Watching a ballet

Number two to be ticked off my 30 before 30 list is watching a ballet.

I had tickets to see Coppelia at the Bristol Hippodrome, and dragged my friend Ams along with me - so that I wasn't the only ballet virgin in the room! (also she brings sweets when we go to the theatre, so is a good person to take!)

I will admit that I was pretty apprehensive about going to the ballet. I had prepared myself to not enjoy it, and to get bored trying to follow the story. However my experience was completely different, as I really enjoyed it!

When I told a few friends I was going to see Coppelia they told me that it was a good one to pick as my first ballet, as the story is easy to follow. They were right! It was about an inventor who makes a life sized doll, which one of the guys in the village thinks is real and become infatuated with, setting aside his lover. She then dresses as the doll, making people think it has come to life.

I was so impressed with the dancing, and how graceful the cast were. I am very clumsy, could not imagine ever being that graceful! And standing on tip toes looks really hard!

Ams and I only showed our ignorance about the ballet once, when we tried to leave after the first act, not realising that this ballet had three acts and two intervals!

All in all it was an enjoyable night, and I would be up for going to another ballet :)

Flying a glider

I have ticked the first thing off my 30 before 30 list, and flown a glider!

My godfather belongs to a gliding club, and I have been saying for months that I would go and fly with him. But life just got in the way, and we could never decide on a date when we were both free. Well, a few weeks ago his club held a family and friends day, and miraculously I was free, so jumped at the chance!

I had never seen a glider close up, and couldn't believe how small they are! I was also really intrigued by the fact that the glider is attached to a rope, which a machine pulls so it goes up in the air. The rope then drops off, and the glider does what you would expect - glide!

My instructor (think his name we Brian) spent a while attaching a parachute to me and showing me how it worked. He said: 'If I say bail out and you say what? you will be talking to yourself.' Needless to say this filled me with confidence! He then jumped in the back of the glider, which really confused me! I didn't realise that the instructor sat behind the learner!

For my first flight I was told to sit back and enjoy the views, and get used to how a glider feels. It was strange! You get a fast rush as you are towed along the ground and up into the air, and then it is really peaceful. I was expecting the landing to be bumpy, and braced myself, but it was quite smooth really.

The second time around I was allowed to control the glider and fly it! The controls are very sensitive, and you only have to move it gently. I am quite rough, and when he told me to turn to the left I yanked it hard and almost sent us into a spin! Once my instructor had recovered the glider and got his nerves back he let me try again - this time I was much more gentle.

I really enjoyed the experience, and would love to go again! The next time my godfather said he will send me up with someone who will do some aerobatics!

30 Before 30

Everybody has a scary age right? That age that you think will never arrive, until suddenly it is there – lurking just around the corner. Well my scary age has always been 30. The big 3 0! When I was in junior school I had this teaching assistant who was 30, and I just remember thinking ‘woah, that’s old’. To be fair I was 10 at the time, so anything over the age of about 20 was old to me! But suddenly I am rapidly approaching my 29^th birthday (September if anyone is interested!), and the prospect of turning 30 is becoming much more real.

I have always loved a challenge, and thrive on doing new things. I feel it keeps me interesting – and young! So I have decided to compile a list of things to do before I’m 30. Things I have always wanted to do, but never got round to it. I am calling it the 30 Before 30 project.

So, I have one year and two months to complete my list. When I tick a goal off I will write about it (which will also give me ideas for my blog). Lets see if I can tick off all 30. Ready, set…..go!

1: Gamble on a roulette table in Las Vegas

2: Get married

3: Fly in a helicopter

4: Buy myself a pair of Jimmy Choo shoes

5: Have a ride in a hot air balloon

6: Own an elephant onesie

7: Find the perfect little black dress

8: Have my photo taken in front of the Golden Gate Bridge

9: Go up the Eiffel Tower

10: Have a Disney day, re-watching all my favourites

11: Learn a new skill/hobby

12: Visit Stonehenge

13: Name a star after me

14: Fly in a glider

15: Re-read some of my favourite children’s books

16: Visit the Grand Canyon

17: Climb Glastonbury Tor

18: Learn a new dance

19: Sketch something

20: Cycle the Strawberry Line

21: Sew something/make something

22: Go to the cinema alone in the middle of the day

23: Learn how to change a tyre

24: Watch a ballet

25: Cook a three course meal by myself

26: Write a short story for children

27: Go Ape

28: Try Zorbing

29: Hit a bullseye in archery

30: Buy myself something pretty from Pandora

Who is that in the bear costume?!

Looking good as the Critical Care Bear!

Who is that in the bear costume?!

This blog post finds me looking a little different that I usually do - and it is all down to my new job.

I made it my resolution to blog more, but it seems like life has got in the way slightly! Since my last post, more than a month ago, a lot of things have happened - most noticeably starting a new job. I am now the PR and Media Officer at Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, and three weeks in I am loving it :)

My first week was quite daunting. There was so much to remember and learn, and I went home each night with a headache. I think I had forgotten what it was like to be the new girl, as I was at my last job for five years. But things have now started to click into place, and I am really enjoying my new role!

In the engine of a Boeing 747

One of the highlights has to be dressing up as the Critical Care Bear - our new mascot! It is really hard to see where you are going in the costume, as the only eye holes are in the nose. This meant I had to be guided into position. The photo shoot at the airfield saw me hoisted up into the engine of an unused Boeing 747 - quite an experience I can tell you! It was a very good job I was in the bear suit, as I didn't look very lady-like!

Chilling in the helicopter

We also visited the base, and it was very amusing to see the look on the crews faces when I walked in! This part of the day involved more unlady-like hoisting, as I was squashed into the pilots seat of the helicopter for a photo. There is really not much room in there at the best of times, let alone when you are wearing a giant bear head and huge boots! 

With pilot John, paramedic Vicki and doctor Tim

I am enjoying learning more about the air ambulance, and seeing just how important it is that people support the charity. Here are a few things that I have learnt:

*GWAAC is one of the few air ambulances who work to the gold standard Critical Care Model, which means rushing a critical care paramedic and critical care doctor  to the scene. Essentially we are a flying Accident and Emergency Department, bringing the hospital to the patients.

*The team fly seven days a week, 365 days a year and attend more than 100 incidents per month.

*We provide one of the busiest air ambulances in the UK.

*Within five minutes of a 999 call to our base the aircraft is in the air, and no more than 20 minutes later the team are anywhere within the region that we cover. This means that one patient in five – a patient otherwise expected to die – survives.

*We receive no funding from the Government or the National Lottery, which means we rely entirely on the generosity of the people we serve to continue operating.

So as you can see, a really worthwhile charity, and one that needs your support!

I am looking forward to a busy year with the charity, with lots of exciting projects to get my teeth into! And I am such there will be a few blog posts on what we get up to :)

Farewell journalism - it's been a great six years!

In three weeks I will be leaving the Bath Chronicle behind and starting a new job. In fact, I will be leaving the world of journalism behind, and moving into a different position. I am going over to the other side, and will be the press officer for Great Western Air Ambulance.

I am feeling hugely excited about this. Don’t get me wrong, I have been a journalist for six years, and have loved all of the experiences that this has given me. I have done so many things that I would never have done before, and interviewed lots of celebrities. But now I feel like it is time for a change, and I am looking forward to helping this wonderful charity to continue the great work it does.

I thought I would sum up some of the great, weird, fun, and just plain crazy things I have done in my time as a journalist.

Top Five moments

This was a hard category - as there were so many to choose from! But here are five of my most memorable moments:

*Interviewing shoe legends Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik.

Me and Jimmy Choo!

Me and Manolo Blahnik!

For as long as I can remember I have loved shoes, especially Jimmy Choos. So when he arrived in Bath in 2009 and I got to interview him I was over the moon! I spent hours the night before picking out my best shoes to wear, and when I met him he said ‘nice shoes.’ So my cream heels from Faith are Choo approved! I was disappointed that when the interview was published he didn’t send me a pair of shoes as a thank you - but meeting the great man was the chance in a lifetime! Three years later I got the chance to interview another shoe legend, when Manolo Blahnik was given an honorary degree at Bath Spa. Once again I took ages to decide what pair of shoes to wear!

*Covering the Weston Pier fire

When the pier at Weston-super-Mare burnt down it made national and even international news. At the time I was the reporter on the Weston and Worle News, so I was sent to cover it. I remember waking up, putting the TV on while I ate my breakfast, and seeing the pier on fire! Cue a mad dash down the motorway, where you could see the smoke. I was there all day, talking to people who had loved the pier, watching the firecrews tackle the blaze, and attending a press conference by the owners who vowed to make it bigger and better than ever. A lot of people loved that pier, and I am glad that the owners kept their promise, and rebuilt it. At the end of the day it took me ages to find my car, as I had parked it in a rush down a side street and hadn’t made a note of the name!

*Swinging sixties makeover

Ready to part sixties style

In August 2009 an exhibition was held at the Assembly Rooms in Bath called Story of The Supremes From the Mary Wilson Collection. It was dedicated to the clothes worn by The Supremes, one of the most well-known Mowtown bands of all time. As part of this they were offering people the chance to have a sixties makeover - and I jumped at the chance. I wore clothes that I had found in my dressing up collection (basically a number of large bags which hold all of my fancy dress costumes), and had my hair and makeup done. The result? A massive beehive which was put together by more than 30 hair clips and half a can of hairspray. Seriously, I thought it took me ages to get ready for a night out, imagine if I was in the sixties, and had to build that beehive every evening! And taking my hair down that evening took ages!

*Making cakes for Mary Berry

Not many people can say they have baked caked for the legend that is Mary Berry!  I was due to interview her on an unrelated matter when the idea was put forward that some of us bake cakes and get her to taste them. Now, I am not the best cake maker – I tend to just chuck things together and hope they taste ok. I avoid baking, and only do it when I have a cake sale for Sunshine Radio. So the thought of making something for Mary Berry to taste was scary! I opted for biscuits, as I thought they would be the easier option. An evening and one destroyed kitchen later and I had a chocolate chip cookie in the shape of a bear for her to taste. She was really lovely, and up for trying it. Her comments were ‘It tastes lovely, but the bear looks a little obese!’ I will take that! Great British Bake-Off here I come!

*Lake District press trip

Meeting Peter Rabbit

During my time as a journalist I have been lucky to go on a few press trips. My favourite one was the first time we went to the Lake District. I have never been before, but since then have been a few times. It is so beautiful, whether you visit in the summer or winter (which was when we went for this trip.) We stayed at a beautiful hotel in Grasmere, visited the Beatrix Potter museum, and Wordsworth’s cottage. This was the time that we almost got stuck up a mountain, as we decided to climb it late afternoon, got lost, and only just made it down before it got dark!

There have also been many bizarre moments in my carer:

Freezing in our pjs!

* Standing in the middle of busy shopping centre in my pjs.

This was to launch a charity Midnight Walk, and saw us standing in pjs in a busy shopping centre with Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies. It was winter too – so we were freezing!

*Eating one of the hottest chilli sauces in the country.

At a chilli festival I got conned into tasting the hottest sauce. It was horrible – my mouth was on fire, and didn’t cool down for hours!

*Walking down snow covered slopes/ driving to cut off village

Just before I fell over.

A village cut off by snow? I was sent to investigate. The

result? I got my car stuck, had to abandon it and be picked up. Hills in Bath too icy to walk down? I  was sent to try them out. The result? A very sore bum!

*Tasting Bath’s thermal waters

I tasted the thermal waters of Bath that is believed to have healing powers. It tasted really sulphuric, not very enjoyable!

*Having a waltz lesson from 89yr-old waltz champion

I interviewed a lovely old man who was a Waltz champion. He was dressed in his tux for the interview, and insisted on spinning me around his living room!

*Being captured in a painting of people in the city

A student painted people of Bath and I was included! See if you can spot me!

People of Bath - can you spot me?

Being a journalist has been great! I am now looking forward to more adventures in my new job. 

Sunshine celebrates silver! :)

This blog is to celebrate the success of Sunshine Radio after we walked away with Silver in the Best Speech Package at the National Hospital Broadcasting Association awards! The entry, The Largest Helicopter Museum in the World, was put together by myself and Marcus Tripp.

 For those of you that are not aware of the Hospital Radio Awards, they are an annual celebration of the excellent standards found in hospital radio stations across the country. There are more than 200 individual member stations, and each entry is subjected to a rigorous judging process by a national panel of industry experts and NHS staff.

 Last year was the first year I entered, in the Female Presenter of the Year category. The awards ceremony was held in Blackpool, and I won Gold, which was amazing. I felt so inspired after that I vowed to enter again this year. I decided to go for another category, and along with Marcus went along to the Helicopter museum to put together a programme on it.

 The museum is the world's largest dedicated helicopter museum, and brings huge numbers of tourists to Weston every year. To some it may sound a bit boring, who wants to go and stare at bits of helicopters?! Well, I thought the same until I visited, and then I was pretty impressed! It is really interesting to see all the different types, and some of them are massive!

 The Helicopter Museum dates back to 1958, when the founder, aviation writer and historian Elfan ap Rees, began to build up a private collection of rotorcraft documentation and artifacts. Over the years his collection has grown so much that the museum was relocated to an aircraft hanger big enough to accommodate them. As Elfan said in his interview with us ‘Don’t start collecting things, as you never know where it could end up!’

 So Marcus and I went along to the museum, and interview Elfan, along with two lovely volunteers Rod and Stacey, (if you are reading this, thanks for talking to us!) Then came the hard work, editing more than an hours worth of material into a five minute clip for the judges. This was so hard, as we wanted to get the feel of the piece across, but only five minutes to do it in. It ended up taking us around six hours to put the clip together!

 For every category there are 10 finalists, who go along to the awards ceremony where bronze, silver and gold are announced. This year the ceremony took place in Bristol, which was handy for us! To be honest, I really didn’t think we would make the top three. The speech category in particular is very tough, so just to be in the top 10 pleased me!

 The awards ceremony was great. It was held at the Marriott Hotel, and we were given a three course meal, consisting of vegetable soup (which surprisingly I didn’t drop down myself), lamb shank, and a chocolate and orange sponge. I was sat next to Richard Smith, though only people who do hospital radio will know the name! He records shows from home which are broadcast to most of the hospital stations in the UK. I play his one minute trivia clips a lot on my show, so it was exciting to finally put a face to a voice!

 Then came the awards. I had drank quite a bit of wine by then (typical! lol!), and when they announced that we had won silver it took a few minutes to sink in! Sunshine chair Jo and I went up on stage to collect the award, and I was chuffed that I didn’t trip over my dress and didn’t drop the glass trophy! The judges comments on our entry were: “We found this entry amusing, informative and entertaining. We thought there was good interaction by all involved, bringing to life this most unusual of museums.”

 Funny that, as my presenter of the year entry last year was also described as amusing!

So yay for Sunshine! And bring on the 2015 awards in Newcastle. Now I just have to decide what category to enter!

From Tremelling to Durrant - changing my name

This week while signing a cheque I suddenly started thinking about signatures, and the fact that when I get married I will have to come up with a new signature. Up until now I hadn’t thought about it. It feels a bit strange that I will have to make up a new signature – as I have been using my current one for so many years. Come to think of it I can’t remember when I started to use a signature. How old are you when you start signing for things?! I can’t remember sitting down at the age of 10 or so thinking ‘right, I need to come up with a creative signature’. I wonder if I practised a few different versions, or if I just went with whatever came out when I put pen to paper?

While pondering this I went on to Wikipedia (the fountain of all knowledge) where it states that a signature is something that a person ‘writes on documents as a proof of identity’ and is not to be confused with an autograph which ‘is chiefly an artistic signature’. Right – so can I have an artistic signature? I don’t want it to look boring!

When I marry I will be Laura Jane Durrant (that is actually the first time I have written that!). My signature at the moment is L J Tremelling written in quite a swirly way. Do I keep the style and just change the surname? Or do I go for something totally different?! When planning a wedding a new signature is not top of my list of things to plan/worry about. But now I have thought about it, it is definitely something I need to think about.

It feels strange that I only have just over a year left as a Tremelling. I like my Cornish name – it stands out, and I am proud of my Cornish background. It has an early medieval English origin, and is a locational name from Tremelling, a place in the parish of St. Erth, Cornwall. Tre means settlement and melling means miller. So my surname means house of the miller. Locational surnames, such as this, were originally given to local landowners, and the lord of the manor. My granny always said you can tell a Cornish surname by the rhyme: “By Tre, Pol, and Pen, Ye may know most Cornish men".

Changing surname will be strange, but at least I have a nice one to change to. I like Durrant. At school I was always the last to be called, as my name started with T. I am moving up the alphabet! Imagine if your future husband had a surname Pratt, or something similar!

Right, that is enough rambling from me. I am off to practice my new signature!

xx