...in a winter wonderland

The snow is here! Well, it's up north. Back home in Newcastle and Durham, there were four inches this morning. Mother called; she pretended to be annoyed at the situation but I know fine well she can't wait for me to get home so she has someone to build a snowman with.

'Georgia pet, you should go out and get some fresh air you know, it will make you feel miles better' roughly translates as, 'GEORGIA IT'S SNOWING AND MY INNER CHILD HAS BEEN AWOKEN! I WANT TO GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY WITH THE SNOOOWWWWWW!' Last year, I built an igloo (I know, I know - bloody impressive) and she could barely keep away.


Adults try and deny the joy they feel when the snow begins to fall - they feel it necessary to moan about it instead. I, however, do not understand why it is a problem that 'the roads are so bad I can't make it into work' - at what age do you stop appreciating occasions when nature intervenes and stops you from having to do the mundane things that are normally unavoidable?

I am sure you all felt the same joy and satisfaction I did when school was closed because the ice and snow had created conditions too treacherous for public use; or, when the roads had been flooded so badly by the rain storms the previous night that there was no way you were making it to college that day.

Ahh, such guilt-free pleasure.

I don't think the arrival of snow will ever make me grumpy. For me, snow has connotations of magic and enchantment; it makes me think of home-comforts, love and childhood fun. While many of you may have hoped for that letter of acceptance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I was always secretly hoping to find the wardrobe into Narnia (minus the scary White Queen, if possible).

Anyway, as I hear news of the snow and as I sense the down hill slope towards the end of term drawing near, all I want to do is sip at hot drinks, wrap up in my warmest of woolies, listen to festive music and snuggle down in front of a log fire without the worry of busy timetables and approaching deadlines.

Word on the street is that the snow is to arrive here, in the south, in the next day or so. I am brimming with joy at this news. So if I am not struggling through an essay in Founders Library, with Mumford and Sons', 'Winter Winds' to keep me company, you will be sure to find me either sat by a log fire surrounded by empty mince pie cases, with a wooly hat on my head and a mug of eggnog in my hand, or outside frolicking in the beautiful snow ( filled with mince pies, a wooly hat on my head and a mug of eggnog in my hand).

Come and join me :)

...a little less grey

There's a pensiveness about me today that feels like it has the power to engulf me if I don't do something about it. It's as if a greyish mist has settled around me, cushioning me and lulling me into its depths. It isn't a frightening feeling, in fact it's one that I could quite happily allow to envelop me in that guilty-pleasure sort of way. I musn't let this happen though; I must stand up to it and unwrap its fuzzy arms from around my waist; I must push its head away from the nape of my neck where it rests, and wriggle from its grasp.

Perhaps its the late nights, or the darkness creeping in at each end of the day, or something else entirely...

There is a song that has me sort of mesmerised whilst I sit in the warmth of this mist, doodling and dreaming and staring out at the blackening sky...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9AFMVMl9qE&playnext=1&list=PL36F2E00D3E72E901&index=23

The words are really quite beautiful, if a little sentimental, but have me hooked.

And now to escape from the clutches of this greyish haze and the silly emotional spell that has befallen me, and on with the evening...

...an optimist

My fourth radio show today went (almost) without a hitch. I am starting to relish the hours spent in the studio with just the sound of my own voice for company, and the knowledge that somewhere, out there, someone could be listening to what I have to say and appreciating it. The fact that I received zero emails again this week puts serious doubt in my mind about the existence of this solitary listener, however, as someone wise* once said, ‘you gotta have faith (a-faith a-faith)’.

This week I was lucky enough to be treated to an interview with the BBC Radio Sports presenter/producer (and Royal Holloway alumni), Ed Harry, who gave some amazing feedback on his life as a Holloway student back in the late 90’s and on his current career at the Beeb. He was an amazing advocate for a career in radio and totally inspiring.

Ed knew what he wanted to do from the age of 15, and endeavored to make that happen from then on. At 16, he was working at his local radio station in Cornwall and writing for his school newspaper. When he arrived at Royal Holloway he started writing for the student paper, and started up the radio society, which is now the radio station from which I broadcast my show. His c.v. must have looked rather impressive by the time he came to graduate.

I am not far off graduating and feel that my c.v. has some serious gaps in comparison. While I feel grateful to Ed for sharing his experiences and advice, hearing how he was so pro-active from such an early age makes me quiver in my boots.

It makes me wish I could either,

1) control time and rewind back to make sure I was pro-active and focused 5 years earlier than I actually was;

2) be in possession of the Queens Nose 50 pence piece and wish my way to success or,

3) exchange my mother for Julie Walters/Judy Dench/any successful actress and my father for Ian Mckellan/David Jason/any successful actor (this would surely give me some helpful contacts).

Given that option 1 is impossible and options 2 and 3 are a tad ludicrous, I will just have to deal with my lot in life and continue on with grit and determination in pursuit of my dream.

I may not have known what I wanted to do at the age of 5 and by the age of 8 I may not have had my first presenting job on the Disney channel – but this is no reason to panic; I am still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and have time to gain experience and fill in those gaps on the old c.v.

It’s never too late – and I say this more to myself than anyone else – have faith.

*I use the term ‘wise’ in relation to George Michael, loosely. I do not advocate DUI, indecent exposure, or cheesy pop songs.