> Recent Entries
> Archive
> Friends
> User Info
> previous 20 entries

December 26th, 2009

01:21 pm - On the Tennanth day of Christmas So far this Christmas, David Tennant has been in: *Doctor Who (obviously) *QI *Never Mind the Buzzcocks *Catherine Tate Christmas Special *The Sarah Jane Adventures *Cbeebies *The BBC One ident Tonight, he's in Hamlet. All three hours and five minutes of it. I've also seen a clip of him interviewed in one of those 'Best moments of the noughties' shows. There's probably more I'm missing out on. If it was anyone else I'd be annoyed by now, but with the awesomeness of David Tennant I don't mind. Eventually it'll get to the point where there'll be a huge disruption in the space-time continumm and everyone on TV will have his face. That would make Songs of Praise unmissable. Presents included some much-needed iPod speakers, I can finally play my music out loud (with built-in CD and DVD!), and quite unexpectedly, a ukelele. Another instrument I can learn. What with the keyboard and accordion, I could be the next Mike Oldfield at this rate. Great telly too! TOTP was ok, no Lady Gaga or BEPs (bad) but they did have Muse, La Roux and Florence & The Machine (good). Deal or No Deal they won 1p, Doctor Who was AMAZING, best episode in a very long time and I'm extremely looking forward to New Years Day, The Royle Family has mutated into a slapstick comedy show and I'm actually enjoying it for the first time ever, and great episodes from Gavin & Stacey and surprisingly, Catherine Tate. Finished the day watching Family Guy. And by the way...another sunny, heatwave day yesterday. Today it's raining again and I'm staying indoors. Hamlet soon! Current Mood: relaxed

(Leave a comment)

December 24th, 2009

05:15 pm - Best telly of the noughties You won't believe this, but this time next week it'll be the last day of the noughties. So I've been feeling hugely retrospectively recently and compiled this list of my favourite shows from this last decade. A quick look on the 'net reveals everyone else in the world's list includes shows like The Wire, and Six Feet Under, The Thick Of It, Arrested Development - shows that I've never seen, and probably when I do see them I'll agree with them. But this is the list of the top shows I actually watched and enjoyed during these 2000-2009 times. 10. Heroes (2006-present) One of the few American shows on the list, I was SO addicted to this sci-fi epic when it started on BBC Two in 2007. Finally, it seemed, an American drama that actually seemed quite intelligent, packed full of excitement and with some of the most ridiculous and jaw-dropping cliffhangers ever made. Absolutely miles ahead of 'Lost' as it actually seemed to be going somewhere, the only problem is that if you miss one episode, you're stuck. So I haven't seen it since my New York trip in April, intending to buy the DVD at some point and catch up on what I've missed...but on the basis of the three and a half seasons I've seen so far, I'm in for a treat. 9. Peep Show (2003-present) Mitchell & Webb are easily my favourite comedy double act of the decade. Their sketch show 'That Mitchell & Webb Look' is awesome and close to being in the top 10 itself, but just pipping it is this hilarious yet at times extremely dark sitcom of theirs, filmed entirely in first person viewpoints. There have been episodes so uncomfortable that I've been laughing yet looking away in horror at the same time, none more so when they accidentally ran over a dog, burnt it, shoved the charred remains in a plastic bag and then accidentally gave that bag back to its unknowing owner. Good old Channel 4. 8. The IT Crowd (2006-present) It takes a very brave writer to create a sitcom so completely different from anything else around. This show refuses to take itself seriously with deliberately corny lines, crazy off-the-wall plots and hammy acting...and it's absolutely brilliant, especially with Richard Ayousomething as Moss and Matt Berry as the Boss, two of the best comedy actors ever. Highlight was the episode where they went to "Gay! A Gay Musical", featuring the song "I Love Willies" and Roy ends up pretending to be disabled for some reason. It's as amazing as it sounds. 7. Deal or No Deal (2005-present) Maybe not so much now, but for the first couple of years this was absolutely unmissable television. A show basically just involving opening 22 boxes for 45 minutes became the best gameshow ever in the huge tension that Noel Edmonds drags out, and the bond between the contestants both in the studio and the viewer at home hooks you the more you watch - you follow the contestant on the wings over the weeks and then by their show you're determined for them to do well. It seemed like it would have the magic forever, but sadly the last couple of years have seen it slowly degenerate into X-Factor style sob stories, ridiculously OTT 'special episodes' with everyone dressed in crazy makeup and costumes, and the Banker ringing up and changing the rules whenever the hell he wants. You've won 1p? Aww, have a couple of grand as a consolation prize. It's still a good show but can't see it surviving the next decade. 6. Harry Hill's TV Burp (2001-present) One of the best shows of the 1990s was his Channel 4 show, so it was surprising to see him move onto ITV early in the decade. I didn't start watching until 2004 and soon wondered what had taken me so long, this show had me in tears of laughter, constantly, every week. But as with the Channel 4 show, it had absolutely ridiculous scheduling with episodes buried at about 11pm in the middle of the week. Thankfully someone at ITV eventually saw sense and now it's getting ten million views on a primetime Saturday night. Not quite the unmissable show it used to be but still packs plenty of laughs. Just now my Grandma mentioned cataracts, to which I instantly replied "Cataracts?!" back. That is the power of TV Burp. 5. Derren Brown: Trick Or Treat (2007-2008) To be honest I could put any Derren Brown programme here, one of my ultimate TV idols of the decade. I've chosen this series though as his absolute pinnacle, using his quite remarkable powers to literally change people's lives. Killing kittens (well, pretending to), shoving contestants into a sack and throwing them in a lake, hypnotising them and having them wake up in Morocco...and the best episode, taking a careless driver and enacting out their own car-crash, them waking up in a field to find what appears to be them dead inside a car, with ambulance everywhere. Also extremely worth of note is his 2003 'Russian Roulette' special, what made me a fan, where he very almost shot himself in the head on live television. Possibly the two most scariest moments in TV history. 4. Extras (2005-2007) Ricky Gervais is an absolute genius who changed television comedy. There was The Office, which apparently is quite good but I never really watched it. It was this look at the world of showbiz that had me hooked, especially by the second series which had a show-within-a-show with 'When The Whistle Blows', the brilliant and quite vicious pastiche of crappy lowbrow sitcoms. And like Peep Show, more uncomfortable silences and borderline jokes that have you laughing and cringing at the same time. Ended on a high with a brilliant Christmas special starring David Tennant, Lionel Blair and Chico from The X Factor. 3. Trigger Happy TV (2000-2001) Yep, incredibly, this was a noughties show. Just about though, premiering all the way back in January 2000. And it's a hidden camera show that has me screaming with laughter not only as an 11 year old, but as the 21 year old I am now. Snowmen throwing snowballs at passers by, men in fat suits squeezing into lifts, and in the best sketch he ever did, a man walks down an alleyway only for about a million people in rabbit costumes to run screaming towards him. You wouldn't get that from any other show. 2. Family Guy (Revived 2005-present) Now hang on, I know Family Guy isn't entirely a noughties show as it first began in 1999. But then it was cancelled, only for high DVD sales to ensure its return a few years later. And it was then when I finally discovered it, the one that got me hooked was an episode featuring a comedy Osama Bin Laden which set me on a non-stop laughing fit for at least five minutes. It is a show so full of gags, not just funny but rib-bustingly hilarious, that you cannot turn your head away from the TV for a SECOND as you'll miss one. And the most amazing thing is that I've only seen about one, maybe two season's worth of the entire show's history. Hundreds and hundreds of episodes I've yet to see, and counting. I cannot wait. And the best TV show of the noughties iiiiiiiis! Oh wait, you know already: 1. Doctor Who (Revived 2005-present) At the start of the decade, Doctor Who was a dead show that been off TV for over a decade. Daleks were in Kit Kat adverts, Jon Culshaw was dressed as Tom Baker in front of a confused audience, to most of the general public it was simply a nostalgia show for those who remember that funny man with the jelly babies and the robot dog. I had given up all hope of it ever coming back. It was a ridiculous dream. All of that changed forever on the 26th March 2005, the day the revived show hit BBC One screens. It is the most remarkable television comeback of all time. Ten million tuned in and incredibly the ratings have got even BIGGER since, last year over 13 million watched making it one of the highest rated Who episodes...ever. Tomorrow's special may just beat that. It's made my favourite television show of all time even better, and back in 2000 had I read this list from the future, I would have never believed it. Davies, Moffat, Eccleston, Tennant and everyone else, I salute you. Have an absolutely wonderful Christmas everyone, I'll be spending it watching the end of time! Current Mood: relaxed

(Leave a comment)

December 22nd, 2009

08:01 pm - Snowshine And just as it looked like the snow was about to melt away, the skies opened on Monday and a huge amount fell to cover the capital once more. It's easily become the coldest December spell that I remember since the middle of the 90s. When I briefly met my friend in Baker Street, snow falling everywhere and us both covered in it, it felt like I was back in Victorian times. My iPod's been playing Christmas songs on loop for ages. And then another neat bookend to the decade. The first month of it, *way* back in January 2000, I visited what was then the Millennium Dome for the first time. And now in the final month of the decade I'm back, now renamed the O2 and there to see the Pet Shop Boys for the second time this year. This month has been huge for absolutely every part of my life being involved in some way, and happily this involved my Knightmare pals, with Matt, Andrew and Keith all there too. Bad Lieutenant (aka half of New Order) were the support act who were pretty cool too, as well as their new stuff they flung in a few New Order and Joy Division tracks. And then somehow the Pet Shop Boys did a show even better than the one I saw in June. Even though I was way at the top of the arena and could barely see them, the sound quality was so much better and there were many new additions, like New York City Boy and What Have I Done To Deserve this, complete with archive Dusty Springfield! At the end there was an extra encore as they played their Christmas single, brilliantly called "It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas" (Neil Tennant noted the irony) with falling snow and dancing Christmas trees, a highly magical end and extremely well worth the £30. The journey back was quite eventful as the Jubilee line was suspended due to "adverse weather conditions" (why don't they just say "the snow"?) so we all literally crammed on a bus instead to Waterloo. They thankfully just got the last Richmond train and I was able to get the penultimate Jubilee Line back, it was gone 1am when I reached Wembley Park and a terrifying walk back in slippery ice followed. Slept at 2am, woke at 6am, and bid goodbye to London for a week to board the train to Devon. It's a journey I've made several times before and normally it's several hours of mostly boredom. But this time it was one of the most magical train journeys I've ever had. Once we left Woking, the snow increased to a huge extent and we were zooming through massive, lush, winter snowscapes, hills, trees, everywhere you could see was covered in white. I turned my iPod on again and played more Christmas songs...never have those classics by The Pogues, Wham, and suchforth sounded so wonderful. Took plenty of pictures and video, until an extremely surprising change once we reached Salisbury. First, the snow abruptly stopped and the green fields appeared again. Then the sun shon. BRIGHTLY. It was like I'd travelled from Scandinavia to the Caribbean in the space of about half an hour. Suddenly I started playing summer songs instead. Had I overslept and was I now in July next year? Certainly felt like it. So all day I've been on the beach. Yes, the beach. On 22nd December. I've been watching the reports from London on the news and feeling like I'm on a different planet. We're only in single degrees but it feels like 20...although there is rain forecast too, unfortunately. Quite a remarkable start to this week of holiday bliss. It's amazing just to be able to relax. Got my Christmas Radio Times and off to watch some early festive telly! Current Mood: relaxed Tags: snow

(Leave a comment)

December 20th, 2009

04:59 pm - Borderline With slowly melting snow *still* everywhere, went out with a friend in London on Saturday and saw David Mitchell in the street. One of my all-time favourite comedians, my friend had never heard of him despite my "OMG it's David Mitchell" fanboy squealings. Freezing cold weather but an entertaining day, we walked round Camden Lock which looked beautiful with snow everwhere and an almost frozen river. Later on I popped into Borders which is closing down next week, and was met with chaos inside, essentially Woolworths part 2. Books were a crazy 80% off and CDs 60% off, it was a warzone inside as ramshackle, half-empty shelves were being raided by us vulture-like customers, and then waiting ages inside a queue taking the length of the whole store. Still, I got a TV Burp book for just over two quid, a Keane album for the same price and Coldplay's latest for £4. Then I went to the Southwark Playhouse Christmas party. Met up with a lot of people who amazingly I've known for almost two years now, right back to the early days of the BAC. Very good night with lots of dancing to classic songs, even though I was then stuck in Willesden for ages in the cold as I waited for an N98. Stupidly I'm a bit down again tonight. Listening to the chart show on Radio 1 right now but am not gonna find out who's Christmas #1 until later as I'm heading out again. As silly as the whole thing is, I am very much backing Rage Against The Machine just to have a change for once - "saving the soul of music" as the lead singer just said on the radio. Saying that I'd have much preferred a Pet Shop Boys #1 but they have to make do with number 40. And as Jay-Z plays on the radio, I'm off into London. Concrete jungle where dreams are maaade of!! Current Mood: okay Current Music: Jay-Z feat Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind

(Leave a comment)

December 19th, 2009

11:18 am - It doesn't often happen at Christmas This post has been delayed from the early hours of this morning due to my internet connection annoyingly going down. Good job it didn't happen slightly earlier, as you'll see. ---- So with my Greek essay finally completed and emailed, I've been writing my 2008 review for the 00h Noughty articles, and had the idea also to write a list of the top five acts I've seen this year, intended to be posted here. Shouldn't be too much of a spoiler to say that the Pet Shop Boys are in that list after their incredible live show in June. While writing it I remembered that they were revisiting the O2 at Christmas, but tickets went on sale way back in the summer and I presumed that they were long sold out. Went on Ticketmaster just now, and not only is it about to happen - this Monday, 21st - but, to my absolute SHOCK, TICKETS WERE STILL AVAILABLE. Couldn't believe it!! And I booked one. The night before I head to Devon, I'm seeing the Pet Shop Boys live again. There's an expanded setlist since June. More songs both new and old have been added, including, surely, their wonderful Xmas song "It Doesn't Often Snow At Christmas" (extremely ironic given the current weather). And the support act this time is a band called Bad Lieutenant, whose name don't ring a bell but it's made up of former members of bloody NEW ORDER, including Bernard Sumner. Half of New Order and both of the Pets in one night. In two days. Am I dreaming?! It's a seated ticket and it's miles away from the stage. But I don't care. For not the first time this decade I've made a snap decision and it's worked. I'M SEEING THE PET SHOP BOYS LIVE AGAIN. IN TWO DAYS. Current Mood: excited Current Music: Agnelli & Nelson - El Nino

(Leave a comment)

December 17th, 2009

08:06 pm - Just like the one we're...having now Bookmakers have slashed the odds of of a White Christmas down to 5/2. Certainly based on the last two days, I wouldn't be surprised. The last White Christmas in London was in the 1970s. It's one thing to snow in Neasden, but Central London is remarkable. On Wednesday I was in the middle of Covent Garden with snow falling everywhere. Met my friend, and then immediately unexpectedly bumped into a swing-dancer I know there. London just gets smaller and smaller. Every single person in Covent Garden was talking about the snow, and it intermittently appeared and re-appeared during the day. I actually can't remember the last time before yesterday I was in Central London during snow. All times in the last decade at least have been here in Neasden or at school. After it finally stopped though, we were just left with extremely cold weather, which even with me wearing multiple layers, and my hat and gloves, quickly made me feel pretty freezing. Still, picked up the Pet Shop Boys Christmas EP on the way. Eventually though I was safe and warm inside the comfort of the BAC, seeing 1984 for the second time. This time I was with the YPT people that have now become part of our own theatre company. Sadly it's likely to be the last YPT meetup of the year. But wow, what a year it's been with them. Those three letters make up the defining memories of 2009, more than anything else I'll remember the shows and friends I've made. I got every single one of them a box of Quality Street and an individual specially-designed Christmas card made by me, featuring an edited Better Humans picture with them in where I've added Christmassy things like Santa and snowmen. But we'll be back rehearsing in January to work on this amazing show we've devised. First few scenes are written already. Gonna be great. This morning I met up with a City Lit friend who I'm still in touch from the Foundation course. Last time I saw her was when we chilled in Regent's Park on an extremely warm September day, so it was quite odd to see her again on such a cold December morning. But we got to catch up on our lives and this time made sure it won't be four months before we see each other again, more meetups are planned for January. As I was walking back from the station, it began snowing again. Got home, turned on one of the music channels - they were playing 'Last Christmas' by Wham. Looked out the window. Felt festive. Nothing planned for tonight as I intended to work on that Greek essay. Still need to start. Instead I'm writing this journal entry...onto Greeks, methinks! Current Mood: happy Current Music: Phil Collins - I Wish It Would Rain Down Tags: snow

(Leave a comment)

December 16th, 2009

01:21 pm - Global what? It's been snowing. All day. Just a bit, but enough to turn the house roofs white. With all the fuss over global warming, it's surprising to note that actually, this year has had the most perfect weather I can remember. We had all that snow in February, then 32-degree sunshine in June, a sunny August and even warmer September, and now just before Christmas it's snowing again. The winter's been hot, the summer's been warm, and the spring and autumn somewhere in the middle. Perfect! And more forecast later this week. I just about managed to get to Portsmouth yesterday. Due to delays on the tube I ended up getting to Victoria about three minutes before the train was about to leave, so had to leg it through that awfully confusing station to get there. But it was worth it, went round the dockyard and saw those huge ships, some nice charity shop purchases (including a 'Hits' album on CD from 1988 - extremely rare!) and some great pics taken too. Got back to London in time for possibly my last swing-dancing night of the year. Swing-dancing really has been one of the ultimate social events of 2009, last year I still really just a beginner but this year I've really hit my stride and made some wonderful friends. Off out in this no doubt freezing cold to meet a friend, and then possibly my final trip of the decade to the BAC! Current Mood: cold Tags: snow

(Leave a comment)

December 15th, 2009

01:16 am - Small world ...someone from my Access course used to teach at my primary school, while I was there in the late 1990s. We just realised today. I thought they seemed really familiar. Never mind small world, it's a small universe. Current Mood: surprised Current Music: Binary Finary - 1999

(Leave a comment)

December 14th, 2009

12:54 am - Distinction I don't care that I'm ridiculously tired writing this, that was, yet again, an incredible weekend. Every one recently has been full of immense happenings and no exception for the one just gone. A 7:30am start for my City Lit tutorial on Saturday, to be told how I've done over the first term of the Access course. Quite incredibly, I got a Distinction, the highest rating possible. All the work I've put into the course over the last few months has very happily paid off, and that put me on a high for the rest of the day. Dropped off my stuff at home and then down to Barking station to get the train to Southend. Someone I'd done both YPT terms with, and who also came to my birthday, was doing a play at the university there. He was thrilled to see me and we had a drink there and catch-up, I was struck by just how colder Southend is compared to London, I guess being by the sea. He really misses London and the YPT meetups, but is slowly getting used to life outside the capital- great to see him again all the same, well worth the five quid return ticket there. And once I was back in London (shamefully having a McDonalds for the first time in ages) it was off to the Saturday Night Swing Club to dance the entire night away. Many, many swing-dancers were there from all parts of London, it being their special Christmas party with free mince pies and mulled wine. And incredibly, and very unexpectedly, someone else from YPT showed up there who's also a swing-dancer. This end-of-decade month is a huge one for catching up with pretty much everyone that's made this decade so special, it's wonderful seeing her and all the masses of dancers there, people who were there right from my early days of dancing a year and a half ago right up to new beginners were all there and I danced with them all, right up until an absolutely crazy 3am. Given I got there just after 7:30, that's over seven hours of dancing, added to Southend and the tutorial, couldn't quite believe I was still awake. Oh, and on the night bus back, I saw a guy dressed as Wally from Where's Wally. 21 years and I've finally found him in real life. So got home at half 4 in the morning, only to wake up at 11am, feeling extremely tired but I'd already arranged to meet a friend I'd not seen since way back in the summery days of August. She's the one I met at the NYT audition and February and really has been one of the most wonderful friends of the year, we've seen Mamma Mia, The Lion King and Wicked with possibly another to come next week. And then, after a quick visit back home to drop stuff off and have some food, it was off to the Roundhouse, my third visit there after seeing Basement Jaxx in April and the Turning Point festival in May. This time it was to see yet another YPT friend's performance, they were performing spoken-word poetry there, directed by Polarbear, of the directors I'd done YPT with back at the start of the year. So I got to catch up with both of them and went for a drink afterwards at the rather jawdropping 'World's End' pub, which calls itself the biggest pub in the world and they're not joking, it's like a mini city there, has to been seen to be believed - it's just by Camden Town tube station, check it out sometime. While there I found out that some bloke called Joe won The X Factor. Oh. Another weekend where lots of different parts of my life all came together, and I'm totally exhausted. A quite amazing month already, can't quite believe how perfect an end to this decade it's being. Next week will be my last full week in London before I'm Devon bound, and more meetups with friends are planned. Gonna be very good...and I'm off to sleep before I collapse in front of my computer. Current Mood: sleepy Current Music: Pussycat Dolls - Jai Ho

(Leave a comment)

December 12th, 2009

12:00 am - Playing for time The midnight hour is approaching and I'm still far from finished all these essays I have to hand in by, erm, tomorrow morning. I really should have worked on them over Wednesday and Thursday, but instead I've been doing more volunteer work at the BAC and Southwark Playhouse. Wednesday I saw the dress rehearsal of 'A Christmas Carol' at the Southwark Playhouse. Same old Charles Dickens story, but with a twist! It's promenade, interactive theatre, all in the tunnels under London Bridge station. So you walk with Scrooge and the ghosts, sit at Bob Cratchett's dining table, dance with the cast, and even walk around the graveyard with him as he sees his future tombstone. Really REALLY good, even though I only saw the dress rehearsal which was delayed by an hour and a half and even then was unfinished, meaning near the end you had Scrooge saying in character "Oh dear, we haven't tech'd this bit yet", "I'll just turn on this invisible lightbulb" and the like, but it all added to the charm. Wonderful play, took me back to the days of Red Death at the BAC. And speaking of BAC, I went straight down there afterwards to volunteer for a few of their shows. Saw 'Jiggery Pokery' on Wednesday which is a one-woman show about the life of Carry On star Charles Hawtrey, just one person plays about a million characters and was wonderfully captivating to watch. Same with Thursday when I saw the current big production there, an adaptation of '1984' by George Orwell. Embarrassing confession - I've never read the book or seen any of the movie or TV adaptations. I knew bits about the story, like Big Brother and Room 101, but last night was the first time I'd actually seen the whole play. And surprisingly I understood it - it was a cool mix of live action and puppetry, lots of breaking the fourth wall and metahumour, and a wonderful, absolutely hilarious scene where they describe "The Book" with a load of comedy cardboard cut-outs and silly voices, which was so brilliant I'd see an entire play based on just that one scene. Very entertaining - not quite as monumental as shows like Don John or Red Death, but still one I'll be seeing again next week. So it's now gone midnight and I've sort of done some of the work. I do rather hope that tomorrow won't involve handing it in only for the tutor to say "This is crap, you've failed" yet I've done ok, I think. The plan involves waking up at 8am, having my tutorial at 10:20, then heading to, of all places, Southend, to see a play and then head back to London to dance until 3am. Why do I either have days when nothing happens and then ones with too many things happening at once? Current Mood: tired Current Music: Queen - Somebody To Love

(Leave a comment)

December 9th, 2009

01:14 am - Getting away with it December is often a really interesting month, as it contains little clues as to what the next year will bring. So in 2007, the final month was enlivened by a huge amount of activity I'd simply not had before then, including meeting a KMer for the first time, and that set the scene for 2008. Similarly, this time last year saw a big increase in swing-dancing, one of the defining social mediums of 2009. So based on the closing month of this year, 2010 is going to involve seeing lots of friends after some very long absense. Recently there was the Ravenscourt reunion of course, and then that surprise appearance from another school friend on Saturday. On Sunday, I was very surprised to see at one of the impro plays someone from City Lit I'd not seen in two and a half years. I felt a bit bad for not keeping in touch as they're one of the few people left in the world not on Facebook, but we're back in touch now which is good, even if it is only by email. And at swing-dancing tonight, lots of people I'd not seen in many months too. It's like everyone from my decade are all coming back to say hello again as it finishes. And travelling. This week was the turn to visit Oxford, again taking advantage of £2 train tickets. When I got on the morning train there, on the back of my seat was a TV screen offering me the choice of TV shows to watch. Huh? Was I on a long-distance plane by accident? Nope, it's a new thing First Great Western are doing, so I watched, completely free, a Manchester Top of the Pops special starring New Order, The Smiths, Electronic, Stone Roses, 808 State and many more. An impressive idea but it has its faults...I kept being drawn to the stunning English countryside out my window, a problem you don't have in the sky when all you see are clouds, and because London to Oxford isn't that long I didn't get to watch the full programme, getting up to about Oasis. Apparently it's on a free trial service until March, when it'll become pay-per-view. Bugger that, if I want to watch Top Gear I'll catch it at home for free. And Oxford's a very pleasant place, well worth the two quid. Took lots of cool pics of the cathedrals, canals, did a bit of shopping and bought some music for some ridiculously low prices. The Age Concern charity shop had a load of early 1990s compilation records they were selling off for a quid each, so couldn't resist nabbing some up. Walking round there all day took its toll though, and at swing dancing afterwards there was two hours of erm, charleston classes. God did my legs ACHE. I managed a few dances downstairs before heading home early, only now do they seem to be recovering. I have a million things to bring in for the Access tutorials on Saturday, which I really need to work on by then. Wednesday I'm out all day, Thursday has the potential to be a busy evening...Friday I think I'll just lock myself in my room all day until it's done. The sooner I complete it all the sooner I can have a good Christmas break! Current Mood: tired Current Music: Snap - The Power

(Leave a comment)

December 6th, 2009

05:53 pm - Somewhere only we know Surprisingly good pantomime! It was being performed by the City Lit Rep Company, and our Access course were forc...erm, encouraged to see it. But yes, lots of fun, last time I saw one was almost 15 years ago in a freezing cold Aberdeen, with a cast made up of Scottish soap opera 'Take The High Road' and Scottish kids show 'Megamag', neither of which had ever been shown in London. Pity I've never seen Hugo Myatt in one, that would be immense. On the way there I bought a quite brilliant album that everyone else has owned for years - 'Hopes and Fears' by Keane. Was only recently listening back to my favourite songs of the decade when I remembered just how wonderful their singles 'Somewhere Only We Know' and 'Everybody's Changing' are, and the album was only £4 in Piccadilly Circus. A deserved multi-million seller. I've been listening to it all weekend, including yesterday which was our final day of term at City Lit and our big Greek performance. Happily it went really well, despite a terrifying final rehearsal when everyone randomly got the giggles, which instantly sets me off. And a HUGE end of term drink session followed with a million of us crammed in the Shakespeare's Head, celebrating the fact we're one third of the way through the Access year. Shortly before, a fairly incredible thing happened when someone came up to me and said "Your name isn't Billy Hicks, is it?". Slightly surprised, I said yes...THEY RECOGNISED ME FROM RAVENSCOURT!!! Just a week after I'd been to that reunion, I was once again seeing someone I'd not seen in eight and a half years. Simply incredible. Another of life's wonderful surprises. So I've had a Sunday of recovering today, can't believe the first term's over already. As with the Foundation course last year, I already feel like I've known these people forever. September feels like such a long time ago and it's so odd to think that before then, I'd never met some of these people in my life. And they'll be there right into 2010, if we're this close already I can't imagine what it'll be like saying goodbye to them all in May/June. A wonderful group. Oh, and my Dad's finally fixed my Kodak camera that had been broken since July, and I've rebooked Portsmouth for Tuesday 15th. Off to see some impro plays now :) Current Mood: loved Current Music: Keane - Somewhere Only We Know

(1 comment | Leave a comment)

December 4th, 2009

04:38 pm - Behind me An update...I did recover, am very glad to say. Had my Physical Theatre performance last night, despite the absolutely tiny room we were given it went really well. Just Greeks tomorrow and that's it, that's the end of term and it won't begin again until next decade. I've also finally been listening to Christmas songs, the usual Slade/Wizzard/Wham/Pogues/Mariah/Darkness classics are being wheeled out another year. It's a huge month for looking back and reminiscing...I don't think I'll ever have a decade again with so much change. I mean, I've gone from primary school at the start of 2000 to where I am now, my entire teenage years in the middle. The more you look, the more you find has changed in the world over these last ten years. That's it, really. Off to see a pantomime now. Oh no I'm not, oh yes I am, etc. Current Mood: calm Current Music: Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby

(Leave a comment)

December 1st, 2009

04:11 pm - Sick and tired Oh, life. Most of the time you're brilliant but you can really be an absolute bugger sometimes. Woke up in time for Brighton and got there fine. The last two times I went were in 2005 and 2000, added to 2009 that's three completely different eras of my life. And despite heavy rain forecast it wasn't actually that bad, had a look round the shops, checked out the pier (although not a very interesting one) but the coolest sight to see was the burnt out, dilapidated shell of the former West Pier. Closed since the 70s, as recently as 2002 it was all completely intact, but huge fires and winds over the next couple of years destroyed it. Some parts were still standing when I was last there in 2005, since then they too have fallen into the sea and so only the framework now survives. It was a pretty incredible sight and I took lots and lots of pictures of it. Went back on the train in the evening, and then hung around the BAC for ages for rehearsals to start. Finally, we have a good, solid structure for the play. Probably won't happen in January now but that means there's less worry over a deadline and we've got longer to write the scenes and make it even better. So this was a great end to November...right up until about 10:00. I suddenly felt really ill. Like, really, really ill. YPT are still happily discussing ideas but I can't speak anymore. I slump in my seat, my hand over my face and feel extremely sick. I have no idea what on earth's happening, but for once it's not alcohol related, I'd had one sip of my Bulmers just now and that was it all day. "Fallen asleep again, Billy?" they joke. I mumble that I'm not feeling too well, to which they get very concerned and quickly bring me water. But seconds later I quickly run out the building, it's a freezing cold night, and throw up. One of them goes to check on me to see me slumped on the pavement doing so. This is not only embarrassing but also terrifying, what in god's name is going on?! Eventually I stumble back inside, drink my water and they help me back to the station, rather than go the whole way back I'll get the train up to Willesden Junction and then call Dad to give me a lift. I'm feeling a bit better by this point but they're still very concerned and ask me if I'm ok, to which I say yep, absolutely fine. But on the train I begin feeling sick again. And despite shivering absolutely loads while outside just now, I suddenly become boiling hot. Taking off my fleece and coat does nothing, and...I throw up inside the train. This is even more embarrassing, but luckily as it's almost 11pm there's virtually no one on the train, and the ones who are there are sitting nowhere near me and ignore it all, probably thinking it's just some drunk. Again I recover in time to get off at Willesden, run through the freezing cold to the Way Out and Dad gives me a lift home, once back I email them confirming I'm ok and apologising. It seems that something I ate yesterday didn't agree with me and I've got food poisoning. No idea what it is, could have been the baguette in the morning, the sandwich on the train or the chips later on, or maybe the Pepsi or that tiny bit of Bulmers I drank. When in bed I couldn't sleep for ages as my mind was all over the place...I had this crazy half-dream of being stuck in a busy railway station, crammed full of people so you couldn't move, and trying to get out for what felt like hours, all the time constantly moving around in bed. So yes, no Portsmouth today so I bought those train tickets for nothing. And I'm also not feeling too well for swing-dancing tonight either so will have to skip that too. I am though still very scared as I have my performance week at City Lit starting tomorrow. Wednesday is a rehearsal but the final one we have so it's important I'm there, and then it's performances. And then, it's the last day of term on Saturday so the huge Christmas party can begin. Loads of stuff which right now I just don't feel like I can do, I'm still feeling very queasy and light headed. I only dragged myself out of bed about an hour ago. It really is the worst possible time to be ill. Thank you so much, life. Current Mood: sick

(1 comment | Leave a comment)

November 30th, 2009

12:23 am - Yesvember What an absolutely incredible week. The last time I had a run as wonderful as this was late July/early August, the peak of post-Better Humans YPT meetups. Every single day since the 21st has been filled with great things happening...meeting friends I'd not seen in ages, tea parties, Reeves & Mortimer, some amazing swing-dancing, great work at rehearsals and of course, that epic Ravenscourt reunion on Friday. And the last two days was yet another example of the perfect weekend. After getting back at 3am from Ravenscourt, I had just four hours of sleep before the City Lit Greek class. Next week's our performance week and everything is sorted, no stress about learning lines or acting troubles, everything's cool and am looking forward to it. Then the regular drink with them afterwards before I headed home to drop off my stuff and prepare for the evening, it was back down to the BAC to see the current YPT show. Lots of people I know from previous terms are still doing it so I knew pretty much half the cast. Really entertaining play and made me extremely nostalgic for those old YPT times, they roped me into the afterparty afterwards and it was just like being back in those February-July days. Eventually we were all very drunkenly re-enacting the 'Better Humans' song and dance as well as the Sadness song. But tomorrow the seven of us will be back for a rehearsal, so while it isn't the proper YPT at least there's that. Got back at 3am, again, and yet again attempted to wake up early for Sunday, a swing-dance meetup had been arranged in of all places Reading. Except, completely knackered and tired from the last few days, I overslept. When I finally woke up I panicked, quickly changed and rushed to the station, I'd still get there over an hour late. Felt a bit sick from the extreme amount of alcohol drank with City Lit and YPT just a few hours previously, and was in a grumpy mood until I got to Reading (not helped by pouring rain), but everything became instantly better once I got there. As with last Sunday, masses of food was there and filled me up very nicely, and then we went to a little dancing place there and boogied through the afternoon. Naturally the Reading swing scene is rather smaller than the London one, and all us London lot took up most of the dancefloor, but they were all very happy to see our company. It was a wonderful place too - it looked like it was straight out of the 1930s, with the art-deco features and Charleston pictures on the walls, and the band played right next to the dancefloor, extremely atmospheric. And being Reading, the food and drink there was also very cheap with something like Pepsi only 70p, that would be about £2 in London. So that's now the third place in the world I've swing-danced, the other being New York. At Reading station, one of the vending machines had some money in, so I got some crisps for free - and next to them were a packet of Mars Planets. Felt a bit like I'd stolen them, but hey, free food is always good. Had them on the train back, which we all mostly slept through after a busy yet fun day. Bid them all goodbye at Paddington but we'll probably see each other again on Tuesday, and many more future dancing times. Tomorrow it's Brighton, then Portsmouth, and the week after is Oxford and now Southend, I'm seeing my friend's play there on the 12th. That will be a busy day as I'll have a college tutorial in the morning, then Southend, see the play, back to London, and then it's a swing-dance club until 3am. Not too expensive, only a fiver return on the train there, just I can see myself waking at 7am and not getting back until 5am. Impossible? Nah. Nothing's impossible. So as I'll be in Brighton all day tomorrow and then back to Clapham Junction in the evening for a rehearsal, I'll review November now. And wow...to be honest it took a long time to get going. First couple of weeks I was a bit worried, as great as everything was it had got a bit linear and boring, no real epic days or nights. And then the turning point was the 14th and that wonderful evening at the swing club, suddenly after that everything began kicking off again and since then, geez, every single day seems to have had something brill happen. Amusing in hindsight that I said at the start of the month that November would be "exactly the same" as October. In fact, in terms of different things happening, it's been the most varied and interesting month since February and in my top four months of the year with that, April and July. Life has returned to those glory days, and December is going to end this decade SO wonderfully. Tomorrow will either see a post from me about Brighton, or one moaning over me oversleeping and missing my booked train. Hopefully the former, need to sleep right now really to wake up in time!! Current Mood: exhausted Current Music: Boyzone - No Matter What (only just realising how cool this song is)

(1 comment | Leave a comment)

November 28th, 2009

08:08 am - Eight years later If there was any perfect, almost poetic way to end this decade for me, last night had it. For those who don't know already, from September 2000 to June 2001 I attended Ravenscourt Theatre School, finally turning me into the actor I always wanted to be. But I was only there for less than a year, and something that always bothered me is that I left in the middle of the term - never got to say goodbye to anyone. In some ways it was a part of my life that remained unfinished, I never got to sufficently put closure on it. That was until last night when a reunion was held and I extremely nervously ventured along. My first ever school reunion, anywhere. I really do mean 'nervously'. It was at their new destination by Kew Bridge station, and as I walked there in the autumnnal cold, I kept repeating how long it had been in my head. June 2001. June 2001. Saying that next to 'November 2009' makes it sound like a million years ago. Is there anyone who'll remember me? Is this a complete waste of time? As I got there I sort of regressed into early-2007 era Billy, very reserved and shy, and quietly entered the room. Within about three seconds, a shout of "Billy!". Already two people recognised me. Couldn't believe it. Eight and a half years on I was remembered. And that was the ice-breaker really, for the whole evening I was going up to former pupils and indeed teachers, and they'd say "Billy, Billy Hicks!!" and recount all their memories of me. One remembered how good at sight-reading I was, I can learn lines pretty quick and recite a book by barely looking at the page. It was so cool to hear how everyone had their own individual ways of remembering me, all very fondly. The most amazing moment was with my tap teacher. I was a bit worried about saying hello because as hard as it is to believe now, I hated dancing back then. Would never want to do it at all. But they instantly remembered me, and to my joy I was able to tell them "You won't believe this but I'm a swing-dancer now". They were thrilled. They remembered how I'd sulk in the corner and knew I was one of the 'different' kids, and would feel so much for me. But told me that for me to come from that to standing there now, aged 21, a dancer and having finally got that confidence in life, was incredible. She summed my entire decade up for me. Later on a role-reversal occured as I taught her the shim-sham, a specially altered version so it worked with the disco songs. Couple of celebrities too, Dean Gaffney and Charlie Brooks from EastEnders went to the school and were both there for the reunion. I got to chat with Charlie later on and to my surprise, given she's a celebrity and all, she was actually really nice and friendly. We'd just missed each other at Ravenscourt as she started playing Janine the year before I joined, but we shared a fair few friends and had a chat about school memories. It's difficult just to put in magnitude how huge an evening that was for me. Finally, after so many years, I was able to bookend that era of my life. If I were writing a book about the decade, it would start with joining Ravenscourt in 2000 and last night would be the dramatic climax. It was a massive defining moment of my 21st year. And as I finally headed home at almost 1am, knowing I had college in the morning, the disco was playing the song 'When Will I See You Again?'. And indeed, will I? Who knows, but this time I was finally able to say goodbye to my friends, hugging them and saying to keep in touch. And after a very long journey home, had just four hours of sleep before waking this morning for City Lit. Quite incredible. I had a feeling the week would be epic, but wow. And my mum will be so jealous I met Charlie Brooks. :D Current Mood: touched Current Music: Keane - Somewhere Only We Know

(Leave a comment)

November 27th, 2009

05:04 pm - Two With the end of the decade looming I've decided to visit a load of places in South England. Providing I wake up in time, on Monday I'll be in Brighton, Tuesday I'll be in Portsmouth, and the week after I'll visit Oxford. Why? Well for the hell of it, really. That and I found out that it's loads cheaper than I thought. Southern Trains are doing a special deal where it's £2 everywhere. Even as far as somewhere like Southampton and Hastings, all you pay is £2. And Oxford is only £2.40. If it goes well then I'll try out more places like Eastbourne and Bognor Regis, just cus I love the name and want a picture of me next to a sign of it. And all for two quid. Who says rail prices are too expensive? Today is my mum's 42nd birthday so I got her the annual box of chocolates. And while in Tesco, the album 'Top of the Pops 1998' which I'm currently listening to and enjoying. Both the chocolates and the album were £2, another nice bargain. Tonight I'm slightly scared about. More when I get back. Current Mood: thoughtful Current Music: Lighthouse Family - High

(2 comments | Leave a comment)

November 26th, 2009

02:51 pm - First Yeah. Things are pretty damn good right now :) Everything's still in that nice pattern established since September, YPT, college and dancing all sharing the week with lots of very fun stuff coming up. I now have my return ticket from Devon and it's on the evening of the 29th December, I've treated myself and gone first class. With my railcard it's only two pounds more than the standard class advance fare, not that you get much other than a bigger, comfier seat and more legroom, but there'll be more space to store my rucksacks and I'll be able to relax more. First time, ever, I've gone first class on a train, and I can hardly complain for just £2 extra. I booked it just before bed last night and the price has already soared up since, so very good timing in booking it. Will collect the ticket at Waterloo on my way to City Lit this evening. Two amazing days of dancing on Monday and Tuesday. My first time at the 100 Club in ages was just brilliant, wasn't too busy so was able to get some great dancing in. Newcomers there since my last visit were telling me I was brilliant and asking if I'd be back next time, sadly it'll be January at the earliest as rehearsals will be back from next week, but they said they'd await my return. And on Tuesday, someone actually came up to me and told me how amazing I'd come on since I started a year and a half ago - they remembered my first ever class! I still love dancing so much, in January we'll be starting Musical Theatre at college and I'm so looking forward to it. Always nice to be told something like that :) It's just all been really fun recently. The end of November last year, and indeed the year before, also had some really excellent days, funny how history is repeating itself. Let's just hope that I can keep it going through these last few weeks - feeling positive! Current Mood: optimistic Current Music: Erasure - A Little Respect

(Leave a comment)

November 23rd, 2009

05:42 pm - PEANUTS The week has started with me meeting two more of my all-time heroes. Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. They were doing a signing at HMV of the new Shooting Stars DVD. Bizarrely enough it was my Grandma that got me into the duo, fourteen years ago when Shooting Stars was released. I must have only been about six or seven but I loved it, and followed them into Bang Bang It's Reeves and Mortimer, and then discovered Big Night Out a few years ago which is even more amazing. So it was pretty immense to see them in real life for the first time, not just them but with burger van owner Angelos Epithemou in tow! I couldn't resist it. On my way up to the table, I pretended to trip and said to Bob "Oh, I've fallen" - catchphrase from Big Night Out. Thank god, he laughed, asked my name and shaked me warmly by the hand. Also a hello from Vic and I even told Angelos it was amazing to meet him, to which he enjoyed. I now have a Shooting Stars DVD signed "To Billy" with sigs from Vic, Bob and Angelos, and will treasure it alongside my signed Doctor Who and Pet Shop Boys items. Was in a daze of wonderment for ages after. While there I took advantage of the 2 for £10 CD offer and bought Frankmusik's album and U2's Best of 1980-1990, many classic songs in both. And also had an extremely embarrassing moment when I noticed the new Susan Boyle album. I picked it up and innocently looked at it, and as I was doing so, I noticed a cameraman immediately behind me, filming a closeup of me looking at the album. They were filming a report about the album coming out and interviewing all the grannies in the shop about it, luckily I doubt they'll use the clip of me as that would be extremely humiliating for everyone to think I'm a closet Boyle fan. And then as I was heading home, the skies opened and an almighty rain shower fell across Neasden. I hid under a bus stop but the wind just blew the rain inside it, meaning I was still getting soaked. Eventually I made a dash for the McDonalds, and hid there for a few minutes until the rain stopped. Walked home extremely wet and avoiding the huge puddles everywhere...but hey, my HMV purchases were nice and dry so that's still good. Here's something rare now. No rehearsal this Monday, which means I'll be able to make a very rare visit to the 100 Club for the first time since September. Wonder if anyone remembers me... Current Mood: satisfied Current Music: Frankmusik - Confusion Girl

(1 comment | Leave a comment)

09:19 am - Walking the line Finally, November is really delivering. That was just the ultimate perfect weekend. The regular 7am start on Saturday for the Voicing the Greeks class, we've been working on the Chorus this week and it's become this crazy almost physical theatre thing, extremely fun but highly exhausting. Straight after that it was off to the BAC, but because I had a bit of time I popped to Waterloo to pick up a ticket for my Christmas holiday in Devon. Despite only a month to go, I got the very last £7.25 ticket left - the minimum fare it costs to get there, over the coming weeks it'll rise much more than that. So far the journey there is booked for the 22nd, need to work out what day I'm going back so I can get a cheap ticket for the return journey too. With that done I headed down to Victoria and the short journey to Clapham Junction. Couldn't have got there that way before as they've only just added Oyster pay-as-you-go to that route, so rather than wait 20 minutes for an Overground train there's one at Victoria every couple of minutes, much easier. And rather than a rehearsal or volunteer work, I was there to meet a wonderful, lovely YPT friend who is now at Leeds uni but was spending the weekend in London, and arranged to meet me there for a catchup. It was the first time I'd seen her since way back in May, so much has happened in both our lives since then and it was an utter joy to see her again. And because a YPT rehearsal was going on at the same time, I got to catch up with lots of YPT I've not seen since July. Won't be long before I see them again - I'll be seeing their show next Saturday and my Leeds friend is back in London for Christmas. Even just those events would have meant a great weekend, but as I made the very long journey back home to drop my college stuff off, more was to come. I was only back for an hour as then had to get to a friend's birthday. The theme was old people and I found a tatty cardigan that I'd worn as a costume for 'The Weather Room' almost two years ago. Due to half the tubes not working I had to travel into Euston and then a stop back out to South Hampstead to get there, and a highly fun evening, another friend it was great to catch up with again and got to meet lots of fun new people too. One turned out to be a massive fan of Doctor Who, which is the perfect ice-breaker really and soon we were talking about every Who topic under the sun. Quite fitting given that the show is 46 years old today. As with last Saturday I had my stamina back and was there until the early hours of the morning, and wonderfully, rather than struggle with night buses home they gave me a lift back to Neasden, making the journey a breeze. A fantastic Saturday which could have been even longer, just as I got back at 2am someone texted me asking if I wanted to go swing-dancing. At 2am!! I was amazingly tempted but had to see sense, it'd take over an hour to get there and wasn't sure how long I'd last awake, but I'll see them on Tuesday anyway. And then Sunday. I can't remember the last time I had a Sunday as great as yesterday. Still no tubes but I somehow got to Stepney Green in the afternoon for a swing-dance friend's tea party. They said they'd baked a lot, when we got there there were literally about a million cakes everywhere. Soon there were loads of us and we were all tucking into carrot cake, banana cake, brownies, victoria sponge...oh god my stomach is SO rumbling just typing this, remembering those wonderful tastes. Drinking tea and gin, having absolutely crazy conversations, and later on I played the ukelele for the first time. I only know one song - 'Walk The Line' by Johnny Cash - but given that I'd never played any string instruments in my life before yesterday, that's pretty good progress. I was so full by the end of the evening but we all got to take multiple slices of cake home (which will be eaten very quickly today!), and the best thing? We'll all see each other again for dancing on Tuesday. A perfect Sunday and as I said at the start, a perfect weekend. One of those when I just had a huge fixed smile on my face for the whole long journey back. City Lit, YPT, and swing-dancers all involved as if to remind me of all the friends I've made over the last couple of years. November got off to a slow start but now it really has become awesome. And this week especially is shaping up to be very epic! More details as they happen... Current Mood: happy Current Music: La Roux - In For The Kill

(Leave a comment)