Crunching through the recession at Winter Wonderland

Sales at Winter Wonderland in London's festive Hyde Park are up by 30% from last year despite the credit crunch.

Over half a million people have already visited the festive event; Winter Wonderland spokesman Jo Murray talks about the possible reasons behind their success during the financial crisis.

“We are a cheap attraction compared to other London events – it’s free entry and you only have to pay to go ice-skating... In a weird kind of way the credit crunch has actually helped us.”

The free admission for Winter Wonderland is certainly an attraction, as are the German Christmas market, the outdoor skating rink and traditional rides such as the helter skelter, teacups and the haunted mansion. A newer attraction is the 60m observation wheel, which has been compared to the London Eye.

The cost of the attractions has been held at 2007 rates with special children’s prices starting at £2 being introduced this season.

Trainee lawyer Rebecca Norris, 22, has been visiting Winter Wonderland for years and discusses the changes that she has noticed this year.

“It seems that there are more people, especially foreign tourists and there are more attractions than there were last year. The festive spirit seems unaffected by the economic conditions and that may be because people want to escape into their own Winter Wonderland.”

This Christmas, as the industries struggle through the credit crunch, the only crunching that Winter Wonderland will be hearing are the sounds of the snow beneath their customers’ shoes.

This festive event in Hyde Park is open from 10am-10pm every day except Christmas day and New Year's Day until 4 January 2009. To book tickets for the ice rink or observation wheel, call 0844 847 1771.

Tube Etiquette

This is the last of my tube features series. Enjoy!

Tube Etiquette

1.) Do not eat smelly food on the tube, and if you absolutely have to, don't forget to take the remains with you. No-one wants to sit in samosas.

2.) Don't drink alcohol on the tube. This isn't just about manners, it's also a law.

3.) If you are drunk on the tube, do not start shouting at other tube riders.

4.) Try not to burp or fart.

5.) Smile. It won't kill anyone if you smile when on the tube, in fact it might just brighten up someone's day.

6.) Don't breathe over passengers, however cramped the conditions. Especially if you haven't brushed your teeth in a while.

7.) Don't bosh people round the head/legs with your oversized bag or rucksack.

8.) Always make room for others to sit down, i.e., move your bag off the seat next to you if you see someone standing.

9.) ALWAYS give your seat up for the elderly or disabled. Now that's just common sense.

10.) Oh, and if you are a man, it couldn't hurt to give your seat up for a woman. It's not sexist, it's courteous and polite.

Find your Inner Calm this Christmas

Inner calm, improved motivation and concentration, better mood control and heightened senses. Sounds good doesn’t it? And you don’t even need to take any mind or mood altering substances. Your body is a temple of untapped resources.

The ancient art of meditation is a powerful tool that can help any stressed out woman as she tries to create the perfect Christmas. Meditation can aid you in ways you may not have thought possible.

Forty-year-old Jean Lawrence from Northamptonshire has always found this time of year particularly stressful:

“In my house at this time of year I have to cook for 15 people, wrap all the presents, fill the kids’ stockings and turn a blind eye to family politics. Christmas used to be a stressful and unpleasant event that I had come to dread.”

Last year however, Jean decided to take matters into her own hands and completed a short meditation course in the run up to Christmas and as a result had a calm and stress-free Christmas. Well, apart from the hangover on Boxing Day of course!

Women all over the Western world will be pulling their hair out come 25th December. You can imagine the scene.

Excitedly torn wrapping paper is carelessly strewn around the kitchen floor and the table is still not set. You’ve just missed the Queen’s speech on TV that you’ve been looking forward to for oh I don’t know how long. The Yorkshire pud is still in the oven and the beans and carrots are simmering, but now the roast pork is overdone and the crackling is looking more like burnt bacon than the juicy pieces you had envisaged.

Meditation helps

Now imagine this. You wake up on Christmas morning before little Sally, Mandy and Harry wake you up. You sit cross-legged by the window with the perfect antidote to Christmas stress, and clear your mind of mince pies, cooking, and stockings.

You feel and experience your breathing, and when your mind starts to wonder away into a thought, you notice it float by but release the mind from the thought and continue to focus on your breathing and bodily sensations.

The idea is that every time your mind comes back to the breath, your mindfulness increases. This is called breath-based meditation but there are plenty of other types if you don’t feel this would be suited to you.

Now when the children come bouncing buoyantly into your room on Christmas day you feel calm, serene and ready to face – and enjoy – the day. If you feel yourself getting frazzled later on, just take another ten minutes to meditate and empty your mind and that cloudless sky will be yours again in no time at all.

This time when Aunt Sally has one too many sherries and starts flirting with your husband, you will be armed with your new mindfulness. You will be able to see any negative thoughts that may arise from this situation standing like dominoes on a conveyor belt.

Armed with your meditative tools, you will merely view the floating domino-like thoughts and let them pass. Perhaps you will then take a further two minutes to yourself to regain your meditative stance by doing some deep breathing and abdominal exercises.

In the past you may have jumped onto the conveyor belt and joined all those domino-like negative thoughts until they escalated into a messy heap on the floor of your mind.

Different types of meditation

You do not need to be a meditation expert to benefit from this practice. There is more than one method to the practice although they all have the same aim of focusing on the present.

Breath-based meditation (see above) is when you observe the rise and fall of the breath in a controlled manner. Or you could use tools such as a candle where you observe and focus on the flame.

Mantra meditation focuses on a specific word or sound and is similar to visualization meditation. This is where you use images to still the mind.

A popular visualization is the ‘golden flower’ mediation, where you visualize light filling your body from head to toe and imagine darkness filling your body when you breathe out.

Meditation benefits

There are more benefits to meditation though than feeling slightly less frazzled during the festive holidays. Several studies have demonstrated that subjects who meditate for as little as ten minutes a day show decreased anxiety and a significant increase in alpha waves (relaxed brainwaves).

On a more physiological side, Harvard Medical School found meditation activates the part of the brain in charge of the automatic nervous system, which controls functions such as digestion and blood pressure that can be compromised by stress.

Controlling these bodily functions through the mind could help ward off stress-related conditions such as digestive problems, infertility and heart disease.

Meditation can also relieve symptoms of panic attacks, pain and depression. Emotions that are partnered with these mental health problems are in the mind, not the body. Grief is mostly memory, sense of loss and abandonment.

These are concepts based on what has happened to you in the past. If you can meditate and bring yourself back to the present moment, the sensations of pain or grief are not nearly as strong.

Swami Vishnu-Devanda, a Sivananda meditation expert and teacher says that yoga and meditation can “help to balance, harmonise and strengthen the body, mind and soul. It shows the way to perfect health, mind control, and perfect peace with one’s self and the world.”

Sivananda yoga and meditation centers can be found throughout the world, visit www.sivananda.org for details of meditation classes and courses.

So book yourself in and have yourself a merry – and calm – little Christmas this year using the tools of meditation to help both your body and mind cope with the stresses that this festive time of year can all too often bring.

Ireland: This little piggy went off the market

Tonight fears have been publicized that there is a strong possibility that contaminated Irish pork may have reached markets in over 20 countries.

On Saturday families were warned to avoid all pork. Which brands to avoid however, were not addressed.

The warning came from the Food Standards Agency, who had discovered cancer-causing chemicals in Irish pigs.

Families all over the UK will now be checking their packets of sausages, salamis and hams for the whereabouts of their potentially life-threatening pork.

One type of meal you may want to avoid is the ready-meal as this genre of 'easy dinners' do not state where possible pork contents originate from.

A Food Standards Agency spokesman says, “We’re going as fast as we can to get a list”, reports The Mirror.

Where, When and How

A large selection of Irish pigs were supposedly infected by their breaded farm feed that had not been depacketed.

The pigs munched down the loaves of bread that were still wrapped in plastic. The supplier recycles dough and bread as animal food.

Contaminations were revealed when test results on Irish pigs displayed up to 200 times the normal and safe level of dioxins. Dioxin is a dangerous chemical that can cause cancer.

Police are focusing on one mill located in the Irish republic which cannot be named for legal reasons.

Worryingly, the mill is said to have supplied up to 10 pig farms in the Republic and nine in Northern Ireland, according to The Mirror.

Tube Praise

Following my first blogish feature tube rant, my second London tube feature will be doing quite the opposite.

I decided to look on the sunnier side of commuting life and have compiled a cheery list of the tube's more positive features:

1.) The tube transports you from A to B. Quickly.

2.) It's quite cheap (providing you have an oyster card).

3.) Taking the tube is both quicker and cheaper than driving.

4.) The London Underground tube map is colour coded and easy to use.

5.) The London Underground isn't all doom and gloom; 55% of the network is above the ground.

6.) At New Year and other public events, the tube runs 24 hours a day.

7.) Transport For London staff have your best interests at heart; throughout the year they continue to tell customers to 'please mind the gap', and on the hotter days of the summer, announcements are made to remind people to stay hydrated and cool.

8.) Buskers frequent the platforms, tube carriages and escalator areas across London and can add music, joy and vibrance to the commuter's day.

9.) Short poems are often printed inside tube carriages, making for a literary and rhythmic journey. The Underground sponsers both Poems on the Underground and Platform for Art projects.

10.) Our Underground is the longest metro system in the world. There is 400km of track, and is one of the most used travel systems internationally.

Next week please tune in again for the last of my tripartite tube series.

Britney: For The Record

At 8pm tonight millions of viewers around the UK will have tuned in to Sky One to see the exclusive candid interview and documentary featuring superstar Britney Spears.

The aim of this documentary, in Britney's words, is to "let the public see the real me". Britney wants us to see her life as it really is away from the cameras.

However, as we discover, there is no life for her away from the cameras. Britney Spears is always being hounded by the paparazzi and says that there are often as many as fifty paparazzos outside her house.

She tells her interviewer she feels trapped and as though she is in a live prison all the time. Her jailors are her team who are constantly surrounding her.

Because Britney now has to check in with pyschoanalysts and various other people at least once a day now, she tells us that everything is now too structured and that her life severely lacks any spontaneity.

Impressions

Britney comes across as a mentally stable woman who is in control of herself, although maybe not her life decisions.

Parts of the interview made for uncomfortable viewing. Britney speaks tearfully about how she has found herself again and is very happy to be performing and singing again.

Britney is however clearly very unhappy, and tells her interviewer how difficult she can find life:

"I just cope with it every day....It's better not to feel anything at all and have hope than to feel the other way . . . It's bad. I'm sad."

The Breakdown

When asked about her breakdown and the possible causes, the singer says that she was surrounded by many 'bad people' who took advantage of her money and status.

Exactly what she means by 'bad people' isn't specified, but Britney does elaborate on how these people were a catalyst in her mental breakdown:

"My trust has really been battered . . . Sometimes it can get kinda lonely . . . I had totally lost my way. I lost focus. I lost myself. I let certain people into my life that were just bad people. . .I really paid the consequences for that."

According to Britney her current team are 'good people', who just want to see her succeed.

Personally, I think that Britney Spears needs a long break away from the spotlight. Unfortunately though there are too many people are making huge amounts of money off this vulnerable young woman, who has now turned into a worldwide commodity.

Break-ups and tears

Ms. Spears also spoke out about her notorious break up with pop singer Justin Timberlake,

"With Justin, he was a part of the magnitude of what I had become. So when he was gone I was like, What am I supposed to do with myself? I was devastated [by the breakup] but I handled it a lot better than the [split] with Kevin."

Britney went on to discuss her recent divorce with Kevin Federline:

"He [Kevin] started to do an album for himself and he started to do things for himself, and I just never saw him anymore . . . When it ended I felt so alone. I didn't really wanna think about the reality of it. I never faced it . . . I just ran."

Britney Spears is clearly a strong woman who has been through a lot of life stresses and traumas.

However, at the same time you can't help but feel that she is also incredibly fragile and easily influenced.

You can view a live preformance of Britney's new single 'Womanizer' below:

Boris Johnson cuts congestion charge

Following my previous blog/rant about public transport, I am pleased to hear that Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced that he is to scrap the western extension of the congestion charge.

The Mayor stood on a soap box in Portobello Road yesterday and told residents and market traders that the £8 per day charge is to be stopped.

The Evening Standard report him saying to the 'cheers from residents and market traders': "The people of London have spoken and we have listened."

Mr Johnson's decision to put an end to the congestion charge in the West end follows evidence that the imposed charge failed to reduce congestion.

Many market traders, such as those residing in Portobello Road have been affected negatively by the congestion charge as it has stopped their regualar customers entering the area.

Boris Johnson took a dig at the former London Mayor - The Evening Standard reports:

“We could have ignored the data like the last Mayor but we will not do that. I want to remove this tax by 2010 and hopefully before. It will be great for this part of London which is already struggling and it is absolutely the right thing to do, especially from an economical point of view.”

As of 2010, the congestion-charge zone will no longer include Kensington, Chelsea, Belgravia, Pimlico and Bayswater.

The original congestion-charge zone by Edgware Road and Park Lane will continue as before.

Tube Rant

I spend far too much of my time travelling on the tube. During these unfotunate times, I have discovered a great many (too many) grievances. You may be able to relate to a few if you live in London:

1. Over-crowded tubes. If you can actually squeeze yourself into a carriage, you find yourself pressed against one or more strangers, head tilted upwards to try gasping for oxygen.
   
   
2. When pressed against said stranger, it doesn't help if she/he/it has (a.) bad breath (b.) bodily odours (and I ain't talking flowers).
   
   
3. When a tube is so overcrowded it can't squeeze you in. I know I have just ranted about squashed carriages, but when you're running late you don't care how crammed that carriage is.
   
   
4. People with bags. A lady carrying a large handbag may not realise that the square area of her handbag is actually the equivalent to a large baby. Similarly, men's briefcases are often on my leg-knocking offenders' list. I think the worst genre of bag offenders would have to be the backpack carriers. They dosh you round the face on the tube, but don't even realise and just keep on walking on in their blissful backpack ignorance. Don't even get me started on suitcases in rush hour.
   
   
5. Eating smelly food on the tube. 'Please don't eat smelly food' signs are there for a reason people.
   
   
6. Listening to your iPod with earphones that could well be speakerphones.
   
   
7. Talking at a high decibel on your mobile phone. Yes, thank-you Shelley, we didn't all need to know that your boyfriend dumped you last night while you were out on the piss.
   
   
8. Drunken louts at night. Especially if they start flirting/talking to you.
   
   
9. Over-zealous couples.
   
   
10. Delayed tubes. An obvious negative, but frustrating and unavoidable all the same.
    
    
11. Getting stuck in a tunnel for a prolonged period of time, especially if it's
    crowded (please see 1 and 2).
    
    
12. Obese people who take up more than one seat on the tube. It's just selfish really.
    
    
13. Farting. Yes it happens. The culprits are often silent farters whose fartish smells then proceed to fill the whole carriage. Beware if you are standing next to one of these culprits; people may think the smell originates from yourself.

I'm sure I could think of many more, in fact I probably will when I catch my favourite mode of transport again tomorrow.

In the meantime I am actually turning this tube 'rant' into a three week feature. Each week I will write about tube related topics.

Next week please the next tube-blog for Tube Praise.

Alistair not a Darling to high earners

Chancellor Alistair Darling is to announce a new top rate of tax of 45 per cent. This will apply to high earners of £150,000 or more.

The new rate will come into play after the next general election and will affect nearly 300,000 people, while raising about £1.2 billion.

Today, in another attempt to help the economy, Mr Darling cut VAT from 17.5 per cent to 15.

The Times however reported David Cameron saying that he could not see the long term benefit of these plans: "I think people are going to be shocked when they see the extent of government borrowing."

One possible concern that could derive from the Chancellor's decisions to stimulate the economy is that we may forget the original reasons behind the financial crisis in the UK.

Bankers, policymakers and regualtors have failed the system and this year, we have all had to pay the price.

Let us not forget that the reason we are undergoing a credit crunch is because of these groups of people mentioned above, despite the actions Alistair Darling may take to manage and control the economy.

Theatre Review: The Mask of Zorro

The Mask of Zorro may conjure up images of Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones for some. For me it now conjures up colourful images of peasant girls and men dancing and singing songs on stage.

Yes, that's right - I saw The Mask of Zorro musical at the Garrick theatre in London and loved it.

Interestingly The Mask of Zorro combines its story with songs from The Gipsy Kings, and surprisingly, the result is a fantastic musical with a real Spanish flair.

The musical has lively opening scene comprising of tap dancing and Spanish singing (Gipsy Kings of course). The scene ends with an impressive 'Z' zigzagging its way across the stage in flames, and is reminiscent of the film's same inflamed letter striking its way through the Spanish mountains.

The costumes are colourful and bright, and the two tier stage is successfully employed throughout the show.

The cast gave everything they possibly could to the performance, and this came across in the songs and Spanish dances.

This show is incredibly upbeat and lively and I left wanting to go salsa dancing in Spain! In these depressing times of the credit crunch, this energetic and positive cast is exactly what every Londoner needs.

Rating: 10/10

Below you can view a video of The Gipsy Kings singing live:

Childhood Reading

My love affair with books began with Beatrix Potter and her furry little animal friends.

Jemima Puddle-Duck often waddled across my thoughts, while I worried that naughty Peter Rabbit would eventually be punished for all those home-grown cabbages he used to munch on.

I later learned the jolly delights that Enid Blyton had in store. I longed to join Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy the dog on their adventurous escapades in The Famous Five.

I secretly used to reread the parts when they all went on picnics. Anne's mother would pack them mouth-watering hamper-baskets of picnic food and I loved reading the descriptions of those delectable delights!

The Secret Seven and The Faraway Tree were also a couple of the well-thumbed books that adorned my little bookshelf as a child.

My best friend and I even invented a club called 'The Secret Two' in an attempt to emmulate our favourite ficticious characters. We had stickers, badges and even a secret language! It used to drive my poor nanny crazy.

Favourite books from The Times

Yesterday an assortment of Times writers chose the children's fiction works that most inspired them when they were younger.

Caitlin Moran: The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis
Ben Macintyre: Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
Erica Wagner: A Wizard of Earthsea, by Ursula K. Le Guin
David Aaronovitch: The Bombard, by Henry Treece
Matthew Purdis: Pookie, by Ivy Wallace
Libby Purves: Moonfleet, by J.Meade Falkner
Carol Midgley: The Wishing Chair, by Enid Blyton
Simon Barnes: The Jungle Book, by Rudyard Kipling
Daniel Finkelstein: Winnie-the-Pooh, by A.A.Milne

What were your favourite books as a child? How will the children of the next generation answer to this question? Harry Potter I imagine.

Or perhaps they will only remember DVDs and computer games. Unfortunately I envisage High School Musical to become a notorious children's staple.

Books are BACK!

The Times revealed today that they are launching a Books for Schools campaign as of January 2009.

Schools that are registered on the new program will be able to claim hundreds of complimentary books. All they need to do is collect and send off tokens from The Times.

In this increasingly technological age, it is almost innovative yet modernist bring back the book.

As The Times wisely say: "Reading is still the basis of education and the beginning of wisdom...The books read at school are a pathway to the stars."

There are countless reasons why people love books so much. A few of these are:

1.) A shelf full of books can come to be an old friend and you grow attached to what each books means to you.

2.) There is nothing better on a cold dark Winter's night than snuggling up by a toasty fire with a good book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.

3.) You can take a book anywhere; the beach, bed, the tube or bus, the bathroom...

4.) AND you don't need to plug it in, log on to anything, or recharge. Once a book is bought, it's your trusty wireless friend for life!

5.) Reading can make you a more interesting and knowledgable person (depending on what you read of course!)

Digital Book 'Kindle' does not kindle the love

In November 2007 a new digital reader from online bookseller Amazon was launched.

It was a fairly unsuccessful attempt to do for reading what iPod did for the music record industry.

This awful device can wirelessly download a book in less than 60 seconds and store up to 200 volumes. It costs a hefty £238.

Apparently it is gentle on the eyes as there is no backlighting. Ink particles are electronically activated and so give the screen the same quality as ink on paper (apparently).

It offers access to 90,000 books, 11 daily newspapers, Wikipedia and internet blogs.

On (digitally enhanced) paper, a great idea. Charlie Tritschler, head of the Kindle project certainly thinks so. The Times report Tritschler saying that the name Kindle came from the “concept of kindling the love of reading”.

Book or digital screen?

If I wanted to kindle or even rekindle my love of reading I would go and sink myself down into the cushy corduroy beanbags at Waterstones with a big pile of books.

I would not go and buy some spangly device that looks like a 'chunky calculator' and start trying to download books - which, by the by, you still have to pay for.

I do understand though that a huge positive to 'Kindle' is the 'save the planet' green factor. By using digital books we would need to chop down less trees for paper.

In my opinion though, the day we start reading book on screens rather than hardback because it saves paper is the day the world goes crazy and we all start using hairdryers instead of toilet roll.

Books for Schools is a blessing that The Times have not disguised. Hopefully we will see more innovative ideas similar to theirs soon.

Read my blog tomorrow on children's favourite books.

Space Shuttle 'Endeavour' takes off

Last night the 'Endeavour' space shuttle in the USA launched into space on its mission for 2008.

The BBC report that it is to carry cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).

The shuttle took off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and is also to drop off astronaut Sandra Magnus, as well as taking new equipment for six of the crew at the ISS.

There are to be four spacewalks on this two week flight, so that crew members can work on the space station's solar power system.

The ISS is to receive home improvement

The ISS is to receive home improvement; the crew will install new living quaters with an added bathroom and a galley, according to James Morgan from BBC News.

The crew are also to have two new dormitaries and more exercise clothing.

NASA is planning to increase the station's crew size from three to six in May 2009.

The BBC report that Endeavour crew member, Sandra Magnus has commented that:

"With six people, you really do need to have a two-bathroom house. It's a lot more convenient and a lot more efficient."

Also amongst the cargo that is being transferred is a very heavy water system.

On Earth this refrigerator-sized equipment needs a forklift to lift them. In space however, an astronaut can move them around with little problem.

BBC Online report that Endeavour and its crew are to due to land back at Kennedy on 30 November.

You can see a video of the Endeavour launch last night below:

Conservative MP says God must decide when we die

Conservative MP Mark Field has controversially spoken out about the recent death of 23-year old rugby player Daniel James.

He criticised comments that Daniel’s parents had made saying their son was a ‘second class citizen’ because he had been paralysed.

These comments were made just days after Daniel James had taken his life at the ‘Dignitas’ clinic in Switzerland.

At the House of Commons this Wednesday, Mr Field said that: ““The notion of a second class citizen is very dangerous as it implies that some lives are more valuable than others. There is a huge lack of common sense shown here.”

Mark Field questioned our rights to take our own lives and to be assisted in doing so, “The decision should be made by a higher unearthly power.”

The debate in The House of Commons on assisted suicide followed from the recent decision by the court not to change the law regarding assisted suicide.

The issue of Debbie Purdy

This issue has been brought into the media light by multiple-sclerosis sufferer Debbie Purdy who is also terminally ill.

Ms. Purdy wishes to take her life at the ‘Dignitas’ clinic in Switzerland, with the assistance of her husband, Omar Puente.

However, she wants to do so safe in the knowledge that her husband will not prosecuted for his assistance on his return to the UK. The law as it stands is a possible 14 years imprisonment for assisted suicide.

The notion of a second class citizen because of disability or terminal illnesses is not uncommon.

The implications made by this notion are dangerous and could be abusive to vulnerable people.

The House of Commons on Wednesday were strongly divided in their arguments with regard to assisted suicide and no conclusions were made.

However, everyone agreed that the issue must be discussed further in government time and new laws on the matter need to be drawn up.

Visit to The House of Commons: Debate on Assisted Dying

Photo courtesy of Marriane Halavage

Today my fellow aspiring journalist friend Marriane Halavage and I went to The House of Commons to sit in on a debate about assisted dying.

Debbie Purdy, multiple-sclerosis sufferer who has recently been in the public eye due to her court procedures regarding assisted suicide, was present and sitting in the front row of the public gallery.

She did not however take part in the debate, and was assisted at all times by the MD of 'Diginity in Dying'.

Many different opinions were expressed and well argued throughout the debate.

Interestingly members from the same political parties strongly disagreed with each other.

My stance on assisted suicide remained the same after listening to the debate, if not actually making it even stronger.

My student-journo friend Marianne also stuck to her view on the subject although interestingly we both had completely different opinions on the matter.

Assisted Dying - Do you agree or disagree?

My gut instinct on somebody helping or assisting their loved one in killing themselves is an automatic 'no'.

Firstly, I don't agree that you should drag your loved ones into a sorry mess like this. Surely it would just impinge on their mental health once you have gone.

Also, in today's day and age there is plenty one can do if you are literally losing the will to live, even if you are disabled or terminally ill.

Going to death clinics such as 'Dignitias' in Switzerland, which is where Debbie Purdy plans to go, does not need to become a popular option and hopefully never will.

During the debate, Brian Idon from ‘Care not Killing’ quoted that 1 out 6 people who have been given lethal drugs by their doctors were suffering from undiagnosed depression.

Idon also quoted Lord Carlyle, who said that we fear being a burden to others when we are terminally ill or disabled.

He was not the only one to comment that the organisation Voluntary Euthanasia’ prey on this fear through rhetoric by changing their name to ‘Dignity in Dying’.

The name Dignity in Dying suggests euthansia is a dignified and even brave way to go. However, commiting suicide should not be applauded as brave and courageous.

Mary Wakefield from The Spectator has written a great, short and concise blog on this subject and I must say that I completely agree with all that she says. You can see her blog here.

Please see my next blog for a formal review of one Tory MP's arguement in the debate.

Baby P died unheard, unloved and abused

Last August a toddler known as 'Baby P' died in a cot that was covered in blood after enduring horrific abuse.

At the Old Bailey today, the boyfriend of Baby P's mother and their lodger, Jason Owen, were convicted of allowing or causing his death.

Despite there being over 60 visits to the family's house, no action was taken. This is a gross misjustice and I can't believe that over 50 visits were made and no-one actually helped Baby P.

Baby P was subjected to violent abuse from his mother's boyfriend, who is said to have a penchant for violence when he was younger, and liked to kill animals.

The boy suffered over 50 injuries over eight months of abuse; Baby P died unheard, unloved and abused.

The inept Haringey Social Services

There has clearly been some very ineffective workers somewhere in the care scheme. Two days before the child died last August, a doctor failed to notice his broken ribs and back.

Baby P had been on the child protection register of Haringey social services, but remained in the family's care.

Haringey Social Services were also responsible for Victoria Climbie, a child in the bourough who died under the care of her aunt in 2000.

This case is truly shocking, and what is more shocking is that the boyfriend of Baby P's mother or the lodger involved have not been convicted of actual murder.

What is so worrying about this case is that no-one did anything to help Baby P. How many other vulnerable children are suffering silently in the UK?

Please see here for background information on the case by The Telegraph.

Climb Every Mountain...The Sound of Music

As promised, here is the verse of 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain'. Now your day is complete!

Climb Every Mountain

Climb every mountain, search high and low,
Follow every by-way, every path you know.

Climb every mountain, ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream!

A dream that will need all the love you can give,
Every day of your life for as long as you live.

Climb every mountain, ford ev'ry stream,
Follow every rainbow, till you find your dream!

* Lyrics by Oscar Harmmerstin II
Music by Richard Rodgers

The video below is a clip taken from the current London theatrical version of The Sound of Music:

Theatre Review: The Sound of Music

My little sister loves The Sound of Music. Once upon a time a favourite of mine also, I happily agreed to watch the musical at the London Palladium Theatre in the West End (Argyll Street).

However, before the matinee performance I woke up full of skeptism. Why had I thought spending my Saturday afternoon seeing some kids musical was such a great idea?

Once in the dreaded theatre we sat down and I tried my best not to be too Scrooge-like about the whole blessed event.

The first scene saw stage filled with nuns holding fake candles. They walked around the stage and through the audience while singing shrilly.

I was already planning my early exit. The Sound of Music? More like the sound of total garbage.

However. Yes, there is a huge however to come.

As I resigned to the fate of my Saturday afternoon, the conductor caught my eye.

From this moment onwards things started to perk up. No not because he was fit, but because he was a delight to watch.

Watching the head of an orchestra elegantly and powerfully conduct its musicians can be likened to watching a graceful solo performance at the ballet.

Actually pretty good...

After the singing nuns thankfully made an exit, the story started to unfold.

My Londonised cynicism that I have grown to love (or hate?) soon thawed as I became reacquainted with my favourite childhood tale.

The stage settings and backdrops of the Austrian mountains were both realistic and beautiful.

The acting and singing were brilliant and it was easy to forget that I was only sat in the back row of a theatre in London, and not actually with the von Trapp family in Austria.

Please see the video below for the film-version Maria roaming the Austrian hills, and of course singing 'The hills are alive with the sound of music'.



Synopsis

Incase you had a deprived childhood and have not seen the film of The Sound of Music, let me quickly relay the plot synopsis to you.

The Sound of Music is set in Austria 1938, during the rise of the Nazi regime.

A young Austrian nun, Maria, is sent from her abbey to govern seven children from a very wealthy household nearby.

Unlike their previous governesses, the children warm to Maria. The wife of Captain von Trapp died many years ago, and since then he has not allowed any joy or music into the household.

However, Maria overwhelms him with her passion for music and his heart warms; the children are constantly singing and happy under Maria's supervision.

Captain von Trapp is a true Austrian and refuses to confrom to the Nazis' regimes. This means that the family must flee from their native country if they are to escape Nazi punishment for remaining loyal to their nationality.

Call me sentimental but...

Maria and the von Trapp family pass their time by playing, singing and simply being with each other.

In a society where many thrive on status, money and technology, it was refreshing to see the often forgotten themes of love, family and yes, music, take centre-stage during the musical.

Call me idealistic or sentimental but I think that the rural way of life of the von Trapp family would be fulfilling.

Maria is a typical example of the 1930's woman. She can sing beautifully, can make her own clothes and has strong family values.

This may sound anti-feminist but I wouldn't mind knowing how to make my own clothes or sing a song without breaking the eardrums of those around me!

Unfortunately, I am not sure how easy it would be these days to find someone like Captain von Trapp and to live in the hills of Austria with seven children just singing the days away. In fact, I'm not sure how easy it would hvae been during Maria's zeitgeist either.

Thoughts on The Sound of Music

The story held everything you would look for... Drama, excitement, politics, history, a love story and childish memories and jokes.

The song lyrics often reflect Maria's life. The governess starts off in a nunnery primarily because she wants to escape from her past life.

In becoming a nun, you automatically are part of something, even if it just a bunch of nuns. You are taken care of and in the safe knowledge that you are doing good.

When Maria finds herself in a romantic predicament with Capitain von Trapp, she escapes again to the Abbey. This time though, the Mother Abbess tells her to reutrn to the von Trapps.

Maria must face her fears and find her own path to climb. Yes, you guessed it; she must 'Climb Every Mountain' until she finds her dream! Please see my next blog for the verse and film clip of this song.

Worth seeing?

Overall, Maria was well cast in the production. In real life her name is Summer Strallen. Interestingly, Summer played herself in Hollyoaks as an actress trying to make it in the theatrical world.

The von Trapp children in the musical were all fantastic ators and sang with passion and depth.

The Saturday afternoon audience were a young bunch, and everyone seemed in a jolly mood after the play.

If you need a shot of happiness and music in your life, go and see The Sound of Music!

The musical has had reviews, with the general consensus being that it is a musical that can bring a lot of joy to the audience.

Charles Spencer from The Daily Telegraph reviewed the musical as:

"A show that restores one's faith in human nature. I left with a sprint in my step and a smile on my face... Suddenly the world seemed a brighter face."

My sentiments exactly Charles.

Rating: 10/10

* If you need a quick shot of happiness and don't have time to see the musical, here are two short and sweet film clips of the von Trapp children singing:

The family behind Obama

John McCain used Obama’s background as a negative argument towards his opponent during the campaigns, leading to the topicality of the question ‘Who is Obama?’.

In response, Obama sportingly joked that he comes from Krypton, the planet where Superman was born.

But where is Obama from? Who are his family? Every day the new president seems to have a new step-grandmother or unknown uncle popping up all over Kenya and America.

Family is incredibly important to Obama and it is a known fact that whilst he was senate, he always made an effort to be back at home with his wife and children from Thursday to Sunday each week.

Obama referred to his family in his election victory speech, and said that he loved his children ‘more than they could ever know’. He also made a loving dedication to his wife during the same speech:

"And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years … the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation’s next first lady … Michelle Obama."

The family behind Barack Obama

Barack Obama was born August 4, 1961. Obama and his wife have two children between them, Malia, 10 and Sasha, 7. Below is an interview with the Obamas - I defy you not to like them!



The President was born in Hawaii to Barack Hussein Obama from Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white American from Kansas. His parents met while studying together at the University of Hawaii, and married in 1961 and divorced in 1964, when Obama was two years old.

Obama’s father only saw his son once more on a return to Kenya before dying in a motorbike accident in 1982.

Obama was mostly brought up by his maternal grandparents. His grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, died on the eve of the Presidential election.

Ann Dunham, Obama’s mother, died of ovarian cancer in 1995.

The extended family

In an interview in 2006, Obama talked about his numerous relatives, “Michelle will tell you that when we get together for Christmas or Thanksgiving, it’s like a little mini-United Nations… I’ve got relatives who look like Bernie Mac, and I’ve got relatives who look like Margaret Thatcher.”

In Obama’s outer-immediate family, he has seven half-siblings from Kenya, all from his father’s side. Six of them are living. He also has a half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng. Maya is his mother’s daughter.

Obama’s paternal step-grandmother, Sarah Obama, lives in a Kenyan Nyang’oma Kogelo village near his other relatives. The village is 30 miles away from Kenya’s main town, Kisumu, which is next to Lake Victoria.

Sarah Obama is a member of the Luo, the third largest ethnic group in Kenya. Many of Obama’s other paternal relations are also members of this group.

Obama’s grandmother Sarah was the third wife of Obama’s grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama (1895-1979). Barack Obama has been known to call his grandmother ‘Granny Sarah’, although she is not a blood relation.

Sarah Obama speaks mostly Luo and communicates with her step-grandson with the help of an interpreter.

Obama's thrilled family in Kenya

The Evening Standard have reported that Obama's family in Kenya have said that his historic electoral victory is a "victory for the world".

Obama's relatives partied through the night. Kiran Randhawa from The Evening Standard has reported that Obama's half-brother Abongo, 51, "wept tears of joy and relief as the win was was annonunced and heard Barack thank his family for their help."

Abongo viewed the live election coverage on a portable television with his relatives in their native village.

The Evening Standard reports Abongo's brotherly pride: "I never had any doubt my brother would do this. This is a historic moment...for the entire world."

Please see the video below for coverage of Obama's family celebrating in Africa:



Sarah Obama is thrilled for her grandson

Barack Obama's grandmother, Sarah Obama, is a woman of simple means, and has always maintained that the fame and glory of her grandson would not affect her lifestyle.

The Guardian report on her uncomplicated way of living. Sarah wakes at dawn, tends her vegetables, goes to the market and then to bed.

Even on Wednesday night - election night - Sarah continued as normal with her daily routine, turning in for bed early. Other members of the family camped at her house but could not sleep for excitement.

CNN announced Obama's victory over John McCain at 7am the following morning. This time, Sarah Obama joined in all the commotion and allowed herself to be caught in the emotion of her surrounding family.

A few hours later, she expressed her emotional sentiments to The Guardian, "I don't know if I will die of happiness."

When asked if she had any advice for the new president, she said: "He should work very well globally, especially for world peace."

Joy in Kenya

Elsewhere in Kenya where people think of Obama as one of their own, The Guardian report the euphoria to have spread.

Spontaneous parties were thrown in the eastern port city of Mombasa. In Nairobi young men were marching through a slum singing: "Obama don't sleep. The struggle is still on."

President Mwai Kibaki declared today as a bank holiday in celebration of Obama's victory much to the delight of the people of Kenya.

In the village near Sarah Obama's house in Kogelo, hundreds of locals had stayed up throug the night and were danicing whilst watching the election procedures on screen. Barak Obama's father had been raised in this village.

Kenya is not expecting to receive help from Obama. The Guardian reported Auma Obama, the half-sister who Obama thanked in his speech, as saying: "As a family we support Barack, but have not got expectations [of him helping us in Africa]."

"He is an American ... if there any changes to they will be in America and the world."

Who goes? America have decided

The Democrat Barack Obama is to become the 44th President of the United States after defeating John McCain in an extraordinary election yesterday.

Obama received 349 Electoral College votes, compared to McCain's 162.

Obama's new position in the White House will bring a resounding end to the Bush years. A change is to sweep through America, and that change is Obama.

The new American President will not be falling into a well-cushioned seat from Bush though. He must take on two £2 billion pound wars and an economy that is in national crisis.

Obama's promises to try and start to solve America's economy resounded strongly amongst voters who saw the financial state of America as the most important issue.

Americans' urgent need and want for change resulted in a turnout in casting ballots that is expected to smash records.

In 2004 123 million people accross America voted. Last night over 130 million votes were counted.

The Times reported today that many poll workers expressed astonishment at the number of people waiting for up to four hours to cast their ballots. For many it was their first time.

In their speeches after the election, McCain and Obama have no bad words to say about each others' opposition leaders.

Please see below for Obama's inspirational and moving victory speech in Chicago last night.



'Yes we can' man Obama is the first African-American president. Today the press has been making many comparisons between Barack Obama and Martin Luther King.

Had 72 year old John McCain become President today, there would have been a huge loss of confidence and faith in America. The US need new political strategies, hope, and a new lead.

Can Obama do it? Yes he can.

For some bizarre reason, my latest blogs are not showing. To view my more recent blogs, please click '2008' under 'View Profile'.

Bringing you the very latest on... Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross

Before I start detailing what has been happening to Ross and Russell, I just thought I'd let you know that the BBC's website have a clear and handy timeline of their actions from the minute the whole fiasco started.

You can see this here. I would attempt to copy it but this is the BBC we are talking about and I don't fancy becoming the next Ross/Brandesque victim...

On Wednesday, Jonathan Ross was informally suspended. Yesterday at exactly 1821 GMT he was then officially suspended from the BBC for 12 weeks without pay.

Oh boo hoo, poor Rossy. How ever is his £6 million annual salary going to cope? I don't think this is nearly enough if they are actually trying to punish Ross accordingly.

Do bear in mind though that I am a poor student journalist so that my view on that issue may be a tad biased.

Last year Ross envoked rage in the BBC's senoirs' department when he joked that his £6 million yearly salary

Ross provoked fury among the BBC's senior management by joking during last year's show that his £6 million annual salary was "worth 1,000 BBC journalists". Hysterical I'm sure.

And what about Russell?

And what about Russell indeed. On Wednesday evening this 'party animal' announced that he is going to quit his Saturday BBC radio show. I can't claim to care as I never listened to it anyway.

I also don't quite understand why the press keep referring to Russell as a 'party animal'. Yes he goes out and enjoys a good time but it stops there.

After reading his autobiography 'My booky wook' I learned that the celebrity is completely teetotal. Yes, yes we all know he was a heroin addict and he is now in recovery.

But what most don't know and his book reveals is that he has been clean for almost five years. And by clean I mean of everything. Not just from heroin, but from all drugs, including the liquid form of alcohol.

Most people would not view alcohol as a drug, but for a recovering addict such as Russell, a return to drinking could conlcude in disastrous consequences.

In the link mentioned above The Daily Mail discuss the fact that Russell has been out till 3am. He is pictured passing round a bottle of alcohol.

Now if you look closely you may too realise that the bottle of so-called alcohol is actually just a bottle of Hildon water.

I know this because I always drink this brand of water. Honestly, I should be a detective!

And back to the point

Both Jonathan Ross and Russell Brand have now both publicly apologised, as have the BBC. If not with a little, or a lot, of delay.

Please see Russell's apology below:



Unfortunately though, this heartfelt apology came a little too late for one crusty cranky old man. Yes that's right, Gordon Brown publicly called the whole incident "clearly inappropriate and unacceptable".

Quite why the most prominent political figure in the country decided to involve himself is inexplicable. I am sure there are better things Gordon should be doing with his time as Prime Minister than commenting on big-haired lunatics.

Jonathan Ross and Russell Banned

What's been happening?

Just incase you have been living on a remote desert island for the last few days, let me explain what has been happening to poor comedian and (wannabe) actor Russell Brand and TV presenter Jonathan Ross.

The dynamic duo teamed up for the BCC's Radio 2 show. During their pre-recorded slot they made a prank phone call to Fawlty Towers 78-year old actor Andrew Sachs.

They left a voicemail on the actor's answering machine saying that Russell Brand had slept with Sachs' granddaughter Georgina Baille. Please see the video below:



Despite the show being prerecorded, the editors at BBC decided to include the prank call in the show. After the show was aired just two people complained.

One of these was Andrew Sachs.

Over 27,000 complaints

How did just two complaints from just one prank call on the radio (which by the way Capital FM do ALL the time) turn into nearly a whopping 30, 000 complaints? And counting.

The other 26,998 people decided to begin getting angry only after the Mail on Sunday led the story eight days later.

Most of these whining callers probably haven't even listened to the original broadcast at all.

As Andrew Gilligan so rightly wrote in The Evening Standard today, "They were reacting to the row, not the show".

The current situation is that Ross and Brand are having to deal with a plethora of unwanted negative attention from the press, the BBC, and even Gordon Brown.

Please see my next blog for the latest on this fiasco.

Hymne á L'amour

Below is the verse to Piaf's famous song 'Hymn to Love'. This is really half-poem half-song, but make of out what you will.

HYMN TO LOVE
Original: Hymne á L'amour (Piaf, 1950)

If the sky should fall into the sea
And the stars fade all around me
All the times that we have known here
I will sing a hymn to love

We have lived and dreamed we two alone
In a world that's been our very own
With it's memories ever grateful
Just for you I sing a hymn to love

I remember each embrace
The smile that lights your face
And my heart begins to sing
Your eyes have never lied
And my heart begins to sing

If one day you should ever disappear
Always remember these words
If one day we had to say goodbye
And our love should fade away and die
In my heart you will remain here
And I'II sing a hymn to love

O for love, we live eternally
In the blue we'll roll this harmony
With every day we are in heaven
As for you, I'll sing a hymn to love

Don't you ever worry, dear
And the stars shall fade from the sky
All the times that we have known here
I will sing a hymn to our love
Oh darling,
Just for you I sing
A hymn to love.

*****

And below you will find a video of Piaf singing 'Hymn to Love' in French:

Review: Piaf

'Piaf' was originally showing in London at the Donmar theatre in Covent Garden. However, due to popular demand, the production was moved to the Vaudeville theatre on The Strand in the West End when it had finished showing at the Donmar.

The play tells the moving story of Piaf's life. Edith Piaf sung the world-famous songs 'La Vie en Rose' and 'Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien' amongst many others. Edith Piaf (1915 - 1963) was a French singer, and is probably the country's most notorious singer.

The story showed Piaf's life, from when she was a young girl through to her last days. Piaf had an incredibly tough childhood, and claimed to be born on the streets to an alcoholic street singer who soon abandoned her after her birth.

She was raised by her grandmother, who ran a brothel in Paris. One day, Piaf is spotted singing on the streets by a cabaret boss, and so the fame begins.

From this point, Piaf's life is a whirlwind of rising fame, men, alcohol and later, drugs. Elana Roger captured Piaf's pain and unique voice perfectly.

Elena Roger's character interpretation of Piaf

Roger makes Piaf seem unaware of anyone around her and her character is fantastically unselfconscious.

Piaf's manners are straight from the streets and she is often rude and abrupt, yet remains warm and likable.

Although often surrounded by people and fans, Piaf cuts a lonely figure, and claims to constantly need a man in her life and is easy and carefree with giving her body to men.

There is a sad moment when she is for once without a lover in her life; she drunkenly tells her secretary how desperately alone and in pain she feels.

Roger does this however with humour which shines through the drunken slurs and stumbles.

Piaf's downfall is alcohol and drugs, and she eventually succumbs to the addictive nature of these substances. They transform her from a strong-willed and beautiful girl to an old, frail and broken woman in a wheelchair.

We saw Piaf enter rehabilitation. During this stage of her life, the men and friends in her life abandon her, and those that don't, she manages to push away.

There are some ugly scenes of sex and drug use that depict the seediness of that world.

In one of these scenes, we see Piaf inject herself, and our surroundings transform from London playhouse to Piaf's smoky and hazy world. The sound effects and special effects throughout the play were superb yet not at all overdone.

Piaf died a relatively early death aged 47. During the Piaf's funeral, Elana Roger sings what the audience have been waiting for, 'Non, je ne regrette rien'. It was everything I had been hoping for and there was not a dry eye in the house.

Singing a poem

The dialogue and chosen songs for the play were perfect. Elena Roger sings the songs in French, bar one which she half speaks, half sings. It is called 'Hymn to Love', and really was very moving. Please see my next view for the lyrics and video of Piaf singing this song.

Atmostsphere at The Apollo

Before the play started, the audience were played some 20th century French street music, and I felt slightly as if we had been transported back in time to an old Parisian theatre. The Vaudeville theatre is actually over 140 years old.

I looked around me at the cobbled stage-floor, and the fading and peeled 'Piaf' street posters on the walls and listened to the French music playing in the background.

People around me were reading the day's papers and quietly chatting whilst waiting for the play to start. Out of the hustle and bustle of the streets of West London, the interior of this theatre had a quintessential and lovely ambiance.

Overall, I would rate this play as truly superb. The acting was both believable and brilliant. I would go as far to say that Elena Roger's (Piaf) acting was the best I have seen in over a year. See here for booking - Piaf will show until the 24th January, 2008. Other critics have also given this play outstanding reviews.

Rating: 10/10

Commentary on The London Assembly Question Time

Boris Johnson was the most prominent figure at the London Assembly, and quite a fine figure he cut too.

I have never been particularly opposed to Mr Johnson (let's face it, he is better than Ken Livingstone), but at the same time, have never wanted to sign myself on as a full-blown Boris supporter.

After his scruffy schoolboy attire at the Beijing Olympics this summer however, I started to think that perhaps Ken Livingstone would at least have bothered to scrub up for such an important and internationally-broadcasted sporting event.

This was until I met (well, observed from the public gallery) the man himself in the suited flesh, and this time, his shirt was tucked in.

Throughout the three hours of the Assembly, our Mayor did not once lose his concentration or vivacity, and managed to inspire wit, eloquence and charm into even the most mundane of topics.

London Assembly leafy topic

One topic that was frequently referred to was the 50,000 new housing plan for the coming year. I feel strongly opposed to this plan.

London is cramped enough. On a further note, why are the government spending this much money on new houses when we are undergoing a nationwide financial slump?

If Boris really does feel as 'environmentally passionate' as he claims to, why not plant 50,000 new trees around London?

Surely this would be both cheaper and greener. They could build tree-houses rather than earth-destroying new building sites!

I did actually put this idea (the trees, not the tree-houses) to BNP party member Richard Barnbrook.

Mr Barnbrook was enthusiastic about the idea, and said that the Mayor is trying to make London a greener place to live.

Boris Johnson quotes

During the meeting, Boris Johnson spoke in the same that we used to write when he edited 'The Spectator'. That is, fantastically.

I have compiled some great Boris quotes from the London Assembly Meeting:

- Referring to the relentless traffic of buses on Oxford Street: "throbbing steel block of buses".
- "I've been growing my own cider - let me give you a bottle!"
- "Crusty old adult that I am..." (when talking about the trends of today's youth)
- "I don't see any harm in us reaching for the stars"; in reference to Sir Ian Blair being sacked and trying to create a better Met. Police Force.

It wouldn't surprise me if one day we see Boris Johnson running for Prime Minister - he definitely still has enough years left in him.

If I were living in a thriving multicultural city like London, I would want Boris up there running it, and fortunately for us, he is.

Did you know that anyone can watch the London Assembly Question Time with the Mayor each month? The next meeting takes place in November at City Hall, see here for details.

The London Assembly Question Time with Boris Johnson

On the 15th of October I attended the Mayor's Question Time with the London Assembly at City Hall. I found a few points that were raised stood out in particular:

> The Mayor's PR told us that this May saw a 20% increase in the number of voters for the London Mayor elections since 2006.

> Since the 1st October 2008 the mayor is now the chair of the Met. Police Department. He is also head of Transport For London (TFL).

In my opinion Boris Johnson makes a good head of TFL because he uses public transport himself and is constantly seen cycling the streets of London.

> We discovered that earlier the year the assembly had become concerned about the number of Londoners who pave over their own front lawns.

They conducted the appropriate research and discovered that the total square area that has been paved over front gardens in London is 22 times the size of Hyde Park.

> Boris Johnson told the Assembly that he believes London will pull through the credit crunch and that there is a 'hysteria' in the media at the moment surrounding the credit crunch. Falling bankers will undoubtedly come through this financial crisis.

> During the first quarter of the meeting various protesters from the same group interrupted the meeting to shout about the injustice shown to the cleaners of London Underground. Apparently they are paid below the living wage, and must pay out of their own wages to travel to work.

> Boris on sacking the head of the Met Police, Sir Ian Blair: Boris was clearly bored of this question and said himself that this must be the 20th time it has been publicised. He told the Assembly that many people had complained to him about Sir Ian Blair, and he acted as he saw fit.

> Boris would like to see more ethnic police in the force.

> Bendy London buses will be off the streets by 2015 due to the dangers that they pose to cyclists. Boris expressed a desire to see all buses as route master buses.

> London river transport: The consensus was that there should be more river transport. However, this is hard to organise, and the wharfs need to be organised in order to do so. The 2012 Olympics will be used as an opportunity to galvanise travel.

> Cyclists: There are many cyclist fatalities and injuries because of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). The HGVs need different mirrors so they can see cyclists, and signs warning cyclists that they are not visible to the driver should be placed on the back of all HGVs.

> The mayor does not want to see cuts on front-line services. There will be no police cuts on the streets next year, and more Met. police are needed on the streets.

> How helpful is promoting higher education to everyone? Not all young people in Britain are necessarily academic yet the system pushes everyone to attend a university.

Teenagers who want vocational training rather than academic education feel frustrated: "We should be equipping our children with skills needed for future engineering" (Boris Johnson).

TFL are designing a plan for a 'tube-tunneling' academy. This will provide 20,000 jobs that shall require technical know-how.

A question that is an ongoing subject of debate is 'should the academies be placed in boroughs that want them or those that need them?'.

> 50,000 new and affordable houses are to be built in London by next year (date unspecified).

> Richard Barnbrook, member of the BNP Party put down £140 on the table half way through the meeting.

Barnbrook declared that this was one day's wage for himself and the remaining Assembly members (excluding Boris Johnson).

In a gesture of philanthropy the £140 would go toward struggling pensioners so that they could have a merry Christmas.

Barnbrook implored the other members to do the same. Nobody volunteered to do so at the time.

* According to Barnbrook, Assembly members earn £50,000 per year.

> The mayor is opposed to Labour's plans for building a 3rd runway at Heathrow Airport. It is both costly and will provide more congestion for the environment.

> According to Boris Johnson, more citizens should be insulating their houses so as to save heating. People should be encouraged to have allotments.

Boris is keen to prompt a growth in allotment plots around London, and claimed to make his own cider from home-grown ingredients (!).

> On Youth Crime: Young Londoners are to see a Youth Opportunities Programme being introduced to the city. Boris stated that young people are the answer to some of London’s troubles, and not the problem.

The majority of knife crime happens because of gang-related issues. However, only 2,000 of kids around London are in gangs. A significant but small figure really, when you think of the capital’s population (7,512,400).

Boris Johnson said that: “The vast majority of kids have positive lives. We should stop the hysteria with dangerous children.”

> Interestingly, London’s theatres are a great source of evil to the environment. They produce 50,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. There are plans to decrease the amount of lighting and electricity that theatres claim to need.

> Previous London mayor Ken Livingstone was present. Apparently he can be found there every month, although he is no longer mayor or part of the assembly. As BNP Party member Richard Bambrook told me after the the Assembly meeting, this is ‘pretty sad’.


In conclusion, what had the potential to be a long three hours of relentless questioning with monotonous pre-prepared answers, was actually an interesting and relevant three hours well spent.

Please see my next blog for a follow up on this slightly report-like review and some great Boris quotes!

REVIEW: Rain Man at the Apollo Theatre

On Saturday night I saw Rain Man at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in London's West End.

The play stars Hollywood's Josh Hartnett and Olivier-nominated Adam Godley, and is based on the Oscar-winning film Rain Man with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman.

I found the story heartwarming. It is about two brothers; selfish and money-driven Charlie Babbit (Hartnett) who discovers his unknown autustic brother, Raymond (Godley).

Charlie takes Raymond out of his familiar surroundings and on an exciting journey which involves dancing and gambling in Las Vegas, brotherly bonding and meeting women. Charlie's self-centredness and impatience with both his brother and life begins to diminish as he learns to connect with Raymond, and later his long-suffering girlfriend Susan.

The acting and Josh Hartnett

Godley's performance as an autustic man was absolutely fantastic and totally believable. Josh Hartnett wowed the appreciating audience (well, the female majority anyway) with his chiselled cheekbones and toned body.

Although Hartnett's acting was of a high standard, you could see that the actor is from a movie background rather than theatre.

Mostly towards the beginning of the play he spoke very quickly and quietly and we often had trouble understanding his lines, despite the fact that we were sitting near the stage.

He also stumbled on his words more than once, but managed to quickly recover.

Overall view of Rain Man

Apart from this faux-pas though, the play falls was faultless. There was one particularly heart-rendering scene where Charlie teaches his autistic brother Raymond to dance. There were also many humourous moments throughout the duration of the story.

I would describe this play as humourous, interesting and sweet. However, although touching, it did not completely move me as this genre of story usually would.

Were it not for Josh Hartnett, I am not sure I would see this play again given the opportunity.

Rating: 6/10


Rain Man is showing at Apollo Theatre until December 20th, 2008. For details and bookings, visit Apollo Theatre.

News, Reviews and Commentary

This blog is a space for my writing about what is happening in the news. I intend to report and also make my own commentary.

I will also be writing reviews. These reviews will mostly be London restaurants, bars, theatre, concerts, fairs and shops... anything really that is based in London. There may however be occasional reviewings from outside of London too.

I appreciate all comments or emails to me.

Enjoy! Charlotte