£113 million. What would you do with it?

Becoming a millionaire, or even a billionaire, is always high up on most people’s aims in life. Travie McCoy sings about wanting to be one, most football clubs are run by one, and a successful gameshow has also been created where your intelligence could enable you to join the seven figure plus club. Money is such a coveted necessity these days it is hard not to dream of becoming rich, especially as it is so heavily exploited in the media.

However, what would it be like if you became a millionaire overnight? In comparison to building your fortune over several years, becoming an overnight millionaire is a totally different proposition. There is a much bigger temptation to squander all your money, just like Michael Carroll did back in 2003 when he won £9.7 million. 7 years on, and he’s back earning jobseekers allowance, while proudly proclaiming that all he spent his money on was drugs, gambling and prostitutes. Maybe he wouldn’t have spent it so quickly if he knew he could have been best mates with Ashley Cole.

The recent Euromillions draw on Friday 8th October still has a ticket worth a measly £113 million waiting to be claimed. Such a vast amount of cash, as well as the fact no-one has come forward to claim a sum that would surely secure their future, has got me thinking; what would I actually do with all that money if it was me?

I’d probably start off by following the trend and purchasing both a new car and a house. With all that money you could easily fit two of each animal in your new home, and call it Noah’s Ark while you’re there. Also, whilst my twelve car garage was being built I’d realise slowly that I’d be richer than most popstars. Even David Cameron would be banging on my door begging me to pay 0.1% of the country’s debt off, so in that sense I’d be a bit awestruck.

After all, I would officially be the luckiest person in the world having won £113 million just by selecting a few numbers. Then again, I would probably try and create something with the money that wouldn’t normally exist. Something like a real Willy Wonka factory, which I reckon would be possible, and be honest, would you say no to swimming in a chocolate river? A DeLorean from Back To The Future would be something else worth splashing cash on, and especially handy to go forward in time to make sure I wasn’t the next Michael Carroll. Sonic screwdrivers are also an option, although I think house and car crime could be a little higher if they ever went on the market.

In all honesty, in the 10 minutes that I sat down to think about what I’d do with all that money, my imagination went wild, but nothing available right now stood out for me. Maybe the person with the winning ticket is unsure as to what they’d actually do with all the cash, or maybe they’ve changed their mind and don’t want it at all. Or, in the most unfortunate of circumstances, the silly sausage has just lost it down the back of the sofa.

Why don’t you all have a think about it, I mean what would you do with £113 million? You could share it all and buy a pint for every person in the country, or you could sit and ponder what to do with the money, just like I’ve just done.

Is social networking shrinking the world?

“Did you know Mark and Olivia are going out?!”
“No way! Who told you that?!”
“Facebook.”

Is this conversation familiar to you? If so, then you are a social networking fiend. Don’t worry though, you’re not alone. The majority of people log on at least once a day to sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Twitter to share their thoughts, daily activities and even emotions, to the world. I am no exception, and it has come to the point where I think of it as a guilty pleasure. I know that I should be spending less time on Facebook, yet I find myself “liking” an undesirable amount of statuses, updating my own page or just generally gazing at the screen to pass the time. We all use social networking sites, far too much in many cases, but really how much have they changed our lives?

Let’s start with the facts. Facebook for instance, has 500 million users worldwide, which equates to one in 14 people in the world. To put that into perspective, the next biggest site, Twitter, “only” has just over 100 million users. Facebook has taken social networking to another level, as anything seems possible on there. You can build your own farm, become a fan of Anne Widdecombe and if you’re feeling extra cheeky, you can even ask your mum what’s for dinner. This has led to us spending copious amounts on the site, while Myspace and Bebo recede slowly into our memories as a 13 year old.

I feel Facebook has also broken new ground, as a lot of the older generation have signed up, even if it is just to see what the fuss is all about. Nowadays whole families can be linked across the world of Facebook, like some sort of crazy cyber family tree. Don’t fret though, even if you aren’t blood related your best friend could easily turn into your sister, or worse still, your husband.

Maybe some parents have got Facebook so they can keep a closer eye on their children, but I believe they have discovered that Facebook is extremely easy for catching up with old relatives, and seeing what people get up to when they can’t see them as much as they’d like. Or maybe I’m totally wrong and they’re all just vying for the highest score on Bejeweled.

Facebook serves as a sort of “halfway house”, a third party where you can create events, speak to friends, check out the photos of their latest holiday and do much more. This can be rather handy, knowing that you can learn someone’s life story through several clicks of a button. However, I find it extremely disheartening, recognising the fact that you don’t actually have to see someone in person to be friends with them. Although social networking will never eradicate people meeting up with their friends, it has made people contacting others through the internet far more comfortable than it’s ever been.

Facebook has also bulldozed it’s way into modern culture and the everyday language we use. Phrases such as “Facebook me as soon as you get in” and “Did you find that out on Facebook?” proves how much of a social community it has become, where people can discover things about distant friends that they would not normally know. From that respect, the amount of information and emotions that are plastered all over Facebook is rather scary, but we have all accepted it as normal.

Is this worrying? Even though we never think about it, it probably is, as people who we don’t even know could be looking at our profile information without us knowing in the slightest. It especially is with reports in the past of paedophiles and thieves accessing people’s profiles to discover their whereabouts, with disastrous consequences. Facebook is tightening it’s security measures all the time, so there is less of a chance of this happening now, but there will always be cause for concern.

Even Twitter is making the global community far more local, but what is unique about Twitter is that it’s bridging the gap between celebrities and their fans. People can discover what their idols get up to on a daily basis, and while Dizzee Rascal might not be too keen on the idea of a female fan purring over the thought of him just having “a bangin’ shower”, I think celebrities enjoy the opportunity to be normal people. If you’re really lucky, your favourite popstar could “follow” you back, effectively letting Lady Gaga know when you’ve got a massive hangover, or telling Wayne Rooney to concentrate on his skills with a football, and not any other type of balls.

Social networking sites will continue to grow in popularity, especially as there is a film released this month about Facebook, entitled ‘The Social Network’. How ironic then that people could be organising a trip to the cinema to see a film about the very site that they’re planning it on.

As a result of their success, Facebook and Twitter have compressed the worldwide community into several manageable, easy to roam websites. Although they have made it far easier for friends to connect and contact each other, it is slightly worrying that Joe Bloggs from the Cook Islands could be looking at your photos from the night before right now.

Social networking is fast becoming a part of modern culture, growing synonymously with the internet, and even though we could easily live without it, it’s hard to see past it.

Rocking around the digital clock?

The year is 1968. Jude was the name on everyone’s lips, while Mick Jagger and co. made the leather jacket the must-have clothing accessory. Neil Armstrong was on the cusp of achieving groundbreaking history, and England were football world champions.

Fast forward to the present day and oh, how times have changed. A lady whose name far more resembles a baby’s first words is the music sensation that has swept the globe, whereas plimsolls are not just worn for school PE anymore. Mars is now the focus of space exploration to see whether humans could live there after all, while English footballers are better at scoring with prostitutes than for their national team.

To match our ever-changing society, the music charts has altered dramatically in the past 50 or so years. At a first glance you could easily be led to think that rock and roll has been left in the dark. Even though rock and roll emerged into the mainstream in the late 1950s, it was even more popular during the 60s. During this era bands such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones dominated the music scene, whilst The Kinks also had their music listened to all day and all of the night. In 2010, R&B and pop seems to be filling the top 40, with Taio Cruz and Flo Rida churning out number ones like there’s no tomorrow. Even X Factor manufactured stars always claim the coveted Christmas top spot, with only a social networking inspired group forcing Rage Against The Machine to battle to the peak in order to spice things up.

I know it may seem like it, but by no means am I complaining. I love all sorts of music, and if you rifle through my iPod then you will find albums by Kanye West, Kasabian, Pendulum, Lady Gaga, and ashamedly, the odd song by Miley Cyrus. The current trends that can be found in music do reflect the society that we live in, with the club scene being stronger than ever, and artificially created beats being more chart-friendly than crunching guitars.

So as a result, has rock and roll already enjoyed its golden age in music, and should everything after the 1950s and 60s be considered an Indian summer? I mean, if The Beatles were around in the 21st century, would they mastermind 27 number ones and have several hit albums over the course of ten years? We will never know the answer, but I fear that they would get lost amongst the Tinie Tempah’s and Pixie Lott’s of today.

You only have to go back about 15 years to see two other British rock and roll heavyweights fighting it out to be top of the charts, with Oasis and Blur ruling over the UK music scene during the 1990s. With the exception of a certain ‘Spice fever’, rock and roll music left a lasting impression in that decade, and while bands such as Biffy Clyro and Kings Of Leon have tasted success to a degree, and are inevitably popular, they are not always consistently in the charts.

The truth is, all of the above bands have cited rock and roll artists such as The Beatles and The Who as major influences, as well as inspiring a whole new legion of indie and alternative bands like Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand. In this respect rock and roll music can be seen as timeless, and a genre that will live on through the songs of others. Rock and roll music has had such a profound effect, so does it really need to be sailing into the top 40 every Sunday afternoon?

Each decade, or generation, has had a clear cut genre that has either emerged or been more popular than the others. In the 1950s and 60s it was rock and roll, in the 70s it was punk, in the 80s it was bands who heavily used synthesizers, in the 90s it was what is now referred as ‘cheese’ music, and finally in the 2000s it has been R&B and indie.

In effect every decade’s music has reflected the way that society has transformed and changed. So who knows, it could be rock and rolls time again in the future, and although I can’t see it happening soon, there isn’t any reason as to why it shouldn’t creep out of the shadows again.

So in answer to the title of this article, I personally don’t think rock and roll is dead, but it is not as popular as it used to be. Then again, it doesn’t need to be, as even though I was born near on twenty years after rock and roll mania started to subside, The Beatles and Elvis Presley well and still be listening to rock and roll eight days a week.

A family orientated Bournemouth: As golden as its beaches or all at sea?

I have been to Bournemouth for 11 days every summer for the last 18 years. People never fail to ask me how I don’t get bored with visiting the same place each year, and I just tell them it’s really easy. Bournemouth has so much to offer, with the seaside, the gardens and amusements being exploited to entice tourists to the resort. If anything, the town is guilty of over-selling it’s “seven miles of golden sands”, but with it being their prize asset, why not milk it for all it’s worth? To reflect its marketability Bournemouth receives well over a million tourists to the seaside town each year. This makes it not just one of the most popular places to visit in South England, but the whole of the country.

Not only that, but Bournemouth is also situated very close to other popular holiday destinations such as Weymouth, Winchester and Swanage. To top it all off, some of nature’s finest attractions are also only a stones throw away, with Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door attracting a consistently high number of people. The “Monte Carlo of England”, Sandbanks, is also down the road, even if people do go there to envy the lavish houses, and wonder how anyone can afford £10 million for what is essentially, a house with a sea view.

However, I feel all is not rosy with this juggernaut of tourism. There has been worrying trend where Bournemouth has become more student-orientated. This has had a detrimental effect on families, which are Bournemouth’s main target audience in terms of tourism. Although I was recently a student and probably would have taken full advantage of the extra clubs and bars dotted around the town, I can’t help but realise that families and tourists alike are losing out when they come to visit.

Over the last four or five years there has been a decline in the services that Bournemouth offers its tourists, while opening hours seem to get shorter year upon year. Although this will appear oblivious to newcomers to the town, for hardcore Bournemouth holidayers like myself, this can only be a worrying trait. What will Bournemouth be like in another five years? I mean, it will always have its prize asset, but if the services that supplement the beach become even more limited, will the families still come flocking?

For instance, a few years ago the amusement arcades used to be open as late as midnight, as well as the crazy golf that is situated right outside our hotel in the gardens. However, if you attempt to go in them now, you are often politely asked to leave around 10pm, and even 9pm on some nights! What’s worse is that this is occurring on the August bank holiday weekend, which should be a massive money maker for the town. Consequently, I find it criminal for these places to be shutting earlier than usual. More shockingly, the deck chairs were being packed away before Bank Holiday Monday had come around! God knows how many day-trippers were standing on the promenade clueless as to why these deck chairs had been chained up.

One thing the council has acknowledged though is that Bournemouth desperately needs an all-weather attraction, something that will extinguish boredom on a rainy day. Even though the Oceanarium and the cinemas are extremely popular in wet weather, they are the main two activities people resort to when the heavens open. As a result of them being fit to burst, people just get wet by queuing outside for it anyway. The council are going to tackle this issue by redeveloping the very controversial ‘Waterfront’ building. In the past it used to be a swimming pool that was exceptionally well used, and when it was demolished in 1998, there have been calls to bring it back ever since. These calls became significantly louder as it became apparent that its main replacement, the IMAX theatre, struggled in its three years of existence before it’s closure in 2005.

When I was there a couple of weeks ago, families upon families came into the ‘Waterfront’ attempting to visit the now derelict IMAX, and was stunned to find it empty. I was even more stunned that the council hadn’t put anything more than a tiny note saying it had “ceased operation in 2005”, effectively deceiving many people. I then proceeded to direct them all to the nearby Odeon and ABC cinemas, which I think are also poorly signposted. I most probably earned Odeon half their takings for that day actually!

The council took advantage of the current economic climate and bought the complex this year for half of the selling price two years ago, £15 million. Strangest thing is that one of the propositions for the site is a swimming baths, exactly what it was before, so they could have saved themselves all this hardship, time and money by leaving things the way they were! That seems to be the most popular choice with the public, but other options that have been discussed include a tropical house or a centre for performing arts. Whatever happens, I think what most residents will be most looking forward to is getting rid of such an eyesore, which for years has restricted views of what everyone has come to Bournemouth to see, the sea and the sand.

Another thing I noticed this year was that there is an alarming lack of variety of shows on offer in the BIC, the Pavilion and also at the Pier Theatre. To start with, there wasn’t much at all on during the summer period, but whatever was on, was mainly music tributes or below standard stage shows, with the exception of the evergreen ‘Mamma Mia!’ Don’t get me wrong, music tributes are good in their own right, but there are some people who don’t see the attraction of them, and so these theatres and arenas should be doing more to cater for a larger audience.

Anyway, I can’t complain too much, I do go there every year, and I plan on going again in 2011. However if nothing gets done about the Waterfront, the ever declining opening times for services, or the poor array of theatre shows on offer, then surely Bournemouth is nowhere maximising its potential to be the biggest seaside resort in Britain.

Bournemouth will always have one of the most marketable beaches in the country, but most families will want other things to do, activities that possibly go late on into the evening. As everything seems to close around dusk, no-one wants to go to bed at 9pm when they’re on holiday do they?! Maybe the council know that the tourists will always come their way no matter what? In my opinion they should be making more of an effort to make Bournemouth an enjoyable resort not just for tourists, but the permanent residents of the area too.

Singing forever young...

Picture above provided by Sam Belcher. More of his work can be found at Sam Belcher Photography.





Bono once said that “This is a time for bold measures. This is the country, you are the generation”, and I for one feel that young people are not valued enough in today’s age, constantly getting a bad reputation due to a small minority of anti-socials. Yes, the chav culture seems to be growing. Yes, violence and drinking amongst young people seems to be thrust much further into the spotlight. However, this should not be generalised to everyone that exists under the age of 21.

I am part of a youth group, during a time where the art of youth organisations seems to be declining in their growth, too often perceived as “uncool”. Every year we go away on a trip (known as ”Camp” to us) for a week to various activity centres, and for many of the children this is what they look forward to the most as part of the youth group.

I myself can vouch for this after being in it for twelve years, and even though I only went on five camps, I felt I missed a trick by not going on anymore. Three more camps have passed where I have become a young leader, and even though it was strange at first having to take a backseat in the activities, I very much enjoy the role I feel I have gradually been accustomed to.

This year our youth group was based in Norwich, a place we had previously visited in 2007, and so commenced 8 days full of wet and dry activities, days out, and the odd early morning. Rifle shooting, abseiling and climbing were some of the activities that were experienced on only the first full day, with some conquering their fear of heights, while others realising they probably shouldn’t be let loose with a gun again!

A day at the beach followed, where as a consequence of one of the games, my whole body up to my neck was submerged underneath a whole heap of sand, along with a few other leaders. We weren’t the only casualties however, with plastic ducks also being completely buried, one having to be left behind as it was obviously too difficult to find!

The next two days gave people the opportunity to get extremely damp with raft building, and some teams seemed to actually want to get soaked before even needing to, with some rafts collapsing before even half the people had clambered on! The above picture demonstrates how wet even the most successful of rafts got! Canoeing was also on the agenda, where everyone safely navigated themselves round a stretch of river, give or take a capsize or two.

Ice climbing did not meet a frosty reception either, as it’s uniqueness seemed to add an extra dimension to normal climbing. This unusual activity was taken on with aplomb, with ice picks and boots hammered into the ice-like substance to reach the top and give the wall a customary kiss before being lowered down. Not quite sure who they were pretending the wall was though as they hurled their picks towards it!

It is these sorts of activities that I feel most, if not all, children would jump at the chance to do if it was offered. My thinking is that they are oblivious to the many youth groups that provide these sorts of opportunities, or are peer pressured into not joining by their friends.

Couple these activities and the beach trip with another outing to a local theme park, and I think you have an activity holiday that represents very good value, and one that young people will enjoy. The young people that I was with all voiced a high opinion of the trip they had just been on, and enjoyed all the activities, even the ones not mentioned.

So, it is evident that children can enjoy themselves through such youth groups without hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons, which is indeed the exact motive as to why these clubs were set up in the first place. So for every chav that there is throwing a brick through a window, there is someone else hitting the gold in archery.

I am only 21 so I still feel I have to shoulder some of the blame that young people carry on a daily basis, but while these youth groups stay alive and hopefully grow, I feel there is a promising future for teenagers and youngsters alike.

So, you might ask, am I proud to be involved in such a movement?

Without a doubt, yes.

Oxegen Festival 2010: It must be something in the air

After being a veteran of, ahem, two festivals on the Isle Of Wight, this year I had decided to venture further afield in order to excite my musical taste buds. After much deliberation, me and my festival friend decided to travel outside of the UK and head for the Emerald Isle for the Oxegen festival in Dublin. What’s more, is that after deciding on a festival with a stunning line-up we proceeded to choose a not so great method of transport, foolishly avoiding the expensive plane for the tedious train and ferry combo.

The journey was arduous to say the least, experiencing more than our fair share of drunk middle aged men, lack of sleep and snoring over-sized ladies on a ferry in the middle of the night. We took all this with a pinch of salt, and continued on what seemed more like a pilgrimage to see the best bands in the world rather than a late night hop across the Irish sea.

After more trials and tribulations, we finally got off a coach in a sleepy state, and over the brow of the hill we could just about make out the world “OXEGEN” in giant green and white inflatable letters. Even though the campsite wasn’t yet open, the atmosphere was different to anywhere else. Maybe it was the Irish showing us Britons how to really party throughout a festival, or the excitement levels had been amplified due to us being so weary, but whatever it was, Oxegen was already beginning to be something special.

As I entered the main arena for the first time it was clear that the organisers had thought out the layout very well, as all the stages were within close proximity of each other without blurring the music together, something that Glastonbury has been criticised for in the past. As we’re on the subject of the Somerset festival, I think Oxegen got a severe case of Glastonbury-itis in terms of the weather, as for the majority of the weekend the heavens poured down, and even my raincoat cried out for some relief from the rain. Saying this, festival goers’ spirits seemed to reach a new, unheard of, level of joy, creating large expanses of mud pits around the main stage. Many Irish people seemed to be following in the footsteps of their ancestors by digging in the mud, playing the role of a farmer, searching for the odd potato here or there.

Oxegen festival has prided itself on being “The best Rock N’ Roll weekend in Europe”, and it is extremely hard to see why it shouldn’t be. With artists such as Jay-Z, Kasabian, Muse, Eminem, Fatboy Slim, Faithless and The Black Eyed Peas all appearing across the weekend, music of this calibre is always hard to turn down. All the artists seemed to perform the gig as if it were their last, whilst applauding the crowd for sticking it out in the rain, whereas Fatboy Slim gave us a welcome antidote with his two hour long Ibiza-esque set. My personal notable mentions go to Example, as he attracted a crowd that seemed to defy the capacity limit of the 2 FM tent, and Florence and The Machine for reminding people that despite the poor weather that they always have got the love, and always will. Despite realising many of dreams by seeing Kasabian play Fire, and being just metres away from Ellie Goulding, the music can only be a part of your experience at a music festival.

Irish people are quite possibly some of the most charming characters I have ever had the pleasure to meet, and even though we were instantly friends with them when they realised we were from London (or so they thought), never before have people been so willing for others to have such a great time. They’re not scared to have a conversation with you, and even though there are some oddball characters, it will always be amazing to share the experience with such vibrant people.

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to fully determine why Oxegen festival was such a memorable experience, as it could be drawn from a number of things. Was it the people? Was it the eye-catching line-up? Or was it simply the luck of the Irish? Whatever it was, there was certainly something in the air.

Hard Rock Calling 2010: A night of rock that will be hard to forget.

The third day of Hard Rock Calling, an annual music event held in London, already had the perfect ingredients to be memorable before it had even started. Across the UK, it was proclaimed the hottest day of the year so far, and with this came a sizzling line-up against the backdrop of Hyde Park.

As I walked through Hyde Park, amongst the normal hustle and bustle of London life, a devoted section of people made a beeline for “Entrance X9”, the gateway to Hard Rock Calling. There seemed a touch of happiness in the air, after the fresh memories of acts such as Stevie Wonder and Pearl Jam performing over the previous two days, and this anticipation could be seen in everyone, regardless of whether this was their first day at the event or not.

By the time I had entered the arena, the atmosphere was strangely tense, although this was as a result of the large mass of people following the football, rather than listening to Elvis Costello belting out his huge hit, ‘Pump It Up’. I did feel a bit sorry for Elvis, especially with the dismal performance that the England team put out, and I know that if people knew the result before the game started, the ratio of spectators would have swung much more in Costello’s favour. I was starting to wonder if this would be the most animated the crowd would be the whole day after the disappointment of England’s exit from the World Cup, but my doubts were extinguished as soon as Crowded House stepped on stage.

They had heard the England result, and managed to do what they wanted, get the crowd forgetting about the football, and religiously singing the words to numbers such as ‘Fall At Your Feet’ and ‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’. Before long the audience found themselves fist pumping to the Australians, while also practicing a Mexican wave several times at the request of the band. This seemed to bring the crowd closer together, as the chanting to ‘Weather With You’ reverberated around Hyde Park. I wouldn’t be surprised if it startled the Queen and all her Corgies in nearby Buckingham Palace.

The time quickly passed by, and suddenly before I knew it the star attraction was due on stage, Sir Paul McCartney. He made a fashionably late entrance, but my goodness he was worth it. Mixing up songs from his solo career and also his time with Wings and The Beatles, he performed an eclectic set that lasted just under three hours. Not bad for a man who’s old enough to collect a pension, but that shouldn’t cast a shadow over a man who has been a legend for the last fifty years. The highlight for me was the double hit of ‘Live and Let Die’ and ‘Hey Jude’ straight after one another, with an extraordinary fireworks display during the first exemplifying the pulsating nature of the song. I’ve got to say that during ‘Hey Jude’, it was the best atmosphere I’ve ever experienced, I thought there’d be a huge sing-a-long, but not a togetherness that feels more at home in families.

Such was the attention on Paul, a girl who was desperately crying out for her partner promptly got the response; "Shut up woman, we've come to hear Macca, not you whinging!" This atmosphere lingered well after the gig had finished, with people reciting several lyrics from the day's artists, also frequently joined by a half drunk, half adrenaline-rushed choir.

This experience will live long in my memory, and from the amazing time I had on the Sunday, I’m slightly disappointed with myself that I didn’t go on the Saturday to see another name in music folklore, Stevie Wonder. Next year for sure though, I will definitely consider Hard Rock Calling as a festival to attend.

However, Oxegen festival in Dublin is calling my name...