Another TV character who was a role model to me.

I have already mentioned that Dana Scully was my Icon growing up, but I also had another TV Icon when I was growing up who I kinda wanted to be.

Dr Amanda Bentley from 'Diagnosis murder'. I LOVED that show growing up and I loved Amanda. She was a well rounded character who was smart and brave and strong but she was also flawed (she could be moody, spoilt, stubborn) but she got to help solve all these mysteries and she didn't let the fact she was putting her self in danger stop her from solving the truth.

Amanda married, became a mother, divorced and adopted a child during the shows run, but she juggled being a doctor with being a single mother, and she did it effortlessly.

I also thought (and still do think) that Victoria Rowell is really pretty. I wanted to look like her when I was growing up. Obviously not exactly like her (I'm white) but I wanted to be lady like and classy like Amanda was. She had a 'grace' about her and I liked that.

When I was growing up I had a few style icons: Pamela Anderson and Heather Locklear and Emily Symons and the twins off neighbours and Kylie Minogue. I thought they all were really pretty and I liked them all in shows I watched.

I also loved Samantha Carter from 'Stargate SG1'too. My 3rd Icon.

I dont think my childhood icons are too bad. Considering young girls now have z list no bodies to look up to, my icons at least had talent.

Changing character's gender.

Starting this off by saying that I love 'Elementary' and they changed characters genders. I love the story they've created to do that and I admit that Joan Watson is my favourite character. She has her own journey on the show and I really care about her character.

I honestly dont care that much for 'Sherlock' s' Watson. The  male Watson. I do find Martin Freeman, who plays him, a bit (can I say this?) over rated. I think he plays the same character in everything. Lucy Liu who plays Joan is a better actress and thats why I like her character. Nothing to do with her gender, just the character and acting is better with the female version than the male version.

The whole female doctor who debate has got me thinking. I've already said that I approve of the casting and it can happen because time lords are gender less and can change gender so the doctor can be female.

The thing is I've read some feminists that are saying that they are happy about this because it means that little girls can have another role model now. I am a feminist, but not a hard core one, and I dont think every character should be changed to a woman just so little girls can pretend to be that character.

We women already have some awesome role models in tv:

Buffy
Xena
Dana Scully
Samantha Carter
Sydney  (Alias)
Max (Dark Angel)
Cathy Gale
Emma Peel
Purdy
Tara King
The Halliwell Sisters

Thats just off the top of my head. And there's loads more that I will be able to think of when I get more time.

The point I am trying to make is that a character shouldn't have their gender changed just because people demand it. You can actually use people from the oppisite gender as role models /for inspiration too.

The new doctor who.

The 13th doctor has been announced today and I am really happy about it.

Jodie Whittikar is the 13th doctor. She was brilliant in 'Broadchurch' as greiving mother Beth Lattimer, and I know that she will be a good doctor.

The doctor is a shape shifting alien who regenerates into different people so I am OK with the announcement.

Honestly I didn't care if it was a male or female doctor. Kris Marshall and Richard Ayaode were favourites and I like them both so I would watch the show if they were the doctor. I just wanted someone who is a good actor, who could make the show fun again and someone I liked.

I didn't like Matt Smith and stopped watching when he took over. I just found his doctor annoying. And I couldnt warm to Peter Capaldi as the doctor either. And the writing continued to be terrible.

When I saw the trailer, and when Jodie was revealed as doctor number 13, I was really happy. She's a brilliant actress, it will be fun watching the doctor be different (Instead of just another male regeneration), I hope we have a good story to explain why, this time, the doctor is female (maybe the Master/Missy plot has a connection) but most of all, I was happy because I like the actress and I will watch again as I want to see Jodie take on the cybermen and the daleks and I know she will make the first female regeneration of the doctor one of the best.

Male or female, either way, if you are good at your job then your gender doesn't matter and I think Jodie is one of the best. I think she will be better at the role than a lot of men who were tipped to take the role could ever be. At the end of the day thats the important thing.

'Casualty' Ethan (SPOILERS)

I know that his brother was murdered by a thug but I am finding it hard to sympathize with Ethan at the moment.

I think the reason is that Instead of murderer Scott, Ethan has gone after Scott's decent brother, Mickey.

Ethan threatened to let Mickey die the other week (but changed his mind and saved him) and now he is threatening to out gay Mickey (who is still closeted) to his homophobic, racist family. Mickey is dating mixed-raced bisexual paramedic, Jez.

I am sorry Ethan, I know Cal died and you are hurting, but its not your right to tell Mickey's family about his relationship, and especially not for revenge.

I feel the whole character of Ethan is in danger of being ruined forever if they carry on writing him this way. Cal was the selfish, arrogant, manipulative brother and Ethan was the sweet, kind, caring one. Please, writers of casualty, stop ruining Ethan.

First it was his affair with Alicia when she was dating Cal, and now this. Enough already.

Gillian Anderson has a point. 'X Files'.

I was reading earlier that Gillian Anderson has criticized Chris Carter for not hiring any female writers on 'X Files' and I have to say that I agree with her.

Gillian is the only media "feminist Icon" that I not only like, but admire. I think that she is brilliant. And from I've heard/read, I think she's had a tough time on the show ( Apparently the network didn't want to hire her, then they wanted her replaced when she was pregnant, and she had to fight for equal pay, which she deserved) and I think we are really lucky to have the show back on tv.

Why doesn't the show have any female writers? Its got a team of writers so why not any women?  Why cant the character of Dana Scully be written for by a woman?  The show has a female fanbase so why are we not represented on the show?

Thats why I think Gillian has a point, the show is as much Scully as it is Mulder, and I think that the writing staff should reflect that. There has been Scully-centric episodes that would have had a different feel to them if a woman had written them. Yes, a male creator may know his character inside out, but, emotionally, men and women are different and some times it has to be someone of the same gender who writes the emotional stuff for it to be effective.

So for that reason I say that the show needs to employ female writers. I think both Gillian and Scully deserve more representation.

Formula 1.

I do like F1. I dont like how predictable it has become. Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel are the winners. Usually.

At least Azerbaijan was exciting and Daniel Riccardo won.

I like Daniel Riccardo. He's my favourite driver. He really seems to love what he does and it matters to him to do well. But he doesn't seem to have that ego that a few other drivers have.

I have one question about F1 though. What is the point of the race when some cars are better than others? Its not a shock when the worst car in the race has to pull out in lap 3.

Would it not be fairer (and more exciting) if all the cars were at the same standard? Then we could actually see who the good drivers are and not just who the luckiest drivers are.

I'm still team Miranda.

I am talking about Miranda Lambert, a country singer who is one of my favourites.

Miranda used to be married to Blake Shelton, another country singer, but they divorced a couple of years back. Ever since then, whenever I read about Miranda, all the comments section is filled with are comments about how she is a cheat and "trailer trash". Apparently.

No body comments on how Blake started dating Gwen Stefani (who was on 'The Voice US' with him, who's own marriage ended at around the same time) quickly after the separation. Theres rumours that he cheated too, but as long as every one blames Miranda then its all fine.

I just think that Its unfair that no body knows, except them, what happened to cause their marriage break down, and yet "fans" blame one over the other. Even songs/ comments made could be misconstrued so the blame game is pointless.

That said, some "Country fans" sent Dixie chicks singer, Natalie Maines, death threats because she made comments about George W Bush and his illegal war, so I wont hold my breath that people will stop commenting on Miranda and Blake 's divorce.

For the record, Blake is ok. I like some of his stuff. I like Gwen Stefani but I love Miranda' s music. She makes songs that I connect with and I will always be a fan.

One Love Manchester concert.

Ariana Grande put together a charity concert last night to raise money for Manchester, who 2 weeks ago suffered a terrorist attack at her concert at the Manchester arena.

Ariana performed alongside her boyfriend, Mac Miller, Miley Cyrus, Justin Beiber, Take That,  Robbie Williams, Pharell,  Black eyed peas, Little Mix, Liam Gallagher,  Coldplay, Niall from one direction and Kary Perry (There was more singers performing, im just listing the ones I remember from the top of my head) and everyone was amazing.

It was a brilliant concert and I really enjoyed it. It was a mix of strength and reflection with the simple but important message that terrorists will never win.

I am now an Ariana Grande fan (as is my mum) because a) she has a lovely voice and b) she's came across as an amazing, caring young woman.

It was just what the country needed, something to make people smile and it was a f-you to the terrorists. We will not be scared or stopped.

Ariana was affected by what had happened and she went home to Florida for a few days to let herself recover emotionally, and then she got to work to organize this concert.

I know that Ariana has a lot of young girls in her fanbase and I think she is a good role model for them: teaching them that hate wont win, being strong, not being afraid to be emotional and being a kind and caring person, who did this concert out of love for her victims and not for any self gain. She should be very proud of herself.

The best things about last night's 'Casualty'. SPOILERS.

Last nights episode was very emotional. Cal was stabbed to death and Lily was run over (but survived) and Gem handed herself in for running down Lily.

Iain finally told Lily that he loved her (in a very masculine, non emotional way) and im hoping that they can just be happy. I know his sister ran her over but still, we need them together.

The other thing I loved about last night's show was that Richard Winsor (Cal) and George Rainsford (Ethan) were watching it together.

The pair posted photos on their social media accounts of them with a 'Cal and Ethan' blanket. From their social media activity and interviews, the pair seem to be really good friends (they even lived together for a while) and that chemistry came across on screen.

They weren't just actors who played brothers. They were friends who played brothers. The Cal/Ethan relationship was complex and filled with arguments and problems, but at the end of the day, they had each other and that was all that mattered.
Cal and Ethan reminds me of Dean and Sam in 'Supernatural'. Only without the demons.

I hope Richard and George star together in something else one day. They are both amazing at emotional scenes and just been brothers.

There's been a character killed off in 'Casualty'. SPOILERS.

For weeks we have been promised that a main character was being killed off, and tonight it happened.

Dr Caleb 'Cal' Knight was stabbed. And even though Dylan and the team tried to save him, he died.

Cal was selfish, arrogant, lazy, immature, careless and could be cruel to his younger brother, Ethan.

But Cal was also a brilliant character who was multi dimensional and interesting.

He fell in love with Taylor and she hurt him. She was a con woman who only wanted money.

When Taylor gave birth to Matilda, Cal wanted to raise her. He loved her and wanted to be her father but he wasnt and he had to give her up.

He found out that he and Ethan were adopted and then that their birth mother was dying of huntingtons disease and that Ethan had the gene  too.

And he developed feelings for Alicia only for her to sleep with Ethan behind his back.

Cal loved his brother. The only constant thing in his life. And that was his redeeming quality. No matter how much he hurt Ethan, and the other way around, they were always there for each other.

Cal died saving his brother from a dead patients vengeful son. Even when he was dying, he was only concerned for Ethan.

The Knight/Hardy boys have had scenes that broke my heart in the past (their mother dying is still heartbreaking to watch) and tonight continued that theme.

Poor Cal. He didn't deserve to die. And poor Ethan. What is gonna happen to him now that hes on his own? How will he cope without Cal? I hope Ethan becomes a stronger person now that his brother died.

I just cant help but be sad at the thought that hes facing a terrible illness alone. I hope Alicia steps up and becomes the person that Ethan needs.

UKIP 'S proposed manifesto actually makes me sad.

Ok. I start this post by saying that I hate the party. I think that they feel on people's fears and promote xenophobia and hate. Its ok to be racist if you put a "ordinary" man in a pub. Um, no its not.

In my eyes they are one step up from the scum parties, but that's just my personal options.

I was reading about the manifesto that they plan to unveil on Monday and I hope that they don't mean what I think that they mean.

"Any one with evidence of FGM will be legally bound to contact the police"

I hope that means that if you know a slimeball who is performing this cruel and totally degrading practice then you report them and not subject the girls and women, who have been subjected to this vile act, to police interrogation if they don't want to report it.

There is a huge amount of shame about the subject and women have already had their bodies violated. Its their private bits and the women might not want every one to know what has happened to them.

So, if a woman confides in a doctor about what happened to her, does the doctor have to report it to the police as they are "legally bound"?

They dont care about the women who have been victims. They just want to scaremonger again.

I hope that they get trashed at the election. Considering they won the 'brexit' vote, can they not just dissapear?

My odd obsessions. The Bay City Rollers.

I have a few weird obsessions music wise. Im obsessed with The Monkees, I love Bobby Darin and Andy Williams and my music collection is very unique (Alfie Boe to Marilyn Manson)

Most of my musical loves I can blame on my mum and grandma. They listened to lots of different things when I was growing up.

There is one musical obsession that confuses me. I'm not sure where I've picked up my love of the Bay City Rollers from. My mum was not a fan. She likes 'bye bye baby' and thats it.

If you dont know who the Bay City Rollers are/were I will tell you. They were the 1970's biggest boy band. From what I can understand, they were mobbed every where they went.

I was born in the 1980's. I missed the mania. Thing is, I think that they made some fantastic songs ('Yesterday hero', 'Give a little love', 'Summer love sensation' just 3 of their songs which I love) and  listening to their music makes me happy.

Tv mysteries revealed. And it's all a bit meh. (SPOILERS)

I blogged a few weeks a good that I was excited about the soap mysteries that were going on.

I've changed my mind. Paul Robinson being David and Leo's father in 'Neighbours' is just ridiculous. It just changed the entire history of the character.

In 'Holby' Dom reported Issac and he left. That was that.

'Coronation street' Shona is the mother of the lad that killed Kylie Platt. And Amy probably pushed Ken down the stairs and Sally 's sister is her troll.

Thanks to a cast photo being leaked there's a good chance that Cal dies in' Casualty' but then again, that could be a red herring and the dead body that we saw in the trailer was the police officer who died this week. We just saw a sheet covering a body in the trailer and that coin was used this week when the police officer died.

Even 'Broadchurch' felt dissapointing. I was expecting more from the "last ever" series but it was just like series one (child grooming) and there was too many unanswered questions (what happened with Ed and his wife? Why did the fishing guy lie about going fishing? Why was Trish's creepy ex putting bloodied clothes in the washing machine?) The whole series just underwhelmed me.

'Neighbours' Leo and David's father has been revealed.... (SPOILERS)

The twins have found out who their father is. Paul Robinson.

I knew that he'd turn out to be the father. Basically he met 15 year old Kim at a uni party (why was Kim there?) and they slept together (he thinks shes a uni student too) and then his brother starts dating her and he says nothing. Then she runs away because shes pregnant.

Then the Robinson's help her and she doesnt think to tell Paul that the baby (babies) that she is carrying could be his?

Paul's not dumb. Surely he knew that he could have been the father. And the writers mentioned his 'Mr Nasty' personality but back then,  Paul was a nice, caring guy. He wouldn't push Kim to have an abortion.

They even manipulated flash backs to make it appear that he did want her to get rid of their babies.

Um no. The storyline was that Kim and Scott dated, her parents found out and she ran away. She got pregnant by a man named Brad (after she ran away) and  contacted Scott for help. She admitted that Brad got her pregnant. Scott, Paul,  their father Jim and their gran, Helen, help her reunite with her family.

Paul did not get Kim pregnant BEFORE she dated his brother. I am not happy that Paul got a 15 year old pregnant. I could believe that Scott was the twins father but not Paul.

And, of course, Pauls daughter Amy and Leo had to be involved with each other, even though they have zero chemistry. And then they find out that they are related, and Amy runs off, Leo, being the genius that he is, decides that he has to go after her and tell her that hes in love with her.

Um,  how is that gonna help anything? YOU ARE HER BROTHER.

At least Paul is sorry for not being there for his kids. I loved the scene with Paul and Amy on the beach. I love Paul's character (he's a legend and I love when he's causing trouble) so I'm not happy that they ruined his back story.

I hope Paul can accept that David is gay and lets David accept his own sexuality.

I actually feel sorry for Paul. Not only is he now finding out that he got a 15 year old pregnant, he's been saddled with 2 of the dullest characters in the soaps history.

'Neighbours' fake Dee. Spoilers.

I really was excited when it was announced that Madeline West was returning to 'Neighbours'. I loved her character,  Dee.

Dee was last seen over 10 years ago, on her wedding day to Toadie, being driven over a cliff to her death. Even though her body was never found, she was presumed dead.

In January, Dee returned. She showed up at Toadies house (he now shares with his new wife, Sonya, and their daughter) and the mystery started.

Was she the real Dee?  Was the daughter Dee was pregnant with at the time of her "death" really Toadies? Apparently so.

Dee then asked for money from her estate, Toadie knew there was none left,  so he gave her his own money. And the pair started to fall in love with each other.

And then it was revealed that Dee wasn't the real Dee. She was an imposter called Andrea, and her daughter was not Toadies. Andrea and Toadies ex,  Sindy,  had teamed up to con him.

He found out too late and he gave Andrea the money and cheated on sonya with her.

Toadies life is in ruins.

Just to complicate matters further, Sonya was a surrogate for a neighbour,  and the stress caused her to lose the baby.

I hope we find out what happened to the real Dee. I also hope if Dee is alive, and Sonya forgives Toadie, then Dee and Sonya could be friends. I'd like that.

Soap mysteries are ruling my life at the moment.

Sad, but true. I am obsessed with soap mysteries at the moment.

Spoilers ahead.

'Casualty' Who Dies?
I have an awful feeling that its either Dylan or Max. I love both characters and I don't want either one to die.

'Neighbours' Who Is The Father Of The Twins?

I have a feeling that its either Scott or Paul. I don't want it to be. I wanted Clive to be the father, but that is looking dodgy. I also loved Des and I kind of want him to be the father so he can return. It wont be.

' Coronation Street' Who Attacked Ken?

I think Rob. He has been spotted filming and it would be a shock considering he is meant to be in jail. Probably be Adam.

'Holby' What Will Happen To Dom?

Will Dom's violent boyfriend kill him or will he realize that he's been abused and get out in time?

At least the soaps aren't boring at the minute. I love when there's stuff going on.

Damian Rice 'Cannonball'.

I remember when the song came out, I was working in a shop and one afternoon, while I was in the stockroom getting some stock to put out onto the shop floor, the song came on the radio.

Everyone in the stock room left what they were doing and went to stand next to the radio to sing along to the song. Every one loved it.

Every time I hear the song, I still think of that moment. Good memory. I love how songs can bring back such good memories.

NUFC fans. Football post.

I am a Newcastle United supporter. I really believe that while we have some of the loyalest fans ever, we also have some of the most idiotic.

For years we've had poor managers who had zero fan support. We then get a decent manager. We get relegated but have faith that Rafa can get us back in the premiership.

So we are top of the table. Even 2nd place get automatic promotion (I want Chris Houton to do well too. He got us back up last time on the 1st attempt) so no need to panic.

But EVERYTIME we lose a game some fans boo and then on Facebook they call for Rafa to go and to be replaced with a "decent" manager.

Um, we're not exactly title race contenders at the moment. We need stability and we need the players to be at the best. Also the championship is hard. We've done really well to get to stay within the top 2 for most of the season.

Sadly I think some fans won't be happy with any owner or manager. No matter who we have managing or playing, they will always find fault.

I'm just happy that we are doing good and I have faith that this is just the start of the revival.

'The Great British Benefits Handout'. Channel 5.

If you are not familiar with the show, Its a reality show in which families on benefits are given £26,000 to change their lives.

Its onto its second series now with 6 families Instead of 3 taking part.

Yes, I can see how people would think that Its just another "poverty porn" show but its actually not that at all. I think that Its interesting to see how people's lives could change if they had the means to do it.

I know that certain people think that people on benefits are scum, but the programme picks families that have a story (cancer suffer, full time carer, a man with mental health issues, a woman who grew up in care) and I actually want them to succeed.

I know that some participants spend money on things that they dont need, but some families do spend the money wisely.

People will hate the show, like they hate people on benefits (and to those people: you dont know how safe your job, money, etc are. It could so easilly be you next) but at least these people are getting off their bums and doing some thing to change their lives. And I wish them all well.

PS. It was the bankers that screwed this country over, not benefit claimants. Not immigrants.

Update on my friends cousin and her daughter.

Heard from my best friend that there's been developments in our friends cousin situation.

On Sunday morning boyfriend looked after youngest daughter. She went to the cinema with her oldest daughter (who is still with her mum) and stayed there over night. Her other daughter is still with her boyfriend.

She then goes to her college course on Monday (she's doing a one day a week course) and she didn't go back to check on her youngest daughter. On Monday night she collects daughter and finds that daughter has been rushed into hospital.

Turns out that daughter fell down stairs and hit her head. Boyfriend admits to doctor that she's been unwell for a few days. Cousin tells doctor that she saw the fall but "didn't have time" to take her to be checked out, so doctor calls social services and they are looking into it.

We just hope that the little girl gets the care that she needs.

They are remaking 'Dynasty'.

I remember watching 'Dynasty' when I was little. My mum loved the show so I was forced to watch it.

The bizzare thing is that I don't remember that much about it. I know that Alexis and Krystal had cat fights over Blake and I idolized Heather Locklear growing up. I also remember that I shipped Fallon and Jeff.

I also remember that the character of Steven was one of the first gay characters on primetime TV, but was forbidden to actually act like he was gay. I don't think they even showed a gay kiss. They did have him have relationships with women also, but I do think that he was gay but in denial rather than bisexual.

I didn't realize that the second actor to play Steven was Jack Coleman, who played Noah Bennett in 'Heroes'. And his real life wife was in 'Dallas' if I remember correctly.

So now the CW channel is remaking the show. Why? Oh yeah, anything original has been outlawed. I could understand them doing a reboot, but this just sounds like a rehash of the original.

I guess only time will tell if its any good.

The song '24 hours from Tulsa'.

I love the song '24 hours from Tulsa' by Gene Pitney. Its a classic and I've loved it forever.

It was only recently, after listening to it for the 5th millionth time (not an over exaggeration) that I realized how sad it was.

Its basically a 'Dear John' letter to the listener from the singer.

He's been away for some unknown reason, and now he's on his way home. He stops at a motel to stay for the night and then he meet's a woman and falls in love with her and realizes that he cant go home to the listener again.

Why cant people write songs that are stories any more? Some singers do write beautiful, meaningful songs but I dont think enough do.

Thats why I love classic songs. They are mini stories that pull you in and make you feel some thing.

I once had a birthday party at Wimpy.

I don't remember how old I was at the time. I do remember that I was in primary school.

I went to Wimpy in Newcastle to have a birthday party. It was the height of coolness in the 80's.

My best friend at the time (until she moved away) had her birthday party there a few months before so my mum decided she'd do the same for me.

I remember wearing a hat with 'birthday girl' written on and I remember running around and dancing.

I know that I don't like beef burgers and I never have liked them, so why I ended up having a birthday party at a burger place I don't know.

I think my friends brother got sick because I remember her mum running around in a panic. I've asked my mum and she cant remember. She did tell me that the toilets were broken that day and we had to trek to the other end of Newcastle for a toilet.

Thats the kind of thing we in our family remember.

My mum also remembers that she picked a REALLY busy day and she thought that they put parties in a corner on their own, but they didn't. My friend had her party in a different Wimpys.

We dont have a Wimpy here anymore.

I just thought that I would share the tale of my party at a fast food burger joint. I dont think I had another party after that. I think that says a lot.

'Casualty' last night (March 4th) SPOILERS.

Last night's episode of 'Casualty' really broke my heart. And not only because it portrayed the bed shortages faced in the NHS by having an elderly, dementia suffering woman who needed a hip operation having to wait in a corridor because there wasn't a bed for her.

The main reason for my heartbreak was the David and Ollie storyline.

Nurse David suffers from bipolar and has reduced his medication because he was tired of feeling nothing. His son, Ollie, knew that his dad was getting ill and vowed to look after him, and, as much as David wanted Ollie to stay, he called his ex wife, who is in spain, and told her to have her sister pick Ollie up so that he can go to spain.

He didn't want his son to have to be his carer. He put Ollie's happiness before his own.

The scene where David and Ollie was emotional. It really was sad. David promised that next time Ollie saw him he'd be OK again, but then later he flushed his meds down the toilet, so we know that Its gonna be a long, hard road for David.

The only other times that I've felt as emotional as last night by 'Casualty' was when Dylan was (falsely) accused of making a pass at Seb and Ethan revealing to Cal (just moments after their mother died) that he had Huntington's. The saddest part of that story was that Ethan had told their mum as she was dying the life that he was gonna have with a woman that he had just met: marriage, kids and then realizing that none of that would happen. He would get sick. It was truly haunting.

I hope that the bipolar storyline and the character of David (who I adore. He is on the list of my fave ever characters) will make people more aware of the condition and understand it better.

'Casualty' Spring trailer. SPOILERS.

I have just watched the trailer for spring in 'Casualty' and it teases which character is gonna die.

SPOILERS

Lily. No. I want her and Iain to get together. I don't want her to be killed. I like Lily. Why did it have to be Lily and not Louise or Alicia? (who I dont like much) and what about Iain? He likes Lily and she is independant and not clingy, unlike Rita was.

Hopefully the trailer will be a red herring and it wont actually be Lily who dies. As long as its not Dylan, Ethan, Iain, Jez, Max or David (I would be sad to lose Cal too, even though I dont like him much sometimes) I will be ok .

Just please let Lily and Iain get together.

Friday afternoons are fun.

The milkman (yes, we still have one) comes for payment on a Friday afternoon. This is fun for my mum. Why? Well, every one leaves the money with my mum.

The woman across the street goes to a book club on a friday. She and my mum are friends so my mum takes her money and milk.

The couple next door work so my mum does the same for them.

And the old man next door goes to his daughters to babysit on a Friday, so my mum does the same for him and the guy upstairs is at work so my mum does that for him too.

Fridays are chaos. On the Morning we have people knocking with money and then on the afternoons knocking for their milk. Its fun though.

Its nice though that we live in a street where people help each other and there's a sense of community. A lot of places dont have that. A lot of people dont know their neighbours and I think that is sad.

Sex education in all UK schools.

I've seen on the news tonight that every school in the UK will have to teach sex education to children from the age of 4.

I am a little torn on this subject. On one hand, I think that children need to be children and making them grow up too fast is kind of stealing their childhood. I think 4 is too young.

On the other hand, I think that its good that children are learning about relationships and consent and, in this day and age, children are exposed to a lot more risks now than what we used to be when we were kids.

I just hope that the education is adequate and that it saves children from falling victim to predators. Abuse is something that affects lives forever.

What are social services thinking?

Me and my best mate are friends with a girl that has 2 cousins that we both know. That bit is important. Cousin number one was on Jeremy Kyle several times. Cousin number two acts like she is so much better than every one else.

Reality is cousin number two is much worse than cousin number one. Cousin number two was living with a lad. They had a daughter. They broke up because they had a fight and she put on facebook that she was in bed with another lad THE SAME NIGHT her and this lad broke up. She sent her daughter to live with her mum and she moved away.

When she was away, she had 2 boys with another lad and they got taken into care. She split with him and moved back up and started going out with a friend of my best mates partner.

So cousin number two and lad are living together. She has another daughter, and she thinks lad is cheating on her (he's not but she goes to lads houses every night drinking and has a cannabis addiction) lad tells her to get help so she pushes daughter down the stairs and her self and tells hospital and police that lad pushed her down (she admitted to our mate) so daughter gets taken into care and social services make her go into a womens refuge and get help.

Yesterday my best mate is in the city Centre and bumps into cousin number two. Drunk (this is at lunchtime) and she tells my best mate that social services have given her daughter back to her. She then asks my best mate for money because she "forgot" to get her daughter milk and food. My best mate said no, and told her that she needed to put her daughter before her drinking, and to ask the daughters father for some money.

My best mate called our friend last night and she said that all cousin number two had to do was attend a few parenting classes, pass one drug test (which her social worker told her the date she was getting it and told her to avoid drugs and drink a few days before) and she got her daughter back.

Also, cousin number two has a new boyfriend who is now buying EVERYTHING for the daughter and the daughters dad isnt even allowed to see her. When its his days, she calls him and says shes ill. And social services wont do anything to force her to let him see her, even though he has a court order that gives him visitation. Even the courts arent bothered.

Our mate called social services to expressive concern last week and got told that the case was closed, and they didn't have the resources to re open it. Is that how vulnerable children are being protected? And at the same time, parents who have done nothing wrong are having their kids taken from them. Its a flawed system that needs to be overhauled.

'Let it shine' isn't about a boy band after all.

So the entire point of the BBC talent show 'Let It Shine' was to find 5 lads who would appear in a musical called 'The Band' based on Take That songs.

Um, except now its been revealed that the musical is now about a girl band, and the 5 lads who won are, from my understanding, just gonna be singing in the background.

Why have we watched this show for 8 weeks thinking that we were watching a theatre show been cant when we haven't?  Its all been a lie.

The entire show has been nothing but free publicity for Gary Barlow.

The tories and mental health.

When Theresa May became prime minister she said that the conservatives were the party for all. Later she said that her government would end the stigma of mental health.

Now the tories are saying that PIP payments are going to be stopped for "people who are at home and take pills for anxiety".

Anxiety is as much a real mental health problem as depression, bipolar and other mental health conditions. Anxiety is horrible: panic attacks, racing heart, clammy palms and dry mouth are horrible symptoms of anxiety.

People who suffer from OCD also suffer from anxiety. That condition can take over people 's lives, as can anxiety. Phobia' s (another anxiety related condition) can stop people leaving their homes.

And with the NHS in crisis (and the tories in complete denial about it. They want every one to go private) you wait even longer to see someone about your mental health.

And its people with mental health conditions that the government pick on the most. Is this really the end of the stigma Theresa May promised? I don't think so.

The truth is how can a government run by a bunch of millionaires really relate to the rest of us? They cant. They just keep churning out the same old false promises and looking our for their rich mates.

So dont believe that they care. They don't. They proved that when they target the vulnerable over and over again.

'Let it shine' The final. (SPOILERS)

So the final of 'Let it shine' happened and it was.... odd.

Robbie Williams was meant to be appearing as a guest judge but he hurt his back so would only perform instead (?) so we got a new guest judge.

Peter Kay. The comedian. I'm not sure who came up with that idea. It was a mixture of hilarity and car crash in equal measures.

He came out dressed as Honey G, the 'X Factor' contest (the resemblance was freaky. I am convinced that he is Honey G) and when he was asked what kind of judge he would be, he replied "inadequate".

And then he kept mentioning ITV shows. Good publicity that. It was on the BBC.

Martin Kemp said that he never thought that they'd find a band that were talented (he obviously had high hopes for the show) and Gary Barlow said during the audition rounds that to audition for a music theatre show, he didn't want any musical theatre songs yet tonight he had the bands singing musical theatre.

I thought the band that won were the obvious one to win. But in the defence of 'drive', they had my favourite singers in but they were 2 bands put into one, and I thought that was an unfair thing to do. The other 2 bands were together for longer and the lads in 'drive' voices didn't really compliment each other, but the judges made that decision.

I don't know what I thought of the show. I know that, in my opinion, the audition was too drawn out but the live shows didn't feel enough. I dont think 3 live shows was enough. It felt rushed and I didn't feel invested in the groups.

I did like all 3 judges and the guest judges. They all added some thing.

My favourite thing about the final? I Robbie rejoining Take That (again) and Michael Ball and Alfie Boe singing. I couldnt help but think though, as I watched 2 west end legends, that some of these lads were out of their depths.

Good luck to 'five to five' (who picked the bands name? We had a band called neon panda, which sounds like a nightclub, not a boyband) They werent my favourite but I wish them, and the show, the best of luck.

24 Legacy.

I haven't watched the new 24 yet and, to be honest, I am a bit anxious about doing so.

I LOVED the show. I sat in front of the tv trying to guess who the moles were (usually wrongly) and who I thought would die next. It was amazing. I even loved the London one.

But the new show lacks the one (two?) thing(s) that made the show for me. Jack Bauer /Kiefer Sutherland. I am a huge fan of them both (I do know Jack is fictional) so I have mixed feelings about 24 without him.

That aside, I do know my other favourite 24 character, Tony Almeida is returning at some point in the season so I look forward to that(so long as the character isn't ruined) but I want both Tony and Jack to have more screen time. They are part of the '24' history.

I will watch the new 24 at some point. I just might re-watch some early episodes first.

Prince Harry talking about mental health.

Today Prince Harry was in my part of the world to talk about mental health (I didn't see him, sadly).

I think that its brilliant that Prince's Harry and Edward and Princess Kate (to give them their official title's) are choosing to support mental health causes.

It's easy to believe that times have changed and that the stigma of mental illness has gone away. It hasn't. People with mental health problems still face stigma and poor understanding of their problems.

People who need help, suicide people, are being put on long waiting lists by the NHS and no offer of additional help while you wait because of cuts. People' s lives are at stake and being put on a waiting list is not really any help.

With the younger members of the royal family supporting mental health causes I hope that services and understanding of mental illness start getting better.

Why doesn't HMV not stock cds of people I really like?

I know that the answer is because some of the people I like are not mainstream enough. It is annoying though. Especially when you think the people who aren't mainstream should be.

Examples:

The Wallflowers/ Jakob Dylan.
I love Jakob's voice. And I thought that being the son of a legend (Bob Dylan) would make him mainstream. Apparently not. At least Jakob is talented unlike some of the people taking up shelf space.

Tyler Hilton.
Not mainstream at all. I love Tyler's voice too. My argument for Tyler being mainstream is 'One Tree Hill'. He appeared (and sang) on a hit tv show that was popular over here. The dvds are still avaliable so why not an album of a star of the show?

Darren Hayes.
One of the most talented singers out there, and one half of the brilliant 'Savage Garden', it appears that having a beautiful, emotional voice and writing thoughtful, emotional and beautiful songs isnt mainstream. That said,  Savage Garden were criminally under rated so I don't know why I am shocked by that.

Thank God for mp3's and you tube, so that I can actually listen to these artists. I just hate how music stores have all but dissapeared off the high streets and the ones that are left are giving you zero choice in what to listen to. If you dont wanna listen to the artists in the top 40 then you dont really have many other choices.

Disclaimer: I listen to some top 40 artists: Maroon 5, Little mix, Charlie Puth, Bruno Mars all favourites of mine. I just like other stuff too.

'Let it shine' BBC1 Saturday nights.

'Let it shine' is a TV talent show in which Take That member (and former 'X Factor' judge) Gary Barlow looks for 5 lads to star in a theatre show called 'The Band' which is based on Take That songs.

I watch it. You would think as someone who listened to nothing but boybands, girlbands and teen pop as a teenager (until she heard Kula Shaker and The Stereophonics for the first time) that I would watch this for the whole 'put a boy band together' element of it.

I dont. Its interesting to see a boy band being put together, true, but I dont watch it for that. I watch it because a member of one of my favourite groups ever is a judge on the show.

No, not Gary Barlow but Martin Kemp. From 'Spandau Ballet'. You see, as I got older I started listening to other sorts of music and I found out that I am a new romantics girl. I love the new romantics bands and articles.

Yes, I admit that I still listen to boy bands. And loads of other bands and artists too.

Any way, back to Martin Kemp. I think that he is brilliant as a judge. He gives constructive criticism (as do all the judges) and its just nice not seeing the same no bodies judging these shows but someone who has had a good career and experienced highs and lows in the music business.

And when the show first started it was clear he was struggling with understanding the format (he was telling the lads what he was scoring them before he did the scoring) and that was funny.

Martin just comes across as a nice guy who knows his stuff. Any chance the BBC wanna give him another judging job?

My own personal feelings are getting in the way of seeing the truth.

Political post here. Sorry.

Spending the day with my other half yesterday has got me thinking about fake news.

My other half seeks out multiple sources for news stories and researches things that he reads about. I dont. I just believe things that I am told. Maybe its because I believe that what ever is on the news is true. Right?

Wrong. I know that certain news outlets are biased. The thing is I don't like Trump (for reasons I've actually researched and found to be true) so I will  find any negative piece on him to be true. Maybe they are not all true. (Some are funny, though). Maybe some are fake news.

Someone really needs to tell him to step away from twitter though. He does himself no favours with the stuff he posts on there.

Trump aside, its the same with UK politics. I was raised to hate the tories so now that they are in power I just hate everything they bring in and, once again, believe every negative news article I read.

Ok, they have done some terrible things: made sick and vulnerable people be in positions that make them feel suicidal by losing benefits, the bed room tax, unfair sanctions and long waiting lists for medical and social care.

And austerity. They've made local councils cut everything and now there's nothing left to cut and savings still need to be made and yet we, as a country, are even more in debt? How?

No, the tories aren't perfect but are they as bad as some news outlets make them out to be? Probably not.

Maybe in future I should keep an open mind when it comes to the news. After all, to quote Marvin Gaye in his brilliant song 'I heard it through the grapevine' : believe only half of what you see and none of what you hear. When it comes to 21st century news those are wise words.

Plus size fashion: Attitudes need to change.

The words "plus size"  are the two words I hate most in the fashion world. Why?  Well, because I think that the entire fashion world is screwed up.

I know that things are slowly getting better but some shops still use stick thin mannequins. Stores are still sizing clothes wrongly (a size 6 in one store could be a size 16 in another) and a size 12 upwards is now classed as "plus".

Can I ask what the plus is?  Extra weight? Um, clothes sizes are about body shapes as well as weight (plus water retention if you suffer bloating. That could make your clothes feel tighter)  and as someone who suffered with an eating disorder, I feel that the fashion world's irresponsible attitude to sizing and body types are affecting peoples mental and physical health.

Seriously,  think about it. You are already feel negative about yourself and you go to get a new item of clothing. Oh God, your usual size doesn't fit anymore. You have put on weight. You are useless and disgusting. As a punishment you have to starve yourself thin (this was me) and if you had to eat, you'd either be sick or you'd exercise to obsessive. See how one tiny thing in your life, buying clothes, is a huge thing?

A clothes size is just a number. But sometimes its a lot more. And the fashion industry needs to realize the influence it has on some peoples lives.

Should Kate Middleton stop wearing skinny jeans?

That was a question asked in a newspaper the other day. A "fashion expert" said that our future queen should ditch the skinny jeans for other types of trousers.

I think the real question should be: what does it have to do with us what she wears? I don't mean that in a horrible way, I just mean that Kate is entitled to wear what ever she wants to wear.

The media always seem to judge women more than men on what they wear and what size they are.

Just because Kate is our future queen doesn't mean that we can pass judgement on her clothing, or anything else for that matter.

It was the same when she was sunbathing topless on PRIVATE property. Every one was judging her for that but it's not like she posed for lads mags. She was doing some thing that hundreds of other women do every day, and yet she was ridiculed for it.

Yes Kate is in the public eye and under constant scrutiny but does that mean she cant live her life the way she wants to or wear the clothes that she wants to?

It's 2017. Does any one really need to have guns?

We in the UK have tight gun control. Not tight enough when you think that air guns are still so easy to buy.

America, though, have no gun control. I know that Its a constitutional right to bear arms but do they really need that right in 2017?

How many school shootings need to happen before the US government decides that the gun control laws need changing? Too many people who are vulnerable and have mental health conditions have easy access to guns.

And I know a lot of people have a gun for safety reasons but I honestly dont think that Its that safe to have a gun. If you are involved in a struggle, a gun can easily be knocked out of your hard and used on you.

I know that it probably never will happen but I would like the US (and UK) gun laws changed.

'The Avengers' 1960's tv show.

I love 'The Avengers'. My mum watched it when she was growing up and she 'introduced' me to the show when it was repeated a few years back.

It's quirky, crazy, funny and bizzare but in a good way.

If you are not familiar with the show its about spy John Steed (Patrick Macnee) who investigates strange goings on. He is helped by a string of assistants: Cathy Gale (Honor Blackman), Emma Peel (Diana Rigg)  and Tara King (Linda Thorson) being the most famous.

In the first season the main character was a doctor, David Keel (Ian Hendry) and Steed was a shady associate. Then they changed the arc of the show and I'm glad they did.

'The Avengers 'is Steed. Considering that some of the very first episodes got destroyed, I haven't seen the early episodes, but the thought of Steed not being the main character or the show being darker just doesn't feel right.

Its pure escapism and thats the main reason that I love it.

Donald Trump.

No I still can't believe that this man is president. I don't know why people voted for him. His comment 's about sexually assaulting women were disgusting.  Sexual assault victims of all genders have a hard enough time to be believed and to get justice and to move on from what happened to them, and so many victims dont even get to see their attackers prosecuted, and it was bad taste for him to joke about sexual assault.

The day he took over as president the climate change and LGBTQ rights pages were taken down from the government website. He goes on about how religious extremists are bad (they are) but yet christian religious extremists (the people  that kill and blow up doctors and nurses to 'save innocent lives') he not only dismisses but encourages (he tweeted about the march for life being good and yet condemned the women's marches) and hates Muslims because of their religion and because a few of them are terrorists.

He didn't say the Trump supporter who shot people dead in a mosque in canada was a bad person for what they did. He wouldnt. That guy was white.

Yeah, Obama put bans in place, but Barrack Obama is an intelligent, compassionate, fair person and Trump isnt. He's a racist, sexist egomaniac.

There has to be ties with russia. There's too many rumours and whispers for it to be totally false. One of his advisors resigned because of his links to russia. And why would the security agencies be against Trump like he says they are? Could it be that he is a security risk? I signed the petition to keep him out of the UK because I do believe at this moment in time he is a security risk to this country.

I totally agree with people that hate the idea that he is president. I wouldnt vote for him, but he is president. I respect the way the republicans acted better when they had Obama as president. They didn't go around protesting and screaming on the streets. They acted classier than Democrats did. I'll give them that.

I will never like this man for reasons I've stated. I think he's an idiot and I think people should protest if his policies are gonna hurt/ impact them. But protesting because he's president wont change anything. He'll still be there (sadly). Just make your voices heard in 4 years time and vote for a more suitable, a more compassionate, understanding president then.

'Special Victims Unit' season 15. SPOILERS.

I'm currently watching the 15th season of 'Law and order: SVU'. I used to love the show but I just feel that Its a bit meh now.

I love the character of Olivia Benson but I do feel that her end less dysfunctional relationships and the fact that she has been assualted twice has ruined the character.

Its like the writers and producers are trying to make her as troubled and flawed as possible and its ruined the strong, compassionate detective that I liked. Its like now she thinks someone is guilty and goes out of her way to prove it.

I do like Barba. He's a good A. D. A. I think he and Olivia work well. I do like Rollins, but she's like Olivia, flawed and troubled for the same of it.

Amaro is an equal mix of annoying and ok. I did like the actor in 'Cold Case' though. The character just doesn't really interest me.

Munch left and Fin is just hired to stand in the background and say about 3 lines per episode (it feels that way at times) and Cragan is barely in it any more.

I used to love this show. I've watched it since it started, but I'm not a regular viewer any more and its a shame that its not pulling me in any more, because when its good, it can be brilliant.

Why America needs to keep planned parenthood.

I'm not making this political. I know there are some dodgy funding issues going on with it, but not political.

One. Abortion. Right or wrong, people will always have abortions. Is it not better to have a safe medical facility to carry out the procedure rather than some dirty bed room in some apartment? Or some back street dodgy clinic? Even if you dont like the choices, accept it.

Two: women go to planned parenthood for cancer screenings. Many women are stay at home mothers or single parents and dont have, or /and cant afford insurance. From what I understand about insurance over there, its complex as to what is and isnt included in policies. Women need places to go for cancer screenings, just like men do.

Three: Sex education. School 's in America seem to be terrible at providing adequate sex education. Kids need to know about this stuff. And if conservative parents and school' s wont teach them then its good that there are places that can give out advice and contraception. And maybe if parents and school ' s were more open about sex ed then maybe the unwanted pregnancy would drop. Just a thought. Not preaching.

'Casualty' what I'd like to happen. SPOILERS.

Ok. First of all, I'd like Alicia to become pregnant and not know if the dad is former boyfriend, Cal or former fling, Ethan, Cal's brother. I'd like for a DNA to be done and then a twist: I'd like for it to be revealed that Its Cal and not Ethan that has huntingtons.

I want Dylan and Lofty to have some scenes together even though Lofty is going into Holby.

I don't want Dylan, Ethan, Cal, Iain, Jez, Max or David to die in April. Any one else I can cope with.

I want Iain and Lily to get together.

I'd like for Max to have a story.

Oh and I'd like us all to find out what happened to Glenn.

IMDB shutting down its message boards.

I'm surprised that there isn't a bigger who-ha (my grandma used to use that word all the time) about the Internet Movie DataBase closing their message boards.

I used to use the message boards to ask questions or just to chat about shows and people that I liked.  I used to watch this show where 2 teams of people used to try to solve real life crimes. There was this one episode where the murder and suspect made no sense, and when I went onto the IMDB message board to ask questions,  one of the girls who appeared on the show in the team who solved the case, she answered my questions and went on to explain the case further (she put  it down to bad editing) and it made more sense.

People say that users are getting trolled. Well, any site that allows users to engage with other users are at risk of that. The thing with the IMDB is that a lot of users used the site for the very reason that they could chat to other users.

Without the message boards,  IMDB just seems like a useless, soulless site.

'Coronation street'. How does Shona know Kylie?

Last week we found out that newcomer Shona knew the late Kylie Platt when Shona went to visit Kylie 's grave.

The big question is: how did the two women know each other? We got a clue from when Gemma confronted Shona about recognizing her and Shona first denied it, and then later gave Gemma a lame excuse about a house party.

Is Shona Callum's sister? If she was then surely Gemma would know. And why didnt we meet her sooner? Her brother was lying dead under the Platt's annex for months after Kylie killed him, and his mother came looking for him, so why not Shona?

Is she Clayton's mother? Clayton killed Kylie so that's plausible.

Were her and Kylie lovers at one point? Knowing this writing team that is a possibility.

I hope that it doesn't turn out that her and Kylie were sisters. Neither Kylie or Becky (Kylie 's sister) are in it now and it feels unnecessary to do that storyline.

How about Shona and that creepy Nathan having a child together. Nathan is a peado, that is clear, and maybe Shona was desperate to get away from him so Kylie helped her? Maybe Max is Shona 's son?

I know that Shona meeting David in a bar and stealing his wallet wasnt a coincidence. And I dont think Nathan choosing Bethany as a victim is a coincidence either. I cant wait until we find out the connection.

'Elementary'.

I love 'Elementary'. If you are not familiar with the show it stars Johnny Lee Miller and Lucy Liu as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Joan Watson.

Set in modern day New York, Watson is hired by Holmes father to be his companion while he is recovering from a heroin addiction. Holmes works as a consultant for the NYPD and Watson is drawn into the world of crime solving.

I think Johnny Lee Miller is brilliant as Holmes. His Holmes is more quirky and annoying than Benedict Cumberbatch's Sherlock. I love quirky shows and character's so that probably pays a part in my love of the show.

I know that people had issues with Watson being a woman, but I think the gender reversal works well. Joan has her own issues and I think that she is a well written and well acted character. I do like Lucy Liu though, so again, thats why I think she is brilliant in the role.

The show is a light hearted crime show, and not really dark and gory. I love both light hearted and dark crime shows, so I'm not biased about that.

Even if you are a Sherlock Holmes purist and hate the idea of the changes, I still think you should watch one episode and give it a try. You never know, you might enjoy it.

Welcome to my new blog.

First of all,  thank you for taking the time to read this little blog. I really do appreciate it.

I need to blog. I have stuff in my head that just refuses to go away until I write it down. I do have other blogs but I've lost the log in details for them,  so I decided that I would start afresh.

I appologize in advance for the chaos this blog will probably take. I love tv and music and celebrities so these things will feature a lot.

I also am passionate about mental health. I volunteered for a mental health charity in my past and I suffer from a mental health condition so I will talk about this stuff too. I think that its important to talk about mental health.

I think this is a good introduction post, so I will leave it there for now. Thank you again for reading this.