it was me.

i've been reasonably well-behaved year to year so, very fortunately, santa's always paid me a christmas visit. i just love it when santa gets it this right. 

this year mr clause brought me the lovely resin goodness of sydney-based, up-and-comers it was me.  effortlessly chic and locally handmade, it was me's bangles really stack up.  these hard-edged statement-makers are tempered by soft lace and dainty bow details, producing a city-meets-seaside affect i can't get enough of.  in less than 24 hours these ladies have already elevated a vintage t-shirt and cut-offs combo and my new favourite tlux black dress. carried by the likes of sydney's the corner shop, these bangin bracelets are quickly taking australia by storm.  for stockists or some online shopping visit it was me online. 

thanks it was me for making such perfect accessories. and, as always, thank you santa x

save the date

merry christmas, cyberspace!  this past month saw a brief hiatus from the market world as al and i finished up some projects at work and earnestly scoured the shops for presents for our loved ones.  after recharging our batteries at our respective family homes (loving the nsw/vic break from the top end humidity!) we're looking forward to the upcoming year and its lamp-loving opportunities.

2011 brings lots of lamp-loving-goodness as i love lamp preps for the next happy yess event (tba) as well as a few renegade market opportunities; save the date 8-9 january for a mega market lawn sale at al and tim's in fannie bay--more info to come!

for now, bestest wishes to you and yours and a happy, happy new year.  may santa fill your stockings and trees with all sorts of sweets and lovelies x

we stand corrected

bad news, amigos. the market gods don't love lamp.  at least not like we do.

the happy yess markets scheduled for sunday 28 november have been cancelled.  we've stopped crying long enough to let our lovely lampers know. 

please help happy yess spread the word--if ya see any posters around town, feel free to take 'em down (might make cool paper airplanes? wallpaper for your bedroom?) 

we'll be back at ya with a rescheduled date (hopefully for december), otherwise we'll see ya in the new year.

might have to organise some renegade markets at another venue?  stay tuned.

xx i love lamp

30 is the new 30

happy birthday to you

happy birthday to you

happy birthday dear alex

happy birthday to you

(and many more)

yess please

this just in: this month's happy yess markets at brownsmart is so on.  come join us sunday 28 november from 2-6 pm for more market madness.  to get us through until then, here are some more highlights from last month: happy-yess-fashion, haircuts and halloween, oh my!

i love lamp loves happy yess markets

thanks to all our fellow marketeers, shopoholics, happy yessers, flatmates and everyone in between who came out to the inaugural market day yesterday afternoon.  it was a great success--more pictures will be up soon.

i love lamp sends out a special gracias to miss sammy--wouldn't have/couldn't have pulled it off without ya, darlin'!

frankielicious

copyright 2010 frankie magazine

what a momentous week.  three sleeps and counting until our inaugural market session.  happy yess markets this sunday from 2 to 6, rain or shine.  look for us at i love lamp!  a rockin yess gig starts at 7 pm so lets all stick around late and celebrate. 


furthermore, what perfect timing for a new issue of frankie magazine to drop--even more cause for celebration.  with a how-to market stallholder feature, too!  buy your copy at your local newsagent, or show frankie your love and subscribe.

eating is never cheating

what did you have for breakfast? what's that you're making for lunch? have you been to the chinese emporium yet? do you think mango cake would work? did you know that you dip anything wrapped in seaweed? do you want to try this sauce? is carob and licorice not the best invention ever?

food is a topic, much to my partner's dismay, that i never get sick of. i am not a 'foodie' in the critic-sense of the word. i am just as excited by a banana rolled up in a peanut butter-smeared square slice of bread as i am by a twice-baked triple choc brownie for dessert. i love talking about food almost as much as i love eating food. sometimes talking about it is even better. my imagination runs wild and the combinations i create in my head are astronomically amazing.

there is nothing better when you meet other people that want to discuss at length what they had for breakfast that morn and how they plan to improve on it the next. for example here is an exert of an email i received earlier this week...

"this morning before riding to work I had tiny slice of toast (freshly made sour dough bread made by a friend) with a thick spread of vegemite, some avocado and tomato on top and a small cup of coffee. then got to work and ate muesli, banana, goji berries and LSA with yoghurt.  had a coffee with oat milk and just polished off a slice of toast with ABC spread and honey. did you end up making that haloumi veg stack for dinner last night?"

from job to job i have always sought out other people who share this passion for food. good food, naughty food, hot food, raw food, new food, old food... its all good. i have been lucky to find these food-loving souls in my last couple of jobs. felicity and her grated carrots, beetroot and herb freshness; oanhy and her roast pumpkin haloumi surprise. 

currently i am in a delightful group with the other half of i love lamp, coen and our mate carita, which we call 'the salad club'.  to be part of this club you must love the taste of raw veges fresh off the stalk and straight on the plate. when 12 noon shows up on my computer and i gayly skip down the hall to the kitchenette, i am excited by the unknown. what will end up in my tummy today?

its amazing how amazed people are to see such an array of veges on the same plate. the reactions from people are hilarious and everyone loves to comment: 'i have never seen beetroot that's not in a can before', 'health nuts', 'freaky vegetarians'.

my mum always said you should eat a rainbow of food everyday, and she wasn't referring to fruit loops. we were on a steady diet of mung beans and brown rice as kids. she even invented a fast food restaurant called McPriddican's which was similar to McDonald's in name only. McPriddican's only served lentil burgers, eggplant chips, and water with two tear drops of ribena.

if you want to know what we eat each day we pictured it for you... it kind of looks like mother nature spewed on our plates and we called it lunch!!

don't be afraid of food. talk about it, get ideas, try them at home. enjoy the taste of a crisp snow pea on its own without steaming, sauteing, mashing, stir frying it.

carita took our humble club to the next step and prepared a dinner feast for our tenderised taste buds.

i do love an all in chop fest of raw food but it takes consideration and time and love to put something together for friends in your home.

the quiona pilaf that we ate over a few bottles of wine was some the tastiest morsels i had moved from plate to mouth since i could remember.

nice work, carits. now let me share with our readers this glorious recipe. don't forget to add the love!

all measurements very rough... use your intuition
tspn fennel seeds
tspn mustard seeds
tspn ground coriander
tspn cumin seeds
tspn turmeric
chopped green chili
garlic
onion

fry this up then add cup of quinoa, fry for a couple of minutes
add 2 cups of vege stock then just stir until done.

add any veggies a bit later - last night i put in shitake mushrooms
add roasted cashews or almond on serving, and fresh coriander. currents would be good too.

i love lamp loves you too.

her story

if you live in the greater sydney area, plug in to the sydney blogger's festival 2010.  make sure you check out liza boston who is speaking on a panel at the conference 'her story...tapping into the success of australian female bloggers.'

wish we could be there xx

how to: i love playing dress-up

rule 1: find an excuse to clothes-swap regularly.  this weekend, one of our friends is going to new york and one of us is going to melbourne for a snazzy wedding.

rule 2: make a night of it.  make sure your wine is chilled and ready to serve, your dinner menu is new and out of the ordinary, and the stereo is set the band your partner doesn't usually let you listen to.

rule 3: get the kids involved.  make some score cards ala australia's next top model--rate your favourite outfits and invite the kiddies to score (and dress-up!) too.

 

rule 4: girls just wanna have fun. be slightly loud, tell stories that make everyone giggle, dance around a little, splurge and let yourself have that cheeky ciggie, and stay up too late on a school night.

rule 5: ride your bike.  eliminate the issue of finding a sober driver, but make sure to have your helmets handy.  get your heart pumpin with a lovely ride home with your friends through late-night deserted streets.

rule 6: chronicle your occasion.  photograph your borrowed items in action like crazy.  because photographs are as central to special occasions and travel as souveniers and hangovers -- but also because its nice to give your friends the pleasure of seeing where their clothes have traveled and how you styled them.

 

rule 7: rinse and repeat. clothes-swapping never loses its appeal.  everything old can become new again with fresh eyes and fresh ideas.

 

rule 8: come shop with i love lamp. we play dress up too.  i  wanna annoy you readers more than the shitty advertising that interrupts your free iphone aps (honestly, dishing out the $1.19 for the full version of angry birds will change your life.)  non-stop, shameless plugging is the name of our game--yes, come shop i love lamp at our happy yess market stall the last sunday of every month.

"you look really great today."

what a loaded comment.  when colleagues really take the time to remark on how you great you look in your dress today--like they reiterate it so many times and nearly everyone in the office agrees and makes sure they're really driving the point home--it's almost like they're suggesting how shit you look in all your other outfits.

it's like those days when everyone keeps asking you if you're tired/stressed/sick/having bad allergies/hungover but you got a full nine hours sleep, ate a healthy breakkie, got in a quick run, put on a full face of make up and feel fabulous in your outfit. 

they're basically saying, 'hype up the bronzer cuz you lookin like shit.'

it's like those people who go head over heels on the few occasions a decade that i straighten my otherwise super curly hair, and they repeat over and over how much better it looks styled that way.  thanks, colleagues, but i dont have three hours a day, monster biceps or a self-loathing-enough personality to warrant that much effort.  boo hoo.

i hate to out her in the public sphere, but boston had a similar show-stopping moment at work recently in this mint button-front safari number, paired with 30s-style t-strap heels and dangly earrings.  i mean, it is amazing.

but that's not to discount her other outfits; one of the reasons i teamed up with boston in i love lamp was because i'm one of her biggest sartorial fans--her creativity and vision in turning otherwise cast-out, lifeless op-shop finds into fashionable gold is inspiring.  this look lived up to the expectation--and elicited oohs and ahhs, gasps and squiels, accolades and appreciation from every onlooker the whole day.

lucky for you, dear readers, she was only taking the dress for a spin. 

made in sydney so it was locally produced, too.  find it at the Happy Yess Markets beginning Sunday 31 October and make it your staple piece sure to stand out from the usual nine-to-five-wardrobe.

when everything old is new again

who ever thought that 90s fashion would make a comeback? i was a teenager in the 90s and it was uninspiring to say the least. think Elaine from Seinfeld. conservative and daggy--not really a look i thought the runways would re-hash. but no one ever loves the era that they were lumped with. i was jealous of the 80s-flair that my sisters were able to express themselves in. i was too young to create my own style then.

all those bright colours, the awkward shapes, everything bizarre. the 80s had movement and pizazz. although stylish for the time, i felt drab in my op shop UCLA t-shirt, ripped Levi's and beat up converse. where did the fluro leg warmers and outrageous tutus go?

 

okay the 90s weren't all bad. i have to admit that i have been waiting to sport a double denim combination again with confidence. darwin is a bit too hot to go all out in knits and leather but i love lamp has been on the look-out for some stylish threads from yesteryear. we want to help bring your wardrobe back to the beat of Vanilla Ice.

after getting back into a high-waisted pant I don’t know why I was dreading the resurgence of this quickly forgotten fashionable era. dressed in a pair purple chinos matched with a loose fitting white blouse I was impressed with the new sense of freedom I felt when bending over.   hips are out people, its time to bring back the waistline.

watch out Darwin. there will be more ladies on the bend.

come to i love lamp 31 October at the Happy Yess Markets. Fo Real. 

let the music play

is it normal to want to perform? did everyone jump out behind curtains dancing to ABBA in front of their parents friends? is it strange to put your hand up at work to present a power point in front of 100 people just so you can stand up on a stage? to hold attention of the masses, all eyes on you, under the spotlight, name in lights!! – or is it just me?

some people like to play an instrument. i like to perform an instrument. fly along a piano like Billy Joel, wail on riff like Eric Clapton, belt it out like Van the Man and throw down a sax solo like Michael Bolton? i have a musical performance part of my soul that is desperate to express itself in any shape or form.

i began with the piano. everyone in my family got piano lessons as soon as they were old enough to have metal cutlery at the dinner table. my parents are not particularly musical nor did they have insight into the amazing things musical training can do to a developing mind – it’s just that we had a piano.

my first teacher was a 90-year-old spinster called Miss Dowe. she was old when my sister was taught by her 10 years earlier, by this stage she was ancient. I didn’t learn much with Miss Dowe. i don’t know what was more distracting: her whiskers that were longer than her actual hair, the suffocating smell of death mixed with mothballs or the dribble that would ooze out of her mouth onto my hands as she leaned over to read the music. it was customary for Miss Dowe to finish the lesson by force-feeding me stale sponge cake. it made me suspicious of the word ‘cake’ which I thought Miss Dowe used rather loosely.

if not traumatised enough from this early experience the piano was still in my house taunting me. i needed to get up on that chair and show the world what I had. i feel sorry for my relatives that were subjected to these performances. my grandma once said ‘that was interesting’. that’s the best compliment I got on the piano.

once I left my parents' house I realised that the piano isn’t a great travelling companion – it was like a gateway drug, setting the scene for new musical experiences. i started dabbling in all kinds of instruments, whatever I could get my hands on. guitars were accessible but expensive. horn instruments usually featured as rusted antiques. the tambourine was a drunken fall-back to dancing and although drumming things were fun I have no rhythm.

i was stuck. my soul was yearning for melodic release. what should I do? where do I begin?

i was saved. a few drinks at a mate’s place and he casually mentions that he bought his second ukulele. what’s that again? isn’t it like a kids toy? why do you need two? isn’t it a mini-Hawaiian guitar? what do you do with it? do you play? show me.   

he pulls them out. one is shaped like a pineapple. that’s funny I think. i like funny. the second was made out of a heavier wood, had a matte finish and a clear resonating sound that made my ears prick up. i picked it up and held it in my hands. it felt good. he taught me a few chords and we jammed together for a while. four hours went by in a whisper.

my next encounter with a ukulele was my first weekend in Darwin. it was a Thursday night and I piled into a tiny club that was jammed full of people. this place was called ‘Happy Yess’ and my mate Matt was playing his first gig with a group called The Dukes. i didn’t know what to expect. You never do with Matt.

i stood there with the crowd eagerly awaiting for the show to begin. then it began. in the words of Napoleon Dynamite it was… ‘incredible’. nine people crammed on a stage all banging their hearts out on ukuleles; what more could you ask for in a live gig? i had to be a part of this. i had found my calling.


since joining The Dukes I have never felt so well rounded. i sing, i play and most importantly i perform. it is a thrill like no other when someone hands you a pass that says ‘Artist’ and guides you ‘back stage’ – which could just be a tarp and a port-a-loo but it's back there baby. then you step up on some kind of raised platform and turn to face your people. to me, that’s truly living.

so go on. get out there and live. whatever makes your soul shine, just do it. AND most importantly shop at i love lamp on the last Sunday of every month at Happy Yess Markets.


Aroooooooooooooooooooooo!!

you can love lamp, too

exciting news to share, amigos!

i love lamp is spreading its vintage and secondhand love all over darwin at the new happy yess monthly sunday markets! that's right; darwin will finally have a locally-focused, creative outlet at which to share wholesome crafty things, trash and treasure, and amateur arts and crafts.  the sunday market (held 2-6pm on the last sunday of every month, rain or shine) will be a great place for everyone to get their skills on. 

yours truly is gearing up to sell vintage and pre-loved clothes, accessories, homewares and giftables sourced from across the globe (from costa rica to washington, d.c. to sydney to darwin and beyond.)  be among the first to indulge in what is sure to be a cruisey, lazy afternoon of fun and games at the only dedicated original music joint in town.  click here for details and directions to the historic brownsmart theatre. 

first market 31 october.  tell your friends.  get on it.

and now, a word from our sponsors

here's a nod to darwin's mainstream evening markets.  love 'em or leave 'em, mindil beach sunset markets are a ubiquitous darwin experience: part touristy, part tacky, part hidden treasure, part delicious, part deep-fried and overpriced, part friendly, and part west coast perfect sunsets.  its a place to converge and celebrate the onset of a weekend, or the start of a new week.

it's also a place to score some wonderful, crafty and (mostly) affordable wares, bits and bobbles for the home and the wardrobe.  among this league of buy-worthy items at mindil are the goods offered at the stall I (and boston's sisters-in-law) help run:  second skin designs.

all handmade with love locally in darwin, these delightfully breezy, colourful cotton dresses and tanks really step up to the plate against darwin's ongoing battle-of-the-elements; the dresses are perfectly lightweight in the sweltering, wet humidity, and are also the epitome of appropriate for a sunny sunday session at the pub or on the beach.  pair with some balinese beads and strappy sandals, or just toss over your togs and grab your sunblock, and you're ready to go.

enjoy the wide selection of colours (including tie-dye), lengths and necklines (some tie on the shoulder, some are roll necks, and all are unique.)

most people find that feeling unique and stylish is more challenging in 36 degree humidity than in the more layer-friendly wintery regions.  second skin offers the best of both worlds--wearable, lightweight cotton, and the opportunity to layer, mix-and-match, and play with colour.  these babies are quite sheer and must be layered, unless being worn over your swimmers or as a nightie.

dresses set you back one for $15 or two for $25, tanks are $10 and all stripes are $15.

"cheeeeeeeaaaappppp"

mindil runs every thursday (5-10 pm) and sunday (4-9 pm) of the dry season.  the markets finish this month, though--thursday 28 october--so snap yours up quickly.

the best thing about getting shot in the buttocks is the ice cream

when boston and I decided to carve out a space in the blogosphere and highlight the cool culture and craft darwin has to offer, we did so to connect with our fellow darwinians and to combat the all-too common assumption that darwin is lacking in the ‘fun beyond the pub’ department.  nothing against pubs—we love ‘em.  we're pub-mongrols.  a lot of my income is spent at the pub.  try to run into boston next time you’re at the pub—she’s likely to invite you to stay at her house or to let you keep her dog.

the point is, we love darwin, its pubs and beyond.  it may seem odd, then, that one of my first posts is about leaving darwin.  that’s right, my partner has just purchased us tickets to our first holiday getaway in such a long time that i want to climb to the top of the evolution tower and shout to the harbour:

I’M GOING TO VIETNAM, SUCKERS!!!!!

ten days in march. it's not heaps of time and it's ages away. nevertheless i am so damn excited it's all I can talk about. just the two of us and minimal luggage, stupidly cheap airfare (thanks jetstar!), my mother-in-law's lonely planet guidebook, limited itinerary commitments, hungry tummies, empty camera memory cards and nothin but time to wander, relax and enjoy.

if you're aussie and you're reading this thinking my excitement for visiting an overdone tourist hole is OTT, it's because i come to you with a funny accent and a penchant for hot dogs and salted pretzels. yes, i originate from the americas, and asia is our exotic road-less-traveled, our far far away. just like how latin america is yours--evidenced through the overpriced mexican food popping up in trendy suburbs all across the country. (tacos should cost ten cents not ten dollars, ps.)

correct me if i'm wrong, familia, but i'm the first coen to visit 'nam not in an official wartime capacity. i am a fortunate one.

so for the next five months, i'd love your suggestions for vietnam's must-sees, must-eats, must-buys, must-drinks.

i am so looking forward to my first stint in asia, the first of many i hope.  after all, one of the most amazing things about darwin is our absurd proximity and affordable access to asian getaways. 

forrest says that in vietnam it rains sideways and upside down, with big old fat rain, itty bitty rain...

bitchin'

hey deuteronomy,


(I figured I'd punctuate my first lamp post [har! har!] with lame biblical references no one will get).


if bostonian is making literary love to her bike i think i should do the same.  in the form of a proper bitch--not about the beloved bike itself but about the parking situation at work.  because bitching on a blog is fun.


Ruby Belle Coen has only been a Coen for one week and already I've had an 'incident.'  and no, I'm not referring to my numerous crashes/fall-overs/near-hits/stuff-ups--which I openly advertise with pride (as a novice rider).  I'm bitching about the individual who found my vulnerable, new treasure in the carpark, tampered with my lock and broke it, presumably to steal the brand-new, retro-reproduction, [new] oldtimer easy rider.


who could blame them?  Ruby Belle is a burgundy beaut, with tan leather handles and white-rimmed wheels.  And a wire basket on the front that holds a smaller wicker basket that will get stolen if I ever actually try to use it.  And a clamp-style storage space on the back that the bike shop shopkeeper assured me would surely crush my veggies on the way home from the saturday markets.


In short, my adorable Ruby Belle (came with that name) is a golden-flecked (made-in-china) vehicle of perfection that get's me from A to B, is fun to ride, looks cool and makes me happy.


it's all perfect except for two issues.  (1) I thought that with the onset of the humid wet it would be more comfortable to ride around and feel a breeze rather than walk, like how a dog sticks his head out the car window to let the wind run through his hair, except that i was wrong; this town's wet season is hot no matter how you get around.  And (2) whoever tried to steal Ruby from the exposed, makeshift bike rack in the car park at work busted the lock-combination-mechanism and left me no choice but to cut it free.  the lock is broken but luckily bike is intact.  so really i shouldn't complain.  but like i said, complaining is fun.

next stop is u-lock city, and no-more-complaining town.  since I've still got this fantastic new ride that makes me super happy.  bottom line is

BIIIIICYCLE, BIIIIICYLE!  i want to ride my bicycle, i want to ride my biiiiiikkeee!

(and god said let there be bikes.  and there were bikes.  and he saw that they were good.)

a new way to fly

The biking revolution is finally here! I have only been riding around for over a quarter of century waiting, watching, biding my time. 26 years of pushing a bike, two wheelin, perfecting my roll. The wind in my hair, the scenery swishing past. The feeling of freedom is not unsurpassed on a bike. Push bikes to me are like an old friend that turns up in every city I have ever lived in and offers me a ride.

It was the summer of 1984 when my sister grew out of her BMX and it was begrudgingly passed down to me. A beat up black beast with fluro quicksilver stickers, reflector pedals and spokey dokeys on the wheels. I had just mastered the training wheel and was ready to take the next step. I was, at the time, more impressed with the bike she’d just inherited from our elder sister. An ocean blue cruiser with a sparkling blue/silver banana seat with a tall back rest, long flashy handlebar streamers and white wall tires.

I was used to the concept of ‘hand-me-down’ by this stage of my life – toys, clothes, doona covers, unwanted pets, old tennis balls. I was also quite familiar with the ‘hand-me-up’, which involved something in my possession an older sibling desired and then promptly taking it from me.

Resistance was futile. Even if I rallied the parents, who obligingly insisted the return of my prized possession, victory was only short lived. The scorn and exclusion of my siblings was much more painful than initial disappointment of losing my last Easter egg, bag of marbles or the best seat on the couch. Pecking order, or as I remember it – punching order. The only thing I could do was try to negotiate – ‘You can have it and this one if you take me roller-skating with your friends on Saturday. Please. Please. Please. I promise I won’t talk to you’.

Some items didn’t make it all the way down the chain, especially after contact with my direct predecessor. She was leaps and bounds ahead of me in the bike stakes. She pelted the streets with a crew of biking kids jumpin curves, skidding up the church lawns, fanging down the lane with her hands in the air screeching like a banchee! She was a bruiser. Coming off a BMX onto a cruiser is a big transition. The cruiser won’t take the tight corners, jump the curves or skid out like a BMX will. You are supposed to sit back, take it easy, roll with it. It was a graceful machine built more for appearance than speed, style than performance. Seeing my sister bash round the side of the house on that beautiful blue bike broke my heart.

She once tried to teach me to ride with no hands. “It’s just like skiing with no poles” she teased knowing full well how that lesson went – I still have a scar. Her lesson involved riding around me in circles with no hands on the bars saying “do it like this, like this, see its easy”. I never got it. I wanted desperately to get it. I promised myself that one day I would succeed. I would ride around with no hands for all to see. Hopefully I would also have a walkman and Rebok pumps, then I’d show her.

As predicted by the time I acquired the once premium piece of equipment it was a little worse for wear. She had completely knocked off the streamers off one of the handlebars and the other side was like a mangey dog’s fur – thin, uneven and scruffy. The seat had strange punctures in it which not only ruined the sleek shiny gleam from the sun, was also rather uncomfortable to sit on. I decided then and there that one day, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow I would buy my own bike, a new bike, the best bike.

Throughout the rest of my childhood and my travels I still had never bought a ‘new bike’. It usually wasn’t a budget constraint holding me back, it was more of a long engrained notion that bikes were a second hand purchase. New bikes got stolen, they were tinny and flashy, they had no character, no-one had pre-loved them.

Moving to Darwin changed all that and I found my new best friend. A single speed Trek Soho S series, matt black lustrous finish with puncture-proof racing tires. It was designed for couriers in New York and (perhaps by accident) communication professionals in Darwin – just a few peddles on this puppy and you’re hauling! Everywhere in Darwin is too far too walk, to quick to drive and just perfect to ride. Work, supermarkets, pubs, ukulele practices are all excuses for me to ride my bike. AND everyone’s doin it ma, everyone!

Not long after I arrived I was peddling home after a few cheeky sunset beers with an old mate. He rode ahead, threw his arms in the air and said ‘Look no hands’. This was it! This was my chance, the conditions were perfect. A few beers for Dutch courage, empty suburban streets, a new bike – I got nuthin to lose. I controlled my speed and rolled into the middle of the road. I leant back a little into the saddle and straightened up. I took one hand off, then the next and stuck them straight out the sides for balance. I wasn’t only riding with no hands – I was flying.

Bikes are the new black and my bike is black so that makes me pretty hot shit. But regardless of colour, age, shape, size, new, old, found or stolen embracing the biking revolution is hugging life. So get on it.

I present my friend – ‘Alchemist’

Ding ding!