Design Podge 2014

The First Podge

From Design Week February 1994

Clubbed to death at Quags

Lynda Relph-Knight

As if we weren’t all confused enough by the number of “clubs” that meet in the name of design, yet another has formed under the auspices of seasoned clubber Phil Jones of Real Time Studio.

Not content with taking the Typographic Circle Chair last year, Jones is now sporting the title, Chairman of The Podge Council – a new association of his making.

You don’t have to be portly to join, judging by the trim physiques of members such as Kathy Miller, Nick Jenkins, Liz James and Jones himself, but you do have to be a major design player. And you have to be prepared to add a few pounds, and spend a few in the process.

Podge began when Jones called together a handful of design types to chew over the fat over a drink. Only about 30 turned up and the “drink’ became a lunch at the celebrated Quaglino’s. Alan Fletcher, Colin Porter, Erik Spiekermann, Glen Tutssel, Lynn Trickett, Malcolm Garrett, Marcello Minale, Mark Wickens...the list goes on, with a hardcore staying on till well past midnight.

Some lunch, with a £2,000 bill to be carved up equally and reports of folk being found asleep on the gents floor towards the end of the proceedings. If Quaglino’s managed to cope with that lot, the idea of entertaining Wimbledon FC’s shrinking violets can’t be worrying the staff.

Soccer mag “90 Minutes” reports that Wimbledon owner Sam Hammam has promised to take the whole team to Quag’s if striker Dean Holdsworth tops 20 goals this season – he’s already more than half-way.

20 Years Later

Sadly some of our original members are no longer with us. The design business has grown into a serious industry and we don’t always have the opportunity to let our hair down like we did in the ‘good old days’. But Podge remains determined, that having a bloody good time is an important part of our industry.

Design Podge has grown from strength to strength, into a full-fat, full-on event – a date that once it’s in the diary, everything else is put on hold. Let’s celebrate what back in the eighties used to be the norm but today has become a rarity – the long lunch!

For more Podge Pics:

2006 Podge 12 2007 Podge 13 2008 Podge 14 2009 Podge 15 2010 Podge 16 2011 Podge 17 2012 Podge 18 2013 Podge 19