Best year ever!!!

A year ago today if you’d have told me what was going to happen in the next 12 months, I totally wouldn’t have believed a single word. From taking all of my GCSE’s and my sister leaving home to go to university to producing my fanzine, Woodnote, and selling it at a Charlatans gig, it has been one heck of a year.
It was the 27th of July 2011 that I first saw Tim Burgess live and got to meet him and Mark Collins. It was a fantastic night, with the support act being Joseph Coward … who would later become an amazing friend; I didn’t think that it could get any better. That summer my sister packed up and headed on out to Leeds uni. It was so sad seeing her go and every time she comes home it’s always tainted with the sadness that she’s got to go back! The day she left, not only did everything change, I felt a change in myself, as if I’d have to be more independent and go my own way- instead of relying on her to guide me through my life. Childhood suddenly froze. The end of an era.

I’d taken art for GCSE and was told to draw and collage in the style of Sandhi Schimmel. I chose to draw one of my huge inspirations, Nik Void. Once I’d completed the piece I sent her a picture of it. The response was amazing! She asked me to draw Gabe and Dom from the band FF too and said that she’d use them altogether. I was delighted with the fact that she’d even taken time to look at my art, let alone ask me to draw some more. To show her gratitude she sent me her CD, a FF T-shirt, badge and a small note signed Factory Floor. It’s such a great feeling to have one of your idols admire your art!

Then, one evening, I don’t really know how it came about, but Joseph Coward suggested that I should start a fanzine. He said he’d help me out for the first issue and provide me with an interview; kind of me helping him out too. And then I guess the next day was the birth of Woodnote. That has been such a crazy ride. Getting interviews from such amazing people, Tim Burgess… Tom Caulfield … Joseph Coward … Nik Colk and Gabe Gurnsey. It’s also helped me meet awesome people too. Asking for reviews and talking to people with the same interest has been so great!

The zine helped me get to meet Tim Burgess backstage again too, and I even got to sell the second issue at his gig. I’m so grateful of all the support everyone’s shown for it, it’s been a hell of a journey, and I’ve only just released issue 3!!

I guess on top of all of this, I’ve completed my GCSE’s! It’s a huge relief to have nothing to do and everything to be over - though I’m quite nervous to get my grades back. I so hope I’ve done well with the amount of work I’ve put into it all.

And to make an ace year even better, I have met some amazing people that will be friends for life. Holding a great x-mas party that is still talked about today, and just having a good set of friends to rely on has been a change to my lonesome school life.

So that’s kind of my year summed up. It’s been crazy, emotional and amazing. Seriously … I don’t think I would change anything right now, things are looking fine!

Magic Mike

I went to watch Magic Mike with my friend the other day, when we walked into the cinema, there were only three other people sat down, and they were all around 70+. We thought we had gone into the wrong movie … Why were 70 year olds watching a film about male strippers?

Anyway, we sat down and the film begun … there wasn’t really a story line and it got off to a slow start. The guy staring in it was Alex Pettyfer which was funny, me and my friend came to the conclusion that he looks just like Joseph Coward (with a beard), which made the film even more awkward to watch! Half way through the film, the old people walked out and never came back! Think it was too much for them or something!

Anyway … I put these pictures together … What do you think? They could be the same person right?

3rd Woodnote ...

Third issue of Woodnote is out very soon; it’s being printed this week. It includes interviews from Factory Floor and Joseph Coward … Tim Burgess and Joey Ackland have done reviews, it looks ace!
E-mail me here – Wood_note@hotmail.co.uk if you’re interested in a copy. Thanks for the support guys! x

Prom

It’s meant to be summer and it has not stopped raining! Apparently we were meant to have a months rain in a weekend, the weekend of prom. The Friday before it hadn’t stopped raining and I thought that it wouldn’t on prom night.
I watched the weather all day, praying for it to hold out and it actually did! I was so happy, it wasn’t particularly hot and was quite windy, but as for the rain … there was none in sight!

I’d not been overly fussed about prom. It’s an evening spent with friends, a gathering to say farewell when we all leave school. I don’t see why we have to make such a huge deal over it and wear dresses. It costs so much just for one night! Don’t get me wrong, my dress was lovely, but all that expense for one evening? I find it all slightly embarrassing too. Getting the dress fitted, people fussing over what make up you should wear or what shoes would go best with the dress. I’m not a girly girl and I wouldn’t say I like to be centre of attention (maybe in the centre .. just without the attention?) so all this dressing up and going for fittings was quite scary for me!

Prom was a good night though I guess. I’d worried about it for so long, thought something would go wrong, the vintage car wouldn’t show up, the dress would get ripped, but it all seemed to go pretty smoothly (Except I broke my sisters bag she’d lent me!) Over all I had fun. Danced all night with my friends and had a laugh! From clambering up to the top deck on a bus in a floor length dress to sitting and eating a meal (which I must say were the smallest portions I’ve ever seen) it was great.