Royal Wedding Piece to Camera

Progress through the multimedia unit

I am now at the end of this multimedia unit of the first semester and I have learned a lot. I have learnt to structure my print stories better using the "Pyramid" technique. Also, when writing print stories I have made my writing style simpler by shortening sentences and avoiding jargon. While writing for print I learnt how to write to deadlines which is very important for a career in journalism. I have made great progress in using the internet. My twitter account allows me to post my blog to all my followers. I can now use SoundCloud and YouTube to add audio and video to my blog respectively. Plus, I use keywords in my blog posts to reach a larger audience.

The longer the semester has gone on, the more comfortable I am with using Adobe software. I feel at ease when using Adobe InDesign, which we used for our newspaper assignments. Once you use the software a few times, you can make your work look amazing. While editing our TV Piece 2 Camera assignment, I used Adobe Premier Pro which again is easy to use, making editing easy.

I feel I could have posted more audio and video content to my blog instead of print. I also think that despite working in a radio station prior to this course, I believe my radio voice could be improved. My speed of talking is good but my voice delivery could be improved. I think my TV Piece to Camera assignment could have been improved because while talking to the camera I was nervous, thus causing me to become very hesitant while speaking.

An example of poor marketing

I was in a newsagents the other day and saw that Men's Health magazine were doing a "Fitness Special"

As opposed to.......................?

At last, England hit a big score in the Ashes

I checked BBC Sport earlier, like I usually do in the morning. Usually on a Monday morning there are match reports from the weekend Premiership matches and not much else.


But today was different. What I saw was the England cricket team hit a mammoth record-braking score against Australia in the Ashes. The Three Lions finally declared on 517 for 1, with our top three batsmen Andrew Strauss, Alistair Cook and Jonathan Trott all hitting centuries. I couldn't believe my eyes. 


After the third day's play, Australia were in a commanding position, leading by 221 runs after both teams finished their first innings. From this position, England teams of old would have simply rolled over and lose the match by an innings. But this England team is different. Under Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss, England have gelled into a tough, resilient unit. Instead of letting Australia win with ease, Strauss, Cook and Trott put the Aussies to the sword, breaking many records along the way. 


I was shocked at the score England produced simply because I was expecting a batting collapse. Usually when the opponents make batting easy, we struggle in the most typical English way. But thankfully I was proved wrong and this surely sends a signal to the Aussies that this England team will fight to the death, unlike previous sides.


What particularly pleased me was the double century by opening batsmen Alistair Cook. Cook came into the Ashes series with pundits saying he should be dropped from the side. But what a response he made. His wonderful 235 not out was even sweeter because this was his first ever first-class double century. What a time to get it!


The way England fought back from certain defeat has confirmed my prediction that England will win the Ashes. This England side are a match for anyone nowadays and I'm looking forward to writing some blogs about some England victories.

What a waste of time, Fraudley

I was looking forward to the David Haye vs Audley Harrison fight on Saturday.


And then I watched it.


It was an absolute waste of time and money and I feel sorry for the viewers who paid £15 to watch it on Sky Box Office. I'm not blaming David Haye for this, he demolished Harrison in the third round and deserved to retain his belt. But I blame Harrison for the rubbish we all saw the weekend.


In the build-up to the fight, A-Force was saying how winning the fight against Haye was his "destiny." He trained very hard in the mountains in California and was bigger and had a better reach than Haye. It was all gearing up to a great fight, especially with the taunts both fighters gave each other in the press conferences on Sky Sports News. I, like other fans, was really looking forward to it.


But the first two rounds of the fight were just awful, there's no other word for it. It was so negative, there was hardly any punches thrown and I was not surprised about the loud boos after each round. 


Then David Haye came alive and knocked out Harrison in one of the worst mis-matches ever. I don't understand how David Haye, who holds one of the world title belts, can fight someone who is not even in the top three heavyweights in Great Britain, let alone the world. It doesn't exactly make the heavyweight division prestigious knowing that a journeyman who underachieved so badly throughout his career can fight for a world title. Harrison only got a shot because Haye couldn't negotiate with any of the Klitschko brothers and the fact that Harrison just about knocked out Michael Sprott to win the useless European title.


The fight with David Haye sums up Harrison's career. Talk the talk before the fight. But when it comes to boxing, he doesn't walk the walk and never has done.


A-Force. Don't make me laugh.

A very sad state of affairs

Wednesday. 8pm. Pub. Manchester City v Manchester United. A great match in prospect.


End result?


A boring, lethargic 0-0 draw. One of the worst football matches I have ever seen.

In the days leading up to the match,there was the most unbelievable hype shown by the press and the two respective teams. It was all building up to a mega game with lots of goals,controversy, drama and unbelievable skill. At the end of the match, I saw none of these. Not even close.


This match was meant to be the pinnacle of the Barclays Premier League, full of pace, power and ultimately goals. Fans and neutrals were instead subject to absolute rubbish. There were many reasons for this. Firstly, both teams didn't have the ability to pass the ball to their team mates. These are international footballers who struggled to pass throughout the entire match. Also, Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini set up their sides in a 4-5-1 formation, meaning they only played one striker showing both Manchester clubs were very defensive-minded. None of the teams wanted to win the match, they were happy not to lose and happy to settle for a point, a very sad state of affairs.


The match was so drab that the first offside of the match was in the 60th minute. This isn't due to forwards timing their runs well, it's because it was the first time a team got round the back the defence. How can that be right? How can that be right that two very good teams with star players take 60 minutes to get round the back of a defence? It's just not right.


Fans and pundits have been trying to make excuses for why the match was so bad. Some have argued that both sides were not at full strength. This is true but despite this City played Carlos Tevez and David Silva, while United played in-form Dimitar Berbatov and Nani. As a West Ham fan, I would love to have any of those players in my side and it is rubbish to suggest that these players couldn't have produced a match-winning performance and won their side the match.


Premiership, you're having a laugh.

Farnham on rising University fees

Farnham on rising University fees by bwest

Start doing it the the Premiership, Bale

Tottenham's Gareth Bale is once again the main subject of conversation with football fans and pundits. Spurs beat the defending champions Inter Milan 3-1 at White Hart Lane. Bale was the star of the show, as he was in the reverse fixture when he scored a brilliant hat-trick at the San Siro. That night, he left Inter right-back Maicon for dead and set up two goals.

Suddenly everyone from journalists to everyday fans were praising Bale as the best left midfielder in the world and wishing he was eligible for England.

I don't agree.

I'm not denying Bale has been brilliant in the Champions League this season; he has been one of the best players of the competition so far. But in the Premier League, the Welshman has not been as successful. He has only scored two goals and set up none. This is compared to the Champions League where he has scored four goals and assisted six, with four of those in the qualifying stages.

Now Bale played very well against Inter full back Maicon, lauded as one of the best players in the world. However, Maicon, like Dani Alves of Barcelona and Glen Johnson of Liverpool, is a very good attacking full back but is suspect defensively. That is why Bale has had great success in Europe against Inter because Maicon is not very good at defending, leaving Bale room to sprint down the line and whip crosses in. But Bale has a lot of joy playing against defenders who don't attack so much, like Phil Neville of Everton. From what I hear, Neville marked Bale out of the Tottenham vs Everton game played in October. Well, Neville must have been good because he was trending on Twitter!

I think Bale still as a lot to prove before he is even considered a world-class player. Like fellow Welshman Ryan Giggs, Bale needs to be more consistent in the Premier League and win more honours before he is even mentioned in a World XI.

I found my way to Court, without needing to ask directions

Yesterday, I went to a Magistrates Court in Woking. Before then, I never went to a court of any kind so I was intrigued to find out what goes on. It was a great experience sitting in the public gallery and writing notes about the case. But what happened in the court wasn't surprising. You listen to evidence from the prosecution then the defence argues against this and then a verdict. What was surprising though was the journey.

One of my mates drove us to a car park vaguely near the court. However, there was still a fair distance walk to the Magistrates. Now in England there are simply no sign posts directing you to places people actually want to go to, like the cinema. So it was a great surprise that there were signposts directing us to the court. It was amazing. The signs literally directed you where to walk, meaning I didn't get lost, for once.

This brings me on to my next point about signposts in general. If you are driving around the country you are very unlikely to find signs that direct you to other towns. You know you are lost in Great Britain where there is a sign saying, "Town Centre" and you ask, "What town?"

There are also many traffic signs which are a complete waste of money and time. During the summer I genuinely drove past a sign reading, "Sign not in use." Rubbish. What a waste of a sign. Another of my personal favourites is the sign, "Falling rocks." Comedian Jimmy Carr explains this sign perfectly, "Random accidents ahead, life's a lottery. Be lucky." Seriously, what are meant to do with that information? A better idea is simply don't build a road near a collapsing cliff. Simple.

Who will win the Ashes?

All the momentum is with England ahead of the momentous Ashes series Down Under. Australia are in a barren spell, having been defeated seven matches in a row in all formats of the game. This is in contrast to England, who beat Pakistan and Bangladesh in both Test matches and ODI's in the summer, plus England won the ICC World Twenty20 in May, ironically beating the Aussies in the final. So as things stand, England are in a great position to win the Ashes Down Under for the first time since their 2-1 victory in 1986/87.

Despite Australia being on a barren run, they are nevertheless a formidable side to play in their own backyard. The atmosphere and the stadiums are vastly different to what England players are used to when they play for their counties. If the England players get intimidated and let the Aussie crowd get to their heads, I don't see the Three Lions winning. Also, England shouldn't get complacent, because Australia still have some world-class players who could hurt England's chances like Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke, so I wouldn't get the champagne out just yet.

But, overall England are simply a better side than Australia. We have more match winners in our ranks and a bowling attack that has the ability to take the necessary 20 wickets, something I feel that the Aussies will struggle with. This means that if England play to their very highest levels then they will win easily. This Australian team has lost its aura since legends like Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne retired. They have struggled so badly since 2007 that Australia are now fifth in the ICC Test rankings, their lowest position ever.

For once, I genuinely believe that England will retain the Ashes and win comfortably. This is without doubt the best chance England have had in winning the Ashes in Australia since 1986/87.

My prediction. 3-1 to the Three Lions.

Highlights of the Day

I edited my match report to 410 words and I also wrote two NIBs (News in Briefs.)

The first NIB was a round-up of the FA Cup first round draw affecting the football teams in the local area including Aldershot, Woking and Farnborough.

My second NIB was about former Farnham R.F.C player Johnny Wilkinson and his team Toulon about thier result at the weekend.

Writing up match report

Today I wrote my match report for the Farnborough vs Dover Athletic FA Cup match I saw yesterday. The whole article was around 540 words.

What I did today

Today I went to watch Farnborough F.C vs Dover Athletic in the FA Cup 4th Qualifying match. I had a great seat right on the halfway line, meaning I had a fantastic view of the whole match. During the match, I wrote down key highlights including goals, sending offs, chances and substitutes.

I also captured many images of the match on my camera phone. I took 30 images in total, giving me a great list of images to use in my match report.

Put your money where your mouth is, Capello

When Fabio Capello was appointed England manager in 2008, I was relieved the FA had appointed a manager with a proven track record at club level. He was seen as a disciplinarian, someone who could get the best out of the so-called "Golden Generation." Despite being paid an extraordinary £6million a year, writers and fans, including myself, were convinced that Capello was the man to deliver the World Cup.

The Italian's reign started so well, with England exacting revenge on Croatia with two heavy wins and a side that had scored the most amount of goals in European qualifying for the World Cup. The England side played with such skill, flair and athleticism usually seen week in, week out in the Premiership. Supporters, and pundits were at last seeing an England team playing to their potential.

And then the World Cup started.

The tournament was an absolute farce before a ball was even  kicked. Fabio Capello dropped Theo Walcott from the squad and instead selected Shaun Wright-Phillips who hardly played for Manchester City last season. Capello insisted on playing Emile Heskey who scored 3 league goals last year. He also played a 4-4-2 formation which was too rigid and predictable. If you are going to use 4-4-2, then play wingers on the left and right midfield, not our best player Steven Gerrard. Adding to the on-field problems, off the pitch was a disaster. Constant whispers of unrest followed by John Terry's infamous press conference added to the uncertainty around the squad.

Reading this you may think I don't rate Fabio Capello. Wrong. I respect what he has achieved at club level with Real Madrid, Juventus and Roma. But I believe he needs to let the players relax and enjoy playing for their country and make England play to their full potential on the big stage. If he delivers the Euro 2012 Championship, he would have justified his salary.

Some of the best goals ever

A short sound clip

  The Recruiting Sargeant by bwest

Insurance companies, do they want the business?

One of the best feelings I've ever had in my life was being told by my driving examiner that I had passed my driving test. I was so relieved especially as it was my third attempt. But despite this case of successful driving, teenagers between 17 and 19 may have to accept the fact they may not be able to drive their own car for a while.

This is because car insurance companies will not insure teenagers who have just passed their test. I was staggered by the quotes I was given online. The most expensive I found was £8000. But this was not for some supercar with a V8 engine I was quoting for, it was a Peugeot 206 from 1996 with a 1 litre engine. Now this just seems to me that car insurance companies simply don't want the business and are stereotyping every teenager. These companies all think that every teenager is someone who breaks the speed limit and drives like a lunatic.

But not everyone is like that and insurance companies are denying sensible drivers from a sense of freedom and independence. So if teenagers can't commute to work or socialise with friends by car how are they meant to get around? Trains are far too expensive, buses are unreliable and don't take you where you really want to go and bicycles are dangerous in busy areas like London.

The message is simple, make driving cheaper and make everyone happy.

An appointment you can actually arrive early to

Now, like most people I go to the doctor's every six months or so. Most people reading this will probably have gone through the same NHS routine. You turn up on time to your appointment, you sit down next to an elderly woman and read some random niche-targeted magazine (i.e. Fishing Magazine) to pass the time.

But then you look up at the clock and it's already 30 minutes past your appointment. And you think WHAT! There's nobody here, all the doctor's are in, what is going on? I got thinking, what are the doctor's doing between appointments? Are they deliberately taking their time by trying to solve the meaning of life?

I don't know.

But a few weeks ago I had an appointment and turned up early as usual, quickly signed in at reception and before I even sat down my name was called out. I was genuinely surprised and my appointment was so quick that I left the doctor's before the original time of my appointment. Brilliant!

Conservatives who read the Daily Mail are obsessed with the idea that the NHS is a waste of taxpayer's money. I was initially unsure of whether the NHS is worthwhile. After my last appointment, it definitely well is.

Finally, back to the real football

So, after a very disappointing World Cup for England and the endless spending by Man City, the Football League returned to our screens yesterday. Unlike the Premiership, the new sponsored npower Championship is as unpredictable as ever. It is the most wide open league in the world making it a bookmakers paradise. It is so open that even the bottom team division at the time could beat the team at the top.


I think that now after the average World Cup, fans, including me, are now looking back to watching fast-paced, direct football with plenty of goals. We saw none of this at the tournament, hence making it one of the worst World Cups ever.


The Championship has one of the biggest average crowds and viewing figures in the world which, to be honest, is no surprise. Even so-called experts on Sky are struggling once again predicting who will get promoted or relegated this season. Usually teams that have got relegated from the Premier League are often favourites to go straight back up. It's a whole different story this year as Burnley, Hull and especially Portsmouth will be looking to consolidate this year, making the Championship as wide open as ever. 

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