Miranda's Beach-paintings,prints,videos,music and more!

The Vythons
by miranda's beach - 27 Mar 2008 at 10:30pm
See the debut gig of The Vythons on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XViNnZZEbfoThere are two tracks from their Buckingham school gig on 24/03/2008 - One Hives song - Hate To Say I Told You So and the second a Vython penned masterpiece - Sit Down Shut Up. Band members are Sam Abbo - 12 - Guitar, Harley Wilson - 12 - Bass, Joe Jackson - 12 - Vocals, Fin Abbo - 10 - Drums.

Mirandasbeach World Holiday Directory Launched
by miranda's beach - 7 Jan 2008 at 9:30pm
Perhaps you were thinking of visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands, or heading off to the deserts of Qatar ? Maybe you want to tick Leichtenstein off your list or get to know Kyrgyzstan better ? Or does Lesotho or the Pitcairn Islands tickle your fancy ? Well you can do no better than start your online holiday and travel investigations off at the Mirandasbeach World Holidays Directory. There are sections containing every country in Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, Australasia and the Pacific Islands , and the Middle East.

UK Family Holidays Update
by miranda's beach - 27 Oct 2007 at 12:16am
Our MirandasBeach UK Family Holidays Directory has expanded to include the UK City Breaks section which gives you easy access to all the UK City Break info you need in one place (bookmark this place - you will not regret it !).The cities included are:Bath Belfast Birmingham Bradford Brighton Bristol Cambridge Carlisle Cardiff Chester Chichester Coventry Derby Durham Edinburgh Exeter Glasgow Hull Leeds Leicester Lincoln Liverpool London Manchester Newcastle Norwich Nottingham Oxford Peterborough Plymouth Portsmouth Sheffield Stoke-on-Trent Stratford-upon-Avon Sunderland Windsor York So, if you are thinking of a UK City Break some time soon, then use this resource and plan a great trip !

Poetry at MirandasBeach
by miranda's beach - 20 Aug 2007 at 8:17pm
Poets like Lauren Beziers and Fester Bryan are regularly adding their latest poems at the mirandasbeach poetry site Read Fester Bryans latest poem Social Attack at the Rear and lots more poetic contributions at the great http://poetry.mirandasbeach.com/ or read the blog at http://i-love-poems.blogspot.com/If YOU would like to write a poem and get it published on the front page of the site and the blog then all you have to do is send your poem to poetry@mirandasbeach.comWe look forward to receiving your poems -

Worthing Hospital - New song and video
by miranda's beach - 30 May 2007 at 12:01pm
Last Saturday I had to have my appendix removed at Worthing Hospital. The nurses were so kind and caring. The hospital is under threat of closure and the local community really need it. I wrote this song (with the help of Ben) to support them and KWASH - Keep Worthing and Southlands Hospitals http://www.kwash.org.uk/.Miranda Vincent, 30th May 2007Worthing Hospital Video - Full Screen Worthing Hospital Video - Small Screen More videos and animations More Music

New 16min Video - JimBobFred 2007 !!
by miranda's beach - 12 Feb 2007 at 11:40pm
Yes - it is one year since the first JimBobFred epic released in January 2006. Now for this year we have the even better, even bigger even more sensational JimBobFred 2007 ! Starring Sam Abbo as JimBobFred and a whole cast of robbers, spy friends, a lions, a tiger, a dinosuar, blubbering Bill and not forgetting Random Man (is he good or is he bad ?). PLAY HERE to see the film in Flash. E-mail contact@mirandasbeach.com for details on a burn on demand DVDs of a selection of our movies and animations (only £10). You can see a big selection of our short videos and animations at our Videos and Animations page

Some good blogs we recommend
by miranda's beach - 10 Dec 2006 at 10:02pm
There is of course the MirandasBeach Indie Clothing blog which you can also see at the main Indie Clothes Directory site where there are loads of great online Indie Clothes stores personally selected by Miranda.For something more off the beaten track there is Esten Walker's Stun-Shine blog about travels around the planet after ditching his job.

Camping it up tentwise
by miranda's beach - 27 Nov 2006 at 11:49pm
Europe is a campers delight, and getting under canvas has never been more popular. However one has to be discerning at worst, and clever at best, to weed out the no-go sites and steer a happy course through the some of the truly wonderful sites on the continent. This is of course even more important if you are trying to impress your grumpy teenage kids, or changing nappies at two hour intervals with matchsticks propping up your eyes. Drink wine in the open air ! Fish if you have to, or play long games of campsite football and walk back to your tent happy in the knowledge that you won 36 - 35. To help you pick out the truly memorable sites we have sections in our holiday directories dedicated to all the best in camping in SPAIN, ITALY and FRANCE, three fantasic camping countries with real campsite gems to discover. MirandasBeach holiday directories make a special effort to look out for the interesting, off the beaten track holiday as well as pointing you in the direction of firm favorites that call happy holidaymakers back again and again.

Holiday in France and Stay Healthy !
by miranda's beach - 1 Oct 2006 at 11:49pm
Two new MirandasBeach Sites have been added recently. They are Holidays In France a comprehensive, handpicked directory of the best French holiday ideas. The site currently has sections on Chateaux, Fishing, Camping, Skiing, Art and Cooking holidays, Family, Activity and Golfing Holidays in France .And:The Health and Fitness directory, which again is a carefully handpicked directory to help you through the minefields of health and fitness advice on the net. Sections covered so far are the main Health and Fitness section, Slimming Clubs, Slimming Advice, Nutrition, Vitamins and Minerals, Medical Encyclopedias and Yoga Retreats and Holidays We hope you find these useful.

Missing You - new music video !
by miranda's beach - 25 Sep 2006 at 10:03pm
Missing You - from the great young band - The Chicken's Beak - starring Hannah Abbo on Violin, Fin Abbo on Piano and Sam Abbo on Guitar. Guest vocals from the great Miranda Vincent.This is there own composition written "in an afternoon instead of watching Drake and Josh or Zoe 101". It has a strong Accoustic feel and beauty in the lyrics and melody. Good solid chompy style piano from the Fin Meister jkeepos it well rooted along with the rock steady guitaring of Sam.Sam came up with the main chord sequences in the song and considers it an afternoon well spent, and " I am too young to go the pub, so I think writing a song or two on an otherwise normal September Weekend Afternoon is time well spent". Fin agrees, although "getting out to play football would have been very tempting, but providing rhythm piano to a Chicken's Beak number has to take priority, afte all we do have our careers to consider".Hannah the elder sister of the group and provider of haunting melodies on the violin does have to keep some control during the creative process. "With so many ideas floating around at any one time, it is chaotic to say the least. But we do manage to pull something together, often at the last minute. On this track (Missing You), the inspired ending with seemingly random notes played on all 3 instruments, was plucked out of the ether at the end of the second take and we just had to run with it ". Hannah looked tired after the mammoth recording session " I need a good cup of tea and a nutrigrain bar" she said before disappearing off to Italy for a "history of art" tour.Click here to see the Missing You video and all our other videos

Summer Holiday nearly over - watch ZINC
by miranda's beach - 25 Sep 2006 at 10:25pm
It's been a rainy August in the UK and we do need wet but it's been disappointing beach weather - so I have hooked up with You Tube and here is my first embed - Its a great video by - Ben Abbo with music by WIRELESS on Armchair Astronaut Recordings. Enjoy it NOW !! its better than stuffing your face with chips and feeling queasy.

Welsh Walk Wireless Video - excerpt now streaming
by miranda's beach - 5 Jul 2006 at 11:00am
An excerpt from the hour long Wireless DVD - "Welsh Walk" is now streaming at the MirandasBeach Videos and Animations page - the music is the hauntingly beautiful sound of WIRELESS from their "TerminalBroadcast Station" album. Those of you new to the WIRELESS phenomenon must go now to the Armchair Astronaut Site (that's their label) and learn and listen to more WIRELESS, explore UNDER MOTHER BUNGALOW, XPIANO, TOMAS HILTZ and HONEYBEE.

Paintings by Miranda Vincent
by miranda's beach - 18 Jun 2006 at 10:28pm
See the recent paintings by Miranda Vincent at http://www.mirandavincent.co.uk/ including the one shown here named After The Wedding. You can visit Miranda's painting archives: here for 2004 paintings and here for 2002/2003 paintings.

Carefully selected family holiday Ideas in the UK
by miranda's beach - 6 Jun 2006 at 11:38pm
If you have a family and you are thinking of having a holiday in the UK then have a look at our new site brimming with UK Family Holiday ideas at http://family-holiday.mirandasbeach.com/ . Families need certain things like maybe a heated indoor pool or a farm so that those pesky kids are kept amused and active. You could go for out and out adventure or a slow barge holiday. Whatever, you'll find a lot of ideas.

Indian Summer - New Video Animation Collage
by miranda's beach - 20 May 2006 at 8:39pm
Indian Summer is the latest Video animation from MirandasBeach and is by Ben Abbo and Miranda Vincent. It is a 4 minute collage of bollywood excerpts, animations, and Indian images set to the complelling sound of the Paul Horn Nexus track - Latin TalaThe film is being shown at the Beach Dreams two day festival at Shoreham-By-Sea on the South Coast of England. Beach Dreams will be running a Cinema Marquee, called the 'Peacock Picture House'.This will show short films, some of them award winning, many of them made around Shoreham. They will be showing films in categories eg short dramas, work by young people, under 7s showing etc. Screening times will be over the weekend of 17th - 18th June, programme available on the day. You'll also find a link to the streamed version of 'Indian Summer' at the MirandasBeach Videos and Animations PageFor more information on Beach Dreams go to http://www.adurfestival.com/weekenders/beach-dreams.htm The Images below are stills from 'Indian Summer'

Boy Garden
by miranda's beach - 18 Jun 2006 at 10:31pm
Boy Garden by Miranda VincentSee more at http://www.mirandasbeach.com/comic/comicthumbs.shtml

New Videos out now !!
by miranda's beach - 30 Apr 2006 at 11:09am
Two great new videos have been added to the our Videos and Animations page, both with music from the Amchair Astronaut label. They are "Three Boys" a hyper manic youth snapshot by Ben Abbo with music by great chicken impersonators Under Mother Bungalow and "End of Summer", more peace in the back garden, with music by sonic soundscape artists Wireless You enjoy these nowMirandasbeach e-mail: contact@mirandasbeach.com

Armchair Astronaut
by miranda's beach - 23 Apr 2006 at 12:12am
Armchair Astronaut Records is a label and art collective from Brighton UK with an other worldly edge and experimentation, spotaneity and risk taking high on the agenda. Groups include the uncompromisingly beautiful and potentially disturbing Wireless who have several classic CDs available, the "death star fish butter milk cow" that is Under Mother Bungalow (debut CD Mountains Bubble Under) and Xpiano - assembled from the guts of waste pianos, customised and tuned to the pitch of an angel?s whisper Music to play as you fall asleep, for astral navigators and nocturnal journeys, music for the minds eye, sound-tracks to the subconscious. There is also Honeybee including their notorious Nosebleed track with Jamie LidellIf you enjoy long form soundscape journeys - evolved improvisations, honed by the players over years of musical interaction and experimentation, which drift and pulse from beautiful melancholic peace to shamanic intensity through extreme edginess and visit places beyond straightforward categorisation - then Armchair Astronaut is the place for you ! and MirandasBeach recommends you pay a visit soon to http://www.armchair-astronaut.com where you'll find plenty of free tracks and long live sessions to listen to - VIDEOS and plenty of other great stuff including the Armchair Astronaut webzine - Psychic Radio

Music - The MirandasBeach CD EP "Crazy Paradise"
by miranda's beach - 16 Apr 2006 at 11:43pm
The "Crazy Paradise" CD has four pop folk tracks written by Miranda Vincent and Ben Abbo and produced by Richard Durrant at LongMan Records (Longman 036CDS)Born at Sea - At the beach...Unique lyrics and oceanic sound samples make this a truly original song. Lovely vocal harmonies and creative melody line complete the effect. And did I hear a mandolin in there somewhere? Sweet! - Review by Ypsilanti, MichiganCrazy Paradise - Nice voice, good structure, great melodies....kinda reminds me of a tropical B-52s. Great job! - Review by Reticulum4 San Francisco Stay with Me Always - My favourite, glorious feel to this one, the singers take alternate lines in the verses which works up the mood brilliantly and adds to the power. The chorus then takes off into a fab Beatles go folk jag - the song is a summer scorcher - Review by Evening Standard, London House on the Hill - Offbeat but melodic track - music hall goes reggae style and with lyrics like "Neon at midnight, walking down fruit aisles, Bare in the light are the quick saving smiles" who can resist ? - Review NME LondonThe CD has a beautiful handdrawn booklet - all art work by Miranda Vincent - with full lyrics and credits. The players are Miranda Vincent - vocalsWendy Morgan - vocalsBen Abbo - keyboardsRichard Durrant - Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Kalimba, Jawsharp, VibraslapTom Arnold - Hammond, Accordian, PercussionVinnie Lammi - DrumsYou can listen to samples of the tracks at the MirandasBeach Music PageThe best place to buy the CD (only £5) is at Richard Durrant's LongMan Records , so go and buy it and just maybe you shall reap your reward ....Love from MirandasBeach

Strange Neighbours
by miranda's beach - 15 Apr 2006 at 12:34am
Miranda Vincent's cult CD ROM for kids (and adults !) Strange Neighbours is out on re-release and is well worth the £5.00 it costs at our friends Longman Records. As PC Guide puts it "Strange Neighbours is a breath of fresh air and its original blend of humour and exploration makes it an addictive addition to anyone's collection".It?s a leap of the imagination away from the usual herd of kid's discs. Strange Neighbours presents a series of animated tableaux to explore. The more you click the more you will discover. The action takes place within a hamlet of nine abodes of varying stature, from a greenhouse to a smart town house, each one housing one or more bizarre beings. You can enter any house at any time and once inside, have a good click about to see what happens. For example, in one house Embarrassing Mother is standing around in the kitchen with nothing on except a small pinny tied around her waist, casting spells. Click on the dog in the corner and you can watch it inelegantly lick its nether regions, click on the doormat and the postman arrives with a love letter for the nymph like nudist. There are so many hotspots to click and sounds and animations to see - it will give hours of fun for all the family. Buy now for £5 ! (approx $7.50)Here are is embarrassing mother from Miranda Vincent's from Strange Neighbours for more stills from the CD ROM go to http://www.mirandasbeach.com/strange%20neighbours/top%20page.shtml

New Look for Home Page
by miranda's beach - 10 Apr 2006 at 12:37am
We have used the acrylic painting "Bluebird Dream" by Miranda Vincent as the central image on our new look Home Page. You will find the usual links - split into our main core site with the artwork, music, videos and animations etc. and then our spin off sites like Indie Clothes , poetry, Ben & Miry's free gifs , ethical investment and Family Holiday UK Enjoy !

Some days I just feel chilled
by miranda's beach - 28 Mar 2006 at 9:45pm
"I'm goin' ta have really hard stomach muscles if it kills me .... what's that noise - Sammy being sick ?"Now - what shall I eat ? - must cut down on my cheese consumption.... erm... but I really fancy a mozarella Jarsberg and goats cheese salad...yum yum that will fill the hole in my tum ""I've got half an hour to do some quality painting before I get Fin from playgroup.I think I'll paint a tarantula.""What a life - hope it lasts .... oh look a squashed rabbit, a reminder of mortality ... out out brief candle - let it flicker brightly while it lasts"Miranda Vincent comics - http://www.mirandasbeach.com/comic/comicthumbs.shtml

Family Holidays
by miranda's beach - 24 Mar 2006 at 12:09am
We have compiled a list of holiday ideas and accommodation suitable for a family in the UK at our UK family holiday site. Being prone to cold wind and rain and fog - before Global Warming really hits - there is a long section on Indoor Heated Swimming Pools, a major bonus for the kids when the beach is not available. Then there are loads of activity adventure breaks like ballooning or canoeing or walking or bungee jumping ... Spa and Health (maybe thats more for parents in need of stress busting pampering !) . There are also Farmhouse, farm cottage, boat and barge sections. We needed to keep a list of the best places we could find to give ourselves here at MirandasBeach good holiday ideas - and now that list has plonked in your lap - maybe you want it there - or you know someone who would like to be plonked - have a look - it could make all the difference. http://family-holiday.mirandasbeach.com/

Come over slightly poetic ?
by miranda's beach - 15 Mar 2006 at 12:37am
Then try our poetry site where you'll find top poetry from the likes of Fester Bryan, Lauren Beziers, William Shakespeare (complete Sonnets) and Gary Hargreaves - new poems added all the time - try submitting your own (send and e-mail to poetry@mirandasbeach.com and we will put it in ! HEre is a great Lauren Beziers poem to get you started -On a lakeWritten by Lauren Beziers I was on a lakeNot walkingI was sitting in a boatNot laughingThe bearded young fellowWho rowed us to the middleWas annoying meIntenselyI said "So you are going to catch a fish then ?And he repliedIn a twinkle of an eyeThat "the time was not right forPike"The air was dampI felt dampAnd the lake was grey to blackI called to myMother on the bankWith her paper and pipeTo "stop knitting"But she ignored meMy bearded young fellowRowed us backAnd he gallantly helped me outI said "I never want to see this lake again"To which he replied "nor me"Its the fickle natureOf the mood of dayThat can turn you againstThe things you should love bestAnd in keeping with this universal tideI enjoyed a marvelous day out by a lakeNot three weeks laterBut the bearded manWas replaced bySmooth facedHandsome young buckAnd I was three weeks older and wiserWe caught a fish that dayAnd ate it with tartar sauceAll felt beautiful and dreamlikeLB 2006

Into the Forest
by miranda's beach - 7 Mar 2006 at 10:39pm
Into the forest is a guitar work composed and played by Richard Durrant with Herbie Flowers on the bass. The animation is by Miranda Vincent. Click the image to play the video in Windows Media Player. For more video & animation streams go to our Streams page