The team
Helen Blake | Managing Director
St Austell-born Helen graduated from Falmouth School of Art and Design in 1989 and has over 17 years' experience in the design industry. She worked in London before returning to Cornwall in 1991 to run her own studio. Helen is a fellow of the Chartered Society of Designers, board director of the DBA as well as Chair of the Cornwall Design Forum.
If Helen was granted one superhero-power to use for a week she would choose the power of flight (or, if was cold out, the power to turn tapwater into Bollinger).
Her lucky biscuit is the fig roll.
GRAPHIC DESIGN TEAM
Ian Walden | Creative Director
Ian has over 15 years' experience in the design industry; he joined Absolute in September 2005 after successfully freelancing in London for, among others, Sony, BT, D-Tox records and Howard Jones Music. Ian also brings his expertise in digital photo retouching to the studio.
In 2001, as a drunken bet, Ian made a scale-model of the Millennium Dome entirely out of feta cheese and catgut. The wager became an obsession: he's since fashioned a sponge-cake Stonehenge, a spaghetti Tower Bridge and a half-size statue of Sir Alex Ferguson made entirely from the intestines of a horse.
His lucky cutlery is the pastry-fork.
Alex Graham | Middleweight Designer
By the time Alex joined Absolute in the autumn of 2006 he had over six years' experience. Despite being Scottish, he's fallen for Cornwall so hard he's become a naturalised southerner, and now considers his country of birth too cold to live in.
Alex is still pestered by female autograph-hunters of a certain age in mainland Europe, thanks to a brief stint as a boy-soprano singing sensation. His Flemish rendition of 'The Wind Beneath My Wings' is still available on juke-boxes in a few rural Belgian bars.
His lucky adhesive is UHU.
Simon Moore | Advertising Art Director
Simon graduated from Falmouth School of Art in 1989 and then worked for various advertising agencies in London, including Barkers Advertising and Macmillian Davies (as Head of Art). Clients have included British Airways, Pizza Hut, Motorola, Norwich Union, Alliance and Leicester and the Halifax.
Simon subsidised his studies by working as a film extra; the truly hawk-eyed can spot him 1. chasing Bob Hoskins in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?; 2. powdering Michelle Pfeiffer's nose in Dangerous Liaisons; and 3. serving meatballs to Joe Pesci in Goodfellas.
His lucky chop is lamb.
Jamie Thomas | Designer
After graduating from Falmouth College of Arts in 2003, Jamie has freelanced and worked for various agencies throughout Cornwall and the South West. Jamie joined Absolute in February 2007.
If Jamie could be anybody in history, he would be Brunel because 1. Brunel's designs worked, and were beautiful; 2. 'Isambard' is a great name; and 3. Jamie looks a treat in really big hats.
His lucky stationery is the Post-It note.
Chris Leyland | Creative Artworker
Chris graduated from Falmouth College of Arts in 2001 and then worked for Vent, a London-based design agency. Since returning to Cornwall, he's worked for various design agencies throughout the south west.
For years Chris would spend months at a time in the US, following and filming tornados, twisters and storms. Chris has had his van overturned by a hurricane and been concussed by a racoon carried head-high by 60 mph winds. He now plans to continue his hobby in Cornwall, walking briskly through mist, filming squally showers and writing a blog on extreme drizzle.
His lucky muscle's the calf.
INTERIOR DESIGN TEAM
Steve Coombe | Creative Director
Steve graduated in Interior Architecture in 1999, after which he worked in London and, more recently, Devon. Steve brings his retail design experience to Absolute and has worked on major projects for John Lewis and House of Fraser.
Highly respected in the hyper-competitve world of parrot-training, Steve not only teaches manners to temperamental cockatiels, he recently won an award for having an African Grey learn all of Jack Nicholson's lines from The Shining off by heart.
His lucky pencil is the 2H.
Alistair Graham | Interior Designer
Following a degree in Fine Art Sculpture from Falmouth College of Arts, and six months' work experience at Absolute, Alistair graduated in Interior Design at Newcastle University in 2003 and joined Absolute in 2004.
A reformed adrenaline-junkie, Alistair has bungee'd off the Blackpool Tower, jet-ski'd from Spain to Morocco and snowboarded down the Matterhorn. More recently, he's slowed down a bit; his collection of vintage driving gloves is the envy of the Caravan Club of Great Britain (South West chapter).
His lucky aphid is the greenfly.
Suzi Todd | Interior Designer
Suzi's originally from Northern Ireland and joined Absolute late in 2007. After graduating in Interior Architecture in 2006 she worked in London, but the call of Cornwall was too strong to resist.
As a teenager, Suzi's passion was for origami. Her paper-folding expertise saw her make hats for Virgin cabin crew and disposable jackets for sous chefs at Gordon Ramsey's restaurants. Her model of the Cutty Sark would have been the first paper ship to cross the Channel, but a deck-hand broke the smoking ban and it turned to ash in 30 seconds just north of Calais.
Her lucky Bible is the New English.
AND THE WITHOUT THEM WE'D BE NOTHING TEAM
Simon Thomason | Head of Client Services
Simon joined Absolute in 2005, following five years as an Account Manager for a leading advertising agency in Manchester. His clients included Asda, First Direct and - previous to this - he worked in marketing for the Radisson Group. Simon moved down with his wife from Manchester to enjoy a more relaxed, healthier lifestyle.
As a child, Simon became locally known for his prodigous feats of strength. If anyone finds the mid-80s BBC North West Tonight clip of a small boy pulling a barge along the Manchester Ship Canal with his teeth, could they post it on YouTube and send us the link?
His lucky fabric is corduroy.
Mark Jones | Business Developer
Originally from Birmingham, Mark successfully sold advertising for magazines in London, including Design Week and New Scientist. After a stint as a Business Development Consultant - for, amongst others, Trinity Mirror and Veuve Cliquot - he fulfilled a lifelong ambition and settled in Cornwall.
A keen genealogist, Mark has traced his family back to 1689. Every male until 1922 was a wizard and, although Business Development takes up most of his time, Mark can cure warts with ham, mix a nifty, non-drowsy love potion and frighten flies out of the kitchen just by staring hard and humming.
His lucky bone is the ulna.
Gemma Teague | Project Support
Before joining Absolute in June Gemma studied Journalism at Falmouth College of Arts and worked in PR in London. Gemma lends all round support and great organsiational support.
By rights, Gemma should never have to work again, as it was she who - in a freak accident involving rice crispies, a hair dryer and a bottle of chocolate milk - invented the Coco-Pop. Corporate spies and cut-throat lawyers employed by K******s robbed her of her rightful wealth.
Her lucky loaf is the large Farmhouse Granary.
Liz Hassell | Studio Support
Liz has been at Absolute since 2002; not long ago she switched from reception to working in the studio, where her role is to support the design team, making sure purchasing is competitive and deliveries on time.
Liz is one of only a few score people left worldwide who can speak the ancient Norse Bröskbrad dialect. They have reunions annually, but Liz no longer attends: the dialect is limited in scope, has 23 words for skirmish, 17 for brawl and habitually ends with the emergency services in attendance.
Her lucky tool is the lump-hammer.
Amanda Trowill | Management Accountant
Amanda joined Absolute in May 2005 and has around 12 years' accounting experience. She has worked within various sectors of industry and has been Account Manager to clients such as British Telecom, NTL and Marconi.
Lead guitarist in a string of hard-rockin'-hell-raisin'-crazy-livin' heavy metal bands, Amanda was only 24 when she left behind the mundane, nine-to-five, luncheon-vouchers-drudgery of guitar-oriented-rock and ran away to be an accountant. Though she regrets nothing, she can still smoke a Marlboro', knock back a Jack Daniels AND play 'Purple Haze' all with just one hand.
Her lucky fish is the gurnard.
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