It’s finally here, the end of my days at Cuckoo Design! It’s now well over a year since I started part time before joining full time for gap year at university. I’ve been happy to be able to work in such a versatile environment on many different aspects of the creative digital department. Ranging from hand crafted HTML & CSS, to Javascript, to front end web design, finally culminating in fully content managed website builds.

Work I’m most proud of has to be the advanced budget calculator for Police Mutual and the Diocese of Salford website build. The budget calculator’s responsive interface promotes what is now capable with modern web standards and Javascript frameworks such as JQuery, further blurring the line between desktop and web applications. The Diocese of Salford website build coupled with the iPhone app displays how web technologies are serving the modern face of traditional religious organisations which I was happy to be at the front of.

Overall the year has been one of growth and learning and I thank everyone in Cuckoo for the invaluable experience and wish the agency the best for the future.

dom gone

Goodbye amends!

Today is the last working day at Cuckoo of our internet whizzkid Dom ‘Inatrix’ Briggs. And what better way to send him off then celebrating the man’s legacy in biscuit form!

So brew up, grab a biscuit and get dunking in honor of our very own Jerry Paxman.

To Dom!!!!!!

the new office c(g)raze….?!

Over the last week or so, the Cuckoo studio has been delighting itself with “Nature Delivered”… that is, the seduction of a tasty Graze Box….

On receipt of a special promotional code, I went about choosing what healthy treats I might like to nibble on during my day, which is then delivered on whatever day I choose, to wherever I choose…Predictably, the intrigue of a funky little cardboard box arriving through the post and landing straight onto my desk proved all too enticing for my colleagues who went about their own Graze explorations….

The remains of today's boxed delights....

Not only is it quite a nice novelty daytime treat, but the company “look”, ethics and website are all pretty pleasing to the eye too.

Fancy a bit yourself?

Claim a free box by visiting Graze.com and typing in 7TZDP6Y in the promo code box. My gift to you! I know, I’m all heart……

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How much do you know about Cuckoo? Best to let Stephen Fry explain in this recent article from the weekends papers.

QI goes Cuckoo

friday-afternoon-death-jump

What better way to bring the working week to a close than driving down an almost vertical plastic orange thing, doing a loop-de-loop, and then flying a clear 7 inches through the air and landing safely… just before hitting a wooden frame and flipping over.

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Alex Darke, never knowingly understated, is well-known as a man of many talents; arguably one of the region’s most fertile men (ladies beware!). On our nights out without question ‘He’s The Greatest Dancer’ we’ve ever seen but last night, at the MIN Awards, he showed us something we never expected… this Cuckoo proper took flight.

Min-Web-209-IMGP8817

6 down, 6 to go. Seems like a good place to review the X-Factor so far. Like it or loathe it there’s no hiding from it (even here on the Cuckoo blog). Here’s my review of the fallen so far and my predictions for run in to Christmas.

x-factor-logo2

Gone but not forgotten…

Kandy Rain - Personally these were my favorites! ;) But as I’m a male, and over the age of 12 (therefore not daft enough to use my PAYG mobile allowance on premium rate TV voting) I didn’t have a say in them staying.

Next career headline for Kandy Rain – SEX FACTOR 4 WAY ROMP WITH ENGLAND BACK 4

Rikki Loney – This guy was the weakest of the bunch in my opinion. His name also sounds like a resort in Corfu. Thankfully the public and the judges agreed.

What next for Rikki? Will work in the west end… serving drinks during the interval.

Miss Frank – I think it would have made a better show if this 2nd all girl group could have stayed. Groups historically don’t do as well as solo artists. Girl groups even less so.

What next? Not alot… although main front-woman Graziella will release experimental Rap, Soul, Bluegrass, Hip-Hop, Grime, Rockabilly, Reggae fusion to not much critical acclaim.

Rachael Adedeji - This girl could sing. The voting demographic (mum’s and daughters) wouldn’t have got her though. I think getting voted off early was a good thing for her (think Lemar in Fame Academy). Interesting to see that the 80′s Grace Jones haircut was back now she’s out.

Next project – Sings on Ibiza dance anthem summer 2011.

Lucie Jones – Poor old girl next door Lucie. Just finding her feet as the ‘Valley’s’ answer to Avril Lavigne when she finds herself bottom 2 with Jedward (embarrassing in itself). Surely the judges will intervene and save the poor girl from even more pain? Not so. Let’s go to public vote deadlock to really show her how unpopular she is.

What next for Lucie – Plays the part of Dorothy in Merthyr Tydfil’s production of the Wizard of Oz.

Jamie Archer – Never got better than his auditions really. Should have been braver with his song choices. Just shows how wide off the mark Cowell is when it comes to ‘ROCK’. T-Rex’s Get It On? Primal Scream’s ‘Rocks’? Good songs in their day but nothing more than pub rock anthems for a guy desperate to lose that tag. This is coming from someone who knows all about Primal Scream’s ‘Rocks’ in a pub environment! Been there done it, cheesy and cliched.

Next steps for Jamie – Shaves hair off in self cathartic rebellion. Applies for newspaper ad in Phil Rainey’s pub rock band. Performs ‘Rocks’ as encore in the Pig and Whistle to much critical acclaim!

And then there were six…

Lloyd Daniels – Come in Lloyd your time’s up! You’re worse than Jedward at singing.

Next week for Lloyd… he’s sure to go. Been in the bottom 2 a few times now so not as popular as some seem to think. And the future? After finally realising he can’t sing he’ll join a children’s touring company, playing Fireman Sam.

Daniel Johnson – The enigma that is Daniel. Obviously can sing and perform but hasn’t got the X-Factor. What is the ‘X’ Factor? No one knows… you’ve either got it or you haven’t.

After he’s gone? Joins JLS when one of the current members get’s lost in the Utah desert and becomes a Morman.

Jedward - OK we all get the joke. Funny Ha Ha. Now go away please.

Jedward’s future career? It’s revealed they are actually two thirds of triplets and have locked up their other brother Ian (or maybe Eion coming from Ireland?). Ian escapes this week and appears on the next show with them as Jedwardian. The problem is Ian is good (better than the remaining soloists). The public hate them for being good and they don’t get one single vote. Blue Peter signs them up as the 3 new presenters. They are involved in countless tabloid scandals but as no one knows them apart they get away with it each time… those pesky kids! Jedwardian enters the Oxford English dictionary as a word to describe something that’s indescribable.

Stacey Solomon – Sings like a bird but looks and talks like a duck! Maybe this is what the X Factor is? A weird morphing of Dagenham Chav with Vegas Diva. She’ll do OK. Good luck her. She’s harmless fun.

The future for Dag’nam Stace? Christmas number 1 dressed as Mary (with Ollie as Joseph) in a stable with her child singing ‘Away in a Manger’

Joe McElderry and Ollie Murs – I’ve put these together because I’m sure they will be in the final two. It’s a close shot who’ll win it but I’m going to stick my neck out and say Joe.

What next for Ollie? Marries Stacey Solomon. Wedding of the year. ‘Hello’ gets billion pound rights to use the footage. Katie and Peter mark 2 have arrived. Weekly show on ITV6. Full red button ‘access all areas’ functionality brings the nation to it’s knees.

…and for Joe? The first X Factor winner not to get the number 1 slot (see above).

tacheback-result

Cuckoo’s participation in the ‘Tacheback campaign (raising money for the Everyman charity by growing big, butch yet strangely beautiful mustaches) has come to an end and our manly lip ferrets have been cut down in their prime.

Still, the Cuckoo boys managed to raise an impressive £260 both online and off.

Check out the ‘Tacheback and website here.

View our astonishing handsomeness below:

Alex 'Duke' Darke

Alex 'Duke' Darke

Amazing Ste Fairbanks

'Amazing' Ste Fairbanks

Dom 'inator' Briggs

Dom 'inator' Briggs

Shaun 'Shaun Lloyd' Lloyd

Shaun 'Shaun Lloyd' Lloyd

'General' Phil 'Chett' Rainey

'General' Phil 'Chett' Rainey

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On 23rd September 2009 myself, Steve and James had the pleasure of being present at the unveiling of UK Heritage Blue Plaques outside 2 buildings in Heywood and Rochdale. The 2 sites were former studios that produced many classic recordings over the years from acts such as Joy Division, New Order, Inspiral Carpets, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, The Chameleons, The Charlatans, The Fall, The Mock Turtles, The Teardrop Explodes and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.

Monaco's double bass ensemble

Monaco's double bass ensemble

Back in the summer of 2000 I played guitars (4 and 6 string) on tour with Peter Hook’s post New Order band Monaco (you may have heard ‘What Do You Want From Me? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwk5oKU4Dr4). We did gigs in Amsterdam, Manchester and London to promote their 2nd and last album.

So it was great to catch up with Hooky at this event… even better that he actually remembered who I was!

Have a look at Hooky’s and John Robb’s speeches outside the old Suite 16 / Cargo studios in Rochdale.

After nearly 9 hours (yes NINE hours) of goal-less turmoil this season, Bury finally broke their duck on Saturday. Finally the cuckoodesign.com advertisment board got to see it’s first home league goal. They left it late again (84 minutes to be precise), and not content on just the 1 decided to get another before the end the greedy so-and-so’s. ‘Like buses’ rings true.

Maybe the presence in the stands of Oscar winning, Radcliffe born Shaker Danny Boyle spurred them on to winning ways. Lets hope it’s not another 28 days later until the next goal.