A little catch up on some things I have been up to lately. It was my birthday on the 27th of May and I turned 35. It was a good but incredibly busy week socially on top of a really busy week at work so everything that wasn’t sleeping, already arranged social engagements and finishing up stuff ready for North West Zine Fest fell by the wayside.
Some highlights of my birthday and surrounding days
(I didn’t really take many pics so there wont be many in this post)
☆ I went to see the Alice’s Adventures Underground play in London which was really fun and well put together. It was part play and part interactive experience. We went in at our specified time spot and then got separated off further into smaller groups. Each group had a different story although there was a lot of cross over. I would definitely recommend checking it out while it’s still on. The location under London Bridge works really well too.
☆ I went to see the Julie Ruin (also in London) The gig was wonderful – it has been so inspiring to see this band and Sleater-Kinney play this year and to be reminded that there is nothing at all stopping me making music except for my own fear.
I managed to not see anyone else I knew who was going though sadly and we had to dash off very fast after the gig to make the last train back to Coventry (on which we had a fairly eventful journal speaking to a lovely lady from New York who then missed her stop – eek!)
☆ I went to Birmingham with Joe and ate at Café Soya, brought stamps and browsed bookshops (aka my favourite type of day out)
☆ I went to NWZF and debuted my new zine (Rebel Rebel) I didn’t make it to any workshops in the end. I heard really good stuff about them all though. I had a lovely day hanging out with old friends and chatting to some new people. I really enjoyed tabling in between Emma Jane and Emily (who writes D&D virgin) so thanks to both. I shared my table with my friend Sarah who was selling her zines and some super cute brooches she made. She gifted me her last one at the end of the day so it wouldn’t be a lonely typewriter on it’s own.
I found my scrappy list of possible things to do this year on my phone earlier and one of the items was having a zine fest in Coventry. Going to NWZF made me want to do this. I did go to a zine fest in Coventry this year BUT it wasn’t really a positive experience for me. It came over as more of a self publishing/small press fair and I was looking for something more DIY/radical/not for profit. I can’t relate to events where an A5 photocopied zine is being sold for £5.
☆ On my actual birthday I had to work but look at allll the vegan chocolate and sweets that my work colleagues gave me. They also got me a lovely coloring book, new pencils and some Alice stickers and post-its. I felt really spoiled and also like they very much get me!
☆ and finally, I went to see the Moomins on the Rivera film which was lovely. The voices seemed a little weird at first but I soon got used to them and it was just a lovely relaxing film to watch on a Sunday morning.