This is a bit of a delayed ’story’ as things have been so hectic lately, but the site is now live for www.ruckinrugby.com - which is great news. I hope the portfolio will fill up this year and we can see more clubs go on-line with great websites. From now on, all news associated with Ruckin’ Rugby will be in it’s own BLOG. Many thanks to Technology Angel for their fantastic support on this project and let’s hope it now floats and serves us both well, I think it will.

Saudi is fine but as life has presented me with the chance to move to Dubai - I’m taking it! I will be moving over in April 2008 to find a home for my wife and the boys - and then they will be joining me. I am already in talks with a Rugby Club there about a new website and hopefully a few more vets games before my body finally gives in …. or Michelle enforces a ban! I am also hoping to get involved with the AGRFU - exciting times. My job will take me all over the Middle East and so I will continue to trade freelance in my spare time and only take on limited projects that I can focus on.

I have very much enjoyed being able to take on limited new design projects under no pressure this last year and most of the time just do new work for existing clients. In 2008 I hope to really focus even more on existing clients and try to see where I can proactively help them with their online business instead of waiting for them to ask. It really is easier to keep a client than find a new one, as the old saying goes.

This is a project that popped up on the radar more than a year ago and has finally got the green light. Rob freeman Building Ltd are a renovation and restoration company based in Devon who have carried out some pretty remarkable work and are looking for a slick, professional website to reflect their level of style and attention to detail. i am very much looking forward to seeing this project unfold.

Tjeerd Hendel-Blackford’s website was one of my first projects and certainly one of my most rewarding so it is great this month to get a list of updates and MORE beautiful images of his work for inclusion in his on-line gallery - see www.hendel-blackford.com - his work really is outstanding and as imagery, - makes my job a treat!

The Pig Farmer Designs has now ceased trading as a UK Limited Company - but this will remain my trading name in the UK as a sole trader. To sidestep the ‘piggy’ problem here in the Middle East I will simply be trading under my own name, though I have been banging around a few ideas and pocketing domain names as usual. The Pig Farmer will carry on trading as a sole trader in exactly the same way - so no changes.
An exciting development though is www.RuckinRugby.com - which I intend to be the trading name for my ‘Sports Pack’ web design with CMS. I have recently gone live with www.bidefordrfc.co.uk, www.tivertonrfc.co.uk and www.tweh.co.uk - with Withycombe RFC following shortly. All are pro bono projects designed to show case what can be achieved with this fantastic package. More importantly, it can be achieved for just £599 initial set up and £15pcm hosting. Almost every rugby club website I have looked at has been cobbled together by an amateur and the only competition I have found has been delivering little better and trying to charge up tp £3000 +VAT for it!
Watch this space to see more on this and eventually RuckinRugby will have it’s own site. It really will be great to get involved with web design and rugby together and feed 2 of my great passions at the same time.

This site is now live and has a lovely crisp and clean look to it. Graham has already got the hang of is Wordpress BLOG and has been posting news to his clients and friends. There was some adjustment to the gallery layout and the logo was worked in as a transparency to break up the hard lines, but other than that our original ‘vision’ was kept intact. Take a look for yourself the site is at www.gcfinefurniture.co.uk and the furniture is beautiful.

I was recently contacted by another furniture maker in need of a bespoke website and branding and things are going steadily. Graham Cartmell needs the site needs to be live by mid September for an exhibition and so we’re looking forward to seeing the finished product. Again the feel is contemporary, clean and smooth but the addition of a full Wordpress blog should see him stay in Google where it matters and - as usual with these guys - his beautiful imagery will help finish the site off. His branding has also gone well and his logo has been styled to mirror that used in his furniture design.

Gary and the guys at Technology Angel have written me a wonderful CMS for this project and we should be live in the next week or so with a new site for Tiverton Rugby Club and the Tiverton White Eagles Hockey Club. The sites will - IMHO - be as good as almost any sports club sites in the UK. The only ‘defying’ factors left will be 1) How much I am willing to invest in decent branding to finish the job and how willing the clubs will be to cooperate with that 2) Quality of imagery (thanks to the Tiverton Gazette this should be no problem) and 3) How much the club use the site and keep it ‘fresh’. I think the girls at the Hockey club will be great and their site will no doubt become the focus of my efforts when it comes to showcasing the capabilities of the package.