Well, what can I say? It’s been a hell of a year, packed full of life changing events, situations and outcomes, one of the most hectic years of recent times.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, the New Year as it was then a year ago had a very daunting outlook, I had no idea where I would be, or what I would be doing this time now. Full of mock exams, never-ending ICT coursework and the constant expectation of my UCAS application kept me on my feet to say the least.

The A-level work continued to pour in throughout the next few months, and the UCAS replies trickled in, one by one until eventually I had my offers - and I had to choose, either way which ever I chose I knew I would be leaving everyone, after all, it was my choice where I picked the unis anyway, and with them all being far from home, it was an inevitable outcome - but at that time, the prospect of all of that was ages away, nothing to be at the forefront of worry anyway at least, even if it was always at the back of my head.

March saw light to new personal works, I started the ABC1 site for one, which still continues today, even if Disney have their corner of their eye on it… I also continued my work of helping to assist with performances and filming activities throughout the school, with the much anticipated Talent Show, and the Torbay Sports filming competition, in which our team won first prize for the school.

Revelations came forth throughout April & May, or could it all have been called confirmation? Either way that was then and you all should know about that, was it all a good thing it officially came to light? I still don’t know really, and I guess I never will. By this time too, my Media & History work had all been done - only the mind numbing ICT work to continue with, and another filming project with Critch gets underway!

June saw me turn 18, finally complete all my ICT coursework - even if it was in the nick of time!, sit my A-level exams and realise that the life I had known for the past seven years was over as I knew it, I would never be with all my friends again most days like it was ever again…

…however I strived on, July was a time to relax away from all the pressures - but, they were still there, probably even more at the forefront of my mind than ever, but I was fine, they were my problems, and no-one else’s…

August was much the same, going out with my friends, and receiving my A-level results, and as always in true Westlands / AQA style they mucked them up beyond all expectations, eventually my correct grades were given, which I was very pleased with, and which got me into my first choice University - and that was it - confirmation for me - in little less than a month, I would be up London, at Uni - and that would be my life for the next four years.

September came round in a flash after that, and the next thing I new I was saying goodbye to everyone I had come to know as friends over the past few years, ad as Myles correctly stated, they were the best years. Then I was off, not knowing what to expect I set off to Uni… after an ‘interesting’ fresher’s week the university routine began, even with a slow start in my opinion to the class and no-one knowing anyone’s names, it seemed to get better slowly over time, and after I got into the work and such it started becoming the norm.

With the flat mate hunt in full swing, October was much the same I suppose, getting used to Uni life, starting the midnight Monday Tesco visits, oh, and trying to see every TV studio within an hour’s drive of me of course!

The end of October, beginning of November saw my first trip back down home for reading week, even though ridden with fiascos and flaws, all in all it went alright I guess after all I met up with most of my mates, and it was ok. But soon enough it was back to the daily grind of Uni life, with more work than before we truly learnt the meaning of deadlines!

With Midnight Mondays Tescos becoming an obsession it would seem, life continued like that, work, deadlines and expectations. Then, December was upon us, the second half of the term definitely seemed to go faster than the first, however, with the final work all handed in, the trip to Lee Evans and My Hero over with, it was time to back home again, this time for Christmas, much the same as last time the plan was to meet up with my friends, and generally just relax back at home, and much the same happened like last time too, but I met some of my mates again, went out and caught up with them and such until next time.

Click here for some of the Best photos and moments of 2005

So here I am, still here, waiting to go back up to Uni in a week or so, and with the same as this time last year, I still have no idea where I will be this time next year, and with even more decisions for me to make in the next few months and with exams looming in January - I guess 2006 will be as hectic as ever, and while everything can change around you, I guess some things also stay the same too, even though in the end after the new years night, January 1st is still yet another day, and not everything’s going to just change for the best cause its a new year, you still have to never give up trying to be what you want you want to be.

 Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore

Thursday night saw four of us go see Lee Evans on his XL 2005 tour at Wembley Arena, basically a big tent… anyway, it was a good night, and Lee Evans was great - it was even good enough to make me want to buy the DVD itself! Hehe. The finale was truly amazing too, and it did seem to be his best tour yet, be that because we were actually there to see him live, it was still a great night out!

I would show you photos of the… experience, but Tescos didn’t want you to see them. Boo to them. A simple task of processing photos from one of their own disposable cameras proved far to difficult, leading to a palaver which saw photos within photos, photos spewed across two photos, and seven photos disappearing into thin air, even less of which managed to find their way onto the CD… What they wanted you to see was the Lee Evans tour from another dimension, to which I am glad to show you what it was like from their perspective;

As you can see at (1) you can pretty much see the standard car park sign which you would find in any normal arena, along with car just to the left of it… (I think it was a Ford Focus)… you can see the stage at (2)… I think the car park was to the right hand side of the stage if I recall…

This is the stage… if you’re wondering where the rest of it is…

Its there! I think the first bit of the stage fell off or something…

Oh, and here’s the stage (to the right) with half of a big screen to the top left (the arrow)… quite annoying when Lee walked to the other side of the stage…

But, I did get the programme for the night;

Anyway! The next night (Friday) three of us went to see My Hero being filmed at Teddington Studios - and again, it was a good night, shame cameras aren’t allowed, but still, we watched the first episode of the upcoming new series being filmed - so watch out for us laughing in the audience! Hehe, and lets just say it made me want to work in the Media even more, oh, and watch more shows!

Well, it was a standard Thursday… nothing special, same old lectures, with the same old rainy weather, even though I braved the harsh conditions and went to into town after the lecture to go shopping… as you do… when a guy from the BBC gives me a leaflet in the street - and hey - as its the BBC and you know me, I wasn’t going to hesitate! Even if it was a signed contract for someone to kill me, I still would have taken the leaflet… anyway… it mentioned David Attenborough being in the Kingston BBC Shop from 5.30pm (as its late night Thursday shopping) to sign books… and given the opportunity, I went back down later in the day… having gone back to my flat first of course…

…anyway, after getting down there at about 6pm, and wondering around for a bit I finally decided to go in, buy a book and get him to sign it, much to my joy I can tell you, even with the security guys and head staff patrolling the shop as if royalty was visiting… anyway, I got the book signed and he said hi and such… so yea… that was my amazing Thursday David Attenborough experience… even though the technical term is “meet and greet”… anyways…

Theres some pics of the book I got which was signed in my gallery HERE. I wasn’t sure if I could take photos in the shop, so I didn’t, and I didn’t fancy paying some stupid price to get a photo taken with him on a Polaroid camera… or atleast I think they were selling them… after all he was a BBC guy…