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Bring Back The Loggerheads | The successful campaign to change Shrewsbury Town's badge
Fans' Designs
Our final Christmas Statement
T'was a few nights before Christmas, and all through the 'Shire
A clip art lion caused cringing; it really was dire
An announcement was coming, uploaded with care
A victory for history – next year, the Loggerheads will be there
This small piece will be the campaign's third and final Christmas statement.
It has certainly been an important year in the struggle to restore our identity and one which will end in fittingly glorious circumstances. What follows is a brief and chronological summary of 2014 and a description of how Shrewsbury Town fans managed to restore the beloved Loggerheads.
2014 began relatively quietly. The previous year had ended with the club's botched 'Legends Card' initiative which – paradoxically – was intended to celebrate our club's history and yet involved an irrelevant clip art lion on the membership card. The irony was not lost on many!
The sad departure of the legendary Graham Turner – the club's most successful ever manager – at the end of January dominated discussion for several weeks. Assistant Manager Mike Jackson was appointed as his replacement with disappointing consequences.
In February, a campaign representative emailed STFC and asked for an update about the proposed 're-branding' and whether it had been discussed at Board Level. The terse response stated that: 'there may be a change in branding, though it will not come as the result of a campaign, but as a result of consultation with all supporters'. This proved to be the case in the months ahead – although the idea that the club would have itself initiated a change of badge without the presence of a campaign is highly unlikely.
As Salop continued to slide towards a timid and loanee-inspired relegation from League One, there was a crucial development at the New Meadow which ultimately inspired the return of the Loggerheads. Following a meeting in late February, it was announced that a Supporters' Parliament was to be created as a vehicle for representing the opinions and concerns of Town fans. Loosely modelled on a similar concept at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the 'SP' (as it became affectionately known) was to emerge as an invaluable weapon in the fight to restore a crest befitting of our identity.
On 14th May, a meeting was called in the Arthur Rowley Suite for supporters to discuss a potential 're-brand' at STFC. Before attending this meeting, the campaign collected opinions from dozens of Town fans before presenting them to SP chairmen Mike 'Trigger' Davis and Roger 'Rog' Groves. The consensus on the messageboards and on social media was unanimous: fans wanted an immediate removal of the clip art lion and the return of the Loggerheads. And they would get it within only a few months.
'The Time Is Now' read a BBTL poster advertising May's 're-brand' meeting organised by the Supporters' Parliament.
The conclusion of May's meeting was that the newly-formed Supporters' Parliament would coordinate a historic vote amongst Shrewsbury Town supporters asking them simply to vote 'yes' or 'no' to a potential badge change. It was decided that there would be no neutral 'I don't care' option; for why would someone take the time to vote on an issue which didn't interest them? A club official present during the meeting made it absolutely clear that there was no minimum sample required and that the majority verdict would triumph once and for all. The voting was open for a three month period and was to close at the end of August 2014.
The BBTL campaign responded to this unique opportunity by launching its 'Vote YES' drive and the results were astonishing. There were 1171 votes in total (including one petty abstention by a supporter with presumably too much time on his hands) and a whopping 91.5% were in favour of removing the clip art lion. The handful of people who had voted 'no' had been outfought and outnumbered. The return of the Loggerheads was edging ever nearer.
The vote concluded at the end of August, and September arrived. With the vote results yet to be announced and the champagne well and truly on ice, a worrying 'Word on the Street' thread emerged on the Blue-and-Amber messageboard. The whistle-blower – an individual with a proven reputation for posting correct rumours – suggested that the club were set to veto the results and persist with the 'hated' clip art lion. This sparked strongly-worded responses from many supporters who were deeply concerned that the club might disregard the landslide results of a legitimate and democratic vote.
A timely 'Word on the Street' thread on B&A might be more influential than first thought.
It has been suggested that the volatile nature of the B&A thread might just have deterred STFC from making a 'suicidal' error of judgement. In truth, no one will ever know what went on behind the scenes on that fateful Tuesday morning and what might have happened without the aforementioned thread. One thing is for certain, though. The Supporters' Parliament were involved throughout and made the crucial negotiations with club officials.
Within 24 hours of the thread first appearing on B&A, an official announcement was made in which STFC delivered the news we had waiting for. The article stated that – following the sterling work of the Supporters' Parliament – it was now their 'intention to launch a new crest incorporating the Loggerheads'. It was a spine-tingling moment for those involved with the campaign and the vote process; the mood on social media was euphoric as many fans toasted a hard-fought victory for our club's heritage.
Throughout the day, the campaign received many plaudits but also some criticism for the 'robust' way it dealt with club apologists since our inception. Whilst we accept that we could have engaged more diplomatically at times, it is worth pointing out that constantly correcting myths and fallacies can be a very frustrating experience which can sometimes lead to heated exchanges. As the below screenshot exemplifies, a minority of Town fans would speak with an air of authority on a subject on which they clearly had no knowledge – e.g. copyright. Such claims were detrimental to the Loggerheads cause and needed to be tackled head-on. We make no apologies for this.
Fundamentally incorrect: one Town fan on Twitter cited non-existent copyright law while describing attempts to restore the Loggerheads as 'futile'.
On the day that the vote results were upheld and a new badge confirmed, something peculiar happened on social media. Even those who had previously opposed a change of badge – and, in some cases, expressed a diehard preference for the clip art lion – posted celebratory 'yes! We did it!' style messages on Twitter. U-turns of such magnitude were so large that they could have seen from space.
Even those who militantly opposed a return of the Loggerheads joined in the celebrations following the club's statement on September 10th.
The next and penultimate phase was for the shortlisting of appropriate designs – one of which would ultimately become the badge of Shrewsbury Town FC. The Supporters' Parliament carried on their magnificent and diligent work by arranging a meeting at the Prince of Wales public house to discuss what supporters wished to see in a new crest. The meeting itself was attended by over a dozen fans from various organisations including ShrewsTRUST and Bring Back The Loggerheads.
It emerged that the club had insisted on a new badge being circular (for logistical and convenience purposes) and – as such – the Supporters' Parliament had to compromise. The campaign's preference was always to restore the iconic 2007 shield in all of its glory; but there is no shame in accepting a circular alternative which encompasses all of the elements of the original badge. The return of the 'shield' shape may well be a battle for another day…
Fans were given then given the opportunity to vote on the 4 designs shown below. Some fans voiced concern that the designs were essentially exactly the same aside for minor aesthetic differences in terms of text colouring and the positioning of 1886. This is a fair observation but it must be remembered that each of the shortlisted designs incorporated the essential elements of our club's identity and seem to have pleased the majority of supporters.
And so it came to pass that, on 20th December 2014, Shrewsbury Town Football Club revealed the new badge which will be in place from the 2015/16 season. The unveiling of a new badge was a proud day for the many hundreds of Town fans who have backed the return of the Loggerheads in recent years. It also vindicated many of the campaign's positions whilst simultaneously dispelling the myths often put forward by ill-informed club apologists.
The winner! This is the badge which will represent Shrewsbury Town FC from 2015/16 onwards.
As the new badge flashed up on the club's official website, it was clear that some fans had been proven spectacularly wrong. There was never any 'ban' from Shropshire Council on the club using the Loggerheads, nor was there a magic trademark clause stopping STFC from using the Loggerheads in a triangular formation. The latter was a claim from a club employee who should, frankly, have known better.
Just as the campaign maintained throughout, a change of badge was desired by vast swathes of supporters and could be implemented quickly without bankrupting the club or sending us tumbling into the abyss of non-league football. Those who touted such nonsense have – in the wake of the new badge being confirmed – been conspicuous by their absence. Their silence speaks volumes.
After nearly eight long years, we will once again have a badge which reflects our club's proud history, heritage and identity. There are many fans who will now be able to step foot inside the club shop again and part with their hard-earned cash. There is little doubt that the club's decision to reinstate the Loggerheads will be an investment and one which carries real benefits – both in terms of its dignity and also its ability to sell official merchandise. Most importantly, though, many Shrewsbury fans will now feel more of an affinity with their club.
The club shop are now selling wallets bearing the new Loggerheads crest. Excellent stuff.
The Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign is steadfastly proud of its achievements over the past two and a half years and fiercely appreciative of those who supported us.
We are also grateful to our formidable allies at the Blue & Amber Fanzine, ShrewsTRUST and the Supporters' Parliament for championing the return of the Loggerheads and for playing an active role in its momentous return. God bless you all.
A very Merry Christmas to all Shrewsbury Town fans. Here's hoping for promotion to League One under Micky Mellon and – most importantly – a happy and healthy 2015.
Floreat Salopia.
Brought Back The Loggerheads
Victory: 91.5% vote to change badge!
Greetings, Salopians.
Yesterday evening, on Wednesday 3rd September 2014, the results of the STFC Badge Vote were officially announced by the Supporters' Parliament. It was a landslide – and a historic victory for common sense, fan opinion and the identity of Shrewsbury Town Football Club.
The result – as many had predicted beforehand – was emphatic and saw 91.5% of 1171 respondents vote in favour of removing the infamous clip art lion logo. The 8 and a half per cent who inexplicably voted 'no' were comprehensively out-thought, out-battled and outnumbered at the ballot box. A full breakdown of the result can be found below:
There was, bizarrely, one recorded abstention as a Town fan took the time to modify and submit a paper voting slip which included a third option of 'not bothered'. A somewhat childish gesture which was thankfully in isolation. Why would anyone feel the need to officially abstain from a vote on a subject which they don't care about? The mind boggles!
The reasons to vote 'YES' had been well-documented throughout the voting process and indeed over the past 28 months. Those advocating the return of the Loggerheads badge pointed to core emotive and intrinsic elements of being a lower-league football supporter: history, heritage, pride and passion.
While these qualities are very difficult to quantify from a data or financial perspective, they are – to many – as important an issue as whether the team gets 3 points on a Saturday afternoon. After all, on-the-pitch success is only ever temporary. A club's identity, if safeguarded, can last forever.
Despite a handful of naysayers resorting to banal commentary ('it's what's on the pitch that counts…' and 'it's only a badge at the end of the day…') a favourable result was always likely. It should not be forgotten that the clip art lion, hastily introduced in May 2007, first caught Town fans off-guard. It was unveiled in the latter stages of a frantic, another-unsuccessful-trip-to-Wembley play-off final season and just a few weeks shy of the club's ground-breaking move to a soulless new stadium.
It is excellent to see that supporters have now, seven years later, seized the opportunity to remove it with both hands. A near-permanent source of embarrassment to our football club has been unanimously consigned to the dustbin of history.
Victory: a whopping 91.5% of voters have voted in favour of the club changing its badge.
There are undoubtedly three main architects of this astonishing victory. Credit must firstly be given to the club's new Chief Executive, Matt Williams, for his role in this triumph. Having arrived from ailing Blackpool FC, Williams seems to have shaken club officials out of their collective malaise and recognised that our club's identity actually matters to many people. It is a welcome change from the old days in which certain club employees derided such sentiments over the internet…
The newly-formed Supporters' Parliament have also been magnificent throughout the past four months. It was they who reached an agreement with the club, devised a plan of action, collected votes (both online and outside the stadium) and finally audited the results to ensure fairness and transparency. Sterling individuals – Mike, Roger, Glyn and Ollie – have worked tirelessly to ensure the vote ran smoothly and deserve huge applause. The SP – as it's affectionately known – is still in its infancy but has achieved an enormous coup by facilitating the removal of the clip art lion. It goes to show that an independent organisation can communicate with its football club and deliver the best outcome for supporters.
And finally, the third architect: the hundreds of Shrewsbury Town supporters who have backed the Loggerheads and refused to accept the corporate logo. A sincere Thank You to every man, woman and child who fought for our club's identity by voting 'YES' over the past three months. And those who signed our original petition back in 2012. And those who generously donated to our banners. And those who wore t-shirts, stickers and iron-on badges. And those who donned the Loggerheads on a match-day or around the Town. And those who constantly argued in defence of our identity on messageboards and social media. And those who kept the faith; and those who never surrendered.
They took our badge, but they could never break our spirit.
As for the next steps: the Badge Vote result will be confirmed by the club at a Board Meeting next Wednesday. STFC will then release a statement of its intentions and 'Stage 2' (the implementation of a new badge) will commence. It is great to see the response this news has generated on social media and forums, and long may it continue.
To win this decisive vote by a whopping 91.5% paves the way for the long-awaited return of the famous Loggerheads. It will involve working closely with the Supporters' Parliament and STFC officials – but rest assured that we will get there and restore a badge which reflects our club's proud history, heritage and identity.
Floreat Salopia. Bring Back The Loggerheads.
Badge Vote 2014: The Final Hurdle
After seven long years, there has been a very significant and welcome development in the battle for the return of our true club badge. The newly-formed Supporters' Parliament have been tasked by Shrewsbury Town Football Club with conducting a vote amongst all supporters.
The vote – which will run up until late August – will be a simple one with voters being asked the following question:
The rules, thankfully, are simple. The club have stipulated that there is no 'minimum' number of voters required and that the majority decision will prevail. So – if only 100 people voted and 51 respondents answered 'YES'; that would be enough to facilitate the long-overdue removal of the club's irrelevant clip art badge ahead of the 2015/16 season.
In order to vote, fans will need to provide their unique Supporter Number so that club officials can conduct a mini-audit of the results and discount any duplicate or fraudulent voting. This might seem slightly over-officious, but the Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign fully understands the need for this process. Importantly, it rules out any possibility of the club turning around in the future and disqualifying the vote result on the basis of perceived foul-play. The result will truly be decisive.
While confident of a resounding victory, we need all Shrewsbury Town supporters to mobilise and cast their YES vote. Since the campaign emerged in 2012, we have engaged with literally hundreds upon hundreds of passionate Salop fans and we know that the strength of feeling is unanimously behind the return of our famous Loggerheads.
There has been a noticeable decline in online opposition from club apologists over recent months, and it is obvious to all that the vast majority of STFC supporters view the Loggerheads as the club's true badge. It is vitally important that the STFC Badge Vote 2014 reflects this; and that we also have a turnout which is proportional to the level of interest in our club badge. 1000 votes (roughly a quarter of our average home attendance) is the aim.
All Shrewsbury Town fans are being urged to VOTE YES before the end of August 2014. To VOTE YES is to vote for the history, heritage, identity and future commercial interests of our beloved club. The time is now.
So, how does one vote? You can vote securely online through the following link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BadgeVote
Alternatively, paper voting slips will also be included in Season Ticket wallets for those without internet access. Fans who cannot find their 8-digit Supporter Number can contact Shrewsbury Town directly (01743 289177) and they'll let you know. Under 16's are encouraged to use the Supporter Number of the adult they attend with. The vote has been designed to ensure that everyone can have their say on this important issue, and rightly so.
A successful outcome in the Badge Vote will ensure that the Supporters' Parliament can progress to Stage Two; the designing and implementation of a Loggerheads crest befitting of our club's history, heritage and identity. By this time next year, it is likely that the clip art lion will have been consigned to the dustbin of history and that STFC will have recouped a large chunk of the identity it casually binned following the move to the New Meadow.
The time is now. Please VOTE YES without delay and help us clamber over this final hurdle.
No Surrender. Floreat Salopia.
It's Christmas – and we're still Ho-Ho-Hoping for Loggerheads
Season's Greetings to all Salopians. As the curtain comes down on yet another year of pro-Loggerheads sentiment, we are still waiting for Shrewsbury Town Football Club to give us back our badge.
Despite the club's abject failure to reinstate the Loggerheads, the campaign has been on an upward trajectory. A quick glance around the New Meadow concourses indicates that more and more people are opting to wear the Loggerheads on a match-day. Hundreds of Town fans – both young and old – can be seen wearing 'retro' merchandise in the form of old shirts, coats, scarves and bobble hats. Even those at the stadium in an official capacity, i.e. stewards, wear the famous old badge with pride. We salute each and every single one of you!
While this success cannot be quantified by evidence or statistics, it is the purest way of sending a message to the club and reclaiming a sorely-missed piece of our identity. We pledged that 2013 would be remembered as The Year of The Loggerheads and this aim has been achieved – albeit unofficially!
Conversely, the presence of the club's new pin-striped strip is lacking in comparison. You will be lucky to spot a handful on the terraces, and this can be attributed to numerous factors: a poor design, the Open Day fiasco in which no shirts were ready for general sale and – of course – the infamous clip art lion. We firmly believe that Shrewsbury Town fans no longer wish to spend their hard-earned cash on clip art merchandise – and who can blame them? One member of the blue-and-amber messageboard hit the nail on the head when he remarked: 'I have no desire to wear a shirt which fails to reflect who we are'.
Many of those that have purchased the new shirt (usually with the habitual and commendable intention of boosting club coffers) have immediately contacted The Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign to arrange purchase of an iron-on badge. For just £2 and a two-minute blast of a hot iron, Town fans have been able to restore the Loggerheads to modern shirts. The end results have been superb and have enabled fans to conceal the clip art crest with ease. While originally the brainchild of a loyal Town fan exiled in Stuttgart, we are proud of the volume we have shifted in the past 12 months or so. By our estimations, there must be upwards of 250 in circulation which is testament to the popularity of the Loggerheads badge and, incidentally, more than Hereford United manage to get through the turnstiles.
This year has also marked the inception of the 'Legend's Card' initiative from Shrewsbury Town Football Club. The idea seems to have stemmed from a Town fan posting on Facebook; he created a few mocked-up images which gave an impression of what it would like if STFC decorated our stadium with banners of our greatest ever players and so forth. The response was very positive. Many fans were hopeful that this undertaking could add identity to what is generally regarded as a soulless stadium. In August – in a typically badly-punctuated article on its official website – STFC launched the Legend's Card scheme.
The premise was simple: pay £20.00 per year and contribute towards a project which will 'celebrate the club's history' and 'create a sea of blue and amber memories'. Despite the obvious irony of such rhetoric coming from a club who – lest we forget – replaced its true badge with clip art under pseudo-commercial justification, the scheme sounded just the job.
However, several reservations were apparent right from the word "go". The Legend's Card itself features the clip art lion, which surely contradicts the very purpose of a project which is designed to champion our identity. In essence, it's a bit like sticking a picture of a Big Mac on a gym membership card. Or an image of Brian Blessed on a can of Gillette shaving foam.
Some fans were also concerned as to the club's financial motivations. During a Supporters' Group meeting at the New Meadow several weeks before the scheme was unveiled publicly, one beleaguered club official insinuated that just 30% of the monies raised would go towards the project itself. The angry response from those present was enough for the club to backtrack and set the financial proportions at an acceptable 70%. By this stage, and in the eyes of many supporters, the damage had been done…
A contradiction in terms? STFC use the clip art lion to advertise a project aimed at celebrating the club's history…
While the club may have botched its attempt to celebrate our identity, ShrewsTRUST have pulled it off with flying colours after their creation of the 'fans' shirt' – a garment made for the fans, by the fans! Featuring the much sought-after combination of thick blue and amber stripes and the Loggerheads crest, the shirt has been a resounding success so far and has sold like hot cakes. At £27 a pop (or £29 for non-Trust members) the shirt is also extremely well priced and is a genuine alternative to the clip art gear being sold in the club shop. The author of this article has purchased one and, having seen it in the flesh, I can vouch for the quality of its material and that it uses the right shade of amber – which is a perennial worry amongst Shrewsbury Town supporters!
Whilst it does seem slightly farcical that a group of fans have had to resort to commissioning their own replica shirts, such is the club's inability to get things right, the end result is a triumph for both our heritage and for our pals at ShrewsTRUST.
Click the below picture for info on how to order. It really is a thing of beauty.
During the summer, a representative from the Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign attended a fans' forum at the stadium in order to ask the club whether it could provide a date for the restoration of the club's true badge. As explained in the August update, the club declined to do so. What they did say is that they would look into the possibility of producing a "retro range" of Loggerheads merchandise in the club shop, but would have to investigate (fictitious) copyright obstacles before doing so.
Regrettably, we are six months down the line and absolutely nothing has happened in terms of the club returning the Loggerheads to club shop shelves. Whacking the old crest on a scarf/polo-shirt couldn't be any simpler and it would have facilitated a mutually-beneficial arrangement between the club and its supporters. The fans could buy merchandise which actually represents who we are, and the club could receive an additional stream of income.
The delay in action has been made worse by the discovery of the below 'onesie' jumpsuit which is now available for purchase – is stuff like this really the priority…?
STFC's clip art 'onesie' left fans wincing in horror
The concept of 'identity' in modern football is becoming more and more of a mainstream discussion, as per the ongoing developments at Hull City AFC. Hull's Chairman, Egyptian-born businessman Assem Allam, has announced that he intends to change Hull City's name to Hull Tigers in an attempt to appeal to international audiences. Allam has made a string of PR gaffes in recent months; he has described Hull's century-old identity as 'lousy', branded critics of the re-branding as 'hooligans' and commented that his opponents 'can die as soon as they want'.
Allam's sinister intentions resulted in Hull fans parading a large 'We Are Hull City' banner at their home match against Crystal Palace. The stewards – no doubt acting under orders – piled in and a tug-of-war ensued, which they promptly lost. Cheers erupted around the stadium and genuine football fans raised a smile while watching the clip on YouTube.
Hull City fans protest against re-brand proposal. Top stuff.
Whilst we are totally behind the No To Hull Tigers campaign – and wish them all the success in the world – the developments up north prove that our campaign is not alone in facing opposition and apathy from club apologists. Having read comments on the subject from Hull fans, it is abundantly clear that the bulk of their supporters oppose Allam's ridiculous plans and wish to remain as Hull City AFC.
It is also clear that some within their ranks are happy to shrug their shoulders and defend the indefensible, just as we have seen in regard to the Loggerheads issue. In mid-December, the Hull Daily Mail ran a poll which was answered by nearly 3500 Hull City supporters. While a whopping 69% of respondents said they wanted the club to retain its full name, 31% were either 'in favour' of Allam's proposals or simply 'didn't care'.
Think about it. 1 in 3 respondents are unopposed to the systematic destruction of a club's proud identity. Thankfully, such people are comprehensibly outnumbered but it does raise broader questions about the mentality of the modern football fan, and the struggle such campaigns face to achieve their desired outcomes.
Despite being heavily outnumbered, 1 in 3 respondents were either in favour of, or unopposed to, Allam's shameful re-brand. Click for link.
There is an alarming similarity between some of the comments made in relation to the Hull City name issue, and some of the comments which have been made with regard to the return of the Loggerheads. A quick scan of the Hull Daily Mail comment section reveals plenty of apologism from 'fans' seemingly hell-bent on justifying the desecration of a club's heritage:
'Allam has been right in everything he has done so far… credit to him'
'I'm glad Mr Allam is doing things his way'
'Tigers Till We Die sounds much better'
'There seems little point in continuing the debate on this issue… Your views will be duly noted and then disregarded'
'Its (sic) a name change get over it'
'The big majority have more important things in life then get into a tantrum over a name change'
'Let Mr Allam do what he wants, it's his money'
'Hull city,hull tigers it makes no difference to me i will still be a loyal supporter of my local PREMIER LEAGUE team through thick and thin. people need to move into the future and not live in the past'.
Sound familiar? Such musings are reminiscent of the sporadic opposition we have encountered since early 2012; the core platitudes of 'get over it', 'the players are all that matter' and 'it's only a badge at the end of the day'. All total rubbish. All comments that have been challenged and countered time and time again. And yet they still crop up occasionally, especially from Twitter trolls who are prepared to spend several hours discussing an issue which they, apparently, do not care about!
If Mr Allam ever arrived at STFC and suggested a similar re-branding, we would oppose him vehemently. The apologists, just as they have done during the badge issue, would undoubtedly turn a blind eye and allow it to happen.
Through the Keyhole: many apologists seem incapable of realising that there's more to supporting a football club than results and league positions.
The events at the KC Stadium should serve as an inspiration to us at Shrewsbury Town – supporters CAN be galvanised en masse to fight for their club's identity. However, the above poll indicates that wherever you are and however important the subject, there will always be a minority of apologists waiting in the shadows for the opportunity to announce that 'they don't care'. We've seen it with the Hull City rebrand, the Everton badge uproar, the Newcastle opposition to Mike Ashley and in the emergence of the Cardiff Red Dragons franchise. Some will voice their objection and take action. Others will sit there passively and deride them for doing so.
The important thing is to keep the faith, to carry on waving the Loggerheads flag with pride and to – above all – never give up. Our day will come.
Here's to a Merry Christmas for all Town fans, and a healthy, happy 2014.
August Update: The campaign rages on
It's been a while since we updated our website (which coincidentally has now received over 10,000 hits!) but that's not to say that the Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign has taken its foot off the gas in recent times.
We have had a busy few months, and firmly believe that the return of the Loggerheads is nearer than ever before.
On July 18th, a representative of the campaign attended a Supporters' Group Meeting at the New Meadow. We would like to thank Shrewsbury Town Football Club for allowing us to participate in the discussions, and for being welcoming. The meeting was our opportunity to reaffirm the widespread preference amongst Salop fans for a return of the Loggerheads, and to ask whether there is any time scale for the long-awaited re-branding. The club declined to provide one.
We also asked about the possibility of seeing "retro" Loggerheads merchandise stocked in the club shop. We know for a fact that there is demand for this and that STFC are losing out on potential income as a result of not catering for it. In a confusing turn of events, a club official stated that producing "retro" items may not be possible due to "copyright reasons".
This seemed very contradictory as we have been previously led to believe that the club could not copyright the Loggerheads shield hence its removal in 2007. This issue needs clarifying. After all, how can there be unspecified "copyright issues" relating to a badge which, supposedly, cannot be copyrighted?!
There was a general feeling in the meeting that the mudslinging between ourselves, the club and its apologists should end. We agree with these sentiments and hope to positively engage with STFC in the upcoming months.
In the aftermath of the Supporters' Forum, ShrewsTRUST officially pledged their support to our campaign. We are delighted with this development and look forward to working with them to facilitate the return of a badge which reflects the history, heritage and identity of Shrewsbury Town Football Club.
We would urge all pro-Loggerheads supporters to join the Trust. After all: together, we are stronger.
In recent weeks, we have also been nobly supported by patriots from the Blue-and-Amber messageboard. Our latest fundraising attempts received over £300 in generous donations, and we were able to purchase a new screen-printed banner which will hang permanently inside the New Meadow. The feedback has been very positive, and thank you to all who contributed.
The latest Loggerheads banner (right) hanging proudly in Block 18
We have also restocked our popular iron-on Loggerheads patches to enable shirt-wearing fans to conceal the clip art crest. Despite the latest Shrewsbury Town kit fiasco (with lengthy delays in the availability of home shirts…) we have already shifted 40 iron-on badges at cost price, and expect to sell dozens more.
Finally, we were delighted to receive a bit of national coverage in July's edition of FourFourTwo magazine. Passionate Town supporter – and all-round wordsmith – Tom Davies included the Loggerheads in his answers about Shrewsbury Town's chances this season. Thank you Tom. Excellent work!
Overall, while there have been a number of positive developments since our June update, it is imperative that we keep the pressure on. We are edging ever nearer to seeing the Loggerheads return to Shrewsbury shirts, and can all play a part in this.
Floreat Salopia. No surrender!
Relocation Dissertation: Our Response
Recently, Northumbria University student Rory Mitchinson completed his seventy-thousand word dissertation titled The Repercussions of Relocation in Lower-League English Football.
Mitchinson's 2013 study indicates that many fans feel STFC has lost its identity during recent years.
We found it extremely interesting and would like to thank Rory for returning to the blue-and-amber messageboard in order to share his findings.
His painstaking work on this subject concluded that, sadly, many Town fans are of the opinion that the club's identity has been eroded since the move to the New Meadow. We concur with this.
It also highlighted that there are still strong feelings about the senseless removal of the club's traditional Loggerheads badge and its clip art lion replacement. Despite apologist claims that "it's only a badge", Rory's detailed survey found that Shrewsbury Town fans regard a club crest as the second most important thing in constituting our identity. Excellent stuff.
While conducting research into his topic, Rory paid a visit to Shrewsbury and had a chat with a club official and a representative of the OSC – the transcript of which appears between pages 166-193. We have to take issue with a number of things which they said in relation to the badge issue and our on-going campaign.
Comments from the STFC official:
1) "From reading between the lines, it was [about] the club having ownership of the badge to prevent copyright [breaches]."
This is partially correct as the "we need it for copyright reasons" excuse was one of the reasons put forward by the club way back in 2007. Unfortunately, he neglects to point out that more knock-off merchandise is being produced now than ever before. A quick check on eBay will show that hawkers can easily replicate the clip art lion on a whole host of things including car stickers, fridge magnets, phone cases, mugs, hats and flags. And they're able to do so quite freely.
Clip art scarves, anyone? The "copyrightable" new badge hasn't deterred street-sellers and online hawkers from flogging unofficial goods. It never could.
There's also the story of street-sellers peddling clip art goods directly outside the stadium – in full view of stewards who simply shrugged their shoulders and told bemused fans "there's nothing we can do". It is clear that the club do not bother to enforce the majority of incidences in which the logo is reproduced unofficially. Nor should they be expected to, what's the point of threatening someone with court action over a pin badge which will ultimately sell for about 99 pence?
We are a small lower-league football club with a loyal fan base of five-and-a-half thousand, not a billion dollar giant like Manchester United who have to safeguard against knock-off goods being sold overseas. In summary, we were led to believe that the arrival of the clip art lion would magically stop the sale of all unofficial products. This hasn't happened and, in all honesty, it was never really possible anyway.
2) "They couldn't copyright that [the Loggerheads] 'cause it's the badge of the county."
Not true at all – smoke and mirrors springs to mind. If you do your research, you'll discover that there are many Football League clubs in the UK who have been able to copyright crests which feature their heraldic county emblems. The likes of Newcastle, Barnsley, Peterborough, Blackpool, Coventry, Bury, Exeter and Accrington Stanley have all done this without any difficulty. Why should we be any different?
3) "There'd obviously be a financial implication [to changing the badge] because you'd have to change everything in the club, plates etcetera."
Wrong – and we've gone over this point time and time again. When a large company decides to "re-brand" itself, there's always a changeover period. It can take several years for all traces of an old logo to disappear completely and the same would apply to Shrewsbury Town Football Club. No one would expect the clip art lion to vanish overnight. The badge on the shirt, programme and website could be changed immediately and at no additional cost.
All other pieces of paraphernalia featuring the dreaded logo (such as carpet, ties, stationary and the plates to which you refer) can be phased out gradually. Most of them will have a limited shelf-life anyway and will need to be reordered at some stage due to natural wear and tear. It is an unfortunate fact of life that plates will become chipped and carpet will eventually fray. When the time comes, simply reorder replacements featuring the Loggerheads. Job done.
4) "A lot of new fans now have got used to the lion, the new badge."
This is a debateable statement. Some of the most passionate supporters of our campaign are "new fans" who have never been fortunate enough to experience a match at the Gay Meadow or see the famous Loggerheads appear on our shirt. Despite this, they can still appreciate the hunger for a badge which adequately reflects our club's proud history, heritage and identity. The truth of the matter is that, while there are a number of Town fans who simply don't care about our badge, you'll be very hard pushed to find anyone who actually likes it – even youngsters. If you have any actual evidence to support this claim, feel free to get in contact and we will respond accordingly.
5) "People who might have been for the Loggerheads badge, so irritated by the constant 'we must have this', are saying 'I've changed my opinion and I quite like the new badge."
We apologise if we have "irritated" fellow Town fans by publicising the badge issue and championing the need to reinstate a sorely missed part of our identity. However, it is nonsense to suggest that people who were previously in favour of an iconic crest (which has been associated with our club since 1907) will suddenly change their opinion because of a few posts on a messageboard. It's plausible that a couple of Town fans have become weary of the badge-related discussion, but it is still highly unlikely that they will ever develop an affinity with what is primarily a piece of clip art downloaded from the internet.
It's also worth pointing out that the Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign has never been stronger: it was only a few days ago that we were able to raise nearly £300 in very quick time for a new banner thanks to generous pledges from members of the blue-and-amber messageboard.
6) "The club get promoted in the summer and all the fans want to talk about is changing the badge, and it's just like – what?!"
Funnily enough, there's more to supporting a lower-league football club than results and on-the-pitch success. A club's soul, its identity and the feeling of being part of something is equally important to many football supporters, which is precisely why hundreds of Cardiff City fans have mobilised themselves despite a landmark promotion to the Premier League.
Back in the top flight after 51 years, and still Cardiff City fans protest against their club's re-branding. Good on them.
The actual timing of our petition was significant as for years we'd been patronisingly told by club officials that "you'll grow to love the new badge after a bit of success".
Here we were – on the back of an incredible season – and yet many of our fans were still determined to fight for the return of a much-loved emblem. That should tell you everything you need to know about the strength of feeling surrounding this issue.
Comments from OSC representative:
7) "Has the Loggerheads situation come mostly off blue-and-amber? There's two or three guys there and they are hell-bent on getting the Loggerheads back."
It's true that the campaign originated on B&A following years of debate on the subject, but we can assure you that there are far more than "two or three guys" who share our passion for the return of a badge which adequately reflects our club's precious identity.
8) "I would say no [to a return of the Loggerheads] because so much has got to change around here, the logos behind the scenes…"
Not necessarily. As we've explained in our earlier response to the STFC official (answer #3) the claim that our club "would have to spend loads in reordering everything" is a red herring and has no substance. All we ask is that STFC change the badge on our shirt, programme and website. All other clip items can be gradually replaced with Loggerheads equivalents when they inevitably succumb to wear and tear, even if it takes several years.
"What about plates? We'd have to replace them". No, we wouldn't.
9) "I think I'm right in saying that the financial implications involved with it outweigh having the Loggerheads back."
No, this is incorrect. The cost of reinstating a Loggerheads-based badge would be peanuts in the grand scheme of things and would certainly cost nowhere near the ludicrous estimates put forward by certain STFC employees. To put it into perspective, the "re-branding" process could probably be completed for a cost equivalent to a player's wages for three months. The opportunity to restore some of our heritage wouldn't cost the earth or be in any way detrimental to the size of Graham Turner's playing budget.
There's also a strong case for suggesting that the club would eventually recoup any initial outlay through increased sales of official merchandise. We conducted a survey amongst 100 respondents of our petition and nearly 70% stated that they would spend more in the club shop were the Loggerheads to return. We know of many people – several dozen in fact – who haven't purchased anything from the club shop since 2007 due to disliking the new logo and what it symbolises. There's also no risk of any change alienating people who currently buy replica merchandise as, frankly, if you're willing to purchase clip art gear you'll wear anything.
10) A "large minority" want the Loggerheads back.
During the course of the discussion, the OSC representative referred to Town fans wanting a return of the Loggerheads as being in a "large minority". On the contrary, we firmly believe that we are the majority. Wanting a football badge to reflect your identity as a club isn't some unusual phenomenon or unheard of concept.
In the minority? The results of the latest "badge poll" on STFC's busiest messageboard. It was a landslide, just as expected.
There are many clubs in recent years that have made changes to their official club crest in line with the wishes of their supporters: Swindon, Northampton, Macclesfield, Bolton, Chelsea and most recently Everton. We're hoping we can add Shrewsbury Town to that list in the very near future and would politely suggest that it is actually the club apologists who find themselves vastly outnumbered.
Ultimately we think it's very admirable that Rory received a warm Shropshire welcome from two people connected with our proud football club. It's clear that he found the experience to be both enjoyable and helpful with his studies. However, we couldn't allow some of the unfounded claims made during this conversation to pass without correction.
One of the reasons we have been stuck with an embarrassing and commercialised clip art crest for over six years is due to certain individuals churning out the same old myths. Citing unspecified "copyright reasons", along with the flawed idea that STFC would have to instantly replace every single piece of clip art in the stadium, is just an example of misleading excuse making.
Keep the faith lads. Bring Back The Loggerheads!
STFC once again confirm that a future "re-brand" will take place
During their latest bi-monthly forum with various supporters' groups, officials at Shrewsbury Town Football Club have once again made reference to a "future" change of club crest. In the below screenshot 'MJ' indicates comments made by Mr Martin James, Head of Community Development.
While this is not a new development by any means, the fact that this statement of intent has been repeated is very positive news. It bodes well for the impending removal of the clip art lion and, of course, the restoration of the club's true Loggerheads emblem.
The Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign would like to publicly thank blue-and-amber moderator Glyn Price for his regular and informative updates from these meetings.
The club should also be reminded that the "badge issue" is NOT going to go away until the bullet has been bitten and the Loggerheads reinstated once and for all.
Season's Greetings to all Salopians
As Christmas looms ever nearer, the Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign would like to extend its warmest wishes to all Shrewsbury Town supporters. May you all enjoy the festive season and have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013.
It would be fair to say that the "badge issue" continues to rumble on. In recent months, we have faced renewed hostility for little more than championing the club's heritage and advocating the return of a badge which reflects our identity. Despite being unequivocal in our support of both Graham Turner and his players, one individual even accused our campaign of "costing the team points" following a series of poor results. Needless to say, we totally reject this ridiculous (and offensive) accusation.
We would like to wish all STFC fans a Merry Christmas
We have also witnessed several comments along the lines of "it's only a badge, it has never won us games" and "the players are the only thing that matter". Such remarks, unfortunately, provide an insight into the mentality of the modern football fan where results and league position are all that matter. It is this type of philosophy which has seen Cardiff City – a club formerly known as the "bluebirds" – change its shirt colour for financial gain. While many stalwart Cardiff fans were rightly disgusted at this decision, others were not fazed in the slightest and claimed that selling their club's soul is a price worth paying for on-the-pitch success. We disagree.
The reality is that, while all supporters are naturally entitled to their own opinion on the club's current badge, some seem incapable of acknowledging that there is more to a football club than point tallies and goal difference. The debate surrounding the infamous clip art lion has raged consistently for nearly seven months and we are still yet to hear a logical and sustained argument for keeping the current club emblem; every myth and half-truth has been dispelled on the 'FAQ' section of our website.
We are all proud Salopians and want to openly wear the shirt of Shrewsbury Town FC. It is a great shame that, currently, many cannot do so due to the presence of a piece of tat lazily downloaded from an online clip art package. Advocating a badge which reflects the history of our football club and beautiful town is not a crime, and nor does it prevent anyone from giving the players their 100% backing.
Merry Christmas all. Floreat Salopia.
"So this is Christmas, and what have you done?"
During the past six months or so, the Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign has swung into action. We are proud of the various steps we have taken in advocating a return to a traditional club badge and continue to receive messages of support from other like-minded Shrewsbury fans.
So, what have we actually done? Firstly, a representative from our campaign attended a meeting at the Greenhous Meadow after we sent in the petition containing over 1200 signatures. The club, to their credit, eventually conceded that a change of logo is "probable" having initially defended the clip art badge as being "popular with the kids". This watery suggestion was frankly laughable. For example, Arsenal's 'Gunnersaurus' mascot is evidently popular with youngsters at the Emirates, but there would be uproar (pun not intended) if it was included within their official club crest. A badge should reflect the history of a football club and not its juvenile mascot.
Gunnersaurus: Arsenal's mascot is "very popular with kids" but would be wholly inappropriate for selection on a club crest
We are always happy to engage supporters who may not understand the reasons behind our campaign, although it is worth pointing out that to date only one person has emailed us with a query. We responded accordingly and this individual eventually wished us well with our continued efforts.
In addition to communicating directly with STFC, we also raised several hundred pounds in order to purchase a Loggerheads banner featuring the slogan "This Badge is Our Badge". Our flag has appeared at many home games (including several away fixtures) and has always been well received by Town supporters. We have also sourced and sold several dozen "Bring Back The Loggerheads" t-shirts at cost price as well as distributing iron-on Loggerheads patches to supporters who want to conceal the clip art badge on official merchandise.
Despite a few suggestions to the contrary from Twitter trolls, the people involved with this campaign are all passionate Town supporters who believe that a badge should reflect the club's identity rather than clip art commercialism. The Loggerheads is an emblem which is synonymous with the history of our proud football club and the Town it represents, let's have it back once and for all.
Away Supporters FC adopt Loggerheads emblem
Shrewsbury Town's Away Supporters (ASFC) have opted to include a Loggerheads badge on their new training tops.
The Loggerheads appear proudly on the ASFC's latest training gear
Nice work chaps. This is yet another example of Salop fans choosing heritage over clip art and we wish the ASFC all the very best in their endeavours this season.
Poll results: 79% want the Loggerheads on next season's shirt
An up-to-date poll conducted on Shrewsbury Town's busiest messageboard has confirmed that a whopping 79.2% of respondents would like to see the Loggerheads emblem appear on next season's shirt.
We regard this informal survey as a strong reminder of the strength of feeling which still surrounds this issue even after five long years. With a new replica strip due to be unveiled in just under six months' time, STFC would do well to take heed of the poll's conclusions.
From a commercial point of view, ignoring the wishes of such a large proportion of supporters will undoubtedly result in less revenue. The message is clear: reinstate the Loggerheads and the sales of official merchandise will rocket upwards.
Loggerheads campaign now on Facebook!
The team behind the Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign are pleased to reveal that they now have a Facebook page.
Please click the above picture and be sure to 'like' our page, which can also be found via the following link:
http://www.facebook.com/BringBackTheLoggerheads
Our website smashes 3500 hit mark!
We are delighted to reveal that this website has now received over 3500 hits since its grand unveiling less than one month ago.
The fact that so many have viewed this website in such a short space of time is testament to the outstanding support we continue to receive from many hundreds of Shrewsbury Town supporters.
The Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign would like to publicly thank those who continue to circulate our website link via social media, online forums and through word of mouth.
Keep the faith. Floreat Salopia.
Shrewsbury fan enlists services of embroiderers
A Town supporter has gone the extra mile in bringing back the Loggerheads after turning to a Warwickshire-based firm of embroiderers.
The skilled individuals at Slant Riggs Embroidery were able to manually unpick the clip art lion logo and add a high quality Loggerheads replacement. The results speak for themselves – excellent work from all involved.
Loggerheads banner makes debut at Bramall Lane
The campaign's flag has made its first public appearance, gracing yesterday's away end at Sheffield United.
We are delighted with the feedback we have received from impressed supporters and hope that the banner's presence may inspire other Salopians to dig out any merchandise bearing the Loggerheads emblem.
History will always be preferable to clip art!
Fresh coverage in the Shropshire Star
The Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign has received yet more publicity following a lengthy article which appeared in tonight's edition of the Shropshire Star.
STFC statement: the Campaign's official response
The organisers behind the massively popular Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign have praised Shrewsbury Town Football Club for their positive statement regarding a future re-branding.
The club held a Supporters Group Meeting on July 11 where campaign representative Justin Gill represented the views of the 1150 Town fans from all around the world who signed the online petition to ask for the historic Loggerheads badge to be reinstated.
It has now been indicated that the club would be willing to work with supporters groups in the future to work towards a gradual implementation of a new club brand, including a possible fans' vote on a new identity.
Spokesman for the group, Sam Morris, said: "It is excellent to see the club listening to a large number of fans and agree to look at a future rebrand.
"A significant number of people have raised issues with the current logo and it is really encouraging to see the club willing to discuss how this can be changed.
"Going forward, we will ensure that the Loggerheads will firmly remain in supporters' minds until the rebrand occurs and our new 'This Badge is our Badge' banner, funded by like minded supporters will help do this."
The banner, displaying a traditional Loggerheads crest, will be displayed at all home and away games and was paid for by generous donations by supporters on an internet messageboard and it is hoped that it will act as a peaceful reminder as to the strength of feeling regarding the Loggerheads.
Campaign organisers would also like to thank the club's Community Development Manager, Martin James, for the time he has accorded the group and for inviting them to attend a meeting that is usually purely for recognised supporters groups.
Mr Morris continued: "The work from Martin James is very much appreciated. He has actively pursued the group to give us a voice in the Supporters Group meeting and we are thankful for that.
"We would also like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the club Chairman, Mr. Roland Wycherley, for his many years of fine service to the club and its supporters."
The group will, over the forthcoming months, introduce other initiatives as a celebration of both the club's history and its famous badge.
Press release: Shrewsbury Town fans purchase new Loggerheads banner
As the campaign to get Shrewsbury Town Football Club to reinstate a badge including the historic Loggerheads continues, a group of supporters have purchased a banner showing their support for the original badge.
The campaign started with an online petition which has attracted 1150 signatures and continues to be signed.
For many supporters, the Loggerheads remains synonymous with both the club's history and the town itself.
The Loggerheads was the first ever badge to appear on an STFC shirt, way back in 1907. The Loggerheads – in one guise or another – have since appeared on the club's shirts more than any other emblem.
The banner, which has been funded by generous donations from members of the blue-and-amber messsageboard, will serve as a visible reminder that many Shrewsbury fans are unhappy with the current logo and regard the Loggerheads as the club's rightful badge.
The new badge remains unpopular amongst many Shrewsbury fans due to its lack of relevance to the club's history and the fact that the lion featured within it has been taken directly from a commercially available Clip Art package.
A spokesman for the campaign said: "This flag will provide a constant reminder that many supporters are deeply unhappy with the current badge and the unprofessional design of it.
"There are no links to the club or town itself and the reintroduction of the Loggerheads emblem would address this.
"We understand that things wouldn't happen immediately, but a gradual introduction of the Loggerheads would please many of the club's supporters."
Loggerheads banner unveiled
The Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign is delighted to unveil its first banner, ahead of the 2012/13 season.
Funded by generous donations from members of the blue-and-amber messageboard, the flag (pictured below) proudly displays the Loggerheads emblem and will serve as a visible reminder of the badge which many Shrewsbury Town supporters hold close to their hearts.
STFC badge article appears in When Saturday Comes
A superb piece written by Shrewsbury fan Calum Leahy has appeared in national football magazine When Saturday Comes.
Mr Leahy succeeds in articulating many of the salient facts associated with the Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign, such as the club's long-standing affiliation with the Loggerheads emblem and the "deeply unpopular" nature of its replacement.
There can be little doubt that WSC is a highly respected publication and that such attention is invaluable to our objective of restoring the Loggerheads badge once and for all. The campaign is more confident than ever before that – within the near future – the Loggerheads will once again adorn the hallowed blue and amber shirt. And rightly so.
Pro-Loggerheads petition nears 1000 signatures, reports the Chronicle
The newly-founded Bring Back The Loggerheads campaign is once again the recipient of column inches thanks to a piece written by David Seadon in today's Shrewsbury Chronicle.
It is superb to see so many supporters continuing to sign the petition, especially in the light of the recent bizarre statement from STFC which accused those behind the campaign of "curtailing and demeaning" the club's recent promotion.
Town fans' petition publicised in the Shropshire Star
The desire of many Shrewsbury supporters to return to the historic Loggerheads badge has been documented in a short article which appeared in tonight's edition of the Shropshire Star.
This inaugural piece of coverage (taken from page 55) includes a description of the ever-growing petition created last week by Town fan Justin Gill. We hope this will be the beginning of a fruitful campaign to remove the clip art lion and once again return to a badge with obvious links to the club's proud history.
BRING BACK THE LOGGERHEADS
SALOP'S NEW BADGE FROM 2015
LINK TO SHREWSTRUST WEBSITE
ShrewsTRUST fans' shirt
EMAIL, FACEBOOK & TWITTER
BADGE VOTE RESULTS: 91.5% YES
The results of the 2014 Badge Vote have been officially announced. 1171 votes were received and a staggering 91.5% have voted in favour of removing the clip art lion. This is a great victory for our club's identity. Thank You to everyone who voted 'YES'.
3/9/14:THE DAY THE CLIP ART DIED
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We've seen our fair share of floor cushions and ottomans and yet these ones made us stop and pay attention. We love the large braided jersey tubing, the soft grays and the price is great too. Based out of Berlin, Kumeko Design has a fairly small selection of goods but they're all pretty amazing, Check them out here.


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Category Archives: Maya Jupiter
Concert Review: Aloe Blacc, Enmore Theatre
January 9, 2012 by nataliejanec
Seeing Aloe Blacc at the Enmore Theatre on January 4 was the meat in a musical sandwich of a week which started with Guy Sebastian, Pet Shop Boys, Jamiroquai and Culture Club on New Year's Eve and concluded with Gurrumul, Washington and Manu Chao at the Domain. I'm here to tell you that Aloe Blacc can certainly hold his own with those other musical superstars.
I must offer my apologies to Maya Jupiter as we arrived midway through the Electric Empire set and missed her performance. But judging by her duet during the encore with Aloe, I'm sure she was great.
Locals Electric Empire were a fitting support act for Aloe Blacc. They played their "funked-up out-n-out feel good soul" to an appreciative audience. It felt like a time warp back to the golden era of soul as the crowd got down and funky on the dancefloor. They finished off with an impressive set of harmonies. The Aloe Blacc tour has raised Electric Empire's profile they are currently sitting at number 3 in
the iTunes RnB Soul charts, which is great to see.
The lights went down and Aloe Blacc's band, The Grand Scheme started to play the opening riff from Stevie Wonder's Living for the City to excited applause from the crowd. The tension built and finally Aloe
came out, busting out a track and showing us why he has become a worldwide sensation. He introduced the band members which included a saxophone and trumpet player, who each played a solo. The keyboard
player gave us a sample of the theme song from Beverly Hills Cop, Axel F, adding to the sense of American pop culture nostalgia.
The Enmore Theatre was the perfect venue to witness Aloe's smooth crooning. His powerful voice is even better live, and he effortlessly crosses different genres. He added to the entertainment value with
some funky soul dance moves to complement a vintage suit and waistcoat.
The band played many of the songs from the Good Things album, including Green Lights, Femme Fatale, Hey There Brother and Mama Hold My Hand. On Miss Fortune, which I had on high rotation on my iPod during a recent US holiday, a harpist joined the stage, adding to the atmospheric sound.
Aloe informed us that he got his start in hip hop, and rapped to one of his hip hop tracks, which was well received. For You Make Me Smile, he urged us to "hug the person next to you if they make you smile."
When I Need a Dollar came on, the crowd went wild, singing and dancing along like there was no tomorrow. I happened to have a dollar note with me from my trip to the States, which my friend urged me to throw onstage. Aloe picked it up and showed it to the crowd, who laughed and cheered while simultaneously dancing.
For the encore, Aloe sang a soulful version of Billie Jean. I was wracking my brains wondering which song he hadn't played yet, when
Loving You is Killing Me came on. The catchy soul pop song was the perfect end to a great gig, and we all left on a high.
All in all a good time was had by all. I'd recommend anyone to catch Aloe Blacc when you get a chance.
Natalie Jane Cumming
Aloe Blacc interview: 'Get rich and share' – Telegraph (chomskywatch.wordpress.com)
Posted in aloe blacc, Aloe Blacc, Beverly Hills Cop, Enmore Theatre, Good Things, Guy Sebastian, iPod, Maya Jupiter, Pet Shop Boys, review, soul & funk | 3 Comments |
Australian Music Tribute # 1: Classic Australian Funk, Hip Hop & Soul Music Videos
With Australia day just gone we though we should do our bit for the country & put together a mix-tape of our favorite home grown music videos. Here is our selection of local Hip Hop, Soul & Funk videos that would go rock any Australia Day BBQ.
Ray Mann Three- Smile
Music video by The Ray Mann Three performing "Smile". Directed by Louis Westgarth and Ray Mann. (C) 2008 Ray Mann. From the album "The Ray Mann Three"
The Avalanches – Since I Left You
Directed by Rob Leggatt and Leigh Marling.
The Cat Empire – Days Like These
Pnau 'Journey Agent'
Pnau's classic adventure in 50's style and attempted substance. Directed by James Littlemore and art directed/illustrated by Stepahnie Anderson
Posted in #3, 1200 Techniques, afro, Afro Colombian, Alejandro Reyes, Aria, art, artist, Arts, Astronomy Class, australia, australia day, australian, Australian hip hop, BBQ, beat box, Bernadette Murray, Bliss N Eso, bondi, Bonez, Certified, Colombian, Day, Days Like These, Def Wish Cast - A.U.S.T Down, Demolition Man, dexter, dj, Downsyde, Echale Fuego, El Questro, entertainment, Erbansprawl, Face the Music, Fatt Dex, Film Clip of The Year, Foreign Heights, Frontier psychiatrist, funk, Funkoars, gello tambourine, Good Buddha, Hilltop Hoods, hip hop, Hip hop music, hiphop, Hydrofunk Records, IT GOES On, James Littlemore, Jenny Jen, Journey Agent, Karma, Katalyst, King Is Dead, Kings Cross, Koolism - Adrenalin, Kween G, Leigh Marling, Louis Westgarth, Marboubra, Maya Jupiter, mc, mix-tape, MORE, Mr Zux, Mu-Meson Archives, music, Music video, music videos, new york, Nick Mckenzie, Nick Pollack, Nick Toth, Nosebleed Section, NSW, Obese, one more for the city, One More From The City, Peace & Love, Phil Martin, Pnau, protest footage, raggae, Ranji, rare, Ray Mann, Ray Mann Three, Redfern, remix, Resin Dogs, Rob Leggatt, Rock, Roll Call, roots, sambanova, Say What You Feel, Since I Left You, Sly PI, slyPI, Smile, soul, Sound Unlimited Posse, Stepahnie Anderson, Stephanie McKay, Summerland, Sunshyne, sydney, Tatler's, The Avalanches, the cat empire, The Herd, The lucky few, The Sea Is Rising Music, Trey, Vida, video, video clip, Watussi, What's Happening, Where You At, youtube | Tagged afro, australia, australia day, australian, bondi, dj, funk, hip hop, hiphop, Kings Cross, music, new york, rare, remix, roots, soul, Sound Unlimited Posse, sydney, video | 1 Comment |
Australian Music Tribute # 1: Classic Funk, Hip Hop & Soul Music Videos
With Australia day just gone we though we should do our bit for the country & put together a mix-tape of our favourite home grown music videos. Here is our selection of local Hip Hop, Soul & Funk videos that would go rock any Australia Day BBQ.
Posted in #3, 1200 Techniques, afro, Alejandro Reyes, Aria, art, artist, Astronomy Class, australia, australia day, australian, BBQ, beat box, Bernadette Murray, Bliss N Eso, bondi, Bonez, Certified, Colombian, Day, Days Like These, Def Wish Cast - A.U.S.T Down, Demolition Man, dexter, dj, Downsyde, Echale Fuego, El Questro, Erbansprawl, Face the Music, Fatt Dex, Film Clip of The Year, Foreign Heights, Frontier psychiatrist, funk, Funkoars, gello tambourine, Good Buddha, Hilltop Hoods, hip hop, Hydrofunk Records, IT GOES On, James Littlemore, Jenny Jen, Journey Agent, Karma, Katalyst, King Is Dead, Kings Cross, Koolism - Adrenalin, Kween G, Leigh Marling, Louis Westgarth, Marboubra, Maya Jupiter, mc, mix-tape, MORE, Mr Zux, Mu-Meson Archives, music, music videos, new york, Nick Mckenzie, Nick Pollack, Nick Toth, Nosebleed Section, NSW, Obese, one more for the city, One More From The City, Peace & Love, Phil Martin, Pnau, protest footage, raggae, Ranji, rare, Ray Mann, Ray Mann Three, Redfern, remix, Resin Dogs, Rob Leggatt, Rock, Roll Call, roots, sambanova, Say What You Feel, Since I Left You, Sly PI, slyPI, Smile, soul, Sound Unlimited Posse, Stepahnie Anderson, Stephanie McKay, Summerland, Sunshyne, sydney, Tatler's, The Avalanches, the cat empire, The Herd, The lucky few, The Sea Is Rising Music, Trey, Vida, video, video clip, Watussi, What's Happening, Where You At | Tagged afro, australia, australia day, australian, bondi, dj, funk, hip hop, Kings Cross, music, new york, rare, remix, roots, soul, Sound Unlimited Posse, sydney, video | 1 Comment |

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Mindset is the first step in removing the toxicity from your life. When you change the old recordings in your mind and replace them with positivity, a whole new world opens. Mindset has been the biggest part of my transformation.
At the end of 2008, I had reached my maximum toxicity level. I was overweight, on the border of depression and physically unhealthy. Every day, I would tell myself "Monday, I will make changes." But Monday's came and went without change.
Until one day, I woke up and realized that there had to be a better way to live.
As my 40th birthday loomed, I knew that if I didn't make a change soon, I would be stuck. In the Spring of 2009, I moved into the City. I had done this before and knew that it would be an adjustment, but it was necessary for me to get out of the rut I had been in for years.
This move was the first step in changing my life. Here, I met Clayton and Stacey who would change my life forever. They saw something in me that I couldn't see in myself: Potential! To this day, these two people are my source of strength and support and I am truly grateful that they were placed on my path.
I was working in a negative atmosphere where everyone was unhappy. I had been with this particular company for nearly fifteen years and was afraid to make changes. Conditioned by society and conforming to what others expected me to do was making me sick.
In the Fall of 2009, I took another leap of faith and began school for Massage Therapy. This decision was not supported by my family, friends, or coworkers. I was made fun of and made to feel like I was doing something wrong every day.
Again, my new friends gave me support and encouragement.
Massage school opened my mind to so much more than the practice of massage. I learned about mindset and how to make healthy changes. I learned to practice gratitude and meditation. My life began to change in a very positive way. These changes gave me the courage to take yet another leap of faith.
By September 2010, I had made the decision to leave my high paying corporate job and it's benefits. This was another decision unsupported by family and friends. No one could understand why I would do such a crazy thing. Leave this "great" job to sling drinks in a bar and learn how to rub oil on people? I must be losing my mind!
Well, that was yet another healthy decision that I made for myself and I don't regret it.
In 2011, I was dealt a huge blow to my positive, healthy lifestyle. My Mom had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Her hospital visits were becoming more frequent and she had no choice but to tell her family the dreadful news. I was grateful that I had made all of those changes in my life. It allowed me precious time to spend with her and create memories that I cherish to this day.
One day, she made me promise her that I would travel to Costa Rica again in 2013, because I always came home lighter and happier from this trip. I hesitated, then realized that she knew she would be gone by then. I reluctantly promised. She made me a promise in return. She said, "When you are in Costa Rica, I will send all the butterflies to see my beautiful daughter, then you will know I am still with you." Makes me cry to this day. Mom made it to my graduation and saw all that I had accomplished. She and my dad both began to understand my journey.
My mom passed in April of 2012 and my world fell apart. I found myself falling back into bad habits again and the toxicity returned. I became an even worse workaholic than I had ever been before. I became the caregiver for my grandmother who went downhill after losing her daughter. Life became chaotic and I felt like I was drowning. But I just couldn't find the courage to deal with this huge loss.
Then I remembered our conversation and I booked a trip to Costa Rica.
We both kept our promises. On the last day of my trip, the butterflies came and I grieved. I cried for hours and when I was done, a miracle happened. My faith was renewed and I realized that my mom was always with me. She had taught me so much and given me all the tools that I needed to live a happy, healthy life. "Can't" was not part of her vocabulary. She would always say, "you can do anything you put your mind to!" Well, she was right!
I came home from my vacation and began a massage practice that has only continued to grow each passing year. I love what I do and continue to grow. I am so grateful for that experience, because it has reinforced the benefits of a positive mindset.
Early in 2015, I wanted to add to my skillset as a therapist. I decided to become a Certified Personal Trainer so that I could help clients get strong. I realized that I was out of shape and wanted to get back to good physical health. I joined a gym and became committed to working out. In October, I passed my exam and am now a CPT.
Something was still missing, though. I knew that my true calling was something bigger than massage and fitness. I eventually saw a social media post from Drew Canole about a great opportunity to join his team as a Certified Transformation Coach. I decided it was time to take another leap of faith and signed up.
I went through the transformation program and learned so much. For me, it was about detoxing my body and learning to eat clean. Another huge part of the program for me was working on mindset.
I did lose inches and pounds, but the most amazing thing for me was how I felt. I began to feel healthy from the inside. My mind has become stronger and more positive than ever. Eliminating inflammatory foods and adding juicing has transformed my body into a powerhouse. I have positive self-body image again and my clothes are fitting much better.
I have come to realize that I am the cliff jumper in my family. Over the years, I have learned that if you take a leap of faith, you will be caught by a net or you will sprout wings and fly. Joining the Fitlife family has given me wings and I feel like I am soaring!
I want to inspire others to take that leap of faith. Believe in yourself and the power of positivity. We all start from a unique place, but together, we can accomplish anything.


Reiki Healing Can Help Determine the Root of Your Illness!
Having lived a life that was less than perfect like most of us have, I had grown accustomed to holding onto some negative things which has made my body very sick at one point in my life. It wasn't until that time that I learned most about mind, body, and spirit, and the power of your thoughts. Illness is created in your mind first with your thoughts!
I grew up in a home where children were seen and not heard. From a very young age, I was taught that my voice didn't count or matter, so I didn't learn to speak my truth or even to have an opinion. From holding in my truth for so long, I successfully developed thyroid cancer. I know I keep coming back to this in my writing, but I want people to realize that when terrible things happen in your world sometimes, it's what you take from those things to grow and learn, that make or break abundant health, wealth, and ultimately happiness in your life.
The physical and emotional healing I've done in my life due to this illness, was bittersweet. While I wouldn't wish anyone to go through the horrific time of healing that I did, today I can honestly say that I was blessed with the lesson. My body screamed in warning to me for a very long time, but I just didn't listen. Of course I would become sick at some point while ignoring the signs, but I had no idea at the time.
It was then that I realized the power of my mind through my own personal healer. Every hardship or trying time that we go through, is simply a lesson, and if you choose to view it as such, you will then begin your own healing journey. This is what I wish for everyone; to truly learn how to heal mind, body, and spirit as one!
I took many different paths and roadways to do my own personal healing. My personal healer was nothing short of what I considered my miracle. She helped me to physically heal my body with Reiki treatments. Continuing on with my healer for quite some time, she was able to help me determine the emotional root of the negativity being held onto which was creating the physical illness in the first place. This is truly where the magic happened! Follow me, if you'd like to read about my full Reiki Experience! And please, as with anything I write about, if you have a personal experience you'd like to share for the good of everyone, I'd love to hear it!
Healing is always a work in progress! Throughout your entire life's journeys, there will be lessons to learn and healing to do! Think about what negative things your holding onto. This is what truly creates the aches and pains in our physical bodies, that eventually create illness and disease. Take the time to do some healing work on you, and allow me to help you live the happy, healthy, and abundant life you deserve!
Read what others had to say about their experience with Reiki!
Contact Me Today for Info / Specials on Reiki Healing!
As with any of my blogs, please share them with anyone you think would be interested or needs natural healing in their life!!
Learn about the Stone of Courage and Protection!
Aquamarine is associated with first the Throat Chakra and the Heart Chakra is secondary. This is the stone of 'Courage and Protection', used to promote verbal self-expression. When used with the Heart Chakra, it can allow one to realize their innermost truth, and help to release old patterns no longer conducive to ones growth.
Aquamarine can help one to see one situation from different viewpoints, thereby, heping to overcome any judgements of others and encourages intellectual growth. This crystal encourages tolerance and calms worry and fear.
Used sometimes for clarity of thought, Aquamarine is a great crystal for students. It helps to open intuition, use reasoning skills, and promote logic. Aquamarine can be used for quick thinking and reasoning skills for quick solutions to problems.
This is a crystal best used on issues of the throat, thyroid and pituitary. Also, use aquamarine for allergies or calming an overactive immune system, as well as assisting with other autoimmune disorders.
I've created Reiki-Charged Pendant Pouches for helping to heal different ailments and issues. Two of the pendant pouches include Aquamarine. The first is for Allergies, and the second is for Letting Go of Someone, Something, or a Traumatic Experience. Follow me to see other Aquamarine pendants and crystals available!
Love & Light to you!
Again, as with any of my blog posts, please share with anyone you think may be interested or is in need of some natural healing in their life!
I Challenge You to 30 Days of Gratitude! See how you can change your life with a little bit of Gratitude!
1. Gratitude is awareness that, as things come to you, they are exactly what you need - be it people, circumstance, or challenges.
2. Worry is the opposite of gratitude; it is the failure to understand that you have been and will continue to be provided for each day.
3. Whenever fear over your future encroaches, stop to observe a tree. Consider how the tree continues to stand tall and grow throughout the various cycles and seasons of its life span.
4. Worry is an action. Gratitude is an action. Both are optional. By choosing gratitude you drive out the space and time for worry.
5. It isn't hard to do; gratitude is simply noticing the good stuff in your life.
6. What you pay attention to, or notice, tends to expand and grow.
7. Each day brings a multitude of opportunities to feel gratitude and appreciation.
8. When you neglect the action of appreciating, you limit your potential for joy and contentment in the present moment.
9. Worry does not prevent bad things from happening; it only prevents you from accessing joy in this moment.
10. The present moment is the only place where joy and contentment can exist.
For the entire month of November, I challenge you to practice gratitude with me. It's such a simple concept, yet, too often, we forget how very important it is. Open your heart for the next 30 days. Every day before you even step your feet off of your bed, think of three things that you are grateful for. Smile and be thankful as you get out of bed and watch the miracles of gratitude unfold in front of you. I'll be sharing every single day of November at least one thing that I'm so very grateful for! Can you do the same? Then watch the miracles begin! Please share with me any great things, miracles, or transformations that have come about just by being thankful!
From me to you, Happy Thankgiving to you and yours!


Directions: Main St/Co Rd 60 to N on Park St; turn L on Pierce.
Custom 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 2-story home backing to Fireman's Park in Arlington! Main level has vaulted great room & formal dining room w/red oak hardwood floors & kitchen w/tile flooring, pantry, & solid surface counters. All bedrooms upstairs including master suite w/dbl vanity, stall shower, and walk-in-closet. Unfinished, exposed LL is stubbed for future bath. Other features include new, stainless steel appliance package; water heater 2016; solid 6-panel doors throughout; 3 pocket doors; cable & CAT-5 wiring in most rooms; 2+ car garage w/18x8-ft garage door; & large deck overlooking the park.


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Buffy Quotes
Quotations list about buffy, battlestar and bloodsucker captions citing Sarah Michelle Gellar, Joss Whedon and Joss Whedon
I don't want to feel like a failure to my daughter.
She's the best thing I've ever done. Buffy - pretty great and all, but Charlotte's way better.
— Sarah Michelle Gellar
When I created Buffy, I wanted to create a female icon, but I also wanted to be very careful to surround her with men that not only have no problem with the idea of a female leader, but were in fact engaged and even attracted to the idea.
— Joss Whedon
Buffy loves Angel. He loves her. And I love Ho Hos.
I hate it when people talk about Buffy as being campy.
.. I hate camp, I don't enjoy dumb TV. I believe Aaron Spelling has single-handedly lowered SAT scores.
I actually go to the gym much more now than I did when I was on Buffy.
I like to stay fit, because that's when I feel really healthy. But I never worked out for any kind of image. People have said to me, 'Do you starve yourself before photo shoots?' And I always say, 'No way.! That's what airbrushing is for. I had french fries last night.'
When you've played Buffy - who's such a strong female role model - it's really hard for another female character to compare to her.
Buffy's very similar to me to me when I was growing up.
A child in an adult world, sort of trapped between the two. Does Buffy go to the prom or does she save the world from demons?
Ringer is the perfect balance of what audiences want ot see me do.
It's Cruel Intentions meets Buffy.
Ultimately you want to do something in life that people will remember.
And with Buffy, I did that. I don't feel like I need to achieve something. I just do it because it's fun. And that takes the pressure off.
I think that I have this core group of fans that fell in love with the character I played on Buffy and now they're following me to everything I do. They're very dedicated and loyal. I'm very lucky.
— Amber Benson
I think specifically because of the character that I played, people are very connected to her. I used to get letters from young gay and lesbian and trans-gendered kids saying, 'I didn't kill myself because of Buffy'.
I don't get a chance to do many of my own stunts on 'Buffy' - none of us do.
We have amazing stunt people who make us all look really believable and really good.
— Emma Caulfield
battlestar quotes
bloodsucker quotes
buff quotes
vamps quotes
entertainment-industry quotes
brad-pitt
leppard
romantic-comedy
huge-fan
american-idol
I've noticed that girls between like 20 and 30 seem to know 'Can't Hardly Wait.
' I got the goth kids who know 'Buffy.' I got this wide spectrum of people who range from like 8 to 13 who seem to know 'Scooby-Doo.' Then I get the international people who seem to know 'Austin Powers' and 'The Italian Job.'
— Seth Green
I had been acting since I was seven years old, but I had a combination of things happen at about the same time. 'Austin Powers' came out on DVD, I got a series regular gig on 'Buffy' and 'Can't Hardly Wait' came out.
As far as I am concerned, the first episode of Buffy was the beginning of my career. It was the first time I told a story from start to finish the way I wanted.
I should warn you, I'm an expert on vampires.
I've seen every episode made of Buffy, Angel, and Forever Knight, so don't think a little fang-flashing is going to scare me." – Nell to Adrian Oh, my God! You bit me on the leg! You drank my blood! I am not an appetizer!" You are much more then an appetizer. You are a twelve-course banquet. – Nell & Adrian I slid my tongue around the glossy enamel of his teeth, pausing to stroke down the length of an elongated canine tooth. Yeah. I know. How stupid is it to French kiss a vampire and not expect sharp teeth? – Nell
— Katie MacAlister
I wrapped "Buffy" and I always felt on "Buffy" that they wanted to keep me younger for a specific reason. It seemed like I was getting younger every year that I was on the show. I think there was a reference to me being 15, then 14.
— Michelle Trachtenberg
I think Sarah Michelle Gellar has done some brilliant work as Buffy.
— Julie Benz


Use this History of The American Journey video entitled The First Republic 1776 to 1789 to study the early American efforts to create a national government. Learn about the political philosophy of republicanism; the nature and content of the early state constitutions; and the nature and content of the Articles of Confederation and the document's inability to produce an effective government. Discover the British and Spanish threats to American security under the Articles and the movement toward a strong national government culminating in the drafting and adoption of the United States Constitution.
Learn about The First Republic 1776-1789.
The First Republic. Learn about The First Republic 1776-1789. Follow the growth of the United States from its creation as a new country to its search for stability in a changing modern world.


Welcome back everyone to the next installment of our Favorites of 2018 Countdown! This time around is our Favorite Repeat Wedding Venues: places we went to multiple times this year. Who would have thought we would be hitting up these places so many times? But they sure made their impression on us! Ballrooms, golf courses, conference centers and more are coming your way, so let us dive right on in!
I have said it before, and I will most definitely keep saying it: golf courses are one of the best venues for a wedding. Architectured landscapes, peace and quiet, and usually a large enough clubhouse for your entire party all make these atypical venues such a pleasure to visit. Down near Olympia, the Indian Summer Golf and Country Club was so popular, we went twice within a month.
The Middleton Wedding at the end of May was such a gorgeous day from start to finish. Toasty weather, vibrant green grass and a sun that made our job so much easier really made for a superb wedding. The Smith Wedding, just a few weeks later, was not quite as sunny but nevertheless ended up being a perfect day. With so many places to snap photos of our bridal parties, we could walk around the course for hours and never get tired. Inside for the reception, both weddings really got into the swing of things. The hall, which seems big enough to fit hundreds of people, proved to be the perfect place to dance the night away!
Let me tell you something: these places are fantastic. Especially the Bell Harbor International Confer Center.
Think about it this way: say you have hundreds of people to invite. Most places are going to be iffy about letting that many people come storming on in. But a conference center, somewhere that's used to that volume of people, can surely accommodate the quantity.
Did I mention it's also simply stunning? Well, it is!
Take a look at its panoramic views of the harbor, city skyline, and the mountains way across the water and you'll be treated to a feast for the eyes. Did you need space? They have over 96,000 square feet of it!
Two weddings took us there this year. The Ta wedding back in May was a touch cloudy, but the outdoor wedding against the harbor (with cruise ship backdrop and all) was touching and sweet. Once he headed on back in for the reception, the hall was so spectacularly designed and beautiful. With tons of room for dancing, it proved to be the perfect venue.
Elaine and Aaron's September wedding was held indoor, but we certainly made them walk around the waterfront enough! The indoor venue was intimate enough for the ceremony, but big enough to fit everyone. Hopefully this has been enough to remove any doubts about Conference Centers!
Trinity Tree Farm serves one very important purpose during this time of year: Christmas Trees. But for much of the other parts of the year, it serves as a great venue for events and weddings. Poised on a hill overlooking Issaquah, with exceptional views of the mountains to boot, it's a lovely location for some peace and quiet. With the Barn and the Lodge as their two venues (and with capacities of up to 150 people) they offer tons of amenities including lawn games, s'mores, and the option to hire your own food trucks.
The Van Cise and Wolff/DeChant weddings brought us over here within a month of each other. One right before Spring began and the other shortly after. Both of the weddings, and the farm itself, were teeming with new life and excitement for the future.
Early in March, as the trees were only about three feet high when Taylor and Angelina wed. The grounds themselves were so full of light and beauty, but it's the Lodge that truly makes everyone feel right at home. It's there that the Van Cises tied the knot, overlooking the backyard area in such a lovely ceremony. The Wolff/DeChant wedding followed suit, but they were not nearly as lucky with the weather as the Van Cises'. The gray overcast day still proved to be such a wonderful occasion.
It feels like we've been going to the Monte Cristo Ballroom forever! Certainly one of our favorite stomping grounds, this Everett establishment has played host to hundreds of weddings and other events. Their "no package" deal, which, essentially means you get everything, is an absolutely crazy good idea. They even offer the wedding dress. Along with servers, bartenders and more, they are ready to make sure your day goes as smoothly as possible.
Which is probably why the Cordovas and Ohashis had such stellar celebrations for their weddings here. Lovely marbled floors and stark white pillars fill the atrium where weddings are held. It doesn't take too much effort, and soon the wedding hall is turned into the ballroom proper, with a balcony for those too tired to dance to watch from.
For both weddings, held almost exactly four months apart, the venue did their best to ensure a fun filled day. Hey, when you get married in a ballroom, they dancing should never stop!
Our final venue is one that holds significant value Best Made Videos®. It is where our founder got married two years ago. We were fortunate enough to get to go here twice this year–with its imposing views of not only the Sound, but Seattle as well, Salty's inspires romance and beauty on its waterfront perch.
A late July wedding for the Eisenhauers, and a smart decision in opting for the drone package, exemplifies just how gorgeous the area can be for a wedding. While the Eisenhauers got married in a church, their first look (as with any first look at Salty's) took place on the docks overlooking the Sound with Seattle soaring in the distance, followed by their reception in the great hall underneath the restaurant.
The Grybos spent their entire day galavanting around the area. An early September wedding, with surprisingly clear skies (that later made way for overcast clouds) allowed for some great shots, especially during the first look and group photos. Boisterous, romantic, and beautiful to say the least, both weddings reminded us of the magnificent power of Salty's.
Thus concludes our favorite Repeat Wedding Venues of 2018. We hope you enjoyed visiting these wedding venues as much as we have. Perhaps you might consider getting married at one of these great venues! Have any questions or comments? Leave them below! See you soon for our next Favorites of 2018!


Real Women... Real Talk is an enlightening and inspiring book that explores complex issues with a generous dose of humor. The topics are real, relevant and aimed at empowering women to seek their own truths and soar. The pages are packed with candid comments from women at every stage of life. While some live painful, fake and excuse filled lives, Paulette Walker Johnson keeps it 'real' and dares to tell you exactly how she feels.
Dr. Paulette Walker Johnson is the creator and host of a radio talk show that focuses on women's issues. She is a graduate of Morgan State University, Springfield College and Virginia Tech. Dr. Johnson is an associate professor at Virginia State University where she spent 35 years coaching the nationally recognized "Woo Woos" cheering squad. She is a member of the CIAA(Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) Hall of Fame and a motivational speaker who lectures and facilitates workshops throughout the East Coast. She currently resides in Petersburg, Virginia.


POLIBAK has an annual capacity of 130,000 tons BOPP, 25,000 tons metalized BOPP and 3,000 tons CPP film production.
Process parameters are kept under control and recorded in every phase of production thanks to the process control systems on BOPP lines. Automatic B gauge & X Ray profile control system ensure perfect thickness control.