Posts Tagged
colchester

Palladian Calendar

North Meadow Media is proud to have been selected by Palladian Press to create its 2009 desk calendar, sent free of charge to its valued clients.

Designed by Barry Lowenhoff, the calendar features a giant Palladian ‘P’ logo photographed in various locations in East Anglia. The shots were taken by Harland Payne Photography during November and December, and a short introduction was provided by NMM’s Ben Locker.

If you would like an equally distinctive gift for your own clients, get in touch today.

Posted by: Barry Lowenhoff, MCSD
Published: 30th January, 2009 at 1:19 pm in North Meadow Projects.
Tags: calendars, colchester, copywriting, photography
Comments: No Comments »

Cutting in Halves

I am busy editing a new magazine, which will be published in January 2009. Without giving too much of the game away, I’ve been having great fun researching material from back issues of the Essex County Standard. My two favourite experiences so far have been re-learning how to use a microfilm reader after a gap of about nine years (they still have near-empty ink cartridges) and getting distracted by stories that have absolutely nothing to do with the job I’m trying to do.

This story, which just caught my eye, is so good that I had to share it. It is from the 28th January 1859 issue of the then Essex Standard and is exactly the sort of thing we should be offering today’s soldiers.

BROADSWORD FEATS.— On Saturday afternoon the Colchester Garrison assembled on parade to witness the feats of Professor Thomas, the “champion swordsman,” of London, some of which were most remarkable. Amongst the feats with the broadsword were the following:— Halving an apple suspended in a handkerchief, borrowed from the company, without injuring the latter; cutting the thread attached to an orange, and dividing the fruit on its fall; taking three or four clear rings off a raw egg placed in a perpendicular position, without breaking the end of the shell; severing a broomstick placed on the edge of two glasses of water without spilling the liquid; cutting a silk scarf, floating in the air; severing a bar of lead; and cutting in halves a leg of mutton; each feat being performed with a single stroke of the sword. The most dangerous and perhaps the most dextrous feat was diving [sic] a lemon placed in the palm of the naked hand. This was performed upon the hand of one of the officers, the Professor explaining that the successful accomplishment of the feat depended chiefly upon the eye. At the close a liberal subscription remunerated the exhibitor for his performance. It is stated that Professor Thomas has received the authority of the Duke of Cambridge to give his entertainments at all the military stations and camps in the United Kingdom.

Excellent stuff — a sort of Sharpe meets Tom Tit. I also love the precision of “cutting in halves a leg of mutton”, as opposed to the modern “cutting a leg of mutton in half”. I just wonder whether it’s a little too archaic for me to use in commercial work.

Posted by: Ben Locker
Published: 11th December, 2008 at 11:29 am in Blog.
Tags: colchester, entertainment, garrison, tricks
Comments: 4 Comments »

First Impressions

Palladian Press rightly takes its place in the front rank of East Anglia’s printing firms. Established in 1995, the Colchester printer has since won a place in the prestigious Printweek 500 and carved out an enviable reputation as a company that puts quality and its customers first. North Meadow Media’s Barry Lowenhoff and Ben Locker collaborated to produce the first two issues of its industry-leading newsletter, Palladian Impressions.

Both issues contain a lively mix of news, interviews, staff profiles and features. Ben Locker was responsible for the research and writing, which gave him the chance to speak to a broad cross section of Palladian’s clients and explore their relationship with the printing firm. Final articles put the following companies, organisations and individuals in the spotlight:

• Colchester United FC;
• Karen Taylor Contemporary Art;
• Fisher Jones Greenwood LLP;
• Coco Ribbon;
• Emmaus Colchester;
• Colchester’s Lemon Tree Restaurant;
• Bestselling author Kes Gray; and
• The University of Essex.

Barry Lowenhoff acted as art director, working closely with Harland Payne Photography, and was responsible for designing the two publications. His creative vision sends out a clear message that Palladian is an up-and-coming company, fizzing with all the ideas and energy that are the hallmarks of the print industry’s biggest hitters.

Palladian Impressions was very well received by the firm’s clients, and it doubles up as excellent marketing material. To download copies and read testimonials, visit the Palladian Press website.

Posted by: North Meadow Media
Published: 14th November, 2008 at 1:03 pm in North Meadow Projects.
Tags: colchester, copywriting, essex, journalism, newsletters, North Meadow Projects, palladian impressions, publications
Comments: 1 Comment »

Home Inspiration

When major East Anglian firm Kent Blaxill commissioned Colchester multimedia firm Pinstripe Creative to build a new website for its ‘homeinspiration’ bathroom and kitchen showroom, Pinstripe asked Ben Locker to write the copy.

The brief was a challenging one, as the copy for each page had to fit within a precisely-defined placeholder. However, Ben was able to complete the job quickly and efficiently, much to the delight of the client. You can read the final result here, and if you need similar copywriting services please do get in touch.

Posted by: Ben Locker
Published: 11th November, 2008 at 2:57 pm in North Meadow Projects.
Tags: Add new tag, bathrooms, colchester, copywriting, essex, kent blaxill, kitchens, publicity material, websites
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