Total Pageviews

Friday 2 February 2018

So Totally Vegan - Vegan Runners Radio Interview

After receiving a request from one of my fellow Manchester Vegan Runners, Jonna McFadden, I agreed to represent VR's on Fab Radio International's , So Totally Vegan show as part of  this weeks focus on health and fitness.



Had a great time down at the studio and fantastic to meet up with Laura, Az and Roy who are doing such great work to spread the vegan message via the medium of on line radio.

The whole show and all the previous episodes are now available to listen again on Mixcloud.

https://www.mixcloud.com/SoTotallyVegan/episode-10-health-and-fitness/




Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/SoTotesVegan/

Twitter  -  @Sototesvegan 

Instagram - @sototesvegan

www.veganrunners.org.uk 


Wednesday 31 January 2018

R.E.D January

Over the last month, I've taken part in R.E.D January, running ever day to raise awareness of mental illness and as part of a Vegan Runners Manchester team, funds for Mind Charity 




I'm not a marathon or ultra runner, I concentrate on completing shorter distances as fast as I can,  regular 5K and perhaps half a dozen 10K's in a year, my training doesn't involve high mileage.  In any given month I'd average around 50 - 60 miles maximum based on three to four runs per week.  Running every day and completing 100 miles has been a challenge for sure, but an enjoyable, rewarding challenge and a significant personal achievement. 



I say enjoyable, there have been days in the last 31, particularly when the weather has been especially inclement, (which it most certainly can be in Nort West England) where I literally had to drag myself out, but having taken on R.E.D January, failure to complete wasn't an option. 





The challenge has been a month of education, learning how my body works and reacts, bizarrely, running every day has highlighted the importance of rest and recuperation.  I have been guilty in the past of treating every training run like a race and that just doesn't work.  Yes, I've run hard on numerous occasions, parkrun course P.B's at both Oldham and Huddersfield and my fastest 10K on a particular route home from work have shown the benefits of regular running, but the hard days have been accompanied by short runs and various slower, different tempo runs.  On days I've felt really tired after a faster run, I've found a gentle paced run the following day has led to me feeling less tired
rather than more.

I'm still relatively new to this sport, with a lot to learn.  As someone who doesn't tend to listen and accept advice especially well, learning generally by my own mistakes, R.E.D January has been educationally invaluable, while supporting a brilliant cause, which you can still donate towards at the link below.   

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/manchesterveganrunners

Two years ago, I would never have contemplated taking on a challenge of this nature.  I'd started running early in 2016, but the thought of a full month out on the road would have been a number of steps too far. 

Turning vegan in September 2016,  joining Vegan Runners at the end of that year and being inspired by my fellow Veagn Runners is simply the biggest factor in my running progression. 

Monday 11 December 2017

Vegan Runners – Stockport 10K Take Over


Anticipation had been gathering over the last 12 months for Stockport 10K 2017.  At last year’s event, over 50 Vegan Runners had competed with Soy Division taking the team prize.  Could this year be even better? 

Due to the immense hard work of Kevin Dempsey, Sophie Black and Jonna McFadden, interest from all over the country stimulated and at one point, it appeared over 170 VR’s could be descending on Stockport town centre on September 18th

On the day, 160 vegan runners manifested out of the damp, grey atmosphere, filling the streets with green and black plus the odd flash of florescent yellow, still an incredible turn out.  Old friendships rekindled, new friendships made prior to the race while we assembled for the most epic of team pictures over at Mersey Square.


Just assembling everyone for the photo and handing out competitor race numbers required military precision and an excellent job completed by the organisers with support from the team captains.
Photo sorted, race numbers handed out and it’s over to the start, the buzz of anticipation running through every runner a joy to behold as the clouds start to break and hint of sun breaks through on St Petersgate. 





 As the countdown is completed and the race begins, every second it seemed, a vegan runner loomed into view, as wave after wave passed.  There's an enormous camaraderie around this club, support and encouragement evident for runners of all abilities.  This arose before and after, but perhaps most evident during.  Each and everyone  encouraged any club member in sight.  On the sections where Runners passed parallel, hi fives became the greeting of choice. Being part of such a celebratory event surely made Stockport the collective highlight of the year.

After just over 34 minutes from the start, Alex Hinchcliffe of Soy Division took race victory, closely followed by team mate Simon Dally. Vegan Runners 1st and 2nd in the male race. 

Past the 40 minute mark, Ali Guihen appeared up the hill and into the final straight, Vegan Runner 1st in the female race.  If that wasn’t enough, hot on her heels,   Julie Oswald finished as second female and once again Soy Division took team glory.  This year made up of Alex, Simon, Bob Neil, Jasper McDowell and Kevin Dempsey who stepped in as a last minute replacement to assist Vegan Runners domination of the podium. 



Along with the winners, there were many great performances throughout the club, PB’s beaten left, right and centre but special mention must go to Tom McFadden and Anthony Chester who unselfishly acted as tail runners so no one in the field felt their efforts diminished by finishing last.  Vegans, compassionate and caring right up to the end.


Organised by Life Leisure, the Stockport 10K is agreat event, very well planned with friendly  marshals around the course encouraging all.  The timing and length of the run in the season hopefully making it inclusive to all.  

Over 200 Vegan Runners at Stockport 10K 2018??

https://www.lifeleisure.net/enterprise/SportsDevEvents-BigStockportEventSeries

Monday 12 January 2015

SONIC BANDWAGON ROLLS INTO 2015......



Catch up with the first shows of 2015 over on Mixcloud whenever you want......

2nd show of 2015 including Motorhead Bluegrass style, a head to head contest for the most disturbing song of 2014, Inuit throat singing, a Sonic Segue of Norwegian folk into legendary Newcastle Thrash Metal and the normal...ish eclectic mix of top new tunes with Nige featuring three artists from a brand new contact for 2015.  
Last weeks has been the most popular on the listen again feature so far........
January 9th 
Hayseed Dixie - We Are The Road Crew
Thunderous Jones - Dog In The Window
Katzenjammer - Bad Girl
Travelling Band - Battlescars
Hey Bulldog - Makin Friends Not Millionaires
Patsy Matheson - From Your Computer
Jon Brooks - The Two Sisters
Findlay Napier - Hedy Lamarr
Eclipse - Stand On Your Feet
Jon Byrne - Living The Dream
Tanya Tagaq - Uja
Seer - Glimmervoid
Sean Lakeman & Kathryn Roberts - Tomorrow Will Follow Today
Black Delta Movement - The Trip
Beardfish - Hold On
Duke Garwood - Heavy Love
The Whereabouts - Money & Fame
Tom Williams – 21st Century Blues
Katzenjammer - My Dear
Venom - Long Haired Punks
Jon Byrne - Built By Angels


Andy, Mike and Nige spin more of their top tunes from 2014, including some of the live sessions recorded last year and look forward to upcoming gigs plus new releases in 2015.

January 2nd 
Torche – Minnions
Nick Raven - Nineteen Fifty Three
The Vintage Caravan - Midnight Meditation
Blair Dunlop - The Station
Jo Dudderidge - Passing Ships (Live Session)
Mohawk Radio - Lifetime Sunshine
Thunderous Jones - Dog In The Window (Live Session)
Slayer – Implode
Enslaved – Veilburner
Ange Hardy - The Gambler's Lot
Dan Mangan & Blacksmith – Mouthpiece
Hawkeyes - Die Trying
Gorilla Riot - Morning Sun (Live Session)
Kara - Made of Light
The Cornelius Crane - Soul in the Lightning (Live Session)
Anathema – Ariel
The Movements - Six Feet Under
Tom Williams - In The Snow (Demo)
Melechesh - Multiple Truths
Sukh - For The Road (Live Session)
Two Skies – Stay
False Lights - Crossing the Bar

SONIC BANDWAGON

Airing 10pm - midnight every Friday on Stockport’s Pure 107.8FM with:
Mike Ainscoe
Andy Barnes
Nigel Cartner
PURE 107.8FM, PO BOX 1078, STOCKPORT  SK3 0WH

Tuesday 23 December 2014

SONIC BANDWAGON WITH EMPTY YARD EXPERIMENT & A BOXING DAY SPECIAL

Last Friday's Sonic Bandwagon show with Empty Yard Experiment in the studio is now available to listen again on Mixcloud.

http://www.mixcloud.com/barney24/sonic-bandwagon-on-pure-1078fm-191214-the-45th-one-with-empty-yard-experiment/

Here's a pic taken down at Pure with the guys, which reminds me when I go straight from work to interview a very cool post rock / prog band......take a change of clothes!!



And if you've had enough of Festive music by the 26th of December join us from 10pm GMT for our best of 2014 show, which racks up a bit like this.......

Reuben - Freddy Krueger (Demo)


Rival Sons - Secret

The Levellers - Drinking For England

Kelly Oliver feat Luke Jackson - Diamond Girl

Blues Pills - Astralplane

Jon Brooks - People Don't Think of Others

Robby Hecht - Barrio Moon

Agalloch - The Astral Dialogue

Amplifier - Magic Carpet

Shakedown Stockholm - Who Says I

Transatlantic - Black as The Sky

Spires - Primal Revelation

Lana Del Rey - Shades of Cool

Luke Jackson - Sister

Opeth - Elysian Wars

H.E.A.T. - Shot of Redemption (Live)

The Bedroom Hour - Sea Without Water

Crazy World of Arthur Brown - Muscle of Love

Transmaniacon - An Eye For An Eye

Lonesome Shack - More Primitive

Which only leaves me to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a fantastic New Year in 2015. 

Stay safe and keep on  rockin.  



SONIC BANDWAGON


Airing 10pm - midnight every Friday on Stockport’s Pure 107.8FM with:
Mike Ainscoe
Andy Barnes
Nigel Cartner
PURE 107.8FM, PO BOX 1078, STOCKPORT  SK3 0WH








Monday 22 December 2014

SONIC BANDWAGON - THE 44TH ONE - GOING SOLO

In the 44th Sonic Bandwagon show on Pure 107.8FM I inject a personal #UndergroundMusicUncovered slant on proceedings and also reveal my track and album of the year.



Empty Yard Experiment – Greenflash
Peur – Grey Blood
Rose Windows – Season of Serpents
Cristobal and the Sea – Disquiet
Blues Pills – No Hope Left for Me
Gorilla Riot – Morning Sun (Live Session)
The Family Cat – Too Many Late Nights
Jack Adaptor – V.U
Winterfylleth – A Thousand Winters
Dan Mangan + Blacksmith – Kitsch
The Mantells – Men in Suits
Fleshgod Apocalypse – Epilogue
Sylosis – Leech
Jon Brooks – Queensville
Grand Magus – Steel vs Steel
War on Drugs – Red Eyes
YOB – Marrow


http://www.sonicbandwagon.com/radio/44-sonic-bandwagon-radio/

Last weeks show will also be appearing on Mixcloud very soon.  In the first hour, Nige plays an absolute plethora of top new tunes and in the 2nd hour we have an Empty Yard Experiment live interview, in and amongst playing tracks from their sophomore album 'Kallisti.'





Red House Glory - Living A Lie
Milton Star – Salvation
Desperate Journalist – Control
The Away Days - Best Rebellious
The Rivertairs – Jack
The Mantells - Men In Suits
Slow Readers Club - Don't Mind (Live at Manchester Library)
Stu Larsen - San Francisco
Slow Club - Tears of Joy
Flat 24/7 – Motorways
Phantoms – Dust
Charlie Bronson - Hurry to Worry
Rival Sons - Electric Man
Empty Yard Experiment – Entropy
Empty Yard Experiment - The Blue Eyes of a Dog
Karnivool - New Day
Empty Yard Experiment - Lost In A Void That I Know….
Nine Inch Nails - La Mer
Empty Yard Experiment – Greenflash
Reuben - Christmas is Awesome

Empty Yard Experiment - The Call



SONIC BANDWAGON

Airing 10pm - midnight every Friday on Stockport’s Pure 107.8FM with:
Mike Ainscoe
Andy Barnes
Nigel Cartner
PURE 107.8FM, PO BOX 1078, STOCKPORT  SK3 0WH

Friday 12 December 2014

SUPPORTING UNSIGNED MUSIC AND GOING SOLO ON SONIC BANDWAGON









 
For the first time in a few months, going solo in tonight's Sonic Bandwagon show on Pure 107.8FM. 

#UndergroundMusicUncovered

Fantastic mix of styles in the playlist including Prog, Alt-Rock, Retro 70's Blues Rock, Indie, Black Metal, Doom and even a Canadian country murder ballad.  

We're also supporting the campaign by our good friend and colleague at Pure, Chris Ridgway and his Supernova show to 'Get a unsigned band into the charts' as an alternative to the usual manufactured dross which permeates the music scene at this time of year.  

Go grab yourself a copy of The Mantells track 'Men in Suits' now and support unsigned music. You can also watch the campaign trailer here http://vimeo.com/110585995 

10pm til Midnight www.pureradio.org.uk 

Empty Yard Experiment – Greenflash
Peur – Grey Blood
Rose Windows – Season of Serpents
Cristobel and the Sea – Disquiet
Blues Pills – No Hope Left for Me
Gorilla Riot  - Morning Sun (Live Session)
The Family Cat  - Too Many Late Nights
Jack Adaptor  - V.U
Winterfylleth  - A Thousand Winters
Dan Mangan + Blacksmith – Kitsch
The Mantells – Men in Suits
Fleshgod Apocalypse  - Epilogue
Sylosis – Leech
Jon Brooks – Queensville
Grand Magus – Steel vs Steel
War on Drugs – Red Eyes
YOB  - Marrow

And in case you missed last weeks show with the fantastic Gorilla Riot live in session, you can catch up now via the website link to Mixcloud. 





https://www.facebook.com/sonicbandwagon
https://twitter.com/sonicbandwagon
www.sonicbandwagon.com
http://www.mixcloud.com/barney24/
 
Airing 10pm - midnight every Friday on Stockport’s Pure 107.8FM with:

Mike Ainscoe
Andy Barnes
Nigel Cartner