Downton Abbey: Reviewed

Okay, so I have to admit that I am a late bloomer when it comes to the Downton Abbey club. I have only just finished watching series one and I really am lost for words! I am a huge fan of period dramas but hearing its release, had to shun this one because I knew that everyone was watching it! When it comes to mass watched programs I have a concept that are usually tacky and only popular because of some well known cast members and a huge advertising campaign behind it. Oh how I was wrong with this one! The great cast are there but there is so much more to the show than just the cast alone. The Abbey itself is just breathtaking! so breathtaking in fact that when it reopens in Spring I am going to visit it to get the true experience of the place. The show really has picked such a beautiful backdrop to film with and I think that it is because of this that the sucess of the show has gone through the roof. The Abbey seems to become a character in itself that has a huge affect on the peoples lives and really puts some flavor into the story lines. The writing is also great for the show and has to be noted. humorous pinches throughout the whole series, not just give the show the beauty and wow factor but also add to the entertainment factor too. I really do not need to go into depths with the cast. I think that they are all great. I have my favorites like we all do but there really is not a character that can be picked out that really has not put their heart and soul into their acting. You hate the ones that should be hated and love the ones that need to be loved. I love the contrast between the servants and the lords of the house but think it is also great that the show has focused on the connection between the two so well. If you thought that was all, you would be wrong! There is yet another thing that has to be pointed out from this series and that is the music. I had a little listen to the album on iTunes and it just sends you away as you are listening to it. It really adds to the mood of the scenes and pushes so much more emotion through the show. If this music was changed or they simply did not use it then the whole show would have such a different feel to it. I am tempted to buy the album for myself too!  If you have never watched this show then you have to straight away, I demand it. Even if it is just to see how beautifully filmed it is, it will win you over and you will be back for a second series just like me. I am really looking forward to the second series and the third after that. I am not one for writing such a positive review but I think that this show has earned it all the way. There really is not a negative thing to say about it other than it needs more episodes! The last thing I am going to leave you with is “give me more Maggie Smith!” 

"Items that I have seen and liked"

Something that made me smile today was when I was browsing the website of a rather brightly coloured London department store. Some rather brightly coloured note books caught my eye and I had to have a look at the whole collection. Whilst I thought the whole idea was serious at first, as I was reading titles such as “Celebrities I met and liked” “Photographers I met and liked” and “Travelers I met and liked” I started to read titles that slapped a grin on my face “Royals I met and liked” “Wives I had and liked” and finally “Journalists I met and liked” I mean seriously! how many royals would you actually fill into a book, divorces are on the up but unless you are Britney Spears, you would not be able to fill the book and are there any journalists that we could honestly say that we like!? I love the idea and the colours are vibrantly beautiful! I do plan to go out and buy one or two and I think I have my eyes on the “Wives I had and liked” and the “Shrinks I met and liked” anyway, have a little gander and start up a little quirky collection yourself! 

the link to the Archie Grand website is: http://www.archiegrand.com/index.html

Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

High Speed Rail 2: Stop Complaining!

If any of you have read or passed a newspaper, watched a news channel or even browsed over a news website, you will know that the news is focused on the High Speed Rail 2 project that has just gotten its green light. Whilst I understand the problems and arguments that will come with just a huge and prominent project, I am surprised how some people have been reacting over it. I know that it is awful and incredibly frustrating for anyone that lives near this project as they will face major disruption and could even loose their homes but what i do not get is that these people should understand that our country does need things like this. It is fair enough that the MPs for these areas have all stated that you can increase capacity on the other train lines surrounding but I personally think that if you take a long hard look at the plans that by the time this project is completed, we will need this. If the UK does not develop then we will be stuck back behind everyone else, lacking the opportunities that we could have had if things like this had just gotten the go ahead. More people should travel by trains as it is better for the environment, it will be faster than cars and with the cost of driving and owning a car going up (yes I know that rain tickets are not cheap themselves) it will be better off to travel by trains. Whilst I love London and have a huge respect for the city, I do not turn a blind eye to the potential of other cities in our country. This line will benefit more places outside London by adding connection and speed. Yes in the process people will have to move, things will have to change but even if I was one of these people that had to move, I would not like it but I would understand. I hate the “yes but not in my back yard” attitude that people have and I think that sometimes people need to stop thinking so much about the small picture and focus more on the bigger picture. People may or may not agree with me but if the same attitude would have been taken with the London underground all those years ago then I think that there would be less disruption and negativity surrounding the works that are currently taking place with TFL. We can delay it but at the end of the day it will have to happen at some point and it is these people that would complain in any situation that will arise from and surrounds this project.

Above: The proposed final plan 

Above: Boooooo! 

Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

look at my pretty balls!

I saw this article many weeks ago and was so impressed that I saved the photos to share with you (when I could remember to to be completely honest!) I thought that it was so interesting that our countries can be depicted with something so simple as paper yet for it to be so effective that most people would be able to correctly guess. In a time where I think that many places in the world are converging and becoming so similar in style, attitude, architecture and knowledge, it is nice to know that these small qualities such as a denim pair of jeans or a newspaper can still decipher one country from another. Whilst I do not know what some of them are, I could clearly guess other countries (and yes I know that it says the countries name next to it!) 

if you are not on here then what would symbolise your country!? hope you had a good old look, signing out, Thatmfeeling 

Why Is TV So Crap!?

I have not really written much about my Christmas as it was a time for me to get away and enjoy time with the family but it was a good time to share time with each other and do the classic thing that my family does and that was to watch some TV together. I am not a huge television fan, I do not own a TV and if there is anything worth watching then I will buy it on DVD to watch when I have the time. Two things got me thinking about this topic. Firstly, what was on the TV was God damn awful and it made me understand why I do not watch television. The other thing was that for Christmas I got the last season of Smallville on DVD. I do not think I know a friend that likes Smallville but I have watched it since it first come out and now, ten years later I am watching the final few episodes. Watching this show got me thinking that TV is not what it use to be all those years ago. Maybe it is just a dry period (that sounds gross) for TV but I just do not see any good programs out there anymore. Reality seems to have killed the decent shows and now slowly reality seems to be failing itself. Maybe it is just me getting older and turning into this bitter grumpy old man (lets hope not) but even reality television has had to transform into “scripted reality” with shows such as TOWIE and Made in Chelsea (I can not judge as I love TOWIE!) but it is as if we are going full circle and that things once again have to be scripted to fill up the dramatic gap that is missing from our lives. Part of me is intrigued to see what will be next in our television lives but then the other part of me just really does not care as I am sure it will be a car crash if it involves programs such as Eastenders and the other over the top, drained programs (I am sorry but I know I have just offended about half of my friends now!)    I am not too sure where I am going with this blog but I will really miss the idea that next Christmas I will not have that Smallville DVD under the tree like I have done every year for however long now. Whilst I admit that the show was not one of the best ever made, it was cute and it was a program that you could happily be entertained by for an hour each week (or if you are like me and you get addicted and you cant stop watching the DVD) I am not sure where my DVD habits will take my viewing life after this as the only program now that I have been religiously buying on DVD is House MD and we all know that the show itself will not have many years left under its belt as it has been going for a while already. Lets hope for our sanity that America can push out some gooduns soon to get us all hooked back into that world that takes us out of this one! 

Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

2011: The look back / 2012: The look forward

So the bottles and rubbish have been cleared up, the party outfits put back in the wardrobes, work shoes are back on and we have all turned back to reality as we settle in to this new year. I noticed that many people had been reflecting on the year and stating how bad the year was and their sense of relief that they had a fresh new year to make amends in. What intrigues me is that I looked back at my year and have to say that I disagree with what seems to be the majority and say that I will look back at 2011 in a positive light. I have moved on with my life, grown, got a better job, had a fresh start again. Most of us can say that we have enjoyed what has to be one of the warmest and sunniest summers that the UK has had for many years. I have enjoyed events, friends and family so in a nut shell I feel rather privileged to be able to look back at the year with positive memories. The year generally  for the world has not been so positive. Whilst many great things have happened, the news focuses more on the bad. (bad news it good news) the papers were full of murders, scandals, recessions, lack of money and everything else that could push you over the edge if you had to be witness to it 24-7. We shouldn’t let this get us down, I know it is easier said than done but if we focused more on our lives then maybe things would be more positive (maybe not) I am looking forward to 2012 with much anticipation as this year promises to be a huge year for London. If it is a huge year for London then it is going to have a big affect the people that live here and I can proudly say that I am one of these people. The Olympics, the queen’s jubilee, arts festivals and more, you name it and it seems to be happening here.

 I really hope that this summer turns out to be another warm one as the way it changed everyones mood and life was just amazing. Happiness, warmness, long days, days out and time to sunbathe. It is these things that takes the stress out of our lives and with any luck it will be the same for this year. The one final thing I want to talk about is new years resolutions. Some people make them for the sake of it, random ones like I will give up chocolate, smoking or food in general (which we all know that we aren’t going to keep) I try to base mine, when I do them, on little things such as being tidy or more organised (which I can say I am still doing years after I pushed myself to do them)

This year I took a good look at myself and have decided that I am going to focus more of my attention on my family and friends that want it and less of my attention on people that do not deserve my time (not trying to say that my time is the most important thing!) I learnt last year that sometimes I spend so much of my time on people that really do not care, have better things to do or just thing that they are simply above the rest of the world. 

This year I want to throw those people away. I am tried of trying to get peoples attention or friendship when I know that they are so wrapped up in their own worlds that they do not see the other people around them. I have people around me every day that care, are amazing, genuinely lovely people and it is these people that I should be cherishing. My resolution is to give these people the respect that they deserve. 

Hope you had a great 2011 and I hope that this year has many more great things to bring. Signing out, Thatmfeeling 

London New Years fireworks: 2012

Well a happy new year to you all and lets face it, the world welcomed it in with a bang! I love watching the new years celebrations from around the world as they welcome in the year in many different ways. A large amount of cities welcome in the year with firework displays and I have to say how proud and amazed I was with the London display this year. I thought that last year was the pinnacle of them all and that it would be impossible for a fire work display to even pass that but I can honestly say that memories of it have now been firmly obliterated into oblivion with the sights and tingles that this years display has created. Whilst I do have to stand firmly behind my city with a breathtaking display, I have to also mention some of the other amazing celebrations that I have seen over the new years period. Hong Kong, Sydney, Vegas, Paris, New York, Dubai and so many more were just brilliant to watch as an outsider and I am equally proud and amazed by how beautiful and to be very honest, moving they were. I will also post my top five new year celebration moments on a separate blog so you can see what really happened as the clock passed twelve on that December / January night. 

Above is the firework display from London that welcomed in the year. What I thought was fantastic is that they also used Big Ben as the setting for the fireworks as it chimed out the famous twelve chimes. You will also notice as you watch the display that it has been extended to 11 minutes and 30 seconds rather than the ten minutes previous to this. Every year it seems to get better and better and I have also linked the new years celebration video from 2011 as well which is below (If you aren't already fireworked out)

So it has been and it has now gone. This is just the start for what promises to be a rather eventful year for London. I really hope everything goes as well as this and that London can do us all proud. Thank you for reading and I hope you have all recovered from the celebrations. 

Signing out, Thatmfeeling