Home of Millican - The Cave

Full circle

2012-02-20T13:57:00.002Z

16,000 miles, 29 months, countless punctures and a wedding engagement to boot.

A one line summary of an epic adventure for Liz and Chris, the Bikeabout Duo, who left Cumbria, flew to New Zealand and then cycled back to UK, returning to Cumbria just yesterday.

That's one full circle.

Image courtesy of Liz and Chris at Bikeabout

You could even say two circles intertwined as Chris and Liz originally met in New Zealand, way back in 2005, Chris on his 2nd gap year and Liz on holiday. Chris dreamed of one day cycling back to the UK. Liz thought he was joking. Turns out he wasn't.

We've written a few blogs over the last few years, tracking the progress of the guys and highlighting the reason for their trip. Check out "Made in Thailand" and "Gobi Coolers" for more en-route action and their Flickr page if you fancy a visual diary of the last 902 days.

Chris on the summit of QueEr pass, Sichuan, China

Yesterday, with the weak February sun shining through, Liz, Chris and some hardy followers completed the final leg of a truly epic journey, arriving back in Ambleside.

We were there to welcome them home, raise our glasses (any excuse) to their amazing achievements (including their wedding engagement) and join in the auction and raffle to raise much needed funds for their chosen charity "Child's Dream".

Chris and Liz back in Ambleside with their trusty steeds

Chris's bike with his battered Drinks Coolers - Derek's been with him all the way from China

As well as a long distance cycle being up there in Chris's top ten dreams, the couple also dream of raising enough funds to build a new school for underprivileged children in the "Mekong Sub-Region". And with the motto that took them half way round the world "Anything is possible", we have every faith Chris and Liz will make this dream come true too.

But they still need your help. They've raised funds throughout their journey and at two fundraising events, in London and Ambleside since their return to Blighty, but there's still a way to go to reach their £20k target.

If you're able to donate, please visit here and pledge whatever you can manage, every little helps. If you're interested in hearing more from Chris, he'd be a great motivational speaker for your business, group or interested crew, with all proceeds going to Child's Dream. Simply email him at hello@bikeabout.co.uk and take it from there.

Class at Tomato Village, near Mae Hong Son, Thailand.

It has been a real privilege being involved in a very small way with Liz and Chris's incredible journey. They're both such committed, determined, positive people with a real desire to make a difference to other people's lives.

And with itchy feet too... though they both need a very well deserved rest just now, we're sure there'll be another grand plan around the corner.

Watch this space.

Scissors

2012-02-17T17:48:00.000Z

Making something, is really something.

Today's post is a nice progression from the last, which featured Nick Hand's epic journey cycling round the coast of the British Isles portraying craftsmen and women.

I have always found pleasure and a sense of fulfilment from making things. But let's not get carried away, I'm certainly no master craftsman. The key is how much enjoyment I feel from creating something from scratch.

There has certainly been a renaissance towards craftsmanship and quality in recent years. The consumer is becoming more educated and long may it continue. Seeing a true artisan at work, who has dedicated a lifetime to mastering a skill, is often a very inspiring experience.

As no surprise, Japan appears to be full of great individuals producing fantastic work in ceramics, furniture and metal work.

The Tajika family has been producing hand-crafted scissors and shears in Japan for over four generations. After many decades of honing and passing on metalworking skills, it's fair to say they know a thing or two about how to make scissors.

Photo courtesy of Mjolk

The father and son team make everything by hand using traditional methods. These copper multi-purpose scissors are real items of beauty.

Like the organic canvas of our bags and the oak-bark tanned leather of our Moleskine notebook covers, the metal scissors will wear in with use, aging over time and generating its own individual character. Each product telling its own story.

I have grabbed much of the beautiful imagery from OEN. Where else.

Fancy a pair?

Why We Need to Celebrate Craftsman

2012-02-10T10:17:00.001Z

What's one of the best things about travelling?

A block of time with nothing to do but read.

A couple of weeks ago when we were in Germany, Jorrit recommended a book to me named 'Conversations on the Coast' by Nick Hand.

Photo courtesy of Cycle Stuff

During a cycling holiday in Cornwall, graphic designer Nick Hand wondered how long it would take him to cycle right around the British coast and back to the same point. A year later he did just that.

Through a fascination and appreciation of craftsmen and women, Nick tells the story of the folk he meets along the way, from stick makers to tea tasters.

Intrigued by how much he could do on a bike, Nick set himself a target of

5000 miles
50 films
100 days
50 blogs
500 tweets

As you can see he likes round numbers.

Photo courtesy of Brooks

The book is as much about the amazing people he meets along the way as it is about the journey itself. Much of the soundslides Nick has recorded on his journey can be viewed through his website. Whether it's a basket weaver or hat maker, the short clips give a real insight into the passion and deep seated love these craft workers have for their art.

Nick believes there's a real relationship between cycling and craftsmanship. Both can be viewed as a slower and more considered approach towards their counterparts. I like that.

It certainly gets the juices flowing for the Epping Cycle Ride in May.

Machines for Storytelling

2012-02-03T09:29:00.000Z

We can all tell stories.

In fact, it's one of the most natural ways to communicate.

Photo courtesy of the fantastic Witchmountain

The 28th of January marked the beginning of National Story Telling Week There will be festivals and celebrations in your local area every day up until and including the 4th February.

Story Telling Week brings together tellers and listeners, professionals and enthusiasts, to celebrate the power of the spoken story, as a modern form of entertainment and as a powerful educational and therapeutic tool.

Photo courtesy of the fantastic Witchmountain

If I had to pick one skill to master, I think storytelling would be a close contender for the top spot. Stories are how we organise our experiences in the world and how we make sense of events that have happened to us.

The oral tradition of storytelling is one of the oldest and most powerful teaching and learning methods we have. It is a way that human beings have communicated information since before written language. I'm sure if Millican Dalton were with us today, he'd have a few stories to tell.

Don't know about you, but I'm far more likely to remember facts if they're wrapped around an interesting story.

Everyone needs oral stories. Why else would we tell each other jokes and anecdotes so compulsively? Stand-up comedy is really a version of storytelling.

Storytelling is theatre in miniature. It requires eye contact, gesture and imaginative use of the voice.

'You could look at human beings as machines for storytelling. From body language to syntax, from inflection to timing, we're the perfect shape and form for utilising this amazing art form.' Julian Barnes - courtesy of the Do Lectures.

Photo courtesy of the fantastic Witchmountain

I'll be making my way over to the Queensbury Deli this Saturday evening for the Story Meal with Queen of the New Wave of storytellers, Rachel Rose Reid. Maybe I'll get the chance to share the Millican story...

Happy storytelling this week.

Gute Zeiten in Berlin

2012-01-24T17:37:00.001Z

Our blog posts have been a little thin on the ground so far in 2012. However, don't let our recent lack of activity fool you into thinking that we've not been up to much. In fact, quite the opposite.

2012 has started faster than ever. Just three weeks into the new year and we're already preparing for our second trade show.

The eagled eyed amongst you will have noticed the German title. We spent last week having a whale of a time in Berlin at Bread and Butter, Europe's largest fashion trade show for selected brands. After the success of our visit back in July, we were thrilled to be invited back to the L.O.C.K. (Labels of Common Kin) Hall.

L.O.C.K. Hall, Bread and Butter

In Berlin we launched our very first collaboration - Universal Works x Millican. You also may have picked up on one or two snippets on twitter recently...

Around six months ago we were approached by David Keyte, founder of British clothing label Universal Works. He'd been using a Mark the Field Bag for a while and loved it.

To be honest, we were a little taken aback at first. Universal Works is a brand we have admired since its inception back in 2008. Drawing inspiration from British workwear clothes and outdoor clothing, they use honest, natural fabrics and yarns, often using end of lines that would otherwise be wasted.

You can see why we liked them.

The collaboration with Universal Works has resulted in some healthy additions to the Millican family. Introducing, Jan the Daypack, David the Shopper, Martin the Courier Bag and Jamie the Holdall. More pics to follow soon...

We will launch the range in a limited run, which will hit the shop floors in August, however if you would like to reserve a style in advance drop us an email at uw@homeofmillican.com.

The Bread and Butter crowd were also able to catch a glimpse of our brand new colour for later this year (Grey Blue) as well as our two latest styles - James the Duffle Bag and Rob the Traveller (Large). I did say we'd been busy...

James is our Millican take on the traditional Duffel Bag, the ultimate utilitarian shape perfect for a weekend getaway. We loved the shape of Rob the Traveller so much, we thought we might as well make a bigger one. If only our product development was usually that simple. The larger Rob allows you to comfortably fit in a 15" laptop, documents, notebook with extra pockets for pens and iPhone. Adding an extra level of efficiency and style to the daily commute.

All sounds great, but where are the pictures? This time around we thought we'd try and film our road trip adventure through the eyes of a Flip camera and get our friend Magnus to edit it.

We were lucky enough to work with local musician Annemarie Quinn, a singer songwriter from our very own Keswick. Her music has a real sense of the lakes, mountains and countryside that we have on our door step. Pop over to itunes to hear more.

Enjoy.

Millican at Bread & Butter Berlin - 2012

Guest Post: Teach a Man to Fish

2012-01-09T12:20:00.001Z

We've been lucky enough to bump into some highly inspiring and interesting individuals on our travels - all with stories to tell and experiences to share. So we've decided to open the floor this year, with the introduction of guest posts and stories to the Millican blog.

Good stories, like good ideas need spreading, so what better way to make use of our blog...

As always we plan to keep the content diverse and interesting. The only common thread will be 'we like what they're about'. Simple.

You may remember I introduced you to Si and Cat. Two fishermen, building a boat, making a living from catching fish under sail and oar and selling it locally from the village of Portscatho, Cornwall.

You can see why we like it.

Cat kindly agreed to keep us updated on their progress, so over to Cat.....

Teach a Man to Fish - January 2012 Update

The past few weeks have been a blur of conversations,emails, early mornings, shopping lists and mince pies. We’ve cooked turkey forthe first time in our house; taken our boat 'Planet'out for a Christmas Eve sail and spent New Year’s Eve in blonde wigs andmasks.

Christmas Day Walk on the Beach

So westarted 2012 buoyed up from time with friends and family and looking forward tothe year ahead and I didn’t think it could get much happier than that. And thentoday Simon came back from the profile cutting workshop with this:

Simon with our half model

I never thought a piece ofMDF could look so attractive. This is our half model; a fifteenth scalelongitudinal section of the hull of our boat and an exact three dimensionalreplica of Simon’s digital design. It is the penultimate step in the designprocess before we start ordering materials and making the real thing and thefirst tangible piece of boat we own. Proud.

Our half model being cut out by the three axis routerat Fibrefusion

It strikes me that our boat -to some degree like every boat built - will be so much more than the sum of herparts. Already there are so many things built into the fabric of her design andthe first stages of her build and I can only imagine there will be many more tocome. Here are some of the things we’ve used so far:

- Endless quantities of paper filled with boat design sketches and addresses forChristmas cards that we later forgot to deliver.

- Every fishing book we can get our hands on, including FishingNews, an addictive little weekly number that we had never heard of threemonths ago.

- A reliable computer for Simon to finalise his boat design on; spending hours tweakinglines, rendering surfaces and fairing hulls. For writing blog posts. For beingunreliable. For breaking, mourning and eventually mending and replacing via ahard drive transplant and panicked tweets to Toshiba. For Twitter.

- A mild Internet addiction to researching, emailing, blogging andprocrastinating. And Twitter.

- A loud alarm clock to wake us up at 4am to go Newlyn Fish Market and learn how to befishmongers. For getting us out of bed to put the turkey in the oven.

- A love of chatting to people who catch fish, cook fish, buy fish and sell fish, and theirpatience and readiness to share ideas and resources.

- And finally, a couple of sore heads filled with fishing vocabulary, techniques andconfusing legislation. And, on Boxing Day, slightly too much mulled wine.

Editing drawings for our boat

Next time, we hope to updateyou on our progress from the final checks on the model to the first few planksbeing fastened on our boat.

Cheers,

Cat

In the meantime, you can keep updated on all things Si and Cat on their blog and also Twitter.

A Resolution or Two

2012-01-05T12:42:00.002Z

It's amazing how 1 day can make such a difference.

On 31 December, you're looking back at the year behind you, still recovering from the Christmas festivities.

One day later, you feel lighter already (despite the possible hangover), looking ahead at the 366 days still to be filled - dreaming about all the options ahead, with a healthy dose of enthusiasm. Well, at least we do.

How optimistic are you about 2012?

If you believe the world's media, the current outlook seems less encouraging, with many leading economists predicting further recession in 2012.

We often remind ourselves we started Millican in a recession and we've been lucky enough to do very well despite the recession. Microsoft launched in a recession too apparently, so there's clearly hope!

And hope leads to dreams and resolutions.

Our main resolution for 2012 is to get out there more often. "Out there" is on our doorstep after all, literally. And being a tad busy can't be an excuse, can it ...? Cycling, hiking and BBQ's by the lake (when the weather clears) need to become the order of the day this year.

Another one is to get organised for the Epping Ride in May, from Epping Forest back to Millican Dalton's cave in Borrowdale. That'll be a ride an a half to look forward to - keep your eyes peeled on our Facebook page for this one.

And then there are the many product resolutions for 2012.

Dave the Rucksack will make his debut in Antique Bronze this Spring, a new Grey Blue colour will be introduced in Matthew, Mark, Rob, Harry and Joe this Summer, followed by an exciting new collection of felt wool protective covers for phones, iPads, laptops and cameras.

The Epping Ride will also be used as a test-bed for another brand-new collection for 2013 - if we'd tell you more now, we'd have to shoot you unfortunately, so we'll come back to that later in the year!

In the summer, we're launching our first collaboration, with British menswear label Universal Works. Four new canvas bags to fit alongside the Universal Works clothing collection for Winter 2012, and equally at home alongside our regular Millican bags. More on this to follow soon.

Other collaborations are in the pipeline for later this year and 2013, whilst the sampling team is busy with our first wheeled luggage, some new shoulder bags and another overnight bag.

That'll keep us busy ...

So what are your resolutions for the new year? If any involve cycling, check out the London Cycle Blog for some inspiration.

Here's to a healthy, active and vibrant 2012 ...

It's Nearly Here

2011-12-21T16:15:00.000Z

4 days to go.

So when did the countdown begin for you?

It's been a little busy here of late at Millican HQ (the shed at the bottom of the garden). It seems like I'm not the only one who likes to leave Christmas shopping to the last minute.

We had a bumper weekend of sales - our record best. Great to see the sales come flying in. However, I did feel for Russ in the warehouse who had to pack them all by hand. If anyone can do it...

Unfortunately we can no longer guarantee pre-Christmas delivery. However, we'll try and ship all UK Mainland orders placed before noon on Thursday the 22nd of December, for delivery the following day.

Still time then to take advantage of the festive bundle - it makes the ideal gift for someone special. For the more thrifty amongst us, it makes the ideal gift for two special people.

The view from the office window sees snow resting on the top of Skiddaw. As busy as we have been over the last couple of weeks, actually the last couple of years, it can sometimes result in a lack of appreciation for the surroundings.

View from the office window

Nothing like family, food, mulled wine and snow to bring you back in touch with what really matters.

What a year it's been for Millican.

The 2 and half (I'm doing Sandra an injustice referring to her as a half) team has now mushroomed to 3 and a half. We received our five minutes of fame on the ITV show The Lakes. We mixed it with the likes of Barbour, Levis Vintage, and Nigel Cabourn at Bread and Butter in Berlin. We've met some great people who are keen to help spread the Millican philosophy and we've attended counselling for our addiction to Twitter and Facebook.

Those of you who are signed up to the newsletter will have noticed that we've been competition crazy of late. Congratulations to our latest winner, Robert who is now the proud owner of a Finisterre Sasturga insulated jacket. To stay up to date with all our latest promotions and competitions, sign up to the newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

George making the most of the snow

We look forward to continuing the journey with you in 2012, for now a big thank you for all your support over the last couple of years.

We hope you enjoy your bags as much as we enjoy our jobs. From all at Millican, we wish you a peaceful and joyful Christmas Break.

Berties Country Store

2011-12-15T23:57:00.000Z

We are very proud to announce our latest stockist, Berties Country Store.

Opening their doors yesterday to the people of Dorset, Berties is situated in the beautiful town of Wimborne, making a perfect location for Millican on the south coast.

It was a few months ago when we received an email from David explaining he and his wife Anna, were planning to open a boutique country store. We were particularly inspired to hear that the idea for the store originated from a Millican bag.

They often say great business ideas begin with a hunch...

Whilst chatting away one night after seeing Millican featured in a magazine, they realised that there was nowhere close to them to see Millican bags, let alone buy them. Their thirst for interesting things didn't stop at Millican, they kept spotting goods they'd love to own but had nowhere near to go and buy.

They didn't always want to visit London to pick up what they'd seen in magazines etc. and Regents Park didn't sit too well with Bertie, their Border Terrier.

Bertie the Border Terrier

So hence 'Berties' was born.

Just a few months after our initial encounter, you're now be able to see, touch, feel and buy Dave, Matthew, Stewart, Mark, Stephen, Rob, Harry, Jonathan, Peter, Ian, Andy, Derek, and Les all from the beautiful Berties Country Store.

The Millican corner

We're all wishing David and Anna every success.

Berties opened its doors for the first time yesterday at 10am and need I tell you what the first sale of the day was...

Berties Country, 28a West Street, Wimbourne, Dorset, BH211JS.

Christmas Tree Weekend

2011-12-07T10:32:00.001Z

Here at Millican we like everything to have a second use.

Admittedly, it isn't always possible.

Packaging is a big deal for us. It becomes even more apparent as we find ourselves surrounded by boxes and packaging as the Christmas orders flood in.

The whole process of buying a Christmas tree and decorating it has always been a really important event in my family. A true festive occasion.

I certainly sway towards the more traditional approach, an artificial tree just doesn't really do it for me. That said, I'm not usually the one doing the hoovering and finding dead needles months after December...

So how about this? Last weekend I popped over to the London Design Museum to see designer Giles Miller's, latest commission. He has designed a set of bespoke Christmas trees to be sold exclusively through the Museum's shop during the festive season.

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your corrugated branches!

Photo courtesy of Arts Thread

The cardboard trees come in a range of sizes with the largest standing at roughly 20 feet high and is said to be the tallest of its kind. The tree comprises of no fewer than 3,600 individually cut, handmade cardboard pieces.

Photo courtesy of Design Museum

For those of you who have a 20 foot + ceiling, you'll be sorry to hear that this is a one off for the London Design Museum. However, the smallest of the range is 16.5 inches tall and costs £25, if you're in the market for something a little larger you can purchase one for £50 which measures in at 31.5 inches tall.

I think you'll agree - a little less maintenance than your traditional Nordic pine.

I can only imagine that these trees will sell out pretty fast so if you want to get your hands on one then head over to the London Design Museum before they've all gone.

The exhibition is available to view from the 2nd of December - 5th of January 2012 at London Design Museum, Shad Thames, London, SE1 2YD

So have I convinced you on an alternative to the traditional, or does the lack of tinsel not do it for you?

Rain Rain Go Away

2011-11-30T15:08:00.001Z

Come again another day.

We should know a thing or two about rain, living up here in The Lakes. Borrowdale Valley, home to MD's cave and of course Millican HQ, is the wettest in England. What a claim to fame.

Rain is often referred to as miserable, accompanied with a level of negativity.

Well, not any more. Things are looking brighter with the advent of intelligent clothing from innovative companies such as Raincatch.

Raincatch, is a multi-purpose poncho that funnels precipitation through its collar, filters it through a charcoal and chemical purifying system, and then stores the water near the hips where it's least obtrusive and most figure flattering.

They're obviously not familiar with the saying 'a moment on the lips, a month on the hips'....

Raincatch - Photo courtesy of Crunch wear

Designed by two students from the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design, the poncho's transparent tubing displays the process, while the water reserve remains hidden. With clean water concerns at an all time high, has the poncho arrived at just the right time?

The Raincatch would be perfect for polluted areas of the world where drinking water may not always be the best life choice. The design is still very much in the primitive stages, so you may struggle if you want one in time for Christmas.

Continuing on the raincoat theme, I introduce to you the Spud Raincoat. Or preferably, Spud the Raincoat.

Wear it. Plant it. Then eat it.

Yes it's true, when you have finished with the spud coat, plant it and it will grow into tomatoes or cucumbers.

Spud Raincoat - Photo courtesy of Spudcoat

As we are becoming increasingly aware of our plastic consumption, alternative materials such as Equilicua's Spud Raincoat, aka 'The Fantastic Plastic' are welcomed. This productive garment is made from a potato starch laced with the seeds of various flora. The embedded seeds will upgrade even the most barren ground with a pastoral assortment of shrubs and small plants.

Last but by by no means least is the Tyvek Raincoat from Wrk-Shp. It could well be described as green fashion at its purist, well that's how I see it. Clothing embedded with actual living plants. You can often spot Nicky at the garden centre with Mark the Field Bag, does this count?

Tyvek Raincoat - Photo courtesy of Wrk-Shp

The wheat grass-speckled coat, made from highly breathable Tyvek, grows with every drizzle it absorbs. I'm not sure how it would be received on Keswick High Street, but never the less you have to admire the innovation.

Thanks to Trendcentral for bringing the above to my attention.

Competition Time

2011-11-22T15:37:00.001Z

You may remember that a few weeks ago I posted a few in store photos from our latest stockist Murdock Barbers, London.

Murdock London, Monmouth Street

In typical Murdock style the dapper London gents have put together a cheeky little competition give away over on their website accompanied with a great blog post about their five favourite British adventurers. We are extremely proud to announce that MD made the short list. Of course we wouldn't expect anything less...

The man himself (Millican Dalton in case you were wondering)

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning a Jonathan the Roll Wash is send your answer to the following question with your name and address to moustaches@murdocklondon.com by midnight on Sunday the 27th of November:

Q. The lake District lies within which county?

The geographers amongst you will no doubt be rubbing your hands together on this one.

Jonathan the Roll Wash

Remember, you gotta be in it to win it!

Good luck.

Teach a Man to Fish

2011-11-14T12:10:00.001Z

Is it possible to make a living from fishing?

Simply. Sustainably. Under sail.

Well Si and Cat are in the process of finding out.

Our friend Jack dropped me an email this morning telling me allabout his pal, Simon. He has recently returned from sailing around Europewith his wife, Cat, in their beautiful yacht. I think that should read, intheir yacht with his beautiful wife.

Photo courtesy of Teach a Man to Fish

In September 2009 Simon and Cat set sail from Percuilon their boat the Heard 28 Planet.

Before they left, Simon was working at Falmouth Marine School as aCAD and boat building lecturer. Cat was studying for an MA in creativewriting and working as a Spanish tutor.

They both left with mixed feelings about coming back to the samejobs and lifestyles. They realised that any plans about their futurewould be made whilst they were on their journey.

The result is that they have decided to build a boat andbecome fishermen.

Photo courtesy of Teach a Man to Fish

Their aim is to set up a small business running from the villageof Portscatho on the south coast of Cornwall - catching fish under sail and oarand selling it locally.

Over the next few weeks and months Simon and Cat will bedesigning and building their boat while trying to find out and learnas much as possible about fish and fishing.

They're on a mission to untangle the legislationsurrounding un-powered (i.e. propelled by sail and/or oar only) commercialfishing and research sustainable and responsible fishing methods thatreally work.

They're documenting the whole process through their blog 'Teach a Man toFish'. Be sure to pop over for the full story.

Their story reminded me of something I came across a whileback. Si and Cat, I think you will like this one.

'A businessman was at the pier of the smallCornish harbour when a boat with a fisherman docked. Inside the small boat werefish. The businessman complimented the Cornish man on the quality of his fishand asked how long it took to catch them. The fisherman replied: 'Only alittle while'.

The businessman then asked why he didn't stay out longer and catchmore fish? The Cornish man said he had enough to support his family's immediateneeds. The businessman then asked, 'but what do you do with the rest of yourtime?' The Cornish fisherman said, 'I sleep late, fish a little, play with mychildren, take a nap with my wife, stroll into the village each evening where Isip wine and play guitars with my friends; I have a full and busy life.'

Portcatho:Photo courtesy of PaulWarrington

The businessman scoffed,"I am a London Business School MBA and I could help you. You should spendmore time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceedsfrom the bigger boat you could buy several boats; eventually you would have afleet of fishing boats. You could sell directly to the processor and eventuallyopen your own cannery. You would need to leave this small fishing village andmove to Vigo, Spain where you would run your expanding enterprise.'

The Cornish fisherman asked,'But how long will this all take?' To which the businessman replied, '15 to 20years.' 'But what then, sir?' The businessman laughed and said, 'That's thebest part! When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell yourcompany stock to the public and make millions, flying around on your owncorporate jet!' 'Millions, sir? Then what?' The businessman said, 'Then youwould retire. Move to a small coastal fishing island where you would sleeplate, fish a little, play with your kids, take a nap with your wife, stroll tothe village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar withyour friends.'

The fisherman, still smiling,looked up and said, 'Isn't that what I'm doing right now?'

(Story adapted from Hearblack).

We'll keep you updated on theprogress of Si and Cat's adventure.

Murdock Barbers

2011-11-11T15:23:00.001Z

Yesterday evening I made a trip down to our latest stockist Murdock, London. A traditional men's barber situated in Covent Garden on Monmouth Street.

Whether it's a haircut, a beard trim, or a traditional wet shave, you can't go far wrong here. As well as being home to premium male grooming products, you can purchase designer accessories and apparel to complement your new cut.

Matthew, Stephen, Jonathan and Joe are fittingly situated in the travel inspired waiting area at the the rear of the shop where you can browse a range of vintage books, magazines and curios, all selected to enhance the Murdock experience.

I resisted the offer of a handle bar moustache, however I did manage to take a few snaps.

If you are in the area, or are in need of some inspiration for Christmas gifts, pop over to the website to see all that Murdock have to offer.

Going to the Cycle-In

2011-11-08T14:20:00.009Z

I gazed up at the massive open air screen of a drive in movie in South Africa aged 6. Ever since, I've been captivated by the silver screen - outdoors if at all possible.

As a kid from Manchester (not known as the Rainy City for nothing), I never had much chance to relive the experience. Not until Jorrit and I were travelling in the Australian outback in the early 90s - as odd as that may sound.

After a long and dusty day on the road, we came into a small one road town on the North West coast of Oz. After settling in at the local hostel, we opted for a night at the movies, entered the small stone front of the building delighted to find an open courtyard, with rows of chairs and an enticing screen on the wall.

I'm just hooked on outdoor movies, the combination of audience involvement and being able to look up at the stars. My favourite movie is even Cinema Paradiso, where an entire italian hilltop village is entranced by the movies projected on the town hall wall.

So of course I was more than intrigued when I heard about Barbara Patkova - founder of The Magnificent Revolution - a not for profit education project compromising artists, designers, ecologists and engineers.

The collective organises cycle-powered cinema nights up and down the country, so folk can enjoy a good movie and understand more about energy use and it's impact on the environment.

How cool is that?

So it works like this, the audience cycle in on their own bikes and are hooked up to a modified training stand. The stands have a scooter motor at the back, which has a roller in it that spins like a generator and then feeds back into a power pack.

Simple but inspiring stuff.

The more people there are the better, 2 bikes will produce a fairly intimate viewing while 50 bikes could generate enough energy to project onto the side of building.

Barbara and the team have used the same concept to teach school children how much energy is needed to run an X Box, or to make a toastie ( 8 kids pedalling for 15 minutes if you're interested).

There's another reason she calls this cycle power. Now using the same concept at live music events, the audience use their cycling to power the sounds and lights for the band. "It's a natural feedback mechanism" stated Barbara " if no one likes the music then there's no power"

Now that would keep any up and coming bands on their toes...

If you'd like to experience the next cycle-powered cinema event, a selection of short films is on November 12th at the Rich Mix Arts Centre in East London as part of the Snapshots Festival.

Don't forget your bike and Simon the waterbottle - it could be thirsty work (and send us some shots if you make it there).

All photos courtesy of Magnificent Revolution.

Nest Thermostat

2011-11-02T16:44:00.000Z

I don't usually take too much interest in my thermostat, or any one's thermostat for that matter. But the recent drop in temperature, or should I say variances in temperature have resulted in a little thermostat tweaking.

Allow me to introduce this little beauty, Nest, the world's first learning thermostat.

Photo courtesy of Hypebeast

Founded by Tony Fadell, the guy who led the development of the first 18 generations of iPods plus the first three iPhones, has developed a new automatic, energy-saving thermostat. Nest records your heating habits, notices patterns and programs itself; thus saving you energy. Pretty clever eh?

Although there are a handful of other customizable digital thermostats geared to help consumers reduce heating and cooling bills, Nest thermostat is the first that I have come across that actually learns a user's habits and preferences and adjusts a household's temperature accordingly.

This nifty little number measures in at approximately 8.2 cm in diameter and 3.7 cm deep. The device is made of a stainless steel ring and a 320 pixel round LCD display in its centre to make up the core. Nest can be controlled via the use of a smart phone or a tablet (another reason for me to buy the iPad 2). Multiple devices installed within the same home can also interact with one another, ensuring they work in harmony.

Photo courtesy of Hypebeast

Nest is capable of remembering your personal schedule and heating/cooling tendencies within just a week. Internal sensors will observe when there has been reduced or no movement for extended periods of time and determine whether there is a pattern. It then programs itself to save energy while you're away, continuously refining itself to adjust your unique schedule of coming and going. Genius.

Once the pattern has been established, Nest will contribute to energy-saving by displaying a leaf icon on its LCD display whenever an energy-saving setting is currently in use. Users may also browse their 'energy history' and visualise what activities result in the most amount of energy saved.

This neat little video gives a demonstration.

Introducing the Nest Learning Thermostat via Youtube

Nest aims to increase awareness about our lifestyle habits, and perhaps alter it in a way that is beneficial for both the environment and our lives.

All this for just $250, I'm hoping it won't be too long till we can get our hands on one in the UK.

Power of Making

2011-10-28T09:42:00.000+01:00

Words like craftsmanship, tradition, handmade and skill have become the buzzwords of recent marketing material. The Victoria and Albert Museum decided to investigate what all these words actually mean.

The current exhibition 'Power of Making' is presenting a selection of more than 100 crafted objects from amateurs to experts. Ranging from a crochet bear to a ceramic eye patch, a fine metal flute to dry stone walling, all of these present a snap shot of making in our time.

The fantastic One Eight Nine website that seems to get better with every post brought to my attention a short film that delves into the working lives of four makers. Shoe designer Marloes ten Bhomer, crochetdermist Shauna Richardson, artist, curator and glass designer Matt Durran and flue maker Stephen Wessel.

Crochetdermy Bear, Shauna Richardson

It's fascinating to hear about the processes they go through producing and making for a living. Particularly interesting is the final comment from Matt Durran, referring to a group of school children who thought he was really poor as he was working with his hands. A complete misconception. Matt expresses a real importance for people to rein-gage with actually making things.

The exhibition runs from the 6th of September to the 2nd of January. It's definitely one that has been added to the diary for the coming months.

Power of Making from Victoria and Albert Museum on Vimeo.

Thanks to OEN.

We're Obsessed

2011-10-25T16:19:00.001+01:00

Ever wondered where your iPhone comes from? Where your laptop comes from? Where everything we own comes from? Ever wondered where all this stuff goes when we throw it out?

There is no doubt that we're becoming more aware of our consumption as a society, but do we really know all the intricacies of the consumption chain?

Just as I'm obsessed about consuming the iPad 2, Anne Leonard became obsessed with finding out the real story behind what happens to all our stuff.

In her book, 'The Story of Stuff', Anne explains that the linear system from extraction to disposal is simply too idealistic for modern day culture. Her 10 years of research reported that the traditional system is in a state of crisis, having severe effects on the environment and economy.

Anne's work has inspired a whole movement of activists raising awareness about our consumption habits. Pop over to the Story of Stuff website where you can learn more about the story of cosmetics, electronics and bottled water.

Her latest project is the 'Story of Broke'.

Much like the recent Occupy Wall Street movement, the Story of Broke believes that the government's actions, should reflect the will of the many, take on board the opinions of the majority whilst working with the big corporations.

It's not hard to see why the Occupy Wall Street protests have gone global. The one thing that these groups all have in common is that they represent the 99% of the population that will no longer tolerate the actions of the 1%.

What kicked off a month ago in relative obscurity, has now spawned peaceful protests in more than 900 cities around the world (source: Guardian).

Protesters camp outside St Paul's Cathedral, London - Photo courtesy of the Guardian

The Story of Broke suggests that instead of handing out tax breaks to oil companies and bailouts to banks, they should be making investments in clean, green solutions, renewable energy, safer chemicals and materials, zero waste and more. That can deliver jobs and a healthier environment.

Story of Broke (2011) - Teaser One, via YouTube

I highly recommend you pop over to the website, share the teaser video with friends and family.

We're not broke. We just want a more sustainable planet and environment to pass onto the next generation.

Millican Dalton would be proud!

The Marathon Man

2011-10-19T00:01:00.000+01:00

Just a few days ago, Fauja Singh, from Ilford, East London became the world's oldest marathon runner after finishing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 8 hours, 25 minutes and 16 seconds.

He took up running 11 years ago and trains every day by running 10 miles. Born in India, in 1911, Mr Singh is no stranger to a world record or two. He currently holds the world record for the over 90 category after running the 2003 Toronto marathon in 5 hours and 40 minutes.

Photo courtesy of CBC news

Apparently he puts his stamina down to ginger curry, tea and most of all 'being happy'. I'm a coffee nut and I don't like ginger - not much hope for me...

It's always been an ambition of mine to run a marathon. Quite comforting to know that I've got some time to go before I start worrying about that, especially when Mr Singh was 89 when he ran his first marathon.

But in all seriousness, here at Millican, we are running our own marathon. We realise that it's going to be a journey of endurance to get to our finish line rather than a quick sprint. Just as you need character, confidence, integrity, grit, focus and determination to complete a marathon those same aspects are needed in building a business.

Conserving your energy over a long period of time. Knowing that there will be ups and downs along the way that you just have to work through. What do they call it... hitting the wall around that 22 mile mark? With perseverance and getting through the highs and lows you know you'll get there.

Photo courtesy of Pam Daugherty

So have I made a convincing defence for my lack of marathon medals? Or do you just think I'm lazy...

Whether you're training for a marathon or building a business, I think we can all learn a thing or two from Mr Singh:

'The secret to a long and healthy life is to be stress free. Be grateful for everything you have, stay away from people who are negative, stay smiling and keep running.' (BBC).

The Oxbridge Expedition

2011-10-13T14:16:00.003+01:00

You may remember an earlier post, Micro-adventures inspired by Alastair Humpfreys. Well, the following post is certainly an adventure, and it may be doing it a slight injustice if I referred to it as micro.

Come to think of it, when does an adventure become an expedition, can an adventure be an expedition?

The 1955 Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition, from London to Singapore was undertaken by six graduates from Oxford and Cambridge University. Their mode of transport was two Land Rover Series Station Wagons, one painted in traditional Cambridge Blue and the other in a darker shade for Oxford. Land Rover were the main sponsors and gifted the two vehicles for the expedition. From their point of view the expedition was a great road test, whilst also being a fantastic publicity opportunity for the vehicle before its 1956 commercial release.

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

It was the first time the route, or anything similar, had been attempted using overland vehicles. The journey took six months and six days, during which time the expedition had clocked up 18,000 miles.

One thing missing - Dave the Rucksack?

The Route

After setting off from Hyde Park in London, the expedition crossed the English Channel in an air freighter. There after its route went through France, Monaco, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia (in areas now parts of Slovenia, Croatia and Macedonia), Greece, Turkey (crossing the Bosphorus by boat), Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Burma, Thailand, Malaya and Singapore.

I told you it would be an injustice if I referred to it as a micro-adventure.

The expedition was documented using film stock secured by Sir David Attenborough and the footage was broadcast on the BBC.

Part 1: Overland to Singapore, courtesy of YouTube

The 1955 route as a whole is now sadly deemed largely impassable. Not least because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan but also on account of the Indian border with Burma being closed in 1958 due to an insurgency along that frontier (source: Wikipedia).

Jorrit, I know how you love Land Rovers and travel. I'd buy you one myself if you completed this trip, just make sure you take me with you.

Crumpled, not stirred

2011-10-10T18:08:00.000+01:00

Whatever you do, don't stand on the corner of a street with a map in your hand.

Rule #1 for backpackers and travellers who don't want to stick out like a sore thumb.

You know the sort of scenario - you've just come off the bus, need to get your bearings, so open up the large and unwieldy map to find out exactly where you are.

Bingo! You've done the equivalent of shining a torch on yourself - you're now fair game for all those waiting to guide you to their cousins nearest rug shop/jewellers or leather shop, steal something from you or worse.

It was advice Jorrit and I heeded almost to the very end of our 2 year world trip, only to be foiled at the last hurdle. A very smartly dressed gent spotted that we were lost (yes we did have a map in our hands at the time), arranged a taxi back to our hostel only for us to end up in a rather dodgy part of town. The sole "exit ticket" to entice our driver to take us "home" was to buy the smallest piece of weaving we could get away with.

So add that memory to my passion for maps and you'll understand why I was over the moon to receive my very own Crumpled City Map of Rome (still on our "to do" list).

Crumpled City Map - New York, courtesy of Palomar.com

The creative baby of Italian industrial designer Emanuaele Pizzolorusso, Crumpled City Maps are made with innovative Dupont lightweight (and easily to scrunch) material Tyvek. Waterproof, as light as a tissue and super strong, they really do tick the boxes.

Crumpled city maps can be crammed into the small fabric bag provided, stuffed in your pocket, or one of the handy external pockets of Dave, Matthew, Ryan, Mark or Rob. Perfect.

Map in a bag, courtesy of Palomar.com

Add to that, Emanuaele's top ten soul sites for you to explore. On his site, he states " these are places of intense emotions that are brought to life by the people passing through them or stopping at them". I couldn't have said it better myself.

Crumpled map is something you shouldn't leave on a trip without.

What "must haves" do you always carry in your travel bag?

PS check out other beautiful designs in the Palomar stable, the zoomart combines beauty with function impeccably. And the mirror on the base of odnom is pure genius.

Zoomart, courtesy of Palomar.com

Ode to Steve

2011-10-07T13:29:00.000+01:00

By now, most of you will have heard the sad news that Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple, has finally lost his battle against pancreatic cancer. As a global community, we have lost one of the leading innovators of our time.

Steve Jobs was one of the greatest entrepreneurs and innovative leaders of modern history, and the likelihood is, that you're reading this very blog post on a device designed by him.

Photo courtesy of NY Times

We hope that in remembering Steve's death, we remember and celebrate his life - to create a better environment in which ideas and innovation can help improve all of our futures.

In this spirit, have a look at some inspiring sustainable innovations:
1. Living Homes - founded by US Environmental Entrepreneur of the Year 2009, Steve Glenn, Living Homes are affordable, modern, healthy homes. The first one was built in 8 hours.

Photo courtesy of Living Homes

2. The Sea Chair Project - a machine fitted to a trawler that collects marine litter to manufacture chairs, from London's Royal College of Art (source: Time to care Victorinox).

Photo courtesy of Gizmag

3. The Common Threads Initiative, Patagonia has launched a programme in partnership with ebay, encouraging customers to repair and recycle clothing - Awesome.

Common Threads Initiative

Let us know your favourite innovation project - we'd love to be inspired more ...

Innovation comes from thinking outside the box and being different. This short clip, narrated by Steve Jobs himself, encapsulates this philosophy perfectly.

Enjoy.

Apple Think Different

'The people who think they are crazy enough to change the world do'. Steve Jobs. Respect.

Scorchio!

2011-10-03T20:53:00.000+01:00

It's official: the weekend was the hottest October since 1984 or 5, one of the two.

In typical British style, we didn't let it pass without making the most of it. On Saturday afternoon at exactly twenty seven minutes past one the temperature hit 29.5C in Gravesend, Kent, making it the hottest 1st of October since records began 101 years ago (Met Office).

The previous record for England was set in 1985 in Cambridgeshire, when temperatures for the 1st of October reached 29.4C.

Brighton Beach on Saturday, photo courtesy of the Guardian

As great as the hot weather was, can it be attributed to global warming or climate change?

A spokes women at the Met Office told Channel 4 that the weekend weather was 'wacky':

'...but it isn't necessarily climate change - just the wacky British weather'

The Royal Horticultural Society said strawberries and rhododendrons were among some of the plants seen blooming at it's flagship garden in Surrey, when they were not expected to flower again until next spring. Crazy.

I've been informed (by a highly unreliable source), that the weather should last until Wednesday. I'm quite sure that's wishful thinking. Does this look like barbecue weather to you?

The usual view from the Shed

Whatever you did over the weekend, we hope you had a chance to take advantage of the unusually warm weather, as the next prediction is for snow in November - ah well....

LFW - Menswear Day

2011-09-30T14:51:00.000+01:00

Maybe it's something that would be hard to imagine (at the moment) and that's the likes of Dave, Ryan and Jim striding down the runway at London Fashion Week (LFW). Never say never...

Whether you're a fashionista or not, the fashion industry in the UK is one we should be proud of. London in particular has long been recognised as a city at the forefront of style and design. It acts as a healthy contributor to the economy and if this trader is anything to go by we may need all the help we can get...

This morning I came across a particular post that caught my attention on the fantastic Style Salvage blog - it takes an innovative approach to providing a review of the Menswear Day at LFW.

'Going to the show is a wonderful experience, but looking over catwalk photos afterwards can be a bit mind-numbing'.

To help bring the day to life, Style Salvage enlisted the help of Anne-Marie Jones, a recent graduate from University College Falmouth. Anne-Marie has taken a few of the guys' favourite moments of the day and presented them through illustration.

To say Anne Marie is talented is somewhat of an understatement.

I'm sure you'll agree they're a little more inspiring than your standard runway snaps.

I particularly like the E. Tautz paintings. If you have the chance, pop over to Anne-Marie's blog to see more of her work.

Next Development?

2011-09-28T17:42:00.000+01:00

As many of you will have seen, we have introduced Adam, Ian, Rob, Ryan and Keith to our product range over the last couple of weeks. So as you can imagine there has been a lot of talk surrounding new ideas and product development.

This morning as I was flicking through Google Reader I came across a post from Bag Blog titled the Scooter Backpack.

Scooter Backpack via You Tube

Immediately it reminded me of one of our good friends Jon who openly describes himself as a pro kick scooterist. I am sceptical whether this will be the solution to children's overloaded backpacks as I'm sure with added textbooks and laptops it will weigh a ton.

What the heck! It looks a lot more fun than walking.

Check out the Evo Luggage website for further details.