Sherlock Is Back And Brilliant

I have been watching the new series of Sherlock and I am loving it! I think it might be the best yet. So much has happened in the first two episodes, it is hard to keep up. It has been so dramatic! I have always liked the show, but this season has been more gripping than most. If you haven't seen it, it is on BBC iplayer and is too good to miss!

SPOILER ALERT!!!
At the end of the last episode, it was revealed Sherlock has a sister! I did not see that one coming. She seems quite a sinister character, and I think she will become very important. However, even though Moriarty is supposedly back, we are yet to hear from him. Perhaps he will make his entrance in the final episode.

It is on tomorrow at BBC1 at 9 O'Clock. With so many suprises in the last few episodes, I cannot even imagine what will happen. Will you be watching?

Where Is The Snow?

Last night, anticipation was in the air. School closed early, salt covered the roads, all in preparation for the snow storm that had been predicted. A whole generation of school kids looked forward to a day off. The rain turned to snow as predicted, and the world outside turned white. All was set for a day of snowmen..

By the time I had gone to bed, it had all disappeared! The next morning it was very icy, but all hope of a snow day had vanished! And as I had a Non Calculator maths test today, I was very disappointed! So, it looks like there will be no skiving for now. But the winter is far from over yet, so there is still plenty of time for it to happen. It is certainly cold enough! Are you hoping for snow?

Ed Is Back!

Yesterday, Ed Sheeran released 2 new singles! He has had a year off, but is now back with his new album Divide. I have been missing him in the charts and am very pleased to have him back. 2017 is looking up already!

Ed described it as a "schizophrenic album", as each song is very different from the others. The 2 he has released so far definitely are. The first, Castle On The Hill is my favourite. It is about the place he grew up and has some brilliant lyrics. The second is called The Shape Of You and is about someone he met in a bar. The two songs have very different feels to them, but they are both really good.

Ed has not released music videos to these songs yet, but he has released some lyric videos with really cool graphics. They are on the right if you want to have a look. I am really looking forward to whats on the rest of the album as I have loved everything so far. What do you make of Ed's new tracks?

2017 - A Lot Is Changing

2016 is officially over - we now have a whole new year ahead of us. And it is a big year for me. I am taking my GCSEs, leaving school and starting a new life at college. Just 4 days into the new year I have my mocks, and it is going to be pretty much non-stop after that.And I find that all quite scary.

I do have a lot to look forward to though. The longest summer I have ever had, my 16th birthday and the freedom that will come with being a student. But that will all be later on in the year, after all the work needed for my exams.

Still, New Year's Eve was a lot of fun. I stayed in and watched the Robbie Williams concert live from London, then saw the fireworks over the Thames, which were great. All the noise from the ones in our area definitely freaked my cat Bumble out though. He is not a big fan of New Year celebrations. How did you celebrate the New Year?

My Christmas

I have had a great Christmas this year. I spent the Christmas morning at home with my parents, then went to my Gran's in the evening, where there was more food than we could ever eat. On boxing day, we went to my Grandma's house for yet more food, and I spent yesterday at home with my parents again.

My parents bought me an Animal hoodie and some cool T-shirts, a benefit make-up set and some other bits and pieces. I also got a fancy hair curling kit from my Gran.

My favourite presents were my limited edition Ed Sheeran records. They are made out of coloured vinyl and feature tracks that are not on his albums, as well as extended versions of some of the ones that are. The music on them is mostly acoustic, which really suits the sound of a record player, as they sound different to CDs. The more I listen to records, the more I understand why people prefer them. They are much more complicated to use though!

What did you get for Christmas?

Christmas Eve Fun

I can't believe it is Christmas Eve! It has all gone so quickly! Both the last month and the year as a whole have gone really fast.

Christmas eve is a day of last minute preparation before the big day, as well as the start of the festive fun (if you are organised enough!). This is my checklist for Christmas Eve.

Have you...
1. Remembered to buy presents for your parents, and not just your friends?
2. Had a secret squidge of your presents under the tree to see if you can guess what they are?
3. Had a peak at the Christmas drinks to see what alcohol you might get given over the next week?
4. Decided what you are wearing on Christmas day and Boxing day, then changed your mind 5 times?
5. Wrapped up the cats Christmas presents, even though he has no interest in opening them?
6. Done any last minute shopping, and laughed if your parents still have 10 people left to buy for?
7. Remembered NOT to tell younger relatives that Santa isn't real?
8. Eaten large quantities of cake, biscuits and chocolate?
9. Upset the cat by playing Christmas songs really loudly?
10. Drunk more mulled wine than you probably should?

Have a great Christmas everybody and I will tell you how my Christmas went in a couple of days time!

Crazy Relatives At Christmas

At Christmas, you see more of your family, and as mine is quite large, it is a busy time for me. Today, I went out for lunch with some people from my mum's side of the family: my Gran, Grandad and two Great Aunts and Uncles. Now, as much as I love them, my mums family can be a little crazy. My Gran and Great Aunties are especially bad. Today, we had recounts of ghost stories, creepy old houses and killer cats.

One of my Aunties says she has seen and heard quite a lot of ghosts over the years. She certainly has enough stories to creep me out! I personally think ghosts probably do exist, but I am not 100% convinced yet. I have certainly heard a lot of evidence to suggest that today, as although some of the stories were a little questionable, many were pretty convincing.

Do you believe in ghosts?

The Apprentice Winner

This week saw Alana crowned as the winner of this year's Apprentice competition. I loved the look of her cakes and thought her business was pretty good. However, when I saw the clips of her performance over the series, I was quite shocked by a few of the things she had said. On one of the first episodes, she explained that:

"All I have ever wanted is as much money and power as possible"

This, in my eyes, is not a healthy goal in life. And possibly the worst thing is she said this like it was a positive thing. By saying this on TV, she is suggesting that being power hungry and materialistic is a good thing. Also, she is displaying no interest in the other things in life, the ones that might actually make her happy - family, friends, relaxation, fun. Nope, it is just all about the cash.

And she is not the only one. The previous years winner said from a young age, all he wanted was to be a millionaire. Many of the other candidates probably have similar priorities in life.

So does this mean you have to be power hungry to be successful in business? Or is it only the power hungry ones that are mad enough to go on the show. Either way, it is scary that these people think that is a good way to live their lives.

Christmas Tree Chaos

I write this while sitting next to our heavily decorated Christmas tree. It is completely covered in a wide range of non-matching decorations some old- some new. 3 colours of tinsel, a collection of different baubles and many other random ornaments all fight for space on our 6ft of tree. And we are not even finished yet!

The thing is, I don't believe in perfectly co-ordinated trees. They belong in department stores, not family homes. Ours might be a little "busy", as my dad described it, but I would not want it any other way. Even if we do now have more strange characters than baubles! And by the time me and my mum have finished it, it will be even more chaotic.

Also, we do have the slight problem that my cat likes to play with the decorations. He often takes them off the tree and sometimes we find them under the sofa after Christmas! He is so much trouble, but very cute.

What is your Christmas tree like? Is it as chaos as ours?

Christmas Favourites

Although I have never been Christmas' biggest fan, I do enjoy it, especially when it gets nearer the time. It does take me a while to get into it sometimes though, which is where Christmas music and films come it. Here are some of my Christmas favourites, guaranteed to get you in a Christmas mood.

Best Christmas Song - A tie between Merry Christmas Everyone by Shakin Stevens and Merry Christmas Everyone by Slade

Best Adult Christmas Film - Love Actually
The scenes with the Prime Minister and his assistant are brilliant!

Best Kids Christmas Film - The Polar Express
Ever since I first watched this at school when I was 8, I can't get enough of it!

What are your favourites?