New Year's Resolutions...

So, its that time of the year again, the end of the year. Christmas is over and so is another year and now comes the prospect of creating New Year's resolutions. In this little post, I want to talk to you about what I want to achieve in 2013 and what my New Year's resolutions are. So, let's get cracking:

1. I want to start exercising more. Over the festive period, everyone puts on much more weight, myself included and I just feel that I need to loose weight, because it is much more beneficial in health but I feel it would give me a bit more confidence. Which  is something that I am really worrying about... I feel that this is the resolution that I will not 100% stick to.
   
2. Eat more healthy. I go through a time (mostly every week) where I decide to eat healthy and give up every thing contain a lot of sugar and fat, does it work? Sometimes. I have a habit of eating junk food because I get bored, which might sound a bit stupid, but it's true. I really hope to stick to this resolution and hopefully use a little bit more weight.
   
3. Try not to be on my laptop/phone all the time. I'm that type of person who is always on their laptop/phone or any technical objects that they have. I'm going to set a task to myself to go a day without the use of the laptop/phone just to see how it feels, if it goes well then I will improve that and maybe go a whole week... (maybe a step to far).
   
4. Try not to be so messy. I'm a teenager and I'm a messy teenager. My room goes through of the process of being clean, being sort of messy but there is still some cleanness within the room and then it just goes to a huge, big fat mess. I really want to make my room a lot more tidier, but also my lifestyle... if that makes any sense whatsoever. Hopefully, it does.
   
5. Keep blogging. Over the years I have created blogs and not really stick to them, I always create them and just leave them there wasting space. Last two months I decided to create another blog, this blog... so far, I feel that I am sticking to it, I've got much more topics to discuss with you guys, fun. I also feel that I have much more understanding on how to write the posts as well...
   
6. Make Youtube videos. I've been saying this every year to myself: 'I will make Youtube next year, fact.' and it never works, never. So hopefully within the next year I will be making Youtube videos, I also feel that I haven't had the confidence to create videos... I still feel like that but I'm just going to 'bite the nail' and do them, hopefully. I feel that making the videos will also give me more confidence too. 

I gave myself only six resolutions because I know for a fact that I won't stick to them. I'm happy with the ones that I chosen because they are the things that I, personally want to change about myself and lifestyle. 

2012 hasn't been the best of years but it hasn't been the worst, hopefully 2013 will be great.

So, what are your New Year's resolutions? 

Also, in my blog I will be reviewing TV shows much more, as it something that I really enjoy doing. If you have any requests of TV shows or anything that you would like me to blog about, please comment below. Thank you. 

Review: Miranda - Series 3, episode 1 - 'It was Panning.'

It's the time where we can finally say "Miranda is back on! SUCH FUN!"... Miranda came back on Boxing Day, airing at 9pm on BBC One. I'm a very huge fan of Miranda and Miranda Hart, she is just lovely, hilarious, brilliant and just... amazing. Just like her sitcom, amazeballs.

The sitcom started its third series with a festive special entitled, 'It was Panning' which wasn't as festive and Christmassy as the last Christmas special which is quite a good thing... it does feel a bit silly when watching a Christmas episode of a TV show in the middle of Summer... this episode didn't disappoint at all, it was pure brilliance. I want to applaud Miranda Hart for writing such a great episode seeing as she must of been under a huge mass of pressure and expectation. 

At the beginning of the episode, Miranda is back perched on her sofa, wearing novelty Christmas hats telling the viewers what has been happening in her life, like she does in every episode of course. It features a very funny clip of her and Gary's 'romantic' activities... no, not that type of romantic activity. Well, it might be if you like that sort of stuff... but I'm talking about getting your heel stuck, whilst you pick the shoe from the ground a fountain launches and ruins the whole 'romance' about the situation, besides Gary buying a rose for Miranda. Miranda's got a new job, as a temp and Stevie has also got a new job... Penny is back and more hilarious than the last two series, such fun... Tilly is bonkers as ever and Gary is much more hilarious than ever.

 One thing that I didn't like, only a small, a tiny little thing is... the whole 'We're just friends' situation between Gary and Miranda, which has been happening for the last two series. I'm not sure whether I don't like it because I want them together or I am just sick of them and they might as well get on with it... but that is the only small, tiny little thing that I didn't like about the episode. I feel that I like Gary much more than the episode aired, I'm not entirely sure why but I feel that there was more of a character there... if that makes sense... but I didn't really entirely like like him in the past series. 

These are some of my favourite lines from the episode:

"She's not obese... it was panning!"

"You look ridiculous." "I have to held them when I'm running."

"Hi-5 me, man boobs."

"Sorry, I'm still a bit Beyoncé."

"She has the nipple equivalent of a lazy eye."

"I SMELL FAT PEOPLE!"

"I can not watch it. Its like Boris Johnson."

"Gladiators, mount your hoppers."

"My name is Dick Twist."

"Stop it. We're British, sober and no one is going to prison."

"Can you stop weeing..."

"Sue perb. Call me Sue." 

"Mini mince pie?! MINE!"

There might have been too many there, but there was some rather brilliant lines in that episode. It was so good to have Miranda back on our screens, everyone on Twitter was tweeting about how much they loved the show and 'Sue Perb', 'Dick Twist' and '#Miranda' was trending. I'm delighted that Miranda is back on, its one of those television shows that can make you smile and feel good. Here's to the rest of the series! You can watch it on BBC One, if you missed the brilliant first episode, you can watch it on iPlayer. 

I didn't create those gifs, credit to whoever did. Round of applause for you. 

Thank you very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the episode. Let's get ready for the next episode, shall we? 

If you like, you can follow me on Twitter - @coreyterrett 

Come and join me over the wonderful world of Twitter, I tweet and rant about TV shows and more brilliant stuff...

Thank you once again. 

Review: Mr Stink - BBC One.

David Walliams' best selling book, 'Mr Stink' has made it to BBC One. I haven't read the book because it is mainly targeted at younger children and younger readers, so I thought it wasn't for me. But, over the Christmas period, BBC One always showcases some fabulous television shows, and Mr Stink was one of the shows everybody wanted to see. Fulled with familiar stars, such as; Hugh Bonneville playing the lead role of Mr. Stink, Sheridan Smith playing Mrs Crumb, Johnny Vegas playing Mr Crumb and David Walliams staring as the Prime Minister. The show also introduced Nell Tiger Free playing the role of the wonderful Chloe. And best of all, Pudsey the dog starring as Duchess, Mr Stink's dog.

The show was directed by Declan Lowney. The whole hour was really well filmed and it made the episode feel like a movie, not just a normal BBC One drama, which made it much more promising. It was also shown in 3D, which could add that extra experience watching the show, I chose not to watch it in 3D, but you could tell at some parts were 3D. It was such a perfect family drama, something nice and refreshing for a cold winter evening on the settee clutching onto a hot drink with a tub full of Celebrations or Roses staring at you... 

It was also interesting to see Hugh Bonneville in a very different role, especially from his well known role on Downton Abbey. He was perfect casting, and at times, especially in the more emotional scenes, he was just perfection. One of Britain's finest actors. I was also loving Sheridan Smith's performance as the role of the obnoxious, bossy mother, she played the part perfectly. I am a huge fan of Sheridan and I've watched her for many years, and this is one of my favourite shows that she has been in, simply wonderful. 

Here is the official BBC One trailer for the show: 

 

There was some very funny lines in the show, here are some of my favourites:

"Do they call you Pippa Pig?" "No." "They should."

"I like to think I'm Harry Potter in my spare time."

"I googled you" "I don't know what that is but it sounds painful"

"Any of us could be homeless one day"

If you didn't watch the show when it was first on BBC One (23rd December), then you can easily snuggle up and watch it on iPlayer. Its full of: Hugh Bonneville being brilliant as ever, Pudsey the dog, Sheridan Smith with great hair, a great relationship between Chloe and her father, its full of brilliance, and it is bloody brilliant. Bravo to everyone involved, especially David Walliams. Oh and, erm... don't wash people's clothes WITHOUT ASKING THEIR PERMISSION. 

Thank you for reading and I hope you have a Merry Christmas! 

Things I don't like about Christmas...

I absolutely adore Christmas, its one of my favourite times of the year. But I wanted to write a small post to share with you some things that I don't particularly enjoy around the Christmas period.

1. Food shopping. 
   Food shopping is such a pain in the backside, even more at Christmas. Sometimes, I enjoy  food shopping but at Christmas, its a different story. People just standing there in the middle of the Cheese aisle looking for corned beef, so they just stand there RIGHT in the middle of the aisle, with their trolley parked no-where even near them, and blocking people to move past. These people are the banes of Christmas food shopping, aren't they not? I've always been tempted to throw a sprout at their big, annoying faces. Maybe, next time.
   
   
2. Christmas cards.
   I don't see the point in Christmas cards. What's the point in wasting £3 on a card with a teddy bear on it with the words 'Merry Christmas!'? Why don't you just wish them Merry Christmas without wasting money for every member of the family/friends. Yes, they look very presentable and 'Christmassy' but they are a waste of money, as they're going to be taken down in a matter of days.
   
   
3. Putting up the decorations.
   I do love Christmas decorations, but putting them is just one of those 'ugh, do we really have to!?' tasks over the festive period. The whole fussing of getting the boxes/bags from the attic, fulled with tacky Santa's and tinsel more camp than John Barrowman. The only decoration I like is the Christmas tree, I couldn't care less about a snowman singing 'Walking in a Winter wonderland'. All that matters is having a lovely tree. I also don't see the point in wasting a huge amount of money for decorations, especially lights. Why pay £80 for blue LED lights, when you can get them for about £4?! Ridiculous.
   
   
4. People being nice and friendly to you, only because its Christmas.
   I hate those people who don't even phone you during the year, but at Christmas time, they don't stop phoning, they don't stop texting... and when Christmas is over, they don't want to know you. Except for the next year... and possibly the next year. What's the point of being fake and saying you like someone just for the sake of it being Christmas? Why can't they do that during time of the year?! If you like them, you like them. Not just at Christmas, but in general. If you don't like them, don't like them just for the sake of it being Christmas. There's no point in being fake. 

Of course, there are many more, but these are the main things that anger and frustrate me over the Christmas period. I try my best not to be Scrooge, but there are somethings that really annoy me. I imagine its the same for most people. 

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, and let's look forward to 2013. If we're still alive...

Christmas Wrapping Paper and Gift Bags!

Hi guys! So today, I want to talk about wrapping paper. Wrapping paper is one of my favourite things during the Christmas festivities, even though I can't actually wrap a present... but I always think that its important for the present to be presented very well, its always a habit of mine. After some browsing online, I have found my favourite wrapping paper and essentials to make the present look that extra better. I hope you enjoy.

I really like these gift bags, I think this would be a perfect way to store some Christmas candy and give them as little gifts. You could use the bag for any gift you want, its entirely up to you. If you are giving a gift to a make-up/beauty fanatic, then you could place in some make-up or anything beauty related into the gift bag. But, I would use these gift bags to store some candy/sweets and give them to younger family members. You can find these at Ikea, in a 12 pack for just £2.

Ribbon is a top essential for most people when it comes to wrapping Christmas presents. For me, using ribbon is just too much of a fuss, but I do think it does look nice on certain presents. In this ribbon, I really like the snowflake pattern with the dark red background, making it extra 'Christmassey'. You can find this at John Lewis, 5m each, for just £3. 

These labels I absolutely love. They are just so vintage and I really love the simplicity of them too. If you are wrapping up your Christmas presents in a more vintage style, these would be perfect. Lovely neutral colours and you could also add a bow to make it that extra special, as seen in the photograph. You can get these at John Lewis, in a pack of six or just £2.50.

At Christmas, I usually make a box full of gifts for some family members, which I think is a really nice gift. For example, you could put in some beauty related products, you could put in some chocolate and sweets... you can put in a range of products. Add some tissue paper in the inside and place the products on top, to make them that extra personal. They would love it. A perfect Christmas gift. You can also get this at John Lewis for just £6. 

This is such a great wrapping paper, I think this is the perfect wrapping paper to wrap up the presents you have bought your mothers and grandmothers, to me, it just looks very elegant and it just puts me in the festive spirit. You could also add silver bows to it too, I really love this wrapping paper. You can find this at Asda, for 4m, for only £2.

To go with the previous wrapping paper, you can also use these gorgeous matching gift tags for only £1 at Asda for a pack of 10. Bargain.

I also really like this wrapping paper, with this really fantastic pattern. I think this would be a great wrapping paper to wrap up presents for my sister, my cousins, etc. It really is a fantastic paper and I really like the design along with the colours. You can pick this up at Asda for only £2.



This plain silver wrapping paper, you can wrap up anything! I really like presents wrapped up in just a bold colour, I find it looking so much better than patterns and characters on the paper. You could add ribbon, bows etc, but I would just like it with a little gift tag on the side. Again, you can get this at Asda for just £2.


 
This gift bag, I really like. I really like the pattern and the use of colours on the bag. To save time, you could just not bother without the wrapping paper and just place it in this lovely gift bag. To add something more presentable, you could place some tissue paper inside and then place the product on top. This is a reasonable size bag too, and I think it could come in handy for sisters, mothers and grandmothers, etc. You can get this gift bag at Matalan for just £2.

Those are just some of my favourite wrapping paper, ribbons, gift bag, boxes. You might have thought, 'What's the point? It's only gift wrap, it'll only go in the bin!', but I think its also a good thing for it to look presentable. I guess these are more for older friends and relatives, but there are so much wrapping paper out there for children, including characters from their favourite TV show/movie. 

Thank you for reading... now, get wrapping before its too late! 

Review: The Secret of Crickley Hall - BBC One.

For a few months before it actually aired, I kept hearing about The Secret of Crickley Hall being on BBC One and most people said it will be over the Halloween period, which I think would be even better. As the months progressed, I was eager to watch the show, and when it finally came on, (which I watched on iPlayer), I was blown away.

The Secret of Crickley Hall is based on the novel by James Herbert, which I haven't read... yet, but I'm going to be buying it really soon. I haven't heard much about the book before, I've heard of the name of it but I haven't got any knowledge about the plot, which I know now. But after watching the TV series, I decided to make it my first priority to buy and then to read the book.

The series was on for three episodes, which I think was enough and they could of explained things much further but I was satisfied at the end result.

One of the reasons why I wanted to watch the series was because of the stars in the show, especially Surrane Jones and Tom Ellis. I'm a huge fan of Surrane and Tom, they are both talented actors and so down to earth. Surrane has starred in, Doctor Who, Corantion Street, Scott & Bailey, A Touch of Cloth, etc. Tom has starred in, Miranda, Gates, Eastenders, Doctor Who, The Fades, etc. The series also starred; Douglas Henshall, David Warner, Sarah Smart, Olivia Cooke, Maisie Williams, Bill Miner, Pixie Davies, Elliot Kerley, and many more. The cast was absolutely brilliant but Surrane was just fantastic with the role of Eve, I wouldn't be surprised if she won an award for that role, she was brilliant.

Joe Ahearne adapted the book onto screen and he also directed it, which I think he did a brilliant job, but I might be a bit biased because I haven't read the book... yet!

The series/book is about the Caleigh family and the missing of their son/brother, Cam. One afternoon in the playground Eve falls asleep, which Cam disappears. Then, eleventh months later, Gabe thinks moving is the best option for Eve, to give her some comfort that Cam may still be alive, they move to Crickley Hall which isn't the safest of places. The series shows flashbacks of the 1940s, when Crickley Hall was where orphans was evacuated from London during World War II. In the 1940s, a tragic accident occurred, a flood, leaving drastic consequences.

I don't want to spoil it to much because you must watch it to understand more, because its one of those shows where if you miss one episode, you will just get confused and lost.

For me, the best performance has to be by Douglas Henshall who played Augustus Cribben.

                                                         

His character is just so terrifying and he played the character down to a tee. He was simply superb. The only character that I, myself have been terrified by, and I don't usually jump at a TV show or by a character, but Mr Cribben, is a different story, especially with a cane in his hand.

If you like a bit of history, supernatural, gripping drama, then The Secret of Crickley Hall is for you. There have been mixed reviews, but me and my family absolutely loved it.

Now, it's time for me to get the book and read...

Christmas Gift Guide/Ideas: #2 - Under £15.

Hey guys! I know I've promised to you and to myself to write posts of my Christmas Gift Guides but I've just been feeling a bit under the weather and my internet isn't the fastest. So, I thought it was time to write some more Christmas Gift Guides. Seeing as its December now, I really want to get a little bit more festive with my blog.
Today I thought I would do a Christmas Gift Guide for under £15. Christmas is an expensive time of the year but lately there have been some fantastic gifts for under £15. These gifts would also be great as brilliant stocking fillers. I hope you enjoy!

For Her;

1. Fabulous Fashion Book, £9.99, River Island.

2. Heathcote & Ivory Vintage Rose Handcare Duo Chic Set, £12, John Lewis.

3. "This Is For You" by Rob Ryan, £14.99, Topshop.

4. Stag Hot Water Bottle, £10, Topshop.

5. Elegant Crosswords Puzzles, £4.99, John Lewis.

6. Vintage Tealight Holder, £15, Matalan.

7. Green Tea Fragranced Candle, £9, Topshop.

8. Nails in Powder, £6, Topshop.

For Him;

1. Top Gear: The Cool 500: The Coolest Cars Ever Made, £12, Asda.

2. Brown Retro TV Photo Frame, £9, River Island.

3. The Dark Knight Rises DVD, £9.99, Amazon.

4. Wallace & Gromit Flask, £7, Asda.

5. Ridley's Flying Plane, £9, John Lewis.

6. White Witchetty Grub Chcolates, £7, River Island.

7. Dark Green Cable Knit Beanie Hat, £10, River Island.

8. Nivea For Men Wash Kit, £10, Asda.

9. Jamie's 15 Minute Meals, £11.99, Amazon.

Thank you for reading. 

Christmas Gift Guide/Ideas: #1 - Mugs.

I've decided that I'm going to do posts on Christmas gift ideas, as I really enjoy watching Youtube videos of Christmas gift ideas and reading blog posts about them. In this first post of my Christmas Gift Guides/Ideas blogs, I'm going to talk about mugs and show you my favourite mugs for him and her. I hope you enjoy! 

For Him;

1. T-Rex Mug, £7, Topman.

2. Blue Superman Comic Mug, £6, River Island.

3. Camera Lens Mug, £20, Urban Outfitters.

4. White Scrabble Mug, £7, River Island.

For Her;

1. Cath Kidston Provence Mug, £5, John Lewis.

2. Hello Kitty Liberty Mug Set, £9, Topshop.

3. Anorak Kissing Robbins Mug, £10, John Lewis.

4. Rob Ryan Enamel Mug, £9, Topshop. 

Thank you for reading. 

Doctor Who.

In this post, I want to talk about one of my favourite things, Doctor Who. I have grown up loving Doctor Who from an early age, which is about five to six years old. Doctor Who is the only show that I actually really feel dedicated to, the show has such a huge gigantic and devoted fan-base which makes the show much more enjoyable and being a fan yourself. In this post I want to give my views about Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman, Catherine Tate and Karen Gillan. This post won't include Classic Doctor Who episodes as I haven't got much knowledge about those episodes. So, let's get started.

I became a fan of the show after watching The Christmas Invasion. But... I do recall myself sitting down in my nan's flat watching 'The Empty Child' with Christopher Eccleston. As I'm not really sure, I'm going to go with after watching The Christmas Invasion. This was the time that everyone in the Doctor Who fandom, fell in love with David Tennant. Since The Christmas Invasion finished, I continued to love the show and fell more in love with David and Billie. Towards the end of series two, I watched series one which starred Christopher Eccleston as The Doctor and Billie Piper as Rose. I then started having merchandise for Christmas and Birthdays, I was at the Doctor Who Exhibition in Cardiff (not the Doctor Who Experience), I stared becoming a fan of a show for the first time. Now, Doctor Who has been with me for about 10-11 years, is that sad? Of course not.

Christopher Eccleston

Back in 2005, Christopher Eccleston stepped into the shoes of the character, The Doctor. Christopher only did one series, but what a great series it was. Something that really makes me frustrated and a bit cheesed off is when people slate Christopher's acting and slating the series/show in general just because they are so madly in love with David. It's fine that you are in love with David and he's your Doctor but I don't see the point in slating on something that isn't David Tennant related.

After I watched all of series one, I thought it was brilliant. Christopher's acting is really brilliant and he is a quirky, witty, hilarious Doctor with heaps of baggage and hurt from The Time War. Series one is one of my favourites, I just loved the essence of the show, the monsters, the acting, the directing, the music, its just... brilliant. I just wish people would give Christopher a break, as it was a really great series and he played a magnificent Doctor. It was just a shame that he didn't do a Christmas special.

David Tennant

David is The Doctor that nearly everyone loves. David was a really brilliant Doctor but sometimes, just sometimes, I found him a bit tedious and a bit boring. At first, I really did enjoy David's Doctor but towards the end of his last episodes, I got a bit fed up of him and was desperate for a new Doctor. I'm not saying that David is a terrible actor, he's not, of course he's not but at times, he did get a bit boring for me. Out of Christopher, David and Matt, David is the best actor to act out the really intense, emotional scenes. Christopher and Matt are great at the emotional scenes but the emotional scenes is what David excels at and shows of his acting. 

David really did have great chemistry with his co-stars, especially Catherine Tate and Billie Piper. You could tell that he loved to work with them, not just there because of the money and for himself, you could really see how much he cared of the show and how he cherished his co-stars. But most of all, it has to be Billie. Their relationship is just so brilliant and you could see how sad he was to see her leave the show.

Matt Smith

Matt really did have big shoes to fill after the much loved David Tennant left the show, but Matt really is a brilliant Doctor. At first, I was a bit hesitant to like and watch Matt's episodes due to my thoughts about what he's going to be like, what the episodes are going to be like. Most viewers didn't warm to Matt simply because he's not David Tennant, well obviously he isn't David but to me, Matt is a much better Doctor. At first, when I seen the first promotional image of Matt as The Doctor, I was a bit intrigued to see what he has to offer to the part of The Doctor. I think I first loved Matt's Doctor was after The Eleventh Hour. This was a great episode, and it was the first episode of Matt, Karen and Arthur. 

Matt's Doctor is something new, something fun which we haven't seen with Chris and David. Matt brings this huge ball of energy and enthusiasm and you can tell that he loves his role, he loves everything about his job and he loves his co-stars and his dedicated fans. One thing that I really love about Matt is that you can see the wise, old man underneath the youth, joyful face and I, myself didn't really see that with David and Christopher. I am excited to see more episodes with Matt and I hope he doesn't end just yet. 

Billie Piper - Rose Tyler

Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of Rose, I did think that she outstayed her welcome and it did take quite a long time for her to actually leave. I was a huge fan of her in series one, I thought that she was a really great companion, ballsy, feisty and loved an adventure. But in series two, I did get a bit fed up of the whole 'The Doctor and Rose Love Story'. Doomsday was a really brilliant episode, but I just can't help but think that their relationship was just the focus on the series and not fighting kick ass monsters and aliens. At the end of Doomsday, I thought about the excitement of learning and finding out who's going to be the new companion. 

I much preferred Rose in series one and much preferred her with Christopher as I thought they looked great together and I was more enthusiastic in watching their episodes. When she came back in series four, I simply thought 'Oh, not you again!' but she was much better in these episodes, in my opinion. That might just have been because she wasn't drooling over The Doctor, it was just her and Donna, which was a great combination. Safe to say, Rose isn't one of my favourites. But I do love Billie. 

Freema Agyeman - Martha Jones

Martha is the companion that I'm 50/50 with. At times, I find Martha unbearable, which does sound quite mean but its true, I didn't like how she was always in a mood because The Doctor doesn't show her any affection and when he's talking about Rose. But, there is a positive, always a positive in things and the positive thing about Martha Jones is that she's a independent character and that is what I love about the character. I love how she can do stuff on her own and doesn't need The Doctor 24/7, she's strong willed, she's intelligent and she's feisty. 

At times, I do think, is it the writing letting the character down, and not the actual character/actress? I don't think that Freema is an awful actress, she isn't, but I have come to the conclusion that it is the writing letting the character down and it was a shame because she could of gone much further and I would of loved her to be more seen as a companion, not a character at times. If that makes any sense...

Catherine Tate - Donna Noble

Donna is one of my favourites. I am just in awe of her, the relationship that she has with The Doctor, the relationship that she has with Wilf, is all just a bit too brilliant. I have been a massive fan of Catherine for many years, and when I found out that she was going to be in 'The Runaway Bride', well, I got a bit excited. And when I heard the news that she was coming back as a full time companion, I was over the moon. I love the brother and sister relationship that Donna has with The Doctor, which is quite refreshing because she's not a companion who is trying so hard for him to love her, they're just annoying brother and sister. Which is brilliant. Also, the relationship with Wilf is just a joy to watch, especially in 'Partners of Crime', you can see that special relationship that they have and you can just see how proud he is of her. 

Donna is one of my favourite companions. She's brilliant, she's witty, she's hilarious... she is just a brilliant companion and a brilliant character for The Doctor to have around him. Something that I was really surprised about Catherine was how brilliant she is at the emotional scenes, especially her last episode (in series four), where The Doctor has to erase all of her memories of them together, which is the most tragic exit in my opinion. So yeah, Donna is one of my favourite companions and I hope one day we'll see her return... 

Karen Gillan - Amy Pond

Is it me, or is Amy the most adorable character ever?! I love Amy Pond, she is with Donna, one of my favourite companions. I love the journey that we have been on with Amy, we've seen her as a child, turned into a mature woman, got married, had a baby... it never stops for Amy Pond. In my opinion, Amy Pond is the most 'normal' and 'real' character to me, I feel that Amy was just a normal girl who got lost and who was just ecstatic of travelling though time and space. She is just one of those companions who is just a joy to watch, she's the character/companion where mostly everything happens to her, bless her but it gives Amy more depth. Without a doubt, Amy is the sexiest companion, (apart from Clara but her episodes haven't aired yet...) but she is just a beautiful woman. The relationship with The Doctor is also a very huge part of the character of Amy and I just adore their relationship. One scene that I really love about the two of them is in 'The Doctor, The Widow and The Wardrobe' (I think that's what its called), but its at the end where she tells him that her and Rory always put a place out for him on Christmas Day which is just adorable. 

I also love Karen and Matt's relationship, I love how much banter her, Arthur and Matt has, its just great to watch and witness. And Amy's last episode is just that episode where you are on an emotional roller-coaster, don't forget to hold on tight...

I was going to write about Rory, Wilf and all the other great companions but I thought that might be a bit too much. 

I have a question for you, what is your favourite episode and why? Write down your favourite episodes down in the comments selection below. I want to see what people's favourite episodes are. My favourite episode has to be either 'Vincent and The Doctor' or 'Blink'. So, please tell me which episodes you love.

Let's just all get excited for the new Christmas Special, 'The Snowmen', the character of Clara to hop aboard the TARDIS and the second half of series seven!

Thank you for reading. 

Book Review || Oh Dear Silvia.

'Oh Dear Silva' is the latest novel from the fantastic, Dawn French. Its a novel about a woman, Silva who has fallen of a balcony... did she fall? Did she get pushed?... we soon find out later on in the novel. The main focus of the novel is that Silva doesn't speak as she's in a coma. We find out about Silva and her life by her friends and family members coming to visit her. In monologues. Each chapter is a character and their monologue and piece by piece we have a full image of Silvia.

I have been waiting to read this book for ages when I found out that this was being published. I haven't read Dawn French's first novel, 'A Tiny Bit Marvellous' or her autobiography, 'Dear Fatty' but I am aware of what Dawn does and I really admire her. We mostly know Dawn as the great comedian, French and Saunders, The Vicar of Dibley... Dawn has been in pretty much everything and she is amazing. Before this book was published, Dawn did numerous interviews but I watched her interview on The One Show and she seemed very enthusiastic about the book and I think that's when I really thought that I should buy this book. I then went on Youtube and searched for more interviews, so I watched Dawn on Loose Women talking about the book and the next day or two, I bought the book. The book cost me about £8-£9 in Asdas. Which I thought wasn't really that expensive. I was just happy that I finally had the book. 

The book contains 352 pages, which quite frankly, isn't enough! This book is just so brilliant, it is just one of those books where you can sit down, relax and just have a quick read of the chapter/novel. Some chapters I thought went on for a bit too long but I was too hooked into the story and I wanted to know more about Silvia. 

The main thing that I love about Dawn's writing is the characterization of the the characters in the novel. All of the characters are so different from each other and are just brilliantly written. My favourite character has to be the Jamaican nurse, Winnie. She is just a joy to read about, you can visualise the character in your mind with that brilliant accent. An interesting thing about the book is that Dawn doesn't just use the characters to build an image of Silva, she writes about the character's personal lives too which gives the characters much more depth and more of a purpose in the novel. There are really strange, unique characters in the novel too. Especially Jo. Jo is Silvia's sister and she's the character that really made me laugh out loud to myself. The chapter with the stripper is one of my favourites as you can just visualise the situation and you can actually visualise how bonkers she really is. The characters are just so human alike I feel, as I, myself can relate to each character, which I find is always a good thing whilst reading books. 

I think overall the plot is a really strong and bold story and it was written beautifully and I can't imagine how hard it must of been for Dawn to write the book due to the loss of her mother. When I was watching the Loose Women interview with Dawn, she said; "I was with my mum one day... and she just woke up (out of a coma), and she just looked at me and said 'What are you doing? Why aren't you writing?' I said to her... 'Mum... I'm here with you.. I want to look after you...', and then she just looked at me and said, 'But this is your research, this is exactly what your book is about...'". I think that is accurate, well close to anyway... I really enjoyed this book and I hope to read Dawn's autobiography and her first novel very soon. Plus, I hope Dawn has a very long and a lasting career in writing as she captures humanity and society in perfect words and dialogue. 

I give this book 4 stars. 

4.0 out of 5 sta

Thank you for reading.

Christmas.

I know most people reading this will all be saying to themselves, "Why is he writing a post about Christmas?! It's still November!"... yes, it still is November but I couldn't help but write a post about Christmas now. In this post I want to write what I like about Christmas, what I do, my favourite Christmas TV Shows, food, drink... everything. I also want to talk about family traditions, which to be honest, isn't a lot.

I get in the Christmas spirit usually around the middle of November. When all the shops bring in their Christmas stock, Sky Movies are showing those tacky, cheesy Christmas films, I'm A Celebrity is on... I just love Christmas. I have always been in a loving, family community where we love to celebrate Christmas as a family and whatever problems we have had over the past year, we just sort of forget about them over the Christmas period to just enjoy ourselves. Christmas is of course, my favourite time of the year.

I remember one time when I was about six or seven, I dreamt that I went downstairs on Christmas Day, opened my presents and then walked into another room and I seen 'Santa' on his sleigh in the sky... I have never forgotten that moment. Never and I hope not too. Was it even a dream? Yes, it probably was. But when you are younger, you don't appreciate the presents as such as you are to overexcited about the whole Christmas period and you just want school to finish so you can have new toys of Santa. But yet again, Christmas is supposed to be a time for young children, but for me, Christmas is and always will be, a time for family. When I'm older, I want to celebrate Christmas with my family, I want my children to experience the whole magical Christmas experience. I want them to cherish and remember those special moments.

One thing that I LOVE about Christmas, is sitting down in the house, with the cold weather outside, drinking a hot beverage, wearing one of your embarrassing Christmas jumpers your Nan bought you, the coal fire is on and you are just sitting there all nice and cosy watching Christmas TV. These are just a few TV shows that me and my family loves to watch during the Winter/Christmas period:

• Doctor Who. I'm a really huge fan of Doctor Who, but there is just something special about watching a Doctor Who Christmas special. As my parents and most of my family don't like Doctor Who, (I have no idea why...) but they all sit down and watch the special. Perhaps, its just to keep me happy but I think they do actually enjoy it. I'm not saying all of the Christmas episodes are amazing, because their not, most of them are dire and a bit boring but I still look forward watching the episodes on Christmas Day.
• Gavin & Stacey. I think I've lost count of how many times that I've watched this Christmas special. I'm a huge Gavin & Stacey fan but the Christmas special is my all time favourite episode of the show. In the Christmas special, it just symbolises family and relationships. Which mainly, is what the whole show is about but its just perfect in the Christmas episode. You can relate to each character which makes the show much more engaging.
• The Royle Family. This show is my all time favourite comedy programmes since my dad introduced it to me. The Royle Family is just one of those shows that you can just laugh out loud and each character you can relate to (Just like Gavin & Stacey). The show did three series, but now they are doing just specials. Especially Christmas specials. The Christmas specials are always enjoyable and just a pleasure to watch.
• Christmas Lights. Every year since the show was first broadcast, which was in 2004, me and my dad haven't stopped watching it every year. I just love it, the story, the acting, is just brilliant. I watch it every year and still love it. If you haven't seen it, you should watch it. Its usually on ITV 2/3. 

Christmas decorations.

We usually put our Christmas decorations up during the last week in November, it changes every year really. One thing that I don't like about the Christmas period is when people put their decorations up at a stupid month, for example, people where I live put their Christmas decorations/lights up in September! Which is just stupid and ruining the Christmas magic. Well, for me anyway. I really hate it when they put them really early, I prefer them to be up during the last week of November or the first week of December. 

Every year, I have constantly asked for a real Christmas tree. But have we had one? No. So we are stuck with a white artificial tree from Argos. At Christmas I do think that you should have a green, real Christmas tree because it won't be Christmas without it, but everyone in my family keeps telling me, "At least you have a Christmas tree!"... which they are right I suppose. I just love the colour of it, I love the colour white and when its fully up and has the baubles and the little blue lights on it, it looks really good and it looks it belongs there... if that makes sense. 

I love Christmas decorations, I love the creative side of Christmas. When I was younger I would be in my Nan's house on the floor making Christmas cards for all the family, drawing pictures of me with my presents, etc. At Christmas, my parents would often go to Cardiff to buy some Christmas shopping and they would come home with a 'Make your own Christmas Tree Decoration!', 'Make Your Own Christmas Cracker!', 'Make your own stocking!' box for me from the Early Learning Centre. I remember in one of the 'Make Your Own Christmas Tree Decoration!' was an angel, and I had to paint it and then put some string into it and then put it on the tree. Which, my mum and dad still put on the tree.

A must have at Christmas for me is a glass bottle of Coca-Cola. An absolute must have. I only have them at Christmas, and when you have one it just tastes so refreshing and is always one of my Christmas highlights. A cold glass bottle of Coca-Cola is always better than a plastic bottle/can. 

Christmas shopping.

I usually like Christmas shopping but when its food shopping, its a whole different story. I remember one time, me and my parents was in Tescos buying some Christmas food and chocolates, and the queue was massive. We was there for about an hour, no exaggeration, a whole bloody hour. As the time was starting to get longer, the queue wasn't moving, I started to feel very claustrophobic and I thought that I was going to collapse, I had that feeling in your throat that you are just about to be sick, I was struggling to breathe... so, my dad took me outside and sat me down. That was the worst shopping experience I have ever encountered.

I'm going to end this post before I start getting the decorations down from the attic, sing Christmas songs, watch all my Christmas films, etc. I hope you don't mind that I uploaded this post during November but I just felt that it was the post to write at the moment. 

Thank you for reading.

Hollyoaks - Enjoy The Ride. (Contains spoilers!)

A couple of months ago it was announced that Hollyoaks was going to air one of their biggest stunts ever in the show's history. The episodes was based around the double wedding of Cindy and Tony, Doug and Ste, Cindy and Rhys' relationship and where it would escalate from there. It involved teenagers, a heroic Jono, explosions, one of the best soap deaths... EVER, fantastic performances, editing, directing, it was simply brilliant.

When it was first announced that the crash was going to happen, it was 'confirmed' that there was going to be two deaths. Which lead to some fans battling and thinking of possible victims. At the start, this is who I thought was going to die...

Maddie - I thought Maddie could die because she's been such a main bitch and a bully I thought the time was up for the character. In some episodes characters would often tell Maddie that one day she'll get what's coming to her, for example, Callum.

Rhys - I thought Rhys would be a certain character to die. I think with all the Cindy-Tony-Jacqui storyline, I felt that there's nowhere else they could take the character of Rhys. I haven't really been a fan of Rhys but I think the last two/three weeks, Rhys has been brilliant.

Doug - I thought long and hard about this one, I thought it would be the only way that Ste and Brendan could get back together, which online it shows both characters in Dublin, and supposed to be back together... I think the character of Doug has been there for too long now, he was exciting and brilliant in the beginning but I think he should of died when he was about to commit suicide.

These are my thoughts about who actually died in the crash/aftermath:

Neil - I think it was a certain that Neil was going to die as soon as him and George swapped seats. I really liked it how George said he was dead but as soon as Maddie was about to leave the minibus, he spoke, asking for help, which was a shock as we did actually think he was dead in the first place. And with Maddie leaving him, it really shows how much of a callous bitch she really is. I think she left him there for one; obviously to save herself. Two; to put the blame more on Esther. I think it was the right choice for Neil to die as he wasn't exactly a favourite of mine.

Maddie - Wasn't this just the best soap death EVER? I think this was such a brilliant way for the character and for the actress to leave. As the audience thought that Maddie was still alive, just left her friend to die and the bullying of Esther, BOOM, as the minibus blows up, the door hits Maddie leaving her dead... I do think Maddie and Scarlett (Who plays Maddie) was underrated. I think she is a brilliant actress and she really made Maddie likeable even though she isn't a very likeable character. I think they could of done so much more with Maddie, I'm sad to see such a brilliant bitch leave.

Rhys - One of the saddest yet brilliant performances ever. This was such a brilliant death. The way they left Rhys and Jacqui just play the scene out for the end of the episode was just brilliant. I also think that Jacqui (Claire Cooper)'s performance was stunning. Just amazing, you could really see the emotion, you felt so sorry for Jacqui. As the audience knows, Cindy and Rhys was going to leave together until the minibus crashed into the venue, which I think gives more impact on Rhys' death. It was also good to see a vulnerable side to Jacqui. I think it was a very slow build-up but it really paid of, Andrew and Claire was both amazing.

Jono - The one who died a hero. I really liked the fact that Jono was the 'hero' saving all of his friends, being the soldier he so desperately wants to be. We all thought that Jono was safe, we all thought that he was the one who was definatley safe, saving his friends... until a tragedy occurred. Whilst outside The Dog In The Pond, Jono was lying down in Ruby's arms whilst she tells a story of her childhood looking at the stars out of her bedroom window, as she told him that they should go inside, he died of a blood clot. This was such a monumental scene and I think it was the best performance from both Ruby and Jono. The music was just brilliant to go with the scene and the scene was just so simple yet really effective and emotive.

Another emotional scene was this scene:

It's just so effective, the way she is trying to wake her father up wondering what's going on... I'm not really a big fan of the character of Ste but one thing I really like about him is the relationship he has with his children. Especially Leah. And this just sums up their relationship to me, just brilliant. I really loved seeing much more Leah in these episodes doing more and saying more. I hope she gets used much more in more storylines to come. 

What also happened during the crash/aftermath:

• The return of Holly Cunningham - I was really excited for Holly to come back, I thought that she would be great for the character of Cindy and would give Cindy something much more to do rahter than having an affair with Rhys or hurting Tony's feelings. There has been lots of discussion that Wallis Day, who plays Holly, is to hold to play Holly, who is a fourteen year old girl. I think that she may be a bit old to play her but she doesn't look that old, most fourteen year old girls look much older these days and I'm really excited to see what is in store for Holly.
• Sinaed being pregnant - We all knew that she had a one night stand with someone a couple of weeks ago, but when in hospital following the crash, she found out she was pregnant. Who's the father? Rhys? Darren? Ally? Callum?... 

Best performances during the week...

1. Claire Cooper. Blimey, this woman was simply amazing during this week, well, we all know that she has been amazing since she has joined the show but she really did play these episodes brilliantly. I would be really surprised if she doesn't win any awards for these episodes as she was simply excellent. The aftermath of the crash is also a very fine performance from Jacqui as she finds out about Rhys' plans to leave her. Claire Cooper is one of Hollyoaks' finest actresses and she won't be going for a long time.
   
   
2. Stephanie Waring. Steph's performance of Cindy is always brilliant and I am so impressed on her performance during this storyline. At first, I was about hesitant of the Cindy/Rhys storyline but I just think its one of the best performances from Steph. You can really see the love she has for Tony but you can tell that Cindy wants Rhys too and you can see how torn she really is between the two of them. I can't wait to see what's coming up for Steph and Cindy.
   
   
3. Scarlett Bowman. Some people might be surprised to see Scarlett/Maddie there but I really do think her performance these episodes has been brilliant. At first, she wasn't a very good actress apparently ... well, I think she always has been a good actress, it was just the material letting her down but this week has just been brilliant for both Maddie and Scarlett. I can see a long future and a fantastic career ahead for the beautiful Scarlett.
   
   
4. Dylan Llwellyn. I think since Hollyoaks Later, Dylan's acting has improved a vast amount. But this week/episodes, he's been brilliant. Jono's relationship with Ruby has been the driving force for the characters and the actors but I think Dylan made Jono his own and I'm kind of gutted to see him go and for the relationship of Jono and Ruby to be no more. Plus, his final scene was just right.
   
   
5. Andrew Moss. Andrew's performance has just been brilliant these past episodes and these episodes has been the first time for me to actually really enjoy watching the character. The main thing that I really like about Rhys is his relationship with Jacqui. In his final scene, you could really see how much he loves Jacqui, even though he was about to run of with Cindy... but, you could see how suited they both were. Andrew and Claire work so well together. It'll be sad to not see that again...
   
   
6. Nick Pickard. Nick has been in the show since the beginning and he is still brilliant. But in the past, I have often thought that he hasn't been given anything to do, a storyline on his own, something for him to shine. But this storyline has just proved to me how brilliant Nick and Tony is. I thought Tony loosing his eyesight was a very good storyline and it was good to take Tony in a new direction but being in 'Soap Land', things was about to change. Having his sight back, he seen Cindy cheat on him with Rhys, leaving Tony devastated. I think his performance has really been excellent and I hope one day to see a Tony/Jacqui reunion.
   

Overview.

This has been such a brilliant week for Hollyoaks. The writing, the acting, the special effects, the directing, the editing, the music has all been just brilliant. I really hope that Hollyoaks win big at the soap awards for these episodes as they deserve them so much. I really enjoy soap stunts, that's one of the main reasons why I watch them but Hollyoaks have really out done themselves with this week and I hope the standard continues at 'Oaks. Goodbye Neil, Maddie, Rhys and Jono.

Thank you for reading. The photographs that I used in this post was either taken of the Hollyoaks website or Digital Spy.