Friday 11 January 2008

SLOW NEWS DAY? I THINK NOT

I've just finished a week's work experience at the Echo, a local paper which covers south-east Essex, including Southend and Basildon. It was great fun and I got to write lots of stories - three of which had by-lines - and also went to the West Ham press conference yesterday with Alan Curbishley, as well as reviewing a Southend reserve match. Well, that's great fun in my eyes anyway. And I won a bet with all the sports journalists at the Echo, over the attendance in the Essex Senior Cup game between Concord Rangers and Southend United. I said 222, and it was 230. Not bad, I think.

Anyway, after all that fun I relaxed today, knowing full well that there's often very little news on a Friday. Well, rather like Christmas Day (see below) I was wrong, and found two fabulous stories today on BBC News.

Britons 'want Del Boy TV return'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7182964.stm
I love Only Fools and Horses! It's absolutely great, and it would be fantastic if they could make another one. So agree many other people in the UK, as this survey shows. Faulty Towers, on the other hand, would not be so good for a remake. You see, it was such perfect comedy in 12 episodes that it would be a shame to make any more. It would ruin what John Cleese acheived, even though there was only 6 hours material. So let's see Del Boy back on our screens quicker than you can say menage a trois. S'il vous plait.

Parted-at-birth twins 'married'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7182817.stm
This has got to be story of the year (although it's only 11/1/08 so far). I quote the first paragraph: "A pair of twins who were adopted by separate families as babies got married without knowing they were brother and sister, a peer told the House of Lords." And then their marriage was broken by the law. Unbelievable. This is such a fresh and rare story, and although it's not exactly certain how and why they met again (all Lord Alton said was: "They met later in life and felt an inevitable attraction") it seems a bit farfetched. Still it's a super tale, and one I'm definitely going to tell my 9-year-old twin cousins next time I see them, to ensure it doesn't happen again!

Friday 4 January 2008

2007 - THE YEAR THAT WAS

Right then, one of my Journalism Studies course-mates at The University of Sheffield has put together a rundown on 2007, and I thought I'd steal her idea. So here we go (the headings are hers):

1) DRINKING BUDDIES OF THE YEAR?
Journalism students. They know how to drink, and are good fun to hang out with. Well, most of them anyway.

2) YOUR SONG FOR 2007?
That is so hard! I've really got into drum 'n' bass and dance music this year, but one song I've fallen in love with in the clubs is Jump Around by House of Pain. However, best song of the year? Probably the phenominal I Still Remember by Bloc Party, still my favourite band. As this shows, I also like indie (and classical and jazz and R&B)

3) LIFETIME SERVICE AWARD
My parents, for putting up with me this long, and backing my every move to get to university.

4) COOLEST NEWEST FRIEND?
Definitely a chap called Chris, who I met at Spring Harvest, Soul Survivor and then in Sheffield at St Thomas Church Philadelphia. He is a legend and has been so helpful as I settled in up north.

5) HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR?
Working at Premier Christian Radio for 10 weeks. It was brilliant, I loved it.

6) LOW POINT OF THE YEAR?
Southend United getting relegated from the Football League Championship. All that money, all that excitement for nothing. As Adrian Chiles said: "It's the hope that kills you".

7) BEST HOLIDAY?
Spring Harvest was really great this year. It was fantastic to meet so many Sheffield Christians, months before I'd got there. And as a location Butlins was brilliant, I must add.

8) MOVIE FOR 2007?
Not a big film fan, but I thought The Bourne Ultimatum was exhilarating. And my friend was in it. Seriously, he was (an extra)...

9) WHO DID YOU SPEND VALENTINES WITH?
My French textbook.

10) BEST RELATIONSHIP?
For getting me through university so far, that award has got to go to the man upstairs - thank you God!

11) WHAT WERE YOU FOR HALLOWEEN?
Sorry, don't do Halloween. I went out to meet some friends for a drink which was much more fun.

12) RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR?
I'm still a big fan of Ask, but Bella Italia is brilliant and I'm loving Nandos. However, for the amount of money I spent at their Westminster branch in the summer, this award goes to...Subway. Their sandwiches are out of this world.

13) BIGGEST DOUCHEBAG AWARD?
When I went Speed Dating, a girl asked me if Southend was in Essex, or if Essex was in Southend. She didn't get a tick, needless to say...

14) BEST DECISION MADE IN 2007?
Going to The University of Sheffield to read Journalism Studies. I hope to prove wrong everyone who told me otherwise.

15) WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR 2008?
Helping Southend United to promotion (somehow), getting a first-year first-class pass at university and relying on God for a lot more than I currently do. And 120wpm shorthand.

16) MOST STUPID IDEA WHEN DRUNK?
I try not to get drunk so as not to embarrass myself.

17) TV SHOW OF THE YEAR?
Deal or No Deal. An unbelievably simple but yet so addictive game show. Noel Edmonds is brilliant.

18) MOST LOYAL FRIEND?
My good old school friend Adam back in Southend.

19) BIGGEST CHANGE OF THE YEAR?
Working full-time over the summer, going to university after that - enough said!

20) NEW YEAR RESOLUTION?
To answer truthfully when anyone says to me: 'How are you?' If I'm not 'OK', then I will say so! It's something that annoys me, that's all...

Good, that was fun.