The Wicker (Wo)Man

Who would believe that anyone could make such a fantastic wicker rocket?

Well, not us, that's for sure, becuase we know all about the creative talents that Jo Henderson possesses!

This amazing rocket has been made for the Borrowash in Bloom community event. The rocket is over 8 feet tall and incorporates real lights powered by solar energy! It helps to commemorate the Moon landings in 1969, a full 50 years ago this September.

But Jo isnt' just a dab hand with wicker, she's also an expert in metal too - having built the legendary Sims metal robot on Mansfield road - Anyone who knows Derby will know this classic landmark, which she built in 1988...and its still standing!

If you need anything slightlly 'off the wall' then you know where to come - We can help turn even the most mundane into something creative!! Just give us a call on 01332 291141 to find out more.

Pastaman

On a recent trip to Malaga I snapped this clever poster, showing a graphic of a man with a pasta scarf and pocket handkerchief.

I wish we had thought of this...I love it...then again, we don't really have any clients who do food or food related products - I guess it could work with paper...

What could be simpler?

Buon Appetito!!!

Nude in 1977 - A Good Year for Drawing?

Way back in 1977 I used to go to school with a boy named Andrew Cottingham.

He currently works at Panacea Finance and we are helping them to develop a new website. Recently he discovered some of his old school folders and this one had been defaced by yours truly in time honoured fashion!

Evident at 14, my style had yet to develop but I could wield a pen in a certain fashion...The image is a haunting depiction reminiscent of Ophelia by Sir John Everett Millai (yeah right...)

If you could see Andrew now you would not believe he could be the same callow youth pictured here...I have no idea who the girl was/is. Presumably his 'crush of the day'. If you are her then please get in touch to either confirm or deny this.

If you'd like me to do a saucy drawing of you then please give us a call on 01332 291141 and I'll get the pencils sharpened!

Eckoh Award Win and Other Animals

PE Creative customer Eckoh Plc won a very special accolade yesterday - the PCI Prove IT Award for its PCI compliency services alongside Allpay. Eckoh have a fine pedigree in secure payment and are a market leader in the field. The picture shows the Eckoh team receiving thier award at London's Park Plaza Hotel.

At PE Creative we continually strive to help our customers achieve the recognition they deserve. Eckoh are no stranger to awards and we are proud to be their partner whjen it comes to marketing and creative.

In addition to the award, they recently exhibited in New Orleans USA at the Customer Contact Week exhibition. You can see the pop-up stand that we helped to design.

Well done Eckoh  - another feather in your caps!

If your business would like to work with an award winning design company then why not give us a call on 01332 291141 and lets have a chat...

The miracle in the coffee cup

This biblical scene was discovered in Jonny's coffee cup whilst in Germany on business.

To some it may just look like some random froth marks, but to us its clearly the Three Wise Men on their quest to get to Bethlehem...

Why not contact us to see if we can work miracles with your marketing, we cannot promise a biblical event but we can promise a fresh and creative approach...call us on 01332 291141 to fidn out more.

A 360 Degree View of Skiing

Dave and Denise Leatt from 360 Media in Derby are both friends of mine and we often play golf together.

However, Denise wanted to try something different and having decided to try skiing again, she managed to convince Dave to take up the sport. I offered to help them to feel the planks under their feet and gave them both a lesson at the Snowdome.

Denise had skied before and it didn't take her long to find her feet whilst Dave started like all beginners, with slight apprehension (like me he has a bad knee), however after around 1.5 hours he really got it...

They plan to visit Zell am See in Austria in January 2018 and I hope to join them out there for a day. I am sure a week on real snow in resort will do thiwer skiing wonders.

Let's hope it works out!

STOP PRESS!!

We did meet up in Zell am See - The photo below is the photographic proof!

Kitten DuBois Visits Derby

HR Director and avid ski buff Kitten DuBois visits Jonny for a weekend of fun and foolish conversation. Kitten will be skiing yet another season in Whistler with her friend Dragan (ex Serbian Mogul champ and real life action hero...) We just love to see Kitten and Dragan what great names to conjour with!

We all wish Kitten the best of luck with her Candian instructor courses and hope her shoulder and neck doesn't flare up again...

Good Luck DuBois!

Kimberley College Gets Makeover

Being involved in education has always been part of the PE Creative remit. We were delighted to be invited to tender for the Kimberley College information booklet project.

Head of College Tim Detheridge wanted to create an impact for the college's next open evening. With this in mind we partnered with the his team to produce this informative and fresh new booklet.

Alongside the booklet was helped to develop the Kimberley branding. Being in such an iconic building allowed us to develop this new logo device. Tim plans to roll out the branding across the whole college over the next few months.

PE Creative MD Jonny Evans said "This is a prestigious project for us to be involved in, we are always proud to see our work bith in print and in situ and we look forward to working with Tim and the team in 2018."

If your college or school needs help with branding or literature why not give us a call on 01332 291141 and we will be happy to help or advise.

Back in the Swing...

Jonny was proud to have won the 2017 Kedleston Park Autumn Cup. This is a 36 hole competition played over consecutive weekends. In the first round he was able to shoot 8 over par. This meant that the pressure was on to play well in the second round...

Round two got off to a good start and after 10 holes he was only 4 over par...on course for another good score...however the dreaded par three 11th took its dues...where he carded a ridiculous four over par six. Underterred he went on to shot a level par score, which luckiluy was just enough to remain four under net.

The picture shows Captian (ex Scottish International and Nottingham Forest player Kenny Burns and the Lady Captain presenting the prize crystalware...

If you fancy a game of golf then why not give us acall on 01332 291141 and discuss business whilest enjoyng a round!

Uncle Col - Your Spirit Lives On...

Some of you will have met Colin Fellows.

I first met him in 1987 when he was working at a company in Leicester called QED Marketing. I recall being asked around to his house in Castle Donington to discuss a project for Newey Goodman when I was freelancing. I remember being impressed that he had such a lovely house and family with his kids Nick and Ben who spent a lot of time charging loudly around the lounge whilst Bettie tried to keep them calm, and us both fortified with tea and biscuits...

He must have like what I did because I worked on several projects with him after that and within the year was invited to work in-house at QED for a day a week for few months.

This was at the time when designers first started using Apple Macs and QED had just purchased a suite of Mac II CX machines. I'd already been using a Mac for over a year and was pretty adept at using the applications (mainly Quark Xpress, Aldus Freehand and Suitcase etc). I was able to help him out on a wide range of work, alongside QED's in-house designer, Ian Rawlings who I had also worked with at Evets PR previously.

My business began to grow and I was kind of 'forced' to move out of the Radius (a beautiful purpose built semi circular extension to my house) due to large delivery lorries visiting the house (in fact it was a neighbour who reported me)  The result was that in 1991 we moved to our present address at Trinity House on Green Lane in Derby. Meanwhile Colin had been having some issues at QED and decided to 'go it alone'. Having discussed with him the idea, he moved into our offices in mid 1991 and set up Fellows Associates which proved to be a very successful and rewarding move for us both.

We enjoyed a really good working relationship working for clients such as Chilprufe, Newey Goodman, JMc, Systech International, Leicester County Cricket Club, Transmitton and many others, right up until his retirement in 2006, when he moved to his dream home in Calahonda in Spain. He and his wife Bettie spent time between the UK, Australia and Spain visiting sons Nick and Ben and their families.

Sadly, on May 2nd 2017 Colin passed away, having fought a long battle with cancer. He was able to enjoy his friends and family right up until the end and rarely spent too long in any hospitals so in that respect, he had, as some say 'the best given the circumstances'.

Colin was always very sociable and easy to get on with and very much a 'hands on' character. He will be fondly remembered by myself and I am sure, anyone that had the pleasure to know or work with him.

Colin - your spirit lives on...

Mags and Jonny - 22 years later...

One of my oldest friends in business is Mags Shaw who runs Mags Worldwide. See her old site here

I have known her since 1990 and anyone who meets her will never forget her. She has an amazing personality and her enthusiasm and love for life is infectious. Trouble is she'd never let you tell her that because when Mags starts chatting, its almost impossible to get a word in edgeways! Its all part of the charm she has...

The photo of us in evening dress was taken at the Sphinx "Trail to New Orleans" Launch event which was held in a marquee at Breadsall Priory in Derbyshire in 1995.

The photo of us in civvies was taken 22 years later in 2017 at Shaw's House in Guisley, Leeds.

Mags still looks the same whereas look at the old bald geezer on the right...

Treetops Golf Day

Paul Ross from Mercia Printers extended an invitation to Jonny to play golf in May at the annual Treetops fundraising event at Erewash Golf Club.

What a great day - if only the scoring could have matched the fun we all had!

After the golf we sat down to a delicious dinner - which we had to queue up for (just like school!) it was quirky but very tasty and good fun.

Top pic show's the 'Dream Team' - Mark, Paul (our host), Jonny and Jane (our hostess)  plus below shows the queue for dinner!!!

If you have a golf day or event that you' like Jonny to attend, just give us a call on 01332 291141 and he will be happy to consider it!

The Jump - Live!

What a fun night, to be invited to watch Channel 4's "The Jump" and to see the final live!

Described as the most dangerous show on TV, the Jump is filmed (mostly) live in Kuhtai deep in the Austrian Tyrol. Many participants have become injured attempting to overcome various ski related disciplines.

On the night, the crowd's favorite Lewis Smith only managed second place - but he had been the he bookies choice. He was beaten marginally by Spencer Matthews (apparently a 'socialite')?

Davina McCall did a good job reading the auto cue - she is a true pro...

Anyway, the pictures shows Jonny and genuine achiever Olympian Louis Smith sharing a moment in the snow.

If you want to know more about the Jump click here

Perfect Posture...but it looks so flat!

This dynamic (yeah right!) image shows Jonny on a black piste in Kaltenbach - and yet it looks so passive, but I can tell you it was around a 43 degree steepness. The main point being how photography can be so deceptive. On TV Formula 1 cars look slow, FIS skiers look slow, and people look bigger.

Its quite amazing how the eye can be fooled.

You'll Never Ski Again...

It is almost two years since I had my knee injury and was told I'd never ski again. I had ACL, MCL and PCL replacement and have lost most of the meniscus on my right knee.

But here is some video of me last week skiing down to the Wedelhutte in Hochfugen. Admittedly my technique is a bit suspect, but my balance is ok and I am able to manage piste skiing with no real issues. Just light pain on some sharper turns.

The proof is in bumps, moguls and off piste. Which I intend to address in 2017 after building up some more muscle mass...

I am wearing a brace on my right leg similar to the same used by Lindsay Vonn and a few other FIS participants. It basically gives some leg support until my muscles are strong enough.  It also helps to protect the leg and gives stability during recovery.

This movie was seen by Dragan Lausevic - the Serbian Mogul ski champion and his comments (I kid you not): "He's good, I thought he was just a recreational skier" High praise indeed apparently coming form the Serb... until I read further to see that he then said "his left leg is fucked though"...clearly a reference to the extra work its having to do to compensate for my damaged right leg!

No matter, I am very happy to be back on planks and sliding about...regardless of style!

Hail, the unsung heroes...!

Every company has them...

The 'behind the scenes' teams who really do all the work.

Here at PE Creative we are no different. When we spill tea, overfill our bins, want to see through the windows, drop a sausage cob etc  just who is there to clear it all up?

Well, meet Abbey and Keely - our most reliable cleaners  - they are responsible for keeping the studio spick and span...and they do a great job and its about time they had some recognition!

We appreciate all the hard work they do, even though we may not always say so - so thanks ladies!

If you'd like to clean up your graphics or marketing then please give us a call on 01332 291141 for a no obligation chat. If, on the other hand, you want some reliable cleaners, just let us know and we can arrange for the girls to call you...

Denmaur Golf Day

A 5am start to the day meant that when I arrived at the Sittingbourne and Regis Golf Club I was a little bit tired. However,I soon perked up when the bacon rolls arrived!

The Denmaur team organisied a great golf day attended by over 68 guests. With a shotgun start there were numerous prizes along the way (longest drive, hole in ones etc.) to keep us all on our toes. A lovely old style parkland course Sittingbourne rewards straight hitters.

After a super 'front nine' of 19 points I ended up with a 34 total having missed several short putts and made two duffed shots. A fair result given my form!

The winner scored 44 points off a handicap of 10, so a genuine round of golf won by a deserving contender.

It was good to see some of our graphics around the course too - and its clear to see that Denmaur's look and feel is getting better all the time.

The photo show Jonny and official photographer Andy on the first tee...

The legend that is Colin Fellows

Some of you will remember Colin - a true marketing legend!

Well its hard to believe he retired 10 years ago and has just celebrated his 70th birthday (yes 70th!!!) at his sunny Marbella hideaway.

Jonny managed to surprise gatecrash the party which was attended by his two sons, Nick and Ben, their wives Ren and Jo and grandkids, Zac, Luca, and Poppy. Of course Bettie was also there to keep everyone in check!

We all wish him and his family continued health and happiness and look forward to his 71st!

The Why Der Cup - aka - PEcreative Golf Challenge

This month we had our inaugural golf day - held at the most prestigious Markeaton Park pitch and putt course. This 1600 yard beast brough us all to our knees...with super impossible greens and rough up to our thighs we took on this challenge with gusto...

Due to the conditions it was hard to determine a winner (Jonny!) but the afternoon was time well spent 'smelling the roses'.

A hole in one prize of £15 was on offer but nobody managed it.

Shot of the day: went to Viv for her 'chip in' on the first. Sadly it was not a sign of things to come!

Best dressed golfer: was Carolyn

Best Tee shot: Ben

Best Ex Miss Derby to swing a club : Jo

Wooden Spoon: Jonny

Best bloke left back at the ranch: Rich

If you would like to help fund the next PE Golf Day then give us a call and we can tell you how on 01332 291141, on the other hand if you want some lovely graphics, digital media or web you know where to come to too!

What the 70's is going on?

Can you guess who this is....No...?

Well its actually Jonny in 1975 sporting his new Spencer corduroy flares, 'Slim Jim' pattern shirt and TUF platform shoes... This retro image is a genuine picture taken in Somerset. You can see that I have always had a flair (sic) for fashion...even if it does look somewhat naff retrospectively...(actually I think I look pretty cool-  just look at the 70s style milk bottles!).

Maybe I should get all my team to bring in retro pictures to share - yes!!

If you want to see what I am wearing today give me a call and I'll come over and show you and at the same time we can talk about all the lovely design work I can help you with...go on you know you want to...01332 291141.