My Favourite Quotes

In need of some inspiration, here are some of my favourite quotes and sayings.

'Remember that guy that gave up? Neither does anyone else' 

This quote is awesome because it sums up life in general for me, if you ever give up in whatever you're doing, then you have failed. What are you going to be remembered for? What are your kids going to know about you? 

The General Message: Never give up

'If you’re absent during my struggle, don’t expect to be present during my success' 

This quote is all about remembering those that have helped you get to where you are and not being that person who hangs out with the fake people in their life who feed off of the success.

The General Message: Don't forget your true friends

'Who cares?' 

This saying is quite important for my life, it is a saying in my life, probably not everyone else's but I feel it should be. It is all about not caring about what people, that's only aim is to bring you down, have to say. Any time someone says something mean or hurtful to you about something you have done, just say this and walk away.

The General Message: Don't listen to negativity

'Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose'

This quote is from my favourite TV show of all time, Friday Night Lights. This quote means the most to me out of every quote, because this is my life mantra. It means so much that I have it tattooed on my arm. The clear eyes refers to not seeing obstacles and not being distracted, the full hearts means give everything you've got and the last part is self explanatory.

The General Message: Be focused, give your all and you will succeed

Top 5 (18/12/2013)

Week beginning: 18/12/2013 (UK Date)

This post will be up for two weeks as next Wednesday is Christmas and I won't be posting. I will be back on the 1st with the top 5, however this time it will be the top 5 of 2013.

5: All Hail Murray

Andy Murray is officially the face of UK sport in 2013, well according to the BBC Sports Personality Of The Year Awards. Andy picked up the most prestigious  award of the night, won by so many British greats before him. Other contenders were Leigh Halfpenny for his triumphant performance down under on the British and Irish Lions Tour. There was Ian Bell for his three centuries against the Aussies in the Ashes. Justin Rose, who beat Jason Day, an Aussie, to the U.S open in golf. Sir Ben Ainslie, who helped to beat New Zealand (basically Aussies), in the America's cup. So what we can learn from this is that Britain beats Australia a lot.

4: Desolation Of Smaug

I only recently became a fan of the Lord of The Ring films, and this week will be moving on to the Hobbit films, which ties in nicely with my next choice, The Desolation of Smaug. This is the second in the Hobbit trilogy and sees the return of my favourite character, Legolas. The film opened to the public on the thirteenth of December, eleven days after the premiere in Los Angeles. Another thing about this film that I love is the song for it, sung by British musician Ed Sheeran. The song is lovely and so fitting for a film about destruction because of the sombre feel to it.




3: Beyonce Random Album

On the thirteenth, the Queen of the music industry, unexpectedly dropped a new album upon us entitled Beyonce. The album features fourteen songs and get this, seventeen videos. The surprise album has already had two singles released and no doubt will be hits. She has reportedly been working on this album all year in secret, only telling a select few. Of course, hubby Jay-Z and friend Kanye West make appearances on the album. The album celebrates a 'Beyonce Philosophy' that she can do what the hell she wants.

2: Christmas
The festive season is here, so everyone can put their trees up, blast the Christmas songs, eat loads of sweets without someone telling them off, and children around the world have sleepless nights in anticipation for the arrival of Santa Claus and their long awaited presents. I love this season as it is joyous and everyone comes together to celebrate and be thankful.

1: Nelson Mandela
I could talk forever about this man and what a legend he is and will always be. On December the 5th, the world lost a legend and this week, he was finally put to rest and the memorials of a lifetime began. A statue has been revealed in Pretoria and will forever be a reminder of the great man that was Nelson Mandela. Words are not enough for this man and mine especially would not do him justice, so I will just say Rest In Peace Nelson Mandela.

There's Only One Place That Calls Me One Of Their Own!

"Who says you can't go home

There's only one place they call me one of their own

Just a hometown boy, born a rolling stone, who says you can't go home

Who says you can't go back, been all around the world and as a matter of fact

There's only one place left I want to go, who says you can't go home"

I have been home a week now and then this song came on my iPhone. For those of you who do not know the song, it is Who Says You Can't Go Home by Bon Jovi. This song relates to me a lot because when in Salford, everyone was saying to me that Salford is my new home, however I never used the word home about my flat, I would refer to it as 'the flat'. The line 'There's only one place they call me one of their own' really means a lot, because as much as I like living elsewhere, there will always only be one place which is truly home. When I was home all the time, I hated it, I always felt like I was trapped and everything was so predictable, so as soon as I got the opportunity to leave I ran as fast as possible as soon as I could, however looking back at it, it wasn't that bad. Sure, it had its downfalls, but I felt safe there, I knew the people, I knew the secrets and it was comforting and as soon as I was on my way home, I realised the town wasn't trapping me, it was giving me an escape from the real world, so that when I was released into the big world, I had a security, one place where I could trust.

So my questions today are: Do you like your hometown? Do you live there? Would/do you miss it?

Dream Update

Seeing as though this blog is all about me chasing my dream and all my thoughts and views along the way, I thought it would be a pretty good idea to tell you all the status of my dream.

Well, at the moment, I am currently studying Performance Media at the University of Salford, near Manchester. This course teaches me all about the industry of film, TV and radio acting, as well as the behind the scenes things, such as editing. This is very helpful for me because I am a stage actor and if I want to break into the film industry I need to gain a whole load of experience so that I know what to expect and don't look a fool in front f professionals. I am also expanding my options by still working for the Riverhead Producers, a group that I was the first member. The aim of the Riverhead Producers are to get young people involved with my local theatre by putting on shows, whether it be music, theatre, comedy or art events. We are currently putting on an improv comedy night, of which I am going to present. I have stated earlier and in another post that I currently live in Salford, which is near Manchester, the new home of the BBC. The University of Salford has great connections with many major companies in the industry and regularly has people come in and do workshops; this means that I can gain valuable contacts during my three year stay there, even though I will probably move to Manchester permanently after uni. I will only be 20 when I get my bachelors degree so I will have plenty of time to break the industry.

My questions today I want you to think about are: What are your dreams? How do you intend to achieve them? When do you intend to achieve them? What do they mean to you?  

A Time For Reflection And Change

As this year comes to a close in a few weeks, it is the time of year to celebrate the year and look back on all we did right and all the things we wish we could change. However as the clock strikes midnight and pushes us into a new year, we forget all that is behind us and look forward to another year of life and we also make resolutions that we wish to complete so that we feel we have bettered ourselves.

Looking back on this year for me personally is quite a proud moment because of all I have achieved; I took my A Levels and came out with great results which gained me a place doing Performance Media at Salford University. I also have done a lot of performing, including what I feel to be my best two performances to date; Anthony Hope in Sweeney Todd and as Sonny LaTierri in Grease the Musical. Grease was a major highlight for me because I am not the most talented musically or dance wise and to be able to pull of a principle role in a musical, with great feedback, was a massive achievement in my life. I also cemented a lot of friendships during the rehearsal period as well as making new friends for life. I have also moved out my home into a flat, which for me was quite big, as I had never used a washing machine or iron before.

Of course the year has not been all achievements, there have been downfalls of mine. I have been in love and fallen out of love, had a slight addiction to alcohol, of which has now been conquered, I have had injuries, lost best friends, been a jerk, and had a lot of trouble with money, but I choose to not dwell on those, as all have made me the man I am today, who is someone I am proud to be and is someone I hope will make all those around me proud.

I will post in a few weeks about my new year resolutions. So my questions today are: What has this year meant to you? Have you learnt from these experiences? Were they worth it? 

My New-found Sobriety

Most people that know me know that I like a drink more than anyone on the earth. I earned the nickname 'Alcoholic', or at least I called a nickname to escape the reality that maybe, just maybe, I actually was that very thing. Once I got to university, the drinking escalated to the point where I was drinking everyday and without reason. I wasn't celebrating, I wasn't forgetting, I wasn't consoling myself, I wasn't having fun, but yet still I persevered with drinking as a regular daily occurrence. One day I was at a flat party in Salford and I had 6 beers with me; the plan was to drink all them and then get wasted on whatever I could find, but something that night clicked in my mind and I thought to myself 'Why do I need to drink, I'm happy and drink makes me the opposite.' So I went the rest of that night without drinking a single thing, then I did the same the next night and, to be honest, I was the happiest I could ever recollect. This made me make the life altering decision to quit drink all together. I can't say I won't drink ever again, it's probably an inevitability, but for now I want to enjoy life to it's fullest so that when I do have a drink, I know when to stop and know that I don't need to have a drink and it's a choice.

I'll leave you on a question. Is there anything you do that you have no reason for doing and that your life would be better off without? If there is, make the change and reap the benefits. 

Ho Ho Holidays!

It's that time of year when everyone wishes for snow and asks their loved ones for presents. It's the time of year when you have to suffer awkward conversations with family members you see only at this time of year. It is also the time of year, where everyone stops the arguing and just enjoys themselves and is grateful for all they have. Of course not everyone celebrates Christmas, but then again you probably won't be interested in this if you didn't.

So I digress, Christmas is one of the few times of the year of which the whole family is together and we all celebrate with one another. I personally love this holiday, not only because we get gifts, but because everyone seems more cheerful. People stop worrying about the small things and embrace each other more openly. Of course, I love the music, the decorations, and the food as well, but the happiness is the thing that gets me the most. Then I start to wonder, why aren't we always this happy, what is so special about this day, that makes the majority of the world stop for a moment and just enjoy life. I mean in World War One, it stopped the war for an entire day.

So could it be because of the birth of Christ, one part of the holy trinity, which brought hope to millions of people. It could be, Jesus in my mind is synonymous with hope and belief in the goodness of mankind. However, most of the people that celebrate Christmas aren't actually religious, they just know the tradition of the festive tradition. So why are we all happy on one day? It's because, on this particular day, there is a magical feeling, which just makes you not want to fight and makes you just relax and enjoy life. This one day, restores faith in humanity, because we think not of ourselves, but of others around us.

So to one and all, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I'm Back........Again!

Ok, so last time I'm said this it didn't exactly last very long. The reason for this, was that I had underestimated the workload for the start of uni. But, now I am home for the festive season of Christmas, so I shall be posting more often. Thanks to anyone who has viewed the blog in my absence, as I am now at 998 views, so after this I will probably have surpassed 1000, so I thank you. If you have any suggestions for the blog, articles I should rite about, features I could include etc... please feel free to comment or go to the ask me page. Once again thanks, my next post will be about the Christmas period.

Independence

All the time leading up to going to University everyone was really excited and one of the reasons for that was the idea of independence. I loved the idea of not having my mother nagging me to tidy my room, but now that I finally have that independence, it makes me miss that, because that drove me to actually do the things that needed to be done. Without that nagging, my room is a tip, my washing is building up, the dishes are never done, and the food I eat is very basic and poor at times. So my advice for anyone who is readying themselves for University; embrace the time before you leave, when you have good meals, your bedroom is tidy, and the place you are living is hygienic, and if you can, learn as many skills as possible so that when you are independent, it isn't actually that bad.

First Assignment

So the first assignment I got at university was to write a two minute monologue about anything and perform it in a few weeks. The only rules, it had to be two minutes and it had to feature a prop. I love writing, so I felt right at home with this. During the class, I was already writing and staging several performances. However I felt that when it came to writing them, I had no real connection to them. Straight from the off I had already decided that I wanted to do a serious performance as I was fed up with comedy, so I started thinking about my life and things that have happened, to jog the emotional memory. This came up with some good results, however it just seemed to predictable, talking about my own life, as myself. So instead, I took an idea from my own life and created a dramatised version, featuring other characters, so that I could relate, but still advance as an actor. At some point in the near future I will post the monologue and maybe even a video.

I'm Back

Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few months, however my life has been hectic. Firstly I was in the stage musical of 'Grease' during the last part of July and early August, playing the role of Sonny (the comedy role, surprise surprise). Grease was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I made friends that I am proud to call friends for life. After I had finished the show, my entire life became centred around the results that would define the rest of my life, A Levels. These were a daunting few weeks, however the results were in, they had been counted and verified and I got into Salford University, my first choice. So that is where I'm at at the moment, living it up in Salford. I have made some great friends and I'm enjoying the social life, I mean who wouldn't. I shall be posting more often now about University experiences, stuff that has happened and just random views and opinions I have.  

Top 5 (24/07/2013)

Week beginning: 24/07/2013 (UK Date)

5: Harry Potter Season Back

ITV have started their movie seasons again, with Star Wars kicking it off for the past month and a half, but now they are moving onto the most popular film franchise of all time. I am a huge fan Harry Potter and own all the DVD's and am excited that more people will get to see the wonder that is Harry Potter. It has got me into a Harry Potter movie so I have started watching them all on DVD, as has my sister, but I'll still watch them on the TV and endure the breaks. Catch them every Saturday afternoon.

4: Red 2

The sequel to Red is creatively titled Red 2 and features the return of Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Mary Louise-Parker, Brian Cox and a few others. The film is a comedy-action film, like its predecessor, and stars Bruce Willis as an agent, who is being hunted down alongside John Malkovich and Mary Louise-Parker. The person hunting them down is Helen Mirren. I won't ruin the film, however this is a great film and you should go and check it out.

3: Love/Hate

Love/Hate is a new crime drama set in Dublin, Ireland. The series is all about the criminal underworld in Dublin. The first episode was a introduction to the characters as well as giving a back story to where we join the story. Robert Sheehan, who starred in the original Misfits, plays the main character, whose brother gets killed in a drive-by early in the episode. The show is new to English viewers, however Irish people have already seen all 3 seasons, as it started in 2010 and season 3 finished on December 2012. Go and check it out on Wednesday's at 22:00 on Channel 5.

2: CSI:NY Final Season Reaches the UK

The ninth and final season of CSI:NY is finally here in the UK (wahhhaahahaaa). My favourite ever show on TV is finally ending, alongside CSI:Miami, which means if you want your CSI fix, you'll need to watch the Vegas version of watch old episodes. I haven't researched this because I don't want to know what happens and I know it has finished in the US so looking into it will probably reveal all, so this entry isn't very detailed. What I hope happens, is Danny takes Mac's position, as that's what he wants and Danny is my favourite character, Don finds love, Mac marries Christine, Sid does something crazy, Hawkes finds someone or gets a promotion and Adam, well lets hope something good happens to him.

1: It's a Boy

Yes the worldwide news that everyone was waiting on finally arrived, the royal baby was born and we now have a new Prince and a likely future King. The baby was born on Monday at 16:24 BST and was then named George Alexander Louis. This news reached all over the world and everyone suddenly became extremely patriotic. It is a wonderful thing because of the success of a Monarchy in a time of politics ruling, and the birth of a new royal, who is likely to rule the Monarch, is big news and great for our country.

Robert Frost

Robert Frost was an American poet. Most of you will probably have heard of him, despite having been dead 50 years. The reason; he was an influential character and his poems depicted the realistic manner of the world. He had works such as 'A Soldier' which is talking about the soldiers that fight for us and 'The Oven Bird' which is telling us, through a woodpecker's perspective, that life is too short. 

However my favourite thing that Robert Frost has ever written was “In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It goes on.” The reason why this is amazing to me is because it really captures, in my mind, the main message of life. No matter what life throws at us and no matter how many time we are knocked down, it doesn't matter because life will carry on despite our troubles. This message for me is something that all people should live by, because if they do then they worry less about what went wrong and are more likely to focus on the positives, that life carries on.

Robert Frost, Poet and Legend

1874-1963

My Backup

So this evening I was thinking about what my backup job will be if I do not become a professional actor or something connected to that profession and I have found this to be rather hard because since I committed to a life in the arts it seems that I'm not qualified for anything else. So here are the options that I have considered.

Marine: I have always liked the prospect of the army and when I see the adverts for the Royal Marine Commandos, it just seems like such an amazing job. To do this job, I would have to improve my fitness, but I have taken a few practice tests for intelligence and I passed them with ease, so the physical side is the obstacle. To overcome this I am going to improve my fitness at university because this will benefit me in any job and in my everyday life.

Police: This is for the same reason of the marines, it seems like such a good job because you help people on a day to day basis and are recognised for your work. I should theoretically be able to get into the police force because I am intelligent, well appeared, and looking at the physical tests they seem to be in my capability.

Teacher: They say that those that can't do should teach, so this is why I have considered this job. I have always been good with younger people and have a decent rapport with them. Also I have always enjoyed helping people and passing on what I know to them. Yes most student despise their teachers, but I would have a different approach to teaching that would make students happy to come to my lessons.

Running my own business: This covers a lot of things, but it is something that has always fascinated me, being at the top of what you are doing, being in charge and doing something that you can call yours. I have had a few ideas for business, of which for obvious reasons, I will not divulge into, so if I were to pursue this I would not be going in blind.

Now some of you may be thinking that by having a backup, I am contemplating failure and this is negative thinking, however it is just a precaution. I will do everything in my power to become and actor, however there is only so long you can keep trying for before the ramifications of trying kick in. I'd rather not live with my parents in my mid twenties working in a crappy shop and going to several auditions a week without success, so that is why I have an exit plan.

Miley Cyrus

Ok so this topic has been one of the most talked about things all week and it is all about the child star who has grown up, Miley Cyrus. There are the two sides to the discussion, those who feel she has gone off the rails and is out of control and then there is the other side who just feel that she is growing up and it is up to her what she does.

So here is my take on the talking point of Miss Cyrus. She first rose to fame when she appeared on the Disney Channel as the sweet and adorable Miley Stewart, the daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, who had a double life as the fictional superstar Hannah Montana. The show showed her life growing up and the viewers felt that they were watching her real life. Then Miley decided to try and part ways with the whole Hannah Montana and release music as herself. Then we slowly saw her start to leave the whole 'child star' image behind when she released 'Can't Be Tamed' where she was rather fierce and adult, to put it mildly. Now she has been doing her own thing with an attempt at having a serious movie career and then of course her controversial music career.

So that is the Cyrus story so far and I personally feel that she has made the right decision to break away from Disney, because if it was me I would feel that I had outgrown the channel. She obviously felt the same way and has tried to separate, however I feel that she went about it the wrong way about it. Her fans have grown up with her and they are now young adults as well, however she still has quite young fans and singing about sex and drugs and then having very provocative music videos will just enrage parents of those younger fans who look up to her and the older ones will always compare her to the child star they saw when they were growing up. I think her change in attitude was too sudden and it gave nobody time to adapt to the new Miley. It feels as though she woke up and decided to take every controversial artist out there and then combine them. I do admire her for taking the risk and trying to change because she stood up for her own life, however she rushed it and wasn't smart about it. I mean, look at Zac Efron, he starred in what is the biggest Disney Channel film franchise, but he managed to have a smooth transition away from child acting.

I will conclude that it's her life and it's up to her what she does with it, but that she also has to think about her fans and those young people who are very impressionable upon and she needs to think what is the right message to send to them. I personally love her for what she has done, but I'm 18 and old enough to make my own mind up, but those younger fans need a better role model.

Now                                                                                                            Then

 

GTAV

Gamers all over the place will all be talking about the upcoming game in the Grand Theft Auto series, GTA V. The game has been highly anticipated and is set to break every record going, highest pre-order sales, highest sales, most revenue, biggest game and many more. The game has covered things that no other games has dared to try and for that reason and that reason alone, this game is my favourite of the year.

We hadn't seen much of GTA V until quite recently with the gameplay and many interviews, which left a lot of the game up to our imagination, however they have released two trailers of which both gave analysts everywhere something to discuss. People were pausing the videos and scouring every detail trying to gain an insight as to what this game will include. The things we already knew were that; the game would return to Los Santos and would be set in the modern day, but the rest was left up in the air. There was many speculation over who was to be the protagonist, because there was a man in the first trailer, who was middle aged and people didn't like the idea of him being our only option. Then Rockstar announced the biggest selling point for the game, multiple characters. The revealed that we could play as any of three main characters on the same progressive storyline. Those characters were Michael (The man from the trailer), Franklin (A gang banger, who works for a repossession company) and Trevor (A nutcase). They then released three trailers, one for each of the characters.

Then after this we all got what we wanted, GAMEPLAY FOOTAGE, so we could finally see what the game itself looked like, not some trailer. The gameplay certainly didn't let anybody down and confirmed in everyone's mind why this is the game to purchase. The gameplay, swhowed us vehicles, gunplay, the changing between characters, how we could spend our money on tattoos, shares, customization. It also showedd us the new feature where you can plan out the missions, going in cleverly or just barging in, new past-times such as tennis, golf, biking, hunting etc. And not to mention the jaw dropping graphics that we saw.

Top 5 17/07/2013

Week beginning: 17/07/2013 (UK Date)

5: One Direction 'Best Song Ever' Trailer
One Direction fans across the globe will be screaming with excitement at the new trailer for the upcoming single, modestly titled 'Best Song Ever'. The trailer features Niall Horan is dressed up as a sort of tribute to Sir Alan Sugar, named Harvey. The other band members getting prosthetics put on to transform them into other characters. So this video will do well even if it isn't good because of the huge following that the former X Factor contestants currently have.

4: UK Heating Up
The UK is currently in the middle of a heatwave and the reaction has been pretty normal for British people, complaining no matter what the situation is. A couple of months ago we were complaining that it was too cold and now it is too hot, so who knows what whether is acceptable here. The country is currently at Level 3 warning and are really close to Level 4 warnings which is basically where people are told what to do in the current weather conditions. Temperatures have surpassed 30C and are looking to improve. (And yes I did include this story for a picture of girls in bikinis)

3: Alex G 'I Want Crazy'
It's the return of my favourite artist currently out there and she has no covered Hunter Hayes new song 'I Want Crazy' and she clearly does it justice. Equipped with just her guitar and a city at her disposal she gave us a great video with complimenting vocals. I have always been a member of #TeamAlexG and always will be, so any time she does something it is nearly guaranteed to make these charts. If you haven't heard of her then you need to go and check her out on YouTube or at her two shows in LA and NY later this month, details will be on her channel.

2: VMA Nominations Revealed
The VMA's are coming soon to pay tribute to the amazing music videos that we have seen over the past year, and of course the winners will go home with the coveted 'Moonman'. The show has been going since 1984 and is one of the big award ceremonies around and this year the nominees do the show justice. The big award nominees for 'Video of the Year' are Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Bruno Mars and Robin Thicke. Fans can vote for general VMA categories and to find out all the details visit MTV.co.uk 

1: Cory Monteith RIP
The saddening news came about on Saturday when Vancouver police found Cory Monteith's body in his hotel room. Suspicions arose when he was late to check out, so authorities were called. Cory, the star of Glee, had been struggling with drugs for most of his life, first going to rehab when he was 19 and again earlier this year. Cory has touched many people's life through his character Finn Hudson on Glee and through being a great guy off set. It has been confirmed that he died due to a alcohol and heroin overdose. His co-stars have all been grieving, mostly his girlfriend Lea Michele, who understandably has asked for privacy during these hard times. All I have to say is rest in peace Cory Monteith, you were a true icon and legend.

Top 5 (10/07/2013)

Week beginning: 10/07/2013 (UK Date)

5: Mumford and Sons Video

British folk rock band have released a new video for their latest single off of their album 'Babel'. The single is called 'Babel' and the video is shot in San Francisco and features the band appearing to multiply as the camera constantly turns around the room as the band members are playing varying instruments. The video is also in black and white as an artistic effect to show that they do not need colour to be interesting. The song itself slightly mirrors the story of 'The Tower of Babel', which is a Bible story which is about not trying to overstep the boundaries or trying to get too close to divine. It is a great song and the video is interesting so you should definitely go and check it out.

4: Monsters Go To Uni
Finally we have a Monsters, Inc sequel, or in this case prequel. The film is set before the happenings of the first film, and follows the story of how Sully and Mike meet. The relationship is rocky at first with Sully being the big jock on campus. Sully is seen as an arrogant bully, but the film shows how he changed and how the pair became friends. Another character that appears is Randall, who is Mike's roommate at university. This film will be one to watch and it is very suiting that the majority of people who watched Monsters, Inc when it was first released are now heading off to University. In the UK this film is released Friday 12th July.

3: 77 Year Drought Over

The British Wimbledon curse is over. We finally have a winner of the British Grand Slam, since Fred Perry in 1936. Andy Murray put himself in the history books by beating Novak Djokovic in the final of the Wimbledon Championships. Not only did he beat him, but he did so in straight sets, cementing his legacy in style. Murray has had a lot of momentum coming into these championships, with a Olympic gold medal and a US Open win under his name, so it was looking good at the start and then it only got better once the likes of Nadal and Federer had early exits. The win was a major moment in British sporting history and lets hope that this will spur on more sports people to go and win major titles.

2: The Ashes are back

For cricket fans this moment is very exciting because this is possibly the biggest event in the cricketing diary. For those non cricket fans the Ashes is a contest between England and Australia that has been going since 1882. It consists of a 5 match test series and the winner gets a small urn with ashes of a bail. The story between the actual ashes came about when Australia beat England on English ground for the first time in 1882 and a satirical obituary was written stating that English cricket was dead and it was to be cremated and taken to Australia. So begun the fight for the ashes with the loser having the representational ashes taken away from them. Funny fact for you though, the original Ashes themselves never leave England regardless of who win, because they are kept safe by the MCC, who claim that they are the rightful owners.

1: GTA V Gameplay revealed
Ok, this is the most exciting news to date in the history of the world; Rockstar have revealed the first ever gameplay of Grand Theft Auto:V. The gameplay itself looks absolutely amazing but what were we to expect. The features themselves are what make this game legendary, with the abilty to swap between any of the three main characters at anytime, the fact that each one has a special ability, the side games like tennis, gold and biking give the game an extra boost giving the person something other than missions to do. Other things that caught my eye were the ability to spend the money you have earned on tattoos, cars, houses and stocks, things that were present in San Andreas, the previous best game ever. Another thing was the ability to do missions your way, choosing how you want to execute them. And finally, the map looks amazing, the change from the rough area of East Los Santos to the luxurious hills and amazing mountain area. This is a game to own and cherish, and it comes out September 17th worldwide.

Just Watch!

http://www.rockstargames.com/V/videos/video/10851
Enough Said!!

Top 5 03/07/2013

Week beginning: 03/07/2013 (UK Date)

5: Tom Odell No.1 Album

So Tom Odell's debut album went straight in at number one in the UK Top 40 Album chart. 'Long Way Down' was released on the 24th June and debuted at the top spot knocking Kanye West's album 'Yeezus'. The album features songs like 'Hold Me' and his most recent hit 'Another Love'. Tom wasn't the only new number one this week as Icona Pop knocked off the huge sensation Robin Thicke from the top of the singles chart with their new hit 'I Love It'. So go check out both of these as they are both amazing.

4: Now You See Me

So the new film that has most people talking is the new crime thriller from Louis Leterrier, director of films such as Transporter 1&2, The incredible Hulk and Clash of the Titans. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Woody Harrelson and many more. The film is about four magicians who become a group, who use their illusion powers to rob a bank for real and the FBI have to try and figure out how they did it. The investigation takes weird turns where they discover dark hidden secrets. The film looks absolutely amazing so you should definitely go and see it.

3: Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger Marry

A beautiful celebrity couple got married in what is being described as a lavish ceremony in the south of France. Avril, aged 28 and Chad, aged 37 got engaged last year in August after only one month of dating. Avril said “I just want to make sure I really enjoy this amazing time and I want all the guests who come to have this once in a lifetime experience. I want everyone to say, 'Wow!' and for it to be special for everyone, not just us.” This is Avril's second attempt at marriage after being previously married to Deryck Whibley, however this is Chad's first time, so let's hope they do well together as I personally love this couple.

2: Everybody! Backstreet's Back

Yes the long awaited news from Backstreet Boy fans is that they are OFFICIALLY back. They did come back for a tour with New Kids On The Block and made a huge super group named NKOTBSB, but now they are back as the original Backstreet Boys to celebrate their 20th anniversary. they have already started doing all their press appearances ahed of their new album being released on the 30th of this month. The new album will be called 'In a World Like This' and I for one cannot wait. I have heard the new audio and it is amazing so get pre-ordering now.

1: Teen Choice Awards Voting

You can now vote for your favourite actors, shows, films and music online for the Teen Choice Awards 2013 on Fox. Some of the categories are Best Villain  Scene Stealer, Country Song, Female Hottie and much more. To vote all you have to do is go to the website http://www.teenchoiceawards.com/index.aspx and then sign in or sign up (it's really easy to do) and then you can get voting by selecting the category and then clicking the one you want to win. You can only vote once per day so if you really want someone to win then I suggest you go on everyday and vote.