Chris Conway

Ashley sacks Chris Hughton

2010-12-08T15:39:00.000-08:00

“The club wishes him [Chris Hughton] well for the future.

“Regrettably the board now feels that an individual with more managerial experience is needed to take the club forward.”

After taking charge of a team scarred by the train-wreck of a relegation season, getting them back up in style and consolidating on that season by providing fans with a solid, if inconsistent, start back to life in the Premier League, Chris Hughton now find's his name added to the managerial casualty list adorned above the managers dugout at St James’ Park.

On that list he sits amongst the likes of Sir Bobby Robson, Sam Allardyce, Glenn Roeder and more recently Alan Shearer.

He will always be thought of fondly by the toon army, especially after the hammering of Sunderland and the great away win at Arsenal this season.

The bookies would probably argue he lasted longer than expected, but a club which has skirted turmoil religiously over the past 5 years, seemed to have finally found a calming influence. Yes, he was inexperienced within the managerial game. Yes he was quiet, reserved and collected, but Hughton brought these qualities to the dugout selflessly.

And they were just what Newcastle United and the fans needed after the turmoil of relegation.

A former coach at Tottenham Hotspur, he is a man who never once complained publicly about the fact he was poorly paid by Mike Ashley or that he wasn’t given a lavish war chest to spend in the transfer window.

In fact he was shoved to one side increasingly in the build up to his sacking. He needed a new number two. He wasn’t given one. He required a contract extension. He was fobbed off.

But, he got the team playing for each other again. Jonas Gutierrez even remarked publicly he preferred playing for Hughton than Diego Maradona. Other than punching Gamst-Pederson, Joey Barton looked a reformed man, with Hughton the first manager to get the best out of him since his £5.8 million transfer from Manchester City in June 2007.

Kevin Nolan, his captain, is in great goal-scoring form, as is Andy Carroll – two players who’ve thrived under Hughton’s management.

It has emerged that Chris took training on Monday as normal, before being summoned to St James’ Park to receive the news that his services were no longer required. A testament to his qualities as a manager, that when he bumped into Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton in reception – rather than rant about what had just happened – he simply told them to carry on playing, and to make sure they did themselves proud by having a good season.

He even stood talking to a few fans who were milling around the ground, regardless of the fact that his car was waiting or that there was a pack of photographers snapping away.

It was always going to be an uphill struggle for Hughton. He was a manager who fans had been sceptical of at the start of his reign, but as he stepped outside the Gallowgate end on Monday to climb into the car that would take him away from St James’ Park for the last time, everybody in the North East watched on heavy-hearted.

The actions of Mike Ashley this week suggest he and Llambias have been waiting for the right moment to replace Chris, giving chaos the nod to rear its ugly head again at St James’ Park.

Everybody liked him. The players loved him, the fans respected his results and the media appreciated his straight up style. He was laying the foundations for the next few seasons.

As his car drove off, fans would be forgiven for wondering if Newcastle’s new found calm was sat next to Hughton in the backseat. And as Hughton disappeared out of view up Barrack Road, they remained, stood in the shadow of St James’ Park, completely unsure as to who would be the man to carry on the building job started off by Chris Hughton.

Mel comes back in from the Edge...of Darkness

2010-06-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

Dark. Gritty. Foreboding. Or certainly what Warner Bros’ Edge of Darkness was intended to be. To say it isn’t all three of those is both unfair and does a disservice to director Martin Campbell – who yet again delivers a film that is driven not only by action, but by raw emotions too.

Starring Mel Gibson (Mad Max, Lethal Weapon, What Women Want) and Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast, 44 inch chest, The Departed) Edge of Darkness tells the story of Boston detective Thomas Craven who, having just welcomed his estranged daughter back into his home, sees her gunned down in mysterious circumstances.

Everybody, the Boston PD included, assume that the bullet was meant for him. Seems like a pretty open and shut case doesn’t it? Find the shooter and make him pay? Pretty much, except Craven’s daughter was having nose-bleeds and vomiting violently up until she died and upon investigation, Craven finds a gun amongst his daughters belongings. Now there really is a mystery to solve…

Edge of Darkness was never designed by Martin Campbell to redesign the thriller genre. It knows its limitations and sticks within its limits. Yes, it may not be as gritty as the trailer above makes it out to be. And yet for all it does indeed have limitations, it also has masses of strengths, one being the terrific chemistry between Gibson and Winstone. They have very little time together on screen, but when they do, you know it.

Simple scenes, not particularly full of tension, yet you simply cannot take your eyes off their pair. Their dialogue is perfect and makes it feel as if they’re playing an intricate game of cat and mouse – one wrong word and the guns will be out – even though they’re discussing very ordinary things such as whiskey and children.

It also has to be said that Warner Bros’ made the perfect decision to give the directorial hot-seat to Martin Campbell (of Casino Royale fame). He is a man that knows just how to manage emotion, blend it with action, and yet still retain sentiment that carries throughout the entire film. It is all about Craven’s love for his daughter and there can be no more powerful an emotion than the love between a parent and child and this is what the audience is privy to, albeit in between a gun fight and a tense scene or two.

Edge of Darkness doesn’t offer anything groundbreaking and at times the dialogue and script are pretty simplistic. “Everything is illegal in Massachusetts,” is a line spoken too often, but it can easily be overlooked as there is plenty of other great dialogue (especially from Winstone) to keep the audience interested. It should also be noted that if you think this film will be like Liam Neeson’s Taken and offer wall to wall violence, then you are very much mistaken.

It is about a corporate conspiracy that an ordinary, grieving father (albeit a detective – they can never just be a plumber or a salesman can they?) sets out to try and break in order to get some justice for his daughter. Like most movie conspiracies, this one does indeed go all the way to the top.

The film itself is not too long, its engaging and will keep you watching throughout. There are some fantastic fight scenes in it, some great camera work and a fantastic score that even Hanz Zimmer would be proud of.

It was nice too to see Mel Gibson back doing what he does best. Acting. Yes he’s made some awful mistakes in the past and some of you may not like him or his choice of movies over the years, but I would advise you to put that aside and give this film a watch. It wont redefine cinema, if you don’t particularly like Gibson then it probably wont sway you opinion of him.

But you know what? It may just entertain you.

Behind the scenes of SoccerAM LIVE 1

2010-04-05T05:06:00.000-07:00

The day of my first live show. I made sure I got up for 5.45am, so that’d I’d be into the SoccerAm studios for 7am and so that I could help move the props onto the set, as well as greeting the ‘fans’ when they eventually arrived.

By fans, I mean the eight supporters that sit in the ‘Luther Blissett Stand’ each week. I wasn’t sure what the team was that week, and as they appeared at the main gate, my heart pounded a little bit. I could make out lots of red and white stripes on their kits.

Oh god, Sunderland fans!

Terrific, just what I need being a Newcastle fan. All the comments from them and I’d have to look after them and see to their needs throughout the entire show. Just fantastic…

Then I spotted my saving grace. The kit sponsor was FlyBe.com, not a gambling one, which meant instead of greeting awful Sunderland fans, I was collecting nice calm and well mannered Southampton fans.

What a relief that was! Well they weren’t calm for one thing. They’d been out on the drink the night before in central London and some of them admitted they were still “absolutely mullered” when I walked them back through the lot and into the studio.

I had to take a few of them to the toilet later on during one of the various ad-breaks and the smell that some of them were making would have made anyone’s eyes water.

Anyway we got them into position and then I made one of my many tea-runs of the morning, taking hot refreshments back to the green room for the ‘celebrity guests’.

This week we had David Haye (when he eventually could be bothered to turn up), Craig David and The Mclean brothers (one is a singer and the other is a striker for Peterbrough Football Club).

I had to get drinks for all of them and both Craig David and The McLean’s were fantastic.

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but David Haye on the other hand was downright rude.

I asked him what I could get him to drunk and he tutted at me, didn’t look at me and just shrugged and said: “water, yeah?” No please, thank you or anything.

Then, one of his entourage (and there were about eight of them) shouted at me: “Oi, you fucking cunt, go and get me a cooked breakfast. Now!”

As a geordie boy, I’d heard the rumour that people down south were occasionally a bit rude, but this guy was taking the biscuit – literally!

I didn’t know what to do, should I have told him to fuck off?! I didn’t, instead I went up to the canteen and attempted to get the man the fry up he was obviously in such desperate need of – given that he was at least 16 stone and had already used the C-Word towards me. I didn’t want to anger him further.

However, by the time I’d got there it was gone 11am and they’d stopped serving cooked breakfasts in the canteen. Hmm, what to do?

I went back down and suffered another torrent of abuse and again, the C-Word was used, except this time instead of a fry up, he wanted me to go and fill him a carrier bag full of chocolate and crisps from the canteen.

I would’ve called this guy a diva, but he was way too butch to be a diva. I wanst going to mess with him.

Anyway, I did that and thankfully this time I wasn’t branding a useless f***ing C***. Oh the relief.

I then got to escort the Soccerette into the studio and place her beyond the ‘Fox in the Box’ doors, ready for Mr Rushden to reveal her after the ad-break concluded in 4,3,2,1…

“RIGHT, ITS 11 O’CLOCK AND YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS? BUSINESS TIME! ITS TIME TO REVEAL OUR 21^ST CENTURY FOX IN THE BOX…”

Out popped Dalia Hilmi wearing an arsenal shirt and some very skimpy shorts.

She was FIT and had a great accent, but unfortunately was one of the poorer Soccerette’s as she didn’t really get it and Tubes, Rocket and myself began to wonder if she’d actually ever watched the show before?

Anyway, after that I was then asked by one of the producers to get Max a tea. Not in the way I described it though. As I was stood taking to Tubes, Rocket and Bobbie (one of the shows ‘Brown Coat Men’) Simon grabbed me by the arm and pulled me away from them.

What he said to me then went like this: “Right, you can’t stand here, you stand over there at all times unless someone gives you a job to do, and actually, Max needs a tea right now, so go yeah?!”

I expected to be given the rubbish jobs to do, but I’m not an idiot, did he really need to speak to me like that?!

I got Max his tea and as I was stood where Simon had told me I was to “stand at all times” Tubes, Bobbie, Rocket and Steve came over and explained to me that Simon was a clever guy at producing, but unfortunately he hadn’t quite mastered the BA Hons course in people skills. That made me feel a little better and a little calmer, and it was good of the guys to do this.

I got to have a crack at the hole of glory later on after the Saints fans had had their go and after about 22 attempts I managed to get a ball through the hole… but by that point they’d turned the smoke and cameras off.

Then before I knew it, the show had finished and everyone was heading off either to go to bed, to the pub or to the gym. The praise I got off everyone was terrific and although I hadn’t really done anything production related, I’d ran around for about four hours, so I was ready for a nap myself.

It was a terrific experience though seeing how the show was put together ‘Live’ and was really interesting to watch.

I did wonder as I headed home if my second week could possibly top my first full week in the world of SoccerAM?

And you know what… you’ll have to wait until the next blog to find out!

Life in the world of Soccer AM –Week 1

2010-03-31T16:18:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Richmond, London, late Sunday afternoon and as my weeks at Sky Sports would be from Tuesday until Saturday, I figured I might as well head into London on Monday and see some sights. Get out of the Goldfish Bowl as a certain Mr T Bowles would tell me.

And yes, I did do all the typical touristy sights before I returned back to my room in St Margaret’s to get an early night, ready for my first day in the work ex world of Sky Sports.

************

TUESDAY:

So, after a short train journey, I arrived at the Sky Sports complex in Twickenham.

After explaining to the security guard on the gatehouse that I was there on work experience, he gave me my pass and signed me in.

Before long two sports runners came and collected me, and two other lads who were also beginning work ex placements and we did the tour. We saw Sky News, Sky Graphics, the props department and SkySports.com. It is literally like a military base in the middle of Twickenham.

After that I was told I would be working on the production of Soccer AM for the next two weeks which meant I’d be working with Rushden, Tubes, Rockett, Helen and Baby Elvis. Fantastic.

I was then made to do the mandatory ‘Health & Safety’ training. Fantastic! Not! 'Health&Safety' weren't around to make it fun either...

Still, the two runners were sound and upon discovering that the safety induction programming wasn’t working, they closed down the website and told me that if anyone asked to say I’d done the training and they’d cover for me as long as I didn’t do anything stupid like nail myself to the floor or touch a plug socket with wet hands.

So far, so good…

The afternoon basically consisted of pottering around the Soccer AM office and running tapes backwards and forwards between the office and the Sky Sports Archive library.

Whilst in the office I got to meet Tubes, Rockett, Steve, Scott and Bobbie (the prop master) as well as Max Rushden.

Bobbie was sound and pretty much took me under his wing from the off, giving me jobs to do and people to speak to, whilst mocking my accent. He also asked me if I fancied going with him straight from the office that night to play football with him and the rest of the team.

I was immediately conflicted. I really wanted to, but I am woefully bad at football and therefore there was the potential for me to make myself look a prat.

After a good 30 seconds of consideration, I said yes. Although I did warn him I was bad and emphasised it again when Bobbie laughed by saying: “No, I’m not being modest, I am actually shit”.

I’m a firm believer that honesty is always the best policy.

I also had a slight problem. I didn’t have any kit with me or boots to play in, but that was soon solved as Bobbie delved into the props cupboard.

Sorted… well almost, I just needed boots.

Then the most bizarre thing happened. Rushden called me over and produced a pair of very old Adidas boots.

“There you go. You’re a Geordie boy; these were Peter Beardsley’s from Italia 90. I’m sure you’ll do him and the boots proud tonight.”

Oh how little you know of me Mr Rushden.

We played football, my team got beat but just to clarify, Rocket has unbelievable ‘tekkers’!

Overall a great first day in the world of SoccerAM.

*************

Wednesday:

My second day in the world of SoccerAm was fairly quiet.

By quiet I mean I sat and watched them gather together footage from League 1 and 2 as well as heading over to an Edit suite to see how the ‘Team-Mates’ segment is edited down. This week the club was Blackburn Rovers and to be honest it wasn’t the greatest ‘team-mates’ I’ve ever seen. Still, it was interesting enough.

Back in the office I learnt to duck fast as Tubes and Baby Elvis blasted a pink Aston Villa football back and forth between them. I suppose this is the normal behaviour in an office that lives and breathes football 24/7.

The day passed quietly enough with me finishing off the day being locked in an edit suite with Baby Elvis and a senior editor (who shall remain nameless) listening to them talk about performing ‘sex-acts’ shall we say on ladies with a rather large amount of hair down below.

I digress, but to say I wasn’t learning a lot on this placement would be an understatement…

***************

Thursday:

The highlight of the morning in the SoccerAM office had to be when they got 17 cases of ‘Frijj’ milkshake delivered for free off their sponsor.

The downside of the free milky refreshment arrival was that I was given the job of unpacking all 17 cases and finding refrigerated homes for it all.

From there I was finally allowed into the ‘Props Cupboard’ which is like an lair of football related memorabilia and free footballing products manufacturers want advertised on the show.

One such trinket I found really impressed me. I picked them up and couldn’t believe my eyes. I looked over my shoulder to make sure no one was behind me and immediately began to try them on.

They were a cosy fit, but the fine stitching and gold finish made them worth it. No, I’m talking about Manchester United’s famous number 11, Ryan Giggs’ new boots.

The boots were made by Reebok to commemorate his 800^th performance for United and I’m not going to lie, they were terrific. If I could’ve, I would have tried to smuggle them out of the SoccerAm office, but the place is like Fort Knox when it comes to free goods. I mean, they count how many Fox-In-The-Box t-shirts they have at the end of each day, just to make sure no ones been too handy whilst in the props cupboard.

Who knows what would happen if they turned up one short?

Steve Sutcliffe aka ‘Fernando Steven’ also pulled out a great Anti-Arsenal chant in response to some banter with Bobbie (who is an arsenal fan) after a brief spot of lunch, shouting this as loud as he could across the office: “With a packet of sweets, and a cheeky smile, Arsene Wenger is a F***ing paedophile”.

In the afternoon I was involved in scouting a location to be used in a sketch they were filming which spoofed the news story that Manchester United’s Ji-Sung Park apparently drank Frog Juice as a youngster.

Times were obviously tough in South Korea back in the 90’s!

*********

Friday:

The final day before the live show, and what a day it turned out to be. Absolute chaos on set.

I was literally running around like a blue-arsed fly all day.

The day started off well enough. I met Ms SoccerAM, Helen Chamberlain and she was fantastic! Not quite as fantastic as Ms Thompson, but she gives a cracking hug and really made me feel welcome. Also, because she drives an Aston Martin she therefore gets a bonus mark for having good taste in cars!

I then was able to sit on the SoccerAm sofa, which is surprisingly uncomfortable, and watch as they shot ‘Our man in a caff’. It was great to see it being put together, even if Trev’s accent was a bit off the mark at times.

I was then lucky enough to be chauffer driven into Hounslow High Street later which is one of the nicest places in the UK I’ve ever been to.

I lie, it’s a right dump. The driver even locked our doors at one set of traffic lights, although I think that may have been more to do with the fact he was a bit unhinged than anything to do with the area, as I’m sure when I first got in the car to meet him, he growled at me?!

Later on in the afternoon I then got to play the part of ‘Dahlia’ the Soccerette as they did the run through. I can honestly say there is nothing quite like telling Max Rushden you’re a 32 DD in front of an audience of strangers, under hot lighting before being made to limbo whilst balancing a ball on your pair of imaginary breasts, to make you feel welcomed within the working environment.

This was followed by more running around before I eventually got home at about 10pm.

Quick sleep before heading back into the office for 7am, ready for the live show…

The next blog on how being in the studio for the live show went will follow shortly. Check back and give it a read...

Is FACEBOOK taking over?

2009-07-05T14:16:00.000-07:00

A news article today really caught my attention and led me to believe that some individuals within the world really are using Facebook too much...

According to the report, the British Government is currently deciding whether it should still appoint Sir John Sawers as head of MI6 after it came out that his wife had leaked details of his personal information on her Facebook profile page.

MI6 is the Secret Intelligence Service and conducts spying missions across the globe on behalf of the UK Government.

Sawers wife, Lady Shelly Sawers, posted photos of their holidays online, along with information such as personal email addresses and the location of the London flat used by the couple, as well as the location of the MI6 Chief-to be's parents home.

She also posted work information and addresses for their children.

Crying out for a kidnap attempt if you ask me, but then again I'm no spook.

Honestly, you would think after having a husband involved in the spy trade for so long, she would have realised what she can and cannot post online. Most people I'm sure wouldn't know who he is, but I bet Osama Bin Laden and co. definitely does.

I mean, if this hadnt been spotted, what would her status' have been over time?

Can you imagine?

"Shelley Sawers: hopes her wonderful hubby doesnt get the sack after he failed to stop Al-Qaeda bombing London!"

or how about this one:

"Shelley Sawers: is off out for a meal at Nando's in Oxford Street to celebrate her hubby getting his new job as head of MI6."

I mean what will come next? Her husbands office address, or pictures of him in his office at MI6 HQ?

An investigation is set to be launched and it really needs to be - mind you, if this instance is anyting to go by, there'll be every chance that the person assigned to head the investagtion will get his wife to announce that on Facebook too.

This for me goes down as one of the stupidest things to do in all time, although John 'Canoe' Darwin also springs to mind.

"John Darwin: is just off to fake his Canoe accident death, then jetting off to Panama with the Mrs to buy a penthouse apartment" was probably his status at the time...

I doubt Osama Bin Laden and his wife even have facebook, given that theres nowhere to plug a broadband router in whilst in a cave in the hills of Afghanistan, so why do our spy chiefs need it?

Yet more evidence that the world has gone Facebook mad...

Stirred, not shaken...

2009-07-01T10:13:00.000-07:00

The famous 007 intro

After rewatching the latest Bond installment, 'Quantum of Solace', I was still left with a bitter taste in my mouth. I'm not criticising the film, it's one of the best Bond's ever made. However, as a direct sequel to 'Casino Royale' - as it was touted to be, it falls far short.

What Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli did with 'Casino Royale' after the mediocre 'Die Another Day' completely rejuvenated the tired franchise.

Hiring Brit actor Daniel Craig to play the famous 007 was an inspired choice. He played him as a sensitive, human, cold-blooded and hard nosed secret agent, if such a thing is possible.

The critics rejoiced. James Bond was back and he was bolder, better and more brutal than ever. Casino Royale won awards in droves and was the most financially successful Bond movie ever. After such a success, surely the next Bond would be even better?

Yes, on a financial footing it was. Quantum of Solace is currently the most successful 007 movie ever, however critically, it failed to live up to Casino Royale, leaving critics certainly stirred, but definitely not shaken.

It also left loyal 007 fans in a predicament. After watching Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, who really is their favourite James Bond to date?

Agent James Bond, 007, first hit cinema screens across the globe in the early 60's and was then played by Scottish actor, Sean Connery. Connery's five films were based entirely on Ian Flemnings novels and featured Connery playing Bond as a cold, calculating agent, who had no qualms about hitting a women.

Connery starred in Dr No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball and You Only Live Twice (although he was later enticed back to play bond in Diamonds are Forever).

He is widely regarded by 007 fans as the best James Bond to date.

Will Daniel Craig, the latest 007, be able to knock Connery off the top-spot and win over his legions of loyal fans?

Next up to take the reigns of 007 was Australian model George Lazenby. Lazenby played Bond one time only in 'On her Majesty's Secret Service'.

Knocked by the critics and fans alike, Lazenby is generally considered to be the worst bond to date.

However, this seems a little unfair, as the direction he took Bond was similar to the one Daniel Craig is currently taking. In fact 'OHMSS' and Casino Royale are somewhat similar in plot.

For me, Lazenby played the role well, but had a hard act to follow in Connery and for the time, the audience were not looking for a super-serious spy, just an entertaining one. It was rumored that Lazenby was sacked, but he in fact walked away, having not enjoyed his time on the 007 project.

That left Cubby Broccoli in a predicament. Who was next to play the elusive spy? An actor of sophistication, cunning and the trates that would identify him as the quintessentially British hero, was needed. Struggling to come up with fresh blood, Broccoli turned back to Connery and managed to lure him back to the role for one last film.

Diamonds are Forever was a massive financial success and once again, 007 was a hit with his legions of fans. The search was now on for another new 007.

Now early 70's, another Brit was cast in the role of James Bond. Roger Moore, famous for cult TV show 'The Saint', took the role of 007 - a role he would get to make his own over a 12 year period.

Taking Bond in a lighter direction, Moore is remembered for 'camping' Bond up and for playing the spy in a more relaxed manner.

Moore starred in Live & Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy who loved me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and A View to a Kill.

By the time Moore retired from the role he was 58, far too old to continue playing Bond.

He is favoured amongst the fans for making 007 entertaining again, however one wonders if this was simply because he played the role for such an extended period?

Although Moore did very well and all of his 007 films were a commercial success, it was felt by those behind Bond, that whoever took over the role next would need to be a lot darker and more driven, to make the role of 007 a serious one again.

Timothy Dalton was the next actor to wear 007's dinner suit. Luckily for him there were no bald baddies with white cats this time. Dalton was actually fighting spies from the USSR in his first Bond movie, The Living Daylights and was out for revenge (again similar to Daniel Craig's bond) in License to Kill.

Dalton was the epitome of Flemning's Bond. He was ruthless, cold, calculating, efficient and quick-witted. Above all, he was deadly and unflinching.

Bond was back to his brutal ways again. The public loved it and again, commercially, Dalton's two films were very successful.

Dalton wanted to do a 3rd film after the success of License to Kill in 1989, however, no script was available and producers felt they had exhausted the original source material. It looked like it was the end for James Bond....

Pierce Brosnan was hired in 1996 to bring 007 back to life. He starred in Goldeneye, which was a huge box-office success.

He went on to star in Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, all of which were completely original films.

Brosnan played 007 as a cold blooded killer, who was suave, sophisticated and certainly debonair.

In this respect he was immensely popular with fans all over the world and is considered to be one of the best Bond's to date.

But who is the favourite?

After Brosnan left the role of 007, Producers decided to take Bond back to his roots and for the first time ever, they filmed Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig.

Craig demonstrated that Bond could be both cold and ruthless, yet human at the same time, and as a result, won over a legion of Bond fans and is quickly getting underway to uproot Sean Connery and take his spot as the favourite 007 ever.

Craig is contracted to make two more 007 films and if they're anywhere near as successful as his first two, then he will definitely be a hard act to follow for whoever replaces him.

***********************

So who is the best bond?
For me, it's Daniel Craig, closely followed by Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Roger Moore - in that order. Just my opinion and I'm sure everyone has that list in a different order.

One thing is sure however, Bond will continue to enthrall for decades to come. Women will still want to be with him and men will still want to be him.

With such a steady success rate in the past, a great actor in Daniel Craig and great plans for the future of the franchise, there is no doubt that James Bond will continue to leave audiences shaken, not stirred for years to come....

SIR ALAN SET TO BECOME BROWN'S APPRENTICE?

2009-06-04T10:01:00.001-07:00

Sir Alan Sugar, best described by husky BBC voice over man as: "Britain's most Beleaguered boss" and known to the masses throughout the UK as the bloke who shouts "You're Fired" at 9.57pm every Wednesday, is rumoured to be getting his very own apprenticeship - in Primeminister Gordon Brown's Labour Cabinet.

The Star of cult BBC1 show "The Apprentice" was photographed slipping out of 10 Downing Street on Thursday June 4, after apparently meeting Gordon Brown.

I say 'slipping' very loosely. After all, how can a national TV star, in front of a thrall of press photographers, who motors around in a blacked-out Rolls Royce with the private plate "AMS 1", slip anywhere?

He may be small in size, but these days Alan Sugar can't buy a sandwich without someone spotting him.

He is trendy though... He's the only pensioner I know that can pull off a skinny tie with a suit and rolls in a car with bigger alloys and a darker tint than 50 Cent!

Brown & Sugar have been friends for years, and after a series of political and expense indiscretions from his cabinet, Brown is keen to reassert his authority within the Labour party and quash any plans to call for a general election.

I'm not sure hiring a TV star is a tried and tested way to do it though, and I'd be interested to see if Sugar is put through the same rigorous application process he puts his so called 'Apprentices' (more like half-wit's based on this years dross) through?

So far, Gordon Brown doesn't seem to have the bottle to give it the big "Your Fired" finger like Sir Alan. Perhaps that's what he was teaching Brown at Downing Street, because "Don't do it again or you'll have to resign" doesn't seem to have the same ring to it.

A Downing Street spokesman gave the expected and pretty predictable response of: "He's a member of the Business Council and the prime minister has meetings with businessmen on a regular basis."

I never expected a confession, but this could have sounded a bit more convincing. Mind you, there is a credit crunch. Perhaps Downing Street Press Officers aren't getting paid what they used to?

Sir Alan also gave a predictable response, however his was far more outspoken and energetic, as we've all come to expect from the Amstrad Giant (I say Giant, I'm using juxtaposition for sarcastic purposes here. Alan Sugar is actually 5ft 6in tall and therefore is not a 'Giant').

He said: "It’s none of your business."

Although it is yet to be confirmed, if Sir Alan did take a role within Gordon Brown's cabinet after the expected reshuffle, he would also have to take a seat in the House of Lords.

Somehow, I doubt they'd allow Sir Alan's trusty aides Nick & Margaret or his controversial booster seat in there.....

For more information on Sir Alan Sugar's Booster Chair, go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1021278/Alan-Sugar-DOES-booster-seat-weve-got-picture-prove-it.html

SPARE A THOUGHT....

2009-04-05T14:43:00.000-07:00

Stress as a word is used frequently within social circles, working environments and on most Premier League football pitches.

It is a word that most of us say at least once each day. We’ve come to accept its use, almost as easily as we accept friends into our homes. Does this mean it is now more readily acceptable within society?

Possibly. Possibly not.

However stress, and more specifically anxiety, will at some point in our lives, affect 1 in 6 of us! Those figures are somewhat shocking – that means that one person within my close group of friends (There are 6 of us, for those of you reading that aren’t so quick with the math) will be affected by anxiety, panic attacks or depression at some point in their lives.

I recently read an article within the ForgePress, which featured a weeks worth of diary entries of a person suffering from anxiety and depression. To say that this person was suffering from a debilitating illness would be ignorant on my part. They were not just suffering from a debilitating illness, but a crippling one.

They spoke of not being able to eat, sleep, socialise, have sex, concentrate, at times move, or to go about the most basic, primal, routines that we all do everyday and take for granted, for example, brushing their teeth and having breakfast.

These poignant diaries made me think, quite a lot actually. Although these problems are identified under the umbrella term “Mental Health Issues”, are people now more accepting of such “issues”?

Partly yes and partly no.

Although there seems to be less of stigma attached to those suffering from anxiety – at one point in time they would have been deemed “mentals” and told to get on with it– more can still be done to educate those non-sufferers on how they can support those suffering from it, or even simply what anxiety is, what causes it and how it can be treated.

Organisations such as Anxiety UK have been set up to help those suffering and gratitude needs to indeed be paid to such organisations and their representatives for challenging head on a condition that is probably best described as an uphill race for those unfortunate enough to be suffering.

Most people will overcome the condition and go on to live happy, fulfilled lives. Often treatment is delivered in the form of Anti-Depressant drugs (which control the effects of panic attacks and help to manage the chemical imbalance in the brain which causes anxiety) & CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) sessions.

We often hear of money being raised for cancer charities, obesity and the like, yet rarely do we hear of money being raise/donated to anxiety and mental health charities – and this needs to change. The NHS in the UK has only a limited budget and more can be done to help those who are affected.

Don’t forget, according to Anxiety UK, 13% of the population will, at some point in their lives, develop a form of anxiety.

Not that I’m wishing it on anyone, but as Mystic Meg used to say: it could be you!

I’m aware I’ve used the word suffering far too often in this blog, I feel it is the most appropriate word to use, given that I’ve witnessed first hand the effects of anxiety and depression within a close friend and let me assure you, it isn’t pleasant.

Far too many people use the term “depressed” when in actual fact they simply mean they’re feeling a bit rubbish. This needs to stop. It trivialises depression and makes it harder for those actually suffering from depression to be taken seriously.

Thankfully there are increasing numbers of people who do understand and are more understanding of anxiety, panic and depression. This needs to continue if we are ever to win the battle with one of the least understood, yet most serious illnesses that plagues increasing numbers of us in society.

If you're suffering from anxiety, panic or depression, look on the following websites for advice:

http://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/

http://www.nopanic.org.uk/

"...Why Aye Man..."

2009-02-28T15:31:00.000-08:00

Being at University in Sheffield, I’m often given stick* for my Geordie accent. I’m also often told that the song Newcastle United run out onto the pitch to at St James’ Park, sounds like the sort of music that would feature in a soft porn movie on digital TV Channel 46....

I definitely and rather obviously, do not agree with this.

I do wonder though, have any of those that do give me stick* ever been up North and seen Newcastle upon Tyne?

They really should, as Newcastle is a reet canny* place. Drive a further 13 miles north of Newcastle, and what people often don’t realise, is that will put you in the heart of Northumberland – a diverse county that offers new towns, modern shopping precincts, while also offering sandy beaches that stretch for miles, forests, reservoirs, valleys – to name but a few. It is still incredibly rural.

Don’t worry, you won’t find me saying “Oh Newcastle is a faraway land, filled with magic and wonder. It makes hearts pound, it is filled with wonderful people and is a land of great mystic prosper. It has beaches of gold, rivers of silver blah, blah, blah….” because that would be a blatant lie.

To get started, let me ask you this, how many famous people do you know that are from the North East? Ant & Dec don’t count as everyone knows them.

How many? Three, possibly four and maybe even five at a push?

Let me enlighten you with a few names you’re most likely to know. Ant & Dec, Sir Bobby Robson, Alan Shearer, Steve Bruce, Mark Knopfler, Cheryl Tweedy/Cole, Jimmy Nail, Tim Healy, Catherine Cookson, Denise Welch, Jackie Milburn, Sting, Eric Idle, Paul Gascoigne, Peter Beardsley, Chris Rea, Ross Noble, Ridley Scott, Jill Halfpenny, Roy Chubby Brown, Robson Green, Bobby & Jack Charlton, George Stephenson, Rowan Atkinson, Ian La Frenais, Bryan Ferry, Hank Marvin, Wendy Craig and Kevin Whately.

Give or take a few of those names, there is an awful lot of talent that started from Northern roots.

Newcastle city centre is a sight in itself. Not only do we have a mix of old and new, but it’s done in such a way that people are proud of it. Walk down across the Tyne Bridge and onto Newcastle’s quayside and you’ll see The Sage. A venue that was built using Lottery foundation money and is now home to classical music performance groups from around the region, as well as further afield. It really does look magnificent. Nestled on the banks of the Gateshead side of the River Tyne (or the Big River as Jimmy Nail sings), it can literally be seen for miles – much like the Angel of the North, another landmark that receives visitors from afar all the time. Finally, Newcastle looks cool. It is still rural enough that the Town Moor (Massive fields in the city centre owned by farmers) still even has cows that continue to live on it.

One final landmark to mention, other than the palatial St James’ Park of course, is the infamous Tyne Bridge. It is an exact replica of the one in Sydney, Australia and even features prominently on the label of a bottle of Dog (Newcastle Brown Ale).

Enough of landmarks. The nightlife in Newcastle is fantastic. I’m biased, but everyone I know who has been on a night out there has also said the same thing. Why is this, after all most of the bars and clubs are similar to those of other big cities? I can only think it’s the Geordie people who make it what it is – a quality destination with a vibrant, cosmopolitan nightlife that continues to both impress and win awards nationally. I know of no other city where one minute you can be in a Hip Hop/R & B club and then the next be down looking over the River Tyne while sipping cocktails in class company.

Then in the morning in an effort to shrug off the hangover you can go for a walk along Northumberland’s coast – even feeling the sand in between your toes if you take your shoes and socks off (although you’ve got to watch for the odd needle or two, as you’re in the North East, not the Costa del Sol) - at multiple destinations, including Whitely Bay, South Shields or Seaton Sluice. I’d recommend Seaton Sluice as the “chippy” there is great.

The scenery, the people, the architecture are all so fantastic that TV and Films have been set here including: Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Goal!, Purely Belter, Billy Elliot and Our Friends in the North (which featured a very young pre 007 Daniel Craig). How many other cities throughout England, minus London, can stake such a claim?

We have a football team which, although going through a turbulent patch at the moment, is remembered most notably for the years when Newcastle United went by another name: Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers. We even almost bagged a win in the Premiership back in 1996. Those days are still looked fondly upon by every single member of the toon army – ever hopeful of a nostalgic comeback, much to the amusement of our rivals. We don’t care though, we love our team, or as Bobby Robson poignantly puts it: “Like the people of Newcastle, I bleed Black and White.”

Why do Geordies love where they come from and their football team so much?

Snubbing Manchester United for Newcastle was a precarious move, but Shearer pinpointed the exact answer to the question in saying: “The lure of playing for my home town club in the black and white shirt with the number nine shirt just proved too much and probably everyone outside Newcastle will find that hard to understand, but if you ask a Geordie who has been brought up in Newcastle kicking a ball around in a black and white shirt all his life to go back and play for them, then they will understand just as I did.”

Newcastle United is possibly one of the only clubs in the Premier League that has an Ex-manager who also attempted pop superstardom back in 1979 with the release of a hit single that reached 31 in the charts. Hit it KK!

Newcastle United have regular support of 52,000 Geordies week in and week out and there are scores more ready to step up should they get the chance to. Looking back at the list of famous Geordies, a few have them have been lucky enough to get the opportunity to play for and even manage Newcastle United.

Howay* the lads!

But why is Newcastle so special?

People such as Kevin Keegan, Bobby Robson, Alan Shearer and even Joe Kinnear are often quoted as saying there is something special about Newcastle and how fantastic its people are. Since moving away to Sheffield I’ve figured out exactly what it is.

It’s where I come from – it’s my home...

Laern Yarsel Geordie:
*Stick = having jokes made towards one
*Reet Canny = Right Good
*Howay = Come On