Today our new urban heroine, Sophie is unveiled to the good people of Harrogate. Sophie will appear in a series of ads we’ve developed for Fodder, the new concept local food shop and café from the Yorkshire Agricultural Society (www.fodderweb.co.uk). Check out this week’s ad on page 9 of the Harrogate Advertiser.

 Opened in June, Fodder’s already appeared on BBC1’s The One Show, won deliciouslyorkshire’s award for Best Independent Retailer and has now spawned Yorkshire’s very own Carrie Bradshaw – Sophie Gordon.

 Over the next few weeks, in her column within the ad, Sophie will recount tales of shopping, lunching, and lusting as she discovers first the Fodder shop, then the delights of the café and then the attraction of the extremely qualified butcher! (Purely fictional of course.)

 Can’t wait for next week’s instalment – and I know what’s in it!

Subject: General by Neil

Queen’s original video was shot in 3 hours and cost $3,500 – suspect the  version from this link, irreverent as it is, cost a little more and took a little longer: http://uk.video.yahoo.com/watch/6494569?fr=yvmtf

It’s fun, we like it – and of course it features chickens – which is a Foundation must-have in all good rock videos.

Subject: General by Liz

Last month I’d hinted at some work we’d done to help environmental charity BTCV launch a new, national initiative. I can now reveal that today, the charity will be mobilising its CARBON ARMY of volunteers to start ‘3000 days of action’ against the effects of climate change.

Today’s launch in London will be fronted by gardener Charlie Dimmock and is a demonstration of what can be achieved in practical terms just ahead of the 3000 international delegates getting together in Copenhagen next month, to once again debate the issues that surround global warming.

Instead of talking about ‘making a difference’, BTCV will be planting trees, creating urban green spaces, helping improve flood defences and creating carbon sinks. It’s direct and tangible action and will make a difference to all our futures, on a local, national and even global scale.

At Foundation we’re delighted to have been able to help them in originating the design for the CARBON ARMY and will be looking to support them in other ways next year.

Of course they’re always looking for volunteers and there’s bound be some worthy project that they’re tackling in your area, so visit www.btcv.org, join the army and make a difference.

Subject: General by Liz

Our Henry’s accused me of dumbing-down the Foundation blog. Moi!

Well, today I’d like to blog about Regression Analysis. Only joking! But, in an effort to pepper relevant keywords into this post that might be picked up by those mischievous robots or spiders, here goes:

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my MD sent to me
Twelve media planners,
Eleven integrated approaches,
Ten data managers,
Nine web analysts,
Eight agency rosters,
Seven online videos,
Six calls-to-action,
Five brand values,
Four P’s of Marketing,
Three media bloggers,
Two USPs,
And a client wanting to call a re-pitch!

OK Henry – you can’t expect miracles. But I am trying.

Subject: General by Liz

April & Brian make themselves at home

Following last week’s sad news that Sandi’s favourite hen Stevie had made her final journey to that big hen house in the sky, we’d like to introduce you to April and Brian. April & Brian are Apricot Call Ducks and the latest addition to the ever growing menagerie of animals residing at Haythornthwaite Towers.

 Since the sad demise of Stevie, April and Brian have taken her place by inviting themselves into Sandi’s kitchen, leaving ‘little presents’ on the floor and generally having a nose about, much in the same way that Stevie used to.

 A big warm welcome to April and Brian, but we hope they don’t leave too many ‘little presents’ the cleanup is a nightmare.

Subject: General by Neil

A fabulous night was had on Monday at the Deliciouslyorkshire Awards at Rudding Park. Sorry it’s taken 4 days to write about it but we all know that ‘midweek night-out recovery time’ is directly proportional to age!! As you can imagine, the food was to die for and the booze was alright too.

Take a look at the picture of Neil, looking very dashing as he presented the award to Ripley Fudge Kitchen for best Confectionery Product (Neil’s the one in pink looking relieved that his one and only job for the night had passed without hitch!).

Back at our table, which we shared with a lively bunch from print packagers OPM, we tucked in to some gorgeous fresh produce from the region and some cutting edge desserts – reference liquorice ice-cream, dandelion and burdock cake and a most intriguing apple jelly which had a life of its own. Deelish!

Apologies to Sandi who despite being very ill – now confirmed as actually having pneumonia – managed to voice her obvious disgust with everyone’s choice of after dinner drinks. As she knocked back her brandy the rest of us sipped on our suitably hardcore limoncello and amaretto (not together). Bring on the Lambrini!

Well done to all at the Regional Food Group involved in organising this excellent event, especially Jenny and Katie – despite the pressures and expectations, they looked suitably relaxed all night, perhaps a little too relaxed; suspect they’d started on the pop even earlier than we had.

Subject: General by Liz

Sandi came back from her trip to the desert, not her usual bubbly self, is missing a certain little camel that she’d forged an unusually strong bond with. Problem is he’s not called or texted or anything, suspect she was just another tourist to him. Then to make matters worse, Sandi’s rescue-hen died. She’s taking comfort in the fact that for the last 12 months she’d made damn sure that the old hen had had one heck of a life.

On Monday Aaron had an ‘incident’ with a reversing 4×4, which knocked him to the ground. Concussed and bruised he managed to limp back to work – what a trouper. Only later that evening when it was clear he couldn’t think straight and was seeing double that Neil relented and took him to A&E! He was back at work on Wednesday, fighting fit and ever so wary of lady drivers on The Grove.

Then on Wednesday, I bizarrely agreed to my under-age son and his girlfriend being photographed ‘under the covers’ for a client shoot. They were, thankfully, fully clothed and sporting woolly hats, gloves and socks – reminds me of my student days, in freezing digs, in bed wearing every piece of clothing I had just to keep warm! (Before anyone asks, yes we did have electricity and gas central heating – just couldn’t afford to use them.)

Finally, best wishes from us all to Dom’s mum for a really speedy recovery.

Subject: General by admin

Asda are helping support Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Campaign with a limited release of ‘Tickled Pink’ wrapped Flakes. They look really pretty and encourage you to nibble in a girly stylie rather than bolt it down. I bought a few and so contributed a whole 5p each to the cancer cause, so don’t be cynical and wonder where the other 30-40p goes – go out and stock your drawers with them, hang them from your Christmas tree, share them with colleagues………..

Neil, was the only one to refuse one – he was being good. He really thinks I can’t see him behind his monitor. Neil, Maltesers count!

Finally, while I’m on the subject of chocolate, we’re off to the Regional Food Group’s Deliciouslyorkshire Awards 2009 (www.deliciouslyorkshire.co.uk/dy/about/dy-awards/) on Monday 9^th Novemeber, where we’re presenting the award for Best Confectionery. Sweet!

Subject: General by Liz

Subject: General by admin