Monday 7 November 2016

Like Something From A War Film...

At this time of year, I always look forward to the change in seasons.

As much as I love summertime, I am not sad about saying goodbye to the longer warmer days.

Instead I like the cold dark nights, bringing out the winter wardrobe and hearing the crunch of the fallen autumn leaves underfoot. For this is the time of year that we know that Christmas is just around the corner; bringing with it, the anticipation for the annual Christmas advertising campaigns to start on TV, the classic Christmas songs to play on the radio, for Ant & Dec to bring back ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Outta Here’ and to see if we will have any snow as the temperatures drop.

But to get to that stage, you need to either embrace or tolerate the days leading up to and shortly after November 5th - Fireworks Night.

As a kid, I loved Fireworks Night. Friends of the family would always have a huge party, where the entire neighbourhood would be invited. We would wave sparklers, roast marshmallows, and as we got older were allowed to drink and act more grown up! Some great memories were made.

Where I live, I have a great panoramic view of the local sky line. On Fireworks night and New Year’s Eve, I have the best seat in the house to watch the displays overhead. But the problem now in my current situation of being a parent with a baby under the age of two, it is no fun at all.

For my neighbourhood this weekend was like a re-enactment of The Blitz. It seemed like every property in the immediate vicinity were having Bonfire Night parties, with fireworks exploding from around 5:30 pm through til gone midnight.

The noise generated from these modern fireworks is reminiscent of scenes in documentaries from war-zones. The whistle effect before the huge explosion was like something from a World War Two film. I do not remember the fireworks from my childhood being anywhere near as ferocious as what I observed this weekend.

I am not one to complain about the actions of others. I believe everyone has the right to act the way that they want on their property (within reason) in accordance with the laws of the land. The problem I had was trying to keep my baby boy calm enough to settle down and go to sleep, with the explosions outside our windows. And I am sure I was not alone in feeling this frustration.

So much so, that at the time of writing, over 119,000 people have signed an official petition to ban the sale of fireworks to members of the public, and only approve organised displays. 


I believe this petition has been set up and signed by so many, not only for the inconvenience it causes to young children, but also the traumatic effect it has on pets& animals, the fact that people let the fireworks off at unregulated times of the day or night, and how unorganised displays can lead to accidents including burns and fire, or induce PTSD in people who have suffered from conflicts.

Throughout the country, there are a huge number of organised displays, usually with a small entry fee, which people and families can attend, to enjoy that night of the year. Without argument,  this is a far safer way to enjoy the spectacle in the night sky.

Fireworks night aka Bonfire Night, aka Guy Fawkes Night has been going for hundreds of years, since 1605, where the King allowed the public to celebrate his survival with bonfires, after a plot to assassinate him and blow up the House of Lords. Over the centuries since, local children would collect and burn an effigy of Guy Fawkes (the man caught with the explosives under the House of Lords), and people would come together to let off the fireworks.

I wonder of all of the people who decided to host a firework party this passed weekend, how many remember the reason for that event, or whether it is just something fun to do at this time of the year, before the lead up to Christmas kicks in.

Thursday 3 November 2016

I am not….

As we rapidly approach 11/11 - Remembrance Day, I have been filled with pride and passion in seeing the veterans, cadets, serving soldiers and volunteers giving their time to participate in raising funds for this year’s Poppy appeal.


Remembrance day and the Poppy Appeal, is where we remember, pay our respects and reflect on those brave individuals who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country and the commonwealth, and those who are currently serving for our forces in present day.

The date is significant as it marks the end of the fighting in the First World War, which ended on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of the year 1918. 

On the closest Sunday to November 11th, as Brits we are familiar with the Queen, the other members of the Royal family, politicians, religious leaders and dignitaries from around the globe coming together to remember & participate in the laying of wreaths, observing the 'Last Post' and taking part the two minutes silence.

But always more moving for me, was seeing the veterans of the World Wars marching in their thousands past the cenotaph and saluting the tomb of the unknown soldier. It was something I watched every year, and continue to be totally in awe of these men and women, of the greatest generation, who were prepared to give their today’s, so that we could have our tomorrows.


As the years rolled on, the men of WW1 died out, and now we see smaller numbers of WW2 survivors marching. Alongside the WW2 survivors, we see younger veterans and serving soldiers, which is a stark reminder that men are dying today fighting for our country.

I had observed in recent years, that in my opinion, the number of poppies visible on my fellow commuters had dwindled. This may have been a misconception on my behalf, and not reflect the actual trends within the country, but on my commute, I was disappointed that so many were either too busy to buy a poppy, or too ignorant to what that time of the year represents.

However it seems that people are again taking the time to donate, to buy a poppy, to wear that poppy with pride, and remember and honour those brave men and women who have passed before us.
I think part of this is due to the ceramic poppy installation at The Tower of London in 2014, which raised huge sums for various charities, and helped bring the meaning of the Poppy appeal back to the forefront of our minds at this time of year.

The installation at the iconic London landmark was hugely poignant and significant, as it marked 100 years since the first full day of our involvement in WW1. Each poppy was carefully planted to honour each individual of the over eight hundred and eighty thousand fatalities in that world war. It became a place to see, a new attraction in London, and a place to reflect on what those men and their families went through all those years ago. It certainly seems to had a huge effect in the following years.

However, over the recent years, there seems to have been an inevitable backlash and furore about the Poppy in some way.

 In 2013, a television newsreader decided to go against trend of most other people on television, and not wear a poppy, which caused a storm of controversy and heated discussion. 
In 2015, it was the leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn, wearing a white poppy, to represent his pacifism. 

This year, it  is the global football organisation FIFA, stating that the kits worn by the England and Scotland national football teams in the upcoming match, scheduled for Nov 11th, must not have the poppy on display. This caused outrage, and was discussed in Parliament, with the Football Association’s for both nations deciding to go against FIFAs ruling, and to wear a commemorative black armband with the poppy emblem visible as a mark of respect.

Last year, when the alarm rang in my previous job, to mark the start of the two minutes silence, I was enraged with anger at those around me. Two minutes of your time, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. To stop what you are doing, keep quiet, reflect, and show your respect. It shouldn't too much to ask? In my opinion that is the least we should be doing. That day made me so disappointed in other people. I would say only about 1 in 5 people on my commute wore a poppy. And in my office, when the PA system announced the start of the silence, so many people kept on working, typing away on the keyboard. It was just two measly minutes of the day to remember all of those people who paid the ultimate sacrifice, and people couldn't stop what they were doing. It pissed me off.

I have grown up respecting and wearing my poppy with pride. I will teach that trait to my son, I will teach him about the strength and courage, felt by those under circumstances we can only imagine. I hope that he will share my views on remembering those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to allow us to live the way that we do today. 

Recently, there have been arguments that true meaning of the poppy has been forgotten. That instead of remembering The First and Second World Wars, we are honouring those killed in combats which have not been universally popular, which have been opposed to by thousands of people, and for modern conflicts which we as a nation have taken upon ourselves to get involved in. But for me the political arguments need to be put aside. Whether we should be fighting these wars is a completely different topic for me. What the poppy symbolises is an opportunity to simply say "thank you" to the brave people who do not pick where they are sent to fight, they are simply doing what they are paid (not enough by the way) to do, in service of their country.

On social media I saw a poem regarding the poppy that I hadn’t seen before, and it sums up exactly how I feel. Apparently it was written in a space of a few minutes, by man whilst his wife watched The X Factor. I couldn't find the author's name, but my respect goes out to you Sir. It appeals to me as it sums up what it means to me. The poppy isn't to glorify war or to segregate races, it is a way to acknowledge the sacrifice, to ensure that we are not allowed to forget the lessons learned, or let those memories to fade.

I am not a badge of honour,
I am not a racist smear,
I am not a fashion statement,
To be worn but once a year,

I am not glorification
Of conflict or of war.
I am not a paper ornament
A token,
I am more.

I am a loving memory,
Of a father or a son,
A permanent reminder
Of each and every one.

I'm paper or enamel
I'm old or shining new,
I'm a way of saying thank you,
To every one of you.

I am a simple poppy
A Reminder to you all,
That courage faith and honour,
Will stand where heroes fall.

What the great generations gave us is nothing short of amazing. I cannot begin to fathom what the soldiers and every day people went through during the war years. 

I for one will always wear the poppy with pride, and I can't understand those who want to live in this country and not back the Poppy appeal. Desecration of wreaths and poppies by extremists should not be tolerated, and I hope that the due respect is paid this year.

Of course not everyone wants to wear a poppy, for whatever reason. Some say that the Poppy is no longer doing what it was designed to do, and is being used for political statements. I even saw an article today, which made my blood boil, claiming the Poppy is now a symbol of racism. 

Everyone nowadays has a choice, and with social media they have a place to voice that opinion. Just as I am doing with my blog.   But having that choice is something our generation fully take for granted. Many many men from the two world wars did not have a choice. And that is a huge part of what we are remembering leading up to and an on November 11th. In my opinion, an individual's choice to NOT wear a poppy, is a far bigger political statement by that individual, compared to the people who will be wearing a poppy at this time of year.

Over 100 years may have passed since the commencement of the First World War, and our troops are in various places at harms risk at present. Thank you for the thankless task that you are undertaking. I will wear my poppy to pay respects for any sacrifice from any conflict.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Lest we forget.

http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/


Wednesday 26 October 2016

The dust has settled and tears have dried...

Before I start, please proceed with caution reading this if you are one of the few people who are yet to see The Walking Dead Season 7 Episode 1.

In this post, I will avoid naming names and spoiling the episode. However, I don’t think there are people of the social media generation who have managed to avoid the spoilers. They are everywhere, and it is infuriating. But if you are one of these people, and have avoided the spoilers and yet you call yourself a fan of The Walking Dead, then WTF?!?!? How have you not seen the episode yet!??!

Ok so here goes... Warning over…

Under usual circumstances, we do not get the new episode of The Walking Dead here in the UK, until the day after it premieres in the US.

However such was the nature of the cliff-hanger at the end of Season 6, the executives at FOX decided to air the Premiere of Season 7 at 0230 on Monday morning– so it would air at the same time as it was broadcast in the US. The same strategy employed by the team at SKY regarding Game of Thrones.

I went to bed on Sunday evening, feeling like a kid on Christmas Eve. I knew that when I awoke, there would be a present for me, sitting on my PVR planner, delivered overnight by the Santa like people at FOX (AMC in the US).

I personally knew that I could not take the risk of seeing a spoiler, so decided set my PVR to record the 0230 transmission, and set my alarm to wake me up early on Monday morning to watch the episode at 5am, before my partner and baby wake up, and before I needed to start getting ready for work. I knew that someone on social media or a news outlet would have posted something, and I wasn’t going to let the agonising six month wait that was almost over, be ruined by someone else.

In the week leading up to the premiere, there had been prominent marketing from the channel and programming itself about fans not spoiling the episode for other fans, unfortunately this wasn't hugely successful, as once fans had seen the show, their initial reaction was to flood social media outlets with their views, and to communicate their emotions with like minded people. It is inevitable and impossible to police.

I was up before the sunrise, settled in my comfy clothes, ready and waiting with anticipation for what was about to come. We already knew something BIG was going to happen. We had seen it from that characters point of view six months ago. But the question was who?

Soon the question we had been agonising over, the question which had led to the creation of hundreds of YouTube theory videos, the question we had been discussing on social media and talking about with friends and loved ones had been answered.

We knew the identity of Negan’s victim.

The Walking Dead was back in all of its gory ultra-violent glory, and was back with a huge bang. Well more than one bang. More like repetitive strikes of Negan’s barbed wire wrapped baseball bat named Lucille.

The dust has settled, tears have dried and the realisation of what I witnessed has sunken in. Opinions have been formed, reaction videos uploaded, online & print reviews posted and verbal discussions have occurred all over the world. But for the majority, the line between real life and TV has been crossed. As a viewer we, our main group of protagonists suffered hugely in this episode. So much so, that the show will have a completely new direction after this episode.

Personally, I felt a sense of bereavement and grief at watching this episode, as if it was somebody that I knew who had passed away, and not just a fictional character in long running television series about surviving in a zombie apocalypse. I had invested years of my life in supporting this group. So what happened really hit me hard.

The reviews of this episode have been mixed. Some fans have loved it for twisting the narrative, for breaking the character of Rick Grimes, and leaving the show with a new avenue to travel down in season 7. Others fans were left disgusted at the level of gore and violence, labelling the episode as “torture porn masquerading as storytelling”

I guess it depends on how you see your level of association with the programme. Super fans will have loved it, and every day casual fans may have been totally turned off. If you had viewed from the start, you will have seen the group’s struggles gain in intensity over the seasons, and the same can be said for the violence and suffering that they have suffered and imparted as the seasons have progressed. Some people have stated on social media that they will no longer watch the show. In my view this is just ridiculous. If you have invested years into something as graphic as TWD, then although this episode was shocking, it is not beyond the realms of what this show has been capable of. We have seen beheadings a plenty, a son killing his mother, a crossbow arrow to the eye, torture and cannibalism to mention just a few shock factor moments.

Such is the contrast of the critiques, that that the governing body who regulate what can or can’t go on television here in the UK, OFCOM, received complaints after people viewed the 0230 transmission, which lead to FOX having to make minor edits to the 2100 screening, to make it more compliant with the regulations. 

One of these edits appeared to remove one character's very poignant last words to another character, which led to confusion, as that particular line "I'll find you" was discussed in the talk show Talking Dead which airs immediately after the 9pm showing on FOX UK.

Although left depressed and in a mood of reflection after this episode, in my opinion it did everything that I wanted it to. I found out who the victim was after a long six months, I was left jaw wide open at certain things which happened, and I cannot wait to see how this season progresses from here.

I was in awe of some of the acting performances in this episode, notably Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan, and Andrew Lincoln as Rick. The way  they played their interactions was exactly what was needed, and completley believable. Notable mention to Lauren Cohen as Maggie, expressed what everyone at home was feeling. 

The episode is on track to be the highest performing show ever on FOX UK, and after spending three years working for the channel, I am delighted that they are receiving figures like that. The show continues to grow in the UK, with a 59% increase on viewing figures from the opening episode of season 6. Amazing numbers for a channel such as FOX, and a great place for advertisers to align themselves.




The Walking Dead airs on FOX UK @ 9pm on Mondays. – Not sure if they will continue to simulcast with the US for future episodes.

Friday 16 September 2016

Songs to hear again before I die...

Music does something to people, like no other form of entertainment can do. It captivates and floods your senses with memories and emotions. 

Although universal, it can be extremely personal, and despite being written for a completely different reason, we can take the song, interpret it and make it our own. We all have our favourite songs, favourite bands/artists, and the reason we like them is down to our own unique tastes.

I am one of the few people who is still rocking an iPod, and unlike other iPods I have owned in the past, my current one I have had for ten years and seems to be indestructible. It is my friend on my commute to work, my company when I am out running, and my entertainment on long drives around the country. Seeing as it is now ten years old,  I decided it needed a freshen up!


With that thought I decided to clean up my iTunes account, and remove the songs that I simply do not listen to anymore. I have been slowly building my iTunes library for the last ten years, and my music collection is extremely varied. There are songs which have had zero plays in all the years  that they have been in my account, probably due to me not be interested in them from the start.. So they went to the recycle bin.

The process was therapeutic, and as I played the various of tracks from the various genres that I had created over the years – Pop, RnB, Garage, Hip Hop/Rap, Oldies, Rock, Indie,  Classic Dance, Opera, WWE Theme Tunes etc, I found myself reminiscing on who that song reminds me of, or  where I first heard certain songs, or what I was going through in my life when that song came along.

There were literally hundreds and hundreds of songs on my iTunes which mean the world to me. Some of  them for the good times, and some for the sad times. 

Songs can instantly move you, and change your mind state. 

"Your Not Alone" by Olive, automatically brings me back to the period when my grandmother sadly lost her battle with cancer among other illnesses in our house after spending her final few months living with us when I was fourteen. She fought so courageously, and this song was so prominent on the radio at that time. The lyric of waiting til the end of time for someone, impacted me as I feel I will see her again at the end of my time.


"Hit Em Up" by 2Pac, reminds me of sitting on a wall next to my high school bus stop in 1997, being introduced to gangster rap by my friend Phil, who educated me on the East Coast/West Coast beef, a school friend who would only a year or two later be killed in a tragic car accident. Someone who I looked up to as a teenager, who never knew what those bus stop music lessons would go on to mean to me. He was the first experience of death of a young person that I would experience. It shocked the local community to the core, and I often find myself thinking about Phil to this day. He was a great kid and certainly gone too soon.



"You Got It" by Roy Orbison, takes me back to my childhood, and time spent in my parent's bedroom, my mum singing it to me as I helped her change the bed sheets (it’s weird what you recall after all the years!). This song is the song which reminds me of my Mum.


"Suspicious Mind"s by Elvis – automatically brings my Dad to mind, as he had sung that song at every karaoke event we ever attended throughout my childhood and teenage years. He may sing it out of time, and not in the same way that The King did, but its my Dads song, and I hope to hear him sing it in the months and years to come.

"Paradise" by Coldplay, taking me back to a specific day spent in Koh Phi Phi in Thailand in 2012, in which we went onto a longboat out to Maya Bay, the scene for Leonard Di Caprio film – The Beach. It was stunning and one of the happiest days of my life. It was that day that I made a specific decision about my return to the UK after living in the UAE for two years, and gave serious though about the type of people I wanted in my life, and more importantly – those I didn’t. This was going to be a new start for me and this song is symbolic of that day for me.



I therefore decided to go about creating a playlist of all of the songs which mean something to me; a playlist of songs that I simply HAVE to listen to again and again as the years roll on.

The playlist is entitled: ‘Songs to hear again before I die’. Here is a list in no particular order of just a few of of them:

1.       Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac
2.       My Destiny – Lionel Richie
3.       Only You – 112, Puff Daddy, Notorious BIG & Mase
4.       I Cant Make You Love Me – Tank
5.       You Got It – Roy Orbison
6.       Suspicious Minds – Elvis
7.       Hit Em Up – 2Pac
8.       Paradise – Coldplay
9.       My Girl – The Temptations
10.   Stand By Me – Ben E King
11.   Jump Around – House of Pain
12.   Mirros – Justin Timerlake
13.   Hero – Foo Fighters
14.   Colourblind – Counting Crows
15.   Baby I Love Your Way – Big Mountain
16.   In The End – Linkin Park
17.   World In Motion – New Order
18.   Hypnotise – Notorious BIG
19.   Wonderwall – Oasis
20.   You’ve Got It – Simply Red
21.   How Will I Know – Whitney Houston
22.   Sacrifice – Elton John
23.   Days of our Lives – Queen
24.   Time to Say Good bye – Andrea Bocelli & Sarah Brightman
25.   Candy – Paolo Nutini
26.   My Immortal – Evanesence
27.   It’s the Way – Future Underground Nation
28.   A Million Love Song – Take That
29.   Pompei – Bastille
30.   Songbird – Eva Cassidy
31.   Vibe – R.Kelly
32.   Let Her Go – Passenger
33.   I See Fire – Ed Sheeran
34.   Smooth Criminal – Michael Jackson
35.   Other Side – Red Hot Chilli Peppers

 Have you made a similar track list of songs you have to hear again before your days are over?

Friday 2 September 2016

The Disconnect Between Action and Consequence..

Every day, unknowingly, our actions affect other people. Mostly they are unintentional, mundane actions, but the action of the individual, more than often, has an impact on someone else.

There are certain types of people in the world who I encounter on a daily basis, who drive me slightly crazy with their actions. They probably get on your nerves too. From the unwitting tourist in London, who doesn’t know which side of the escalator to stand on and makes everyone stop in their tracks, and the charity volunteer with a clipboard trying to get us to sign up to something. How about the nuisance cold sales calls we didn't ask for? Not forgetting the people who walk along the train platform with their smart phone in their hand getting in everyone’s way and slowing everyone down. Or the person who knocks into you at the bar, spilling your drink and not apologising? These actions affect us and can easily blow up out of all proportion if someone involved is a certain type of person.

But much worse than those people you encounter with unintentional actions, are the people who think they are above everyone around them, and the laws of the land. These people do not give a shit about their actions. They are the ones that make my blood boil. We have all encountered these people in our lives. And in my opinion, there seems to be a plague of these types of people in our society. The type of people who do not think twice about breaking the law, attacking people, committing crime, sexually assaulting someone, just because they think they can get away with it.

Last weekend, a young man, Oliver Dearlove, was killed in Blackheath, London,  as he waited for a taxi with friends after a night out. 

He was killed after being punched just once, by a man who quickly exited the scene. A man who thought he could punch someone and get away with it. However instead of just assaulting someone, the attacker killed him.

Police in Blackheath after the attack
In my opinion, the attacker is synonymous with an alpha male type of knuckle dragger mentality. A culture within a generation of men not really giving a f**k about the consequences of their individual actions. The type of person who is desperate to be feared, and respected amongst his peers. The type of person who swaggers around with bravado and an attitude of not giving a shit. The sense in his life that he is untouchable. I cant stand these types of people.
 
For whatever reason, the attacker found it acceptable to punch the victim, not caring for the implications that single punch would have. Sure, his argument in court will be that he didn’t mean to kill the victim. But he still thought that he could punch an innocent person and get away with it. 
 
Earlier today, a 31year old man was charged with murder. The accused pleaded 'Not Guilty' to the charge, on the basis that he did not intend to kill or cause serious injury to the victim. It makes you wonder how many other people has he attacked over the years, who haven’t ended up losing their life? We just don’t know. What we do know, is that the accused’s brother is serving life in prison for brutally murdering someone over ten years ago. It indicates to me, that if guilty, the accused comes from a background where violence is common, and there is no fear for the consequence of your actions.

What drove the attacker to do this is unclear, but there was a clear disconnect about his action, the consequences, and the implication that could have on so many people. Part of the problem in my view, is just how slack our judicial service is. There is no real deterrent for crimes in this country, as the courts are simply too soft. We offer ridiculously small jail sentences for awful acts of crime or violence. In my opinion prison is supposed to be hard time. It should be a hell on earth. It should be there to scare people into not wanting to commit crimes and violence. Also in my opinion, a life sentence should be mandatory for anyone who kills another in an act of violence. Even if the attackers intent wasn’t to kill, he did just that. Kill. Therefore life imprisonment is what the verdict should be if found guilty.

Assaults and fights are far too common in our society. Go to any town or city in the UK and there will be something for emergency services to handle. A fight could easily lead to far worse than intended, which makes you question, is it actually worth it?

The implications of the attack were not on the attackers mind at the time, and who knows why he decided to attack Mr Dearlove’s group that night? But the attack would have huge implications. And not only on the victim, but his family, his friends, his colleagues, the emergency services, medical staff and passers- by who tried to save him, and other people in the local community left completely horrified by the nature of the attack. 

The outpouring of emotion and heartbreak has spread far and wide in the local community, with the shock of what has happened to someone who was known and loved by so many people. He was in a good career, with a loving partner who he was planning his future with. He had a large loving family and had recently become an uncle twice to two baby boys.  He was living his life the right way. And now he is no longer with us. His parents have lost their son, siblings lost their brother, partner lost her boyfriend and nephews and nieces have lost their uncle and so on... All because, one man, decided to punch another man in a senseless, needless and tragic attack.

I was heartbroken when I realised who the victim was, the step brother of an old friend of mine. I cant begin to imagine what he and his family are going through. To everyone who knew and loved Oliver Dearlove, my deepest condolences and thoughts are with you. I can only hope that you can be there for one another and get through the tough times ahead.

I sincerely hope that there will be justice for this attack.

RIP Oliver Dearlove - gone far too soon.