Our last news update was over a year ago. How bad is that? We’ve been mad busy and just haven’t kept up with the website. Something we said we’d never do, but time has just flown by.
We’re hoping to start blogging a bit more this year, well, at least more than last year!
Lots of Ripe social activities coming up… Glastonbury, Boules, Football etc, but in the mean time here is a quick picture of Clive at Ipex 2010 at the NEC where on the Watkiss stand we found a quote by him!

Clive on the Watkiss stand at Ipex 2010

On Sunday we played our annual game of cricket against ‘Uncle Terry & Co’.

What was a fantastic day was somewhat over shadowed by the Ripe teams unbelievable amount of injuries… plus losing by 10 or so runs which after last years draw was very disappointing.

Adam: “you should see my sun burn!!!”

Rob: “I spent the early evening at the Walk-in Centre in Bath and Chiropractor this morning! Part dislocated shoulder, damaged ribs, complex series of muscle tears.”

Rich: Sunburn and Bruised Ankle

Clive: First one to A&E – Cricket ball just above the eye and bruised thumb

Simon: “Puts my sunburn, BBQ bloating and broken finger into a worthwhile perspective. And I broke my watch catching the ***** ball.”

Julie P: “Could be in plaster for 6 weeks with a ruptured Achilles”

Sun was shining all afternoon.

Rik batting.

Lots of supporters watching the game, enjoying the sun and waiting for the BBQ to start!

Rob from Northbank, contemplating his batting technique and desperately trying not to run anyone out this year.

Clive feeling very sorry for himself after what only can be described as a vicious illegal ball bowled by “cousin” Andrew.

We were invited along to the Aardman Animation new office party last week by Gavin Strange who was also showing artwork from the his Xynthetic Collective who we’ve been producing various print jobs for.

The sign in Yatton Keynell that started it all

Setting up the bikes at Hyde Park. 4.00am (We set of from Bath/Corsham at 2.00am with Nathan kindly driving us up in Clive’s fun bus.

Setting off when it was just light enough. 4.20am.

The plaques on the front of our bikes.

Stopping in Malborough.. By now we were confident of finishing.

Nathan Kindly put together a short video of the day:

Photo: ©lightclix.com

Photo: ©lightclix.com

Photo: ©lightclix.com

Photo: ©lightclix.com

We’ve been featured on September Industry – Online Graphic Design Journal:

http://www.septemberindustry.co.uk/blog/?p=359

See more about Control Print at http://www.ripedigital.co.uk/2008/07/31/control-print/

Control Print, the research study into digital print which was produced with Russell Warren Fisher, is being featured in the current issue (55) of Baseline Magazine and subsequent issues as well.

The world’s largest and most important exhibition for the printing and media industry.

Friday

After a four year search for the furthest hotel from Dusseldorf, we arrived in the ghost town of Hann to be welcolmed by the largest electrical storm Germany has seen since 1944.
After aimless walking around the town and eating half a pig, we arrived back at the hotel to sample a selection of ghastly top shelf German liquors that Peter seemed to quite enjoy.
We then retired to our rooms where Peter enjoyed a good Nicolas Cage film and the rest of us slept.

Saturday

Early rise for dried bread and more meat and a journey with the most talented taxi driver who texted his friend for the whole 60 miles to the exhibition.
As we arrived early, we were treated to the opening Drupa theme tune – “one world, one drupa” – brilliant!
Had a demo on the new HP Indigo 7000 and very impressed. Looked at new booklet makers, folding and creasing machines but, for the rest of the show, nothing else really impressed.
A rotten lunch of more meat (unknown) and cabbage was made better by a large consumption of beer whilst sampling the musical delights of rather large men with big moustaches slapping each others’ thighs.

After quite a walk to old town (”its just round the corner”) passing some very old gothic buildings and a few rivers, we arrived to this fantastic party town.
We would explain what happened that evening but none of us can remember.

In Düsseldorf by the River Rhine

Some of Peter’s German fan club.

Not sure what to do with that whipped cream?

Clive promises he didn’t inhale.

Sunday

Back to the exhibition only to find we had to pay € 60 each for 4 hours entry (our flight was just after lunch). Rik then got trapped into a few demos of kit he wasn’t interested in and managed to waste the four hours completely.

On leaving we did stumble across the Stago stand and managed to make at least one purchase:

The Stago ESM 20 Heavy Duty Corner Rounder

UPDATE:

On returning to work, we received the following email:

Dear Mr. Hannen,

Unfortunately, Mr. Wilkens who stayed in room 211, destroyed his lampshade.

The lampshade was not anymore on the frame and Mr Wilkens forgot to inform the reception of this incident by this check out.

Therefore we have to buy a new lampshade and charge it to you. The amount would be € 25.00.

Please let us know which credit card should be charged with this amount.
Best wishes

André Hachem
assistant Manger

Nathan, of course, denies everything so we will never know.

It’s official – We have the most ‘Digital Office’ in the whole world.

Don’t believe us? A recent search for ‘digital office’ in the images section on google showed our office first out of 26,500,000 images.

Not bad hey! – even though it displays our original domain name.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=digital+office&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2