The One Where I Attended Friends Fest

The final episode of Friends may have aired on television over ten years ago now but that doesn’t stop people from loving the show as much as it did when it aired. Last year, Comedy Central launched the first ever Friends Fest in London except it sold out in seconds, well this year they’ve brought it back and it’s touring the UK! Of course, having missed out on the London tickets last year I instantly bought a ticket for when it came to Harewood House in Leeds.

Friends Fest is basically one large photo opportunity. You can the chance to visit some of the shows most iconic sets such as Monica’s apartment. I spent a good hour and a half at Friends Fest this weekend and for someone who is a big fan of the show they’ll love getting snaps in the sets. 

At £25.00 a ticket (compared to £5 in London last year) the tickets had gone up in price quite substantially and in my own opinion I felt it was a little expensive for what you actually got. You didn’t get any time at all in any of the sets, just one quick photo in various locations and you’re out. The time spent in Friends Fest pretty much consisted of queuing for photos in the sets and then being quickly ushered onto the next one. It was very interesting however to see the attention to detail in all of the sets, it’s just such a pity you weren’t given more time to look at things. However, the photos that are taken on the sets from the day are incredible and for any Friends fan its incredible to now watch the show and keep pointing out locations where you’ve actually been into! It was also nice that the event didn’t have official photographers so at no point where you being pressured into buying photos. 

The food and beverage outlets were all Friends themed which I thought was a nice touch. From New York Ice Cream to The Chick & The Duck Bar everything has some kind of connection to the show. However, if you’re attending at one of the future events make sure you take enough money as expected from events everything is rather experience – £7.50 for a cocktail and £3 for an ice cream for example.     

I love Friends and even queued for most of the day to get into a pop up Central Perk that had opened in celebration for the 10^th anniversary whilst I was on holiday in New York City a few years back. Personally, although New York was only the one set I felt it overall was done much better. For one it was free to get inside and when inside you were given a free coffee to drink in Central Perk. At Friends Fest, the entirety of Central Perk was just a photo opportunity and you were ushered out rather quickly. When you’re paying £25.00 admission, maybe if they had offered a free coffee for example if may have made the ticket price more worthwhile and it’s still very fitting with the Friends theme.

Although the event was a little steeply priced it certainly is a must for any fan of the show! Fans will love getting photos in Monica’s apartment, in Central Perk and other locations and they’ll certainly be showing everyone photos from the day! Personally, I’m glad that I went as I loved seeing the sets but I think for what you get it’s a onetime visit thing so probably wouldn’t go again if it tours again next year

Kisses On A Paper Airplane - Sarah Vance-Tompkins

Hannah is American but manages to get a place at a drama school in London. Things are going well for her in London until unexpectedly she gets a call from her mother that she is getting married and needs to come home straight away from the wedding. Her future step dad (who Hannah has yet to meet) buys her a first class plane ticket back to America to make the journey easier. Hannah is a very nervous flyer and as soon as she gets to the airport she discovers her flight is delayed meaning she has more time to panic in the first class lounge before her flight departs. It is here she ends up befriending world famous pop star Theo Callahan, except Hannah doesn't recognise him. Hannah is saving her first kiss for her Prince Charming could it be possible that this strange she's just met could be the one? 

I've read mixed reviews on this book but oh my goodness I loved it. Everyone knows I love this kind of storyline and sometimes I just love a book I can read very quickly - I am a fast reader anyway but finished Kisses On A Paper Airplane in around an hour. I loved the idea of Hannah going on a airplane and befriending a celebrity. If you've ever flown alone and didn't m think about which of your favourite celebrity could be sat next to you on the flight then you did it wrong! I think this book wonderfully taps into that small part of you that fantasises about who you could end up sat next to on a plane. 

The book wasn't very long so you didn't get an in depth introduction to the characters. However. I did enjoy reading about Hannah and Theo and the book did offer some very cute reading moments between the pair which I loved.

If you're looking for a fast little read about a normal person meeting a celebrity then I think you will love Kisses On A Airplane. 

Synopsis -

Drama student Hannah Evans isn't kissing any frogs on her path to find Prince Charming. She's determined to share the perfect first kiss -- with the perfect boy -- in the perfect place -- or she's not kissing anyone at all. When Hannah meets a cute ginger-haired boy in first class lounge in the London airport, she knows he's 'The One.'

Pop star Theo Callahan is on the road to get as far away as possible from his back-stabbing best friend, and his supermodel girlfriend who broke his heart. Until one shy smile from Hannah has him rethinking all of his travel plans.

Theo is smitten, but he's worried she's just a groupie in search of the ultimate selfie. Can Theo learn to trust Hannah in time to share one perfect first kiss, or will Hannah be forced to kiss a frog?

Dear 10 Year Old Self

I have a million and one things I need to actually be writing right now with deadlines rapidly approaching except I've been struck with a severe case of writers block. Last weekend I had a real Busted packed weekend seeing and meeting them on both days. I was having a conversation with a friend I attended with about how much we wished we could go back and tell ourselves when we were younger just all the incredible things that have happened since with Busted. I was absolutely obsessed with them back then, even more than I am now which may come as a shock if you know me now! So I figured I would write myself that letter to tell my younger self because writing something is better than writing nothing at all when you have writers block...right? So here goes....

Dear 10 year old self,

Future present day me found your diary the other day. It is 2003 and you're age 10 rapidly approaching 11 in the summer - what an interesting year that turned out to be. Why? Well 2003 is seemingly the year you started to get crushes on boys. Except not on boys you know in real life, just famous ones. In 2003 you were hopelessly crushing on 'James from Busted' as you were repeatedly calling him in your diary back then. Oh boy did you write some embarrassing stuff in that diary that year! It made me chuckle as on one particular day in May you were fed up of being in 'love' with James from Busted and hoped that your crush on him wouldn't last much longer. Well 10 year old me, you may need to sit down for this one as 14 years later, believe it or not your current self still absolutely loves him and Busted.

If maybe you had been like other people your age and became obsessed with Pokemon, maybe it would've been easier as that fad would've moved on, because I'll tell you now that very soon that band you love so much and hold so close to your heart will make your heart shatter into pieces. As strange as it seems now as you can't imagine them doing anything of the sort, it'll be your first experience of heartbreak. They'll make you cry yourself to sleep for months, refuse to eat food and hold a decade long grudge against one of the band members. It seems silly now looking back but they absolutely destroyed you for a little while.

It's not all bad though. You'll find a band called McFly next year and without them in your life I don't know how you would managed to get through the next few years. You'll love there music and through them you'll meet someone who will end up being one of your closest friends in years to come. McFly will give you some of the best memories you'll ever have so ignore people's teasing about you liking them and just enjoy every single wonderful moment they'll give you in the coming years. Present me still hasn't got the hang of the whole ignoring what people say thing but she's now not the slightest bit ashamed of what she enjoys doing, something I wish you had learnt sooner. I mean in a few years time you'll go on stage in a beach hut with McFly, you'll have the most incredible experience doing that but try to not be disappointed that none of your school friends care about what you did. 

Despite the fact they broke your heart, you still end up seeing Busted quite a lot over the years to come just maybe not quite as the band you love now. You'll meet James in 3 years time for the first time and you pretty much cried in his face when he said he liked your Mickey Mouse tshirt you were wearing. Maybe now you know about that you could avoid doing it? Years later I still cringe at how embarrassing that moment was, but it's ok though as you'll meet him many more times in the years to come and you have never cried in his face again. Success! Heck in a few years time you'll even get to go on his tour bus and play card games until the early hours of the morning. Yes that is something that's going to happen in your life and to this day nothing will ever top how surreal that evening was so enjoy every moment when it comes along. 

It's so strange as you will not yet realise the effect Busted will have on your life. You'll obsessively learn to play piano just so you can play Psycho Girl, you try to learn guitar just so you can be even a tiny bit as talented as James Bourne, you'll travel to some far flung places and wait for hours just for them, you'll eat far too many Jaffa Cakes, you'll meet some friends who'll you be closer to than people you're at school with now, you'll do some ridiculous things just in the hope of meeting them and that pig thing? Believe me doing it will be one of the most worthwhile things you end up doing so don't give up even when you really want to.

Believe it or not 10 year old me, one day your favourite bands will collide and you'll collectively meet them all on many occasion. Remember how many hours you spent wishing you could meet Busted and McFly? How long you spend imagining just how incredible it would be to meet Busted? Well you will meet them more times than you can even imagine in the future and even more unbelievably Busted will one day recognise you and know your name. Crazy or what! I can't imagine how excited that information would make me at 10 years old. 

So 10 year old me. Enjoy loving Busted and McFly, you have nothing to be ashamed of in liking them. A song by Son Of Dork explains how you shouldn't be ashamed so much better than I can - you should check that band out I think you'll love them! Busted will have a massive impact on your life and they'll make the happiest you've ever been at certain points. But if you're interested that crush you had on James that you're currently hoping wouldn't last long? Well, somewhere along the years that starts to fade and although he'll always still be your favourite member of Busted, you'll just end up seeing him as one of the most talented and lovely people you've ever come across. Don't ever stop loving them for anyone, it doesn't matter what anyone thinks as in the years you have to come they'll bring you so much happiness and that's the most important thing. Do that, and I can guarantee you the next 14 years will be pretty darn great. 

Love from,

Future Me

The Graces - Laure Eve

I didn’t actually choose to read The Graces myself; it was one of the books that came as part of the August Illumicrate book subscription box. However, when I got the book out of the box and read the blurb I was very excited to add it to near the top of my to read pile. Well, I’ve just finished reading The Graces and I loved it.

River starts a new school and quickly discovers the Grace family. The Grace family are the town’s local legends with rumours swirling around the town about the entire family being witches. They keep themselves to themselves at school but every blue moon they invite someone to be their friend, this person is River. She doesn’t know what she’s done to capture their attention but she soon finds herself absorbs into the Grace families life, something that very few people have managed to do. 

The story itself is very similar to Twilight. Untouchable supernatural family who lets in a normal person into their house and into their secrets? Yes I’ve read similar stories before, did it matter? Not at all. I actually liked the Twilight novels except the love story in it started to bug me a little. The Graces is pretty much absent from any major love interest for River and I liked that. The story grabbed my attention from the beginning and it was an absolute page turner. I started the book this morning and have just sat since reading until I finished, I just had to know how the book was going to end! Personally I found the book not overly predictable and although I had a hunch towards what was going to happen towards the end it still came as a surprise when it did. At times the story did get a little monotonous but stay with the book! Believe me by the end few chapters, like me you’ll be begging for the next book to be released. 

The characters on the whole were enjoyable to read about even if some, particularly good looking, charming Fenrin Grace were very clichéd. Personally I wasn’t so keen on main character River, I didn’t like the fact that everything she did was so overly thought through and she was just so desperate to remain in the Grace families inner circle. However, I still enjoyed reading about her regardless.   

If you liked books such as Twilight but are looking for a book with a bit more to it than a love story then you must pick up The Graces. It will keep you hooked from beginning to end!

The Best Possible Answer – E Katherine Kottaras

Viviana has her entire life planned out, she will get good grades and she will get into a top university. Her parents know this and have engrained this onto her life from a young age. Of course, the best laid out plans never go the way you planned and when Viv meets a boy she falls in love with things change. Viv trusts him completely so when she sent him a racy photo of herself in confidence the last thing she expected was him to share the image around the internet. To top it off her grades are slipping, her family are falling apart and her laugh just isn’t going anyway remotely how was planned.

When I first read the blurb about The Best Possible Answer I thought that it would be a fun read but boy was I not expecting the serious book that I read. I did not expect such serious issues such as panic attacks to be raised and the author captures every single moment perfect. At times the serious issues made me have to stop reading a little while to process exactly what was happening. Some of the plot points in the book such as Viv’s ambition to go to Stanford seem to be dropped entirely as the book progresses but it’s nothing I couldn’t get over. 

It truly is such a wonderfully written story with equally wonderful characters. I found Viv enjoyable to read about and although she does make mistakes I think we handles things relatively well for her age. Her friend Sammie is great, she would stand up for her friends and always looks out for Viv’s best interests. I think everyone needs someone like Sammie in their life. The friends Viv meets at her summer job were great too in particularly Evan. Certain will it happen/wont it happen moments with Evan bugged me a little but Evan as character was a fantastic read. He was caring and like Sammie always have peoples bests interests at heart.

I enjoyed reading the book but personally I don’t think it was quite for me. It explores issues at school, with family and even mental problems and each one is explored realistically. For me, I thought it was a little too much and I find it a little overwhelming at times, Viv just seems to have every single bad thing you can think of thrown her way. I’ve heard from people who have said this book is one of their favourites so if you like the sound of the synopsis I would recommend picking it up. It’s a good read!

Synopsis -

AP Exams – check
SAT test – check
College Application – check
Date the wrong guy and ruin everything you’ve spent your whole life working for– check

Super-achiever Viviana Rabinovich-Lowe has never had room to be anything less than perfect. But her quest for perfection is derailed when her boyfriend leaks secret pictures of her to the entire school—pictures no one was ever meant to see. Making matters worse, her parents might be getting divorced and now her perfect family is falling apart. For the first time, Vivi feels like a complete and utter failure.

Then she gets a job working at the community pool, where she meets a new circle of friends who know nothing about her past. That includes Evan, a gorgeous and intriguing guy who makes her want to do something she never thought she’d do again—trust. For the first time in her life, Vivi realizes she can finally be whoever she wants. But who is that? While she tries to figure it out, she learns something they never covered in her AP courses: that it’s okay to be less than perfect, because it’s our imperfections that make us who we are.

E. Katherine Kottaras once again captures what it means to be a teenager in The Best Possible Answer.

What I Go To School For - Musical

I love the band Busted and I think band member James Bourne, has a ridiculous amount of talent. So when I heard that James Bourne (and Elliot Davis) had written a musical about Busted, I instantly knew that I had to go despite it being in Brighton, many miles away from my home in Yorkshire! I have seen (and thoroughly enjoyed) the two other musicals the pair have written together, Loserville and Out There so I knew that the Busted musical was likely to be very good.

The Busted musical aptly named What I Go To School For after the bands debut single tells the story of Busted. Flashback over 10 years ago and Busted were the biggest band in the UK at the time, they had number one singles, platinum albums, sell out tours and a very loyal fanbase but as everyone knows the band didn't quite work out as expected. The story weaves in around many of the bands biggest hits such as Crashed The Wedding, Year 3000 and Thunderbirds. A couple of new songs composed for the musical are also thrown in for good measure but don't feel an inch out of place next to the well known tracks. 

What I Go To School For was being performed by the Youth Music Theatre group meaning that every single member of the cast were between the ages of 11-21 and unbelievably it was the first youth theatre performance that I've ever seen. Wow, is all I can say about it! The talent in the entire cast was unreal. I can honestly see most, if not all, of this cast making successful West End careers for themselves in the future, they were every inch professional and the talent on the Brighton stage was incredible. The stage changes were utterly smooth and it was all extremely professional. The entire cast had the audience eating out of their hands with the catchy dance numbers, funny moments in the script (my personal favourite being a scene involving Benedict Cumberbatch) and all course thanks to the well known sing along songs. 

I feel like it's also worth mentioning how perfectly cast the 3 main actors playing the Busted band members were. I've seen Busted perform many times and all three actors (Joesph Riley - James, Zac Robinson - Matt, Roman Lewis - Charlie) had got the performance style of their respective characters completely spot on. They all just seemed to perfectly fit the roles and it is truly astounding that they'll all under 21 and playing lead characters so incredibly. 

I have seen supposedly tear jerking musicals before but I have never broke down in tears as much as I did during What I Go To School For. The scenes which showed the breakdown of Busted, literally tore me apart in the middle of the theatre. The acting from the 3 actors playing James, Matt and Charlie was superb. The emotion portrayed in there voices whilst singing songs such as Meet You There, Everything I Knew and Over Now was better than most West End performers that I've seen.

Sadly, last night I attended the last performance of the What I Go To School For musical at Brighton's Theatre Royal but if the show gets announced for a UK tour or West End transfer then I cannot urge you to go see the show enough. Busted's songs weaved in perfectly with the story and the show story was absolutely enjoyable. I related to so much of the show as I was that fan that is in the musical who made banners and homemade shirts but I attended with someone who didn't care for Busted at all and they still walked out of the theatre raving about how good the show was. A fantastic show for the whole family!

How To Keep A Boy From Kissing You - Tara Eglington

How To Keep A Boy From Kissing You by Tara Eglington is about sixteen year old Aurora Skye. Her mum walked out on her family and she’s left at home living with her NAD (new aged dad). Despite all her goings on at all, she’s extremely grounded and holds her morals high. Her biggest moral? She is saving her first kiss for her real life prince. The only problem with that is that no matter how hard she tries to find her prince he doesn’t seem to exist. Aurora and her friends audition for the school play and suddenly she finds herself cast as the lead alongside her neighbour and sworn enemy Hayden. It quickly becomes apparently that there is a kiss scene between the two causing Aurora’s wish to save her first kiss for her prince to be jeopardised. 

The title caught my attention from the start and I’m happy to say that I actually really liked this book. The outrageous extremes Aurora goes to prevent people from kissing her made me laugh out loud at times but then on the flip side Aurora’s need for approval from her mother despite everything is heartbreaking. Although the characters are somewhat exaggerated I do feel like they’ve captured high school life perfectly which I felt helped make the book even better.

I adored the characters. Aurora was instantly likeable and her friend group are just as enjoyable to read about. However, for me the stand out character is Hayden. He is simply one of the nicest characters in a book; I can’t really explain why without revealing spoilers but just know that he is a great character. I have to say though that all of the characters are so well developed and I love the way the author writes them. 

At times Aurora’s obsession with preventing anyone from kissing her (even when it was necessary for the play) got a little monotonous and from pretty much page one I predicted how this book would end, but personally I think that it only made the last few chapters all the more enjoyable. Although the whole book sort of revolves around Aurora’s first kiss, the actual romance in the book in very little. Certain chapters were just plain adorable though and I think the levels of romance for How To Keep A Boy From Kissing You is perfect.   

If you’re looking for a light hearted book I think you will enjoy this book. I would love to go back in time and give this book to 15 year old me as I think she would’ve absolutely adored this book! Having a quick google it appears that a sequel is available for this book, I’ll be patiently waiting for its UK release date as I can only imagine how swoon worthy book number two is going to be!

Synopsis –

Executor of the Find a Prince Program™ and future author, sixteen-year-old Aurora Skye is dedicated to helping others navigate the minefield that is teenage dating. Counsellor-in-residence at home, where her post-divorce ad-agency father has transformed into a NAD (New Age Dad) intent on stripping his life bare of ‘the illusionary’ (i.e. the removal of home furnishings to the point where all after-hours work must be done in lotus position on a hemp cushion) Aurora literally lives and breathes Self-Help.

When the beginning of the school year heralds the arrival of two Potential Princes™ who seem perfect for her best friends Cassie (lighthouse beacon for emotionally fragile boys suffering from traumatic breakups) and Jelena (eye-catching, elegant and intent on implementing systems of serfdom at their school) it seems as if Aurora’s fast on her way to becoming the next Dr Phil.

As Aurora discovers, however, Self-Help is far from simple. Aurora’s mother arrives home from her extended ‘holiday’ (four years solo in Spain following the infamous ‘Answering Machine Incident’) throwing the NAD into further existential crisis. With Valentine’s Day drawing closer and the new Potential Princes not stepping up to the mark, Aurora is literally forced to take to the stage to throw two couples together. However, being cast opposite Hayden Paris (boy next door and bane-of-Aurora’s life) in the school production of Much Ado about Nothing brings challenges of its own. Not only does Hayden doubt that Cupid is understaffed and thus in dire need of Aurora’s help, but playing Beatrice to his Benedict throws her carefully preserved first kiss for a Prince into jeopardy. As Aurora races to save love’s first kiss and put a stop to the NAD’s increasingly intimate relationship with her Interpretive dance teacher (guilty of putting Aurora on detention for a ‘black aura’) she is left wondering who can a self help guru turn to for help? Can she practice what she preaches? And can long-assumed frogs become Potential Princes?