Gunpowder, Treason & Plot.

Even if I had just awoken from a year long coma, I would still know that it is the 5th of November tomorrow. Walking home from work this evening, I could already smell the pungent stench of bonfire in the bitterly cold autumn air. Fireworks have been going off for days now so they are no real surprise - they're one of those things that people need very little excuse to let off. I've never quite got the appeal but I suppose it's something to do with man's obsession with fire; the somewhat prettier equivalent of a BBQ.

In favour of a quieter, more chilled out November 5th (complete with V For Vendetta, naturally), we got our celebrations out of the way with yesterday. Adam bought a few fireworks, hotdogs and marshmallows and even managed to haul the fire pit out of the garage ready for the neighbours coming over.

We messed around with sparklers, laughed at Adam's horrendous attempt at a Catherine Wheel and came to realize exactly why it is that I'll never entertain the idea of having children. Don't get me wrong, they're great kids but they seem to require constant attention, wreak havoc on everything they touch and are able to throw what are quite possibly the biggest tantrums I've ever seen (and you haven't seen Adam's!). God love them.

I did try my hand at some firework photography but I doubt things could have gone any worse than they did. The wind was blowing a gale and with it came rain. I had no idea how to use Adam's tripod and he seemed hellbent on letting the fireworks off without telling me which direction they would travel. Needless to say, I missed 98% of them. Better luck next time I guess?

Now I'm treating myself to an early night. I've been ridiculously tired lately to the point I just feel like laying down and sleeping part way through the day - very un-wayne like. I blame Adam's irritating snoring and constant teeth-grinding that goes on all night. I've decided that the only solution is to ensure I'm in bed by 10 to help catch up.

Having said that, I am already 9 minutes over but who's counting?

A surprising Halloween.

I hope everyone had a fantastic Halloween! Despite being English, I have a ridiculous love of the Halloween season; part of me even prefers it to Christmas. Maybe it's the heathen in me? Who knows.

Usually we get dressed up and go out partying but Adam was working this year so I opted for a quiet night in alone with horror films and pumpkin carving. I say a quiet night but it actually turned into one of the most exhausting nights I've had in many months. I have never seen so many trick or treaters in my entire life!

To the Americans, the presence of trick or treaters probably won't come as a surprise but here in Britain it has never really taken hold the way it has across seas. If you're lucky (or unlucky), most houses will probably only get one or two but within 2 hours I managed to get through 75 bags of Haribo - literally raped by Halloween. I knew that we would probably get more in this new house what with living in the suburbs near lots of families and the ever increasing popularity of Halloween each year. I loved it - the families looked amazing dressed up and the street came alive. Weirdly, you don't see many house decorated for Halloween but of the 7 houses in our street, 5 were decked out. I hope the trend continues, it's such a fun time of year and I'm extremely jealous of the US when it comes around. I just need to be better equipped next year - finding extra stock of emergency sweets in the local shop at 6pm on Halloween is virtually impossible.

We put all of our creative efforts into decorating at work. It was a lot easier this year as the schools have been off for half term which means it was pretty quiet. It actually gave us a great distraction from an otherwise boring two weeks. I donned an old Batman top that I made whilst at university, taped some bin liner wings to the arms and graced everyone with my make-shift bat effort. I'd be lying if I said the wings weren't insanely annoying. They got caught everywhere; toilet door, between my chair arms and the desk, under cups etc etc. Deep joy.

 

Next up is November 5th - Guy Fawkes night. Fireworks have already started going off and I've started to smell one or two bonfires. I can't say I've ever been particularly fond of Bonfire Night. It annoys me that one of Britain's main 'must celebrate' events takes place in the darkest depths of Winter and celebrates someone being hung, drawn and quartered. Let's just say I don't see the appeal of being crammed in a cold, wet field amongst thousands of people whilst they burn an effigy in memory of a public execution. Childhood memories of it is another thing - Catherine Wheels getting stuck on the garden fence, Dad launching rockets in the wrong direction and burning my rain-soaked fingers on sparklers. Sigh.

Anyway, I need to stop being a killjoy - Adam is already talking about buying a few fireworks and inviting our neighbour over for hotdogs and marshmallows. Happy face at the ready!

Nettleham Hall.

For those that were worried (humour me), I can confirm that I am in fact not dead, I've just been slightly M.I.A for a while. Not to worry, I'm back now and far more inclined to actually post thanks to my shiny new iMac (a slightly impulsive and extravagant purchase but motivational nonetheless).

On Sunday, we took my new camera for its first real outing as I've been bugging Adam for weeks to take me somewhere worth photographing. I'm not from this county originally and struggle to make my way into the centre of town, let alone discover points of interest.

We ended up at the ruins of the derelict 'Nettleham Hall', situated about 15 minutes from where we live. I can't believe I have lived here this long without realising such a fantastic place existed just down the road. From what I can figure out from Google and Adam's Grandad, the hall itself was the seat of power for the Hood family; more notably John Hood who accompanied General Monk from Scotland in 1660 in attempting to restore Charles II to power. Reports are vague but the hall was 'mysteriously' destroyed by fire in 1937.

I'm not going to lie, it is quite possibly the eeriest place you could ever wish to visit. Smack bang in the heart of dense, silent woodland and overgrown by vines - I can think of nothing worse than visiting at night. Just before the hall itself, is a little groundsman's cottage. You can still make out some of the wallpaper detail in the front room and the remnants of a kitchen. I'd give anything to see photos of what it used to like but alas, it appears no real photos survived.

Not too much exists of the hall itself except the main wall structure, archways, some plaster detail and the cellars. The whole thing has a sort of creepy 'Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider' feel.

I discovered online that it is quite the hotspot for enthusiasts of derelict places (yes there is such a phenomenon) and that many visitors have been chased away by a particularly aggressive farmer. Luckily, we didn't experience that pleasure.

We've toyed with the idea of visiting the abandoned Nocton Hall next but something about visiting a derelict RAF hospital makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. After all, those kinds of excursions never end well in horror films. Watch this space; you never know how persuasive Adam can be.

Now I'm off to catch up on all of your blogs to see how you've all been getting on. I guess we'll see if this storm materialises that everyone has been banging on about. My personal guess is that it won't touch us up here. Damn the sensationalised weather reporting in this country.

Equals.

A few hours ago, gay marriage in the United Kingdom was approved in principal so if that doesn't warrant a blog post, then nothing will.

As a gay male myself, I have differing views regarding gay marriage but it has always presented itself as an almost archaic embarrassment in an otherwise widely liberal country. I don't think I would ever choose to marry (never say never) but that is more for personal reasons rather than the belief that gay people should not be allowed - it is just not something I would ever wish to partake in. I do however view the current 'civil partnership' system as somewhat of a smoke screen that segregates sexual orientations whilst at the same time prevents the British government from being labelled as bigots. It's a crowd pleaser, let's be honest. I believe that all humans regardless of race, gender, age or sexuality should have the same choices in life and that it should be down to the individual as to whether they then make those choices. Any law that restricts this automatically gets my back up and the gay marriage bill is the one stickler that I have had my eye on for a while.

Britain is one of the most powerful countries in the world and historically has been classified as a trendsetter when it comes to laws and policies. The fact that, up until now, its gay citizens were still deemed inferior to its straight population made my heart sink. Compared to the rest of northern Europe, we're practically medieval - our close neighbours in Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and The Netherlands have all offered marriage equality for some time now and I'm surprised that it has even taken this long to get the ball rolling. In fact, I honestly did not think the ball would ever get kicked let alone roll.

Imagine my surprise earlier at work, whilst busy tidying up ready for lights out; I looked up at our BBC news screen and was confronted with the headline 'BREAKING NEWS: COMMONS BACKS GAY MARRIAGE BILL'. Yes it has taken far too long and yes it is causing far greater chaos than the topic of equality really should but I have to say that I am incredibly proud of Prime Minister David Cameron for bulldozing this bill through despite going against his own party's beliefs and alienating many of his voters in the progress. It would be easy for the Labour party to pass this bill; the majority of their supporters are left wing liberalists who have been speaking out in support of this topic for many years. It's a sure fire vote-winner for Labour but for the Tories, it's a whole different ball game; staunch centre-right conservatives that have no interest in modernisation. News reports are describing him as a sinking ship, a kamikaze pilot losing the support of his peers but in all honesty, I really do not think this decision has done him any harm. There are thousands upon thousands of potential voters in this country that have never been compelled to visit a polling booth in their lives but this strong brave move from a man that stands to lose everything may just provide them with the encouragement they need in order to pledge their support.

I am a great believer in the idea that everyone should be entitled to voice their opinions and put across their views in a sensible, fair manner but it has angered me at just how many women have had the audacity to speak out against gay marriage over the past few days. The disgusting injustices that women have had to endure and overcome in order to get to where they are today, I would wholeheartedly expect the majority to pledge their support to the cause and to hear the triade of hate speech and ridiculous opinions from some of them has completely sickened me. It appears many feel that the guise of religion allows them to separate the trials gay people currently face from their own plight over the years - something I will never understand as if we still lived in accordance with holy books, women would not even be allowed to present an opinion on social issues, let alone vote.

The religious fanatics will continue to shout (possibly louder than ever before) and legions of bigots will hold on to the shield of 'religious views' in order to practice their hate speech but nothing can take away from the fact that times are changing and today will forever hold a place in history as the day Britain took its final step in the direction of universal equality.

Today I feel proud. Injustice never triumphs; not in the end.

Diversify.

Isn't it funny that, of every tiny element making up each day of our lives, it can be just one small thing that defines that day and affects us above all others?

Well today it was just ten simple words: 'maybe the Government should do something about all the foreigners?'.

Most nights after work, I often take a short stroll to the local supermarket; more out of sheer boredom than need. That coupled with the fact that we live literally a stone's throw from Asda. Our house is situated in a pleasant area but there is no getting away from the fact that it is still in close proximity to one of the city's renowned council estates. Without tarring all those that live on council estates with the same brush, I would not be lying if I said that this particular branch of Asda attracts a certain type of clientele.

Being the well trained Brit that I am, there I was queuing patiently in line for the next available pack 'n' scan when in walks what is quite possibly the most obnoxious family that I have ever had the misfortune to encounter.

I'm not a fan of labels and in no way do I condone them but for those with some knowledge of British slang, the word 'chav' may quite possibly have been coined with this family in mind. Despite the anger that has been left resonating inside of me since 7pm this evening, I will only draw attention to one member of said family as it was he, and he alone, that actually had the audacity to utter any derogatory remarks. Aside from their blatant lack of social awareness, loud manner and the fact that they still even give their friend/boyfriend/husband/son the time of day, it is only fair that I save my unfound judgement and leave them blameless.

That aside, the male in question is completely fair game. Adorned with his high peak baseball cap, unzipped hoodie and abundance of cheap gold jewellery, he immediately began stomping around the shop complaining to the others that 'there was no fucking way' he was going to stand and queue for the cigarette counter. After maybe five minutes of moaning on a decibal level similar to that of a pneumatic drill, he grabbed the two females and dragged them through to the self serve stating that he would just ask the lady behind the counter to pass him the cigarettes to scan himself. Clearly this is still an alternative method of queue jumping but I'm pretty sure that, somewhere within his warped mind, he believed this to be a valid trouble-free option and that maybe, he was doing everyone a favour.

After following through with his plan of action and bawling at the checkout girl to pass him some cigarettes, he managed to garner the response of 'please shut up and join the line like everyone else' from the lady behind the till. Still not satisfied that such an innocent request was being met with such hostility, he began to challenge exactly why the lady was not able to pass the cigarettes over. 'It's a government ruling. Even if I wanted to, the law states that you must come through the secure till' was his second response. To be honest, even I didn't know this but with hindsight looking back, it was probably just a flippant excuse used to try and quell his whining.

It was then, after screwing his face into what can only be described as an inhuman ball of disgust, he uttered the offending line: 'Well maybe the Government should do something about all the foreigners first?'.

By nature I am an extremely laid back and highly tolerant person - in fact, it is those very traits that make me so successful at my job but there several peeves (that I can count on the fingers of one hand) that rile me beyond belief. Intolerance of race and immigration is one of them. As soon as the words left his lips, I felt the emotion rising inside of me and though I hate to admit it, I almost preempted what his retort would be as soon as the word 'government' was thrown into the mix. I say that I hate to admit it as that would be a preconception and I strive to avoid it but this time I don't feel so bad as my thoughts were justified.

I wanted to jump out of the queue right then and challenge what he had just had the audacity to say in public but as is usually the case, I am only human and the fear of being jumped outside (or even right there on the shop floor) took over. Of course I showed my visual disgust and even made an audible moan which I'm sure he heard but I am so disappointed in myself that I didn't make a verbal challenge. Straight away I wanted to reach out and educate - as I write this, I still do but I know in my heart of hearts that even if I had managed to pluck up the courage, it would more than likely have been in vain as he was clearly not the type to take much onboard, let alone in the middle of Asda from a perfect stranger.

It wasn't even just the words he said that has affected me so much, it is the way in which he said them - in such a relaxed mocking manner that I could just tell that he 100% thinks that 'foreigners' are Britain's biggest problem and that everyone would stand by him in saying that. There is something seriously wrong with political education within this country that allows people with this kind of uneducated mindset to vote. This is the reason why racist organisations masquerading as 'political parties' are gaining more and more votes in every election - average citizens are turning to these parties as a result of them taking advantage of this miseducation. They genuinely believe that these racist agendas are okay to support and that ethnic minorities are having a detrimental effect on the UK's economy - all because the majority of politics is so inaccessible to these people. Yes, it may be quite a small percentage right now in the grand scheme of things but this percentage is definitely not about to shrink and in the process, innocent people are being victimised whilst they go about their daily routine. This is all happening within a country that prides itself on its 'cultural diversity'.

This has been a long entry reflecting on just over five minutes of my day and it has been of great benefit sharing it but I still know that it will stay with me long after I have gone to bed and probably well into tomorrow. I am literally kicking myself for not being able to do more at the time, for not being the decent human being that I strive to be but there were well over twelve other people in the vicinity at the time and not one of them said anything. Not one person even turned to the person beside them to express their disgust, many of them did not even seem to bat an eyelid. The cold shouldered dismissal from the checkout girl was the only sign that man could have taken to recognise that his behaviour was not acceptable. It just makes me wonder what percentage of the human race would feel the need to speak out during a situation such as this? I take slight comfort in knowing that I would probably have plucked up the courage should I have had someone standing alongside me but I still can't help feeling that this has been one small victory in favour of racial bigotry.

I just pray to god that a high percentage of the human race is braver than I.