Art House people profile - Martin, our web designer

Here he is, our web designer Martin of Still-Moving, demonstrating that he will work for cookies (not the kind you get on websites and have to warn people about with a big banner under EU regs, the OTHER kind of cookie).


Martin first started coming in around three years ago and quickly connected with what we were about as an organisation, as well as becoming a good friend.  He was working in a paid job at the time but had some very big ideas about setting up on his own, so that he could work in a way that matched up with his ethics.


Since then, he set up Still-Moving and Still-Moving DJs and has designed a lot of really cool sites, including one for Craftizan, local artist Jo Price, Nina's facepainting business Glitter Arti, our friends at the Rainbow Glass Workshop established himself as a DJ and generally become quite a figure in the local community.  


He's also designed and maintained our website the whole time, for no payment other than cake, cookies and leftover chilli-non-carne.  His skills have ensured that not only do we have a great website, but when you google 'The Art House' (not an uncommon business name) we always come up right near the top.


Martin can be seen driving around in his van, which is powered by recycled oil from The Art House (extra virgin, sometimes with bits of feta floating in it) or in his Dad's classic car, or on a vintage bike with his mate & fellow DJ Tom 'The Uplifter' Earwaker.

Here they are, naughtiness times two!

You'll catch him here often too, as he uses the cafe as a place to meet clients and a space to work whilst he enjoys yet another piece of cake (we have NO idea where he puts it as he's a skinny blighter), or DJing at one of our events.  


One indicator of how embedded in our little community anyone has become is when they get their own sign by our deaf volunteer, Tony.  For Martin, it's a typing motion with both hands, as he's most often seen on his laptop.  When Tony has a sign for you, you know you're one of the family for life!


Martin is very naughty, a bit cheeky, we love him to bits.

Food for thought: Visit to Earthfare Cafe, Glastonbury

Working long hours at the centre of something you love can be both
wonderful and frustrating. Often it's hard to achieve the balance of knowing when to stay and when to leave everyone to it - especially now there are so many more people involved! I often momentarily forget that there is life outside of the Art House, so when I do leave the building (and, occasionally, Southampton), I'm pleasantly surprised to find a whole host of like-minded places, people, and sometimes, if I'm very lucky, organic homemade cake as well.

'Where?' I hear you cry.

Well, by travelling to the heart of England's 'alternative' soul, as I found out on a van trip with Matt last week, to a little town called Glastonbury...

There are many, many cafes in Glastonbury. Independently owned, serving a variety of wholesome and worthy food options, they usually contain a degree of individuality that mainly flourishes in a town where there are next to no chainstores (except the Co-Op!). Sandwiched between second hand shops and emporiums selling crystals, dragons and fairies, we scour the menus of quirky cafes for something we fancy. Nothing really jumps out, and as we begrudgingly decide to wander back to the van to make our own lunch we pass an eco-supermarket.. and hail Mary, lo and behold, beyond the ailses of lentils and spirulina, there lurks an organic vegetarian cafe that suddenly makes me feel right back at home.

The cafe is 'Earthfare', and Claudia is our very helpful assistant, serving us all manner of veggie nominess. We chose a kind of pick-and-mix' veggie surprise (although none of it is too surprising as we picked Claudia's brain for ingredients, additives, and shelf life) so we could get a selection of the best-looking-most -useful-back-home dishes. I'd forgotten how much fun a research trip could be! Writing notes in the corner of my A4 paper, I feel like Ken Hom in a stirfry.

It was reassuring to see that the Art House offers a similar selection of seasonal veggie options, as well as an abundant choice of tea... even the napkins we use are the same brown 'recycled' 1 plynbrand! We tried the courgette and carrot bake, the chickpea salad, a vegan 'soz roll', and something called 'Bobotie rice' - a kind of risotto containing almonds, apricots, leeks, celery, carrot and spinach. Delicious.

After sharing a plate of scrumptiousness we were surprised how full we felt. The combination of
flavours went well, even if our delectable selection wasn't technically on the menu! There was only one thing that didn't quite agree with our tastebuds - a smokey paprika chickpea 'thing'. Oh well. We knew, however, we would *have* to leave room for cake, and with so many choices avaliable we didn't know where to begin. There were many gluten free options; something that the Art house is looking into for this spring, so I managed to secure a dairy-free/wheat-free recipe swap with Claudia. Nice.

Eventually we settled on a selection of 5 cakes from the choice before us, securing a bulk-bargain deal to boot. Gluten free walnut brownies ranked the highest on my list, followed by the spelt flour bakewell tart. Matt enjoyed the pear, hazlenut and chocolate cake ('oh my god, I can taste everything all at the same time') as well as the wheat free chocolate and almond cake (kind of like cheesecake, without the cheese). The lemon and date oat slice was a little too crumbly and not sweet enough for our tastes, but we decided it would be good for breakfast... and it was. (No, we couldn't really eat 5 cakes between us in one sitting, or at least, not after the plateful of previously mentioned veggie nominess).

I also know it's good to leave what you love, if for no other reason than to regain the enthusiam for it upon return (like the lemon and date oat slice). I needed to regain my sense of perspective and it helped having a couple of days away.

Now I can face the challenges of spring, motivated and refreshed in the knowledge that we are part of a wider community determined to do things differently, to offer a wholesome blend of variety not available through commercially run enterprises. It was great to exchange ideas with Earthfare, and I look forward to the fresh impetus this can bring to our menu.

If you have any recipes you think Art House customers might enjoy, I'd be really happy if you don't mind sharing them. Please add your ideas to the comments section of this blog or email us directly. (info@thearthousesouthampton.co.uk)