Last weekend I did something I haven't done for a while.  I went out on a jolly!  With a bunch of lovely and exquisitely dressed personages, namely, various members of the West Midlands Steampunk Assembly  (Assembly Assemble!)

We visited the picturesque Victorian surrounds of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and spent a lovely few hours under surprisingly sunny skies, all togged out in our Saturday best.

It's not often that I go just for fun; more usually weekends are either spent writing/ composing/ doing stuff for the #GASP radio show.  As a result, it can sometimes be difficult to remember how to do the going-out-for-fun stuff.  So big thanks to the assembled Assembly for giving me a very timely reminder!  And it also got me thinking - there are some lovely places in the West Midlands.  Where else might be good for a steampunk style outing?

Here's a few I could think of, with some help from fellow Assemblers:
 

• Birmingham Back to Backs http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/birmingham-back-to-backs/
  
• Birmingham Botanical Gardens  http://www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk/
  
• Black Country Living Museum  http://www.bclm.co.uk/
• Bridgnorth Cliff Railway  http://www.bridgnorthcliffrailway.co.uk/
  
• Cadbury World (yes, chocolate is steampunk, and so is the neighbourhood of Bournville) http://www.cadburyworld.co.uk/
  
• Cannon Hill Park  http://www.cannonhillpeoplespark.net/
  
• Dudley Zoological gardens (for safaris)  http://www.dudleyzoo.org.uk/
• Edwardian tearooms at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (BMAG)http://www.bmag.org.uk/birmingham-museum/cafe-shop
• Hereford Waterworks http://www.waterworksmuseum.org.uk/?module=landing&e=notvalid
• J W Evans Silver Factory https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/j-w-evans-silver-factory/
  
• The Jekyll and Hyde Victorian gin parlourhttp://www.thejekyllandhyde.co.uk/
• MAD Museum, Stratford on Avon  http://themadmuseum.co.uk/
  
• Newman Brothers Coffin Workshttp://www.birminghamconservationtrust.org/current/newman-brothers/
  
• Severn Valley Railway  http://www.svr.co.uk/
  
• Soho House (home of Matthew Boulton)  http://www.bmag.org.uk/soho-house
• Thinktank, just for the working steam engines alone! http://www.thinktank.ac/
  
• Tyseley Loco Works - their open days have some SERIOUS engineering & home base of vintage trains (see below) http://www.tyseleylocoworks.co.uk/tlw/
  
• Vintage Trains/ Shakespeare Express http://www.vintagetrains.co.uk/
  
• Winterbourne House & Gardens  http://www.winterbourne.org.uk/

So where else is good for a jolly?  Let me know if you have any favourites that I've missed...

See below for a few photos from the event - the Assembly themselves are concealed on my facebook page, but they know who they are...

Some of you may be aware that the Phoenix Alternative Festival was held last weekend in Llanfyllin, Wales.  I can only say that this was a most excellent festival.  It was spread out just enough in the rather lovely grounds of Llanfyllin workhouse, making it just intimate enough for everyone to get to know each other, though just spacious enough that there was plenty of room to get about.  It had a great balance of acts from rock to cabaret to burlesque to folk and more - literally something for everyone.  Not only that, there were 'fringe' style workshops and other activities, not to mention one or two that sprung up organically.  Kudos must go to Dale Rowles of BB Blackdog, and Karin Van Woerden, not to mention awe-inspiring Silver Johnson, for pulling the whole thing of; but special plaudits must go to all the lovely attendees, from performers to traders to attendees to Workhouse staff, all of whom made the event the wonder that it was.

Next year (yes, it's on next year!) , I plan to go earlier if possible - I missed a number of good acts on the Friday night, not to mention the rest of the weekend; and we hope that as well as any writing or GASP radio related service we can offer, we may be able to sneak Crimson Clocks onto the bill!  Watch this space...

A few photos I took of performers and traders are below, you can see more here:

Today's blog contains the sort of advice you wish your mother had given you.  Though to be fair, she probably did, you just weren't paying attention.

Message for today:  Always remember to look ahead.

Yes, there may be something fascinatingly brightly coloured to your right.  Yes, something to your left may smell wonderful.  Behind you, what's that noise that has your attention?  By all means, take time to stop and investigate these things.  But if you actually want to achieve your goals, always keep at least one eye on your way forward.  The moment you do, you are liable to get lost, to fall, or most likely to walk into someone who will lamp you.

Today's blog:  a message for life or simply a message for people out walking in busy cities at lunchtime?  You decide...  

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, you heard it here first.  The near-famous Star Wars: Steampunk'd workshop will be having its last outing at The Phoenix Alternative Festival in Llanfyllin, Wales, 14-16 August.  But what's this?  You don't know what such a workshop can possibly entail?  Well, let me enlighten you...

You've heard the song, 'Glue some gears on it and call it steampunk', haven't you?  Well, these workshops are your opportunity to glue some gears on classic literary or cinematic moments, in a literary rather than literal sense.  Who can forget last year's series of 'Hobbit' workshops, in which we introduced you to plucky steampunk heroine Bilbette Baggins, and helped participants sort out their rings.

This year, we ask you, our audience, to take us on a journey through Star Wars: A New Hope, but changing some of the story elements to make it re-cog-nisable as steampunk.

We'll start be helping you to identify some of the more obvious steampunk elements and tropes; and we'll give you a little kick-start with one or two changes of our own... then we'll go to a galaxy far far away and turn to the dark side of the farce!  Oh yes, bring your own puns, and make sure you know your steamtrooper from your tea-fighter.  Because in space, no one can hear you steam...

Come and see us at the Phoenix Alternative Festival, and find out for yourself.  But wait!  There's more!  Because you'll also get to hear DJ sets from the Gothic Alternative Steampunk and Progressive (GASP) radio show during the event (don't forget you can tune in to GASP every Thursday 8-11pmUK, plus join in live on the weekly facebook event).  AND there's also a humongous pile of stupendous acts, bands, performances, other workshops, time travelling tea tents... more stuff, almost than you can conceive of.  Or glue a gear on.

Tickets are still available for the event.  We hope to see you there!