First impressions

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:07 pm

I know the Forest is a cafe and thankfully so do lots of other people.
However the casual observer walking past the Forest may not actually realise that it is a cafe.
Can we have something on the outside of the building/in the window to let people know?

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:15 pm

I agree, its quite weird the amount of people who walk past it wandering what it is! I thought it was obviously a crazy, arts, music, veggie cafe but others don't quite see it.
I think there should be a massive notice in the window saying-
"This place is not a drugs den...it's also a veggie cafe called the Forest...we play music and shit"

dan · Post by **dan** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:21 pm

hey i think something advertising the fact that there's a cafe in the space would be good too. but you know we're not a cafe, it's just one of the things we do. we are not the forest cafe... we are the forest

Shannon · Post by **Shannon** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:27 pm

Yes, we are Forest. Not Forest Cafe. I was having this conversation last night with someone who casually frequented the Forest for years. He said it was weird to hear me talking about it as a social centre or an arts space because he had only ever thought of it as a cafe. I think we want to get away from people having that impression.

Maybe we should just make sure the sandwich board is put out more often?

Jimmy Bastard · Post by **Jimmy Bastard** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:35 pm

'we are not the forest cafe... we are the forest'
that puts me in mind of an impeccable Japrock album title
'Are We Not Crazy Cats? No, We Are Spiders!'
I do wonder if all this literal advertising and transparency is stealing away the seduction of the place.

beev · Post by **beev** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:42 pm

We should definitely be spiders.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 3:55 pm

Nonetheless, I think the cafe is what brings a lot of people in initially. It might be nice to have the menu and some fake food or pictures thereof in the front window or something.

ravanwin · Post by **ravanwin** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 4:33 pm

Martin wrote:Nonetheless, I think the cafe is what brings a lot of people in initially. It might be nice to have the menu and some fake food or pictures thereof in the front window or something.

we have a menu in the doorway but it used to be in the windows but it looked kind of ugly after a while. i would only support food portrayed in the window if it was food we didn't sell. like bacon and chips or mushy peas or something.

i agree with shannon on this where the solution might be just to put the sign board outside.

i certainly wouldn't be keen to have letters out there or something... but maybe there are other ideas from our creative teams?

anyone?

stephengoodall · Post by **stephengoodall** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 5:16 pm

well, i have a large collection of images of food from dated and obsolete cookbooks. might be fun.

stephengoodall · Post by **stephengoodall** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 5:29 pm

how about this; one of the new M&S hampers for christmas "luxurious indulgence" it's called and a bargain at only £249. espescially when you consider it isn't just a hamper...

i suppose it's got booze in it though, which might mislead.

graeme · Post by **graeme** » Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:26 pm

Sorry guys having a miserable day/week/life, I know the Forest has a cafe and isn't a cafe and I should have written that. I would hate to see a cafe sign and was thinking more along the lines of advertising the fact that inside there is food, art, music, books, films, conversation, etc etc.

For the first time going into the Forest after work tonight didn't lift my spirits but crushed them. Sunday was my 1 year Forest anniversary, maybe the honeymoon is over.

ravanwin · Post by **ravanwin** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:15 am

i agree with the G. on that! letting people know something is happening (but they won't know what it is) would def. be a good thing.

on a personal level i think we all get the feeling sometimes that the honeymoon is over. but then there is magic and amazement when we least expect it.

as i told the List: we specialize in surprise. Even for ourselves.

r

Shannon · Post by **Shannon** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:06 am

Sunday was my 1 year Forest anniversary, maybe the honeymoon is over.

Happy anniversary! Now comes the hard part where you have to figure out ways to keep the magic going. It's great when you find it. It's also great when you realise you can bitch when you don't find it and the peoples will be listening. xxxxx

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:34 am

yeah, the fun of the forest is being able to put on events, meet mates and do stuff that keeps you excited - the freedom is inspiring, and its lovely people like Graeme that makes the place such a nice place to be a part of.
Hooray for everyone.

here's some cute kittens to make everyone go aaaaaaaaaah!

martinmckenna · Post by **martinmckenna** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:41 am

ahhhh

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:30 pm

The ginger one is clearly feeling left out of the threesome.

ravanwin · Post by **ravanwin** » Wed Oct 17, 2007 2:48 pm

ahhhhhhh

ravanwin · Post by **ravanwin** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:29 am

so.... was thinking about this because there are definately a few problems with teh front of house / gold room:

1) we don't have the lights working outside. maybe we need to change the bulbs, maybe not. anyone wanna voulenteer to climb up there and find out? alex has worked on the electrics so either it's the bulbs or a very big problem.

2) we have not had a new sandwich board for a very long time. It would be great to have a freshly painted very awesome looking sign for the front that makes people literally shit themselves. That's right, I said literally! Can VA folk out there hit the legendary visual brown frequency?

3) posters on the front cafe window have gotten out of control. remedy? thoughts? Soloution?

Shannon · Post by **Shannon** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:44 am

3) posters on the front cafe window have gotten out of control. remedy? thoughts? Solution?

If we had a monthly events poster, done up bigger than the A3 standard, we wouldn't need the other events posters out there. Clean, crisp, etc. Maybe?

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:47 am

I think we should de-clutter (rip down) all the posters on the windows. they are confusing, often out of date, and normally ugly.
Simply have something saying what is happening this week. there's plenty of space in the Gold room for posters.

Plus what do people think of the Gold room? Does it shout "hey people we're the forest and we do cool shit" to the passer by, or does it grunt "im a bit scrappy, there's free shit to take away with you, tables, old computers..blah..blah..someone kill me.........apparently cool shit happens somewhere in here but i don't wanna tell you about it....why has noone killed me yet" OK so maybe that was a bit over the top, but surely the Gold room can be a bit cooler and try and attract more people in? no? yeah? shut up?

dan · Post by **dan** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 11:54 am

a big revamp on the front room would be great. down with the peoples palace. it's time for a new beginning. under the sea? or not. it really needs to let people just pass through it into the main space i think . What about building the legendary hatch into the room from the kitchen? I just shat my self in a literary sense.

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 12:07 pm

i just shat myself in a physical sence

chris · Post by **chris** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 1:05 pm

i thought it might be cool in the front room to build fixed benches and tables? (kinda like in part of susis diner...

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 1:22 pm

Under the sea would be cool, or maybe the same feel but a bit more abstract/surreal. Dark walls, blacklights, and strange floating glowing pulsating luminous objects everywhere. Dorkbot could help.

Martin · Post by **Martin** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 1:22 pm

Also I would still really love to do a raised level over where the free shop is.

dan · Post by **dan** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 1:54 pm

i like all of these ideas, pulsing lights, fixed benches, mezzanine floors...
mmmmm

ravanwin · Post by **ravanwin** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:14 pm

me likey too! bring them to the va wg meeting on thurs. perhaps?
r

Jimmy Bastard · Post by **Jimmy Bastard** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:17 pm

Whole agreement
anything that emanates a woozy warmth

'The orange glow of a stranger's living room
Looks so much warmer than mine.' Smog

Jimmy Bastard · Post by **Jimmy Bastard** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:48 pm

stephengoodall · Post by **stephengoodall** » Thu Oct 18, 2007 6:31 pm

i'm going to start a thread for this topic to brainstorm before the meeting.

bill · Post by **bill** » Mon Oct 29, 2007 1:51 pm

lets get a digital board like in airports/dai's post.

chris · Post by **chris** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 10:44 am

nice bill, best idea yet, theres got to be some massive ones left over from all the train station upgrades, a proper giant one where all the digits spin round and make that amazing 'clack-clack-clack-clack-clack' sound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow.

xx

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 11:09 am

could be cool.
im just getting scared the front room is going to become a cluttered mess of random crap again, making it look like someones dirty livingroom! We don't want that do we?
Can we just get the basics (e.g. tidying, repainting, posters) right beforehand, so we can then discuss what would look good or what would work in there?
Plus surely the money would be better spent on an electronic key fob system!

just kidding...I'm still bitter about my electronic dreams being crushed!

dan · Post by **dan** » Tue Oct 30, 2007 12:40 pm

this might make you feel better:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9foZ7KVSng

Gaz · Post by **Gaz** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 12:22 am

The film was Electric Dreams.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Dreams_%28film%29

Sounds pretty good esp. this bit:

When Miles attempts to download data from a mainframe computer at work, the computer begins to overheat. In a state of panic, Miles pours a nearby bottle of champagne over the machine, but instead of destroying it, this has the effect of bringing the computer to life.

COuld be a future film night if someone can find a copy...

martinmckenna · Post by **martinmckenna** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 9:25 am

their is a copy here

http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3218499/Ele ... (1984).avi

Gandhi · Post by **Gandhi** » Wed Oct 31, 2007 10:06 am

naughty naughty Martin!