Bye bye everybody...the final blog!

By Simon Wright (Blogger of HappyDude88)

SO, WE have reached the conclusion of this journey and after 22 months, it is ‘Time to Say Goodbye.’  Or is it, ‘The Final Countdown.’  Either way, each song is good.

When I began my blog, first on LiveJournal, before switching to BlogSpot in February 2010, I thought this might only last six weeks/two months before I got bored.  However, I haven’t and I have enjoyed the majority of the content I have uploaded on here, even if some blogs were far more difficult to write than others.

Before I begin, I have had some questions on why I am stopping now and not continuing.  Well, there is a combination of reasons behind my decision.  First of all, this was something I decided back at the end of June, even before I started my work placement in London with Runner’s World magazine.  I was happy with the decision I made back then and although, admittedly, I’ve had a few doubts in recent weeks, I have to stick to what I decided back then.  If I continued into 2012, I would have felt that I needed to do another year of blogging, not say six months.  I don’t think I would have the time to do that.  Also, I am aware that 2012 poses some significant and massive challenges ahead of me.  I have five months left of my journalism degree at the University of Northampton and need to put 100 per cent focus onto finishing off my dissertation and beginning my TV filming on technology for my Individual Practical Project.  Time will be of the essence and I’m afraid, I’m not going to be able to give the blog the time and dedication it would deserve.  Plus, it is best that I went out on a high, rather than a low and see my standards decrease.  Therefore, it is best that I ended things now, rather than let the site decline.

Of course, there are lots of people to thank for supporting the website, giving me constructive or sometimes, damming criticism.  However, I can’t thank you all personally.  You do know who you are, but I don’t want to send anyone to sleep!  But, I do want to thank some people especially, who have supported me, helped me out and always been there for me over the past two years.

First person I want to thank is my brother, Jason Wright.  Over the past two years, Jason has provided extra content for this website on the world of entertainment.  He has been my entertainment expert.  His witty contributions to The X-Factor, Dancing on Ice and many award ceremonies have certainly added a good vibe to the site.  Jason will go on to start his own entertainment site in the New Year and I urge you all to follow it when I get the link up.  I hope you have as much enjoyment on your own site J, as I did with this one.

Jason is not the only writer who has produced a blog on this site.  A friend of mine through the days at Milton Keynes College, Charlie Gardiner wrote an Avatar review for the site, Rochelle Lye did a blog on Doctor Who for me and Robert Jones contributed a 2010 FIFA World Cup preview with me last year.  I want to thank them for helping the blog in its early stages, before me and Jason took things on in its later life.  Also, thank you to the followers of this blog and again, you know who you are.

Another friend of mate gave me the inspiration to move to BlogSpot in the first place, who deserves a mention and that is Anthony Ashfield.  I was at Milton Keynes College with Anthony or ‘Fat Tony’ as he is better known to his close friends and he suggested I should look at BlogSpot, rather than stick with the less frequent LiveJournal blog.  It was a brilliant bit of advice and I haven’t looked back since, so thank you to Anthony for giving me the encouragement to go with the right blogging provider.

Then, there’s Farida Zeynalova, a very good friend of mine on the journalism course at the University of Northampton.  Farida has always drummed up support for the blog, through her fantastic Twitter account, even going on to say that I have a ‘a big and aspiring future.’  Thanks for your help Farida with this; it really did mean a lot. 

Two more friends of mine at the University, Ellie Birmingham and Tamika Short have always been there for me on the course and on the site too.  I know personal columns and viewpoints were a big plus point of mine and it was Tamika’s funny personal views on her site that gave me the pulling power to give this kind of blog a go.  So, she inspired me while Ellie has been a brilliant friend for me and I know she enjoyed reading my personal blogs especially.  Thank you to both of you too for your kind words of support over the past two years.

Lastly, thanks to everyone who has done any kind of reading on the 660 blogs that have gone online.  Whether that was the personal blogs I did into my life, my obsession with Skins, the entertainment reviews from my brother, my regular reports on the 2010 and 2011 FIA Formula One World Championship and those major events in the news like the General Election, the Royal Wedding, the tsunami in Japan and the summer riots in the UK.

I knew this day was coming and I am feeling a bit emotional, but I have high hopes for my future.  In 2012, I want to show that to everyone and hope that this blog has given me the starting point to a better life.  I will still keep the site online, so if you want to check up on something then come onto this site, it won’t close.  I will also put together a University of Northampton 2011/12 page in due course, when I get more work back this year and who knows, I might pop up at some point in 2012 with a few special blogs.  However, regular updating is over now and I’m so pleased I’ve had the passion and commitment to contribute in recent years.  If you still want to get in touch with me, I am still available on Twitter at @HappyDude88.

So, that’s it folks.  There’s little else for me to say, except I wish everyone a safe and brilliant Christmas and a prosperous and exciting New Year.  It has been a pleasure to share my thoughts with you and after 660….that is it. 

Thank you again and goodbye!

HappyDude88

UTC partnership highlights University of Northampton's ambitions

By Simon Wright (University Q&A)

KNOWLEDGE: Expert tuition from engineers in top teams will benefit students

THE recent news of the partnership between Silverstone Circuits, the University of Northampton and Tresham College has not only highlighted the ambitions that the University of Northampton has for the future, but will give students new opportunities to learn from the experts.  The agreement will see a new University Technical College open up within the next two years, with as many as 580 students between the ages of 14-19 benefiting from the new options that will come from it.  Yesterday, I had the privilege to interview the vice-chancellor at the University of Northampton, Nick Petford who was very excited about the link-up and indicated that the future is very bright, not only for the people of Northamptonshire, but the options University Technical Colleges will bring in the future.

Simon: First question Nick, is how excited are you about the link-up between the University and Silverstone?

Nick Petford: I am very excited about it.  We’ve had good relations with Silverstone prior to the UTC announcement.  We’ve had people from fashion working down there, Science & Technology and students from the business school on events management courses but this is an opportunity to put it all together.  It will really make a different for the people of Northamptonshire and outside as well.  It won’t just be for Northampton, it’s going to be so successful that it will be a national project.

SW: For those unsure about the partnership, can you go into a bit more detail about the partnership within the three parties involved?

NP: As a University, we have four partner colleges who we work with on strategic stuff.  One of them is Tresham College, who are based up in Corby and we started discussions with Corby a couple of years ago about a project that might have ended up with a University in Corby.  That didn’t get very far due to funding but then the University Technical College came on the scene and because Tresham already do some teaching down at Silverstone around engineering.  So, it was a chance for us to come together and start to think about how we can develop a really exciting partnership between Silverstone, the University and Tresham around a 14-19 year old curriculum. 

SW: What is the planned date for opening this technical college?

NP: The planned date is 2012, but that’s what they (Central Government) want to happen.  Whether that will be possible will depend on getting planning permission, on how to start building it, so all of that has to happen and whether that timescale is feasible, I don’t know.  It might be 2013.

SW: What types of students are most likely to benefit from the link-up?

NP:  Well, these UTC’s are actually schools.  You start at 14 years old and you leave when you are 19, so it goes into the traditional A level territory.  So, they will have to teach part of the National Curriculum and it will be teachers, not so much University staff.  There will be standard GCSE’s, such as Maths and Science, but where we will be able to help is that through the maths curriculum and the science curriculum will be geared towards motorsports.  I think the great thing as a kid will be sitting there thinking why are we learning this and you might get someone from McLaren saying; ‘You’re learning this because this is how our car works,’ and you will need to learn the maths of engines and aerodynamics, the pressures and so on.  So, it’s a very exciting opportunity.  It won’t be for everyone, but if you are saying why you are bothering with this, well you’re bothering because it’s what an employer wants and that employer could be Red Bull.

SW: How many people will be allowed to train for these opportunities?

NP: There will be about 550 at Silverstone.  Whether it will be that number when it starts in 2012 or 2013, we don’t know.  It will depend on how we build it up, so it might be a smaller intake to start with, but ultimately when it is all up and running, I’d say 550, maybe as many as 580 students.

SW: What is the background of University Technical Colleges, as I know this is something that you and the University are keen on pushing forward?

NP: The background comes from Lord Baker (Kenneth Baker) who was a minister in the government a few years ago.  The whole philosophy behind them is to develop vocational learning and make it as excellent and as aspired as more traditional academic learning.  There is still the feeling that the traditional A level/GCSE standard is where the more attention is and where the kudos lies, whereas doing the BTEC/Vocational route is not quite seen in the same standard.  So this is an opportunity to make vocational education through UTC’s as well respected and well received as a more traditional academic route is seen today. 

SW: Final question, with the link-up in place, how big is this news and how does it state the University’s future ambitions for 2012 and beyond?

NP: That’s a really good question.  I think what is says is that it plays perfectly to the University’s ambition and strategy  about being a vocational University and takes employability amongst its students very seriously and it wants to be a very different University from more traditional institutions.  As I explained with the GCSE v Vocational route in schools, it’s similar in Universities across the UK.  Some Universities offer more standard, academic courses and others go down the vocational route and sometimes, there’s been a bit of an imbalance.  So, this give us a chance on the vocational side of things to really spread our wings and start to offer the life-changing opportunities which I think UTC’s can do.  It’s spreading our mission, speaks to what we do and what we are about and also offer a pipeline for kids to come through from UTC’s to University if that’s what they want to do once they finish their UTC studies.

National Television Awards - The 2012 shortlist

BACK: Dermot O'Leary will host again in January 2012

THE lengthy nominations list for the 2012 National Television Awards was released this morning.  Many TV favourites have been included on the list in one of the most glamorous ceremonies on the TV calendar.  New reality hits The Only Way is Essex and Made in Chelsea will make the ‘Reality’ award one to watch, as they have been nominated against the more familiar shows, The Apprentice and I’m A Celebrity.

     Jonathan Ross and Graham Norton will go head-to-head over the ‘Talkshow’ award, whilst Australian soaps Home and Away and Neighbours join the heavyweights from EastEnders and Coronation Street in the ‘Serial Drama’ category. 

     Fans can vote for their favourites at the official website; www.nationaltvawards.com.  The ceremony will once again be at London’s 02 Arena and hosted by X-Factor anchor, Dermot O’Leary.  The long list will be knockdown into a smaller shortlist in December, with the prestigious ceremony shown live on ITV1 in January 2012.

THE NOMINATIONS

TALENT SHOW

The X-Factor, Strictly Come Dancing, Britain’s Got Talent, Let’s Dance for Comic Relief, Dancing on Ice, Popstar to Operastar, Got to Dance, So You Think You Can Dance

COMEDY PANEL

Celebrity Juice, Pointless, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Mock the Week, QI, Have I Got News For You, Odd One In, Would I Lie To You?

DRAMA

Downton Abbey, Doctor Who, Waterloo Road, Glee, Wild at Heart, Casualty, Lewis, Shameless, Holby City, Law & Order UK, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Midsummer Murders, Silent Witness, Monroe, New Tricks, Spooks, DCI Banks: Aftermath, Scott & Bailey, Inspector George Gently, Whitechapel, Doc Martin, Merlin, Waking the Dead, Luther, Hustle, Above Suspicion: Deadly Intent, Lark Rise to Candleford, Case Histories, Kidnap and Ransom, The Shadow Line, Silk, Vera, Torchwood: Miracle Day, Upstairs Downstairs, South Riding

TALK SHOW

Loose Women, The Jonathan Ross Show, The Graham Norton Show, Paul O’Grady Live, Alan Carr: Chatty Man, Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, The Wright Stuff, The Rob Brydon Show, The Alan Titchmarsh Show, That Sunday Night Show

FACTUAL PROGRAMME

MasterChef, Top Gear, This Morning, The One Show, BBC Breakfast, Who Do You Think You Are?, Antiques Roadshow, Countryfile, Big Fat Gypsy Weddings, Billy Connolly’s Route 66, Crimewatch, Daybreak, DIY SOS: The Big Build, Strangeways, The Biggest Loser, Watchdog, Britten’s Hidden Heritage, An Idiot Abroad, Ocean Giants, Lost Land of the Tiger, Inside the Human Body, Turn Back Time- The High Street, Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention, Royal Navy Caribbean Patrol, Human Planet, Long Lost Family

SITUATION COMEDY

Benidorm, Trollied, Not Going Out, Come Fly With Me, My Family, Miranda, Outnumbered, Candy Cabs, Friday Night Dinner, Whites, Reggie Perrin, In With the Flynns, Mrs. Brown’s Boys

SERIAL DRAMA

Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale, Neighbours, Doctors, Home & Away, Hollyoaks

REALITY PROGRAMME

Come Dine With Me, The Only Way is Essex, I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!, The Apprentice, Made in Chelsea, 71 Degrees North, Coach Trip, Peter Andre: The Next Chapter, Don’t Tell The Bride

ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME

The Cube, Harry Hill’s TV Burp, Ant & Dec’s Push The Button, Live at the Apollo, All-Star Family Fortunes, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, Total Wipeout, The Million Pound Drop, Take Me Out, John Bishop’s Britain, Celebrity Mastermind, Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, Tonight’s The Night, Red or Black, Lee Mack’s All-Star Cast, University Challenge, The Magicians, Sing If You Can, New You’ve Been Framed, The National Lottery: In It To Win It, Dynamo: Magician Impossible    

ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTER

Ant & Dec, Davina McCall, Dermot O’Leary, Harry Hill, Graham Norton, Jonathan Ross, Tess Daly, Vernon Kay, Paul O’Grady, Michael McIntyre, Alan Carr, John Bishop, Keith Lemon, Cat Deeley, Myleene Klaas, Bradley Walsh, Paddy McGuiness, Sir Bruce Forsyth, Steve Jones, Lee Mack, Holly Willoughby, Chris Tarrant, Piers Morgan, John Barrowman, Phillip Schofield, Dale Winton, Alex Jones, Adrian Chiles, Rob Brydon, Lenny Henry, Richard Hammond      

NEWCOMER

Chris Fountain (Coronation Street), Jacqueline Jossa (EastEnders), Jimmy Akingbola (Holby City), William Beck (Casualty), Chelsea Halfpenny (Emmerdale), Danny Mac (Hollyoaks)

SERIAL DRAMA PERFORMANCE

Jessie Wallace (EastEnders), Danny Miller (Emmerdale), Alison King (Coronation Street), Simon Gregson (Coronation Street), Pauline Quirke (Emmerdale), Nina Wadia (EastEnders), Jane Danson (Coronation Street), Lucy Pargeter (Emmerdale), Steve McFadden (EastEnders), Jake Wood (EastEnders), Jeff Hordley (Emmerdale), Chris Gascoyne (Coronation Street), Emmett J.Scanlan (Hollyoaks), Katherine Kelly (Coronation Street), Claire Cooper (Hollyoaks), Charley Webb (Emmerdale), Lindsey Coulson (EastEnders), Kieran Richardson (Hollyoaks), Andrew Lancel (Coronation Street), Jonny Clarke (Hollyoaks), Nitin Ganatra (EastEnders), Rachel Shenton (Hollyoaks), Steve Halliwell (Emmerdale), Stephanie Davis (Hollyoaks)

FEMALE DRAMA PERFORMANCE

Karen Gillian (Doctor Who), Amanda Redman (New Tricks), Laila Rouass (Holby City), Georgia Taylor (Casualty), Suranne Jones (Scott & Bailey), Freema Agyeman (Law & Order: UK), Dawn Steele (Wild at Heart), Sarah Parish (Monroe), Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Maxine Peake (Silk), Sally Carman (Shameless), Eve Myles (Torchwood), Caroline Catz (Doc Martin), Kelly Adams (Hustle), Nicola Walker (Spooks), Emilia Fox (Silent Witness), Lesley Sharp (Scott & Bailey), Jaye Jacobs (Waterloo Road), Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey), Kelly Reilly (Above Suspicion), Brenda Blethyn (Vera), Tara Fitzgerald (Waking The Dead), Katie McGrath (Merlin), Julia Sawalha (Lark Rise to Candleford), Keeley Hawes (Upstairs Downstairs), Anna Maxwell Martin (South Riding)  

MALE DRAMA PERFORMANCE

Stephen Tompkinson (DCI Banks), Matt Smith (Doctor Who), Martin Clunes (Doc Martin), Bradley Walsh (Law & Order: UK), Laurence Fox (Lewis), James Nesbitt (Monroe), Brendan Coyle (Downton Abbey), Idris Elba (Luther), Bradley James (Merlin), Martin Shaw (Inspector George Gently), Kevin Whately (Lewis), Alun Armstrong (New Tricks), John Barrowman (Torchwood), Guy Henry (Holby City), Phil Davis (Whitechapel), Colin Morgan (Merlin), Adrian Lester (Hustle), Peter Firth (Spooks), Dennis Waterman (New Tricks), Ben Turner (Casualty), Stephen Rea (The Shadow Line), Jason Isaacs (Case Histories), Alec Newman (Waterloo Road), David Morrissey (South Riding), James Bolam (New Tricks), Ciaran Hinds (Above Suspicion), Rupert Penry-Jones (Whitechapel), Trevor Eve (Kidnap and Ransom), David Threlfall (Shameless), Ed Stoppard (Upstairs, Downstairs), Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey), Neil Dudgeon (Midsummer Murders)              

West Ham get Olympic stadium nod

IMPRESSION: An artist's view of how West Ham's new home would look

WEST HAM UNITED has been confirmed as the preferred bidder to take over the Olympic Stadium in East London.  The Hammers saw off stiff competition from London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur, to inherit the stadium after the Olympics in 2012.  Their plans to have a 60,000 stadium for major football matches, athletics events and concert gigs was seen by the OPLC (Olympic Park Legacy Company) as a better use of the stadium.  Tottenham’s plan had been to bulldoze the stadium, and turn it into a complete football stadium, using Crystal Palace as a redevelopment plan to host athletics events.

At a press conference yesterday, Baroness Ford, the chairman of the OPLC confirmed it was a unanimous decision.  “We had to inspect and take both bids into serious consideration, but our recommendation to the Mayor of London and ministers are that the Olympic Stadium is to be used by West Ham United.”  Although Boris Johnson still needs to ratify the decision, it would be a massive shock if the Mayor of London opposed the recommendation.

The battle to win the tenant rights to the stadium has been fraught to say the least.  All of the London 2012 team have been putting their full backing into West Ham’s bid.  Chairman of the bid, Lord Coe has always maintained that if Tottenham had got the nod, it would have broken promises made to the IOC (International Olympic Committee) when London won the right to host the games back in 2005. 

PONDERING: Daniel Levy is unhappy and is thinking about legal action

Tottenham seem unhappy with the decision.  Their chairman Daniel Levy is considering the possibility of legal action, as he feels the athletics track issue totally overshadowed the club’s bid.  Despite this, Ford denies this element and insists both bids were taken extremely seriously.  Lord Sugar, former chairman of Spurs has also slammed the OPLC decision, calling it “weak and gutless.” 

Some West Ham fans seem a bit cautious about the decision.  Yesterday morning, ex-Hammers defender Tony Gale told Sky Sports News of his pressing concerns.  “I worry that if West Ham get the stadium, it isn’t what the fans want.”  I’ve spoken to many supporters and not one person was for the move.”  However, Tottenham fans don’t seem as disappointed as the club’s board are, with one lifelong fan telling Sky News yesterday of his delight; “Every Spurs fan I know will be happy that we’re not going to Stratford – we were annoyed that Spurs even got involved.”

It seems like commonsense as prevailed, and hopefully, it will secure the long-term future of the Olympic Stadium after the games in 2012.  With West Ham’s struggles on the pitch well-documented, this is probably the best news they’ve had all season.  So, it would now be such a shame if such a promising venue would be hosting npower Championship football in two seasons time.  Maybe it’s time for the players to start playing for the shirt, to avoid this plight.