Consistency is the key

By Simon Wright (Personal piece)

FIVE weeks into my extended summer holiday and I can’t say that it has been a bundle of fun.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to have time off as much as anyone, but it becomes very difficult to motivate yourself, especially when you don’t have an ambition/target to set yourself.  Nevertheless, I can fully now appreciate that after a tricky spring period of the year, summer has brought some lovely (and unpredictable weather!) and some summery results. 

     Yes, two weeks ago, I got the conformation of my grades for the second year of my journalism course at the University of Northampton.  On reflection, I really can’t complain, and although the overall module results could have been slightly better, I was thrilled with my consistency in the separate units that make up a module.  Nearly 80 per cent of all the units I did ended up coming back with B grades, which for the hard graft and effort I put in during the last academic year, is a thoroughly merited result. 

     Some grades really surprised me actually.  I got a B- on the Broadcast Portfolio segment of one of my workshop modules.  Honestly, I was expecting a D!  If anyone listened to my radio pieces (see University Northampton portfolio 2010/11), you could hear how rubbish they were.  Frankly, it was the standard I would expect from an average primary school child!  That’s how bad my radio was.  I do wonder how well I could have done, if I’d done the Sky Sports sexism row back in January for one of my radio pieces.  Ah well, hindsight is a wonderful thing in life, if we have access to it.  

Law is an essential part of journalism; but it is still so BORING!

     Of course, the highpoint was earning an A on my law and government exam.  I was gutted to only earn a C on my 1998 Human Rights Act essay.  Although it wasn’t the greatest essay I’d ever produced, I thought I might have received a bit of discretion for choosing something different to almost everybody else on my degree.  The standard choice of the others was the Freedom of Information Act 2000.  I went a different route and obviously, it didn’t go down well.  Sometimes, gambles don’t pay off, but this does prove I am a risk taker.  Do I regret going a different route?  No, I don’t.  I don’t understand the Freedom of Information Act 2000; it would leave my head spinning like the world globe!  It’s just too complex for a brain as small as mine and as people who know me can vouch to, if I had brains, I’d be lethally dangerous!  Was I hoping for a better result on the essay?  Absolutely I was, and it’s the last time I will believe that going down a different route to the norm will earn some form of creditability. 

     It meant come the exam, I needed a decent result to balance out the essay grade.  As I think I said before, I came out of the exam feeling confident that I had done really well.  However, I could never have imagined earning an A!  It’s the first ever time I’ve achieved the top grade in any kind of exam before (SAT’s, GCSE’s, A Levels) you name it.  I think I can safely say I finally managed to beat the brain freeze I used to suffer in exams, or the choking levels of not remembering your stuff.  Whilst I’m on choking levels, maybe we’ll get a British winner at Wimbledon (No, there’s more chance of me driving a car again, which isn’t likely!)  I didn’t revise as hard as last year, but came out with a better result by a million miles.  Obviously, my preparation was meticulous.  Trust me though; I have no secrets to giveaway!

     The disappointing side of the results was the dismal D+ on my TV Gold magazine, which significantly bought down my DTP overall grade to a C+.  I must admit to being a bit confused by this.  I did a good presentation, thought I stuck to a consistent balance between design and content, yet the result is baffling.  Okay, I did see some top-quality magazines (like Farida’s Milan travel magazine, which was a class above anything else, sorry everyone, that was the standard to beat!) and I knew mine was nowhere near her calibre as an example.  However, it wasn’t that bad and I enjoyed doing it too, despite the stress of printer’s pairs!  There’s only one option I can try now; weasel my way out of doing a magazine next year.  Unlikely, as I think the 32-page mag is one of the compulsory modules for my final year.  However, if there is a way around it, I have to take a different option.  I was heavily criticised for my 8-page magazine last year and now, the 12-page has clearly gone the same way!  So, little hope of a 32-page being successful then!  Probably more chance of me gambling £1 on the National Lottery!

I was happy that my consistency has improved

     Nevertheless, consistency was the key to my overall results and I generally can’t complain with them.  I can’t wait to see my journalism buddies again.  I miss them so much and a fancy dress birthday party for August has already been arranged, so it will be the perfect catch-up point. 

      One final thing to announce; I will NOT be updating this website with anymore blogs from Christmas onwards.  It was a tough decision to make, but 2012 promises so much and I know that I’m just not going to have the time to keep this website functioning any longer.  Nevertheless, I want to thank everyone for reading/liking/commenting on the hundreds of blogs I’ve produced and those of my entertainment expert, Jason Wright too.  I hope you continue to visit the website and enjoy it as much as possible between now and the middle of December, when this journey comes to its conclusion.  Thank you and look forward to seeing/hearing from you soon.

You only live once!

SO THAT’S IT, the latest academic term at University is finished and Friday afternoon was the perfect reflection of the term; ‘You only live once!’

     I had personally worked so hard over the previous week to keep in control of the upcoming workload.  In fact, I look back at the week with a lot of pride and satisfaction.  Everything on my course from my perspective seems to be under control, which is a good feeling.  Although I can’t relax totally over the Easter holidays, I don’t have a load of unnecessary pressure underneath my shoulders.

     Last week, I proved that I don’t just talk and produce rubbish.  My group has put together an outstanding documentary for a module which requires journalists to explore more about film styles and techniques.  Our documentary was based on a common everyday problem wherever you go around the country, especially at colleges and Universities.  The University of Northampton was used as the prime example, and it does have; let’s say some situations that leave students incredibly frustrated.  We feel that a perfect counter-balance has been struck, highlighting a point which the University need to address, and promoting the student’s struggles and disapproval combined with how the new parking charges cope from an official viewpoint.  Major thanks have to go to the incredible Tamika, who had to put up with my obsessive ability at attempting to produce the perfect edit.  She has taken on a leading role in our production and I have been massively impressed by her dedication to the documentary.  Hopefully, we will get the final grade we deserve.  The final version can be seen on YouTube here: 

    The most boring piece of work was to produce the 1500 essay on a law that has affected working journalists since it came into force.  I know it is important to have supreme knowledge of these laws, especially if anyone wants to make it a success in the world of journalism.  Nevertheless, that still doesn’t hide the fact that studying these laws is extensively boring.  I hope no-one else mentions the 1998 Human Rights Act to me now, because I don’t want to know! 

REFRESHMENT: The perfect drink in the perfect weather, don't mind if I do!

     Friday afternoon bought absolutely gorgeous weather, which did make studying rather uncomfortable.  When I found out that some of my course mates had disappeared to the SU to sit in the sun and have some drinks, it made me jealous.  When I wrapped up at 3pm, I thought; ‘You only live once!’  I joined the party and it was great.  After such a hard-working week, which had seen me spend 21 hours of my own time in squeezing the best I could out of some tricky subjects, I took the approach that I needed some strong alcoholic drinks to wrap up a term that has provided success and traumas for me.  There are some wild characters on my course and others who are just pure sweet.  It was nice to spend to spend some time with my mates in a slightly different capacity to normal.  Farida was rebelling against her unfortunate run of bad luck, which has blighted the strong, hard-working abilities that she has traditionally shown.  She seemed excited to see anyone, bouncing down the road when she spotted Ellie.  Farida began to shout her name constantly when she approached us.  You could tell how excited she was.  The free spirit that Farida is means that life simply will never be dull!  We ended up chilling on one of the nearby fields in the fantastic weather.  Farida and another of my friends, Shamina ended up having a hilariously funny beer fight!  Together, these two individuals can be a very lethal double-act!  Friday felt like the perfect day!

     There’s no point holding back at all times.  Staying secure is important and taking risks all the time is a real gamble.  However, you don’t want to do one or the other.  Finding the right balance is the best input to life.  After all, ‘You only live once!’  Plus, you need to make the most of your opportunities offered to you, otherwise, where exactly are you going to go in life.   

2010 Belgian Grand Prix - The Conclusions

In this piece, I will be assessing ten key features from each Grand Prix weekend from the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.  After a four-week summer break, the F1 fraternity gathered at the awesome Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium.  With the unpredictable weather element added in, this was always going to be a fantastic weekend and so it proved out to be.  Here is a round-up of round thirteen, which turned out to be unlucky for some and very lucky for others.

Lewis Hamilton – Is He Champion Elect Again?

If Lewis Hamilton lacked a fair degree of luck at the start of the season, he has it in abundance at Spa.  After the debacle of Hungary, when despite his best efforts, he was nearly two seconds off the pace, Belgium saw the tide turn his way again.  Firstly, his team-mate Jenson Button crashed out of the race through no fault of his own and with Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel not scoring either, he managed to inflict major damage on all three of their championship ambitions.  Secondly, he escaped from a trip into the gravel at Rivage on Lap 34.  Two years ago, Hamilton would have beached his McLaren in those scenarios, but he gently kissed the barrier and continued as if nothing had happened.  Lewis is driving out of his skin in 2010, and is warming to the hearts of many for his skill and bravery in a car that simply isn’t fast enough to win the championship.  He dominated the race on Sunday, and at the moment, I would put smart money on him becoming champion again.

Sebastian Vettel – Another Rash Move!

Jenson Button has called it ‘weird,’ Martin Whitmarsh has described him as a ‘crash kid,’ and no wonder.  Sunday was a day to forget for Sebastian Vettel, with another rash move which he is starting to gain a reputation for.  He drove into Mark Webber in Turkey, smashed into Adrian Sutil’s sidepod in Silverstone and got away with it, and failed unsuccessfully to smack Fernando Alonso into the pitwall seconds after the start of the German Grand Prix.  His move on Button in Sunday’s race was not deliberate, but he certainly could have avoided the contact which smashed the world champion’s radiator.  He deserved his drive-through, and when he was left driving around for a lap with a puncture, after being hit by Vitantonio Liuzzi, I don’t think many had much sympathy for him.  Vettel may have all the talent in the world, but if he keeps repeating the same mistakes, he may never win a title.  I certainly hope he doesn’t win the championship this year, because he has made too many avoidable errors. 

The Weather – Spa’s Usual Unpredictability

When F1 turns up at Spa, it is always going to throw up a cocktail of the unpredictable as far as the weather goes.  Spa’s unique microclimate produced again in 2010, with qualifying and the race turning into desperate lottery scrambles.  Q1 on Saturday looked more like a wild episode of ‘Wacky Races,’ rather than an F1 session, with cars spinning left, right and centre.  Though it was a fairly familiar front order at the end of the session, Belgium had done its bit and it did on Sunday too, with brief showers at the start and the end of the race.  Driver skill and keeping your nerve was the ultimate winner in this traditional Belgian battle with the elements.

Mark Webber – The New No.1 at Red Bull?

Yesterday, Mark Webber called for No.1 status at Red Bull Racing.  He is unlikely to earn this, especially because of their unrequited love for Sebastian Vettel.  However, the Aussie is the team’s best championship bet.  Since the Silverstone saga over the front wing issue, Webber has knuckled down and is driving even better than before.  Having made a shocking start, due to a dragging clutch and throwing away pole, Mark put in a measured and controlled drive to second spot on a track where Red Bull were never going to have the gulfing advantage they had at Barcelona and in Budapest.  Whereas Vettel was hitting other cars once again, Webber was doing his usual trick of staying out of trouble and picking up the necessary points.  Anymore errors from Seb and Christian Horner may have to bite his teeth and put all backing into Webber’s championship bid.

Rubens Barrichello – 300, but No Cake

Rubens Barrichello reached an amazing milestone at Spa, as he became the first driver to take part in 300 Grand Prix’s.  After qualifying an excellent seventh and in the mixed conditions, I’m sure everyone was hoping that the popular Brazilian could record a brilliant result.  Sadly, his race turned into a damp squib.  Whilst defending from Nico Rosberg, Rubens got on the brakes way too late in the damp conditions, and gave Fernando Alonso a massive wallop at the Bus Stop chicane.  Barrichello admitted his guilt afterwards; it was a sorry end to such a fantastic milestone.  However, there is plenty of life left in Barrichello’s career and I’m sure he will make up for it between now and the end of the season.

Fernando Alonso – A Terminal Blow To His Maranello Dream?

Having topped the timesheets in both of Friday’s practice sessions, Fernando Alonso went into the rest of the weekend as the red-hot favourite for the Belgian Grand Prix.  What happened next will remain a mystery?  The team’s decision to leave Alonso on old rubber in Q3 and give Felipe Massa fresh tyres was staggering, considering that after Hockenheim, Alonso is their only driver in the team.  Starting from 10^th, Fernando’s race was always going to be compromised and when Barrichello clonked him on Lap One, leaving him with a puncture, that made things worse.  The rest of his afternoon was full of bitter frustration and his lacklustre came to an end six laps from home, when struggling to keep up with Kamur Kobayashi’s Sauber, Alonso ran onto the wet kerbs at Malmady and slid into the tyres.  Another costly error from the double world champion, and this mistake could well be the terminal blow to his distant dreams of winning the title in his maiden season with Maranello, like Kimi Raikkonen did in 2007.

Mercedes GP – Mixed Fortunes

It was another mixed weekend for Mercedes GP, though a double-points finish will at least ease some of the pressure on Ross Brawn and co.  The team were on their backfoot from the outset of the meeting, with Michael Schumacher’s ten-place grid penalty for his vicious chop on Rubens Barrichello in Hungary, whilst a gearbox problem on Saturday morning for Nico Rosberg relegated him five spots.  Starting from 14^th and 21^st respectively was always going to make things very tricky, but the race was a very solid affair.  Despite nearly clashing twice, Rosberg and Schumacher impressed in the mixed conditions, without ever putting in anything starring.  Sixth and seventh place results hint at minor progress, but Mercedes will need to do more, especially with a hungry Kubica and Renault breathing down on their necks for fourth place in the constructor’s championship.

Robert Kubica – Another Stunning Performance

Robert Kubica is a world-class driver and his performances in the 2010 Renault continue to get better and better.  Although Hungary was a poor weekend by his high standards, Spa saw him challenging the frontrunners, on a track where I expected the team to really struggle.  Renault introduced the f-duct device in Belgium, and it worked from the outset.  Kubica was never outside the top five in any session all weekend and despite a fuel pressure issue, his third place on the grid was a genuinely outstanding effort.  In the race, he stayed ahead of Mark Webber easily and only the dominant Hamilton had the measure of him.  Had it not been for a costly error in the pits, overshooting his box whilst sorting out from steering wheel settings, second place was his.  Nevertheless, the Pole’s pace was impressive throughout and third place was the least he deserved for his efforts.  If Renault can continue this development rate, Kubica could be a major spoiler in the destiny of where this year’s champion will come from.

The New Teams – Best Weekend So Far

It was by far the best weekend of the season for the three new teams, Lotus, Virgin and Hispania.  They were closer to the back of the midfield than they have been all season, with all three teams showing glimmers of hope for the future.  Whilst Sauber messed up with their tyre choice and Vitaly Petrov crashed in Q1, Heikki Kovalainen and Timo Glock both put in excellent efforts to reach the second part of qualifying, whilst both Bruno Senna and Sakon Yamamoto put in best qualifying performances of the season.  In the race, the likes of Pedro de la Rosa and Sebastian Buemi were kept in touch with by Jarno Trulli and the experienced Italian would have finished as the best of the new teams, had it not been for a dramatic late spin.  Lucas di Grassi beat Glock in the race, which will provide the Brazilian a much-needed confidence boost.  Apart from a retirement from Senna early on, there was a load of positives to take from the Spa weekend for all three teams.

Sutil Shows the Force Is Fast

Force India were never likely to repeat their breathtaking 2009 weekend, when Giancarlo Fisichella grabbed a shock pole and finished a close 2^nd in the race.  However, Spa was always going to be one of their strongest tracks of the season and a double point’s finish will go down well with boss Vijay Mallya.  Vitantonio Liuzzi earned his point in the stewards’ room, when Jaime Alguesuari was penalised for cutting a chicane, whilst defending from the Italian.  However, Adrian Sutil was the star of the weekend as ever for the Silverstone based team.  Eighth in qualifying was slightly disappointing for the German, but his race pace was sharp.  He drove clean past Kamur Kobayashi, Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, proving that with such a fast engine in the back, they could be even stronger at Monza in a fortnight’s time.  Keeping Felipe Massa honest all afternoon showed how competitive Sutil was and fifth place was a fine reward for some fast speed and decisive overtaking.  Monza could be even better for the team, if this evidence goes with the book.

2010 Malaysian Grand Prix - The Conclusions

In this piece, I will be assessing ten key features from each Grand Prix weekend from the 2010 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.  Onto round three, as the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix is examined more in-depth.  Following the classic of a race that Melbourne provided us, Sepang bought the unpredictability from the weather and a jumbled-up grid which meant Sunday’s racing was not going to be dire at all.  So, this is the round-up of the weekend three of 2010 as Formula 1 tackled the energy zapping heat and humidity of Kuala Lumpur.

Red Bull Racing: Finally Get The Job Done, Are They Back On Track?

Well it took a while, but finally Red Bull Racing managed to produce the goods on a Sunday afternoon.  On Saturday, it was Mark Webber’s day, as he took the brave risk to put on intermediate tyres on a wet track and he reaped the rewards.  Sebastian Vettel opted to play cautious and wound up off the front row of the grid for the first time since Brazil last season.  However, Vettel produced a dominant drive on Sunday, leading from the first corner, practically from start-to-finish.  Webber will be annoyed with himself for leaving the door wide open at the first corner and Sebastian was never going to say no to such an invitation.  It soon turned into a demonstration battle, as Red Bull highlighted at last the speed and reliability combined together.  The question is have they got back on track, quite possibly so.  They are back in the race, no doubt about us.

Wet Weather Qualifying – Ferrari & McLaren Show Their Idiocy!

When it rains in Malaysia, it pours in biblical proportions and it made complete chumps of some of the best engineers in the business.  Whilst the midfield and rear-end teams put in a banker lap in the early stages, Ferrari and McLaren waited in their garages, convinced that their high-spec technology would pay off and they could go out later in the session when the rain stopped.  Big mistake, as humans could have called it better over technology.  Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa were left high and dry in the pits and out of first qualifying, whilst Melbourne winner Jenson Button scraped into Q2, but aquaplaned off the track into the kitty litter, leaving him down in 17^th.  On race day, the two main teams did their best, but it was only really Hamilton who showed his overtaking capabilities.  From 20^th, he forced his way through to 6^th, where he got stuck behind Adrian Sutil and that was that.  Button was hindered by an early tyre stop, which left his prime tyres shot to pieces by the end.  Massa was very tentative, but 7^th place did inherit him the championship lead, whilst Alonso’s gearbox broke on the formation lap, had a sticky downchange to cope with throughout, then his engine exploded two laps from home.  For Ferrari and McLaren, this was a weekend to forget.  Elementary errors gave Red Bull an open goal, which they successfully converted.

The Malaysian Weather – Always Expect the Unexpected

Whenever the F1 teams turn up in Sepang, they must expect the rain, which can turn a race on its forehead quite literally.  It made qualifying one of the best spectacles seen for many a year, and soon, the question on everyone’s lips was when, not if it would rain on Sunday.  Once again, the weather gods played chicken with us, and in the end, we ended up with a bone-dry race, despite all the earlier forecasters.  This was a weekend where everyone had to expect the unexpected.

Sauber – Winter Testing Must Seem a Distant Memory

BMW handed over the reins last November, and now will be thinking, ‘Phew! We definitely made the right call.’  Winter testing must seem like a distant memory for the Sauber team, when they were one of the consistent pacesetters around.  Now, they have a lack of speed, lack of direction, no sponsors and almost zilch reliability.  For an experienced team to have an engine blow up on the way to the dummy grid is inexcusable, not what Pedro de la Rosa would have had in mind for an early bath.  Team-mate Kamur Kobayashi’s engine didn’t last much longer, only nine laps before he had to park his car too.  These are testing times ahead for the Swiss team, if they don’t buck their ideas up, it could well be a long, trying season.  Technical director Willy Rampf is retiring from the sport after the Chinese Grand Prix, and he is probably wanted that exit to come sooner rather than later.

Nico Rosberg – Quietly Getting the Results

F1 2010 might be all about the likes of Vettel, Alonso, Button, Hamilton and co, but Nico Rosberg is quietly going about his business with minimum fuss, which will be delighting Mercedes team Principal Ross Brawn and the senior German board members.  Rosberg had another strong weekend in Kuala Lumpur, registering his first ever front row in qualifying, then producing a lonely, solid drive to 3^rd spot, the team’s first podium finish.  His consistency sees himself just four points off the top of the drivers’ championship.  Not bad for someone who has hardly been mentioned of so far in 2010.

Alguesuari and Hulkenberg Get Their Just Rewards

Many congratulations to Jaime Alguesuari and Nico Hulkenberg, who both registered their first F1 points, finishes in Malaysia.  Toro Rosso’s Alguesuari was very aggressive and his new found form truly worked, with top class overtakes on Hulkenberg and Renault’s Vitaly Petrov.  He deserved his two points and outpaced his most highly-rated team-mate Sebastian Buemi.  For once, Toro Rosso’s faith may well just pay off.  Hulkenberg, a winner in Sepang before in A1GP was a Saturday star, poaching his Williams through to fifth on the grid.  On Sunday, the lack of race pace with the Williams was well-documented, but Hulkenberg kept his head down, beat Rubens Barrichello and benefited from Alonso’s late DNF to register a noteworthy point.  Just rewards for the pair of them.

The Failing of Michael Schumacher – It Is Not Going To Plan!

When Michael Schumacher ended up deciding to return to Formula 1, I don’t think even he could have imagined to be struggling this bad.  Once again, he was outperformed all weekend by Rosberg and in qualifying, conditions which would be really suited to his likeability, he struggled to break the top ten, then burnt out his rear tyres in Q3 and ended up being the weakest of the five Germans in the final shootout.  Despite an excellent start, Schumacher was falling into the clutches of the scrapping Hulkenberg and Vitantonio Liuzzi when a wheel nut came loose, forcing his premature departure from the race.  Nine points from three races, the comeback is not going to plan and the pressure therefore in increasing on Michael the Great to deliver.

Lotus Racing – A Sweet & Sour Home Weekend

It was Lotus home weekend, with the high-profile Malaysian sponsorship, but it turned into a sweet and sour weekend.  Heikki Kovalainen took full advantage of Ferrari and McLaren’s idiocy to make Q2, so winding up 15^th was like a celebration to Lotus.  Sadly, he made a dogs dinner of the start, spent much of the race stuck behind Lucas di Grassi, then made a horlicks of an overtaking pass on the Brazilian, picked up a puncture, then retired with a hydraulic problem.  Team-mate Jarno Trulli received a clobbering from his former team-mate Timo Glock early on, then limped on to the finish, also with hydraulic problems.  This was Lotus worst weekend so far, but there is no need to panic yet, as still look the crème of the crop out of the new teams.

Virgin See the Chequered Flag – It’s A Miracle!

Miraculously, despite not having a big enough fuel tank, Virgin Racing saw the chequered flag for the first time, in the hands of Lucas di Grassi.  Despite ending up with fumes before the end, di Grassi did enough to bring his car home in 14^th place, giving the team a much-needed boost after a trying start.  Timo Glock has yet to see the chequered flag this season, like Petrov and Kobayashi.  He hit Trulli early on with an over-ambitious overtaking attempt and ended in the gravel.  Nevertheless, this is very encouraging for Virgin.  Also of note, both Hispania cars of Karun Chandok and Bruno Senna made the finish, so the new teams are now all beginning to pull their act together.

Reintroducing KERS – The pros and cons

Finally, the members of FOTA held a meeting to thrash out early proposals in how to ‘spice up the racing.’  FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh insists that it’s too early to draw conclusions, but reintroducing KERS was a major debating point.  KERS (Kinetic Energy System Recovery) was introduced in 2009, but only McLaren and Ferrari made their systems work to any substantial use.  BMW and Renault abandoned their development early on and the other teams saw no use to it.  I can’t honestly see what pros there would be in reintroducing KERS, except for the environmental issue.  It was one of the biggest expensive mistakes that Formula 1 made, so going back there would be considered as totally crazy.

Snow Returns - Bringing Tragedy & Carnage

Just when everyone thought that the winter wonderland or winter nightmare, whatever way you think was over, more came over the past week, causing carnage in areas of Scotland and Northern Ireland, but also bringing tragedy to a family, her friends and a community.

17-year old Natasha Paton was tragically killed in a coach crash in the early hours of Wednesday morning, when a school trip went ahead, despite severe warnings of hazardous conditions from the police.  Lanark Grammar School decided to proceed with the outing to the Alton Towers theme park in Staffordshire, and have received a barrage of criticism from parents and fellow pupils.  All have expressed their anger that the trip was allowed to set off from the school in the first place, considering the dangerous conditions around.

Having left the school at 5.30am in the morning, approximately twenty minutes into the 500-mile trip to the theme park, the coach plunged into a river, following the atrocious snowstorms that paralysed Southern Scotland.  Thirty-eight pupils, five teachers and the coach driver were taken to hospital, all treated for injuries.  Five remain in hospital, all said to be in a stable condition.  Strathclyde police insisted the conditions were ‘horrendous, and the snow had a major part to play in the crash.’  It is unclear whether the children, including Natasha were wearing the standardised seatbelts at the time of the crash, though that speculation is seen as unnecessary at such a tragic time for everyone involved.

The parents of Natasha Paton are said to be ‘devastated at the loss of our beloved daughter.’  The school opened yesterday, for specialised counselling and a special assembly of remembrance.  Known as a keen follower of Chelsea football club and a fan of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, Natasha was said by many to be ‘always happy, wearing a smile on her face.’  Her loss will be felt by many, some as a completely unavoidable incident, should the trip have not happened. 

Meanwhile, across the UK, storms have affected many parts of the country and are set to continue throughout the Easter weekend, boosting the number of the 2million holidaymakers battling to getaway for the weekend, for a trip abroad.  Forecasters have described the weekend to be ‘cold, wet and windy.’  Scotland and Northern Ireland have been almost paralysed completely by the snow, with the Environment Agency putting in seventeen flood warnings in place.  72,000 homes have no power, after numerous power lines came down, with some areas suffering 20 inches of snow falling, even more on higher grounds.

What a wonderful start it is to British Summer Time, it is making a real mockery of the calendar, but that doesn’t matter to the friends and family of Natasha Paton, a young girl, whose ambitions have been taken away in such tragic circumstances.  I only can express my sorrow and condolences to the Paton family for this horrific incident, as the winter chill continues to bite us all in the most worst imaginable ways possible.