Dr Bean's Speakeasy

Winter Blues (and other colours)

2012-01-30T08:43:00.000-08:00

"Dr Bean, are you using a pair of curtains to line your bags?!"

"Why, certainly. And rather nice they look too."

We're just trying out some new lining fabrics (and some new words -to match this sudden arrival of floral elegance). We'll see if we can add more garden-themed bags to the range.

There's also a new striped lining, which, handily, looks good with the natural, blue or red canvas.

We should also point out that Dr Bean's Bags will be attending the Country Living Fair, in London 21 - 25 March 2012.

in the shop

2011-12-16T01:49:00.000-08:00

These nice stripies are in the online shop now.

Tredegar House

2011-12-07T12:50:00.000-08:00

The Made by Hand fair at Tredegar House was rather good. Much like the fair at Bovey Tracey, the quality of artists was tremendous, with inspiring work at every turn.

A big thank you to everyone who came to see Dr Bean's Bags.

Made by Hand

2011-11-30T00:12:00.000-08:00

Dr Bean's Bags are off to Wales tomorrow, to take part in the Made by Hand fair at Tredegar House, near Newport this weekend.
This is organised by the same lovely ladies who put on the Contemporary Craft Fair at Bovey Tracey in Devon, so it should be a pretty good event.
We'll have some of our stripey bags with us, to remind you of the summer we didn't have, or make you hopeful for the next one.

More Bags

2011-07-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

The sewing machine has not stopped since the last post, which is a poor excuse for the recent lack of attendance at the speakeasy. No, actually it's a good excuse - making lots of bags as well as the occasional coffee outing.
We actually produce a wider range of bags than our website shows and one day they will make it in to the shop. It's also worth mentioning that any phrase can be made up in any colour, so it's always worth emailing us to ask.

Here are some new bags - Seaside Song, London Forecast and Dear Prudence.

Bee Bag

2011-06-14T03:42:00.000-07:00

A Bee bag in natural canvas (with black base) is now in the online shop. The bee bag is also available in black canvas, with different wording.

Contemporary Craft Fair 2011

2011-06-13T04:32:00.000-07:00

Another busy weekend in Bovey Tracey. It's extremely hard work - from making enough stock, to pitching the tent, to setting up the stand, to standing and smiling for four days. But also hugely enjoyable, with fantastic work and lovely people.

What more could one ask for? Well, maybe a little more sunshine would be good, but you can't have everything.

It's very inspiring to be surrounded by work of such quality. And there was a very high calibre of visitor too. .

All new Bee Bag

2011-04-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

Our Bee Bags now feature slimmed-down versions of our buzzy friends. More busy honey bee than over large bumblebee.

It's back!

2011-03-23T02:25:00.000-07:00

We are very pleased to announce that Red Canvas is now available.

(Now known as 'Fiasco Red'. Although we called it that before. . . but that's another story. Let's just say it has always lived up to it's name.)

Bags are available in the online shop.

New Year?

2011-01-19T07:48:00.000-08:00

I know that we're way behind everyone else, but, we've finally got around to acknowledging 2011. . . Let us assure everyone, however, that we are already hard at work at the trusty Bernina, with some new projects in mind and new words on our bags.
We should also mention that we have linked up with a major online marketplace - we will put the relevant information up when we've uploaded all the detail onto the site. We're confident that this will help to spread the word(s) of Dr Bean.

Bovey 2011

2010-12-17T06:03:00.000-08:00

Hooray! Dr Bean's Bags will be exhibiting again at the Contemporary Craft Fair, Bovey Tracey, next year.
What an honour! We're very pleased! There's lots of smiling!
We might be banned for over-use of the exclamation mark.

Still here. . .

2010-12-03T07:31:00.000-08:00

Sadly, those of us who work at home have no excuse for not getting any work done just because of a bit of snow.
So. . . Let us introduce the Orange! This is actually a really nice orange, not at all fluorescent-y.
And more black with green spotty lining. Yes, these are the current favourites.

For Sale

2010-12-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

Look! Lovely garden ~~Shed~~ Workshop for sale, comes with a free 2 or 4 bedroomed house. (2 or 4 bedrooms!? I hear you ask. How can that be? Well, you'll just have to come and see - it's a very adaptable house).
Photos also show the current winter-y setting. That's TWICE this year we've had school-closing, everything-grinds-to-halt snow on the Island. Hmph.

New Alice Bag

2010-11-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

The black canvas bags are going well now that the colder, wetter, floodier weather is here. Now available with a green spotty lining.

A bag for Ryde

2010-11-12T03:20:00.000-08:00

We've not made a Ryde bag before. . .

Shipping Forecast for London

2010-11-05T05:01:00.000-07:00

Is that feasible?
Well, it's quite close to the sea. . . via the Thames.
And, the black canvas works well for winter.

Made by Hand Online

2010-10-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

The distinct lack of posts is distinctly unforgiveable. . . We can only say that the summer was incredibly busy. And now we're nearly in winter!!
We are happy to announce that Dr Bean's Bags were selected to be part of a new online venture called madebyhandonline, which, as the name suggests, offers a range of exciting work by designer-makers. We've been busy uploading a range of our bags and will be adding more soon.

Serving coffee on Brading Down

2010-10-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

Just to prove that we are particularly adept at serving coffee in the middle of nowhere, we were pleased to offer our services to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. At a special event to mark the purchase of an area of Downland, a group of hardy souls braved the glorious, but rather chilly weather to witness the opening.
We like to think that we helped the day with our equally glorious coffee. Perhaps it's something about drinking coffee in the open. . . but it always tastes remarkably good.

Bestival 2010

2010-09-15T07:26:00.000-07:00

We can't believe that the Bestival is over for another year. Hard work as always, but a such a friendly festival to be at. We don't get to see many of the main acts - but we had continual entertainment this year in the 'Tomorrows World' field with the Bandstand just a few metres away, playing a great range of bands. Now, you don't get that in the campsite.

That's Coffee Season done with. Now, we just have to get back to making bags. . .

Coffee season is here

2010-08-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

Many apologies for the absence of posts. It's got to that time of year when Dr Bean's Coffee is out and about every weekend . . . and bag production is at an all time high. Meaning very little rest, or spare time for the Dr Bean team. Here are some pictures of where the van has been over the past few weeks.
The boys had a very productive Cowes week, serving lots of coffee, with a great view. Best spot in Cowes, we reckon - outside the Yacht squadron, just next to the start line.

Also, this weekend we have been at the famous Isle of Wight Garlic Festival, which is an annual event. . . and is always really good for us. We did rather like the idea of going to the vintage festival at Goodwood. . but, maybe next year.

Beach treasure

2010-07-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

This rope bracelet was already perfectly formed around one of the bits of driftwood we picked up the other day. It would take a while to arrange something as pleasing.

A few buckets and a cormorant

2010-07-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here's some buckets ready to go to Cornwall. Is that a group? - a collection? - a gaggle? - there must be a good collective name for buckets. . .

In the photo of the single bucket bag, you will see a small black speck to the left - this is actually a cormorant drying his wings in the morning sun. He (it must be a 'he' - I'm sure the girlie is off doing something productive) has been on that post on quite a few morning photo sessions and doesn't seem to mind the mad woman and her bags.

View from the factory

2010-07-02T12:01:00.000-07:00

Some very tall poppies have seeded themselves in the vegetable patch at Dr Bean HQ. Sadly, they seem to be growing with a lot more vigour than the aforementioned veg.
Also love the paperiness and colour of the Cistus, which like the poppy, produces a new batch of flowers every day, which is very commendable. Well done - tick and a gold star.

Beach combing

2010-06-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

The Dr Bean team went to collect some rather splendid driftwood pieces washed up further along the coast at Thorness. These ranged in size from large to extremely large (and extremely heavy) but Dr Bean is not to be beaten. . . and we found a way to get them back home, which was slightly wetter than some of us had anticipated. We should have known better of course.

The photo above shows a small ginger cat claiming rights on large bit of driftwood that now sits in the garden.

Lynn Muir

2010-06-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

We meant to post this earlier . . . Lynn Muir was at Bovey, showing her beautiful driftwood-based sculpture. There is a lovely seaside theme to Lynn's work, with bits of shipping forecast and thoughtful words incorporated in the larger pieces - very much to our liking! This lady has come back to the Island with us.

New - Blue Bags!

2010-06-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

Just thought we'd post a photo of our new blue Shipping Forecast Bag - it's a very jolly bright blue and so far we're trying it with a blue spotty lining or red stripy lining. AND. . we've also started doing the shipping forecast in black canvas . . . for those of you who worry about getting the natural canvas grubby.

It was a beautiful morning down on Gurnard beach - the photo above is a view past Gurnard Sailing Club and beach huts towards Cowes.

More from Bovey

2010-06-18T12:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, we know it's almost a week since we returned from the Craft show at Bovey. . . But we think it's worth putting another couple of pics up. We loved the sustainable Contemporary Garden feature (with fantastic birdhouses), by Chris Eckersley, and others. The traditional Punch and Judy tent was popular also.
Back home, this weekend sees the Round the Island race, which is quite a spectacle to watch, especially if you can get up early to watch the various starts from Cowes. And yes, Bag production is under way again.

Photos courtesy M Bean.

Contemporary Craft Fair

2010-06-14T12:59:00.000-07:00

Dr Bean's Bags had a lovely weekend in Bovey Tracey ay the Craft Fair. We were overwhelmed by the response to our bags and would like to thank everyone who bought, thought about, looked at or ordered bags. It's really good to realise that lots of people think along the same lines as we do and recognise the loveliness of words and stitch and seaside.
It was great to be surrounded by such clever people and really appreciated the support from fellow artists.

If you haven't been before, we can thoroughly recommend a trip next year - it has the all the atmosphere of a small friendly festival, but with more to see. (And yes, it was worth missing the Isle of Wight festival for).

Old Gaffers Fair

2010-06-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

We've just had a busy weekend on the coffee side of things. The Old Gaffers fair in Yarmouth on the Island is a favourite for many and the hot weather brought a lot of visitors. As ever, hot weather is not necessarily good for coffee sales, but it was pleasant to be outdoors enjoying the sun (or hiding from it, in some cases).
The lack of posts is due to last minute preparations for Bovey - everything is now done and Ali is off to Devon tomorrow.

Photos courtesy of M Bean.

I can see clearly now. . .

2010-05-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

Lovely weekend here on the island - far too many distractions from bag making. And nearly too hot for coffee.
We get famously good sunsets in Gurnard, which also means that preferably, you need to be watching the view with a chilled glass of wine in your hand.

Days to Bovey are counting down fast - We Will be ready in time, I'm sure. ..

Connected or not connected

2010-05-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

We generally do our posting in the evenings, but our internet connection is proving to be more and more irregular, especially in the evenings - like in the old days of dial-up. Very bizarre and extremely annoying. Which is one of the reasons for infrequent posts. That and the fact that bag-making is chief priority. Not that there is any panic about going to Bovey Contemporary Craft Fair, no, no.

Bovey Tracey

2010-05-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

The Contemporary Craft Fair suddenly seems a lot closer. . . and there's still a lot to do. I think the shipping forecast will feature highly at the Dr Bean's Bags stand, to go with a general seaside-y theme.

Charity shop shopping

2010-05-06T00:49:00.000-07:00

Certain members of the Dr Bean Family spend most of their time in charity shops. These are a particularly nice find - a set of 'London scene' glasses, all artwork complete.

Return of the Stripes

2010-04-28T02:49:00.000-07:00

We've started making a few stripey canvas bags again - this is the first. They are a bit softer than before, but still stand up. As these photos show, it was a lovely morning, with a calm sea gently lapping at our toes. I think we're really appreciating these sunny mornings after such a long winter.

We'll add the stripy bags to the online store as soon as we get enough together.

Sunny Morning Photographs

2010-04-20T11:47:00.000-07:00

Dr Bean went down to the beach yesterday with Steph, to take some nice photos of our bags. It was a lovely morning, with great sunlight and very peaceful - just the occasional dog walker. Steph has produced some beautiful shots of our bags as these examples show.

Clear Blue Sky

2010-04-17T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, there is an advantage to be had in not having any exciting trips to go on.

Clear blue sky = lovely sunny, warm day here on the Island.

= Not being stranded in an international airport either trying to leave the UK, or trying to get back to the UK, because of a very influential icelandic volcano.

And just look at the sky - with no clouds. . . and no aeroplane trails. And lots of birdsong.

The Factory

2010-04-11T10:26:00.000-07:00

A nice drying day at Dr Bean's HQ.

Hooray for sunny weather

2010-04-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

At last - warm and sunny. It's been a lovely spring day here on the Island.

Tin Birds

2010-04-08T01:56:00.000-07:00

Aren't these fantastic! We purchased some (online) from the delightful Shelf Store and they arrived very promptly and beautifully packaged. "Why would you want a set of tin bird badges?", I hear you ask. Why not, they make us smile.

Of course it would be good to make a visit to the actual shop, which is in Cheshire Street, off Brick Lane in London, near lots of other inspiring establishments. Next week, maybe?

New Bag

2010-04-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

We've put a new bag design in the shop, under the Large Print section.

Weather report. .

2010-03-30T07:43:00.000-07:00

Is there any chance of just a little bit of sun? Oh, I beg your pardon - the torrential, horizontal rain has momentarily stopped. And just to make it worse, the online BBC local weather page shows the Isle of Wight sitting serenely in a specific area of NO RAIN. Hmmph.

Photo above shows detail from a bucket bag with a cheerful tune. We can but try.

(As we said - weather-obsessed)

New Font

2010-03-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

We thought it was time for a slight change of style, so have transferred the font recently used in Ali's artwork, onto a bag. Simples.

It's a nice clean, simple font in a large size, which has the added benefit of being easily seen. Without reading glasses. . .which seems to be a bit of an issue here at Dr Bean HQ, much to the amusement of everyone under the age of 23. And if our internet connection (the seemingly NO-talk talk) behaves we may even be able to upload the bag images to the shop.

We'll also add the Edward Lear 'Jumblies' bag, which is one of our favourites, just because it's a darn good rhyme.

Today's Forecast . .

2010-03-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

Another fine morning, so I set off to Gurnard sea front for some photography. It's beginning to sound like I'm obsessed with the weather and there's no harm in admitting that it's probably true. Well, in a sea-related-radio-4 type of way.

Last year, I experimented with some framed textile pieces that incorporated text (no surprise there then). One used 'Crossing the Bar', by Lord Alfred Tennyson (good Island connection), and the second was based on John Masefield's 'Sea Fever', both obviously with a seaside theme. However, it has suddenly dawned on me that the beloved, equally poetic 'Shipping Forecast' would also work well in a framed style. I'll try and get a few done and hopefully take them to Bovey as part of our collection.

(posted by Ali Hughes)

A Fine Afternoon

2010-03-16T11:09:00.001-07:00

It has been a lovely day here in Gurnard. A good day for taking photos, although slightly windier than it looks from the picture and we forgot to take anything to weigh down the bags. .

We're trying out a new larger size bucket - the diameter of which is roughly the same size as a LARGE supermarket pizza(Yum). Not that we make the family eat pizza all the time, that would just be wrong. . .

Bag IOW0540

2010-03-11T01:10:00.000-08:00

We had a brief, but enjoyable trip to Cornwall this week. The sun was shining, the sky was blue. . . and it was still rather cold, but St Ives looked just as beautiful as usual. We stayed at the Chy Conyn Bed and Breakfast, which was ideal.

Flat Bags

2010-03-05T12:52:00.001-08:00

This is our first flat bag, with a handle long-enough-to-put-over-ones-shoulder. We think it works quite well. But we might do a test run in wearability before it goes to the shop.

This one features our favourite extract of the moment, taken from 'Alice through the looking glass'.

"There is no use trying," said Alice; "one can't believe impossible things." 'I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed in as many as six impossible things before breakfast."

Maybe it's something we should all try, it might help.

New Bags

2010-03-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

We have added some new designs of bag to the online shop - a new 'Alice in Wonderland' bag (yes, darlings, it's just SO on trend) and the very popular 'Pirate Song' Bag. (We're not sure why this one has proven to be such a hit. Good words, we guess).

Photography (for website and blog)proves to be the hardest bit to control. It sounds easy, doesn't it? Everyone else manages perfectly well. . . Make some nice items (that's the easy bit) and then photograph them to put online.

We wait for a sunny day, which has been a long time coming this winter, and go down to Gurnard beach, behind the Sailing Club, past the very desireable beachside homes and position the said bags ready for a pleasing picture. Well, there's usually a gale blowing, or the sun suddenly disappears, or the tide is in (doh). . . or the camera isn't charged. . . ok, perhaps that wouldn't happen to a professional.

But, we're working on it. And we think we've found the best option - park next to the sea front on Egypt Esplanade, place bag on concrete balustrade and voila - as long as the bag is weighted down, we can usually get a reasonable image and background. And, given time, we might improve. After all, we have a very photogenic location.

And the rain, rain, rain came down, down, down. . .

2010-02-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

It's not been a good week here on the Island for taking photos - but at least we don't have snow. Here's a Red Bag with an extract from Lewis Carroll's 'Changing the Guard', which kind of suits the Jolly red canvas (photo taken at the end of last week, when the sun made an appearance).

We're also working on a couple of new bag shapes and will post pictures of those. . . when the sun shines again.

Flat White indeed

2010-02-19T02:55:00.000-08:00

We would just like to point out that Dr Bean has been serving Flat White coffees for, like, ages, having realised that it is the best combination of coffeeness, frothiness and creaminess you can have in a cup.

And we don't charge any more for it.

Small Scale Recycling

2010-02-15T03:24:00.000-08:00

I might take some of our Tin sculptures to Bovey Tracey. Mostly made from various drinks tins, champagne cork and wire.

Absenteeism is not the way forward. .

2010-02-11T02:43:00.000-08:00

Oh Dear! Oh Dear! (in the style of the White Rabbit), poor neglected blog. It is very easy to slip into decline and ignore the need to post.

After a verrry long absence, it's time to pick things up again at the speakeasy (the name wasn't meant to be ironic). Yes, Bags are still in production - very much so. After a busy 2009, we are hoping that 2010 proves to be as hectic.

We are delighted to announce that Dr Bean's Bags will be appearing at the Contemporary Craft Fair, 11 - 13 June, at Bovey Tracey in Devon. This is great news and we are really looking forward to being there. Of course this means that we really have to keep on top of things. . .

New Bags

2009-06-11T05:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a a couple of pics of new Bag and Lining colourways. The cheery lining fabrics are looking good and the black canvas has a certain sense of style that contrasts well with the natural canvas Bags. We've fitted the black Bag with a brass eyelet and shackle, which is rather classy. And, I guess, the black canvas won't show the dirt.

We'll add the black option to the website soon. (Once the Festival is out the way, probably).

New website is open

2009-05-30T00:47:00.000-07:00

We would just like to announce that after a slightly longer time than we anticipated, the 'Dr Bean's Bags' new website is officially open - with a shopping facility. Hoorah!

We can also say that we have been incredibly busy with sales (and, therefore, making) which is our excuse for a poor showing on the posting front. There are some new bag ideas and styles in the pipeline, so when we get a spare moment, we'll add these to the site.

Finally, Dr Bean's Bags will be attending the Garden Show at Stansted Park, Rowlands Castle, in Hampshire, so come along and have a look.

Spring is here at last. .

2009-04-02T02:56:00.000-07:00

Perhaps the sunny spring weather has gone to our heads, but we're thinking of trying some alternative linings. . . These work rather well, especially with the natural canvas exterior.

New Batch of Shipping Forecast Bags

2009-03-31T08:16:00.001-07:00

More Alice in Wonderland

2009-03-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

We made some bags with extracts from Alice in Wonderland on a while ago, but it's a theme that is worth returning to. We like the way that the strips of text give the bag extra 'body', so that's a good reason to put more on.

The text is on both sides of the bag by the way, and if we were fully organised, proper bloggers we would have a photo of the other side as well, but you'll just have to take our word for it.

Ok, in the future we will try and show the front and the back. .

Bag IOW0334

2009-02-24T05:15:00.000-08:00

You might be able to tell that this isn't the Isle of Wight. . .

Still Waiting. . .

2009-02-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know - the new website is not up yet. Be patient, it's on the way. In the meantime, here are some photos of new blue / turquoise stripy bags that will be available on the new site.

Also a photo of snowy Gurnard (thanks Beth for the pic) - just to prove that the Island didn't totally miss out on the alpine experience . . . even though it soon disappeared.

Dr Bean's Bags at the London Boat Show

2009-01-20T01:35:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since our last post - but a very productive time. Apart from taking a bit of time out for the occasional festive glass or two of red wine and Granny Betty's magnificent Christmas Dinner, we managed to produce a marvellous collection of bags for the London Boat Show at Excel.

Dr Bean's Bags attracted much attention and praise, with good sales and interest in future online sales. And yes. . . the new website will be up and running soon.

Ps - New Year, New font, I think.

London Boat Show

2008-12-18T05:27:00.000-08:00

Great news! It has been confirmed that Dr Bean's Bags will have a small space on a stand at the London Boat Show, 9 - 18 January 2009.

The bad news is that we will spend most of Christmas on the sewing machine. . .

Classic Red Canvas

2008-12-02T05:44:00.000-08:00

This is a new version of our 'shipping forecast' bag (with shackle and number) - in a nice red canvas that is reminiscent of classic red-sailed yachts and barges. It also looks good as a bucket bag.

Sadly, the weather is not good today for taking photos.

Coffee v Bags

2008-11-27T05:25:00.000-08:00

We understand that there might be some confusion over the fact that Dr Bean has two main interests in life. It seemed natural to us, but we can see your point.

So, after much discussion, (over coffee, naturally) we have decided to create a new website, which will be for Dr Bean's bags and include a shopping facility. . . and probably be called 'Dr Bean's bags'. When I say we, I'm actually referring to Judith, our very patient website maker, who is hopefully delighted to be working with us again, so soon after producing our first site.

We'll announce the new arrival in due course.

Christmas ideas. . .

2008-11-07T05:35:00.000-08:00

New Bags

2008-10-20T04:22:00.000-07:00

Many apologies - it's been a long time since our last post. The weather here on the Island has been very good in October, with lovely warm and sunny weekends - warm enough to go in the sea.

The workshop (without heating) is fortunately still plenty warm enough, thanks to solar power (ie; big windows), but we'll have to see what it's like as we get into winter.

We've been working on some new bag designs recently. Following the popular 'shipping forecast' bags of the summer (which are still available, incidentally), we realised that the possibilities of text-on-bag are endless - quotes, lyrics, conversations etc. We're starting however, with segments from the easily recognisable Alice in Wonderland and recipes taken from Nigella's TV series book (which are cake-related, so it's not actually that far removed from Alice in Wonderland). We're also experimenting with a beautiful Liberty Tana Lawn lining to the bag.

We're still trying to get an online sales option up and running, so hopefully that will start soon, but in the meantime, here are some pictures and you can always contact us via the website if you are interested in purchasing.

Selvedge Magazine

2008-09-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to point out that Dr Bean's bags have a (tiny) mention in the lovely Selvedge magazine - the bible for all things textile-y. In case you can't find it, you need to look for page 15 - in an article about using alternatives to plastic bags, which is exactly where a Dr Bean's bag comes in.

Mudfest at Bestival

2008-09-11T00:55:00.000-07:00

The 2008 Bestival was rather different from our previous experience. We tried to ignore the weather forecast, thinking that there must be a mistake - the Isle of Wight Bestival is always bathed in the glory of an indian summer. This year, however, the site (and everyone in it) was bathed in glorious mud. And there was an awful lot of it.

It's amazing what people put up with in the pursuit of a weekend of fun (we like to think that a cup of Dr Bean's coffee helped them through) and although many left early, there was a certain sense of achievement in remaining until the end. Monday, ironically, was a beautiful day.

We would like to give a huge thank you to the guys on the tractor who towed us (and most of the other traders) out on Monday evening and to Rob, who rescued our trailer and fridge.

Overall, there wasn't a huge amount of support from the Bestival organisers.

It really feels like Autumn now that the Bestival is over, which is a bit harsh as we never really had a summer. Ho-hum, back to making bags.

The Garlic Festival

2008-08-21T13:01:00.000-07:00

We had a busy couple of days at this year's Garlic Festival, here on the Isle of Wight. This show is always popular and despite the forecast, we escaped the rain and plenty of people came along. We were trying our new blend of coffee, which we are really pleased with - and judging by the comments, so were our customers.

We would also like to say that a shot of espresso goes extremely well on a serving of the delicious award- winning Minghella vanilla ice cream - a great combination!

Bag IOW0260

2008-08-19T11:26:00.000-07:00

Dr Bean has been on holiday to Cornwall. St Ives is the perfect mix of surf (for those who surf), shops (for those who shop), restaurants (for those who do lunch) and galleries (well, you get the idea. . ). We also sampled plenty of coffee (obviously).

All in all, there is something for everyone in the Dr Bean's Family, although there wasn't quite as much sun as usual.

Top purchases of the week were a functioning typewriter (brother deluxe 800) from a charity shop and a cup and saucer by ceramic artist Karen Shapley from Porthminster Gallery.

Cowes Week

2008-08-08T01:00:00.000-07:00

It's been an interesting week weather-wise here in Cowes - a few drizzly mornings but turning hot in the afternoon. The wind has been variable too. Beth and Larry have done a great job running the Dr Bean's van at egypt point (between Cowes and Gurnard), serving very good coffee.

Plight of the Bumblebee

2008-07-23T03:43:00.000-07:00

I've become a bit obsessed with bees.

I have noticed a few articles recently highlighting the drastic decline of the bee population in this country and I guess I was inspired to produce a new design to go on one of our buckets. For those of you who may pick up on detail, these are definitely bumblebees rather than honey bees, but hey, they were easier to cut out.

I'm quite pleased with it, so may produce some bee-bags too.

Bag IOW0064

2008-07-18T10:34:00.000-07:00

Now, this is what we mean when we ask "Where has your Dr Bean's Bag Been?" This photo has been sent in by Will and Janno whilst they were in Bequia, Friendship Bay. This is one of the first batch of bags that we produced, with the number on the outside - I think this style has now become a classic!

Coffee at Newtown Old Town Hall

2008-07-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

We were pleased to be asked to provide coffee at an event for the Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust at Newtown Old Town Hall. This property is owned by the National Trust and has an intriguing history. The area of Newtown Creek is also a renowned bird watching area and offers great scenic walks.

New Bag Numbers

2008-07-07T09:26:00.000-07:00

The identification numbers that go on our bags have been through a few designs since we started, but this is the latest version. We have decided that the buckets should be given a number too, as shown in the last post.

The new labels are bigger and also have the website address on. Of course, this is all so that you can send in photos of your bags on holiday and we can publish them here on the Speakeasy

(Ok, there's no prizes. . . it's just for fun). Also, it doesn't have to be on an exotic holiday. It doesn't have to be on holiday even. If you want to send a photo of your bag on it's way to work, then that's fine.

Summer Wine Bucket

2008-06-30T03:56:00.000-07:00

The bucket bags are going well at the moment, but I thought Dr Bean's could offer slightly more - with the addition of wine cooler, plastic glasses and of course a nice cold bottle of Pinio Grigio. They made good birthday presents for the recent 50 year olds. . . I'm also thinking that they would be great for Cowes week, so I'd better get sewing! I'll carry on including bits of the shipping forecast as text around the buckets as it's nice and relevant - and can be adapted for personalised occasions. As you can see from the photos, it's a lovely morning here on the Isle of Wight.

New style bag

2008-06-10T08:40:00.000-07:00

I've been asked by a customer if I can produce a Dr Bean's Bag that is large enough to take an A3 sketchbook. Well, this is the prototype - using 15oz canvas and a ticking lining. I'll keep this style flat, then it's more like a portfolio - and I can add the eyelets at the bottom. I think it's worked out rather well.

Marvellous Moocards

2008-06-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

We have just received our Moo minicards in the post - how exciting! What a great way to produce a business card. Have a look here at the Moo site and see what they do.

Walk the Wight

2008-05-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

Dr Bean's had a busy day at this year's Walk the Wight. The day had nearly gone by the time I got round to taking a picture, so it all looks quite calm. At least the weather was good this year.

2008-05-24T02:51:00.000-07:00

Work on the new website continues at a good rate (thanks Judith), so I thought I would post some more photos that will be included there. As you can see, the Dr Bean's factory is proving to be a good investment. The latest bags are in nice bright colours for the summer and the buckets, with stitched detail on the outside, are going well too.

Welcome!

2008-05-19T03:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to this new venture for Dr Bean's Flying Coffee Machine. We intend to use this page to keep you up to date with our news, the events we have been to and how the famous Dr Bean's Bags are progressing. Our new website is very nearly complete and should be launched in the near future!