Life in the Day: Christine Waddell

The long-term locked-in sufferer, 44, shares what life is like now without the ability to walk or talk after her tragic brainstem stroke. She is the longest survivor of her condition in the UK and her positive approach is highly contagious.

As you can probably gather, my life is rather unusual as I’m a long-term sufferer of locked-in syndrome. Back in 1997 when I was only at the young age of 26, I experienced a brainstem stroke that has since left me paralysed from the neck downwards.

It all happened when I’d returned home to my flat where I was living at the time. One minute I was walking through the door from work and the next minute I woke up on the floor to the sound of my house phone ringing – but my body couldn’t move to answer it. I couldn’t move my body at all and I didn’t know what to do. I lay on the floor helpless and hoping that somebody would find me and tell me what was happening. My phone rang countless times and I think it did for a couple of days, until my dad burst through the door to see where I was and if I was alright.

The next thing I know I’m at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle being told that I’ve had a serious stroke and that it’s left me permanently paralysed. Although I’m still mentally aware and can see and hear as I could before, unfortunately I’m without speech and have to communicate using a specialist system for my condition.

A big factor of locked-in syndrome is insomnia - so I usually wake up really early. It honestly drives me stir crazy! Generally I wake up about 2am and just lie twiddling my thumbs until I hear the carer up and about. Obviously if I have any problems during the night with things like feeling uncomfortable or my temperature is off I just need to press my buzzer and she comes to my rescue! It isn’t very easy though with a carer who is still half asleep and having to tell her what’s wrong through an alphabetic communication system. To communicate with me the carers need to recite the alphabet and I raise my eyes when they reach the right letter. They write the letters down to form words and sentences and it's as easy as that. Not!

When the carer sees my bedroom light on she’ll come in and put my glasses on for me and then I watch TV while she prepares my breakfast, which is usually Weetabix as it’s my favourite. I like to think of the saying “Have you had your Weetabix this morning?” because it reminds me that Weetabix is supposed to make you strong. It’s good to at least try to think optimistically.

At the moment I’m only allowed two oral meals a day, and it’s my choice which meals I get to eat. I’m such a foodaholic, if it wasn’t my choice I wouldn’t be best pleased! As well as that I have to fill myself with one liquid meal a day through my feeding tube.

At around nine o'clock the nurse comes in to give me my medication, so just beforehand I get prepared for her by turning the TV or radio off and making sure my bed is laid flat. Then the fun (I mean work) begins.

Once I’ve been given my fluids through my feeding tube, had the usual ablutions and am dressed for the day, I get hoisted into my wheelchair and then I’m ready to face the day ahead.

I usually tend to go on my specially-adapted computer which is designed to respond to my eye movements, and I do that until the physiotherapist comes for my daily sessions. The computer is my lifeline really as it's my only form of communication with the outside world, so I spend most of my time before physio using Facebook or emailing friends or family.  

Before the daily exercise begins, if I’m having any dinner it will often be either soup or a jacket potato; followed by more water through my feeding tube.

Usually at one o'clock the physiotherapist comes to do my hour’s exercise session. At the moment we’re doing a lot of standing work to build my muscles up and improve my condition, which is working well so far. I’ve had some luck but it’s a very slow process as anyone can imagine, because my whole body has been paralysed for 18 years. My thumbs are what I’m having most success with, and a little with my upper body strength too. It’s extremely difficult for me but just recently I’ve been able to hold myself in an upright position for the first time since my stroke.  

Once the physio session is over I often go on my exercise bike for a few hours to keep my muscles active and strong.

Sometimes during the week I’ll replace one of my physio sessions with a day at the Metro Centre in Gateshead. Shopping is one of my favourite things to do and I really enjoy snooping around Next for new interior additions to add to my home. My family always laugh at me when they visit and I have something new – and it’s nearly always from Next!

Usually after physio though it’s back to Facebook for the rest of the day where I speak to my close friends and particularly one of my favourite people who I’ve met through having locked-in syndrome. We speak regularly, and Kate comes to visit me quite often to check my progress. A few years ago she was a sufferer of my condition too, but managed to recover and regain her movement. She’s so inspirational and has written a book about her experience which has to be one of my favourites of all-time. Although, one of my guilty pleasures is definitely the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy too.

For my tea I usually tuck into a roast dinner that I have prepared for me and more some water, and then the TV goes on. My favourite things to watch are generally soap operas like Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, but sometimes I’ll flick over to the music channels where I like to listen to my favourite artist Robbie Williams. I have a tendency to half watch the TV and half play on Facebook again until I get my final lot of water.

Shortly afterwards I start getting ready for bed, which is when I start to feel so relaxed and can allow my muscles to calm down from their day of strenuous work. The carer will then brush my teeth for bed, get me washed and put me in some comfy pyjamas. Once in bed, I’ll have a chat with the carer before settling down for the night and doing my routine all over again tomorrow. 

Food Review: George's Great British Kitchen Newcastle

Food is like one of my favourite things in this whole entire world - genuinely. I don't just view meal times as a means of filling myself up because it's what we do and ultimately what the human body needs; even though both of these statements are true. I also view meal times as an excuse to indulge and really enjoy what I'm eating, but just because I like to indulge that doesn't mean the food I eat has to be unhealthy. Food can be enjoyed as well as being really good for you too. I've been on a bit of a health-kick over the course of the last week and a half and I've really been trying to adapt to a better lifestyle in general (I could do a whole separate blog post on this but I'd like to keep it consistent for a bit longer), and so even when it comes to dining out I'm choosing to opt for healthier options too. Just because I'm eating away from home doesn't mean I'm going to pick the big fat juicy burger - when in reality I know I really bloody want it.

So, today I went to Newcastle because I really wanted to try this restaurant that had been popping up all over my Facebook News Feed for some unbeknown reason. In fairness I think a lot of my friends had tried it out and 'Liked' the Facebook page and naturally it just happened to force itself in my direction too. However I'm very glad it did. I went with a friend to George's Great British Kitchen and had reserved a table for 1.30pm which gave us enough time to get into Newcastle early and do what we do best - shopping! I booked the table online and the process was very simple and I received a very prompt confirmation email to follow with all of my details.

We rocked up about ten minutes early but were greeted warmly by extremely pleasant staff and asked to sit in the bar area until they sorted our table for us which was perfectly fine as we were early. Sitting in the bar gave me the opportunity to look around at the great decor which was quite rustic yet clean-looking at the same time. I loved the beach huts too because they gave a fun British summer's day vibe. Unfortunately we weren't seated in a hut but when I go back again this is a must!

Less than 5 minutes of sitting and we were taken to our table and given all the menus we needed. I'd heard the premium gins were essential to try, therefore when our drinks server took our order I chose the Caorunn which was a double measure of sweet gin infused with apple, a dash of blackberry syrup with Fever-tree tonic. All I have to say is mmm! Really delicious and sweet and I loved the goblet presentation of the drink because it made it feel really sophisticated - which is essential for all gin consumers.

After sampling my drink I moved on to choosing a starter from the main menu. I really liked the style of the menus as they were in the form of a British-style newspaper which added a really quirky and traditional feel to the experience. After scowering for several minutes we opted for the incredible-sounding halloumi and vine tomato skewers to share. The starter came very quickly and was piping hot - as it should be! There were three small skewers served on a bed of chickpea and spinach masala. These were absolutely mouth-watering and I could've had at least six more skewers at the very least. All of the flavours combined worked really well and considering I'm not a No.1 fan of spinach I felt as though it complimented the rest of the ingredients.

After the starter plates were cleared in fantastic timing the mains were sharp on their way and I had ordered from the Lunch Menu the Inka grilled wild ocean cod which was served with sweet potato mash, button mushrooms and tomato and herb salsa. I really have nothing bad to say because again this dish was up to an extremely high standard. Everything was cooked to perfection and I particularly enjoyed the sweet potato mash as it paired well with the contrasting flavours of the salsa. The dish was accompanied by some fish 'n' chip shop style chips but I didn't eat many of those as in all honesty I'm not a massive chip lover! 

After filling our tummies with the scrumptious starter and mains it's safe to say we had no room left for dessert. However, as this experience was so pleasant I have every intention of returning to sample some of their sweets. 

All in all, I had a great time dining out at this restaurant and the hype it had been given certainly met with my impressions. One small gripe (which isn't very big at all) would possibly be the fact that there was some hardened candle wax on the table which visually didn't look great but had no real disturbance to our meal our experience. Our server did notice this himself and apologised, but really we weren't all that bothered about this.

I'd definitely recommend you treat yourself and dine out at George's Great British Kitchen if you enjoy traditional British food but with a bit of an exciting twist. And as a gin lover myself the bar and selection of premium gins are reason enough to get yourself there and do some tasting. And if you can't get yourself to Newcastle there's one in Nottingham too. Hooray!

Great experience. 

Check out the menus online: www.georgesgreatbritishkitchen.co.uk

R&B: The Evolution

Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye to Rihanna, Beyonce, Usher and Chris Brown. They’re all R&B artists. And they’re really good R&B artists.

R&B (Rhythm & Blues) dates all the way back to the 1940s when the likes of Cab Calloway, The Harlem Hamfats, Count Basie and Louis Jordan came to prominence. Eight years later in 1948, music journalist and record producer Jerry Wexler derived the term R&B for this genre of music. R&B was originally used by record companies to refer predominantly to African-Americans at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a heavy, insistent beat" was becoming more popular.

The commercial R&B music typical of bands from the 50s through to the 70s, usually consisted of piano, one or two guitars, saxophone, bass, drums, and sometimes even background vocalists. The 50s was largely dominated by artists Ray Charles and Ruth Brown, as well as vocal groups like The Drifters and The Coasters, it was only then when the genre began to metamorphose into soul.

Famous tracks from these artists in the 50s include "Bad Blood” by The Coasters which carries the theme of a guys night out and has an energetic, boisterous and freewheeling mood to it, comprising of a pop but also rock and roll feel. “Come Back (Baby)” by music phenomenon Ray Charles was also an extremely popular track, encapsulating elements of blues and soul to mix up the R&B tendencies.

Later Doo Wop, funk, dance, disco, blues and other forms of R&B music began to develop in the industry. R&B has been forever changing and encompassing new elements to evolve the genre, including components of soul, jazz, hip hop and rock. The 21st century particularly has introduced a new type of R&B featuring lighter lyrical subjects and faster beats.

Gradually, more and more artists are experimenting with the genre, developing it and revolutionising it to bring a new sound and feel. Up-tempo beats with a faster pace are common with experimental features ranging across a range of genres.

Artists to date are also experimenting with the R&B genre for each of their individual tracks produced. It’s not uncommon to discover that a song by an artist in the 21st century is R&B combined with another genre, including hip hop or pop. It is rare that a group or artist is solely an R&B producer, as they are renowned for mixing up their musical tendencies and vibes to produce fresh and different concoctions. Controversial singer-songwriter Justin Bieber evolved his music brand and overall artist outlook for himself by transitioning from elements of teen pop and R&B from tracks including “Favourite Girl” and “Baby” to more of an EDM vibe seen in “Where Are U Now” and “What Do You Mean?” inspired by electronic music producers Skrillex and Diplo.

To listen to R&B in years gone by would be extremely different to the type of evolved genre material that more recent artists are producing. In the 40s and 50s it was common to see groups singing about the meaning of love. However, recently song meanings have become less serious and much more light-hearted. The 1953 track "I Want You To Be My Baby" by Louis Jordan, despite the jazz-like and upbeat tempo connotes romantic feelings and meanings in comparison to the 2006 track by Rihanna titled “Unfaithful” which is a complete contrast, suggesting infidelity and cheating, a notion that would have likely rarely been featured in earlier R&B tracks.

Previous to the kind of lyrics we hear in R&B tracks today, which include prominent themes about the triumphs and failures of relationships, economics, aspirations, freedom, and sex; it was more regular for artists of the 40s to the 70s also to sing about and express the African-American experience of pain and the quest for freedom and joy.

In the 21st century the term R&B still, in many contexts, categorises music made my black musicians and suggests a distinct genre style in comparison to music produced by other musicians.

R&B music does demonstrate a marxist development from when and how it first originated. Despite the lyrical contexts of most tracks from this genre referring to African-American pain and fight for freedom, it is clear to see that R&B, while still being largely dominated by African-Americans, has made an obvious step forward socially and historically. 21st century African-Americans now typically refer to money, expensive jewellery, fame, sex and women, with a few exceptions including the likes of Nico and Vinz who have produced tracks focusing on African-American advancement.

It is clear to see that the genre has made social, historical and musical advances over time. But one thing that has remained the same is the quality of music and the quality of the artists.

Locked-in syndrome: The condition we should all be aware of

It was only in 2012 that long-term locked-in syndrome sufferer Tony Nicklinson died aged 58 after suffering with the condition for 7 years, denying treatment from the start. After facing many High Court battles to be given the right to end his own life were denied, he soon after became diagnosed with pneumonia and died as a result, followed by refusing to eat for several days.

The 58-year-old was said to be ‘heartbroken’ making the decision to put his life to an end and that his defeat with the High Court left him the only ‘horrific’ decision to starve himself to death.

Locked-in syndrome is a physical medical condition usually caused as a result of a stroke which damages part of the brainstem. The body and facial muscles are left paralysed but the person remains conscious and the ability for certain eye movements is preserved.

It’s important to know what causes a stroke to happen and this can be largely dependent on lifestyle or genetic factors. In the case of a stroke a blood clot blocks the blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Blood clots typically form in areas where the arteries have become narrowed over some time by plaques and fatty deposits.

Throughout life arteries can narrow naturally, but certain things can harmfully accelerate the process of having a blood clot. This may include obesity, diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, excessive alcohol in-take and also high cholesterol levels.

There has also been long-term skepticism centered around blood clot scares amongst women as a result of taking the combined contraceptive pill. 

It has been recommended by doctors that if you have a family history of blood clots you should not use this contraceptive method and seek an alternative as this could heighten your own risk of experiencing a clot.

Peter Moore, Regional Director at the Stroke Association in the North East, said: “Locked-in syndrome is an extremely rare consequence of stroke. The condition causes paralysis in all parts of a patient’s body, apart from the muscles that control eye movement.

“For many people with locked-in syndrome, the severe effects of their stroke will remain with them. However therapy can help to improve someone’s quality of life and may even enable them to return home to live with their family. Complete recovery from locked-in syndrome is rare, but people can – and do – make improvements throughout their rehabilitation.”

Christine Waddell, 44, from Chester-le-Street, has been a sufferer of locked-in syndrome for eighteen years, making her Britain’s longest survivor of the condition to date.

She describes what it’s like to live with the syndrome: “In the early days it was terrifying to an extent that no one could comprehend, so much that I used to dread each day incase the doctors thought I was dead. It isn’t scary now, just disheartening, which I use to boost my determination levels.

“When I initially had the stroke, I expected the physical loss to be the hardest, but this wasn’t the case. The inability to do things, especially making myself heard, drives me crazy. The way people view my disability as well is so frustrating.”

Kate Allatt, 44, mother-of-three from Sheffield used to have the syndrome but recovered successfully in 2010 and has since been awarded the titles ‘Extraordinary Woman 2011’ and “Extraordinary Person Endeavour 2011’.

She has also written and published a book in 2011 about her locked-in syndrome journey entitled ‘Running Free – Breaking out of locked in syndrome’ and is now also a respected spokesperson and actively involved with stroke recovery research.

She describes the condition: “Locked-in syndrome is like waking up inside your own coffin. Imagine being able to think, feel and hear everything normally, whilst being unable to move at all. 

"It’s essentially being trapped inside a physically paralysed shell; a scary and often painful experience where you are unable to stop overthinking about everything.”

Both of these inspirational survivors prove that there is a life after locked-in syndrome and their enthusiasm to continue the fight is completely contagious.

Despite the tragic situation that follows the condition quality of life can be improved and it is possible to work towards stable survival.

The Weeknd: Beauty Behind The Madness

Music is a getaway for many people and for these many people that getaway can be diverse in the industry of melodic tunes, lyrical decisions and instrumental combinations. Chart music is an obvious choice for music discoveries as it’s simply what is popular in the mainstream and is also easily accessible. However many genres of music remain neglected because of the standard UK Top 40 and most people believe that if an artist or band isn’t in the charts then they aren’t popular or not worth a listen. That’s where the audience of this generation are wrong.

Venturing out from your musical preferences can be difficult - maybe you don’t know what else there is, what you’ll like or how to find something new. The mundane output of pop, dance and house music the charts are feeding us does become tiring, however movie soundtracks can be a great journey to an exploration of many newfound and distinct genres.

“Beauty Behind The Madness” - The Weeknd’s seventh studio album, which made a feature in the long-anticipated and controversial 2014 movie 50 Shades of Grey, centres itself around the musical genre PR&B. The genre is a stylistic alternative to R&B that has also recently been popularised by the likes of singers and songwriters Frank Ocean and Miguel. The main difference to R&B is that this genre includes some elements of rock, EDM and hip-hop and the lyrics often carry mysterious and dark meanings and connotations.

One track from the album “Earned It” made its debut in the movie 50 Shades of Grey and because of this gained instant popularity and focus on the album and its other tracks. Shortly afterwards tracks including “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills” and their music videos were released and achieved success by hitting the charts and becoming a favourite amongst a range of listeners. The track “Often” which was the first to be released from the album a year ago also proceeded to thrive and too gained recognition following the fame of the movie’s popular number.

Despite The Weeknd’s disparate genre the popular tracks are not unheard of to make an appearance in bars and nightclubs accompanied by a remixed touch to convert the sounds to a more stereotypical dance-style feel; distancing from the mysterious deeper noises that are associated with PR&B.

When the artist, properly known as Abel Tesfaye, commented in an article with TIME on his relationship with the controversial “alternative R&B” he is usually associated with, he said: “Alternative R&B is in my soul. It’s not going anywhere. When I put out songs from House of Balloons in 2010 people said I made R&B cool again. I’m assuming that’s when the label was created.

“I feel honored that a good part of today’s music is inspired by it, consciously or subconsciously. The only way I could have done that was to be ambitious and grand. That’s what I want to do with Beauty Behind The Madness. I want to make pop cool again, and the only way I can do that is by being ambitious and grand.”

Artists known for their pop genre’s including Ed Sheeran and Lana Del Rey both make their appearance in the collection of tracks and add their own music styles to the mix to enhance the sounds and form a twist on the artist’s PR&B song structure. Labrinth is also featured on the track "Losers", bringing a hip-hop element to the album as well.

Musical sounds explored in this album range from high-pitch soft harmonising to heavy drum sets. The genre of the album definitely doesn’t fail to make use of a diverse range of instrumental and digital audio concoctions to form a genre that ensures it stands out completely from the regurgitated tracks that make it popular to date.

The album features prominently themes ranging from drugs, sex and women to the feeling of entrapment in a range of social contexts. The selection of lyrics displayed in most of the tracks carry mostly negative and dazed connotations, implying a sense of feeling lost or dissatisfied.

The first released track from the album “Often” is an overtly sexual musical piece that talks about women and sex using a provocative approach, leaving virtually nothing to the imagine. During the narrative of this track the artist makes himself out to be almost an expert in the field and boasts about his way with women.

Several more of his popular tracks on the album including “Dark Times” and “Tell Your Friends” make reference to drugs and lighten the theme in a casual and non-serious way. Other tracks on the album explore a narrative suggesting that the use of drugs can lead to a feeling of being socially and mentally ambushed, especially seen in the context of “The Hills”.

Postmodernism is largely demonstrated within the album as the contents strive to and ultimately do achieve a movement in the musical art of generic R&B. A skeptical interpretation of an original art genre is worked upon by the artist to produce a postmodern concept that works and accomplishes a new evolution of music.

So, all in all The Weeknd smashes it again; providing us with an array of fantastic tracks for some unique and enjoyable listening.

24 Hours Without the Internet: Defeated

Unsurprisingly the generation of today is heavily fascinated by amazing technological advancements and the remarkable creation of the world wide web. The internet is used for almost everything these days, from doing a quick Google search on the go to find out the best bars and restaurants in the local area to organising your life practically hour by hour. It’s a fantastic revolution, but maybe it’s too fantastic for its own good.

I put myself to the test over the weekend to discover whether or not I could banish mobile internet in particular from my everyday life for 24 hours. Let’s be honest, as a 20-year-old student who is constantly active on social media, always keeping up with local and national news and loves partaking in the online shopping extravaganza it seemed like one of the hardest tasks imaginable. But that’s only because I myself, and others of my age, have grown up with the internet and watched it evolve to become a tool that enhances our lives and generally for the better.

The Internet Society’s report 2015 discusses the benefits of mobile internet today, which is a perk that has become increasingly popular on devices since the introduction of 3G and 4G networks. 2015’s report discovers that entrepreneurs have created billion dollar opportunities developing and selling apps worldwide, there have been opportunities abound for general education and also healthcare applications are emerging for users to track their own fitness. Mobile internet is bursting with both advancements and also addictions, making it increasingly more difficult to live an internet-free life.

I found that attempting to deduct mobile internet from my daily routine was pretty much impossible. I’m one to set my alarm using my mobile phone but unlike many others won’t actively use the internet straight away in the morning when I wake up. I like to get myself ready for the day and scroll through Facebook and Twitter over a hot cup of strong coffee and some cereal.

I set myself a goal over the weekend to stop using the internet at 9am on Saturday and continue until 9am the following morning. I’ll keep it real and confess that I forgot instantly. I had intended to switch off my WiFi the night before so I wouldn’t receive any notifications to tempt me, however I opened up an email notification forgetfully and that was my internet-free 24 hours failed instantly.

Instead of trying again the next morning to start a fresh I felt it would be interesting to record the rest of the day’s internet activity based on an average day of internet usage.

Throughout the course of the day, like most other days, I found myself using the internet for a range of different purposes. My main source of internet consumption was through the use of my mobile phone as it’s usually always by my side and the easiest to use when I want to find out about something quickly or engage in instant conversation.

I recorded that I checked my profiles such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram a total of 107 times throughout the day and was active on social apps including WhatsApp, Messenger and Snapchat a total of roughly 332 times. That day I also found myself using the internet to continue my newfound Breaking Bad addiction on Netflix. However I did manage to be academically productive despite this and used the internet to plan and research some essay content.

I found that the most obvious internet distractions for me personally were the social platforms Facebook and Twitter. Statistics show that today there are over 1.49 billion active Facebook users and 316 million monthly Twitter users to date. It is clear that many different kinds of people of differing ages, ethnicities and cultures are adding themselves to the ever-growing population of social media and on-the-go mobile internet access.

To stop or even restrict internet use in today’s generation does ultimately prove to be difficult. Excluding obvious distractions for a young person including social media apps, YouTube and Netflix completing academic work requires the use of the internet too. Students nowadays need the internet access work briefings, module content, feedback from lecturers and much more. It has become a digital generation and we rely on the web a great deal for almost everything we do.

However Paul Miller wrote in 2012 about his experience discontinuing his internet use for 12 months in a feature article for The Verge, proving that the challenge can be achieved: “Now I want to see the internet at a distance. By separating myself from the constant connectivity, I can see which aspects are truly valuable, which are distractions for me, and which parts are corrupting my very soul.”

It has to be considered that the internet could be corrupting our productiveness, sociability and health, but when we have never known anything different what alternative do we have?

ETC Magazine Wedding Show Event

Last night I attended a wedding show event organised by the north east-based magazine ETC (Everything That Counts) and for me this was my first experience at any event of this kind. The prime reason I was attending was to cover the bridal show for an assessed piece of worked issue by my university as part of our module coursework. The brief stated we had to record a two-minute long video covering a story of our choice with a news-based angle using a range of camera angles and shots with experimentation of voice-overs, interviews/voxpops and on-screen graphics too. Working in groups for the project we decided that the idea to attend ETC's event would make an excellent news story and thus we headed along to Sunderland Minster at 6pm to not only enjoy the extravagant event but also get some proper work done.

Walking in to what is the beautiful building of Sunderland Minster we were greeted politely and offered an ETC goodie bag and a drink on arrival. How very swish I thought! We were granted permission to film the event and interview the organiser and independent businesses that were showcasing their items and stalls at the event too.

Initially we did some panning camera work to capture the entire feel of the show, with the very talented event singer performing covers from the likes of Rihanna, The Weeknd and Adele.

We also got the chance to speak to the lovely Rachel Meadows who owns her local bridal business Katie's Garden who told us about her stall at the event and the background of her business "We're brand new and are opening next week in Sunderland. We're modern-vintage so we're trying to do something a little bit different instead of the stereotypical charity shop regurgitated sort of things. We source original vintage dresses and re-funk them by changing the shape of them and the style of them to make them more suitable."

Throughout the event we were approached by lovely waiting staff who offered us a range of savoury and sweet canape's which were definitely not rejected by any of us.

As the event went on we got shots of beautifully decorated cakes, a range of business stalls and their goods, the models showcasing the bridal/wedding outfits and managed to grab the events manager for an insight about the ETC event too. Here's what she said "ETC has been around for five years now and ever since the magazine launched we've been doing weddings shows. As well as wedding shows we've done lifestyle shows and Christmas shows but our wedding ones have always been the most popular so that's what we've always done them and are doing more.

"We held one last year in the Minster, as we are today, and it was heavily attended and it surprised us how popular it really was. So we've done it again this year and I think it's been even better."

All in all the show was a massive success and all that attended appeared to have a great time and left with smiles on their faces, as did I.

Well done to ETC for organising such a plush and spectacular show.

My Journey to Journalism

When I was growing up the intimidating question "What do I want to be when I'm older?" circulated my mind quite a lot. It was and understandably may still be a question that many other young people face too, so I'm not the only one. It's the sort of question that lingers in the back of your mind like that one incessant black cloud haunting the sky when the sun is trying to make its breakthrough. 

I think if you get to your teenage years and you've worked out your answer then you're in the lucky minority. The pressure to decide is ceaseless and I for one especially felt like once I'd reached the age of sixteen and was beginning to make harder decisions, i.e. choosing my A-level subjects that would actually count towards something I should be achieving; like stuff was becoming real, frighteningly real. There is and always has been an enormous amount of pressure on young people to make that firm choice, get on the right road to their desired career-path and ultimately have their life planned out into each individual step like some sort of timeline. 

The truth is though that it can't happen like that for everybody. Some are born into highly-achieving families, and are expected to carry on the family profession for reputation reasons. Some just know what they want to do instantly in life, and that's great. Some don't have any idea at all and find themselves desperately seeking their dream occupation by searching around for new roles to fill. And some discover it along the way; and that's definitely what I did. 

All through my life up until this current point I've written a lot. It all started off with writing short illustrated stories in primary school competing for "Star Writer", and then it blossomed into coming up with stories in my own time at home and writing them up on Microsoft Word 2001 on my Dad's PC. Strangely my most written genre was horror, even though I hated watching or reading anything remotely scary. I wrote journals too, a lot of them. I used to try and document as many days of my life as I could in written form, even it was just half a page or so. I used to make my own magazines as well, ranging from the topic of puppets (yes, I'm serious) to beauty. I'd write all of the content and draw all of the images too, even though I wasn't a good artist in the slightest. 

When I got to secondary school my flair for English and writing furthered. Whenever I got any homework that meant writing an essay, a short story, a poem or anything of the same nature I actually looked forward to it. I guess that must have been a creative spark coming through as I loved to come up with new ideas and get them down on paper. I took on the subject Media Studies later into my time at secondary school and from there I got involved with even more creative projects, like making my own proper magazine, DVD cover and print advertisements. It was then that it was beginning to occur to me that I definitely wanted to do something that involved writing.

College, in a nutshell, just reassured me that little bit more about what I wanted to do. Taking on English Language, Media Studies, English Literature and German (bit irrelevant but I thought I'd include it) meant that I got involved with more creative projects and achieved well, which obviously put into perspective that I couldn't be making a mistake with my choice. I actually wrote an essay in my final year of Media Studies comparing the two best-selling women's magazines Glamour and Cosmopolitan which got me an A* which I was so extremely proud of. Doing essays, short stories, articles and other projects made me realise that my passion for writing was diverse and that I had the ability to construct content that could fit many different purposes and demographics.

Writing is such a broad term, I know. That's why it's great, because if you can write and love to write there are endless opportunities. You could be an author, a journalist, a scriptwriter, a freelancer, a blogger, a poet or you could write for advertisements, PR, comic books, greetings cards and the list goes on. However I want to be a feature writer for a magazine or online publication. I'd love to write among the topics of travel, fashion, beauty, music, food, culture, films, books etc. There are a lot of things I love and would love to write about so the list is endless for me. I would rarely ever struggle with having something new to do an article on that's for sure.

So what I am I doing now where writing is concerned? And what is there in store for the future? The future I can't really predict, nor can I plan to any extent. But I'm hoping that what I achieve in the present will largely determine my future's outcome. Right now I'm going into my second year at university and I'm studying BA Hons Magazine Journalism. This degree is training me to becoming a journalist, it's teaching me how to write professional material, it's educating me on media law, the history of journalism, online news, the future of journalism and it's also teaching me the useful skill of shorthand which is not crucial but definitely admired in the industry. 

As well as my degree I'm doing stuff on the side, I still write for my blog, Fashion North, Spark Sunderland and SR News (I've been a little lazy though recently, but I'm getting back on track) but I'm also hoping to expand who I write for. I'd love to send something off to regional publication and have it published as a freelancer, that's what I'd really like. But for now I'm still practicing my writing and perfecting it before I send any material off to a top Editor to look at. The thought of it scares me just a little bit right now...

I'm reading a great book at the moment which was written by the senior lecturer of Magazine Journalism, Jenny McKay, at the University of Sunderland called "The Magazine's Handbook". It's packed full of tips about making it as a magazine journalist, how and where to start writing, jobs in the industry and so much more. It actually inspired me to want to write about my chosen career-path as today's post. Reading the book reminded me of how sure I am that I want to write and how I haven't made a mistake in choosing to go to university to study a good journalism course, despite what people say about high tuition fees and employability afterwards. I've done enough research into my desired career to know that having a degree in this field is incredibly useful and valued, as well as having writing experience, which I'm working on.

As well as improving my writing skills and doing my degree I know it's also crucial to build contacts. These contacts will be useful for prospective face-to-face or phone interviews, quotes or sources for stories or if I'm lucky - a foot in the door. It's important to know what you know, but it's also useful to know who you know too.

I think that wraps things up nicely. So I have two more years left at university and plenty more years of writing left in me, and it's all part of my journey to journalism.

My France Expedition

On the 8th of August I set off on my last family holiday for two weeks. We travelled to the northwest of France for our holiday this year and had the aim of exploring Normandy and some of the other surrounding areas. Of course travelling to France meant getting the ferry from Portsmouth which is at least a six hour journey from where I live, which meant unbearable amounts of discomfort as three of us where squeezed into the backseat. However, we arrived safe and sound in Portsmouth where we stayed at a Holiday Inn for the night and went for a scrumptious meal at T.G.I Friday's and had some drinks to celebrate the start of our trip.

We arrived in Caen on the afternoon of Saturday 9th and made our way (again all three of smooshed into the backseat invading one another's personal space to a whole new level) to the first holiday site called Camping De Leveno which is situated near Guerande. We arrived at roughly 7pm, unpacked our things and went for a meal at the site's restaurant; which did absolutely lovely pizzas. We then wound down for night as we were all exhausted from so much travelling.

The first full day of being in France we had a quiet day that consisted of playing bouls, getting some food shopping in and just generally relaxing. We also had a few drinks at the bar later on.

                               

Over the next couple of days we explored some of the local areas including Guerande, Saint-Nazaire and Saint-Malo; all of which had beautiful scenery and great shopping facilities (perfect for me).

Guerande was a very small town with lots of independent shops, ranging from chocolatiers and bakeries to jewellery and clothes shops. It was very picturesque and beautiful and was a really nice day out. 

Our trip to Saint-Nazaire was also really fun. We went for a sensational meal at a grill which called Grill Courtepaille which was insanely good; and again just checked out the local area, browsed the shops and generally explored.

 I have some photos below of somewhere we visited which I unfortunately can't remember  the name of, but nevertheless it was a really stunning place and I had such a good time.

                             

After the first week was over it was time to make our way across to the new holiday site for the second week, which was situated more towards Normandy way. The site was called Chateau de Le Eaux and actually had a 5* star rating which I had no idea about, and it definitely showed because the quality of our stay was excellent.

Over the course of this second week we visited Saint-Malo which is a walled port city known for piracy in times gone by. The city had plenty of shops but there were also a lot of markets stalls (I'm a sucker for a good market) where there was beautiful handmade jewellery, bags, food, art and loads more. It was also my Mum's birthday the same day so we made sure to find the perfect place to eat in celebration called L'Ancrage.

                          *First course was fish soup with croutons 

                       *Second course was buttered rump steak with chips

                 *Third course was creme caramel (which I wasn't too sure about)

And finally the last place we visited while in Normandy was Mont Saint-Michel which is a island commune. We climbed right to the top and also explored the interior of the beautiful building; and grabbed a yummy ham and cheese baguette too which was ridiculously tasty.