I'm Sticking With 'Glue'

Who would have thought that bringing the youthful grit of Skins and submerging it into the whodunit whirlwind of Broadchurch could be the revelation of teen dramas?

Only three episodes in and I am stuck to this rollercoaster of a murder mystery. Created by Jack Thorne, also creator of The Fades and co-writer of This is England 86, this bleakly realistic 8-part drama brings you to the edge of current British country life. But what sets this apart from the likes of Emmerdale or The Archers is the exciting on-goings between a group of drug-taking, animalistic, youths that are (like most of us) slightly world-weary teenagers.

Ruth, a cop involved with the murder investigation, played by
Submarine's Yasmin Paige.

In the opener we are introduced to raucous bunch of friends playing drunken games of chicken, streaking in a field, having sex in a car, oh and stealing a car too. But as the next day follows, emotions erupt and a community is shattered when the body of one of the group, 14 year old Cal, is found inexplicably in a field.

I actually felt quite relieved when I was watching the characters dealing with Cal's death (without being sadistic of course) because it has not been overridden with cliché bereavements or the expectations of teenagers to stand around and sob. Thorne has acknowledged the different ways in which people grieve; specifically Rob, (played by Jordan Stephens – one half of Rizzle Kicks), as no changes to his exuberant character are diminished, something which I have witnessed before amongst people of a similar age.

 Jordan Stephens makes his acting début playing Rob,
 the boyfriend of Tina.

But on to the true essence of this gripping murder mystery; who killed Cal?! Each week suspicions have wavered around a few members of the teenage group. But without emotionally attaching ourselves to specific characters, Thorne has cleverly kept the mystery constantly flowing. Not even half way through the series and I am already pulling my hair out!

 This is an absolute one of a kind series, of which the energy amongst the cast is commendable. Issues ranging from the travelling society, relationships, professions and segregation have been exposed in such a manner that leave you feeling like you've been thrown off a horse and landed in the  village of Overton; an idyllic location fractured by a fortune of secrets. 

Eli, played by Callum Turner, is the older brother to Cal.

If you haven't already, get on Channel 4OD to catch up with this concoction of horses, murder investigations, drugs and a touch of nudity, to be well and truly stuck to the edge of your chair. http://www.channel4.com/programmes/glue

You can catch Glue on Mondays at 9pm on E4.

30 Things That Travelling Europe Taught Me

1. Humans are obsessed with finding free internet.
   Travellers swarm to WiFi hotspots like seagulls swarm left-over fish and chips.
2. You meet some of the most amazing people whilst travelling.
3. There is an Irish pub in every flipping European city.
4. Wear sun cream.
   Nobody wants a tomato for a face.
5. Don't waste time by pondering over something, go with your instinct and DO IT.
   You don't want to regret not doing something later on in your journey.
   Whether it be going for a salsa lesson, climbing a mountain, abseiling down a mountain or skydiving over one.
   
6. Don't let money dictate your travels.
   There is an important middle ground between being cheap and being wasteful. It's better to spend a little more money for a better experience. At the end of the day, that is what we're left with; the memories and not the money. That doesn't mean spending your money mindlessly, there are still amazing things to do for free. And it's always worth haggling!
7. Your past does not define you.
8. 'Must sees' are biased.
   If you're going to a landmark just because 'lonelyplanet' told you to and not because you genuinely want to, then don't bother. Doing what YOU want is much more fulfilling and worthwhile. 
9. Toilets abroad are weird.
   From toilets with no seats to sit on, to a just a hole in the floor, to robotic toilet cleaners, to not being able to put the toilet paper in the toilet. The surprises are never ending...
   
   
   
10. Let others know you appreciate them. Especially the locals! After all, we are visiting their place of residence. Particularly in Greece, I found that the locals would go out of their way to please you. Which leads me on to number eleven..
11. Smiles are a universal language and cost nothing.
12. Be optimistic.
    Being a pessimist irritates others and is only holding you back from making the most of your time.
13. Sleeping in a tent isn't all that bad.
    Nothing beats laying in your tent in the middle of a thunder storm with your new best friends. Best feeling ever. But camping has made me much more appreciative of my bed. A burst air bed is not the nicest.
    
14. Don't over plan.
    As an obsessive planner, I like to know exactly what I will be doing, when I will be doing it and who with. However, travelling like that gets boring! Spontaneous adventures are always the best.
15. Australians call us Brits "pommies." 
    Why had I never heard this before?! And why do Australians insist that they are wearing THONGS on their feet?!
16. Getting ill whilst travelling is the worst.
    Especially when it's gastro and you have a ten hour bus journey ahead of you.
17. You really can make lifelong friends on your travels.
    Travelling allows you to meet a ton of amazing people who love travelling just as much as you do.  You’ll form bonds so strong that things like distance and time won’t matter. Which inevitably leads to many painful goodbyes but with technology today, maintaining international friendships is easy. Plus, having friends all over the world is never a bad thing!
    
18.  Having a Pepsi Max addiction is tough whilst travelling (impossible to find).
    Coke Zero just isn't the same.
19. Paying for toilets will never become less annoying.
20. It's a small world after all.
    Who knew we could share bizarre interests with people from the other side of the world?
    Who thought you could bump into 2 old school friends at a bar in Budapest?!
21. No where is quite like home. That is why you must travel.
22. Don't feel guilty for having a break from your travels.
    Travelling IS tiring! We are only human and our bodies need rest. Whilst making the most of your trip is essential, so is staying well. And if your body can't hack it, take a break for a bit. I certainly did... (a day..or two sunbathing on a boat was much needed).
    
23. Be appreciative of a half-decent shower.
24. Setting up camp away from the toilets + a weak bladder = recipe for disaster.
25. Getting lost can be fun. (Especially in Venice) 
26. Be adventurous with your food and embrace the local cuisine. 
    Don't be boring and go to food chains that you could go to back at home. Food markets tend to sell the best food! (Cheaper than a lot of restaurants too!)
    
    
27. If a gypsy throws a 'baby' at you, don't catch it. 
    You will encounter many poverty stricken families, particularly in the most tourist areas, and unfortunately some will do all they can to get money. Of course not everybody is like this but better to be safe than sorry!
28. Let go. *cue Frozen lyrics*
29. Travelling is addictive.
    I have just booked another trip to Morocco. And then to Barcelona. Oh and back to Amsterdam as well. Oops.
30. Slow down and look around you. 
    The world is pretty amazing.                                                                
    

Got a Favourite? Don't Savour It.

That one question that we will probably get asked around 417 times in our life time. That one question which makes our brain scan through every single album on the shelf at home, every playlist on our iTunes, every tune that was played on the radio that morning; the undeniably torturous question “what is your favourite song?”  I proceeded to answer this oh-so-easy question with ‘Hey Jude’ by the Beatles but than a wave of panic washed over me as I remember how much I love ‘You Really Got Me’ by the Kinks. Oh yes. This question really had got me. We could hover for what seems like 3 hours as the questioner taps on their watch, but no. Dozens more songs flood our head and the ability to answer with an individual, all time, favourite song is somewhat impossible. 

And if this applies to you then I applaud you. You do not need a favourite song. You have simply demonstrated that there are too many exquisite songs, many of which are pointless to compare to one another, to single out. Clearly music holds a great power that should not be reckoned with. The fact that an array of songs can bring such joyous feeling to an individual is amazing; this cultured and diverse world we live in is continuously supplying us with songs for everybody’s needs, tastes and pleasure. Expression through words is one thing, but expression through music brings an entire new dimension to freedom of speech - Lily Allen, I bow down to you and your tremendous use of free speech/wit/'unrefined' approach to music.

 Whether it the lyrics in a song which you can relate to, the story that a song tells, the melody which stays in your head for days on end, the distinct voice of the artist, the memories attached to that song, or simply the upbeat tempo; songs are the playlist of our lives.

‘Purple Haze’ by Jimi Hendrix, an undeniable classic piece of music that breathes talent and passion; place this next to ‘Single Ladies’ by Beyonce, which Rolling Stone said "the beat is irresistible and exuberant. The vocal hook is stormy and virtuosic,” and you have two admirable masterpieces which are essentially unattainable to compare to one another. Music, for me right now, acts as escapism. Being able to shuffle between The Smiths, to Haim, to Oasis, to Idina Menzel (yes musicals are my secret pleasure), takes me to a whole other place. It’s just like a good book, just without the necessity of deep concentration. But the magic of music doesn’t finish at the end of an album; nothing beats live music. That is a fact, unless the artist lip syncs which is of course, a travesty to the music industry. (Britney Spears is a prime example of being a repeat offender of the lip-syncing crime. In fact her miming began to be so obvious that during a concert in Australia, her fans walked out. Oops! Britney lip synced again.) 

The intimacy of a gig, or the large scale buzz of being in a swarm of sweaty, excited festival goers, or even the background melody of a jazz singer as you chow down on your seafood linguine, all take you to a place that no social media site, no television programme, no app, no amount of Jack Daniels could take you to. I am ninety nine percent certain that magic happens when live music is being played. There is that one song which the entirety of the crowd knows word for word and before you know it your arms around the stranger next to you. There is the slight awkwardness of the intro to a song of which nobody’s ears have had the pleasure to listen to before, but soon the melody will be ringing in your ears for days on end. And there is that moment that you are on such a high, enjoying that very place and moment that you don’t even consciously realise that a truly wonderful song is acting as an accompaniment to that truly wonderful moment. (My hippocampus has just taken me back to Benicassim in July 2013, when dancing on the bridge with two of my best friends, we realise we are shaking our hair to Johnny Marr singing ‘There is a Light That Never Goes Out, an irrefutable classic.)

Who said we need one favourite song? Just keep adding to your list of favourites, it’s much more pleasurable. Our ‘favourite song’ tends to be one that touches us at that certain point in our life. But our lives are ever changing which makes not having a favourite song even more wonderful; you can hold on to the old songs which brought you happiness and you can inundate yourself with the swarm of current, never been heard before music.

How can a person determine their favourite song? Why would one need to determine their favourite song? We are blessed to live in a world with such diverse, variety of music. Music needs to be appreciated, not measured.

"I don't have favourites, I think, when you play,  you have to be like a prostitute, you have to love the piece you are playing. Even if you don't like it, you have to play it as if you would like it. Then you are a good interpreter." Ruggiero Ricci