A chat with the Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury

“The real challenge in the Church is to find good disagreement.”

The Archbishop of Canterbury knows that there is division within the Church of England. It’s something he doesn’t shy away from, but something he doesn’t quite know how to sort out. The challenge he faces is to promote unity within the Church and keep everyone friendly.

I met the Archbishop at Bablake, the school I attended in Coventry, where he spent the day promoting inter-faith peace and reconciliation. Meeting faith leaders from across the city, including Greek Orthodox, Buddhist and Muslim leaders, the Most Reverend spoke of a "commitment within Coventry to peace and reconciliation" and said that the "mutual understanding between faiths benefits young people in the city."

The Most Reverend told me that he loves meeting other faith leaders, something he does a lot. “The challenge, as I've said to people today, is finding ways to be honest. There is too much being nice and polite, we should be able to be completely honest with each other, even though we have different faiths, and say 'I don't like that' or 'that makes me uneasy'."

He continued by noting that "peace and reconciliation doesn't mean synchronism, it doesn't mean we all agree. The challenge is to find good disagreement and show respect towards each other." Ven Lobsang Dawa, a Buddhist monk in the Tibetan tradition based in Coventry, said he was "impressed with how much time the Archbishop had for everyone and how genuinely interested he was in listening to the other faith leaders".

Baptised myself by the Archbishop, in his first ever ministerial role as Curate of All Saints Chilvers Coton church in Nuneaton, it was amazing as a person of faith to be in the company of such a peaceful and devoted man. He was thrilled to hear that I have kept my faith and to hear that I have recently reaffirmed my baptism at St Nic’s in Nottingham. He had time for me and wanted to hear my story, something you might expect a person of his gravitas to have very little time for.

I raised the issue of gay marriage as an example of the difference and controversy within the Church of England. He smiled knowingly – this is a debate the Most Reverend Justin Welby has had before.

“I don’t have a personal problem with gay people or gay marriage. I have gay friends and I support their relationships. The problem comes when we turn to scripture… it’s complicated. What do you think?”

It is a complex issue and one that looks like it will never be resolved. So many priests have voiced their opinions regarding the matter and I could tell that the Archbishop is clearly the man that listens to many of their concerns. While we didn't solve the problem in our quick chat, I was struck by the intelligent and thoughtful air that the Archbishop exudes. His mission was to promote peace, and such a genuine and peaceful man completed that task with ease.

The Most Reverend told me it was “wonderful” to be back in Coventry, having been ordained at Coventry Cathedral many years ago. “I love it here. I have to ration my visits here otherwise the other cities get grumpy”, he laughed.

Proper Procrastination

It’s exam time again, and that can mean only one thing: I suddenly have an overwhelming, irreversible obsession with procrastination.

Things that have happened to me this exam season:

1. Online shopping is my new passion. I'm getting so good I might have to write it under the 'Skills' section of my CV. 

2. Daily Mail articles are fascinating. That's high quality journalism right there, folks. 

3. Films are MY LIFE. I've watched Frozen ten times now. It's so deep and meaningful, you know?

I have to admit, procrastination has taken over my life. And I’m sure I’m not the only one – if you’re reading this, it’s probably because you are procrastinating. But no need to look so worried, I'm not going to shout and make you feel like an awful student. 

In fact, I’m going to tell you why procrastination might actually be really helpful. But before I do that, here are some fun but completely useless facts just to make this look even more like procrastination.

Did you know any of these facts?

•         Shakespeare invented the word “assassination” and “bump.”
•          For every 230 cars that are made, 1 will be stolen.
•          The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from Libraries.
•          One in eight million people has progeria, a disease that causes people to grow faster than they age.
•          All polar bears are left-handed.
•          Bulgarians are known to be the biggest yogurt eaters in the world.

Anyway, back to the point: procrastination can be beneficial. Often we procrastinate because we are unsure of how to start a task, or we are avoiding something we think will be hard or take a long time. For example, when I sat down to write this post, I had no idea what to write – so I found myself on the internet, procrastinating. 

Having bought two new dresses online and checked Facebook and Twitter countless times, I found myself on www.psychologytoday.com, reading an article entitled ‘Can Procrastination Ever Be a Good Thing?’ My instant reaction was, I hope so! The author of the post, Pamela Wiegartz, has a Ph.D, so she must know what she is talking about, and here is what she had to say:

1. Procrastination has its benefits. I know right, this is pretty mind-blowing. 

2. Some procrastinators delay tasks deliberately, because they prefer to work under pressure. These people are called active procrastinators.

3. Procrastinating can help people feel in control of their time, and use it better.

4. Others, referred to as passive procrastinators, let their procrastination tasks dominate their day and have no control over their procrastination.

5. Active procrastinators are less avoidant, have lower stress levels, and higher self-efficacy than passive procrastinators.

It is better, then, to actively procrastinate. This allows us to cope with our tasks, but also manage our time effectively and not allow the procrastination to dominate the majority of our time. Procrastination gives us a break from the anxiety felt about the task, and in my case, and make the task a lot easier to handle, as my procrastination gave me the idea for my post!

On the other hand, uncovering your old Nintendo DS while unpacking your uni stuff and playing Mario Kart and Super Mario Bros. for the next five hours probably isn’t that helpful. (Though I did manage to finally conquer Level 7 of Super Mario Bros. after what has been a particularly long break from the game!)

Just don’t forget to be an active, not a passive, procrastinator. As long as you are careful not to let procrastination tasks dominate your day, you can successfully revise and have a bit of fun at the same time!

Now, I must go – I’ve scheduled myself another procrastination break. Now I’ve completed Level 7 of Super Mario Bros., I think it’s about time I challenged myself to complete Level 8, don’t you?

Joan Rivers in deep water again

Joan Rivers has caused controversy again by telling Howard Stern that the message given across by Lena Dunham is "Stay fat. Get diabetes".

After previously calling Dunham a "little fat chick", Rivers suggested her apology for that previous comment was meaningless, asking recently how Dunham could "wear a dress above the knee". 

Dunham, creator and lead actress of hit TV show Girls, has been praised for her healthy body philosophy, and rejecting pressure to lose weight.

Rivers however sent this message to Dunham: "I'm saying if you look the way you look, Lena - and that's fine and you're funny - but don't say it's okay that other girls can look like this. Try to look better. Try to look better!"

It's not the first time the comedian has caused a stir with her 'humour'. In February 2013, Rivers caused a stir after she labelled Heidi Klum a Nazi. 

Commenting on Klum's show stopping gold dress for the Oscars, Rivers remarked, "The last time a German looked this hot was when they were pushing Jews into the ovens". 

Many were seriously offended by Rivers' comments. The Anti-Defamation League noted that Rivers, herself a Jew, "should know better". 

They were shocked that the comment, "so vulgar and offensive to Jews and Holocaust survivors, and indeed to all Americans" was even allowed to be broadcast. 

Rivers herself responded to the criticism, revealing that her husband "lost the majority of his family at Auschwitz" - a fact that makes her joking even more surprising.

She claims that she is simply making a point to "remind people of the Holocaust through humour". This is a particularly controversial statement which some have claimed is simply an excuse for her insensitivity. It does not appear to co-exist harmoniously with the claim on her website that Joan's "compassion and tenacity" helps her "unique brand of humour". 

Heidi Klum is not the first victim of Rivers' jokes referencing the Holocaust. After supermarket chain Costco refused to sell copies of her book, I Hate Everything... Starting With Me, she labelled it "like Nazi Germany". 

Rivers has also bad-mouthed Adele, calling her "fat". She suggested on the David Letterman Show that the singer should change the name of her song "Rolling in the Deep" to "Rolling in the Deep Fried Chicken".

She continued, "[Adele] is a chubby lady who's very, very rich". Rivers believes that she should slim down or accept the criticism. 

Comedian Adam Hills jumped straight to Adele's defence. He called Rivers a "d***" and noting that Adele was "one of the few women in pop music" he wanted his daughter to aspire to be like. 

He blasted Rivers' obsession with plastic surgery, calling for her to "get a plastic surgeon to manufacture [herself] a new soul".

In January this year, Rivers called Kim Kardashian's new baby "ugly". She said that, in her opinion, baby North West was "desperately in need of a waxing". 

When Kim first revealed pictures of her baby to the world, many commented on North's thick, dark eyebrows. However, many commentators believe that Rivers has gone too far with her comments, which are often found offensive. 

Rivers' own website calls her "a force of nature" and an "entertainment legend of unparalleled accomplishment and talent". However, as the world around her shakes with anger at her comments about Lena Dunham's weight, has the self-professed "internationally renowned comedienne" gone too far this time?

Nuts to close after sales slump

Weekly ‘lads’ magazine Nuts looks set to close after a decline in sales.

Its publishers, IPC Media, have stated that the magazine has entered a 30-day consultation regarding the potential closure. The company has opened the magazine up to potential buyers.

The magazine was launched in 2004, followed closely by its biggest rival, Zoo. Its target audience was men aged 16 to 30 who were “disillusioned” with the tabloid press. It offered “girls, gadgets, footy and laughs”, and its marketing slogan was “When You Really Need Something Funny”.

The magazine has been particularly criticised in the past for its portrayal of women, declared by many to be sexist. Its peak circulation was in 2005, when it hit 306,802 readers per week. In 2013 however, that figure was just 53,342. Furthermore, the magazine receives only 8,776 digital monthly sales – clearly Nuts has failed to make the transition to a digital future.

Along with arch-rival Zoo, the weekly magazine transformed the men’s magazine market when it was started a decade ago. However, with Zoo receiving only 29,521 readers per week last year, the craze of this type of magazine looks like it is coming to an end.

Last year, both Nuts and Zoo stopped being sold at Co-op stores. The supermarket chain requested that they were given modesty bags to shield the pictures of naked women in the magazines from the shoppers. The retailer removed both Nuts and Zoo from its shelves after both publishers refused this request.

One reason given for the long-term decline of both weeklies was that readers who wanted to look at topless or naked women could do so online – where the pictures were far more risqué and, most importantly, free. 

New Year's Resolutions

Giving up chocolate failed to work again. Neither did being nicer to my little brother, but I’m not surprised about that one. But what is it about New Year’s resolutions that makes them so hard to keep? And should 2014’s resolution be to stop wasting my time making them?

In my opinion, we are becoming disillusioned with resolutions. It is becoming more about showing off something you can already do than challenging yourself to do something new. Maybe next year I should give up sprouts – at least it would be the first resolution I could actually keep!

On Valentine’s Day this year, the film About Time will become available on DVD. A fantastic, heart-warming romantic comedy, the film tells the story of Tim, who finds he has the ability to time-travel, and uses this power to win over the beautiful Mary. By the end of the film however, he has realised that rewriting the past has consequences. The following quote, from the end of the film, is one that I have thought back to many times:

“Tim: The truth is, I now don't travel back at all. Not even for the day. I just try to live every day as if I've deliberately come back to this one day to enjoy it, as if it was the full final day of my extraordinary, ordinary life.”

There’s a lot we can learn from Tim’s resolution. None of us know which day will be our last, and I for one know that I want to fully live my last day. So why waste time? If today was to be my last day, would I have made the most of it? Would my family and friends remember me the way I want them to, or would the legacy I left be an undesirable one?

This year, I want to start living every day as if it is my last. It sounds morbid, but it has already made a real difference to my life. I still have bad days, and I still fight with my brother, but I try my best to start each day by reminding myself how lucky I am to be alive, and be as productive as I can throughout the day. Instead of promising to do things, I just do them: why wait? Today could be my last opportunity.

This new outlook on life is no doubt influenced by a shaky 2013; for me, last year included both new, exciting opportunities such as the start of university, and worry and loss, with the death of a close family member and the sudden illness of another. It was the first time I had truly understood that life is short, and instead of letting this scare me, or just ignoring it, I decided to do something about it. I decided to start living: now.

However, how long will this last? Of the three resolutions I have made, probably, and hopefully, forever. A resolution like mine is, I would argue, more of a life choice than a whimsical promise to myself. Giving up chocolate and being nicer to my brother were resolutions made for no other reason than the fact it was New Year’s Eve. That is why they won’t last – because I have no real desire to stick to either of them. My resolution to start living my life differently is a choice I made for a reason, and I did not need any excuse, like the fact that it was the start of a new year, to start it.

Maybe it’s about time I resolved to stop spending New Year’s Eve frantically thinking of a resolution to make. If I want to make a change in my life, I should just make it, without needing to wait for midnight. My friends too have stopped trying to make serious New Year’s resolutions. I leave you with a text from my friend that reveals exactly that. He is using 2014 to “properly focus on buying the orange properties in monopoly”.

Happy New Year!  

"Get back in the kitchen, love"

Nowadays, few young people like to label themselves a feminist. The stigma attached to the word means that ‘feminist’ often conjures up images of hairy old women, or mouthy, hysterical university activists. Laura Bates is neither of these. She is young, intelligent, attractive, well-spoken and down-to-earth. Yet she is a feminist, and probably, so are you.

The definition of feminism is ‘the advocacy of women’s rights on the ground of the equality of the sexes’, therefore a feminist is someone who believes in equal rights regardless of gender. This is no war against men, but the belief that women and men should have exactly the same opportunities. If you believe in equal rights for men and women, you are a feminist!

Laura Bates is founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, which is a website that catalogues sexism, allowing both women and men the chance to speak about and share with others their experiences, how small and seemingly trivial. Having met Laura, and heard her speak passionately and powerfully about her beliefs, it is clear that the chance to speak out is one step on the very long road to gender equality. The website shows that sexism does exist: so often we are told that men and women are equal in today’s society, and although it is obvious that it is not true, the stories on the website prove that.

 

As The Telegraph reports that the ‘No More Page Three’ campaign, supported by Miss Bates, continues to have a limited impact on the attitudes of the national newspaper editors, it is clear that equality is as far off as it was in the 19th century, when the suffragette movement began. What has changed in the time between Emmeline Pankhurst and Laura Bates? Legally a woman’s place in society has improved – our right to vote, for example. However, it is common knowledge that women continued to be persecuted.

 

Laura Bates, whilst an undergraduate, was so struck by the lack of any real respect for women that she set up the Everyday Sexism Project. Although predominantly used by women, the project is open to men as well, and the aim is to get people talking about sexism – it does exist, and although its prevalence is worrying, it also provides a platform for other victims to recognise that they are not alone. The website is full of contained, sensible, but passionate anger. Shocking statistics are rife, to reinforce the point that women are still subordinate to men, and this so-called ‘advanced age’. Only 22% of MPs in the House of Commons are women, and although women are told to have their cake and eat it, only around 13% of FTSE 100 corporate board members are female. Women: don’t take this abuse lying down! Why do women still allow men to subjugate them? Ever been labelled ‘uptight’, ‘prudish’, a ‘bra-burner’, or maybe even worse? Ever been told to stop whining and get on with it? Ever been told – this one is my personal pet hate – to ‘get back in the kitchen, love’? Well, enough is enough! Share your story on the Everyday Sexism Project website.

 

This is just what Sam did, and I have shared her story here to highlight the nature of the problem Laura is tackling:

“I'm 14 and just finished my first year of high school. All year I've had guys feeling me up, grabbing my boobs, unbuttoning my blouse buttons, and coming into the girls locker room and unhooking my bra. One guy even put my hand on him and told me to suck him off. I told my most trusted teacher about it, and she went with me to talk to the headmaster. He stated that "if my physical appearance was provoking them, it was my job to change it" and "not their fault they were provoked." He suggested a breast reduction to a 14 year old girl. My teacher and I were both disgusted, and I shouldn't have to change myself in order to feel safe. I'm shouting back because I have no more options left.”

Horrific, no?
 

Furthermore, this is not just a problem for women. Sexism can also be directed at, and seriously affect, men, and men can be the victims of sexual harassment and even rape. It may not be as ‘normal’ for a working woman to make unwanted remarks of a sexual nature at a male colleague or passer-by, but Laura is keen to stress that men can be the victims of sexism too.
 

So what is the Everyday Sexism Project doing to prevent sexism in 2013? Laura believes that the very existence of her website has helped break down stereotypes and allow the targets of sexism a voice to shout back. An unwanted comment from a stranger in the street might make someone feel ashamed, embarrassed or angry, and the website is the perfect place for these people to ‘air their dirty laundry’, and find comfort in sharing their problem and reading the saddening but often inspiring stories that others have posted.
 

It’s time to all stand up together, time for change. It’s not ok to be sexist anymore. I am proud to be a feminist. I don’t think that women are better than men, but I don’t think that men are better than women either. I believe that everyone deserves to be equal. What is so controversial about that?

Syria: to war or not to war?

"While the Labour whips were applauding, laughing and cheering Miliband in their office, Assad napalmed a school. Yeah, very funny stuff."

This statement, from former Conservative MP Louise Mensch on Twitter, sums up the general feeling in Britain about the potential war on Syria. It has become, not a war against President Assad, but a war between Miliband and Cameron. His view is that Assad’s actions are war crimes, and need to be dealt with. Miliband’s views are the same, but he feels Britain should learn from the mistakes of Iraq: we can’t keep fighting the Middle East, the consequences are too dangerous.  So both men agree that Assad is wrong in using chemical weapons, and something needs to be done about it. However, Miliband feels Britain should not be bullied into acting in the same way as the USA, so blocked Cameron and weakened the PM’s reputation. Now, Britain will play no part in Obama’s upcoming intervention in the Syrian conflict. Is this the right outcome?

New York Daily News front page, 30th August 2013

The American press was clearly shocked by the news that Britain would not engage in military strikes on Syria, as seen on the front page of yesterday’s New York Daily News (above). Many commentators believe this signals the end of the “special relationship” between Britain and the US and the front page of The Sun this morning certainly repeated that belief (below).

The Sun front page, 31st August 2013

However, should British focus be on David Cameron or Ed Miliband, or should we be paying more attention to President Assad and Barack Obama? As Louise Mensch pointed out, while the British government was wrapped up in its own domestic politics, this international crisis was growing even more horrific. John Kerry, US Secretary of State, announced that estimates of Assad’s victims have now reached 1,429 people, 426 of those being children. This means that now more than 100,000 people are believed to have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011. As Kerry announced, the US is to push ahead with fighting “this crime against conscience, this crime against humanity”. It looks as it France will offer support, although Obama’s actions will be, in his own words, “a limited, narrow act” and will involve no boots on the ground. Importantly though, Obama has assured the world that he will continue his fight against Syria. Whether this is the best move or not remains to be seen. As the Daily Mail announced to Britain today that “Obama plans to blitz Syria without us”, all we can do is wait and see what happens.

A recent photo from Syria showing children killed by the chemical attacks.

I hope that Cameron will do his best to aid the situation in Syria. As the photo above shows, the conflict has reached the point where something must be done: Assad’s actions are very clearly war crimes. However, I am equally pleased that Britain will not offer military support in the campaign. Perhaps Labour is right, perhaps we should learn lessons from our past mistakes in the Middle East – we have fought dangerous dictators before and not always returned victorious. Assad may be a horrific tyrant, but is the answer to the problem really military strikes, or will this simply incur more unnecessary deaths of innocent people? David Cameron said he recognised that the British public did not want war with Syria, even though the disturbing, upsetting images and videos circulating the internet are particularly moving.

Moreover, should the Syrian problem be a political one or a humanitarian one? Did Miliband focus too much on ruining Cameron to see that the bigger problem was the loss of thousands of innocent lives? This argument is convincing but so is Miliband’s – why should we always do as the Americans do? Will the planned military strikes on Syria end Assad’s crimes or simply provoke him and increase them?

This post is full of questions, because I don’t know what I think. It is true that we have an already struggling economy that does not need to spend money on foreign policy like this. It is true that America can cope without us, and leaving them to face Assad alone does not make us suddenly enemies. It is true that we, the British people, do not want war with Syria.

However, it is equally true that while we are concentrating on Cameron’s ruined reputation, the death toll in Syria is still increasing. At times like these, I cannot help but remember Amnesty International’s Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1: “Everyone has the right to life”. Perhaps the USA has it right. Assad is a murderous thug who should be stopped, and perhaps he can be. I hope, for Syria’s sake, that Obama doesn’t need us, and his actions will put an end to this global crisis. And won’t Ed Miliband look silly then.

Farmers: literally feeding the future

Congratulations are in order for Ian Pigott, Hertfordshire farmer and opinion writer for the ‘Farmer’s Weekly’. As a farmer’s daughter myself I spend a lot of time reading the ‘Farmer’s Weekly’ over my breakfast, although as a self-confessed ‘townie’, it is rare that I have something to say on the matters that arise. However, Mr Pigott’s article in the latest magazine, published 16^th August 2013, was full of the eloquent anger and contained despair that I felt regarding the same topic. It was time to make my voice heard.

Mr Pigott laments the way that farmers are still, in 2013, treated with “condescension and curiosity”, and held in similar regard to a circus monkey. He had come across an article in a well-known broadsheet about the success of Tyrell’s crisps, and was disappointed to find that the author of the article, financial editor James Quinn, had concluded his piece, “not bad for the son of a potato farmer”. I too find issue with this comment as it suggests that the sons of potato farmers, or indeed any farmers, are expected to achieve very little, and although Mr Quinn almost certainly did not mean to cause offense with his comment, it is particularly disparaging to the farming community.

As Mr Pigott points out, farmers’ sons have shaped our world: Jethro Tull, Thomas Jefferson, Isaac Newton, Norman Borlaug, Henry Ford and Johnny Cash – just a few famous names who have influenced our world, and all came from a farming background.

So why are the children of farmers not expected to do well? Or, more importantly, why are they not celebrated for what they do well? I don’t think it is just Will Chase, founder of Tyrrells crisps, who has made something from a farming background. Whether they have continued the family farm, established their own business, or branched into new enterprises, every single farmer’s son or daughter should be celebrated. Farming is essential to our world. We cannot feed our children without hard-working farmers, and Mr Quinn would do well to remember that.

Mr Pigott, on the other hand, should be praised for his dedication to future farmers. As the founder of Open Farm Sunday, he is clearly passionate about promoting farming, and so he should be. The National Federation of Young Farmers’ Club goes from strength to strength and as former JLS band member Jonathan ‘JB’ Gill recently announced he is to start farming upon his retirement from the band, farming might be seen, finally, as the rewarding, enjoyable job it is.

As a farmer’s daughter myself, I hope that whatever I do for a living, I remember and stand up for my roots and my farming background. It’s time that farmers were taken seriously. The view that farming is a backward profession for peasant families is one that, hopefully, should be long gone. Farmers nowadays are entrepreneurs, biologists, chemists, vets, engineers, managers, buyers, sellers, presenters, and in the case of Mr Pigott, journalists. While the uniform might not be as clean and the coffee not out of a Starbucks takeaway cup, farmers deserve the same amount of respect as their journalist peers. Mr Quinn should be ashamed of himself as he conforms to old-fashioned, out of date stereotypes about farmers. Maybe if he had done a bit more research on “Will Chase, Herefordshire farmer”, he would have seen farming as it really is in 2013: a community of men and women with incredibly diverse skills, proud of their heritage and their farming ancestors.

The Modern Monarchy: Will It Survive?

As leading royal historian David Starkey noted as soon as baby George was born, the royal family is adapting. He believes, even hopes, that when Charles is King, the House of Windsor will be a smaller, tighter unit. Starkey celebrates the new royals, for their staunch support of tradition as well as a refreshing commitment to change. The updated succession laws mean that there is no longer any need for a large extended family, and the glamour of Kate, William and baby George has only added to the revival of public interest in the royals.

I believe, as do many, that this interest was sparked by Diana, Princess of Wales. The people’s princess, she epitomised timeless style, charisma and compassion. Dancing with John Travolta, picking her way through potential active landmines, and speaking to the press with that characteristic honesty that so irritated Buckingham Palace, Diana was the first ‘real’ royal. She was beautiful, fragile, stubborn and human. Her marriage broke down like countless others, and she spoke frankly of her battle with depression. Her infamous comments about her “crowded” marriage of three people – referring to Charles’ love for Camilla Parker-Bowles – helped form the public opinion that is so positive towards Diana and her sons, and often frosty towards Charles, with whom the public appear to have adopted a ‘forgive but don’t forget’ policy.

When Catherine Middleton, known affectionately to us all as Kate, stepped onto the scene, opinion was initially unsure, perhaps a little wary of this newcomer, but as she stepped out of hospital with her baby son cradled in her arms, she must have felt herself the wave of love and warmth generated by the crowds of well-wishers. She was quite clearly the public’s new favourite, exuding the glamour we had all craved since Diana, and her dresses, often affordable, high street designs, prove this as they still sell out immediately after she wears them. It is clear to anyone that today’s Great Britain belongs to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge; like Mo Farah or Clare Balding, they are seen to epitomise our nation, and represent everything that is great about Great Britain.

The big question, therefore, is will the monarchy survive? Has it seen it’s hey-day, or will a public desire for tradition keep it afloat for many years to come? Peter Hitchens, in the Comment section of The Mail on Sunday, writes that “the Windsors will be history soon”, and his argument is convincing. He points out that no political party supports the monarchy, few still hold on to the idea that the monarchy is divinely chosen, and many countries in Europe are now governed as republics: a monarchy appears to be a dying breed. The Queen is, as Hitchens puts it, “the nation’s favourite grandma”, but writes that this popularity is personal to her, and will not pass on to Charles. I find that here, I have to agree with him. Kate, William and the new baby, with their personal family portraits taken by grandfather Michael Middleton, are popular enough now, but for how long? Will the Great British public tire of the monarchy soon, and will the whole institution, as Hitchens believes, come to an end?

Like Hitchens, I am a keen monarchist, but possibly, although the arrival of George Alexander Louis of Cambridge is the start of a new chapter for the royal family, it is one in which they feature less and less. In 2012 we all celebrated with the royals the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, but as for the next 60 years, we will have to wait and see. Will the monarchy survive the next decade, the next century? We cannot be sure right now, but what can be seen is that opinion appears to be mixed: we love our royals, but can we see, in them, a bright and shining Great British future?

Tales of a tourist

Managing Madrid with Spanish limited to merely sí, no, and gracias should have been tricky, but I found the Spanish to be incredibly friendly and helpful, and often just pointing at a map or stumbling over the impossible-to-properly-pronounce place names was enough for me to find the tourist destination we were headed for! Credit to the Spanish for their willingness to help, even when their English is just as bad as my Spanish.

My time in Madrid saw visits to the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, home of arguably the best football club in the world: Real Madrid (their claim, not mine!). It was particularly impressive, even for a non-football fan! Also worth a visit if you are ever popping by was the Palacio Real, the Buckingham Palace of Madrid and although the royal family prefer not to live there, the palace is often open for official state occasions. The beautiful décor and rich history were fascinating, and everyone loves pretending to be a royal princess/prince for the day, no?

Finally, a must-see in Madrid is the Museo del Prado. Free entry weekday evenings meant the queue left me a bit dizzy but two hours later and it was the rooms and rooms of art making my head spin. Quick apology to any serious art lovers, I’m no art critic, but personal favourites included:

El jardin de las delicias (The Garden of Earthly Delights), El Bosco (Bosch)

 

 

I half hoped that I would be the woman to finally crack the secret of this painting, but when I arrived at it, it was clear there was no chance! A small crowd had developed around this masterpiece – the first time I have ever seen a crowd in an art gallery, famed for being such open, empty spaces! – and the complex painting left me reeling. Rich in colour and full of life, this painting is surely better described as a labyrinth, but I instantly knew why it has been loved, and will be loved, forever.

Pinturas negras (The 14 Black Paintings) especially Perro semihundido (The Dog), Francisco de Goya

Painted when in Goya’s last years, these paintings depict an artist troubled by a fear of insanity, demise and impending death, with a particularly bleak outlook on life. The lightest of all these very dark and disturbing paintings, it is the lightness, and the choice of such a ‘happy’, bright colour for the background, that makes this painting, for me, the most unsettling of them all. What appears to be just a dog and is only revealed by its title, I still cannot decide whether I love this painting or hate it, and hate Goya for painting something so horrifically desolate and disquieting.

The Agony in the Garden, Titian

 

In all four of the apostle’s gospels, they write that moments before he was seized by Roman soldiers, Christ spent time praying in an orchard on the Mount of Olives with his friends. Usually this image includes Christ in the foreground, but Titian places him at the top of the painting, below him only darkness – it is hard to make out the rest of the painting. This type of painting is known as a ‘nocture’, where there are few, highlighted light sources, and was a very popular type of painting in the 16th century, when Titian completed this work. The pain and suffering of Christ is depicted in the darkness of the painting, where he is a beacon of hope and future happiness as the only light source in the image.

The Three Graces, Peter Paul Rubens

 

 

These three women represent Aglaia, Euphrosine and Thalia, who, according to Hesiod’s Theogony, were pure virgins born of one of Zeus’ affairs and living with the gods. For me, this painting is full of life, and quite clearly represents the artist’s state of mind at the time he painted it: having recently married, Rubens was feeling particularly in love, and the figure on the left bears resemblance to Hélène Forment, his second wife. The classical suggestions and warm colours make this painting very different to Goya’s troubled black paintings, but equally as beautiful.

Professor Stephen Hawking and orange juice

The inspiration for this blog came, I suppose, from the following quote, made famous by the legendary Professor Stephen Hawking:

‘Look up at the stars, and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.’

Though not much of a scientist, I liked the idea of knowing more than what was easy, safe and accessible information. I believe that to be curious, to be interested, is to be interesting. I dare you to look up, right now. If it’s a ceiling you see – stare at it. Notice a pattern you hadn’t seen before, or just enjoy the simplicity of nothing. If you are outside, even better! Wonder about the clouds. Maybe you know how they are made; maybe you couldn’t care a bit, but enjoy them. When I originally wrote this, on pen and paper (due to limited Wi-Fi access on holiday!), it was late afternoon in Madrid and the sky was simply stunning. Bright blue, with clouds – not too many, not too few – slowly passing me by. And I felt like the luckiest girl alive, just because of the view. But let’s not get too sentimental – my friends say it’s bad for me...

The Professor Hawking quote was introduced to me by my secondary school Headmaster, who was quite clearly equally influenced by it, as he used it on several occasions. I hope you too, wherever and whoever you are, feel that you have the ability to be curious. It makes the world so much more fun!

If I am honest, the short term cause of this blog was a glass of orange juice. Random, I know. But I am a huge fan of orange juice and this glass surpassed every other glass of the stuff I have ever had. It was fresh orange juice from Café Pino, and for the first time in my life, the juice tasted like real oranges! It went straight onto my list of the best foods I have ever tasted, which reads: my sister’s homemade raspberry cheesecake, any cake my mum makes except coffee and walnut (sorry mum!), pink lemonade from an American-style restaurant in Singapore, and the grilled chicken sandwich and chocolate fudge cake for pudding from the Blue Beach restaurant, Cyprus.

The reason that the orange juice is the cause of this blog, more to the point, is that I remarked to my mum and aunt that I felt like I needed to share this amazing orange juice with the world(!) and my aunt replied, Why didn’t I start a travel blog? And I suppose that I realised that I had to start blogging, and I had to start soon. For years I have blamed exams and coursework for my online absence, but having left school now, and with no holiday homework, I finally have the time to blog, and so… Here goes! This is start of my blog, and it is very exciting and very scary at the same time.

To the few people who have read this, thank you for helping make my dreams come true. My first words are now yours to enjoy, and thank you for taking the time to be curious with me.

God bless

x