I may have alluded to having some big news. I may even have told you the big news if we’ve met in person over the last fortnight. It’s now safe (not that it was ever dangerous) to make the news public.
As of yesterday I’m working for the Custard Factory in Birmingham to develop and manage their website. You’ll notice if you click on that link now that it’s pretty crap so you might want to check Wikipedia if you don’t know the place. If you’re reading it a month or so in the future it’ll be completely different and hopefully be a hell of a lot better.
I can’t really say too much about the new site right now as it’ll be better to show rather than tell and the launch date is July 30th so there’s a lot to be done but here’s a quick FAQ (without the Qs as I can’t be bothered to write them).
- They approached me based on my work on Created in Birmingham.
- I’m working freelance for roughly four hours a day so I keep my independence and ability to work on other projects.
- Created in Birmingham will continue. I have too much invested in the project to abandon it. It will change it’s emphasis a little though (or rather the original subtext for the blog will become more explicit). More on this when we figure it all out. Suffice to say there won’t be much of an overlap between the two.
- I’m going to have office space in the Custard Factory (probably just a hotdesking thing and somewhere secure to leave stuff) and will probably be working on site most days.
- I’m going to be earning what I believe is known as a “respectable wage”. Combined with the CiB money this works out at more than I’ve ever earned in my life. Not that that’s saying much. Expect to see me bitching about tax next May now I actually have to pay it.
- I’m stopping work on the Digital Central site. As much a time thing as anything else.
- Brumblog will continue but I’m open to offers if anyone wants to join / take over. To be honest this would just mean having the domain name and it’s not really worth that much. Whatever, I’ll keep throwing flyers and photos at it. Might turn it into a Tumblr site though. Hmm. That’s an idea…
- The Custard Factory site will essentially be a blog with a more newspaper feel. There will be features as well as straight linkage. The features will be written by a variety of people, not just me. (This was a requirement of mine.)
- Bennie Gray, owner of the Custard Factory, is behind this project 100%. Which is handy.
- I have pretty much complete editorial freedom, which I’ve tempered by insisting on guidance from them. I don’t want this to be another Pete blog. Its spirit has to come from the Custard Factory. And, of course, at this moment I’m not part of that spirit, though I will be in time.
- It will grow slowly. We will, to quote Bennie, take a “suck it and see” approach, experimenting with stuff and seeing what works.
- It will fucking rule. No, seriously. It will fucking rule. You have no idea.
There’s a lot more. If you corner me I’ll probably spill it but for now I’ll let you wait and see.
It’s all very exciting though.
Awesome. It’s speaks volumes that they approached you mate, both of you and of them. Sounds like it could be a real fun project… although, ummm, well how much custard news IS there?? ;-)
Anyway. I hope you get free samples. Me loves custard.
Wow! Congratulations – the entire Birmingham web theme project has delivered big time!
So you might be moving to Digbeth, then?
Well done, mate! Interested to see how you change it and how it changes you. More change on the CF site, I hope :)
Congratulations Pete – very much enjoying your great work in all your various incarnations. Great to see it being rewarded with what sounds like an excellent job – and even better to know that its part time enough for you to remain independent and that you are being allowed to do things according to your own ethos.
Just terrific stuff all round ;-)
Rich
Xx
Congrats, Pete! Can you make sure you’re really noisy when you’re in your office, please?
Well done! Congratulations, and celebrations, doo doo do doo do doo do doo do doo doo doo dee.
Your happy-new-job party will have to be indoors, presumably.
Congrats Pete! the Custard Factory site’s needed a facelift for years, look forward to seeing what you’re going to do with it, well done!
Just a thought, young Peter…. does this mean that you’ll be involved with spicing up The Big Peg’s site, too, seeing as they’re both currently in a similar format?
Vigs: Yes, in time. The idea is the two sites will be linked. How, exactly, I’m not sure. We want to keep their identities as distinct communities but encourage an overlap. But yeah, it’s definitely part of the big plan.
everyone else: Thanks!
Congrats Pete
Much deserved as well. When are you moving into your new penthouse apartment in Digbeth – I’m assuming you’ll be able to get a discount now?
I’m sure you’ll continue to improve the Brum creative webscene no end, mate. Don’t let Brum Blog die, tho… I’m sure you won’t be able to resist.
Congratulations Pete! Can’t remember if you said you were going to Supersonic next weekend, but I guess you definitely will be now! Still haven’t got my ticket…
Yay – congratulations Uncle Pete!
The empire of Pete grows and grows ! Congratulations mate. That’s great news, and it sounds like it should be a really good fit for you.
Good luck sir!