Team CMYK. Photos: Mike Wilkinson. http://mike-wilkinson.photoshelter.com

There was much excitement last night as CMYK scooped three awards at the PPA Scotland Magazine ceremony.

Aurora, the magazine for Highlands and Islands Airports won Customer Magazine, and FYi, produced for the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland took Best Magazine Design in the business & professional category.

Neil Braidwood, centre, accepts the award for aurora magazine

Matt McArthur, centre, accepts the award for FYi

The much coveted Member Magazine award went to Surgeons’ News, published on behalf of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

John Duncan, editor of Surgeons' News, centre, accepts the award

The V&A have a postmodern exhibition on at the moment. Right up my street. Neville Brody and Terry Jones are talking this Friday about their massive contribution to the magazine culture that flourished in the eighties (sold out I’m afraid). But it got me thinking about the last time Neville Brody was involved with the V&A. It was back in 1988 when there was a retrospective of his work. The book of the exhibition is on every designer’s shelf.

This photo of Brody is from when I worked on Design magazine in 1988 (organ of the Design Council). The feature was all about designers and what they like to do in their spare time. Brody reckoned he had no time for hobbies, but when pressed, he chose watching videos with a takeaway. I commissioned photographer Julian Hawkins who gamely lugged an old telly with no screen up the stairs to Brody’s studio on Tottenham Court Rd (now sadly demolished). I carried various other props like videos (no DVDs then), and popcorn packets. We shot him through the back of the telly, remote control in hand. This was the paste-up era remember, so any camera tricks had to be done in the camera. It’s all so easy now!

Great quote from Brody though: “At the moment it all seems ridiculous. I keep on saying that next year I’ll change my name and grow a beard and live the life of a bum”

I have been watching the excitement build for Vintage at the Southbank Centre, which kicks off tomorrow for 3 days of what looks like fantastic fun. I am a self-confessed Festival of Britain nut, so to have the event at the Southbank Centre 60 years after the ground-breaking festival took place there is absolute genius.

Once again Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway have inspired and enthused businesses, musicians, artists and designers to make this fantastic event a reality. I only wish I could be there, but, as always, we have several magazines to complete! I am with you in spirit!

I thought I should post some pics of two Festival of Britain magazines from my collection. Their design inspired me – especially the infographics – and I love the adverts, almost all are illustrated beautifully, and give a glimpse into an era when there was real hope for the future. Apparently they even delivered on time and in budget… ah, those were the days.

We’re delighted to say that Scotland Outdoors, the magazine we design for Big Bend Publishing won the award for Best Magazine From a Small Publisher at the PPA Scotland awards in Glasgow on Wednesday night for the second year running.

The team at Big Bend really do put heart and soul into this title and we’re absolutely delighted their efforts have been recognised – although sad that they couldn’t make it to the awards ceremony in person. Instead, Matt got the honour of rubbing shoulders with the event host, comedian Craig Hill!

San Francisco Zine Fest kicks off on 4th September 2010. It’s a free two-day event that has been going since 2002.

Some more hotel magazines to look at, courtesy of HotelChatter.com. Makes us want to go on holiday. Now.