The Finals

The last two days of the Beach Volleyball was possibly the maddest, most fun two days of the whole Olympics games. On the Wednesday we had the women's final USA VS USA ironically so NBC were out in force for the match!

We spent all day celebrity spotting and boy did we do well on the spotting. First the gorgeous ginger that is Prince Harry sauntered past us with some Gold medal GB team rowers and watched the bronze match, he truly is beautiful and my only chance left to be a Princess so I tried my hardest to impress but the uniform slowed me down immensely in the seduction mission!

Then for the final match along brought the terribly hot David Beckham, honestly he might be quite old but he is beautiful! We were so excited that a volunteer asked him to take a picture with some of us girls working there so I actually have a picture with THE David Beckham! If you follow me on Twitter or hav me on Fb you will definitely already know this as I've been going on about it for so long!!

{He smells delicious by the way!}

We had so many visits on the women's final that the men's final was an, obvious, anti-climax. No one seemed particularly bothered about Germany vs Brazil! The lovely Brazilians lost and we saw them in the hotel after, celebrating their silver medal and drowning their sorrows. At least they have Rio to look forward to!

However, after the match was when the fun started. We let rip onto the sand we'd be looking at for so long! We may have gone a bit mad!

{It is very hard to do handstands in sand!}

{Very S Club 7}

{Overly excited about the number of Army boys here}

{In the little rest huts for the players}

{Felix getting excited about the Army too}

I was privileged to have such a gorgeous and lovely team of girls to be working with, they were so lovely and made the whole experience that more amazing. Here's a few snaps of our little Liaison Officer teams!

{X Factor's Peter Dickson!}

It has been incredible and I have the post-Olympics blues very badly!

The Aquatics Centre

I had the pleasure, while working at the Olympics, to go to the Aquatics Centre twice during the games. The first we managed to get free tickets through work to see some of the swimming medal events.

It was an incredible atmosphere of constant screaming and I would go everyday if I could, I'm not so sure my poor voice would be able to handle it though! We saw Phelps' last Gold swim in the butterfly of his career and saw a World Record be broken by an American female doing the 200m backstroke.

The most incredible race we saw, however, was the 800m women's freestyle with Rebecca Adlington fighting to retain her gold medal from Beijing. Unfortunately she didn't manage it and was beaten by a 15 year old USA girl who smashed the world record! Rebecca was blubbing as she received her bronze model and it almost brought me to tears too!

Then a week later I went along with my Mum and sister to watch Tom Daley dive in the 10m platform semi-finals. It was possibly the most stressful thing I've ever been to, every single time they jumped I thought they were going to hurt themselves!!

However, it was a beautiful and amazing spectacle of skill, OH and there's the small addition of INCREDIBLE abs! Honestly I'm sure it might be odd to think a 16 year old is hot but their bodies are truly amazing, so I thought I'd have a little montage of my favourite ab shows!

{GB diver Chris Mears}

{Ryan Lochte, not a diver but still bloody good looking}

{The gorgeous Tom Daley}

{Canadian Riley McCormick}

The London Olympics 2012

The past three weeks have been so incredible and I've been so very lucky to have experienced the Olympics in the way I did. A year ago I applied to work for OBS which means Olympic Broadcasting Services. They film all of the Olympics footage and the host broadcasters (like BBC, NBC etc) will buy the footage and put their commentary, their interviews and everything on top to make it individual to them. 

I was lucky enough to be accepted as a Liaison Officer at the Beach Volleyball held at Horse Guards Parade right inside St James' Park for 16 days, and what a 16 days they've been. I've just got home from staying at my cousin's in Maida Vale for the whole time and I'm already feeling the post-Olympic blues.

{Team GB}

{Sunset over the beautiful stadium}

{A night-time affair}

{An NBA Basketball player, couldn't tell you who he is, standing in our Sports Presentation booth}

{They were very tall basketball players}

{An artist was commissioned to paint the gorgeous scene from the bell tower of Horse Guards Parade}

{Our smaller court}

{Sunshine time}

There have been so many highlights from these 3 weeks I can't quite fit them all in! Basically my job was to help the broadcasters interview the athletes by guiding them through the cameras and we helped the commentators who were speaking over the beach volleyball footage, basically dream job as I was in the sun for 10 hours a day, watching beach volleyball, talking to broadcasters and eating ridiculous amounts of good food!

The opening ceremony for a start was an incredible night. I met a friend from school, Tammy, and we ended up watching the ceremony in a cinema in an exclusive press event at a club called The Brewery in Moorgate, it's basically an old mansion in the middle of London and there was free champagne all night with posh popcorn, heaven right?! Matt Horne was DJing so we danced the night away to celebrate a wonderful opening ceremony for London.

{Tammy outside The Brewery}

{In the Mod room}

{Phone boxes are perfect for a pose}

{Chris Hoy in our cinema}

The days of beach volleyball were amazing, the atmosphere, the view, the people, everything was just the perfect mix for a fun 2 and a half weeks working. After work drinks and dancing became an everyday affair and I loved every minute of it.

I feel I'm starting to get a little too over the top with how amazing my time was so I shall just show you more photos but if you had a ticket for the beach volleyball I think you'd know what I mean, it is truly a brilliant atmosphere and I feel privileged to have worked at the London 2012 Olympics!

{We had a little trip to see how the Mall was shaping up before the games started, it was a beautiful sight}

{The view from our photographers platform, now do you see what I mean about the best venue?!}

{Cute little cottage in St James' Park}

{Can't get enough of the beautiful view}

New York Day 3 and 4

Day 3:

Today was a Sunday so we had a bit of a lazy morning with a delicious bagel, they're so huge here! We decided to get the subway over to Soho for a wander, my God its complicated and BOILING down there! I couldn't get out of there soon enough and I don't know how commuters do it on busy mornings.

Once we got there we found a lovely villagey feel to Soho, I really liked it and the streets looked so lovely to live in. We went to the Apple store where I got my new Urbanears headphones, they're so cool I'm absolutely in love with them, I can't hear anything else when I've got the music on though! 

Then we had a wander and went into a few shops until we got to the Meatpacking District which is so nice. We went into Anthropologie and we bought these cute 5 year journals which ask you a different question for everyday in the year and you answer them for 5 years to see how much you and your thoughts have changed, its such a lovely idea I can't wait to start filling it.

We went through Chelsea Market which was lovely and walked along a walkway through the area. We stopped off for lunch at the New York Burger Co. Which is kind of a fast food place with posh burgers, it was delicious and I had two mini burgers to try the different toppings on offer, I was absolutely stuffed afterwards!

Once it got to late afternoon we got the Subway back to Central Park for a little bike ride. It was such a lovely thing to do and I think the park is definitely my favourite part of New York. Mum struggled up the hills and left very hot and sweaty, it was pretty funny but she got annoyed at me laughing at her!

When it got to dinner time we went straight back to the diner from last night, I was so stuffed still but managed a shrimp and scallop linguine which was amazing, the scallops were so big and juicy I swear they're always better in America. Then we all shared a Choc Fudge Sundae for dessert which was so naughty and I would never manage one for myself!

Another busy day but I feel we saw more of the locals' New York. Oh and we went past Carrie's apartment in SATC and it looks so lonely and small in real life, very strange that people were taking pictures of some steps up to an apt!

Day 4:

Last day so we decided to get the tram to Roosevelt Island to get a good skyline view of NY. Its a really boring and strange island but perfect for families, was odd to see something like that 2 minutes away from one of the busiest cities in the world!

{Lucy looking beautiful}

Then we wandered along Lexington, went to Bloomingdales and a cookery shop where we found the Bagel cutter we'd wanted for so long! If you don't know what it is just watch one episode of the OC and it is sure to be in the kitchen scenes.

We went along 5th avenue again and went into a few shops but its been so muggy today that it was almost unbearable to be outside. We had lunch at a restaurant called Rosie O'Gradys on 53rd at 7th Avenue where I had a HUGE burger and the crispiest chips, I really struggled to even get the burger in my mouth!

Then we got picked up from the hotel to the airport, we've ended up at the airport 2 hours early before even check in so we have 4 hours to kill at JFK before our long flight home! I really loved NYC and I think I want to make it my mission to find a job here for at least a year or something, the experience would be amazing I think! 

Here are a few random snaps from the holiday:

{So darn American}

{Most amazing toy Shop called FAO Schwarz, there was a huge piano you could run along but thought better of going on it and being the ginat net to small kids playing!}

{Little version of Ron}

{In the Quidditch Supplies Stand}

{The Sorting Hat, Lucy was a Hufflepuff, I was of course a Griffindor}

{Horse racing badges along the Ralph Lauren walls}

{TAXI!}

New York Day 1 and 2

So I've been a terrible blogger and have ignored this website for a long while now but I do have my excuses! I've been staying with my cousin in London for the Olympics and they've just got the internet sorted in the new flat, it's been strange to see just how important television and internet is to our daily lives, especially during the Olympics!

My last post told you about my incredible birthday surprise of a holiday to New York with my Mum and sister, it was one of the most amazing trips and it has definitely ignited a love for the place and to live in such an interesting place at some point in my life.

I wrote a diary while there so I shall just write up what I said there as I don't think I could give it justice with my two weeks ago memory of my time there!

Day 1:

So we got to the airport and I found out that I was going to NEW YORK! It was such a lovely surprise and I feel so lucky! We had a yummy Mexican breakfast at Giraffe and got on the plane, the flight was good and we watched lots of films!

When we arrived JFK was quite far away from the city so our bus was quite a long journey! We're staying at the Park Lane Hotel right by Central Park, its really beautiful!

We went for a wander down 5th avenue and went for dinner at TGIs, I had this amazing pulled pork burger with chips and JD sauce, delish!

Once we got back we completely conked out I was so tired!! I can't believe I'm in New York!

Day 2:

We woke up really early for brekkie, HUGE bagels and delicious warm hot chocolates.

Then we travelled on the Subway, most confusing thing EVER! They really should have come up with a better system, more like London's!

We went to the Empire State Building and the views were just beautiful, you can see so far and all of the massive Central Park. It was a really nice experience to have. We saw Times Square too which is just insane, absolutely huge screens everywhere and larger than life shops.

Then we went SHOPPING! The weather was boiling so I bought some cute shorts from American Eagle and changed into them for the day! I also bought some delish smelly Victoria's Secret body sprays and lots of Pink stuff which was a mission to find! I got some nice gym shorts with the NY Yankees sign on, a lovely soft hoody in grey and lots of VS knickers.

Lunch was perfect, we were walking down Broadway and there was a huge market all down the Avenue (I'm just starting to understand how all the streets and avenues work!) We found a Mexican stand and bought some burritos and some fresh lemonade (it tastes so different and amazing here) we just sat on the pavement in the middle of Broadway and watched the people walk by, it was so perfect doing exactly what people in New York would do on a Saturday afternoon!

Then we wandered around Central Park which is just so incredibly beautiful, I could have wandered and sat there all day and people watched! There's just so much going on, there was a concert in one section and people ballroom dancing in another, if I lived there I think it would by far be my fave spot!

For dinner we found this amazing American Diner called 'Brooklyn Diner USA' which claims to be pretty good. Mum and Lucy had the burger which looked delicious and I had steak with mac and cheese which I'd heard is a big New York combo, it was delicious but so filling! Would go there again (hopefully) its on 57th street on broadway or 7th avenue I think!

And now we're back in the hotel and I'm ready for a good nights sleep after a relaxing bath! Can't wait for tomorrow, the plan is Soho and Central Park bike ride!

I wish I could go back!! Will update you on day 3 and 4 tomorrow and then tell you all about my Olympics adventure! It's been a busy one I can assure you!

Surprise Getaway

UPDATE: I'm going to NEW YORK!!!

Today I am being whisked off on holiday by my Mum and sister as a surprise for my 21st birthday. I've known I'm being taken somewhere from Friday until Tuesday for a while but I literally have no idea where I'm being taken and will find out when I check in at the airport, it's so exciting but a nightmare to have packed for!!

Anyway, I'm not sure if I'll have proper internet to update this post to let you know where I'm setting off to but I will try, otherwise I'm sure in all of my excitement I'll send a quick tweet about it!

So my clues have been: make sure you have lots of money for shopping, comfy shoes, it's going to be hot so shorts and vests weather but I don't need a bikini or lots of books so I think it'll be a busy adventure holiday. The suspense is killing me! 

See you on Tuesday with lots of holiday stories I'm sure!