In Holborn area and Photoshop Training

Doodle

In town yesterday for a City Lit course on Photoshop, as I arrive a little early I took a few pictures in the area - this my favourite back of Courts of Justice (Carey Street)

Royal Courts of Justice on Carey Street -red  'phone boxes and that sad blight the concrete anti-terrorist barriers 

A historic shop

And developments 

The area is under redevelopment (as so much of London is) Carey Street area has some nice looking old pubs (with proper names) and shops (like the Silver Mousetrap, founded in 1690 shown).

The White Horse

George IV

Since completing a Photoshop intro' (at RHACC)  a few months back and taking up 'Student' offer on CC (creative cloud) software I feel I've not really got to grips with this package and the amazing possibilities it offers.

A phrase Theresa might regret?

 I suppose the issue is in a way that it does too much!

 Anyway will put some effort in between Week 1 (yesterday) and next lesson.

Here's a birthday card idea (not mine) and one that is ..

Screen has a lot going on

My idea under construction

It's RHACC now (and another Ms May)

A selection of my 'Craft/Art'

The Saturday that's just gone (yesterday)  and I was at Richmond Adult Community College - recently merged with Hillcroft it's become RHACC (which for me is a much a less memorable acronym).

I was there last year and quite enjoy it despite making a small-ish net loss I hope to do it again in 2018.

Neat Table Top Easel

The 'Fair' gave me a chance to use my new Table Top Easels that I got via e-bay -I'm really please with them the Essex 242.

Plenty of visitors but perhaps not close enough to Christmas for people to be panic buying (as yet) - there's often voices at this sort of event that feel that if they were on a different stall or nearer something or other perhaps they'd sell more - I'm not sure what the secret formula is but I do have respect for High Street sellers that shift product.

This week there's been plenty of news about US President Trump and is (it seems) ill advised Tweet regarding Far Right UK political group - seems he tweeted to Theresa May (but the wrong one) - I was entertained to find that there's another one too at RHACC responsible for safeguarding.

Another Theresa May 

The Ex-Students were in the Theatre 

I was labelled as a 'Fine Art Photographer'  -I love the place

Social Media Training

RACC has been adapted to fulfil it's goals

I suppose the Millennials and people around this group know all about Social Media by both by shared experiences amongst their peer groups  as well as training.


I'm often an early adopter of the applications that help us communicate but my own experience has been a little ad-hoc to date.


I was fortunate enough to hear about a course that could have been designed just for me and it was held not too far from home at RACC (A college in Richmond West London).


This really was a chance to speak, listen  and learn from someone who had been on a journey from the corporate marketing world to a One man band type of operation where he was able to get the chance to put into action what he picked up on the value of Social Media.

Julian Holden (for that was the name of the course leader - as you'd expect he's all over the web) started by hearing what the four 'students' wanted from the day giving some background on his own career.

Think about the people, the platforms and the message

The course wasn't about SEO (Search engine optimization) but usefully Julian did touch on it - there are always Buzz words in these techie type fields.


I'm on Facebook, Twitter and have a blog and like one of the other participants  on the course I've not pulled these different elements  together so it was great to look at this and always see what the low effort way of using Facebook might be (create a 'public' page under your profile - open to all 'users') .


What I need to do now is investigate some of the 'Social Media Desktops' - there are free ones to start with like a basic version of Hootsuite.


And of course the thing to do (which I'm bad at) is look at what is effective - and that's not necessarily what you like (Sprout Social was mentioned).

The Money Pot

Another 'round-ish' figure -£260

At Richmond Adult Community College Craft Fair (RACC)

An early start

Yesterday was a long day for me (hence no blog) and slightly pleasurable too.

Oddly it seemed at the time I was invited to have a stall at the fair of the RAAC- when I invited a friend (Gordon Cookson) who I was at a shared OPEN studios venue (BEAT) in September he agreed and the die as they say was set.

As is generally the case for any event like this I'm keen to arrive early and make sure all is as it should be (and to secure parking).

Well the good news is that the event was pretty well organised - fly in the ointment being the rather wobbly screens .

Oldy but goldy

Quite a lot of passers-by in evidence and some good chats, sadly though only one sale - but this to a really charming lady and talented, prize winning  ceramicist Jadwiga Low  - she was selling Angel Wings as (mainly) tree decorations.

What I particularly like about her (and was extremely flattered by) was that she asked me to sign the print - it was from a couple of years back and was of Donkeys.

 I also got a chance to have a good chat with Sue Harper who had a stand at the Fair and had taught me Framing at the college some 2 or so years ago - really good advice from her on various topics.

I enjoyed the event and think though I am still very much in a learning phase.

And a wobbly stand.

A shared stand.

Come and see us

Richmond is where it's at

I have said previously that Zac Goldsmith was far from an identikit Tory and this is still my belief - look unlike Boris who said he wouldn't stand for Westminster while he was London Mayor - Zac has kept his word (and lost his seat).

He too was the future once.

In truth I don't think Zac is a genuine  Tory - but he gauged the mood of his constituents wrongly and I'm not too sure that Theresa will be that sorry to see him go (despite reports to the contrary) .

 Having an opposition MP as a thorn in your side is probably marginally more comfortable than one of your own party taking the moral high ground - and it is only a by-election.

What we have now is a 'remain-er' anti-Heathrow MP in West London - let's hope for some more.

And Tomorrow ..

It's about Richmond too - as long as I can get up in the morning I'll be half of one of the best doubl;e acts since Ant and Dec at Richmond Adult Community College  with a stall featuring Photography by me and turned Wood by Gordon Cookson..

See you then

Gordon will be there 

And so will I

Come and see us tomorrow at Richmond Adult Community College (TW9 2RE)