Looking Sideways: 10 Things
This week: live podcasts, Outdoors 2.0, and Natural Selection spreads its wings.
1. I’m down in Cornwall for a couple of weeks and there’s sun, swell and old friends around. Life is good.
2. I’m doing a fair few live conversations over the next month, starting with The Big Sea at the London Surf Film Festival on Friday November 8th, where I’ll be hosting the post screening q&a. Tickets here.
Later in the month, I’ve got a pretty busy Kendal Mountain Festival coming up. I’m hosting a live Creative Exchange conversation with Chris Burkard on Friday 22nd (tickets here; it’s almost sold out!), then later that day I’m hosting another screening of The Big Sea at 6.30 at the Brewery Arts Centre. Tickets for that go on sale next Monday.
Then, on the Sunday, the roles are reversed as I’m being interviewed by festival honcho and pal Steve Scott about The Announcement, my forthcoming documentary about Yvon Chouinard’s decision to ‘make earth’ Patagonia’s shareholder, which I’ll record and release as a bonus episode. Buy tickets here for this one.
Phew. Come say hello if you’re around!
3. My friends at Re-Action Collective continue with their gentle outdoor industry cage rattling (the pic is a giveaway), this time with an invitation to help them with their ‘ambitious project to find consensus on how the outdoor industry could do better for people and planet’. Take part here.
4. I’ll be staying with my pal and SAS founder Chris Hines MBE next week - so it’s a great pleasure to share the trailer for this documentary about his life, which will also showing at the London Surf Film Festival this year.
Use my code LOOKINGSIDEWAYS at checkout for brilliant discounts from Db Journey, Goodrays, Finisterre, Stance and Intersport.
5. Natural Selection have just announced the expansion of the tour to include surf, ski and bike. Exciting times ahead - watch the promo above.
6. I did not expect this article about the power of music and friendship, by right-of-centre, usually rabble-rousing sportswriter Martin Samuel, to be one of the most affecting stories I read this week. Highly recommended.
7. Perhaps predictably, last week’s piece about how AI is saving me time for creative work wasn’t universally popular among many readers
My thanks to everybody who sent me thoughtful, considered messages on this topic. And to everybody who sent me links so I could continue to work out my position. This podcast in particular (above) has been fascinating - hat tip reader/listener Andy Davies for this one. The work continues…
8. I’ve spoken about this before, about how occasionally I get onto a proper learning jag about a particular topic; reading, watching and listening to just about everything I can about it.
As regulars might have noticed, at the moment it’s the backstory behind the Brighton Bomb. With that in mind, huge thanks to readers/listeners Joe Minihane and Malcolm Johnston for recommending the brilliant Killing Thatcher after last week’s 10 Things, which I am enjoying very much indeed.
9. Jonathan Porritt has co-authored a report about the impact of climate change on migration patterns. As he puts it, “it won't cheer you up, but it will reinforce your determination to distinguish between a world literally on fire and often spurious burning platforms that keep our politicians so dangerously distracted”.
10. Finally, courtesy of the great John Rattray on Instagram, I leave you with Jeff Goldblum reciting George Bernard Shaw on Stephen Colbert.
Brilliant stuff, and just what I needed to end the week.
What did I miss? What did you think of this week’s list?
That retro SAS logo is the GOAT.
Always 'random' but always interesting!