Maldives 2012 [Video]

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to go to the Maldives with my family. A stupidly beautiful part of the world, tiny islands filled with white sand and surrounded by crystal blue waters. My younger brother Gavin go his GoPro and put together a video, mainly filled with the stunning array of fish hidden in the coral around the islands.

Maldives 2012 from Gavin Watson on Vimeo.

The Intergalactic Travels of the Madbury Club.

So this is where The Madbury Club have been...



Everyone's (mine at least) favourite bloggers and all round good guys have decided to get off the internet this summer and go do some stuff. A rule we should all abide. In classic Madbury style, this trailer is full of fun, goofs and general cool shit all piled into a beautiful and considered video. Can't wait to see the finished product, no doubt I will make me infinitely jealous.

Four Boys Go To Mongolia.

It feels just all kinds of right to make my 200th post about a journey of truly epic proportions, and a journey made by some of my oldest and best friends. In the summer of 2011 brothers Jake and Joe along with Jordan and Dwayne will be taking part in the monstrous Mongolian Rally. This rally is essentially the mother of all road trips as teams drive from the UK to, surprise surprise, Mongolia in vehicles that cost no more than £1000 and with a engine size of 1 litre or less. Teams can pick their own route across the many countries and will travel with no assistance. For charity. ‘Truly epic’ now seems a bit of an understatement.

Jake Baggaley

Joe Baggaley

Jake, Joe, Jordan and Dwayne, under the team name 3JD, are undertaking what some (me, hence my lack of involvement) would call a mad mission to raise money for the very worthwhile charities Children’s Hospice UK and The Christian Noble Foundation. This is of course the most importance factor behind both them undertaking this challenge and myself blogging about it to try and raise a bit of awareness, so head to their website to donate. NOW.

I strongly suggest that you head to the team website, and start following their blog for many reasons. Namely these are some funny (read the team bios on the website - genius) and talented guys. Taking a quick look at the team photos in and around this post it is clear that these are no ordinary mugshots of no ordinary guys. Chief photographer is my very good friend Jake, head to his website for a look at some of the stunning images this chap can produce. Each team member has their particular role to play, Jake; organiser, (partial) translator and photographer, Joe as co-organiser, coordination with the charities and general savior, Jordan is the team researcher and Dwayne; a former member of HRH Military who will provide invaluable knowledge and skills.

Dwayne Doherty

Jordan Bradbury

I am as envious as I am grateful that I’m not partaking on this trip. For all it’s absolute highs it will have it’s absolute lows, for all it’s successes it will have it’s failures and for it’s triumphs there will be tragedies awaiting for 3JD I’m sure. Nevertheless I can’t wait to hear the stories of the journey, see the photos, watch the videos but for the meantime I will be keeping up with the blog update.

Please give these guys and their charities your support, this is probably the most important thing that I have asked of you my loyal followers and readers, so please help my good friends out. I think you’ll agree that they more than deserve it.

Hearting New York

Last week I got back from a week away in New York with the girlfriend. And I can't wait to go back. It was my girlfriend's first time which meant we visited all the usuals; Liberty, Empire State, Rockefellar etc. Although it was my third time there, it almost felt like my first and I took a somewhat fresh approach to the trip. My first was when I was about 10 and second on a college trip so I would have been about 17. I have travelled a fair bit around America through-out my 21 years and love the country. I love the diversity, the difference of cultures, the openess of (some) people. I love how you can drive for miles without seeing a person or moving your steering wheel, I love how you can be shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of people with glaring lights overheard and trying to be sold something at every opportunity.





I am not naive enough to think that America in it's entirety is wonderful, far from it. Vast aspects of the American society are racist or homophobic, God-fearing and narrow minded. Even the constant repetition of "have a nice day" becomes empty as it comes with no feeling. Most noticeable perhaps is the commercialisation of the country. I can appreciate the gross amount of advertisements all merge into one to form a blurred, corporate image to many people's disgust. Yet many people don't realise how much they sometimes enjoy adverts, Times Square for example, is literally just a bunch of adverts. As an advertising graduate and aspiring creative, I have to believe this.





New York City is a favourite amoung many Brits as it probably the closest culturally to London. What I mainly love about the city is the positivity. The feeling of optimism that you can achieve what you want with enough blood and sweet. This attitude has been passed down through many generations from those that first stepped on Ellis Island, and it has not been lost. The fact that you can also get a pizza at any time of the night for 99cents is also nice.