Taylor Swift: You were amazing!

In the summer I decided to treat myself with the little money I had. So when I heard Taylor Swift was doing a one off concert in London I snapped at the chance to see her. She isn't as 'big' over here as she is in America, but she sure knows how to pack out an arena!

I took my fourteen year old cousin, Helen, and it was really nice to spend time with her since I only see her twice a year. It was also hilarious because she is at that age of real attitude and lip on her. Just reminded me of how awful I was at that age!

I managed to get some photos but it was so dark I could not see what setting I was on. So they are pretty dull. The memories though? Priceless!


The highlights were her show opener you belong with me, love story, fifteen and your not sorry (purely for the amazing waterfall she had behind her!) I just loved every minute of it. She really knew how to entertain the crowd and put on a show at 19!

I think my favourite song she did was 'Fearless' because of the way she introduced it and the background was pretty :). She was talking about how so many people make it a priority to find love and how meeting the right guy is essential to living life. When instead we shouldn't have any mind-set or goals, t0 just go with the flow and be fearless when it does happen. I really related to that and I got a little video of the song :)

One of the best parts though was once the concert was over I met one of my blogging pals Sam. We have been talking for a while via chat and texts so when it came to meeting her I wasn't at all nervous. She was lovely and it was great to finally meet someone from the blogging world. It was the best end to a brilliant night!

I am seeing Florence and The Machine, Kelly Clarkson, Brad Paisley and Lady GaGa next year. I am looking forward to 2010 already :)

Children in Need.

Today in the United Kingdom is Children in Need. It is an 8 hour live telethon on the TV where we raise money and gifts for underprivileged children in the UK and third world areas. I LOVE this day, it is my favourite day in November without a doubt.


Everyone just has this real energy about them. I went out to the shops this morning and I saw school children dressing up in their favourite TV or Book characters to raise money. It was so adorable and brought back so many memories of me doing that :)


Unfortunately, tonight I am unable to watch the show due a leaving party I have to attend (Giles you don't have to leave us you know!). Also, I am so busy with university work I cannot go and help run the stalls at our local halls and shelters like I usually do. Safe to say I felt pretty bummed out.


Then yesterday I got an invitation to go to my local Children's Centre called Sure Start :) Before I went and did activities with the Children I was invited to a 'Help the Heroes' presentation. It was here I saw pictures, operations, videos of the war dead parades. I can honestly say it was harrowing. How an Earth do the soldiers do it? I just had so much admiration. Then the penny dropped...


I thought I was going down to the centre to help raise money for Children in Need. I was but today was also the day the children would be saying goodbye to their Daddies as they leave for Afghanistan. To be in a room of crying children being torn away from their fathers for a year was extremely hard. And the worst part? There was nothing I could do.


These were Children in Need of their Fathers. Safe to say after the soldiers left Pudsey Bear did cheer them up a little but I couldn't help but think how lucky I was to have my Dad around when I was little. They are the brave.


I have always thought of Children in Need as a brilliant day and it is. But it is also tinged with sadness for some.

Safe to say I am lucky to have Sky+ so you know what I will be doing for 8 hours on my Saturday off :)


Also, could you all send your thoughts and prayers to my blogging pal Patrice. Her sister has just been diagnosed with a mass in her hip and they are awaiting results to see if it is cancer. I know she would appreciate your hope.

We Will Remember Them.

Silence is often a 'sound' I always remember but hardly ever hear. However, during the 2 minutes silence observed at 11.11am on this day it is all I want to notice. 

On this day I think of my great grandfather who fought and luckily survived in the royal air force serving his country. 


On this day I admire my paternal grandmother who gave up her dancing career to become a welder in order to contribute to the war effort. 


On this day I think of 'Charlie' a man I care for every weekend who fought with his four brothers together in 1917 on the battle field in Belgium. He was the only one to return home, blind and an only child once more.


On this day I think of my friend Frankie who is an army nurse in Afghanistan. Everyday she ventures out into the war zone to make sure the soldiers have their medications and are keeping fit. 


And in Flanders field where the Poppies blow, where all the war dead can now sleep and the Poppies will continue to grow.


On this day, I will remember and thank them all. They make me proud to be British knowing there were and are people like them who are willing to sacrifice it all. Happy Remembrance day.

We will Remember Them.

For You, Friend

'And you help me realise that all the things I want to be...I already am.'

In a matter of a couple of weeks the 15 month streak of not seeing each other will end. I cannot wait to see you. I could curse you for living in Spain, I could resent you for still living in Spain. However, if it wasn't for that country I would never have met you.

I still remember the day we met in the pool. I believe we were playing sharks and you were tying to rescue us and take us to safety in a rubber yellow boat. Even at 15 we had slightly obscure imaginations. In fact, I clearly remember Hannah saying 'It is boiling hot and sunny, we could sunbathe and slide down the shoots all day and what do we do? Play Sharks, what else?!' I think I held one of the best conversations with you in that boat.

It was the day I got to know Oliver Braybrook - 'Oli ' :)

I think that day transcended a picket line of great conversations, laughter, arguments, tears and a vast collection of air miles between us in visits. You were my first love, read me my first love poem and took me go-carting for the first time ever. Yet, more importantly you were the first guy to genuinely take the time to just listen and be grateful for our company. You were the first guy to be really protective but at the same time let me just be who I wanted to be. I know that does not come easily.

Do you remember our first real argument? I do. We were sitting outside the Aloha bar and you felt that I had not told you "something". It was so petty I cannot even recollect what it was about. I just vividly remember crying and us storming off in different directions and wanting to get on a plane away from you because it was just not like us. And with all that set aside I treasure it because friendship isn't worth the tears unless the friend is. I treasure all the funny moments, all the moments I wanted to knock our heads together, all the tears shed and times laughed at. This is because I know in years to come we will be sitting somewhere just cracking up at all the memories we have made.

It doesn't matter where you are in the world Oli because I know that whatever path we take, we will carry a little bit of each other everywhere. There are times when I am frightened of my future and there have been times when the past has caught up with me. But you have stuck at your roots and remained at my side throughout it all. I trust that when people may shake me the hand of hope. I know you will always be tightly holding mine and I cannot thank you enough for that.

You will always be special to me. In fact, let me rephrase that. You are very special to me. It has been too long and I cannot wait to spend a whole weekend in your company.

How you have dealt with my female hormones? I will never know.

Could I ever forget you? You wouldn't let me if I tried :)