Brighton & Hove Albion Art Buying Guide

Now Brighton has been promoted to the Premier League, and not long to go until our first season in the premier league, here are some cool Seagull related gift ideas. If you have any suggestions on what can be added to this list let me know

Knockaert On Top Tee or Sweet
£25 via Art of Football

It's a nice chip! Classic Book Cover by headfuzzbygrimboid
£5.61 - £12.02 via Etsy Shop

Essential Elements by TommySauce
£9.99 via Etsy Shop

Book Clubs by TommySauce
£9.99 via Etsy Shop

The Falmer Stadium Print by Jamie B Edwards
£39 or £59 (unframed or framed) via Urban Colours

Brighton Bricks Shop Window Competition

Lego Shop Window Competition

I run Brighton Bricks an adult fan of Lego group and have an idea of a Lego Shop Window Competition to do sometime this year

The idea is shops in North Laine area of Brighton have a Lego Minifigure hidden in their shop window, we then encourage people to hunt for these figures, and mark down on a form which shop has the Batman figure in it etc.

This is a way to raise awareness of both Brighton Bricks as well as shops in the local area, which hopefully encourage people to visit your shop

At the moment it is an idea stage but want to know what shops maybe interested in taking part

Also if each shop could donate a very small amount we should have enough money to buy some good Lego Sets which could be prizes

If this is successful we could run it again, either in same area or different part of Brighton / Hove  

You can check out Brighton Bricks on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram  

Singing for Sanctuary- Sat 28th Jan

You are invited to join a sea of voices Singing for Sanctuary in the magnificent St Bartholomew’s Church, Brighton this Saturday 28th January 2017 for a massed choir fundraising event.

 https://www.facebook.com/events/228176194210775/?ti=icl 

Singing for Sanctuary is a community, open-access event for those who love singing together to support the efforts of charities who work with people living in challenging situations.

This is our first year and we have chosen the charities RISE UK, Voices in Exile and Miss Represented to sing for.

We are absolutely delighted that Peggy Seeger, the Radio 2 Award winner for Best Original Song for Swim to the Star, supports Brighton Sings. Peggy says:

“Every song a gem, hopeful and inclusive. Everyone singing every one of the songs.  Every pound made donated to charity. The start of a trend that will spread to everywhere. Heart-warmers: the concept, the songs, the singers.”  Peggy Seeger

Featuring a diverse repertoire of song – from shape note to blues, Brazilian jazz to South African solidarity, and folk to (choral) big beat and including choral contributions from folk legend Peggy Seeger and gospel great John Mark Harrison intertwined with performances by local singer songwriter, Mike Reinstein and Brazilian musician and artist, Gui Tavares.

Our choir have been rehearsing independently and attendingworkshops to ensure a gorgeous four-part harmony performance for you.

Brighton Sings is a brand new movement for Brighton – one which we hope will become an annual event.

Bright Green Penguin's 2016 Review

Wow, what a year 2016 has been. What with Brexit, Trump and the seeming endless list of celebrities who died it doesn't appear to be a good year. BUT I want to focus on what I think was good about 2016.

Favourite Highlight of the Year

The South Coast Challenge. Walking 100km / 60 miles in 24 hours 22 mins was the main highlight of the year. Especially raising £1461.03 for the great Sussex charity RISE.
Walking from Eastbourne starting early morning, along the cliffs at Beachy Head, and then along the South Downs to Brighton, and the half way point in Hove, where we had food and set off again with headtorches for the 2nd half where you were walking through the night, until you reached Arundel.

Highlights include

• The beautiful scenery of the South Coast
• Joining up with another Nick for the 2nd half, who really helped me when walking through the night.  
• The amazing support from people, on the walk, as well as friends and family before and during.
• The amazing support from RISE and giving me the cool orange hoodie
• The training walks, getting to discover Sussex, as well as listening to lots of great podcasts

Favourite Podcast

The Cycling Podcast - All about cycling, and having been a Tour de France fan for years, this has really help me expand my knowledge about this great sport. Hosted by three journalists and some friends, they give a friendly and enthusatic telling of the news and issues in the cycling world. Also by donating £10 a year you can become a friend of the podcast and have access to special podcasts. Some of the 2016 highlights include Ep2 The Rise and Demise of HTC-High Road, Ep 7 Operacion Puerto: The Day the Tour Almost Died, and E8 Mount Ventoux: Heat, Wind & Fear. Read More. Available via iTunes

A few other favourite podcasts

• Serial
• This is Not A Fish 

Favourite Films of 2016

Things That Prove Life in 2017 Will Be Better Than We Thought

• Library of Things - Friendly space in West Norwood where you can borrow, share and learn with your community. Read More
• Share Your Story - Not for profit group in Brighton and Hove providing a space to hear people's stories, to inspire us to live better ones ourselves. Read More
• Foodshed Cook & Creche Course - Foodshed running courses for families who want to learn how to cook, whilst their children play in the next room. Read More
• Brighton Etsy Team - One of my highlights was the Brighton Etsy Christmas Market at the Corn Exchange in Dec. If you are a creative, and on Etsy but don't follow them, then do so now. Read More
• City Reads - Promoting shared reading across communities in Brighton and Hove. Read More
• The People's Fridge - Community Fridge in Brixton where people can give and take spare food. Read More about them on Twitter
•  #justacard - a Brilliant twitter campaign to encourage people to support local shops & independent creatives 
• #Bright50 & #BrightFuture Campagin by ZSTa an architect firm based in Brighton, all about how we can improve our city  

Favourite Articles of 2016

Some of my favourite articles/news stories I shared via Twitter/Facebook this year, and via my Flipboard book

• Artist Turns A Cement Mixer Into A Giant Disco Ball - via Bored Panda. Read More
• The Good Gym appear on the BBC. Read More
• 6p a Minute Cafe - via BBC. Read More
• Artist wearing every piece of trash he creates for 30 days. See More
• Brighton For Nerds (featuring my Brighton Bricks) via We Love Brighton. Read More
• 7 Things To Say To Young Girls That Isn't About Them Being Cute - via Buzzfeed. Read More
• Street Pantry Invites People to Leave Goods for Those in Need - via Huffington Post. Read More
• Haircuts for the Homeless - via BBC. Read More
• Host A Silent Reading Party - via Book Riot. Read More

Favourite TV Shows of 2016

Comic Book

One of the things I have got back into this year is comic books, and below are some of the series I have enjoyed.

And a few other highlights 

• Heroes Run - I ran this race as The Flash this year. Race is raising money for education projects in Africa. A rest in 2017 but will be back for 2018. Read More
• Lou Reed's Drones - part of Brighton Festival. Read More
• World Book Night - I gave out books as part of a care package to rough sleepers in Brighton. Read More about World Book Night

Last Post Before The Walk #SouthCoastChallenge

This time tomorrow I will be walking from Eastbourne to Arundel, 60 miles along the coast & South Downs. Hopefully on my way to the halfway point at Brighton 

Wanted to do one last post before the walk, talking about how I felt training went, what I could have done better, and more importantly how I feel about tomorrow 

Scared is the first response. Scared is the Unknown, scared about not knowing how my body will react  

But I'm also trying to use this as a positive thing as well, as someone who is a bit of a control freak, going into the unknown like this & being able to cope with it is great therapy  

I started off this journey as a challenge after the last couple of bad years I have had. 3 surgeries in two years for three different things, has affected my fitness, also the way I felt about my health & life. At times in dark places. So deciding to take on this challenge, which when I signed up felt unreal like it was an event which was so far away, I didn't have to think about the reality  

I also like training, and the routine of training. I can use my organiser to work out what I have to do when (I use Wunderlist) & also my spreadsheets charting how far I have walked, how many mins I have spent on rower or what weights lifting in gym. 

My training has been mix of gym working on aerobic  & muscles, and long walks. I enjoy the long walks, listening to music, podcasts etc, chance to think and come up with ideas on how to save the planet (nothing on that quite yet but have thought of a cool cycling card game which I want to think more about)

I have been doing my weekly training blogs, and have no idea if anyone reads them (or even reading this) but it helps me feel better.

Want to thank everyone who sponsored me. I have found the fundraising harder than I thought. Back in 2007 & 2008 when I was doing London Marathon found it easier. I think it is the fact more people are doing charity events nowadays & it is hard to support everything.  

What would I have done differently? Would have got walking boots / walking sticks earlier, walking boots was about half way into training & walking sticks towards the end. Would have done more stair training 

But overall I am happy with my training, I fear I haven't done enough but I feared that when doing the London Marathons, the Moonwalk, London to Brighton Night Ride, Beachy Head Marathon & they all worked out. I know I have put the hours in. Could they have been harder, of course but that is always the answer. You can always go harder but that is next time 

I started running in 2006, to loose weight but it was the mental health benefits which carried me on. The feeling after a good run, and I get that after a good walk now. I'm looking forward to the feeling of finishing, the feeling of walking at night with just headtorches & moonlight to guide us.

Want to say a massive thank you to Claire, who I couldn't have done this without her support. She is amazing & love her so much.  

Will try to tweet / Facebook update when I can tomorrow but will write a blog saying how it went on Sunday/Monday

Final Weeks of #SouthCoastChallenge

The race is near, so near in fact in a weeks time it is all over. 

So in the tampering down stage of my training. So here are some of my highlights 

Wednesday 17th Aug - 55 min walk  

 https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1311516972

Friday 19th Aug - 45 mins walk

 https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1311517004

Saturday 20th Aug - 1 Hour Row & then a 2 & half hour walk 

 https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1312670627

And training for this week

Mon 22nd - 30 mins Aerobic  

Tue 23rd - Rest

Wed 24th - 30 min Walk

Thur 25th - Rest

Fri 26th - 30 min Walk

Sat 27th - The Race

Results of Week 12 & 13 Training #SouthCoastChallenge

Due to the 10 hour walk I did last Sunday was too knackered to do my training blog, so here is the blog of the last two weeks training.

If you not aware I am doing a 100km walk on the August Bank Holiday weekend, raising money for Sussex based charity RISE

Sponsor me at
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/NickBright100km

Week 12 - Training
Mon 1st - Rest
Tue 2nd - 52 mins on the mini indoor bike at home
Wed 3rd - Rest
Thur 4th - 30 min walk outside
Fri 5th - Rest
Sat 6th - Rest
Sun 7th - 10 hour 4 mins Walk covering 32.19 miles. Walking from Brighton to Lewes to Newhaven and back to Brighton. Bit misty and suffered quite a bit. 

Week 13 - Training
Mon 8th - Rest
Tue 9th - Rest
Wed 10th - Gym - 10 mins indoor bike, 20 mins rowing, and then couple of weights machines
Thur 11th - Gym - 21 mins indoor bike, 10 mins rowing, some weights and finished off with a 5 min 55 sec run outside covering 0.66 miles
Fri 12th - Rest
Sat 13th  - 4 hour 15 miles Walk covering 13.80 miles. Walked from Hassocks to Brighton
Sun 14th  - 2 hour 5 mins Walk covering 6.22 miles. Walked with Claire along the seafront past the marina

And here is what I am planning to do next week

Week 14th - Training Plan
Mon 15th - Rest
Tue 16th - 30 mins Aerobic
Wed 17th - Rest
Thur 18th - Cross Training
Fri 19th - Rest
Sat 20th - 2 Hour Walk
Sun 21st - Rest

Summary
Less than 2 weeks to go now, so tapering down. Though as doing a rowing challenge in October, I am making sure I don't rest too much. Will be concentrating on rowing machine. This week's long walks went well, showing me the 10 mile was just a one off. Feeling confident again.

Feels unreal this is going to happen. That will be walking 60 miles, will be walking for under 24 hours (hopefully)

#Bright50 The Future of Brighton & Hove

#Bright50 is Bright Ideas to Making Brighton Better. This idea has started from ZST Architects, a local firm who encourage sustainable and ecological design principles as part of their work flow. Having worked on regeneration projects in the area they wanted to get ideas from visitors and residents about what they wanted to improve in the city and then use their contacts to start a conversation

www.zsta.co.uk/bright50/

So if you on Twitter share your ideas with the hashtag #Bright50 and be part of the change

They are looking to get a portfolio of Bright Ideas together to display in September. 

I have been thinking of ideas myself, everything from specific places to more general concepts on how we can improve public spaces. Have created a ideas board on Pinterest - check it out here

I will be adding to this post with the questions I am thinking about, but here are a few of my thoughts

How can we make spaces social and interactive
But also how can we allow spaces for all people, regardless of age, sex, class, etc
What about space which allow shy people to interact
Can we use space to encourage people to recycle
Let's show how important play / creativity is, and encourage all people to take part

The Week That Was 250716

A few images of the week commencing 25/7/16  

Dynamite Gallery  

Brighton Street Art

Me at the gym training for the 100km walk  

Pro Cycling Trumps 2016 set which I got this week  

Day of my Lip Sync collecting raffle prizes  

Day of my Lip Sync collecting raffle prizes

Day of my Lip Sync collecting raffle prizes

Day of my Lip Sync collecting raffle prizes

Old Lego found in Brighton Open Market

Free Air  

Day of my Lip Sync collecting raffle prizes from Dice Saloon 

Jim'll Paint It at Prescription Gallery  

My Lip Sync event at The Joker

My Lip Sync event at The Joker

My Lip Sync event at The Joker

My Lip Sync event at The Joker

Horse manure for sale - as found on my walk today  

Wet weather on my Brighton to Lewes and back walk  

The Indian War Memorial on the South Downs  

Loving the Ziggy Snoopy print  

The wooden oyster in Shoreham on my walk  

Brighton to Shoreham & Back training walk  

Brighton to Shoreham & Back training wal

Brighton to Shoreham & Back training wal

Exclusive Lego sets at Toys R Us  

Brighton street art  

My July Lego minifigure display  

Charity Raffle - Raising Money for Rise

You maybe aware I'm am doing a 100km walk at the end of August, raising money for Sussex based charity Rise

I am holding a raffle, which tickets can be bought online (see below) and having extended the raffle from my recent charity night I be looking at an venue/event this month to draw the tickets (Any suggestions please let me know)

Tickets are £2 each, and you can buy tickets in advance by donating to my Justgiving page

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/NickBright100km

And in the comments section say Raffle tickets, and a contact email address, and I will then email you photos of your raffle tickets.

Prizes include

Print by Linescapes
http://linescapes.co.uk

Seedbombs from Foodshed
www.foodshedbrighton.com

Prints by Leighisinkpixel
www.etsy.com/shop/leighisinkpixel

Lunch for 2 at Chilli Pickle
http://thechillipickle.com

Books by Queen Spark Books
http://queensparkbooks.org.uk

£30 voucher for Fatta a Mano
www.fattoamanopizza.com

Star Wars Print from Manic Minotaur 

http://manicminotaur.com

and Prizes from

Dice Salon
www.dicesaloon.com

Made Brighton
www.madebrighton.com

Painting Pottery Cafe
www.paintingpotterycafe.co.uk

Present in the Lane
www.presentinthelaine.com

Bedsit Games
www.bedsitgames.co.uk

Just DayDreaming
www.justdaydreaming.com

Bison Beer
http://bisonbeer.co.uk

Art Shop and Pottery https://www.artshopandpottery.com/

Any questions email me at nick@brightgreenpenguin.com