Allez-Allez

How difficult can it be to book one night in London and three nights in Paris for late March!?

Perhaps complicated by there being another 27 in the group it would have been easier to have beaten the Curiosity space ship to Mars (first French link as March in French is mars)!

But after several different itineraries which included returning to the Timhotel in Montmartre a previous group had stayed at, after wanting to look at four nights in Paris, having been offered and rejected a hotel on the Boulevard de Sébastopol and then another on Boulevard de Grenelle it was obvious FD wasn't going to get the trip it wanted.

Only option left open - change the date. Big shout here for Dot in Travel and the boys and girls of Adaptable travel for sorting the visit.

So, on Monday 20 February the group will leave Wigan and head south. Fingers crossed there will be an opportunity to visit one of the 'Worlds' preeminent design consultancy, one night in our usual hotel in London before setting off the following day from St. Pancras on Eurostar.

Gard du Nord by 2pm, hotel Excelsior in the Quartier Latin, on the BatoBus down the Seine alighting at the Place de Concorde, up the Avenue des Champs Elysées, dinner there and then over to the Eiffel Tower where the group intends to go right to the top!!!

Earlier in the week the editor sent télécopieurs to the Louvre and Pompidou to book the group in and already the Louvre have said oui!!

The plan is Wednesday in the Louvre - a must is to see the Mona Lisa - although it's not quite as exciting to feast an art lovers eyes upon - the afternoon will provide the opportunity for the group to sample the French capital - perhaps that evening the group will head up to Place du Tertre (the artist square) and Sacré-Coeur, some smashing places to eat and the Au Petit Comptoir do great crepes. Thursday via Notre Dame it'll be a day in the amazing Pompidou Centre. Celebratory final evening meal somewhere in the Quartier Latin, before packing the bags and heading home Friday - Twenty six students, the editor and deputy editor can't wait . . . . à bientôt.

Cannon Can!

Richard Ashcroft of the Verve with Brian Cannon

Even if you didn't rate the music of Oasis, the editor being a 'posh' scouser grew up with the Beatles and was never really convinced the Gallagher Brothers music was 'original' - there is no doubting that Oasis owned a ten year period from the mid-nineties.

What with Inspiral Carpets, New Order, Stone Roses, the Charlatans and perhaps a vague shadow thrown out by Verve and following on from the ground breaking Hacienda club Manchester became the capital of music. Maybe not with the same impact as the design work of Peter Saville, Brian Cannon can lay claim to being one of the most influential designers within that music scene.

But the editor is left wondering how many of you know Brian? Graphic designer, photographer and video director - maybe he is best know for his design consultancy Microdot . . . never heard of them?

Their design work sits on the shelf of every 'Manchester' music lover. He created the album covers for Oasis's Definitely Maybe, What's the Story Morning Glory and Be Here Now. He was also instrumental in the design of the Verve's Urban Hymns.

And why are we bringing this to your attention - word of thanks here to Mel Morris?

Well, yesterday Brian and Dave Halliwell (the manager of the Verve) opened a 'Pop-Up' photography studio and exhibition space for Microdot next to the old Shoe Zone shop in the Galleries and today Jayde Melling, a HND student from a year or two back said she had met up with Brain . . . and that was a real experience!!! http://www.microdotcreative.co.uk

The 'Studio' is there until 23 January - got to be worth popping along!

Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder

Funny isn't it how we like different things.

The editor suggested to both Years they should consider making their way to Liverpool, to the Walker Gallery, to cast their eyes on the Sir Peter Blake exhibition 'An Alphabet'.

A previous exhibition of his work in Tate Liverpool had been a fantastic success . . . his artwork for the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's album cover was one of the highlights.

A few weeks ago three students from FD1 visited the Walker to feast their eyes on the 26 silk screen prints.  One of the group, Emma Crook, said it was the best thing she had seen.

But no sooner had that endorsement been emailed around the group than two other students who travelled to Liverpool to view the work took the wind out of 'Pete's' sails . . . they thought it was 'pants'!

It wouldn't do to all be the same. The exhibition closes on 4 December.

You Can Lead a Horse to Water . . !

Not every student who starts a (now defunct) HND or FD Graphic Design course at Wigan School for the Arts ends up going into the industry. Some end up working for their fathers roofing company, others go on to manage Bon Marché or Lidl stores. I've known one go to China and teach English!

The editor having a penchant for cycling although gravity has the tendency to hold him back, recalls one particular student, then in ND Graphics, mocking his lycra-clad body!

Although the best designer in his year by some way - his UPS corporate Identity redesign coming in for particular praise - this young 'buck' so far hasn't found his way in to the design world.

But what he has managed to do, is become a very good cyclist - winning his first Third Category race around  Dolphinholme during the late summer. In the space of one racing season, having been sponsored by 'High-on-Bikes' and latterly MaxGear, Mike Ashurst has reached 2nd Category. A few weeks ago he stopped for a break at Cedar Farm Mawdesley with his sponsor - and to Mike's great surprise was introduced to Bradley Wiggins - who has invited him on a winter training ride!!!

But the good news doesn't end there. Champion System, one of the sponsors, who design cycling kit have asked Mike to get involved in the creation of their new lines. As Duffers would have said 'Cheapeax!'

Who's the D&Ady?

7pm, Manchester Conference Centre, back row, as far away as possible from the stage - that's a self-preservation involuntary reaction to the Rocky Horror Show when some of the actors were in the audience and Andrew Cheetham of CheethamBell kicks the proceedings off and we settle in.

Well, didn't we get a telling off!!!?? 

He introduces onto the stage Alexandra Taylor (Alex to her friends which following the bo**ocking everyone got reduced the number to a couple of fingers). To quote the D&AD events site "A multi-award winner" while at Saatchi & Saatchi Alexandra waded into us all, suggesting she almost decided not to come up to Manchester.

Four para's down in the intro copy and quoting again "Alexandra will give her opinion on whether the art direction lived up to the promise of the original idea. Please send in your work by Friday 28 October" Well . . . no one did and her 'eight golden rules' were never going to be shared with the audience. She was far from happy and remained that way for at least 30 minutes. 

Having in the last seven years stood up and 'talked' for a living, having drummed into students when they present work to an audience not to read off cards, but learn the detail of what the are presenting so they can maintain eye contact rather than talking to the floor, I was personally surprised that Alexandra (reading from her notes) delivered her session with the same difficulty a first year student who couldn't read their own writing would.

Okay, okay, she has achieved more in her lunch hour than I have in my whole life of design. Our 'mantras' are basically the same and she still draws ideas rather than hitting the computer straight away - and the only pencil I have is the 2B I do my Morrisons list with and Alexandra has loads, there is no doubting the quality of the Silk Cut and British Army campaigns, and the total commitment that went into every project Alexandra was involved with - but maybe with this being my first D&AD President's Lecture, not knowing what to expect and having watched online Brody, Saville and Peters I left feeling a little unfulfilled. 

No Rooms at the Inn

Following a self-generated FD 'Roadshow' and it would be good to think the reputation is starting to reach beyond Room 201 - for the first time in six years year one of the HE Graphic Design course reached the heady-heights of 20 students . . . giving the programme a total of 30! Shish!

The group is made up of nine students from WSA, one from the University of Kent, another from UCLAN, one from the Deanery 6th Form and eight from St John Rigby. In educational parlance this is referred to as 'broadening the gene-pool' - sounds messy!! Well, as we're off to Paris in March - fingers crossed - you never know. The group is made up of 15 guys and five girls.

Top Row : Jack | Tom | Josh | Emma | Chris | Jemma | Tom
Bottom Row : Anthony | Natasha | Danny | James | Declan | Jonesy | Adam | Matt |
Ryan | Josh | Mike | Emily | Melissa

It's taken a week or two but they've started to settle. And we've called them FD Purple

FD Green - the second years have started without three of last years number. Niall, Carl and Sophie have all gone on to follow other careers. Fingers crossed the focus that last years second years showed is the natural progression for a sometimes 'vague' year one.

Rob | James | Adam | Ryan |Chantelle | Janine | Nik | Sophie | Jack | Leanne

The first brick!

As I didn't save my first draft . . . I'll not be making that same mistake again . . . I set off on my first ever BLOG - hang on tight as it won't be pretty! 

Having purchased for my company (Georgia AD) our first Mac in 1990, and then rung the Apple shop in Liverpool every hour, on the hour for a month to solve the most basic of problems here I am sat in my kitchen in front of my iMac which costs less then a tenth of the 'mind-boggling' IIfx ready to bring the Foundation Degree in Graphic Design at Wigan School for the Arts alive!!!

But to start we must go backwards to the past. When I returned after 24 years to my career birthplace what existed then really doesn't bare much comparison to the vibrant studio that bounces along today.

Higher National Diplomas in Graphic Design was being swallowed up by Universities opening up their doors to 'all-comers'. With every parent wanting their Johnny (or Joanna) to be the first in the family to have secured a BA Honours, even if many weren't up to the task, our USP's of 'hands-on, caring, industry professionals always in the classroom' was starting to look a little more than tired.

Over three years ago Wigan School for the Arts and all the clever professional educationalist over in lofty Parson's Walk opened discussions with Salford University (or should I say University of Salford Manchester to give it's new brand title) . . . and we haven't looked back since.

The idea is to provide two years of tough, industrial based education here in Wigan, linked in with professionals from the industry, coupled with academic rigor so that should FD students wish to finish off their study in a final year to gain a BA Honours at Salford, the opportunity is there for them.

But . . . and it is a big BUT, students have got to want it. No one will get the success they set off in search of if they don't commit everything they have to their study . . . and as many students who have passed through FD will testify . . . it can be a scary journey!!