From Good to Evil: character progression in the best way. MERLIN EDITION

From reading and watching a lot of Tv and books I have got quite a collection of opinions on characters. In previous posts I have listed my favourite characters including all time favourite characters from books, favourite characters from TV/film and favourite characters from Harry Potter, however, in this post I am going to be discussing the character progressions in BBC's Merlin, these are the character's that I just love to hate. *All these opinions are based from the characters in Merlin, the BBC show, not the actual Arthurian legend*

First up we have Morgana Pendragon. In the first two series Morgana is as nice as a button, sure she's slightly spoilt but that just comes with the territory of being a King's ward. She cares about her friends would do anything to protect them. A great example of this is when she, along with Gwen and Arthur helped Merlin save his home village from bad guys steeling their harvest; she didn't have to do it but she did out of the goodness of her heart and because of the love she had for her friends. They cared greatly for her and in return she did the same for them, no matter what class you came under.

Until Morgana realised that she had magic, she was completely golden-hearted, but I believe that it was the fear of her magic that turned her evil. She was scared and because of Uther's harsh ruling and complete out-law of magic she felt she was completely alone, little did she know that Merlin had also felt the same feelings as she had but it was forbidden to ever be spoken of. So in haste of her being completely terrified and so confused she turned to the only person who was prepared to tell her that she wasn't a freak and that magic was nothing to be scared of and that was of course, Morgause. Sadly Morgause trained Morgana into thinking that if you had magic then everyone around you should be afraid of you and should be at your mercy, she showed her the evil of the magic world, but of course, Morgana had never been able to see the beauty of using magic for good and so I believe she never really thought any different about using magic for anything other than to get her own way. I think she also thought that who was she to doubt the only person who treated her no differently but in fact with greater love than before despite her magic.

However, I believe that the true culprit that pushed Morgana further away and further into the evil witch that she became is Uther. Uther was also mad with fear over magic and would not accept that it wasn't just used for evil, therefore he corrupted Morgana's mind right from the start before she even realised she had magic, so when she woke up one night with her curtains on fire, of course she would be led to believe that she was the one in the wrong. Morgana's greatest weakness was loneliness and that is what pushed her to becoming evil, once she was evil, her thirst for power over rode any kind of emotion that she possessed other than anger. It does truly break my heart because her character progression is one probably greater than Merlin's himself, she literally flipped the side of the coin throughout the show and in the end she died alone instead of being surrounded by her friends and family, even Morgause, who trained her and loved her was not there to see her into the other world. Morgana Pendragon's character is probably the most saddening in the entire series and her end is horrific, because at least Arthur died in Merlin's arm, in the arms of someone who protected him and loved him, but Morgana, as I said died completely alone, in the presence of a self-made enemy.

Next up is Mordred. The first time we see Mordred, he is a child, and a hurt child at that. He is the one who tells Merlin of his Druid name and talks to him telepathically. However, Merlin finds out from the Dragon that Mordred is Arthur's doom and that Merlin should try his best not to help him get out of the citadel, however, obviously this is Merlin we are talking about and he cannot let an innocent person suffer, he ignores the Dragons warnings. Despite helping Mordred, Merlin remains in suspicion of him when he returns, especially in series 5.

Mordred, in series five, now an adult gets knighted as a Knight of Camelot. Despite Merlin always being wary of him, Mordred seems nothing but devoted to being the truest knight he could be, he risks his life several times for Arthur and the other Knights. He keeps Merlin's secret which also happens to be a shared secret, something that they both have, away from being noticed or found. He is literally the model of a perfect knight. So what went wrong?

Arthur is partly to blame for Mordred's fate because he didn't take into account how much Mordred loved Kara, I think Arthur could have handled the situation a bit better, but he did what he did because of the laws put into place by his own father. Mordred did what he did out of spite, he told Morgana, Merlin's true identity to cause pain to Arthur, however, I don't think he ever thought it would be him who was to kill Arthur, until it was too late to back out, or maybe, just maybe he really is that evil and it was planned all along. However, in my opinion I don't believe once he did the deed of killing Arthur, a man who up until the point of Kara had shown him nothing but friendship and loyalty, that he felt any happiness from it but only remorse and you can see that on his face in the Battle of Camlann. Another part of Mordred that led him to eventually becoming evil was that it was always his destiny, and like Merlin learns, you can never truly escape your destiny. Mordred is such an interesting character because you can never really tell if he has always been evil or if he truly was good. Its hard to sum up Mordred's character, because he is just that complex but I think that a quote from Harry Potter is best to use to describe him "We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on." Mordred unfortunately chose to act on the bad side and ended up dead and killing Arthur as a result.

Also can I just say how amazing was both Alex Vlahos and Katie McGrath's acting is in Merlin. Seriously it was completely top notch, you can just see from the bottom picture of Alex the emotion he had when he played Mordred, it was truly amazing to watch. Katie McGrath's Morgana slowly spiralling down into the depths of evil and her acting just gives me chills. It makes their character progressions so much harder to bear because of the ability and talent that they had with their characters. Congrats BBC on yet more insanely good casting choices.

Parked FILM REVIEW

A few weeks ago I watched the film Parked. It was one of those films that really stays with you even after you've finished watching. The film itself is a small, independent film, I don't even think it was in the cinemas (although I could be wrong). The cast was small and the plot simple: simple, but by no means any less intriguing.

This is a synopsis from IMDb "Fred Daly returns to Ireland with nowhere to live but his car. Then dope-smoking 21-year-old Cathal parks beside him, and brightens up his lonely world. Encouraged by Cathal, Fred meets attractive music teacher Jules. Growing closer, these three outsiders are set on a course that will change their lives forever."

In essence that is exactly the plot, there is no sidelines its just that. Cathal is played by Colin Morgan who is outstanding in the part. Not only is Colin a master of accents but he is able to convey emotions with a simple look. Colm Meaney also plays a brilliant part, he is obviously the more reserved out of the duo but he certainly can hold his own. Despite the fact that these two characters couldn't be any more different they are thrown together and have each other for company. Cathal hasn't had anyone in his life that he can look up to and I truly believe that he wanted to give up the drugs for Fred because he loved and admired Fred, but he was just too far gone.

I am going to make an effort to watch more independent/small films in the future because theres something so special about them. I think that its amazing that small films like Parked are just as brilliant (if not better) than films that have Hollywood backing. Its solely based on the actors and the storyline without all of the theatrics that comes with high budget films. The actors are also more passionate about it because they are not doing it for the money they are purely doing it because they believe in the story and film. Jennifer Lawrence once said that "I love doing independent films, I love being on that 20th hour of free overtime in the freezing cold with the rest of the crew and the only thing that’s keeping you there and motivating you is not money. It’s just the belief and a story that you love enough to do almost anything for…that’s why I do what I do." and I think thats the perfect way to sum up an actor's view on independent films.

I'd definitely recommend Parked, its and emotional and strangely heartwarming film, however do be warned that there is drug use, swearing and sexual references so don't watch if you don't like any of that, however, don't be put off because it is all done beautifully and played out extremely well. 

4/5 STARS

Cardiff Comic Con and Meeting Alex Vlahos

Today I went with my friend Molly to Cardiff Comic Con. Truth be told I was only going because of Alex Vlahos and wasn't holding out much hope for the actual convention. However, the convention itself was absolutely incredible and so much fun. There were loads of stalls selling postcards, badges, posters, wrist bands, you name it they sold it with Doctor Who to The Hunger Games to Game of Thrones to The Avengers to Harry Potter and so much more. My self and Molly spent ridiculous amounts of money but it was totally worth it.

We queued to get Alex Vlahos' autograph and we had a small conversation: I was so shocked by how nice he is and was a little bit speechless for a while so thank God for Molly, however, after I got some courage I spoke to him and gave him a letter with some sweets in it, he got quite excited about the sweets, haha.

We shopped around for a while more until we literally had about £1 between us and queued to get our photos with Alex, it was pretty quick and so I am really glad we queued up to meet him before so at least we got a conversation with him. He was so lovely and funny and I honestly cant believe how brilliant he is. So I'm going to stop now before I gush too much but overall I had an amazing day and my room is looking even more fandomy than before, which I didn't even think was possible, but there we go.

*Sadly I am going back to school tomorrow and that means summer is obviously over and so I will be posting less frequently.*

The best of TV and Film

In light of the SFX awards (which is a sci-fi magazine) I thought I'd compile a list very similar with my tops in TV and film.

IN TV

Best TV show

Merlin

CAST: Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Anthony Head, Richard Wilson, Alex Vlahos, Rupert Young, Eion Macken and John Hurt.

Call the Midwife

Jessica Raine, Miranda Hart, Jenny Agutter, Pam Ferris, Judy Parfitt, Helen George, Bryony Hannah and Laura Main.

Downton Abbey

Maggie Smith, Hugh Boneville, Michelle Dockery, Jim Carter, Elizabeth McGovern, Laura Carmichael, Brendon Coyle, Phillis Logan, Dan Stevens, Joanne Froggatt and Rob James-Collier

The White Queen

Rebecca Ferguson, James Frain, Rupert Graves, Caroline Goodall, Amanda Hale, Max Irons, Ben Lamb, Michael Maloney, Faye Marsay, Aneurin Barnard, Eleanor Tomlinson and David Oakes

Doctor Who

Christopher Eccelston, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Billie Piper, Freema Agyeman, Catherine Tate, Karen Gillian, Arthur Darvil and Jenna-Louise Coleman.

Best Actor 

Colin Morgan (Merlin)

His role as Merlin was his first major part; he is a truly astonishing actor and will go extremely far in the future. He is able to play about fifty different emotions within a single scene. The last series of Merlin is possibly the most heartbreaking thing I have ever witnessed in my entire life all because Colin embodies Merlin to the point of heartbreak.

Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock)

Often referred to as the chameleon for his diversity and ability to make any role he plays unique and incredibly good. As Sherlock he is arrogant and has a very credible talent to speak extremely long dialogs very fast. (If you watch the show you'll understand what I mean).

Bradley James (Merlin)

Watching Arthur go from being an arrogant and spoilt prince in the first series to the Once and Future king was amazing to behold and Bradley couldn't have been a better choice for King Arthur. He and Colin Morgan also get along very well and have a brilliant chemistry on screen and off. 

Aneurin Barnard (The White Queen)

Aneurin really comes into his own in the last four or five episodes of The White Queen. He shows a lot of emotion on his face and is able to make you feel what he is feeling by a simple look in his eyes. I can’t wait to see him in more.

David Tennant (Doctor Who)

Of course I had to include my favourite Doctor on this list, David is able to show the Doctor in love, at war, troubled, happy, sad, worried, angry and I'm not even going to mention The End of Time episodes because his regeneration is ridiculously heart breaking "I don't want to go", no David I wish you hadn't either.

Best Actress

Katie McGrath (Merlin)

Katie shows Morgana's descend into evil in the best possible way. In the first series you love her and then as each series progresses you start to hate her more and more until you physically cannot stand her any longer. It takes great skill to be able to do that and do it well and Katie handles it all with ease.

Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)

Arguably one of the greatest British actresses that has ever lived. If Maggie Smith is in something you can bet your bottom dollar that it will be worth watching. In Downton Abbey she is a hilarious snob and shows what the first class from that age really acted like.

Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)

Despite the fact that I don't love Game of Thrones that doesn't mean to say that I don't love Emilia Clarke. She is literally the best character and it perplexes me why they don't show more of her on the show. She's the type of character that is a feminists dream.

Miranda Hart (Call the Midwife)

Despite the fact that Miranda Hart is originally a comedian as Chummy she is brilliant and you get to see how much of a good actress Hart actually is. What's even better is that despite the fact that in Call the Midwife she doesn't try to be funny she is even funnier.

Amanda Hale (The White Queen)

She plays the Red Queen in the White Queen and she plays the slightly deranged woman with huge skill because as much as you may not support her cause you cannot deny that she is a determined, pious woman. 

IN FILM

Best film

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

This is the film that sparked the already growing Harry Potter franchise. This film is the perfect exam of the absolute crème de la crème of British film making and acting. The best of British and obviously its based from the most successful children’s book in years.

Despicable Me

This is the perfect family film and that is why it is not only included in this list but the best-animated film list as well. Its good for everyone and every member of the family can take something away from it. It’s heartwarming, funny and just simply brilliant.

Cool Runnings

An old classic really, it showcases the determination, hard work and sportsmanship that are required for any competitor in the Olympics. It’s a hilarious and witty film about working hard to beat your dreams and not letting anything get in your way.

Twilight Tower of Terror

This isn't a popular film, so much so that I cant even buy it on DVD for my region (urgh why) and have to watch it on VHS instead. The infamous ride at all the Disney parks are based from this film and the film is whilst old now still a brilliant film that is always in my top five.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone breathe a new ray of life into the Spider-man franchise (At least in my opinion). The story stays pretty true to the comics and I always see myself remembering bits that I read when I was younger. I cannot wait to see the second installment.

Best Actor

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)

Considering that Daniel was only a child when he got the part of the infamous boy wizard, he has continually improved and grown up with us. Having to deal with having one of the biggest franchises in the world on your shoulders is no mean feat, but he manages marvelously and really brings to life my favourite fictional character.

Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter)

The villain that haunted my childhood was a role that couldn't be played but just anyone and Ralph Fiennes brings so much to He Who Must Not Be Named that he is frankly terrifying. You only need to watch the bonus features on the discs to see how much he cares about how Voldemort was portrayed in the films.

Warrick Davies (Harry Potter)

Warrick Davies is another of Britain's finest actors and actresses, if he is in something; you just know it’s going to be good. He has managed to turn what some would call a disadvantage into an absolutely multi-million pound advantage.

Robert Downey JR (The Avengers - Iron Man)

Robert Downey JR completely embodies Iron Man and brings the emotion and physicality that is needed for such a big role. He is hilarious and brings light to dark situations. Super actor and brilliant superhero.

Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers - Loki)

One of my favourite Marvel villains I'm not sure why but he sends shivers down my spine in a way that the others simply cannot. He is clever, devious and completely deranged and Hiddleston plays him to perfection.

Best Actress

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)

It’s a hard role to play when the character you're taking over is a heroine to many but Jennifer Lawrence handles it with ease and grace. She has remained down to earth despite her huge successes in the recent years and she's not even 25 yet. So I don't know about Katniss being my role model I think Jennifer does that all by herself!

Maggie Smith (Harry Potter)

There’s nothing else to say that I haven't already said, but with such a class actress as Maggie Smith it was only right that she was included in both film and TV. McGonagall is a teacher you love but certainly wouldn't want to mess with.

Emma Watson (Harry Potter)

Like with Dan Emma was only a child when she got the role of Hermione but her talent was strong right from the start. She has cemented the love for Hermione and has given millions of young (and old) girls a smart girl who doesn't rely on her looks to look up to.

Scarlett Johansson (The Avengers)

She's the only female superhero in a group of males so for that reason I think its only fair that she is included on here. She is a total badass not only as the Black Widow but as herself as well.

Anne Hathaway (Les Miserables)

Anne Hathaway is breathtaking in Les Mis, her Oscar speaks for itself but honestly she is a flawless actress. She was also in the Princess Diaries which (despite the fact you will deny it) is an awesome film. So it just shows how diverse she is because she can be in a silly teen movie to a completely heartbreaking musical, doesn't get much different than that!

Best Animated Film

Tangled

Based on the famous Rapunzel fairytale however, this is a brand new take on it. Its funny, cute and pretty fulfilling. Pascal and Max the horse are very welcome additions to the storyline, another Disney classic!

Toy Story

This has to be on best-animated film lists because it is one of the best works of my generation. It is another that makes you happy and reflective, oh and also who doesn't love the thought of all of your toys actually being alive?

Finding Nemo

This film is a heartwarming tale about a fathers love for a son and how he will literally go to the ends of the ocean to find him. If that doesn't sound like a premise to a brilliant film to you then you're sorely mistaken.

Monsters INC

This is the type of Disney film that can be for all ages. Everyone will enjoy and the storyline is hilarious but as with all Disney films they all have a secret message behind them that makes you think. This film never gets old and Monsters University is one of the only sequels (along with Toy Story) that hasn't ruined the franchise but enhanced it.

Brave

One of the newest in Disney releases; I like that Merida isn't your stereotypical princess and she is independent and strong willed, whilst she is obviously still a child and makes a few silly mistakes (Come on, Merida, never trust a witch!) its an excellent film with phenomenal animation.

Most Cinematically Pleasing Film

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows part 1

The first Harry Potter film away from Hogwarts but that certainly doesn't take away from the spellbinding views and locations that they used to film.

Brave

As mentioned in the previous list Brave is a fantastic example of a human mind (and hand), they created enchanting scenery by the flick of the hand to leave you mesmerised by the view.

The Hunger Games

The arena itself is in a forest and the Districts are something else to behold. Whilst it isn't the prettiest of sceneries, the locations that they used add to the films ambience tenfold.

Up

Again as with Brave, these two films really show just how ridiculously talented Disney animators are. It seems ridiculous that you can be amazed by places that aren't actually real.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

In the light of the TriWizard Tournament there are several new locations, some enhanced by CGI and others actual locations but none more beautiful than the other and of course any view of the Hogwarts castle has me wishing I were there.

IN BOTH

Sexiest Male

Colin Morgan (Merlin)

Alex Vlahos (Merlin)

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter)

Bradley James (Merlin)

Aneurin Barnard (The White Queen)

Tom Hiddleston (The Avengers)

Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock)

Most Attractive Female

Jennifer Lawrence (The Hunger Games)

Katie Mcgrath (Merlin)

Emma Watson (Harry Potter)
Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones)

Right thats it for my awards this year and bloody hell that took far longer to write than I anticipated, but oh well! 

The Tempest and meeting Colin Morgan!

On August 6th 2013, I went to London with my family for a few days. The reasoning behind this was because I brought tickets to go and see Colin Morgan in the Tempest on the 7th, we live in Wales and so its not really easy to just go down for the show and come back. I have been excited for this day since buying the tickets at the very beginning of this year, I held on to the hope that even if I couldn't meet him I would still be able to see him in the play.

I am not a Shakespeare lover and so I didn't really know what to expect, I did have misconceptions that it would be dull, boring and lifeless however, in retrospect I couldn't have been more wrong. It was actually hilarious and very interactive. The cast were amazing and interacted with the audience whilst still staying very much in character. However, the star of the show for me was obviously Colin Morgan: he was breath taking; not just because he is obviously ridiculously attractive but his acting is absolutely mesmerising. He has said that he trained in parkour for the role of Ariel and he was swinging around on the stage with such ease that you thought he was walking down the road. He was literally swinging around the walls, steps and stage. There was a moment where he sat on a rock literally about a metre away from me (I think I died slightly). As for the actual play I was very impressed and I wouldn't rule out seeing another one. The only downside was that I stood up in the gallery which killed my legs but when you're there you get too wrapped up to really notice; its only when you try walking afterwards it becomes a bit of a problem.

After the play I rushed out with my mum to get to the stage door. There was absolutely loads of people there on the 7th and so we went behind a barrier because there was probably about 90 people there, I was lucky enough to get right at the front and so had an amazing view. When he came out everyone was fairly respectful and there wasn't too much pushing. As for Colin himself, he was everything I expected and more: he was so modest, happy and kind. He must have been there for a good half an hour trying to sign everything, and he basically got round to everyone and if he didn't sign something he at least acknowledged them. He signed two things for me and I managed to even speak to him, I told him that he was amazing and was wicked in the play and he looked me in the eye, smiled and said thank you it meant a lot(!!!!!). Then I asked him if he could sign the programme as well as the ticket and he said yeah sure.

It may not seem like a lot but it honestly has made my entire year, despite the fact that he had just done a three hour show he still came out to meet his fans and was happy and so lovely. It's honestly so refreshing and I know I am waffling on now but my opinion of him has gone so high right now that its sky high. Also you should probably spare a thought for my family and friends because I don't see myself shuting up about this little escapade any time soon!

Alex Vlahos tweeted me and My sixteenth birthday

Yesterday (14/06) was my birthday and I turned sixteen; so obviously I did what any person who has just turned 16 does and brought my first lottery ticket (fingers crossed, it gets drawn tonight so I may be a millionaire by morning) and signed up for internet banking. Also I am now eligible to go on Jeremy Kyle if you know the need should ever arise. (This is of course always greeted by a very worried look that people think I am being serious. No I can ashore you I'd rather chop my fingers off than go on there. Anyway, I think you have to have no teeth or greasy hair to even be allowed in the first place.) I thought I would show you some of the things I got for my birthday *I am not trying to show off or whatever but I got some really cool things and would like to show them*

I got these two little boxes with a figure of Hedwig and a Time Turner necklace. These are part of a set you can buy because I have a Snitch made by the same company but got it about a year ago now. They are really affordable too which is always a bonus.

I thought this was really cool: its called a Desktop Aquarium and it came in a little box with all of the stuff you see and you just add water. It comes with a little red wand type thing with a magnet that makes it look as though the fish are swimming. This is funny because I have always wanted fish in my room since I was little and so this was my mum's compromise.

I also got a few books and DVDs which is always welcomed. From left to right...

1. Call the Midwife boxset (Series 1,2 and Christmas special) and book

2. Downton Abbey A Journey to the Highlands Christmas Special

3. Sims 3 University Life

4. The Bling Ring

5. Game of Thrones

6. Gone Girl

I also got this set of books by Michael Grant and I just thought that they deserved their own picture because the edges of the pages are multicoloured and that excites me very much. (the simple things in life)

So they were my favourite presents that I received, I also have Who-ology as well but there was a problem with the postage but that hasn't arrived yet but once it does I'll probably do a review or something. I also obviously got my Colin Morgan cut out which is standing tall and very gorgeous next to me.

So today, (15/06) Alex Vlahos who you may or may not know is one of my favourite actors and he plays Mordred in Merlin (I am also dying for him to become the Doctor- read why here) was holding a Twitter Q and A to say thank you for the amount of money raised on his Kickstarter page. I obviously joined in and so did my friend Molly and eventually a few attempts later he actually replied to me. 

When I say I was happy, I don't think you understand. I saw it, I screamed, my mum nearly crashed the car because she wondered what was going on and my brother was looking and me as if I was crazy because I was shaking and laughing and crying all at the same time. Its amazing that it literally only took him probably like one minute to write that tweet but he has honestly made my birthday and made me an extremely happy girl. So now all that's left of my day is to feel somewhat guilty about not revising for my maths exam, eat some Colin the Caterpillar cake and play on Sims 3 University, oh and tell everyone who has ears about Alex tweeting me.

A day filled with Colin Morgan

So today I had my last but one exam: an exam that I was not looking forward to at all. So I was feeling pretty crap and nervous. After my exam had finished I was feeling a bit rubbish because as expected it didn't go amazingly well but I spotted my friend Nicole. I said hello but I was confused because, I didn't know why she was in school when she didn't have an exam; anyway we carried on walking and just around the corner was Molly with a huge Colin Morgan cardboard cut out with a birthday girl sash on it. I was so, so, so surprised and I'm pretty sure that everyone who was leaving the exam was wondering what the hell was going on.

As you can see from the picture above I was still in shock as we were walking away, haha. Honestly as cringey and soppy as it sounds I was so completely bowled over because I had never actually been surprised like that before and it was amazing. So thank you to Molly, Nicole and Shannon! I now have a very delightful looking Colin Morgan in my bedroom. (Never thought I'd say that) 

So not only did I have my cardboard cut out, my dad came home from work with a small present for me. One of his workmates had mentioned earlier in the week that he was selling some book and seeing as my dad is an avid book collector he asked if he could look through it. Lo and behold this little gem was in the pile and of course my dad picked it up to give to me.

Obviously because it is an activity book the puzzles had already been completed but there was still a whole two pages of unused stickers and plenty of Merlin pictures in the book. So I got my scissors and glue and cut out my favourite pictures in the book and was able to make a little collage of them all.

I still have a few of the larger ones as you can see around the edge that I will put up separately because they are big enough and I still have my stickers. This pleases me greatly because its really hard to find decent Merlin posters and so what's better than making your own? Its not often I am Picasso but when I am I really am. Haha.

If only every day was a day when people showered me in gifts with Colin Morgan on them... (a girl can dream, hahaha)

My week in pictures

I'm sorry but I have serious writers block because I think my brain is going into meltdown with the amount of exams and revision I have done. Still, only four more to go and its my birthday this week as well!

1. I made some cakes for my Nan's birthday. (Vanilla: her favourite)

2. I found my name! There is something very satisfying about drinking some Diet Coke with your name on it.

3. Cakes after being iced and decorated. They went down a treat!

4. Revision will be the death of me

5. My new favourite app at the moment: Sims Freeplay. I wouldn't recommend it if you have exams like myself because you will get addicted and revision will be put behind you.

6. Nothing makes me happier than new books, I cant wait to get my teeth into these

7. I have started re-watching Merlin again and am already on series 4 (I only started last Monday, woops)

8+9. I decorated my hamsters cages with some stickers. They are very pleased I'm sure. The blue one is Merlin and Arthur's cage but I cant seem to find Merlin stickers anywhere so they had to settle for Doctor Who and Fred's cage is called the Burrow (she shared it with my other little hamster George) and so she gets Harry Potter stickers. 

So as you can see I am doing everything possible to procrastinate revision but on the 17th they will all be over 10 down 4 to go. So not long until my super duper long summer holiday! 

Who I want as the twelfth Doctor

As I'm sure you have heard by now that Matt Smith is leaving his role as the loveable Doctor in hit BBC series Doctor Who. Whilst his exit from the show is causing an emotional breakdown in the fandom, people are now speculating about who will fill his awfully large size 10 shoes.

My main contender and favourite is Alex Vlahos 

He made it onto the scene by playing Mordred in Merlin and since has been in several other small series or side projects. He is set to be in a production of Macbeth and he has also recorded new episodes of The Confessions of Dorian Gray, the popular BBC radio production, as well as an adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. 

However, I think seeing as he lives in Wales (where a lot of the series is filmed) and is a fantastic actor who is still relatively unknown as Smith was at the time of his casting I believe that Vlahos would make an excellent new Doctor: plus he just kind of has that Doctor-ish look about him doesn't he?

One thing for certain though I definitely do not want a woman to be the next Doctor; I know all the feminists want this to happen but honestly I think it would ruin the whole dynamic of the show. Also seeing as Jenna-Louis Coleman is staying on as the companion to have a woman be the Doctor their relationship just wouldn't be the same. Another possibility is a black Doctor; whilst colour doesn't matter to me, I don't see why there has to be a black Doctor and why there is so much pressure on the casting agents for the BBC. At the end of the day they will pick someone with amazing talent regardless of their colour. I think that the BBC should really think about casting someone relatively unknown like Vlahos so we are not tied down to other personalities or prejudgement before we even see his/(possibly her's) first episode. Either way I physically cannot wait until that announcement is made about who will be the next in a long chain of incredible Doctors all popular for their different personalities. Maybe this is what the show needs: a new Doctor to breathe a new ray of light on the show.