NOTE FROM THE EDITOR | Saying Farewell to '(A)musings'

N O T E F R O M T H E E D I T O R

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BIDDING FAREWELL TO THE 5-YEAR (A)MUSINGS

JOURNEY AS WE PREPARE TO SHUT DOWN THE

SITE AHEAD OF EXCITING NEW VENTURES!

EDITOR'S NOTE | Kyle Pedley

Just over 5 years ago, editor Kyle started up a blog which would go on to become a respected name in the world of entertainment journalism. Later this year, we will sadly be closing down (A)musings.co.uk for good and retiring the brand, but it will be all to make way for an exciting, contemporary successor. Kyle explains the what's, where's and whys, and reflects on some of the fond memories of the (A)musings journey....

Back in September 2011, I decided to commit to something that had been rattling around in the deeper recesses of my 'what if'-dom for a while - a regular blog; an outlet for my numerous thoughts, distractions and, yes, musings on the worlds of Film and Theatre. For years I had found myself - often in the ever-reliable nurture of a toilet visit or broken sleep - pondering and pontificating on the world of entertainment, celluloid and stagecraft. I had returned home to the Midlands after gaining a practical degree in Film Production just a few years earlier back in 2009, and that particular itch of exploring the world of cinema just wasn’t getting scratched.

I had no idea back then the incredible adventure I was about to go on, the amazing opportunities that would come to be afforded me, and what my initially humble ‘What The Foosh’ blog - soon thereafter rebranded to ‘(A)musings’ - would grow to become.

The post that started it all: My very first entry onto what would become the (A)musings blog, which would remain active for just over 3 years until the launch of amusings.co.uk.

It has been an amazing few years and both myself and a slew of very talented writers, friends and affiliates have managed to cover some amazing shows, films and events.

First mention has to go to our ongoing affiliation with our friends at Disney, who first broke cover in support of the blog (and later this very website) by inviting me to the press screening of the first Avengers release in April 2012, and subsequently helped me open a whole plethora of doors and opportunities elsewhere. Since then, it has been an absolute pleasure to attend the conferences, screenings and special junket events for a whole host of amazing releases, including - but by no means limited to - the likes of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Frozen, Wreck-it Ralph, Zootropolis and more Marvel movies than you can shake an infinity stone at!

Elsewhere, in the world of theatre, I have been so proud to forge some amazing partnerships through (A)musings with theatres both in the West End and my native West Midlands. In London, we have had the pleasure of reviewing such incredible productions as Les Miserables, Billy Elliot, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda the Musical, Gypsy and many more, whilst in the Midlands, our ongoing relationship with some of the stellar theatres including the Birmingham Hippodrome, Wolverhampton Grand and New Alexandra Theatre have meant we have continued to attend and celebrate the very best in touring and regional theatre that the UK has to offer.

A personal favourite: I'll always fondly remember this hilarious moment when Tom Hanks pretended to steal my iPad at the Press Conference of 'Saving Mr. Banks' in October 2013 - particularly seeing as it later went viral online!

Other notably exciting moments included getting to cover the prestigious BFI London Film Festival for two years running, partnering with Bauer Media and EMPIRE magazine for a series of competitions and giveaways, getting to tread down the famous Corrie cobbles when touring the set of Coronation Street, feeling the force at Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016, fulfilling a personal bucket list moment of seeing Dolly Parton perform live when reviewing her ‘Blue Smoke World Tour’ in 2014, having that moment of Tom Hanks pretending to steal my iPad at the Saving Mr. Banks press conference going truly viral online, and of course the pleasure of getting to meet and/or interview some of the absolute biggest names in showbiz, including the likes of Angelina Jolies, Sir Ian Mckellen, Robert Downey Jnr., Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hiddleston and many, many more.

And that really is just scratching the tip of the iceberg; it's been truly an amazing experience, and hugely gratifying to see what started as a simple personal blog grow to become a recognised and reputable name in the world of entertainment journalism. We have been overwhelmed by the response to our reviews and features, and love that people at the very top of the creative industries have cited us for the professionalism, depth and quality of our written content.

But with time, things must evolve and change, and (A)musings is no exception. We launched this site in April of last year with the hopes of it becoming a future hub for all things associated with our press work. But gradually, I came to realise that a far bigger overhaul and more robust infrastructure was needed. Similarly, the name ‘(A)musings’, whilst possessing an internal logic of it’s own which is explained on our ‘About Us’ page, faced a whole series of practical challenges and setbacks in moving forward.

Part of the Team: (A)musings has offered some amazing opportunities and partnerships,

which I look forward to building on with 'nuEditorial'

Times are changing, and so are peoples needs and the needs of our readership. Web design is becoming streamlined, more mobile and tablet-accessible, and major players in the world of online journalism are responding radically to this new ethos in design and accessibility.

And so, in early 2017, I am thrilled to be launching ‘nuEditorial’ - a brand new online presence born from the genes of (A)musings, and continuing it’s established precedence of delivering high-quality, in-depth entertainment journalism. But in addition to what we're already doing, we're also going to be diversifying the scope and nature of our content, so be prepared for original video series, film commentaries and much more!

This new site and brand will feature of team of talented writers and content producers joining myself and existing Film Critic Luke Whitticase in an all-new, accessible, contemporary and stylish online presence. The ‘nuEditorial’ site has already gone through a major redesign of its own before even being launched, but that’s just to get it to be as appealing, accessible and navigable as possible.

So set your bookmarks and favourites to our brand new URL - www.nueditorial.com - and please keep your eyes on our social media for more details on exactly when the new site will be launching!

Please find below both a sneak peak at the new site, as well as our mission statement/objective for nuEDITORIAL.

Sneak Peak: A look at our vision of what's to come...

And there's no need to go searching for us on Social Media, either - once the site launches, our existing Twitter, Facebook pages etc. for (A)musings will be converted over to the new brand and site.

As a result though, there will be no new articles or content posted here on amusings.co.uk, and the website itself will be shut down shortly before the ‘nu’ launch. For those who may wish to keep up to speed on my own reviews and content in the interim, please visit my Midlands Newsquest profile by clicking HERE and stay up to speed with Luke’s content over on his blog Whittystuff.

All that’s left for me to say is an enormous, heartfelt thanks to everyone who has visited (A)musings in its various incarnations and read/liked/shared our content over the past 5 years, and of course our amazing press and PR friends and affiliates who have supported us.

It’s been an amazing adventure, and whilst I will be sad to be consigning (A)musings to memory, what amazing memories they are, and it will live on in the genes and DNA of the upcoming new site.

Many thanks from the editor of the little blog that could.

Kyle Pedley

EDITOR - (A)musings

(A)musings (www.amusings.co.uk) will shut down on Friday 25th November 2016, with it's successor - www.nueditorial.com - launching in early 2017.

Please keep an eye on our social media and the nuEditorial site for more information on the site's launch.

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