As some of you are aware, Thescillyindependent, will be re launching very soon. However fiveislandseye along with Thescillyindependent, are pleased to announce.......
Island Sessions 2020
A unique series of concerts, live streamed via ThescillyindependentYouTube Channel.
As you might know, Thescillyindependent is currently offline, and that is because of some background works that are taking place, but it will be back, all be it with some major changes as well. A Cleaner design which is more web friendly for both desktop and touchscreen devices.
Not only that but fiveislandseye, will also be linked with Thescillyindependent website. Plus the first joint Podcast, for Thescillyindependent and fiveislandseye, is now available on Spotify, Pocket Casts, and will also be uploaded to Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts.
Plus there is also ThescillyindependentYouTube Channel.... Which has got content.... But needs more content, so if you can help then that would be fantastic.
Any more updates with Thescillyindependent will be posted on here.
One thing that this "Lockdown" has proven is that everyone around the country has an artistic talent, and that is incredibly true. Something that has more than likely helped a lot of independent artists within their own rights. Independent artists and creators who under a normal situation perhaps would not have been discovered for their talents or overlooked by the pace of life before the Lockdown, compared to now, where we have slowed down.
It is that slower pace, that has made us all pay attention to the hidden talents and skills that a lot of people have. Only the other day I saw a fantastic drum solo by "Owain Wyn Evans", a BBC Weatherman who presents the weather on North West Tonight, the BBC Regional News, for Lancashire, Cheshire, Manchester and the surrounding north western regions, yes a little further north than The Isles of Scilly, but for someone who is much loved by the people who watch regional news, viewers also discovered that he himself had a hidden talent; which he showcased at the end of BBC Northwest Tonight.
Working from home and presenting the weather, Owain, had finished his slot, and immediately went to his drum kit, where he started playing in tune and time, to the BBC News, music titles, and immediately he went viral. Is it any wonder, the timing is fantastic, and the video is linked below.
A true and incredible talent, and it would seem as if the Lockdown is bringing out the best of us, including our hidden talents. But not only is it hidden talents that people are showcasing. Last night history was made within the musical world. A series of globally renowned musical artists played a global music festival.
Now a musical festival is something that I can imagine a lot of people would love to attend. However due to the Lockdown, music festivals are not happening..... Or are they? You see technology has helped connect everyone, from video calls and emailing loved ones or friends and creating things such as virtual pubs and pub quiz nights, the ability to adapt has been something that we have all had to do across the globe.
Last night though saw a musical first, a global first and was quite possibly the worlds first virtual festival. The festival/concert was called Global Citizen, and if there is something that can link us all together, it is music. Music has the power to heal, to calm us and helps us to cope. I did catch a little bit of the concert and it was sheer bliss. Now if it has taught me anything, it is that maybe concerts and festivals should more than likely be virtual and live streamed on YouTube, something that maybe some of the artists at Glastonbury should consider doing.
And a lot of musicians have been gracing YouTube as well, well known ones to lesser known independent artists, who I am sure, in the future we will be hearing more of.
If there is one thing that the whole Lockdown has taught a lot of people, it is that community matters and that music, art, photography is something that we can all appreciate and raises our spirits and that friendships are things to cherish quite literally.
Another art and communication form, is photography and for a lot of landscape photographers especially, the Lockdown has meant that they have had to adapt. A lot of photographers are either writing blogs, or creating vlogs on the tutorial aspect of things, or how to do a different style of photography, even a different style of photography can mean that as a photographer you end up learning something new.
As a lot of people are aware and a lot of us on The Isles of Scilly are aware, many people who visit the islands often come back time and time again..... The Isles of Scilly, have a photographic charm that visitors love and that as residents we all cherish.
Over on the fantastic Scillywebcam Appreciation Society, on Facebook, which is a truly fantastic group, a lot of people share their photographs of the islands. Loved by both residents and visitors to the islands, some fantastically talented photographers share their own works. If you love the islands and can not get to the islands, due to the Lockdown, then head over to the Scillywebcam Appreciation Society and join it, for it really is a fantastic group.
And it goes without saying that photography really is soothing, again it is an art form and is creative yet is also a method of communication. The Isles of Scilly, however are unique and are incredibly picturesque within their own rights, each island and the ocean paint a never ending scene which changes each minute and each hour, something that a lot of photographers love and why a lot of people love landscape photography.
Regardless of, a lot of landscape photographers, are whilst self employed, still making money, and photography is something else that is purchasable and safe to do so. If anyone reading this is a photographer, now might be the time to start a website up, and start selling your photographs.
One of the Photographers, over on the Scillywebcam Appreciation Society, is Baggy Robinson, I am sure a lot of people have seen his photographs and they are truly fantastic and incredibly calming, and it is something that landscape photography is good at doing, calming us and soothing us all. Baggy Robinson, has been kind enough to supply some of his photographs, which were used on Thescillyindependent, to begin with. However, since that has been changed, instead anything that is not news related will be posted on fiveislandseye. A new online blog, for art, life hacks, technology help and positives.
Baggy Robinson, is known for his unique photography styles, of editing and colour, something that I really do like quite a lot. The following photographs are credited and copyrighted, to Baggy Robinson.
Kayak in Eastern Isles
On the way to Tresco
Palms on Tresco
Round Island
Sailing into the bay
Samson
Star Castle
Toll's Island
St Martins - Phone box
Hugh Town Panorama
Scillonian
So for anyone wanting a fix of the Isles of Scilly, then here are some of Baggy Robinson's fantastic photographs. Simple and soothing and that is what photography is. Whilst Baggy, does not sell his photographs, he does share them and you can see more of his photography over on his Facebook page, which is here: https://www.facebook.com/BaggysPhotos
Please be sure to check his photographs out.
It really does go without saying that photography is something that we should all be supporting, photography again is proven to lift our spirits and can remind us all of happier times and where we would all love to be in the future. For photography is all about memories and already a lot of landscape photographers are selling prints, again quite a lot of people are purchasing prints for loved ones, relatives etc.....
Some other photographers who have captivated visitors and islands alike, are the following.... Again though they do also have online stores meaning you can order photographic prints, they are linked below.
Again two fantastic landscape photographers, who have also visited Scilly and captured the sheer uniqueness of the islands.
And throughout these times one of the best bits of advice I have been given is to switch off, from the news, learn a new skill, talk to friends and family and cherish life.
When we get back to normality, The Isles of Scilly will still be there no matter what. But for safety, Please Stay Home.
Now as you are aware, the fiveislandseye is a completely new and re-vamped blog site, which is run in conjunction with Thescillyindependent, a website that went live, last week. Thescillyindependent is a news website, and at the moment it is still to some extent under construction, so please do be patient in regards to that.
Still though it has been built using WordPress, a Content Management System or CMS for short, which is a fantastic way in which to design and build a website, the best thing as well is it does not require any code at all, everything is modular and it can work within a lot of use cases, from hospitality, technology, e-commerce and more, so if anyone is looking into adapting their businesses in these strange times, then WordPress is fantastic. Another slightly easier CMS to use is Wix, and that works in the same way as any desktop publishing software does, although it is slightly more expensive, but it is largely drag and drop, again making it super easy to get online, in these extraordinary times.
Anyway, I shall not waffle on, digression though, regardless of is quite good and something else that I have found to be of use, is ignoring the news..... Unless of course it is in a local newspaper or on a local news website.
Thescillyindependent earlier, had a comment, on an article, from a poet, called David Redfield. He has previously been interviewed by Linda, on Radio Scilly (Now Islands FM). And he is asking if anyone on the Islands would be interested in helping with his latest project, two of which he is running at the moment, one for where he lives in North Norfolk and the other being for The Isles of Scilly.
The project that David, is working on is called "The Lockdown Spring Renga Project". Which is a writing project to reflect life under Lockdown, one of which as mentioned above is for where David lives. However, David has also said that his other project is "The Scilly Renga".
David also adds, that he is posting "The Scilly Renga" on "Johnny Mack's Jukebox Page" and on the Isles of Scilly Notice Board page as well as the St Mary's Library Page. If anyone can help or wants to be part of and help with his project and The Scilly Renga, then the link to David's page is below.
With the UK in it's fifth week of Lockdown, I have been largely ignoring the news as much as I can do, something that I urge a lot of p...
About
Hello and welcome to fiveislandseye (previously Thescillyindependent). Why the change? Well that is because Thescillyindependent has changed and has a brand new website, that can be found here.
Thescillyindependent though is your main hub for news surrounding The Isles of Scilly, with lifestyle, music and technology and other interesting positive news, something that at the moment is needed at a time when the media are pumping out doom and gloom. Here though is where fiveislandseye comes in, a sister blog and purely a blog for Thescillyindependent, in which again is focused around positive news, good news and the best in reviews and more, something to lift your spirits up, during these extraordinary times.
And what is more, fiveislandseye is committed to keeping you entertained with good news and tips and tricks along with technology help and tricks, plus thoughts about the world and society in general.
Think of fiveislandseye as being a tree, and each branch coming away from the trunk is a topic, one day that topic might be something to do with technology, the next it might be something to do with photography, good news, perhaps even poetry, who knows. But what is even better is that you can help to. Fancy writing an article, a poem, then do get in touch.
For this is your fiveislandseye.