Key Advice Productions has just posted  Lynne's Guys (keyadvice.net/showreel or Youtube.com/keyk8) highlighting one woman's search for the families of three WWII Canadian airmen buried in a Cumbrian cemetary.

Dreamtime Film recently had Live Before You Die, a 6 minute short screened at The British Film Institute as part of Upshots - The Future Of Film.

Global Link Development Education Centre, 24a New Street, Lancaster, LA1 1EG, 01524 36201

Global Link Development Education Centre is looking for a visual artist to either design (for vinyl printing) or paint the exterior of a fibreglass 23 foot x 6 foot trailer.

Top tip for fluffy bath towels!

When you buy new fluffy cotton bath towels, soak them in a bath of cold water overnight before you wash them for the first time. This makes the towels keep their fluffy feel for longer!

Alison Tordoff
Fidget UK (Interior Design and Architecture)
Tel: 015394 88235

PhotoSightDesign owner Tony Riley recently returned to university to update his professional photography skills with new digital technology.  He was surprised to find how much cutting edge scientific research was relevant to Cumbria’s creative industries, in particular art reproduction and museum collection archiving. Renewed interest in the digital preservation of heritage has provided extensive research funding, resulting in laboratories now being able to produce copies which are almost indistinguishable from the originals.


In the real world the only problem was cost! Artists cannot realistically fund a research programme to measure the individual pigments they use, when the original art may only be on sale at a few hundred pounds. However, by understanding the pitfalls involved in art reproduction and the archiving of photographic collections, PhotoSightDesign has evolved workflows that resolve many problems met by artists in having their work reproduced. This makes limited edition fine art print reproduction and collection archiving cost-effective. Although around £20,000 worth of technology is involved, the charge to the artist is £50 per painting plus a charge per print. (For museum collections and archives, an individual assessment is needed.)

Two Cumbrian artists already benefiting from this service are Sundar Kanta-Walker of Grange, and mountain painter, Jim Curran, both of whom have recently exhibited at Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre. Sundar comments “People who can’t afford the original can have a quality print, and I can have as few as one or two printed avoiding the cost of a long print run”. Jim also points out that “my large scale work cannot easily be displayed in Cumbria’s typical small gallery, so it enables many more venues for exhibitions”.

For museums and photographic archives, accurate copies and illustrations of works too fragile for public display can be exhibited electronically and in print for the first time, and a record of their current state can be preserved.

Modern professional digital photography is offering clients a whole new underlying colour management science; leading to a new way of providing imaging services to clients.  For further details, contact Tony Riley at PhotoSightDesign on 01539 723837.

Sign-making specialist Signworks, are celebrating this month after the successful installation of their largest ever sign.

To promote the £6 million new Knight’s Bridge Apartments development in Lancaster, property developer Tudor-Whelan Property Holdings approached Signworks to create a 425 square foot full colour display. The sign was directly printed onto PVC board, which provided the most cost-effective way of making such a large statement.  A digital print process was the best way to show off drawings of the property and give a good representation of how the finished apartments will look.

Knight’s Bridge is a situated on the south edge of Lancaster city, overlooking the canal. The development consists of 32 luxury two-bedroom apartments and penthouses. The contemporary-designed accommodation offers balcony views over Lancaster and penthouse living that will suit even the most discerning of buyers.  

Head of the Company Chris Tudor-Whelan knew it was important to create the right impression for this new multi-million pound development. And he thinks the sign looks fantastic. Tudor-Whelan use Signworks for all their signage requirements, as they believe their designs are the best in the business. Signworks will also offer advice on the best materials to use to create the right image, whilst being cost-effective and fit for purpose.

Other projects Signworks have undertaken in just the last few weeks include new internal and external signage for a biochemical company in Carlisle, in conjunction with a corporate re-branding exercise, implementing a new signage and way finding programme at three holiday parks near Southport for Harrison Leisure UK Ltd and the installation of several new hotel and leisure club signs throughout the North West.

Based in Grange-over-Sands, Signworks specialise in custom-built signage for companies wanting to create the right first impression. Managing Director, Simon Orr comments “We help organisations to look good and promote the ‘right’ image for their business. We have an excellent in-house design facility and provide free initial designs to customers. We also specify the best possible materials for the project; using quality materials for signs which need to look good for several years, as opposed to cheaper ones which can quickly deteriorate and look untidy.”

Signworks celebrated ten years in business last year, proving that this approach seems to be working well.  Since their formation, they have grown from a small, local client base to over 100 customers across the UK, including well-known brands such as Scottish & Newcastle. They now have a vast amount of experience in providing signage to a diverse range of industries, from the leisure and hospitality sectors to property and retail.  

Each individual sign or signage programme is designed specifically to suit a customer’s needs and Signworks have been asked to fulfil a multitude of different requirements. To date projects have included corporate signage for a group of private schools, and others range from traditional pub signs for a North West brewery to contemporary LED illuminated signage for a leading Manchester city centre hotel, where Signworks liased with architects and the hotel’s branding and marketing company in the design and specification, and relevant planning authorities to complete a professional installation.

If you need to update your signage, or promote your new business, give Signworks a call and create the right image for your business by specifying the best sign for your specific project. Call 01539 534077 for further details.