Manners don't cost a penny

I remember back at primary school, the receptionist had a sign above the window stating 'Manner's don't cost a penny'.

Being a busy woman to a school of loud-mouthed children, she had obviously become sick of people's rudeness, and refused to help unless you were polite.

And I don't blame her.

Traveling around London for the week, I have come to realise just how rude some people can be. Especially on the tubes, it seems some people do not have it in them to wait that extra 2 minutes for the next train, and so insist on crushing me against my fellow passengers. A little too closely for my liking.

Not only that, but I have lost count of the amount of people who have barged into me in the street, and not apologised! No it's fine, you've just half stepped on my foot and knocked open my handbag, please do carry on!

Unfortunately, this rudeness has become part of our 'Londoner' identity, and so I raise the question - where have peoples good manners gone?

Please and thank yous have been drummed into me since birth. So how people lose them later on in life is beyond me!

However, in contrast to this, being lost in this sea of street weaving and lack of eye contact, it does make a nice change when someone does show some kindness.

For instance, during my Monday morning rush into work exp, I found myself bursting for the loo after way too much coffee at breakfast. The toilets at Victoria charge you 30p, and of course just my luck, I have 20p.

Asking at Cafe Nero for change from £1 so I can stop doing the wee-wee dance, a guy gives me his 30p change with a smile and then marches off with a simple 'here you go!' Bless him. (Of course I said thank you!)

Then later on in the week another guy, despite being in the 'queue' to get on the tube first, lets every woman near him (including myself) get on before him, before boarding the train himself.

It's moments like this that make me smile, those little acts of kindness radiate out and can change your whole mood for the day. 

So next time you have the opportunity, why not try it yourself. Remember your please and thank yous, and you could just change someones day, as well as make yourself feel better.   

Gary Barlow's X Factor diet regieme!

I read in the paper this morning that Gary Barlow has enforced a strict diet regieme on his group - the 16-24 boys - even bringing his own nutritionalist to the contestant house.

It comes after his own weight rocketed to 16st 11 after the split of Take That, causing him to be concerned with some of his contestants weight.

Now, I am one for promting healthy eating. I myself have recently lost around 2 and a half stone, merely through altering my diet and exercise. However, Gary seems to be taking this regieme a little too seriously, banning all carbs and encouraging regular vists to the gym.

This is most prominent when it comes to contestant Craig Colton, who has lost a stone in a mere 7 days.

(Before)

(After)

Yes I understand that Gary may have his contestants best interests at heart, however losing a stone in a week doesn't sound at all healthy to me - and more like a crash diet.

Fellow contestant Amelia Lily has also admitted losing weight due to 'pressure'.

That quote leads me onto my point exactly - do the contestants really need this added pressure at a time where they are rehearsing for long periods of time and getting used to the media limelight?

I admit Craig did appear over-weight, but shouldn't the show be promoting diversity among it's contestants? Or are they starting the moulding process into musical clones at a much more earlier process than last year? Certainly seems like it...

Whatever the reasons, I just hope the pressure doesn't become too much for some contestants and cause them ill health.

Lee Evans - Roadrunner UK Tour 2011

When: Saturday 1st October 2011.

Where: O2 Arena.

Rating: *****

Thanks to one of my friends mates dropping out, I had the opportunity to see Lee Evans LIVE last Saturday night.

I'll admit, I am not the world's biggest Lee Evans fan, and had only previously seen parts of his shows briefly on DVD. But I had high hopes, knowing he is pretty high up on the comedic hierarchy.

I can honestly say - excuse the pun - my sides were splitting. He is so natural at what he does that you can imagine sitting in a pub with him, having a few drinks and a laugh, when really you're in the O2 with around 20,000 other people!

Not only that, but he really puts 110% into it making him fascinating to watch, (despite the odd strange facial expression and buckets of sweat he produces).

 If you're a Lee Evans fan you shall not be disappointed, and if you're a pretty new fan (much like myself), it is a great way to see Lee Evans at his best - sweat patches and all!

Tickets are still available but limited - so get in there quickly!

I also know his gig yesterday had to be cancelled due to a burst water main at the O2, which has since been reconnected, meaning the performance had to be rescheduled to Monday 10th October. Something to also take into consideration if you are thinking of booking tickets! 

Work Experience is the way forward!

Now I'll be honest, I have always been one of those people that from a young age, dreamt of a gap year traveling and enjoying myself before I had to settle down into the big scary world of work.

I have also always been one of those people, who university just hasn't appealed to me. The 'freshers' weeks and moving out weren't good enough reasons for me to spend a couple of grand on education, (which of course is now set to rise to ridiculous amounts next year). Plus I was kinda fed up of being in a classroom environment.

Thus by the time my A level revision was kicking in, I knew I had to find something to fill my spare time with. I wasn't willing to go full time in my job at a supermarket, as although I do enjoy it and it pays well, it's not the career I wanted to pursue.

And so, my journey down the path of work experience began! I have always been interested in a career in Journalism or TV production, so set out; making sure my CV was up to date, writing countless emails to local papers and TV companies, and of course pestering for an answer back! 

Although I tried, sometimes to no avail, let me tell you the hard work has seriously paid off.

Firstly, through a speaker who came into our college, I managed to gain work experience as a office runner at Leopard Films in Islington. It consisted of sorting through emails and doing the TV reviews for the week, and carrying out general errands such as buying supplies and of course making the tea and coffee! 

The people there were lovely, and it was a great experience to start with, as it gave you a feel for the office side of things within TV. 

Next, through knowing the line producer, I gained a week on a new CBBC programme called 'Postcode' as a floor runner, again carrying out general errands including setting up the tea table and getting a feel for what it's like to film on location. It was also here that my interest for the Art Department started.

Thus I was thrilled when through the same line producer, I was able to gain a weeks paid work on the Art Department of CBBC's Horrible Histories! I have to say it is definitely my favourite experience so far!

(Inside the prop truck which took me ALL DAY to sort out a clean up, believe it or not this is it tidy...)

Not only did I get to help dress sets, but I also got to make props and learn how to plan a prop schedule (reading the scenes and scripts for the week ahead to know what props are needed on what days). 

(My Executioner sign)

 (Fake rotting teeth made with air dry clay and paint)

Although it was fun it was not all glitz and glamour. The days started early (on location by 7am) and were long (finishing at 7.30pm). However, I personally feel for the experience I gained it  was worth missing out on some sleep, and I was able to film in some stunning locations.

(Dorney Court in Windsor)

(The sunrise one morning in Chessington)

I also got to meet some lovely people, and play around with some historical props which was extremely fun!

(Black Beard's treasure chest, dressed by me)

It was a delight to go out with a bang by filming on a ship constructed by the Art Department in someone's garage! All in all the week gave me a huge insight into what being in the Art Department entails, and gave me a feel for the work load in TV production.

(The ship, constructed high up on a hill so the background can later be green screened)

(Filming a pirate scene)

At the moment, I am currently completing a weeks work experience at the Daily Mail, and so far am throughly enjoying it.

I shall put my hands up and admit, I have been extremely lucky in attaining my work experience. Leopard Films I managed to gain through college, and my others have been though knowing someone who is involved in the show/newspaper.

HOWEVER! If you are not in the same positon as me, it doesn't mean work experience is going to be impossible for you to get!

MY TOP TIPS FOR GAINING WORK EXPERIENCE:

1) START LOOKING EARLY - Do your research. What field of work experience do you want to do? Do any particular companies offer this? It's also better to apply early or arrange something months in advance so it's 100% definite.

2) DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK - Do you know anyone in this field of work? Do you have their contact details? If so send them a polite email and ask if they can help you out at all. It's the same when it comes to companies / newspapers etc...

3) KEEP YOUR CV UP TO DATE - Most placements will ask for a covering letter and a CV, so make sure yours is ready and up to date with the correct details, highest attained education and make sure your profile still reflects who you are as a person.

4) KEEP TRACK - Of the placements you've applied for, their closing dates, and when they've said you'll hear from them by. This way you can chase up placements easily and organise them around your day to day life.

5) DRESS FOR THE JOB - You wouldn't turn up for a job interview in tracksuit bottoms, so treat work experience with the same attitude. If you're in an office - go smart casual. If you're with a film crew in the middle of a field for a week - you may want some wellies. All I'd say is make sure you always have comfortable shoes - in TV and journalism, you're on your feet A LOT, so comfy shoes are a must have!

THE SECRET WEAPON - TWITTER - I cannot express enough how many companies use Twitter to advertise jobs and work experience, to name a few (TV and Journalism): ProductionBase, SkillsetSSC, theunitlist, 4Talent, Colin4Talent, and many many more. Use Twitter to network and be in the know by following celebrities, newspapers and magazines, it'll save you a lot of leg work when it comes to research! 

To conclude, I started looking for work experience for June 2011 in March/April 2011, and doing the research and pestering early has really paid off and meant I've been able to line up a few things for throughout the year, with time off in-between. Gaining work experience is an excellent way to taster some careers you're thinking of going into before going to uni, and arguably, makes you a more experienced and well rounded person than those who have not gained any. 

Personally I feel it is under rated and more people should be willing to give it a try - SO GET OUT THERE! It could lead you into something much bigger than you were expecting...

Apologies for the lack of posts!

Recently I have been extremely busy taking part in lots of work experience to try and figure out what career path I wish to follow. Thus my blog was pushed to the back burner, but not anymore!

My Daily Fix shall be back on track as from today :)

Wicked - Apollo Victoria

I recently treated my manfriend and I to see Wicked at the Apollo Victoria, and having see it before in 2008, held high expectations for the performance.

And boy did they deliver! It hadn't changed a bit which made me love it even more. The staging is simple yet blows you away with how they're able to move the scene so quickly from one place to another, yet make each place look different. With special effects including Glinda's bubble, rain and the Wizard's mask, each helps make the story come to life and immerse you within it.

The storyline is amazing, and really explores the characters of the Witches in more detail than the Wizard of Oz does, but it's the actresses' voices that really help make it. We were all the way back in circle row R but the power of their voices still manages to hit you, and give you goosebumps! 

It is a must see musical for anyone visiting London, and I rate it above the Lion King - another amazing performance. 

Tickets range from around £20 to the pricer £80 (for better closer seats), and it is worth every penny! 

Valentino's Restaurant - Islington

I recently completed two weeks work experience up in Islington with Leopard Films, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but what really hit me is what a nice area Angel is.

Now, I hold up my hands and admit I am a foody, I watch what I eat, but I love food, especially cooking it and trying new things.

So deciding what to have for lunch in Angel took forever! They of course had the expected favourites including Pizza Express and Miso, but this small yet modest cafe really caught my eye.

Every morning I would walk past and the smell of Bacon and warm bread would hit me full on in the face, and despite my big breakfast, my tummy would rumble in want, eyeing up the pasta dishes glistening with parmesan cheese.  

Finally, on my last day there I decided to check it out, and for £5.30 bought a huge tub of take away pasta and a can of coke.

If you're ever in Angel I highly recommend Valentino's, for the money I paid the amount of pasta I got was enough for lunch and dinner - and I was starving that day. The amount of choice they offer is outstanding (different pasta dishes, sandwiches, jacket potatoes, paninis), and with friendly staff and delicious food it is the perfect place for a good quality lunch. 

Valention's you made me one satisfied customer! 

Cher Lloyd releases single - brace yourselves...

Ok, firstly I would like to comment that I am glad to see Cher Lloyd looking a little less erm 'ill looking' in her new single than she did whilst appearing on the X Factor, which is a good thing.

However, I am disappointed to see her looking so mainstream! 

I appreciated her for her unique attitude and take on fashion, but this has just been developed into tacky looking huge 'gold' hoop earrings, and bigger and bigger hair.

Personally, I feel that yes the single is catchy, but for all the wrong reasons! I mean really:

You can't stop looking me, staring at me
Be what I be, you can't stop looking at me
So get off of my face,
You can't stop clickin 'bout me
Writin' 'bout me, tweeting 'bout me,
I can't stop, it's what I gon' be,
My swagger's in check

Nothing like blowing your own trumpet, I mean who has really thought about her since X Factor? My point exactly...

I'm glad she's doing what she loves but I'm afraid her annoying over animated videos and odd rapping / singing may start to grate on my ear drums.

I guess we shall just have to see if this is another short lived X Factor dream... 

I can only hope she proves me wrong, and only then I shall hold my hands up.

Kung Fu Panda 2 - Review

The Dragon Warrior and Furious Five are back to kick more butt and save Kung Fu from the evil clutches of Lord Shen and his cannon (no pun intended).

I absolutely LOVED the first Kung Fu Panda, usually Jack Black can over do the erm 'epicness' (such as in Tenacious D In The Pick Of Destiny) but I found him to play Po well and bring his sense of humour to the character. 

This film has a lot more depth to it than the first, with the discovery that Po's goose father, is not his real father (shock horror, I know!) With this leaving Po on a journey of self discovery whilst also trying to defeat the evil Lord Shen from taking over China, the film is a lot more emotional and even has Tigress giving Po a hug!

I also ADORE little baby Po from his flashbacks and memories, I've never seen something so cute!

The films ending also hints at a possible Kung Fu Panda 3, with a shot of Po's real father stating "My son is alive" in a group of Pandas, suggesting Po's journey of self discovery has only really just begun.

With even more butt kicking and Ku Fu action than the first film, and the added wolf and gorilla villains this is definitely one to see and a film the whole family can enjoy together.  

Alton Towers Resort - Review

For my 'get away' this year and as a celebration of my exams FINALLY being over, me and the manfriend took a trip to Alton Towers Resort for two days!

Now, as a keen goer to Thorpe Park (thanks to an annual pass), I had high expectations for the rides to up the anti a bit, and I can happily say my expectations were definitely met!  

Ripsaw (above) I'll admit churned my stomach a little! But my favourites had to include Air where you literally feel like you're flying, Oblivion which has an amazing vertical drop, and Nemesis which is much more thrilling than the one at Thorpe Park!

They also offer a good deal on ride photos - 5 for £20, so when you take into account they're £8 each and there's so many rides to have photos taken on, it's a pretty good deal!

Food, toilets, and entertainment are all easily accessible around the park, and once you've walked around once it's pretty easy to find your bearings and not get lost!

The hotel was also lovely, with beautiful gardens to relax in after a hard day of rides, and good food and drink on offer for reasonable prices. 

The room came with a good sized bathroom, TV, and was spacious enough to feel at home in. Hotel guests also get the park and rides to themselves between 9am-10am, which was a nice touch and meant we could enjoy the more popular rides before everyone else.

Personally, I rate Alton Towers above Thorpe Park. Due to it being a bigger park you get a lot more breathing space meaning you're not constantly surrounded by people. They've also kept a lot of the gardens as they are and built the rides away from them, meaning it's a lot more aesthetically pleasing.

The only thing I would advice is to drive there as it's a bit of a trek on trains / tube, and the bus service isn't very reliable from Uttoxeter station (there wasn't even a timetable up).

I would also advice making it a two day trip due to the parks size and the large amount of rides they have on offer, although fast track also helped with this and allowed us to avoid tedious hours of queuing!    

Overall it was an exciting trip and the resort had everything we could have wanted or needed, definitely a trip suitable for a adventurous couple get away, or a nice family day out!  

Foodies Festival '11

On the 30th May myself and the manfriend attended the Foodies Festival at Hampton Court thanks to being offered some free tickets, and being a food lover myself, I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a day of tasting and stuffing yourself!

Although the day started with a slight wait for a cash machine (which also charged you £2.50 for withdrawals) the festival offered something for everyone's taste, including wine, cheese, fudge, chocolate, coffee, ice cream, and tea. 

There was also a choice of foods from around the globe including Jamaican, Japanese, Spanish, or of course your good old British burger. 

Although personally I felt the free samples were slightly lacking, there was the opportunity to sample some food and drink, and of course special offers from retailers to tempt you into a sale.

The highlight of the day had to be the Hog on a spit! It was the most popular stall close to lunchtime, but well worth the wait. For £5.50 you could get a ciabatta, with apple sauce, pork and even crackling meaning one word - NOM!

My other favourite tasters had to be the cocktails, ice cream and cupcakes (which had various stalls around the event) all offering something different, it was hard to decide what to have and definitely sent the taste buds tingling!

The atmosphere was also nicely set with the feature of a live band who were very entertaining, and the sun eventually breaking through the clouds to make us all regret having layered up for the rain!

 I'd highly recommend the Foodies Festival to anyone who wants a relaxed day out in London. It wasn't too busy or the area too big, so you could easily navigate yourself around without fear of getting lost. It also allows you to be adventurous and try new foods, whilst also supplying the old favourites. 

For £25 a ticket (which is valid on all three days) and under 16's getting in for free when accompanied by an adult, it's something the whole family can enjoy and something different to do up in the City.

Forgive me...

But I shall not be posting on here for a while due to revision for A level exams :(

I don't want to rush my posts and blog stuff for the sake of it, so once my exams are over I can and will fully dedicate and put my all into my blog :)

So keep an eye out!

AHOY ME HEARTIES! - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

So straight to the point, the question on everyone's lips is - have Disney taken it too far by bringing out a fourth Pirates film?

My answer: definitely not

BUT

I'll admit it didn't blow me away. It carried on the same Pirate jokes of precious rum and Jack Sparrow's odd sense of humour which we love Pirates for, however...

I felt the storyline was a tad predictable at times, and halfway through Jack seemed to loose his oomph and fade into the background, before finding it again nearing the end, a bit out of character for him. 

Then again, the storyline was a lot easier to follow than At World's End and also introduced the more interesting characters of mermaids, zombies and Blackbeard, which added a nice touch of fantasy into the mix of swashbuckles and ARGHHS!

It was also nice to have a strong female lead of Penelope Cruz as Angelica when compared to Elizabeth Swan played by Keira Knightley. Although I love her as an actress, I felt Elizabeth didn't develop well as a character and had run her course, as had Will Turner (which explains why they didn't star in this film).

The only thing I feel Disney have milked would be the character of Barbossa. He started as a pirate, then was killed by Jack Sparrow, only to be brought back alive to help find Sparrow, and then ends up in the King's Royal Navy, but by the end of Pirates 4 (spoiler alert!) is back to being a pirate!? Can't a man retire these days?

Anyhoo, it's an enjoyable watch that'll make you laugh and has definitely kept the Pirate's of the Caribbean spirit alive, I'm just not sure whether Disney should think about making a fifth...

Plus size model to star in H&M campaign

H&M's last campaign featured size 6 model Gisele Bundchen (below)

So it's refreshing to see for their new campaign 'Big is Beautiful' they've decided on size 18-20 model Tara Lynn (below) proudly showing off her curves.

I believe it's about time stores took a stand against the stereotypes found in the modelling industry, and campaigned for the use of models with fuller figures - REAL women! 

Obviously this campaign has been designed with the need for more fashion conscious designs when it comes to larger sizes in mind, but I would argue models should be the UK average dress size of a 14, as should shop manikins, to reflect a more real sense of body image. 

Channel 4's body confidence test done by the public found 45.3% of women and 23.9% of men often felt pressure from magazines and TV to have a perfect body and 41% of women agreed they rarely felt proud of their appearance, not exactly amazing results...

It's time we took Aunty Gok's advice and started loving what we've got! 

Teenagers have enough to worry about - exams, revision, weekend jobs, relationships, new experiences, being skint - to then have not feeling comfortable in your own skin on top of that as well.

H&M's campaign gets 5 stars from me, and lets hope other stores follow suit.

Time to get chinwagging...

Blogger deleted my old blog so I hope this isn't on here twice...

Anyhoo...

I'm an aspiring journalist and love writing so when my manfriend suggested setting up a blog I thought why not as it means I have something I can regularly write on and practise my writing skills :)

So here I am

Gimme sometime to get used to the site and I'll be posting in no time!

Just to warn you...