Team GB in Trafalgar Square

Now you know me, I love the Olympics and everything that comes with it, so of course I went to the Team GB homecoming parade in Trafalgar Square this week. Well, they called it a parade but there wasn’t actually any parading… more like walking down some stairs and sitting but still, exciting none the less!

It was a chance to see the Team GB Olympians and Paralympians with their medals and also a chance to leave the office all morning and be out in the fresh air with my work pals so I didn’t have to be asked twice! There was also free coke and giant foam fingers, what more do you want!?

Anyway, seeing everyone come together to celebrate Team GB’s success reminds me of why I love the Olympics and why I love working in sport. It’s an industry like no other and I know we will be just as proud after Tokyo 2020!!

Christina Bianco 'Me, myself and everyone else' UK Tour

Yesterday I had the absolute pleasure of attending Christina Bianco’s UK tour of her show ‘Me, Myself and Everyone Else’ at the Mitchell Theatre in Glasgow.

Now if you don’t know who Christina Bianco is (where have you been hiding!?) then check her out on Youtube –  she only has over 20 millions views! Christina is an American musical impressionist/comedian and a damn good singer in her own right. She’s also very small which coincidentally plays a big part in the show!

The show was a musical treat from start to finish, with some cracking comedy thrown in for good measure. In fact, the guy next to me laughed so hard during a television themed skit that his wine came out his nose - true story. Stay classy Glasgow! From Dolly Parton to Adele to Celine Dion and everyone in between, Christina covered it.

Highlights of the show included her A-Z of musical impressions, her famous dramatic reading of Barbara Streisand’s interior design book (has to be seen to be believed!) and a fantastic duet with Scottish singer Jai MacDowell. However, in typical Glaswegian style, the biggest laugh of the evening came from Christina’s impression of Shirley Basset singing the classic – ‘You canny shove yer granny off a bus’. Only in Scotland. Needless to say it went down a treat with the audience, which included none other than the infamous Scottish singer Susan Boyle aka Subo.

How Christina remembers all the words/dialogue/impressions is beyond me – if you want to see real talent and laugh until you cry get yourself to Christina’s tour! Standing ovations all round and even my notoriously hard to please grandmother had a ball so you know it must be good….

Find her on twitter at - @XtinaBianco1

#blueCMcampaign with Christian MacLeod

Last night I was invited to the Corinthian Club in Glasgow for a charity event hosted by designer Christian MacLeod in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. The theme for the evening was the colour Blue with the hashtag #blueCMcampaign. The entire venue had been transformed into a blue palace – blue lights, blue drinks, sweets which turned your tongue blue and even some blue hair! It was a smurf’s dream.

The event was quite the affair, beautiful people in beautiful outfits in every room. It was Glasgow’s answer to a Hollywood premiere, well minus the A listers and the paparazzi, but glamorous none the less! There was champagne, a saxophonist and enough hairspray to destroy the Ozone layer.

Most importantly there were many opportunities to raise/donate money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. There were some excellent raffle prizes including a holiday to Dubai, a diamond necklace and rather bizarrely an oven. Unfortunately I did not win any of the prizes, not even the oven, but my money did go towards a good cause so I’m not bitter. Much.

Overall it was a great evening for a great cause and it’s nice to get dolled up every once in a while. It’s not every day you get to put your ball gown on in Glasgow! Congratulations to Christian MacLeod for hosting the event, I am sure the money raised will make a big difference towards supporting and helping those affected by cancer. 

The Edinburgh Festival

As mentioned in my previous blog, now that I have moved back to Scotland I am trying to make an effort to go to new places and see all the exciting things that my country has to offer.  With this in mind I took a trip to the Edinburgh festival this weekend to experience some culture, support the arts and appreciate the work of poor performers etc etc..

If you don’t know, the Edinburgh Festival is an annual celebration of arts and entertainment taking place during the entire month of August. Artists, comedians, dancers, singers, and general creative types (hipsters) from all over the World descend on Scotland’s capital to showcase their work. The Royal Mile in Edinburgh turns into a chaotic runway of bizarre and wonderful street art and the whole city is buzzing. I’m pretty sure the Edinburgh Fringe is directly responsible for the deforestation of the rainforest with all the leaflets that are handed out, but we will overlook that because why support the trees and ecosystem when you can support struggling performers who have dedicated their life to ‘art’.

There is something for everyone at the Fringe. From well known celebrities to up and coming performers plus every single drama student in the UK you wont be short of things to do or see. Generally tickets for big well known names sell out pretty quickly but if, like me, you are just there for a day out there are plenty of free shows to choose from. In fact there are so many shows that it’s literally impossible to see everything. There’s also a lot of ‘contemporary’ street art which you won’t understand and various promoters trying to get you to come to their show, just keep your head down, avoid eye contact and you’ll be fine. You don’t want to be that guy who gets peer pressured into the 1 hour poetry reading about the life cycle of an orange, trust me, it’s not pretty.

We spent the majority of the afternoon in Cabaret Voltaire, where there are several rooms all showcasing up and coming talent, usually of the stand up comedy variety. Everything is free and I can honestly say I enjoyed every performance that I saw. Like I said, this was only one venue of the hundreds to choose from, you really need a good few days if you want to experience the festival properly.  If you are strapped for cash take a look at http://www.freefestival.co.uk which lists all the shows that are completely free. I would recommend buying tickets in advance if there is anything you really want to see, then spend the rest of the day visiting some of the free/cheaper shows which are still of a very high standard. (mostly..)

I might return to the Fringe this week so please let me know if you have any suggestions of things to go and see. If you are thinking of going but haven’t quite got round to it yet – do it!! You will love it and there isn’t long left!

Rio 2016 highlights

Well, after weeks of sleepless nights, screaming at the television, becoming a self taught expert in gymnastic routines and even shedding a few tears the Rio 2016 Olympics have come to an end. I mentioned in my blog before the games started that I believed it would be full of history making moments, stand out athletes and that Rio would put on a spectacular show… and put on a show they did!!

Team GB finished second in the medal table, ahead of the once untouchable China - the most successful Games EVER for Great Britain and I can honestly say I have never been prouder to be British. I watched every GB medal ceremony, staying up until 3am on a work night if need be - MY COUNTRY NEEDED ME (to watch religiously and binge eat pringles). Yes I know I could have watched it on iPlayer the next day but its not the same is it!? I’ve seen more of Claire Balding in the past few weeks than I have my own family and I’m not even sorry about it. I am a self confessed Olympics addict and am already experiencing the withdrawal symptoms of having nothing to watch – what did I used to do with myself? Never in a million years did I think that I would stay awake until 2am watching trap shooting but I did, and I would do it again!

There are far too many Olympic highlights for me to mention, in fact the past few weeks of my life have just been an emotional rollercoaster of sporting genius – I’ve been excited, stressed, anxious, angry, elated, hungry and everything in between. God only knows what the athletes felt like! I will therefore try to list my top 5 highlights of Rio 2016 although we all know that there were literally hundreds of examples that could be used.

Let me know your favourite Olympic moments in the comments as I’m sure every country has it’s own reason to celebrate.

1. Team GB's cycling success

It’s undeniable that Team GB owned the track cycling at the Olympics, no one else even came close. The Velodrome is where British champions are born. Not all heroes wear capes, some wear funny looking helmets and really tight onesies.

Great Britain were Beyonce and everyone else was Kelly Rowland or the other one. I wasn’t really into my cycling before but now I take spin class as if I’m Laura Trott in the Omnium and no one, I mean no one will get past me. (a few people would probably get past me, turns out cycling is really hard…).

In all seriousness those cyclists are superhuman and it warmed my cold black heart to see how happy they were when all the sacrifice paid off in the end. Also Jason Kenny and Laura Trott - talk about couple goals! Their babies will be champions… or bikes, who knows!?

 2. The living legends – Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt

It’s impossible to write a blog about the Olympics and not mention Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt. They are history makers, they are role models to future athletes and they are both really really tall. Clean athletes at the top of their game, the top of the podium and it’s going to be sad not to see them in Tokyo 2020. What will future Olympics look like without them? Will they ever be beaten? I guess we will have to wait and see!

3. The Double Double

For Team GB, winning a gold medal at home in 2012 was a feat that many thought would be unsurpassable. That was until several of our athletes successfully defended their titles and became Olympic Champions not once, but twice (5 times if you are in the men’s rowing fours, but who’s counting..). You’re lucky if I can get out of my bed before 7 am two days in a row, never mind winning an Olympic Gold, twice! But, Jade Jones, Nicola Adams, Alistair Brownlee, Helen Glover, Heather Stanning, Mo Farah, Jason Kenny, Laura Trott, the men’s and ladies team pursuit, the men’s sprint, the men’s rowing four, Charlotte Dujardin and Andy Murray did just that. (phew what a list, did I miss anyone!?)

Can any of them make it once, twice, three times a champion in Tokyo 2020? I’d put my money on it, for sure!

4. Team GB Hockey

Never did I think that I would be sat home, alone, on a Friday night, watching a women’s team sport that I have never even played before and actually enjoy myself in the process (completely sober I may add). But, that’s exactly what happened the night the Team GB ladies played in the hockey finals. They moved the nation, they moved the news, and Maddie Hinch moved in so many directions that I think she might be made of elastic. There was blood, sweat, tears and a whole lot of sticks flying around resulting in the whole of Great Britain becoming invested in a hockey game – something which has never happened before, not in my life time anyway. Team spirit, girl power and gold medals – it was a great night!!

5. Simone Biles, just in general.

 Last but by no means least, Simone Biles. Is she the greatest gymnast EVER? Many would say yes, yes she is. How there can be so much power in one tiny body I have no idea, I can barely do a cartwheel. Who am I kidding I can’t even touch my toes. Chris Pratt’s a fan, Zac Efron’s a fan and I’m pretty sure every aspiring gymnast in the world is a fan of Simone Biles. Not to mention her sassy leotards and eye make up, the girl is unstoppable! In fact, the entire US ladies gymnastic team were for me, the ultimate squad goals of Rio 2016. How do I join!?