Goodbye 2012 - What A Year!

Twenty-Twelve will go down as one of the best years in the modern history of Britain. Clearly the centrepieces of this magnificent year are the breathtaking Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

As you probably know, I was lucky enough to be involved in the Olympic Games as a Gamesmaker in the Olympic Park itself. That experience has to go down as one of the best of my life. I loved every minute of it and gained valuable skills and friends along the way.

However there's a few other things that make this a stand out year. In a sporting context, outside the games, Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France, the first time a Briton had won the event in its 99 year history, and Andy Murray won the US Open, the first British male to win a grand slam in 76 years. Also, the European Ryder Cup team overturned a huge deficit on the last day to retain the trophy, and England won a Cricket test series in India for the first time since 1985.

If 2013 is half as good as 2012, then it will be a pretty good year!

Happy New Year to one and all!

JR

Tuition Fees Explained

Sometimes you come across a little gem on the Internet that explains everything you wanted to know about a given subject. Today is one of those days!

In this video, Martin Lewis (that money saving guy off the telly) explains to prospective university students, and their parents, the tuition fee system that was brought in this year. Martin Lewis also heads up the Independent Taskforce on Student Finance Information; something I was only vaguely aware of until now.

The video is a must watch!



Told ya.

JR

I'm a Loser

Last month I saw the West End production of Loserville at the Garrick Theatre. It was a production I hadn't seen much about, but I didn't feel like going to see one of the numerous Jukebox musicals, and I'd already been to a number of the smash hits such as Cabaret (plus I couldn't get those tickets for a decent price). I fell upon Loserville by accident, but what a happy accident!

The show has a great young cast who put on a great show. The story isn't exactly taxing on the brain (although the jokes about the Internet may stump those who didn't do Computing at university, unlike me) but the rocking songs really fit the story well, and you will find yourself humming the title song, Ticket Outta Loserville, when leaving the theatre.

It's a bit of Grease meets Big Bang Theory meets Glee meets a rock concert, but the mix makes a super show and you will be hooked in seconds!

The lead female role, Holly Manson, is played by the amazing (and super hot, especially in her geek costume) Eliza Hope Bennett. Luckily I was able to get her autograph at the stage door [pictured] even though I gave her not one, but two pens that didn't work! Many thanks Eliza!

Unfortunately Loserville must close on 5 January. It's such a shame that a great new musical such as this has to close in favour of jukebox show nonsense. I hope the show can be brought back, whether in the West End or otherwise, as I believe it has plenty of legs left in it.

Go and support the show if you can before it closes.

JR

Equal Marriage: Gay is OK

Something I've noticed about the debate around Equal Marriage is the lack of people who are denouncing homosexuality in itself. Of course there's the odd nutter hanging around, but there's no widespread hysteria around the actual sexual orientation.

This can only be a good thing and possibly shows the changing attitudes towards gay and lesbian people in the country. What is obvious though is there are plenty of Tory MPs who can't find a good reason not to support equal marriage, other than it wasn't in anyone's manifesto. Well, I'm not sure that going into coalition was in the Conservative or Lib Dem manifestos, but it's happened - although I guarantee it's the same MPs that don't understand why there's a coalition in the first place!

Marriage is conducted under license from the state; indeed in America you literally get a marriage license; as such it's up to the state to decide who and who cannot get married. Of course that doesn't mean that all institutions have to carry out a wedding for any couple, indeed in many churches you can only get married there if you are active church members. I suppose the problem comes when a church refuses to marry a gay couple who attend services every week, but there is no easy solution, especially where the established church has its own law prohibiting gay couples being married there.

I think the way forward at the moment can only be to go as far as possible with the current proposed legislation, and within 10 years the situation will hopefully become untenable for those who oppose full equal marriage.

By the way, kudos to Cameron for pushing ahead with this despite the clear opposition from within his own party.

JR

The Employment Miracle

Today's employment figures show an increase in the number of people in work, an increase in full time work (with a slight fall in part time work, which is good), a fall in youth unemployment and in long term youth unemployment. Overall it has been the biggest fall in unemployment since 2001 (in the height of the boom, and a general election year - when the government makes extra effort to reduce unemployment) and there are more people in employment than ever before.

It's a bit odd though. Unemployment is a backwards economic indicator, which means it tells us what has already happened, rather than what is to come. By this measure we should be well out of recession and the economy would be growing quite nicely!

Having said that, there are a number of other factors that may help explain this. The early spending figures for the Christmas period are largely positive; perhaps those people in new employment were holding on to their cash in order to spend it on Christmas presents. It's also possible that the growth figures are reporting lower than is actually the case - not as far fetched as you might think.

Of course the coalition will be overjoyed with the news, not just politically but because of the extra tax receipts, as well as the lower claimant count! It's good news, it's just weird we don't know how we got here!

JR