with alcohol abuse, they are signposted to experts who can deal with their specific needs]. In Kris's case [not having those issues, but being homeless nevertheless], a taxi came to collect him later that day and took him to his temporary home. He said that although he felt nervous, the host was friendly and welcoming - showing him around her house, making him a cup of tea, providing food and chatting with him. When it came to using the bathroom though, Kris said "If I'm staying in someones home, I'd feel bad using their things, so to be given a welcome bag made me feel loads better".
 
This 'welcome bag' is what is put together from all those donations. Even if you just donated some deodorant or some socks or gloves, it's all good. Every little helps! I must admit, I was suprised when Kris told me that he had used Nightstop himself. Kris is now a full time apprentice, doing a job he loves and has a flat. He had nothing but good things to say about the service and said "It put me back on my feet".
 
If you would like to make a donation (clothes, hats, toiletries etc) then you could take it to Nightstop, 17 Queen Street, Redcar or alternatively, drop it off in the shop and I could arrange for it to be collected. If you want to take this a step further, other options are:
 
-Volunteering
-Becoming a host
-Driving
-Befrienders
-Collecting and organising toiletries yourself
-Making a one-off/regular donation
-Taking a money box to use on behalf of Nightstop
-Arranging for a member of Nightstop to give a presentation at your workplace
 
Well, I think that covers most of what I had to say. It's Christmas people...and it's effing cold out there.
 
Kerry x

Andi is one of our regular customers and is a talented musician who sings and writes his own songs. As well as playing keyboard for well known local band Raging Jupiter, he is also successful in his own right, having been invited to the Phoenix Festival in Daventry this year to be the acoustic head-liner. He has played at Redcar Rocks which held it's first festival this year and is a regular at the Clevey Open Mic Night in Redcar on a Sunday. Andi was game enough to be my first ever (proper) interviewee :) So, without further ado...

Can you tell me about your music?
I play acoustic singer-song-writey stuff and all my music is based on emotions. Things that have gone on in my life, past relationships, depression. Vocals are the main focus and the guitar backs this up, rather than the other way around. For instance, Angel is heavy on lyrics. 

Tell me more about your lyrics?
I used to write a lot of poetry. People can relate to my lyrics I think. They are about the human experiences that most of us have. They're quite raw songs. 

What instruments do you play?
I play the keyboard, guitar, harmonica, drums, cello, violin, xylophone and the trumpet...but only one note on that. Oh, I also won a fiver bet for being able to play the didgeridoo. 

When did you first get into music?
I was seven years old when I had my first keyboard lesson off my granddad (but there is a video of me singing as young as two!) My granddad had the keyboard set up at his house and I used to play for hours. I was sixteen when I first started to play the guitar. Rather than strumming it though, I found I was picking out the chords because of all the keyboard training I'd had. It's a good thing though as it creates a unique sound. 

How about your first time on stage?
My first time on stage was at Primrose Valley in front of three thousand people. I was eight years old and it was a talent contest. I got the loudest clap from the audience, but unfortunately I lost to a fourteen year old girl! It was the buzz from that show that gave me the motivation to carry on with performing in front of a crowd. 

How do you feel before you get up on stage? Do you have any rituals?
I get excited about half an hour before going on stage. My ritual is usually to have a glass of lemonade and a Vocal Zone singing lozenge. I take them for when I do the falsetto stuff as my throat gets raspy if I don't. 

What do you get most out of performing?
I love the intimacy of just being on stage...me and my guitar. I also love being part of the band too, as you get that energy from being on stage with a group. I'd want to do small, intimate gigs if I become famous. 'Solo acoustic guy' doesn't work on a large scale. I'd much prefer to do it my own way with a stripped down sound. 

What's your favourite song to perform?
Creep by Radiohead. Even though I can't do bar chords, it still sounds good because I bring my own style to it. I use the bossa nova up strokes [I looked this up and it's a Brazilian style of music and just in case you're interested, the 'bossa' bit means to do something with particular charm and natural flair]. I think the way I play it suits my voice. I like doing my own songs too, obviously, especially Happy. 

What's your favourite cereal?
That would be Cinnamon Grahams. They used to be called Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Curious Cinnamon or something. Basically, I like my cereal with cinnamon in it. 

Best motto for life?
The most important thing is to be happy and to enjoy it. 

What are your ambitions?
I want the band [Raging Jupiter] to go far, but ultimately, my solo stuff is where my heart lies. I've got a load of ideas but I don't want to go into detail in case someone steals them. [He tells me and yes, stealable. It's a good job I'm an honourable character].

Best thing about Redcar?
The Clevey Open Mic Night on a Sunday. The people of Redcar in general...they are different from everywhere else. They actually give a damn about others. 

So, got any spooky experiences you'd like to share?
The number 1139 haunted me. It was the exact time that I met the love of my life. After that, whenever I looked at clocks, phones - anything that showed the time, it was 1139. Just after the festival in Daventry, dad was driving me back up north and as we were driving over a bridge, the bonnet flipped up and smashed the windscreen. We could have gone off the side of the bridge but luckily dad managed to stop us. When I managed to make a call to the AA, they said that the nearest junction was 1,139 metres away. 1139 seemed to follow me from the age of seventeen! It stopped after the car accident.

Any interesting ancestors?
Florence Nightingale. [Florence Nightingale??] Yep, my grandads, mothers, mothers cousin was Florence Nightingale. 

Any quirky talents?
I can lick my elbow.
[I can't]

Anything else you would like to share?
I'm recording an EP soon. It's going to be called 'Twenty Three Years of Experience'. [He will be recording this before he hits twenty four. Check out his facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/andigraingermusic.]

By Kerry :)