Lucienne Day

Can't believe I've just heard of the sad news of Lucienne Day's death at the age of 93. An amazing, inspired textile designer, wife of furniture designer Robin, and a real design hero of mine. Read Jonathan Glancey's article on her here at the Guardian, where he says, "Lucienne was an unfailingly generous person, and a designer who knew how to balance the popular and the refined, or how to make the refined popular."

Mild green fairy liquid

While reading my pr-with-a-bit-of-editorial weekly, Stylist magazine, I see that Fairy Liquid is bringing back its iconic white bottle - to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Can't help but feel a bit of nostalgia for this packaging, when us resourceful kids of the 80s used to make all kinds of things from the empty bottle. A good, recession-proof stunt in my book!

Wolff Olins : Views - Middle Eastern brands

Doing a bit of a blog catch up this morning and read this interesting article posted on Wolff Olins 'views' page about the lack of front-of-mind Arab brands - and the potential to create real cut through in emerging markets in the Middle East. Having worked with a few ME clients, it's interesting to read. Click the here to read the article.

BrightType

Heading over to the BrightType evening, a three hour forum all about typography at the Sallis Benney theatre tonight, with a lecture by Bruno Maag, organised by the South Coast Design Forum.

Guilty pleasure

Don't know if it's illegal to watch Skins over the age of thirty but I really can't get enough of this programme! Cheers me up in the winter months. I just love the combination of great new actors, brilliant, unpredictable scripts, fab sound track and you never know who's gonna turn up as one of their parents next (all time favourite: Harry Enfield as Tony's depressed dad).

These two pics are from a character's sketchbook from episode 2 of the latest series, a sequence which ends in a gorgeous stop-frame animation. See - you never know what's gonna be up next.

East Beach

Headed west to Littlehampton to meet a friend for a good old catch up the other day - spent a couple of hours in Thomas Heatherwick's new(ish) East Beach cafe. Needless to say on a cold February it didn't quite look like the shot above! Enjoyed great food (beer battered fish + chips) and views in the surprisingly cosy interior. They even do film nights every couple of weeks or so, so a great reason to return. Got home very inspired after a good chinwag with my mate Claire.