Full Blog

A visit to Turing Fest

Posted by on in Events, Places, Tech

I really wanted to get along to something at Turing Fest this year and as I was in Edinburgh I was able to. It was a bit of a stretch though as I was leaving on the day that Turing Fest started. Anyway, I got along for a session on the first day. The session was about aligning the interests of investors and entrepreneurs. Whilst it was largely based around the Edinburgh start up scene I learnt a lot about the venture capital process itself and how VCs and angel investors look at start ups.

I wish I could have stuck around for more of the sessions, but that wasn’t possible sadly. Maybe next year.

King’s Cross, only better

Posted by on in Places

When I went up to Edinburgh this year for the festival I was really impressed by just how good the new King’s Cross station is. I always remember the station as cramped and unpleasant, and that’s what it was last year when I went up to the festival, but this year it is transformed!

What an improvement.

That’s a hell of a bar

Posted by on in Festivals

That’s the backstage bar at WOMAD this year. It was one of the best interior’s for the backstage bar I’ve seen and was a great place to hang out in.

Lo’Jo at WOMAD

Posted by on in Festivals, Listening, Music

This was an interesting band that I ended up watching late night at WOMAD. Quite a cool live presence. I’ve located them on spotify now and so I plan to give them a proper listen.

The Manganiyar Seduction by Roysten Abel

Posted by on in Festivals, Music

This was certainly one of the most visually stimulating shows at WOMAD this year. Even if you didn’t enjoy the music (which I did), just the set design on it’s own was really impressive. As you can see, all of the musicians were sitting or sometimes standing in these cubes with lights around them, and as they performed the lights around their box came on. When they weren’t performing their lights went off. There were 40 musicians involved in this performance which lasted about an hour and a half.

Aside from the visual spectacle the music was amazing too and included some really incredible performances. But the thing needed to be seen and heard as a whole really. It was made to be experienced as a package, and so I think it’s difficult to explain or convey just how good it was.

The Arboretum at WOMAD

Posted by on in Festivals, Listening, Music

One thing that I perhaps don’t mention to much about WOMAD is about what a lovely location and environment it is. The Arboretum at WOMAD is a good example of this. It is probably most impressive at night when the installations and displays are lit up and really make the environment come alive.

Though even through the day it’s a lovely place to amble through in between watching great music and finding interesting food. I think I spent  more time there this year than in past years. Perhaps I had to spend more time reflecting this year.

Taste the World

Posted by on in Events, Festivals, Food

I’d never been to the Taste The World tent at WOMAD properly before, so this was a bit of a new experience for me, and it was really good. To the point where I’d like to get hold of some of the recipes actually. Not that I can find them on the WOMAD site as yet, so I hope they haven’t been taken down already.

I thought it was a great idea to get some of the artists showing their favourite recipes and how to make them, and next time I’m at WOMAD I’ll certainly give it a go again.