I have just been sat in a pub talking about our nation's current approach to immigration and ayslum seeking. Well when I say talking I meant I was trying to talk but found myself agitated by their constant cries of: 'Send all the bastards back home!'

 

Why are some people so tunnel-visioned. They think everything is black and white but they are quite frankly dillusional. Their typical arguments are:

 

1. they come into this country, take all our jobs and get loads of benefits.

 

2. they are ignorant bastards and have no time for our way of life, if they want to live in this country they should abide by our rules

 

 

There are people who say that we should send the immigrants back and not let anymore in. I wouldn't want to come into this country because it is going to the dogs; it is not immigrants and asylum seekers who are causing it, it is the attitude of a society that is still clinging to the last remnants of empire that is easily swayed by constant tripe from the right-wing press.

Well it is my birthday today- I am 22! Getting older by the day.

 

It is on days like these that you reflect, well I do anyway, on the things you have done, or at least the things you remember doing, in your life. To a large degree I can remember many good times which makes feel strange because those good times were had with people that I no longer see. On the otherhand, I also remember some bad things which although trivial now, still haunt you and make you feel bad about yourself because you behaved in a particular way which wasn;t the best at the time. However, you can't go back and change things and even if I could, I would not change that much. I think the key lesson is to learn from your mistakes.

 

On a brigther note: just want to thank everyone that came out last night for my birthday: Cat, Ben, Ben, Tim, Mike, Stewart, Hannah, Tom, and the irrerpresible Henri. I had a really good night. Friends are important, very important. It is good to talk and be listened to.

After watching Manchester United for so long you come to think that anything is possible in football. But usually means by Manchester United. For the last two months I have been telling people that United are going to win the league, they'll win all their games and Chelsea will drop points here, there and everywhere. Well imagine how foolish I feel now; a draw to the worst team in the premiership, at home! I couldn't believe it; Kelvin Davis had an immense game and will be pleased that he managed at least one in this season. What amazes is me more is the fabulous media. For the last few weeks they have begun to believe their own hype about the possibility of United mounting a serious challenge to Chelsea; in some ways they have been quietly supporting them. You have to admit that the last few weeks have been interesting. However, how quick are they to condemn United now they appear to have failed. I read one chap today who said that last night summed up United's season and was quick to criticise the team saying they shouldn't have dropped points at home to Blackburn and etc... well he was right, United should not have lost any games at home and drawn far less than they actually have done. But it now seems to be forgotten that United have been playing the best football any team has played in the past two months. Last night, it just did not come off. Anything is possible in football; who would have thought Sunderland would have kept a clean sheet at Old Trafford.

 

Nevermind, there is always next year...

Just been to Edinburgh on 'research'. Was great fun and I did learn an awful lot.The city is fantastic and I love the way that you have the separation between the Old and the New Town, although is has become slightly hazy with all the developments. One thing that did disappoint me was the lack of uniformity of the New Town. I knew that this would be the case but I still rather hoped for more than I got. I wish the enlightened town planners had really made it their biggest goal to get a uniform design for the first stage of the New Town. If they had got Robert Adam earlier than they eventually did, I can only begin to imagine the magnificence of the place.

If you ever go to Edinburgh you must visit Charlotte Square. The South side, which contains the house of the First Minister of Scotland (No. 6), was the first to receive the Adam treatment and is the one that is most heavily influenced by his ideology. The other three sides, you can tell, are attempts to follow a dead man's plans as accurately as possible, yet somehow you can just tell that Adam did not have as much influence. Nevertheless, the whole square is still magnificent, and is the best place to go to if you have any interest in Georgian/enlightenment architecture. If you do go to Charlotte Square, be sure to call in at Nos. 7 and 28 to experience the place a little better. No. 7 is laid out as it most probably was in the 1790's and is well worth a look.

With luck, I hope to return to Edinburgh later in the year because there is so much that I could not fit in during my 2 and a1/2 day visit.

 

I had the misfortune of missing my train from Carlisle to Lancaster even though I was sat right in front of it at the station. The announcer got me really confused and I ended up sneaking on a later train. I did pay, it was, however, for the earlier train only that my ticket was valid. The very nice people at Virgin were most understanding...