If anyone saw Bruce Springsteen’s set in Glastonbury over the weekend, then you are very lucky. The set itself was brilliant (as were The Boss’s posh wellies!), but the event itself looked awesome! Live music is something which is close to my heart (Business & Arts) and thanks to people like Span, it looks promising that we can expect music to happen more often at The Carreg

Jethro and Georgina from The Carreg went to Glastonbury, as they usually do and we can only assume that they were right at the front of the Springsteen crowd because there was a gigantic banner there stating “We love Sausage!”. Sausage is the name of our rabbit!

In order that we can comply with various requirements to host various events, including music, we will be shortly installing a CCTV system throughout The Carreg and the new shops. Please be assured that this is to simply enahance The Carreg experience and to make sure that we are compliant with all people we need to be compliant with.

Take Care!

Ian

I saw Michael Jackson perform in the 80′s with my sister at the old Wembley Stadium. Aside from superb music, there was fantastic magic tricks, dancing and illusions happening all over the stage. Whatever your musical preferences, you could not deny Michael Jackson’s influence on popular music.

Commenting on his passing, Sir Howard Stringer, Chairman, CEO and President, Sony Corporation, said: “Michael Jackson was a brilliant troubadour for his generation, a genius whose music reflected the passion and creativity of an era. His artistry and magnetism changed the music landscape forever. We have been profoundly affected by his originality, creativity and amazing body of work. The entire Sony family extends our deepest condolences to his family and to the millions of fans around the world who loved him.”

Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, CEO, Sony Music Entertainment, said: “Michael Jackson’s unsurpassed artistry and beloved music brought joy to every corner of the world. We join today with his millions of fans in expressing our profound sadness and we offer our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. It was a true privilege for all of us in the Sony Music family to work with one of the most talented superstars in the history of music. We will miss him greatly.”

Martin Bandier, Chairman & CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, said: “Michael was the kind of amazing talent that comes along once in a lifetime. He was an incredible recording artist, an insightful businessman, an unmatched performer, and a true icon. To all of us at Sony/ATV Music Publishing, he was also a trusted and passionate partner, who was very proud of our accomplishments. He will be dearly missed. We wish his children and entire family our deepest condolences.”

I went into the Pet shop today and asked to buy a wasp. They said they didn’t sell wasps. But I knew they were lying because they had some in the window!

On Saturday I did something minor wrong, and was pulled up on it. It wasn’t much, but I was ‘in the wrong’ so I immediately held my hands up for the deed, apologised and held my hand out to shake the official concerned’s hand, as a gesture of stating I was wrong, I was sorry and I wouldn’t do it again. My held out hand was ignored and the person turned on his heel and went back to his vehicle.

When I went to secondary school, one of the first things I learned was how to greet someone politely with good eye contact and a firm handshake.

I leave you to decide if the term ’ignorant’ should be used in this instance, but how can we bring our children up to respect officialdom when such bad manners are used?

Ian

Last week Wendy and I were fortunate enough to attend an awards dinner in the Milennium Centre in Cardiff for the above. The evening was a fantastic event with entertainment provided by Only Men Allowed with their offshoot: Only Four Men Allowed and the Drum Waiters, who were percussionists dressed and acting like waiters but suddenly they burst into life playing beats on wine coolers, beer barrels, dustbins and even each other! The whole evening was hosted by Nichola Heywood Thomas and Steffen Rhodri (an accomplished actor in the medium of Welsh and English, best known for his recent acting of Dave ‘Coaches’ from BBC’s Gavin and Stacey) who were excellent in their roles. Many Welsh businesses were awarded for their efforts of keeping the arts alive, sometimes in not so favourable circumstances in desperate areas, with support on the evening by many famous Welsh actors, from Welsh and English television.

On the table we had a ‘goody bag’ each, which were made from jute, and had books in them on renewable energy, eco-efficient light bulbs, a pedometer, a mug, pens, pencils, a cuddly toy and piece of jewellery made from chocolate! It really was good to see thought put into these bags and, to cap it all, if your bag had a silver ribbon on the handle, you were able to claim one of two trees on the table to take home with you to plant!

Yesterday I met with Declan and Maggie from Span-South Pembrokeshire Arts Network- to see where The Carreg could fit in with their plans. As a direct result we are talking about the possibility of some high class Jazz acts at The Carreg, outdoor plays in the Tranquillity Garden and Children’s Workshops in The Courtyard! This would be fantastic!

If anyone out there wishes to see anything specific, please let me know by leaving a comment below and I will do my level best to try, with any serious suggestions.  

Business and Arts can, and will work together, enrichening the lives of all those involved.

If this post has intrigued you, you can join Span on their website www.span-arts.org.uk.

Have a fantastic week. 

Ian

1. Human Rights for All
2. End Torture Now
3. Stop Violence Against Women
4. Protect Freedom of Expression
5. End ALL Forms of Discrimination
6. Abolish the Death Penalty Worldwide
7. End the Crisis in Darfur
8. Uphold the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Human Rights Law
9. and promote and defend all other rights embodied in the UDHR

Isn’t that so true?

Sssshhhh! It’s the early hours of Friday morning and Wendy and I are in Bristol having watched The Damned and The Alarm in Concert at The O2 Academy, thanks to the very kind gesture of guest passes from Stu West, the excellent bass guitarist from The Damned and Pinch, the drummer who makes up the rhythm section of The Damned with Stu.

I love live music- it is critical to what little sanity I have left, and I especially love the self expression of punk. The cover of 20th Century Boy by The Alarm and The Damned at the end of the gig will stay with me forever.

You may remember I did try to get The Damned to Christmas No.1 last year and you probably noticed that they failed to get there. Here’s to Christmas 2009!

Please book early enough for evening dining, because we are really getting busy now and  I would hate for anybody to be disappointed. 

Good Night everyone (or Good Morning even)

Ian

Wendy and I have just arrived back from a fantastic weekend in New York, thanks to the very nice people in Kia www.kia.com who invited us. The hotel we stayed was across the road from Central Park and when we first arrived we saw the Hollywood actors, Alec Baldwin and Meryl Streep filming a movie scene in the hotel foyer! We visited some fantastic places, flew round Manhattan in a helicopter tour, a trip to Broadway to see ‘Jersey Boys’, church in Harlem with an amazing Gospel choir, a roof top nightclub with the most fantastic view of the Empire State Building, some fantastic restaurants, the seaport boardwalk/shopping area, Soho, Little Italy, Hells Kitchen, the Chelsea Hotel where Dylan Thomas died (we walked back from Chelsea to Central Park!) and we also did a sightseeing tour around Central Park in a Pedi-cab, where a young Turkish chap, called Baja, peddled a three wheeled bicycle around Central Park with us sitting on a ‘sofa’ on the back! Baja had only arrived from Turkey 2 months previously and, whilst he didn’t speak much English, he could recite all the facts, word perfect, about all the tourist areas in the Park. This was all done with a massive grin on his face and huge enthusiasm: In a broken conversation, Baja told us that he had no relatives in America but simply gone to make his fortune in ‘The Land of Milk and Honey.’ His attitude was amazing and he deserves all the success he gets. His attention to Customer Service really puts some of the businesses I have dealt with to shame.

We also went to the observatory on the Rockefeller Skyscraper, which was breath taking. Whilst waiting for the lift, I read about what the building was designed for and, being built during the depression, how it took jobless people and gave them employment. Whilst Rockefeller was deemed to be a wealthy man, what he risked financially to see the mammoth task through, could have ended him as a businessman. The building has had many different uses over the years which has kept it in the public eye and a talking point throughout. As the escalator travelled the last few feet to the obervatory, we heard a faint thump-thump, thump-thump from deep inside the building. Wendy said ”I can hear it’s heartbeat!” And it sounded exactly like that! A building’s heartbeat! Since opening The Carreg, I have always thought the fact that we have taken a building steeped in history and breathed new life into it by opening such a fantastic restaurant has brought it to life. In fact, I think The Carreg, 32 High Street, Narberth also has a heartbeat and it is looking younger every day! I’ll bet it could give the Rockefeller Skyscraper a run for it’s money in historical facts as well!

If you wish to enjoy great food in a wonderful building, alive with history and customer service as good as Baja’s, you don’t have to go to New York, call the Carreg Crew on 01834 862990 to book a table.

It’s nice to be home!

Ian