The Laundry

Dream Theme

Harriet — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:19:07 +0000

My friend Soph (also a committed Laundry user, he he) is having a Murder Mystery Party for her birthday this year. Being a huge fan of Cluedo myself (used to try and play it on me own- which you can’t, don’t try it- you’ll find it most unfulfilling), I am really excited about the whole thing. (more…)

Mayday Mayday

Harriet — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:12:17 +0000

At my primary school we had this headmaster called Mr Mather who was well into his May Pole dancing. Every year he used to get out his accordion and each class in the school would have a go at careering in between each other directed by his megaphone! Swinging off the brightly coloured ribbons- often crashing shoulders and making irrevocable knots where there was supposed to be an intricate pattern. (more…)

The Sound of Music

Harriet — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:14:53 +0000

Just a quickie from me today. (Phew! I hear you cry). I’m thinking sounds, I’m thinking radio plays and imaginative producers, I’m feeling inspired by a conversation about apples…One of our colleagues here at BioRegional was involved in a live audience recording of apple-crunching at the Barbican. This sound then became part of a tune by a musician called Matthew Herbert. That reminded me of the Star Wars exhibition I went to see in Bradford where they disclosed the secrets of some of the Star Wars sounds. (Don’t read on if you’d prefer to remain in thrall of the force…) Did you know that the noise of the light sabres was made by swinging a microphone behind a telly to pick up the feedback which then became the sound we learned to love…and to fear…

Have you got any secrets about sound?

Love from Steph and The laundry

Golden Thread

Harriet — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 16:24:10 +0000

I have been trying to learn how to knit recently and have been mainly constructing small squares of striped material. Although useless in more ways than you can imagine, the dream that one day that I might actually make something beautiful keeps me going. Some of the stuff I indulge my imagination in are tales of yore - women weaving their life stories into stunning silk whose gleam and (woolly?) perfection make the sun itself envious…Anyhoo, then I remembered the tale of Rumplestiltskin and thought I’d share it with you. A good fairy tale can remind us all that dwarves, pixies and goblins can be ruthless in their business and mustn’t be messed with. (more…)

My name is…

Harriet — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 11:22:05 +0000

After getting a rather touching blog comment from a certain Blarg who’s cat is (incidentally) called Laundry (see http://www.flickr.com/photos/blargblarg/2285206534/ for a pic) it got us Laundrettes thinking about other people and animals in our lives with funny names by coincidence. (more…)

Score Blimey

Rachel — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:02:30 +0000

Well done Steph for a completely bonkers blog last week, I loved it.

This week I’ve been thinking about scores to films. I pondered to my friend that:

There are no films with good soundtracks any more, my number one favourite is Back to the Future, deeer deeeer deeeer, di di di di di der, (hold on, I can’t do this the whole way through the email, I’m going to get our IT specialist to help me record my dum di dums and post it on the blog, wish me luck with that). With the possible exception of Jurassic Park, rousing (that’s rousing without the a, naughty) scores died out in the 80s.

(more…)

Introducing Stephanie

Harriet — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:10:59 +0000

Greetings! With this email I am going to introduce myself, Steph – new member of the Launderettes, to you, our lovely and supportive Laundry customers (your reputations precede you, it seems!), with a certain panache, verve and jingle jangle of accompaniment, so here we go… (more…)

Easter Information

Rachel — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:24:48 +0000

This week guest stars Helen, an ex-Laundrette who emailed us some interesting facts about Easter.

This year is the earliest western Easter any of us will ever see for the rest of our lives! Only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early, and none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! (more…)

Pig-say.

Harriet — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:10:49 +0000

Last week we had a flurry of pigness. First, Philippa’s pink milkshake bottle pig, then told us about the Pig of Happiness (how apt), then I remembered Apple Pigs, one of my fav children’s books. (more…)

Rachel’s Happiness Study

Harriet — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 09:57:47 +0000

I’ve been doing some research into how to save the planet and make people happy at the same time. I like to think the Laundry hits both targets, ker-ching.

Here are some eerie facts I learned while studying: (more…)

Happy Leap Day

Harriet — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:46:40 +0000

Leap years are there because our calendar is squiffy. Years aren’t actually 365 days long, but rather 365.2422 and so if we didn’t insert the odd day here and there throughout the years, over time we’d end up out of sink with the seasons and eventually might be able barbeque Christmas dinner. I think I might have over simplified this a bit, but I want to get on to the interesting leap year facts… (more…)

Bread and Buttah

Harriet — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:21:18 +0000

I have always, always wondered about how bread and butter got invented, but never really discussed it with anyone, it just remained this magical, impossible problem that archaeology forgot, that is until the weekend when I found out the ANSWER! There is an answer. (more…)

Freebies

Rachel — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:09:44 +0000

I saw my friend last night and he was showing off his freebie from London Fashion Week…it included L’Oreal make you hair sleek stuff, L’Oreal nude lipstick, a L’Oreal lip gloss (the one with the ‘heart’ shaped applicator, I think it’s endorsed by Scarlet Johansson) and a Penelope Cruz make up set. Wow, what a good selection for a man?!

(more…)

Self congratulation

Harriet — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:59:20 +0000

Me and my close personal friend had an argument this week about who was better.

Not at anything in particular, just categorically better. It came out of a discussion in which I got the feeling I was being patronised!.

I said, “Can I just ask? You think you are better than me at thinking don’t you?”.
He said…..”yes”. (more…)

City Livin’

Harriet — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:33:12 +0000

I’ve been writing these emails for ages, but am not sure how many people I’ve mentioned the

Laundry blog to, whether people actually visit your work’s website if you put it on facebook and how sensitive people are – here goes.

This week in our flat (house-share three women, city livin’, yeah) we had an “incident” that I think Louisa (housemate A) would refer to as SHOWERGATE. (more…)