Hipstamatic - It's well Hip.....

This is a great little photo app for iPhone. Interchangeable lenses, flash and film allows you a multitude of combinations for creating that vintage look.

Northern Eyes and Northern Skies - we were meant for each other

I've been a fan of the Manchester band I Am Kloot for a couple of years now after seeing them in Bristol. I've bought all their albums and I was excited to hear that they used a good friend of theirs' - Guy Garvey of another favourite band of mine - Elbow, to produce their latest album.

This is a track called Northern Skies. These Northern Eyes regularly miss you.

Elena Anaya

I first saw Elena in a film called Sex and Lucia and she blew my mind. In a film that enjoyed a fair amount of explicit sex featuring a very talented and sexy Paz Vega, Elena stole the show for me as the bewitching seductress - Belén.

I saw Elena again in Almodovar's Talk to Her and more recently in Mesrine Pt 1 in which she played a very different role as Sofia. Sofia is the beautiful Spanish girl who falls in love with the very charismatic Jacques Mesrine (Vincent Cassell), at the beginning of his career as a bank robber, gangster and ultimately France's public enemy no 1. It's a great role for Elena and demonstrates her ability as a serious actor not just a very watchable lady. I think this role as Sofia will cement her position as a leading actress in Spanish cinema and put her on a similar footing as Penelope Cruz. I certainly hope so cos I want to see more of her.

Good times

I'm a very lucky person to have really good friends all over the country. I recently had a chance to visit some of them and take advantage of their fantastic hospitality. Firstly, I indulged myself whilst visiting Howard and his family at their wonderful home in north Devon. Their swimming pool is fantastic.

Next, I joined Roland, Simon and Giles on a trip to Llangorse in mid Wales for some watersports fun using Roland's ski-boat and toys. I've done this trip with them several times over the past few years but the conditions on this trip were the best so far. The photographer was Simon and he managed to cut off my upper body as I took off. It was the biggest jump of the day and if it wasn't for my distinguishable fat arse, you wouldn't know it was me. Nice one Si.....

Fish Food

Digging for worms on the bed of the river Torridge between Instow and Bideford. It's a solitary pursuit.

Midsummer

Sometimes the flow has to be ridden.

As guilt resurfaces like bubbles from a bottle.

I escape to a World of simple pleasures.

To a green land that time has forgotten.

Scott Matthews - Sweet Scented Figure