As a journalist you are fortunate enough to experience new things every day. Today we had the opportunity to go and sit in court cases which were being held at the Magistrates Court. 99% of the cases start here, and then proceed onto Crown Court if necessary. The scale of the crime can vary, today we had someone who had stolen items from Boots and Primark and was having to pay a fine of £50, in comparison to a man who was only 19 and had 92 other previous convictions.


You have a faint idea of what courts going to be like, if you haven't experienced it before, from the countless soap episodes and the recent court cases over the Michael Jackson trial. It was what I expected but also so surreal at the same time. I thought it would be a lot bigger... being so close to the culprit was quite scary at times with the glare of evil in their eyes.


With the continuous cases coming one after the other, hearing people's stories and reasons, maybe excuses of why they committed that crime really did put your life into perspective. Clearly they have broken the law for a reason, whether this was for the attention they lost, a cry for help, or simply just been bought up that way by their parents.


Sat there with our note pads and looking cleanly polished, we must be the defendants best friend. Educated, hygienic, having a substantial amount of money and on the right side of the law, with 12 sets of eyes on one individual that's got to be difficult. It just makes you think that although we have our down days and sometimes we hate ourselves, there is always someone who is worse off than you.  

Christmas has arrived!

Christmas has arrived...Yippeeeee! Apart from opening our advent calenders as a reminder of how close we are until we can eat that last chocolate, we all know that as soon as we see the Coca Cola advert, Christmas is here. And that's what happened to me this morning. First thing I saw on TV was the advert and then the traditional Home Alone film which is on every festive holiday.

If this wasn't enough, I then walked into town to be greeted with the smell of mulled wine, Christmas carols, fairy lights around the Christmas market which comes every year, and the rustle and bustle of people's bags. I love the whole atmosphere and the excitement it brings with it.

With all the shops all prepared with their commercialised shop window displays and there many gift sets in store, my 'santa's list' begins.

This years John Lewis's advert and the boy who plays it, just reminded me of myself. Since I was little I have bought, shopped and made my own presents and can never wait to give them to my family and see there smiles! <3





Year 2 of university has arrived and it seems that I have neglected my blog... To say the work load this year is manageable would be an understatement, but with headaches and many sticky notes later, I surprisingly manage to get it all completed!


A total of two months I have been away from my family and friends in Gloucestershire. At times I have been pretty home sick and just wanted to get on a train and go back to a warm, clean home and to enjoy my mums cooking.


However, last weekend I was fortunate enough to go home for my mum's birthday and spend a lovely four-day weekend there (thanks to my flexible timetable). This consisted of: family meals, nights out with the besties, spoilt-rotton shopping trips with the parents, movie nights and getting to see my brother and his girlfriend. It was so lovely <3 I was also able to go back and drive Fiona (my car), which I haven't been able to since early August due to being in cast with a broken foot- silly me.

After such a fun weekend, I didn't want to go back to Southampton! :( I always dread the long train journey home on your own, in the dark, usually packed with students going back to university too. It's always a frog in the throat moment when you have to wave goodbye to your Dad on the platform and not being able to see him for at least another month. But as soon as I'm back in my student house I'm happy again :)


Bring on the Christmas holidays!!