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| Above: England's starting line-up in the 2-1 World Cup quarter-final win against Canada. Goals for England from Taylor (number 19) and Bronze (number 12, seen celebrating her brilliant header in the picture below). |
3) England Women's Football Team
(Please note: this piece of writing was written before the semi-final against Japan) The England Women's football team (the "Lionesses") made the semi-finals of the "FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015" on Saturday night - or early Sunday morning for those of us who stayed up in England to watch the history-making quarter-final win! It kind of annoys me that this doesn't seem to be more of a bigger deal; I mean, imagine the men were in this situation (a situation they haven't been in since Italia 90) - the whole country would be buzzing! Anyhow, women's football is certainly growing, and I, and many others, have fallen in love with the Lionesses during this World Cup, as the heart, soul, and passion is there to be seen from when they walk out onto the pitch and sing the national anthem with pride, and then the effort and talent they show during the matches, through to the celebrations (and sometimes tears) that follow their triumphs.
After watching every England match so far - and some others - there was really no way I wasn't going to be watching the England versus Canada quarter-final, even though it kicked-off at 12:30am UK time. Every English person who stayed up was rewarded within 11 minutes, as Jodie Taylor capitalized on a mistake by Lauren Sesselmann, before charging towards the edge of the box, leaving another Canada defender on her backside, and unleashing a fantastic strike into the bottom left corner of Erin McLeod's goal. And then, just three minutes later, England fans were absolutely ecstatic, as Fara Williams sent a free-kick deep to Lucy Bronze, who easily beat her marker to loop an amazing header in off the crossbar. Whether you were a Canada or England fan in the stadium - of which there were 54,027 attending - or at home, it's safe to say you were in a state of shock at this point, as nobody expected this. As is often the case with England teams, they like to make us sweat a little, and this match was no exception because we unfortunately conceded a soft goal due to an error from goalkeeper Karen Bardsley. But I'm not here to say anything bad about anybody, because England have been absolutely incredible this tournament, scoring two goals in each of their last four matches, and playing some excellent football along the way. I will be watching the semi-final against the current world champions, Japan, at midnight tonight (UK time) - in fact, I can't wait - and I sure hope that, if you're English and a football fan, you'll be doing the same, too. If you're not, I hope your excuse is that you have to be up early in the morning! XD EDIT: Absolutely heartbreaking to lose 2-1 to Japan in the semi-finals, and to an injury time goal, too! England played so well, were the better team for large portions of the match, and definitely didn't deserve to lose. Heads held high, Lionesses, you did us proud! <3
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Above: As this image shows, Top Gear has always been more than just another show about cars - it really is an entertainment show that anybody can watch. Below: An unforgettable moment, when the three presenters gathered together all kinds of vehicles that were made in Britain - from sportscars like Aston Martins, Jaguars and McLarens, to JCBs, Rolls-Royces and F1 cars - on The Mall in London. |
2) Top Gear
The last ever episode of Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May aired on Sunday night, and I don't think Twitter was overreacting when people were saying that it's the end of an era. Yes, I know that Top Gear will continue with Chris Evans and other yet-to-be-known presenters, and I know that the three ex-Top Gear presenters will get a new motoring show elsewhere (Netflix, Amazon, and ITV are the rumoured destinations - personally, I hope ITV so that it stays on TV), but will Top Gear ever be the same again without these three lovable oafs at the helm, and will these three be able to replicate their success elsewhere without the phenomenal Top Gear crew behind them?
The final episode - which was two films put together without any of the usual other Top Gear segments anywhere to be seen, like the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" - was nothing special, but that's the thing: it was only ever intended to be just two more episodes from the current series, as nobody knew what was going to happen (Clarkson getting fired by the BBC for hitting a producer, for those of you who have been living under a rock recently!). LITTLE SPOILERS: They were good, though; in fact, the ending when they're racing their SUV's through fields, and even through a river, was really entertaining, with the loser - Hammond - having to deliver an after dinner speech about conservation, which was as awkward as can be expected! Also, the race between the three of them, and "leisure Stig", where they were all towing a caravan with their SUV's was hilarious, as the usual amount of chaos occurred, with caravans ending up in pieces. It still had classic Top Gear moments, too, like when Clarkson and May are relaxing and looking at loads of classic cars, and posing for photos with people, Hammond is seen in the background screaming whilst wing-riding on a plane! Every bit of filming in the studio was just Hammond and May, with no Clarkson (but there was a giant elephant in the studio - good spot, internet!) or an audience, and it really was sad to hear the two of them say goodbye for the last time, followed by silent credits. I really think they should've got the chance to record a "proper" finale - a sort of "goodbye" from all three of the presenters, as they are hugely responsible for one of the most popular shows of the last decade - but I guess that was always out of the question after what Clarkson did. Oh well, I'll forever be thankful for what Clarkson, Hammond, May, and the whole Top Gear team have given us. Some of the specials - like Vietnam, Polar, US, Bolivia, etc. - really have been some of the most entertaining TV I've ever seen. It's been a hell of a ride, and, who knows, maybe the future will hold two awesome motoring shows for us to watch?! ^-^
The final episode - which was two films put together without any of the usual other Top Gear segments anywhere to be seen, like the "Star in a Reasonably Priced Car" - was nothing special, but that's the thing: it was only ever intended to be just two more episodes from the current series, as nobody knew what was going to happen (Clarkson getting fired by the BBC for hitting a producer, for those of you who have been living under a rock recently!). LITTLE SPOILERS: They were good, though; in fact, the ending when they're racing their SUV's through fields, and even through a river, was really entertaining, with the loser - Hammond - having to deliver an after dinner speech about conservation, which was as awkward as can be expected! Also, the race between the three of them, and "leisure Stig", where they were all towing a caravan with their SUV's was hilarious, as the usual amount of chaos occurred, with caravans ending up in pieces. It still had classic Top Gear moments, too, like when Clarkson and May are relaxing and looking at loads of classic cars, and posing for photos with people, Hammond is seen in the background screaming whilst wing-riding on a plane! Every bit of filming in the studio was just Hammond and May, with no Clarkson (but there was a giant elephant in the studio - good spot, internet!) or an audience, and it really was sad to hear the two of them say goodbye for the last time, followed by silent credits. I really think they should've got the chance to record a "proper" finale - a sort of "goodbye" from all three of the presenters, as they are hugely responsible for one of the most popular shows of the last decade - but I guess that was always out of the question after what Clarkson did. Oh well, I'll forever be thankful for what Clarkson, Hammond, May, and the whole Top Gear team have given us. Some of the specials - like Vietnam, Polar, US, Bolivia, etc. - really have been some of the most entertaining TV I've ever seen. It's been a hell of a ride, and, who knows, maybe the future will hold two awesome motoring shows for us to watch?! ^-^
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| Above: An LGBT flag being waved with a US flag. Below: Not an image that's connected to gay marriage in the US, but I just loved this picture - it looks like the Dutch know how to throw a Gay Pride parade (on the canals of Amsterdam)! |
1) GAY MARRIAGE
On June the 26th 2015, gay marriage became legal across the entirety of the United States of America, and it's safe to say that it was a pretty monumental day! Whilst it was obviously a historic day for the US, it was also a huge day for the rest of the world (well, those who are part of/support the belief that the LGBT community should have equal rights), as it ticks off another country who have now legalised gay marriage; following in the recent footsteps of the likes of Ireland - where the public voted "Yes" to it - and my country, Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland), who brought the law into force last year (March 13th for England and Wales, December 16th for Scotland).
Gay marriage becoming legal in numerous countries gives more and more gay people the choice - a choice they deserve to have, as they deserve to have equal rights - but everybody on the whole planet deserves this choice, and a lot of countries still reject it, so the fight is far from over. Seeing so many profile pictures of my Facebook friends - including my own - be decorated with the rainbow of the LGBT flag is a wonderful and uplifting sight, as are the little rainbow hearts you see on Twitter as millions of people Tweet their support for gay marriage (#Lovewins). What makes me the most happiest is that it allows gay people to be themselves, more confident in their own skin, and accepted for who they truly are. It gives gay people the equality that they have always deserved, and that's just fantastic, as every human being deserves to be treated equally, regardless of sexuality, race, size, hair colour, hobbies/interests, etc. Love really does win! ^-^
"Marriage is about love, not gender" <3
Gay marriage becoming legal in numerous countries gives more and more gay people the choice - a choice they deserve to have, as they deserve to have equal rights - but everybody on the whole planet deserves this choice, and a lot of countries still reject it, so the fight is far from over. Seeing so many profile pictures of my Facebook friends - including my own - be decorated with the rainbow of the LGBT flag is a wonderful and uplifting sight, as are the little rainbow hearts you see on Twitter as millions of people Tweet their support for gay marriage (#Lovewins). What makes me the most happiest is that it allows gay people to be themselves, more confident in their own skin, and accepted for who they truly are. It gives gay people the equality that they have always deserved, and that's just fantastic, as every human being deserves to be treated equally, regardless of sexuality, race, size, hair colour, hobbies/interests, etc. Love really does win! ^-^
"Marriage is about love, not gender" <3
