Rugby Town

It says on the enjoyrugby website,

'During a game of football on an autumn day in the year 1823, on a ground called the Close at Rugby School, one William Webb Ellis, a sixteen year old pupil of the school, with a fine disregard of the rules....first took the ball in his arms and ran with it, and so began the modern version of this major world sport.

Until you've been to Rugby, it's hard to imagine that the world-wide sport of rugby football took its name from our bustling market town. When you're here next to the hallowed ground where the game began, the atmospheric surroundings of Rugby School will transport you back to the day in 1823 when William Webb Ellis changed the game forever.

If you're a true fan of the game, a trip to Rugby can become a pilgrimage as you find yourself delving into the origins of the sport, the history of the players and the uniqueness of the town's connections. This will be an experience you'll treasure throughout life; after all, where else can you stand next to the spot where a worldwide phenomenon was born?'

I love Rugby, of course I do. I was born there, and grew up there. It'll always have a soft spot in my heart as we've been through a lot together. However, this description has been exaggerated...a whole lot.

'Bustling market town' - ummm, yeah, the market is ok. You have people shouting at you, and there's the famous man who walks around his stall in fluorescent leggings. It's not exactly bustling.

The 'atmospheric surroundings' - apparently will transport you back to 1823. You need to be in the history zone in order for this to vaguely happen. It's exciting to see where rugby was first inspired...but it loses its novelty when Rugby School has a reputation that only pretentious snobs go there, and apparently Harry Potter's Emma Watson once studied there. Knowing the nitty gritty of the school and its reputation to the rest of the town (aka people who didn't go to the private school but to a normal state school) dampens the atmosphere of it a bit.

Taking a 'pilgrimage' to Rugby. Please do not. I have lived in Rugby for nearly 21 years now, and I haven't a clue where to find out about the player's history, the origins of the sport and what not. I believe there's a very small outlet somewhere to find out - but I've been in there once and it doesn't give you much information!

And having an experience you'll treasure throughout life - standing NEXT to where the sport was inspired. It's a school, you're not allowed on the ground. I have had the opportunity to stand on the ground, though it was at a conference and marquees were all over the ground - but I do enjoy remembering that I once stood where William Webb Ellis first picked up that ball.

This was not supposed to have been a scathing review of the Rugby tourism website, but I'd just like to see the truth being published. Raising the profile of Rugby in this way just gets people's hopes up, to find its not *that* fancy. It's a lovely, charming, little town with many other quirky features, memories (on my part) and you can have fun there if you seek it. Sell it as it is! It's got a shopping centre called the Clock Towers, and inside there is a huge clock and on the hour every hour, the famous tortoise and the hare story is displayed. When I was a kid, I used to insist on watching it - and I still stop and pause if I pass it today. It's simple, yet charming.

Pick the not so historically or aesthetically impressive parts of Rugby, and sell those. After one visit, those tourist sites will be boring. So tell them about the quirky parts! I'd love it.

8 Easy Steps To Cope With The Common Cold

Everyone gets them, everyone hates them, everyone enjoys taking a lazy day off to feel sorry for themselves.

If you haven't guessed, I am 'everyone' right at this moment in time.

Thankfully, this cold has held off for a few days giving me some wonderfully lovely days hanging out with friends, and today, I have been able to stay at home to try and get over it.

My guidelines for coping with your cold, and all of these have been tried and tested numerous times over the years...they work.

When you next have a cold, you'll be ready to endure it with these 8 easy steps.

1. Stay HYDRATED

Very important one right here. In my first term ever of university, I had developed a cold. I was eating soup, and that was my main source of energy - however, I didn't really pick up on the fact that I wasn't eating much soup and also that I wasn't drinking anything. This just has disaster written all over it. After a few days of staying in bed in the foetal position, and having Joey's mindset, "It's getting darker and more painful, that means it's healing" - my condition wasn't getting darker, but it was getting increasingly painful. So, what did I do? Phone my mum. Of course I did. She arranged with the security at the uni to come and take me to the hospital, and I went to the hospital, had some blood and urine tests, and what do you know? I was dehydrated. After a few days of solidly drinking water and squash, I was better. Therefore, rule number 1, stay hydrated.

2. Stock up on TISSUES

Tissues had made a home in my room for most of the year, and last week, our house ran out of toilet paper - so I put my tissues in the bathroom. The box soon emptied. The following week, I am sat here discussing my cold. Yes, that's right. As of this morning, I was tissue...less, and using toilet paper to blow my nose. Oh, the irony. Get yourself tissues, or get some lovely housemates who will go out and get you some! I am now stocked up and blowing my nose on SOFT WHITE TISSUES. Nice.

3. Get yourself some OLBAS OIL

This stuff is amazing. I've used it for colds for as long as I can remember - we've always had and used it at home, and I have it here at uni. I went through a phase of putting the oil directly onto my pillow, but after a few eye watering nights, that stopped. Instead, I drip the oil onto my pyjama t shirt so the fumes go right up my nose. It's lovely. However, a word of wisdom. You can't really smell it when you have a cold - other people can. On a positive note, you can tell when you're getting over your cold because you can smell it. Works wonders, get some.

4. Stock up on SOUP and ICE CREAM

Soup makes you feel better - this is why I save all my BIG SOUP for my cold phases. Makes you feel all warm inside, and it's just a lovely dish - not overly filling, but will do the trick to keep your energy up. Ice cream, ok, you can't really taste it due to your nose being bunged up, however you can still eat it whilst watching a film. This most definitely keeps you going during a cold.

5. Don't HUG your cold

Colds LOVE you. They also love the warm, and the horrible "cold" atmosphere that you've developed in your room. Therefore, when you wake up and leave your room to go downstairs to lie on the sofa and watch numerous DVDs...open your window and keep your room fresh, and get those germs out of there.

6. Pick a HAPPY film

You're feeling ill, you're feeling sorry for yourself. Don't pick a film which will make you cry or will make you feel even more rubbish - it just doesn't help. Pick a film which you enjoy, I wouldn't risk a new one which you don't know anything about. I opted for 'The Phantom of the Opera' today, it has my favourite actor in it, I love the music, and it makes me feel better. On 'Glee', we learn that Mr Schuester watches 'Singin in the Rain' when he's ill and wants to feel better. It works like a charm.

7. Ensure you wear COMFORTABLE clothes

It's the time for you to feel as comfortable as possible - you don't need to impress anyone, you're just getting better. Therefore, get out the tracksuit bottoms, the baggy t shirt and the hoody. Make yourself feel as comfortable as possible but stay clean. Just because you're ill doesn't give you an excuse to be unclean, have a shower, wash your face, brush your teeth, wear clean clothes...it'll make you feel better being clean and comfortable.

8. Get OUT of bed and have a hot BATH

Staying in bed gives you more of an excuse to feel sorry for yourself, and keeps the germs wanting to stay with you. Getting out of bed and changing makes you feel heaps better. The last point is one my mum would suggest... having a bath. She's sure it cures anything...stomach aches, foot cramps, headaches, paper cuts, and colds. Whenever I'm ill, she'll run me a hot bath. Not only does it relax you, but the steam from the bath goes up your nose and helps to unclog your sinuses. Killing two birds with one stone...genius.

I hope these steps have either amused you and/or educated you. Either way you have discovered what goes through my head when I have a cold!

Retweets and @ Mentions

This year Twitter has somehow managed to worm its way into my life. I've had twitter for about two years now, but only for the past 9 months have I used it. And boy, have I used it.

Once you understand that there's nothing to understand about twitter...you're set! You can @mention your friends and celebrities, and they will read your message [or with celebrities, they can, if they want to, read your message]. And you can follow people from all walks of life, and if they have that little blue tick sign next to their name - it is really them.

I'm following loads of people, lots of friends, and lots of celebrities. Lots barely tweet at all, some tweet all the time - such as Justin Bieber, LeAnn Rimes and Jerry Bruckheimer.

And the other thing about twitter...if you can follow them as a user...people can follow you.

Again, lots of my friends have joined twitter and I follow them, and they have kindly followed me. But, some famous names follow me.

Jon Acuff - author of 'Stuff Christians Like' - approx 55,000 followers.

Jack Ingram - country singer - approx 29,000 followers.

Lady Antebellum - country group, their song 'Need You Now' performed by Glee. Approx 343,000 followers.

Justin Bieber - pop singing sensation. Approx 9,600,000 followers.

These all have those little verified blue ticks, which means it is them. Exciting times.

I have had a lot of @ mentions, but from friends when in conversation with them. However, from celebrities - it tends to be a bit of a rarer occasion.

I had @mentioned LeAnn Rimes, saying I was a big fan etc etc etc. And she @mentioned me back with the memorable...

'@StephParsonsUK Thx babe'

Oh my word! She replied to my tweet! Best day ever. Genuinely, I loved this tweet.

Now, moving onto the realm of retweets, also known colloquially as an RT. Now, I've written [as of this very second] 897 tweets. And never really paid attention to RTs...until very recently.

I got a RT in January about a tweet I had written from the Oscars...which I found surprising and nice.

Then I delved in the realm of celebrities, will celebrities RT you? They can do, yes. I tweeted the actor Gary Sinise [Lt Dan in Forrest Gump, Mac Taylor in CSI:NY] and told him my grandad was a Royal Marine Commando [Gary Sinise used to be in the Marines, and holds those who are Marines and those who have previously been Marines in very high respect], I also told him that my grandad trained US Marines. My grandad loves CSI:NY, and always wears his Royal Marine cap when Mac Taylor comes on...so I told him all this. And Gary Sinise retweeted it. This was a good day.

In April, I got a random RT from 'coffeybot'. Bit random, though maybe they found it funny. But this is when the RT thing started to kick in.

Last week, I was looking at the top trends, and some comments made in them. They were regarding Margaret Thatcher, and some were disgusting. So I tweeted, not at individuals, but as a general statement. And people did RT. Given, some people @mentioned abuse at me, but when you delve into the Thatcher debate, you know what's coming.

Then suddenly, this past week, a tweet [which was not aimed at anyone in particular, and had no mention of a top trend] was RTed. It regarded LA Galaxy's stadium - someone somehow found it, and retweeted it! This felt good! Then I saw on top trends something about Girls Aloud reuniting - I didn't know they'd even broken up, so tweeted. And what do you know? Someone RTed. THIS IS WAY TO DO IT! Tweet about a top trend! I've suddenly got an RT addiction, I love getting RTed.

Tonight, Eurovision was trending! So I tweeted about Graham Norton and Terry Wogan - instant RT from someone! Then I saw Borat top trending - wrote a tweet about him - BOOM! Instant RT from someone else! Addicted to Twitter ReTweets - though, this has all stemmed from the fact that I finished all my uni work and exams about two weeks ago, and have had nothing to do, so therefore I've been sat around doing not much. RTs have just shown that people appreciate my comments and opinions about things, and also have shown that I really need to get out more.