Kevin Blake's Blog

After the whole days break you’ve all been enjoying of no entries, it’s rather fitting to dedicate this one to holidays (breaks – see, like the link?). So, I’ve dug out some of the best drawings from the note book, by a man who may well become very famous for his artistic abilities. If you haven’t guessed who I’m talking about already, it’s the very under-appreciated-in-his-field Ben.

You see, Ben was very smug in the first part of 2000 as he knew that while we were all sitting in lectures, being very bored – he was going to sneak some time off for himself and go snowboarding. Well, there’s actually a quote that accompanies this, just a few pages before which demonstrates exactly why he had every right to be pleased.

“BEN – HA HA.
He’s going on holiday, the week EVERYTHING is being set. Including coursework, on which they’re going to base the exam.
HAHA – BEN” – Kevin Blake

Well it obviously didn’t phase him too much, and since Ben eventually ended with a 1st it just goes to show that taking holidays mid-semester is exactly the right time to do it, rather than wasting the breaks in between. Stay in school kids.

For the second in the series of University Notes, I’ve chosen a particularly poignant poem spilt onto the page by my own hand, during a time of particular boredom where the clock would simply not move round within the normal boundaries of time. I am of course talking about Computing and Ethics lectures.

Hell

They say hell is being locked,
In a room with your friends,
But,
It depends if your friends take,
Computer Science.

Whilst tidying the boxes stacked up in my room today, I came across an old notebook from university. They’re mostly notes from the first year of uni, which mostly consist of really rubbish poetry and written conversations between myself and other students. There’s a double page spread of when we snuck Ali into a lecture (why!?), poems from myself and Luke, and some quite simply amazing artwork from Ben.

For the most part, these entries will undoubtedly mean nothing to anybody, but maybe they will – and my university experience is remarkably similar to your own…. Regardless, over the next couple of weeks I want to share some of my notes with the rest of you … and hopefully bring back a few fond memories of how we all got through the crisis of university before the bar opened

The first of many, a poem by Luke (I think). I believe this describes the mature students on our course. Full name not disclosed to protect the innocent…

Old

When you are old,
You ask questions,
And think you are clever.
When you are old,
People smile at your questions,
And think you are senile.

For the last two weekends, I’ve used the hot days to take in all London has to offer in the way of cheap music festivals that have high associations with things that are cold and tasty. It might seem like I’ve limited my options somewhat, but fortunately there have been two such festivals that fit the bill heavily sponsored by Innocent smoothies, and Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.
The Ben and Jerry’s was a bargain price of 5 pounds per day (though Danesy got the tickets off of ebay for the slightly more normally priced 16 pounds). I had the pleasure of seeing The Wonder Stuff (of immense 90s fame) Jose Gonzalez, and some slightly less-knowns like Captain (fantastic singles out and about at the moment), Nerina Pallot and Vincent Vincent and the Villains. There was also a huge authentic wooden helter skelter in the middle of the park, and lots of little fair-type games around the outside. The positives being all important; I won a badge from magnetic fishing! Sadly, I also got a bit of friction burn on my elbow from the wooden helter skelter. That’ll teach me for not wearing long sleeves.

The best part of all though… As much free Ben and Jerry’s ice cream as you can eat! Did I forget to mention that earlier on? I started to feel ill but couldn’t get enough of ‘oh my apple pie’, or ‘phish food’. Mmmmmm.

The Innocent festival was massive. The north part of Regent’s park was literally jam packed full of people, as this one’s a free festival (for entry). We only got one free bottle of innnocent drinks (cranberry one). Still really good And that had The Puppini sisters, Whisky Cats, Nouvelle Vague, and finally Arrested Development as the headliners. I like my guitars and melodies a lot more than Arrested Development provide – but they were still very good – and it was a great day out in the sunshine…. Even if it did take over 45 minutes to queue up for 4 glasses of pimms, they made up for it though with the various signs dotted about all over the place, like: “No glass. No selling. No barbecues. And definately no selling glass barbecues”. Well I thought it was good…

The great thing about both of them were the high morals that the companies (at least claim) they stand for. Lots of charity work across the world, and do no harm were the themes of both. Great use of recycling bins, bio-diesel fuels, no plastic plates or cutlery, bike racks etc were on hand at one or more of each of the festivals. I even came away from the Ben and Jerry’s festival with a tree! Well, it’s a seed, and it comes with fertiliser and you can grow it in the Ben and Jerry’s pot it came in. Really good weekends all in all – I can highly recommend them next year!

Free ice cream. What more incentive do you need?