New D-ROOM wesbite launched.

We're pleased to announce that we've finally completed and uploaded our new website. The new site is designed with the emphasis on showcasing our work, which potential new clients always respond well to (along with the marketing expertise, exceptional service, value for money, successful track record, etc, etc!!!).

Many thanks to all those involved in the design and development particularly Chris and Stuart - thanks guys.

To take a peep visit www.d-room.co.uk (we'd be very happy to receive any comments).

D-ROOM Bowling Tournament

The D-ROOM creative team took a well earned break from work on Friday afternoon (17th) for a 'friendly' game of bowls at Middlebrook, Bolton. Following a quick bite at Nandos (respect to Tony for lapping up liberal helpings on the extra hot peri-peri sauce) the gang descended on Hollywood Bowl where the fun began.

Some breathtaking Michael Jackson-like footwork saw Chris take an early lead - in addition to attracting some admiring glances from several bowlers in neighbouring lanes (apparently no phone numbers were exchanged!). Mad Dog McNair threw some erratic bowls which saw the sides taking a severe pounding and Rob was sadly playing a game that only vaguely resembled bowls! Despite Chris' early promise, Paul came through at the final stages to take the first and second games with embarrassing ease. Having been despatched to the bar, the cranberry juice must have got to him as Paul decided to start game three with a different colour bowling ball which saw his game go pear shaped. Tony then stepped up to the mark with some peri-peri inspired sizzling bowling which saw him making a late dash on the leader board. However Hesketh Bank's finest, Mad Dog McNair had decided that it was time to make his mark. With quiet, determined grit he stormed through the last rounds in such a way that his score card look X-rated.

The final game beckoned and to add an extra edge it was agreed that the loser would be required to make all the brews for the creative studio on the following Monday - as big an incentive to anyone at D-ROOM as there is. As if sensing the new mood of fear and apprehension, the lights dimmed as the final game began. Mad Dog McNair and Paul vied for the number one spot with stiff competition from an invigorated Rob who'd finally discovered the art of releasing the ball early on in the bowling action. However the real interest was at the bottom with Tony and Chris fighting it out for the wooden tea spoon. The fancy footwork of earlier in the evening was but a distant memory as Chris opted for safety first. However Tony was having none of it from the young pretender and did just enough to stave off defeat. And so, with his fate sealed, Chris accepted his fate as studio tea boy for the whole of Monday with good grace and much sympathy from the rest of the gang.

However, will he have his revenge as the next outing is being planned?

New creative talent at D-ROOM

We're pleased to welcome Rob Whyte to the creative team at D-ROOM.

Rob recently graduated from The University of Central Lancashire with a BA(Hons) in Graphic Design. In this year's national D&AD* competition, Rob was awarded the accolade of having his work published 'in book'.

D-ROOM creative director Tony Lythgoe says, "When recruiting new members of the D-ROOM creative team it is vital that we balance exceptional creativity and compatibility with our distinctive company culture. Rob's creative ability and his passion for design both shine out, he's an outstanding talent with a great personality, and we're delighted he's joined us."

* Design & Art Direction.

Recruitment News

We are no longer accepting applications for the position of Junior Designer as in the previous post. Thank you to everyone who applied.

Junior Designer Opportunity

D-ROOM Design Communications are looking to appoint a Junior Designer. Ideally suited to a graduate, this role demands an abundance of creative design, self-motivation and organisational skills, teamworking ability, and a hunger to impress.

Primarily aimed at design for print, any web skills would be advantageous, and we would require proficiency in Quark Xpress, Illustrator, and Photoshop as standard.

On offer is a competitive salary and the opportunity to progress within our growing company.

Please send a full CV with salary expectations to: tony@d-room.co.uk or D-ROOM Design Communications, 14 Bark Street East, Bolton, BL1 2BQ Tel: 01204 382599

Radio One's Big Weekend

I've managed to somehow bag myself two tickets for radio ones big weekend in Preston! Over the moon! I'm going to get to see The Scissor Sisters, Kasabian and loads of other bands. I registered for the competition about a week ago and to be honest wasn't expecting anything. I knew the odds of winning were a bit poor because so many people enter, who wouldn't, it's free! Anyway, it was a really nice surprise to find an email from radio one in my inbox. Heres the list of the acts who I'll be seeing on the Saturday.


For more details about the event, have a look at the site,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/bigweekend/about

And to top it off I got a shout out from good old Moylesy on radio one!



This is what Radio One had to say about where all the tickets went and which postcode areas got most.

We had almost 500,000 applications for tickets and we only have 8,875 pairs a day to give out which means that just 1.8% of people who applied were lucky.

As we've previously said, the majority of these tickets have been given to people in the North-West and the Preston area. We used people's postcodes to determine this. Here's the breakdown of where they went:

* 16,024 tickets to postcodes PR1 and PR2
* 7,100 tickets to postcodes PR3-PR9 and BB1-BB12
* 10,740 tickets to the North West of England area
* 1,636 tickets to the rest of the UK.

It will be televised on BBC3 and BBC1 (after you press the red button on BBC1) on both days (19th-20th May), so you might get a glimpse of me jumping around like a total nutter. Anyway, needless to say I'm pretty chuffed! Preston here I come!

Posted by Kathryn

Little Bolton Townscape Heritage Initiative

D-ROOM is situated in a conservation area of Bolton close to the town centre, known as 'Little Bolton'. Many of the historic Georgian buildings in the area date back to a time when the town was experiencing rapid growth and establishing itself as a major force in the industrial revolution.

The township of Little Bolton was originally administered as a separate unit from Great Bolton and both were run by Improvement Trustees set up by the Bolton Enclosure and Improvement Act of 1792. The River Croal marked the boundary between the two communities with the main crossing points being Bridge Street and Bank Street/Manor Street.

In 1838 a petition was sent to the Queen and Bolton was granted a Borough Charter. However the Trustees of both Great and Little Bolton were not finally abolished until the Bolton Improvement Act of 1850 vested their powers in Bolton Borough Council. From this time onwards the character of the area began to change and coincided with peak periods in the textile industry.

2007

The local council have unveiled plans to further preserve and enhance the character of the area. It aims to ensure that the historic buildings are repaired and/or converted to make the area more attractive for residents, businesses and visitors. The scheme is part of a larger regeneration strategy for the town centre.

It will be interesting to see how the plans will impact on D-ROOM - our own building dates back to the late 18th century (much to the surprise of many visitors!) - we're soon to be visited by an architect involved in the project. We've undertaken substantial improvements since moving in in 2003, the modern interior being in stark contrast to the Georgian exterior - we'll be posting further updates as the scheme progresses!