Super Bowl 50 Hosts – Levi’s Stadium

by

Tonight’s Super Bowl 50 clash is being hosted by the tech spectacular Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.  It is quite fitting really, that the Golden Super Bowl is being held in the US’ Golden State.

DSC_8944We were fortunate to have the chance to watch a football game at the stadium back in 2014 as part of our Californian summer road trip.  It was the first football game at the new stadium (not the first game, which was a soccer game a couple of weeks before), and weirdly saw the 49ers hosting the Super Bowl hopefuls, Denver Broncos, in what turned out to be a horribly one-sided pre-season affair in favour of Peyton Manning’s experienced side.DSC_8995DSC_8982DSC_9004

Although we were staying in San Francisco at the time, the trip to the 49ers home involved a 40 mile train journey to the sunnier climes of Santa Clara.  The temperature difference was incredible, which saw us leave a grey and gloomy San Francisco only to arrive at the Great America station later in the morning with an urgent need to acclimatize to the 10 degrees hotter climate.  The route was very easy:  We hopped on the Caltrain at 4th Street, changing at Mountain View to get on the VTA for the final leg.   The trains were efficient and comfortable, and the ride itself was cheap and cheerful, jam-packed full of football fans. DSC_9017DSC_8925DSC_9015The stadium itself was incredible, putting out UK equivalents to shame.  It had free wi-fi, fully stocked cocktail bars and plenty of food options. Each seat had drink holders and we had a great view to watch the game in the sunshine.

IMG_5650IMG_5643DSC_8933DSC_8938Those travelling to the stadium today for the Big One are certainly in for a treat!

6.30ET for Super Bowl 50 Kick-Off – May the best team win!

#KeepPounding #UnitedInOrangeDSC_6037

Some Recommended Post SB50 San Francisco Bars

21st Amendment Brewery, http://21st-amendment.com/

Jaspers Corner Tap, http://jasperscornertap.com/

Hard Water, Pier 33, http://hardwaterbar.com/

Bouron & Branch, James/O’Farrell, http://www.bourbonandbranch.com/

GingerBread of Heaven Launch

by

Due to the popularity of my rugby gingerbread men at the 2015 World Cup, I have set up a separate blog giving these little guys their very own stage.

I will post all gingerbread related materials here from now on, and so please visit http://www.gingerbreadofheaven.com for all your Six Biscuit news!

DSC_5993

Countdown to the Golden Super Bowl #SB50

by

image

This year’s Super Bowl will be the 50th NFL championship game, and is known as the “Golden Super Bowl”.   With only a week to go, here are 5 things you need to know about this year’s edition:

When and Where

Sunday 7th February at 6.30 pm E.T.  The clash is being hosted by the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara California, which opened in 2014.

Teams

The NFC champions, the Carolina Panthers (15-1­), take on the AFC’s champions, the Denver Broncos (12-4), to decide the NFL’s 2016 season.  The winner will lift the gorgeous Vince Lombardi Trophy, and, for the first time, a gold plated “50” (both created by Tiffany & Co).  The winner will be the 8th different team to win in as many years.

Quarter Backs

Peyton Manning (39) is 13.48 years older than rival Cam Newton (36), and both QBs were the first draft picks in their respective Rookie seasons.  NFL veteran Manning is making an appearance at his fourth Super Bowl, two for the Colts and two for the Broncos.

Half Time Show

The legendary Super Bowl half-time show is this year be at the disposal of UK band, Coldplay, with appearances by Beyonce and Bruno Mars.

Trivia

This is the first time the NFL is not using traditional Roman Numerals for the game.  Arabic numerals are instead being used. This was for marketing purposes as it was determined that the use of “L” was not as appealing as “50”.

#KeepPounding

#UnitedInOrange

 

Six Nations 2016 Countdown…

by


It is now less than a week until the RBS Six Nations tournament kicks off again! Excited much?!

And what an excellent 12 months of rugby it has been: Last season’s Super Saturday kept us all on the edge of our seats to see Ireland named champions, and then, a home World Cup gave us plenty of controversy and zero to hero stories to give us an extended international rugby fix right until Halloween.  With the domestic leagues and Champions Cup keeping us sane over the dank and dreary winter, the stage is now set for another fantastic few weeks of rugby heaven.

With the success of the world in union gingerbread at the World Cup, I have decided to get the six biscuits involved for the entire tournament this year, and not just making their traditional appearance on the tournament’s finale, Super Saturday.

Keep checking in here for tournament round updates with you favourite gingerbread pack…

May the best biscuit win!

The Other Room presents never before Beckett and Pinter pairing

by

Calling all literary connoisseurs!

The Other Room Theatre at Porters, Cardiff, presents a playhouse double bill, featuring two of the twentieth century’s greatest literary minds.  Play, by Samuel Beckett and Silence, by Harold Pinter, are performed back to back at the cosy back room of one of Cardiff’s best social venues.
IMG_2454-2.JPG

Not being overly familiar with the works of these two Nobel prize winners, I wasn’t really sure what to expect, other than I had no doubt that they would slightly on the odd side and, if nothing else, thought provoking.  Whilst both very different in terms of style and construction, there was a surprising symmetry between them which certainly justified their pairing. 

Both have three performers: Play with W1/wife (Peta Cornish), W2/mistress (Victoria John) and M (Matthew Bulgo); and Silence shifting from two women and one man to one woman (Peta Cornish) and two men (Matthew Bulgo and Neal McWilliams).  Both witness their characters internalising past love entanglements, each suffering their own personal purgatory.  Both sit outside the usual notions of time and space. The more traditionally staged Silence witnessed a shifting consciousnesses between the interconnected, yet time separated protagonists, whereas Play featured three disembodied heads atop three static urns, each trapped in an eternally repeating monologue recounting their version of the play’s central “affair”, but controlled entirely by the whim of the manually operated spotlight.

Of the two, I preferred Play.  The rapid fire and monotonous narration (as prescribed militantly by Beckett himself), punctuated only by M’s hiccuping and use of “pardon”, was almost fugal in style, but whilst challenging for both audience and actors, the darkness and weirdness was surprisingly humorous and witty.  Silence, on the other hand, was far more reflective, and had a sad weariness about it.

Whether you are a fan of Becket and/or Pinter or not, these performances, engineered by two fantastic production teams, will certainly not disappoint.

Play /Silence is showing until February 5th.

See The Other Room website (othertheatre.com) for details of other performances taking place at Porters as part of the Insomnia season.IMG_2453.JPG

Introducing The Principality Stadium – An insight into the beginnings of Wales’ identity crisis

by

DSC_4583

Tomorrow (Friday 22nd January), the iconic Millennium Stadium will  officially assume the name of its new sponsor, the Welsh Building Society, The Principality.  Whilst most modern stadiums adopt sponsors nowadays, it’s going to take a great deal of getting used to.  

It is an interesting choice of sponsor.  Not because this organisation is not a great example of a thriving Welsh company or because it isn’t worthy of the association, but because of its name.

For decades, the Welsh have sought to dispel the widespread misconception of our nation’s true constitutional identity by rejecting its seemingly unshakable mediaeval label of being a “Principality”.  And after significant steps over the past decade being made to set the record straight, here the archaic constitutional label returns, and this time its firmly affixed to our national treasure, right in the heart of our country’s capital city.

But why is there this confusion, and when was Wales last a true Principality?

Well, you’d have to go back some way into Wales’ rich and ancient history to get a better picture of where this identity crisis began. Here is a very brief, and apologetically simplistic overview of Wales journey from Principality to Country.

Wales became a Principality in 1218, when Llywelyn the Great and Henry III signed a treaty declaring the region to be under the governance of the Welsh Princes and independent of the Kingdom of England. It is worth a mention that at this time, only 2/3rds of what is now modern Wales formed part of the Principality, with the Cardiff and Southern area, for example, falling within the territory of the Marcher barons).  But this political status quo didn’t last long, as the conquest of Wales by Edward the First in 1277 effectively ended Wales’ de facto Principality.  By the 1280s, Wales was effectively annexed to England, and continued to be so, despite the efforts of national hero, Owain Glyndwr to liberate Wales from the English ruling classes in the fifteenth century.  However, the Principality of Wales came to an end formally and conclusively by 1542 with the passing of the Laws in Wales Acts.

From the this time until the mid-twentieth century, Wales was indistinguishable by law from England, and it was not until 1948 that the UK Parliament designated all laws as either applicable to “England and Wales” or to “Scotland”, giving Wales its own legal identity for the first time since its conquest in the thirteenth century.  The new Council for Wales and the Welsh Office paved the way to the Welsh people voting for a new Assembly, which was established in 1998, with further powers granted in 2006 under the Government of Wales Act.

And there is it.  Wales has not been ruled by a Prince for almost 500 years.  We have our own government, we make our own laws, and whilst we may not be a sovereign state, there is no question that Wales is its own country.

Whilst it will be sad to see the Millennium Stadium lose its name, there is no doubt that the venue itself will continue to be the spiritual home of rugby and, indeed, the Welsh identity.

Good luck to Wales in the Six Nation’s tournament, who will play their first game at home against fellow Celts, Scotland on the 13th February.  Check back in over the next couple of weeks for the launch of Six Biscuits 2016!DSC_4582DSC_4585

Growing up with Alan Rickman

by

1988: Gruber; 1991: Sheriff; 1999: Metatron. Dr. Lazarus; 2001: Snape.

Our favourite villain. Always.

R.I.P

IMG_1659-3.PNG

IMG_1660-2.PNG

IMG_1657-2.PNG

IMG_1661-2.PNG

IMG_1658-2.PNG

Visit the REAL Los Santos – GTA5 Californian Road Trip

by
Grand Theft Auto V_20151229095853

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto 5 is the latest installment of the Rockstar classic heist video game.

GTA:V transcended both 7th and 8th generation consoles, having originally been released in September 2013 and then re-worked, and re-leased for the next generation PS4 and Xbox one the following November. Whilst I am sure many were skeptical by Rockstar’s re-lease of the game in 2014, but there is now no denying that the re-release is an upgraded, and far slicker version of the previous sandbox with a whole new perspective thrown in for good measure.  The first person player option, combined with the resolution enhancements to the scenery and vehicles, has made it almost indistinguishable from driving around the real life Los Santos, Los Angeles, highlighting how far the franchise has come since its inception in 1997 with the pixelated birds-eye view version.

With both first and third person perspective playing options available (as well as new online interactions), gamers can experience for themselves the intertwining exploits of criminals Michael, Trevor and Franklin as they travers the masterful and epic open world of San Andreas’ Los Santos and Blaine County.  

Having visited this city last August, I was amazed by the accuracy of the portrayal of the streets, the architecture and particularly the lighting of the weather on the roads and cars. The golden pink and yellow hues of the region could not be much truer to life and the glistening buildings and vehicles were a joy to see.  The virtual trip up Highway 1, over the Bixby Bridge and into the mountains made me pang for the warmth and gorgeous wilderness of California.

It is nothing short of beautiful.

DSC_7749

And whilst it may sound a little odd, if you are thinking of visiting SoCal, it is not a bad starting point to familiarise yourself with the sights and highlights of the region.  It is, of sorts, a guide book, but to be taken with a degree of caution, of course.  What becomes apparent when you visit the real Los Angeles is its sheer scale.  Whilst it was only a relatively short distance from Hollywood to The Bixby Bridge in the game, in reality, it is a whopping 4 hour drive along 300miles of the coastal highway.  The Salton Sea (home of good for nothing Trevor) is an area 170 miles South West of LA.  Even within Los Santos, the sights are relatively close together, and you could hijack a Vine Tour Bus and take in the landmarks at your leisure within a few minutes.  Not such an easy feat in reality.  Traffic is hectic, and you soon realise that having to be a law abiding citizen seriously affects your sightseeing agenda! 

So here you have it.  The top sights from the Los Santos and Blaine County area (PS4 screenshots) compared against what you will actually see if you visit Los Angeles and the Pacific Coast. 

 *No (real) pedestrians were harmed in the photographing of this blog*

GTAV – Road Trip

Part 1 – Vinewood/Hollywood

Von Cranstenburg Hotel, Vinewood Boulevard A.K.A Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Hollywood Boulevard

DSC_8040

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120210024

Grand Theft Auto V

Oriental Theatre A.K.A Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

DSC_7764

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120205910

Grand Theft Auto V

Vinewood Bowl A.K.A Hollywood Bowl

DSC_7805

When visiting the Bowl, we were fortunate enough to sit in on the dress-rehearsal for the extraordinary Cellist, Yo Yo Ma.

 

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120213304

Grand Theft Auto V

Vinewood Sign A.K.A Hollywood Sign & Dam

DSC_7812

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120212827

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_7809

Grand Theft Auto V_20151229095813

Grand Theft Auto V

Galileo Observatory A.K.A Griffiths Observatory, Griffith Park

The Griffith Park observatory will be familiar to Terminator fans as this is the location where Arni confronted Bill Paxman and his punk acquaintances.

DSC_7821

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120211603

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_7823

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120211714

Grand Theft Auto V

Badger Building A.K.A Capital Records

DSC_7794

Grand Theft Auto V_20151229094914

Grand Theft Auto V

Part 2 – Rockfort Hills/ Beverly Hills

Weasel Plaza A.K.A Fox Plaza A.K.A Nakatomi Plaza (Die Hard)

DSC_7990

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120215859

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_7982

Grand Theft Auto V_20151228203851

Grand Theft Auto V

Part 3 – Downtown

Bradbury Building

DSC_7860

Of all of the locations, this is possibly one of the most inaccurate.  The real Bradbury Building (Sebastian’s house, Blade Runner) is actually located on a street corner, whilst the GTA version is mid-street.

DSC_7881

Grand Theft Auto V_20151228205123

Grand Theft Auto V

Panorama downtown

DSC_7833

The scale of Los Angeles can be seen here, taken from atop the Griffith Observatory.  Downtown L.A. is a whole world away

DSC_7842

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120211954

Grand Theft Auto V

Maze Bank Tower A.K.A US Bank Tower, downtown

DSC_7869

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120210453

Grand Theft Auto V

Los Santos Storm Drain A.K.A LA river

DSC_7857

Grand Theft Auto V_20151228205324

Grand Theft Auto V

Part 4 – Del Perro/ Santa Monica

DSC_2128

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120203724

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_2136

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120203514

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_2118

Del Perro Pier A.K.A Santa Monica Pier

DSC_2081

Grand Theft Auto V_20151229102913

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_2073

Grand Theft Auto V_20141123211954

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_2038

Grand Theft Auto V_20151229102745

Grand Theft Auto V

Pleasure Park / Pacific Park

DSC_2224DSC_2260DSC_2188

Grand Theft Auto V_20141123211615

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_2220DSC_2295DSC_2317_2

Grand Theft Auto V_20141123210838

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_2284

Ambulance (popular get-away-vehicle)

DSC_2082

Grand Theft Auto V_20151229102217

Grand Theft Auto V

Casa del Mar

DSC_2089

Grand Theft Auto V_20141120203323

Grand Theft Auto V

Life Guard truck and Beach hut

DSC_2023

Grand Theft Auto V_20151229102146

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_2017

Grand Theft Auto V_20141123212102

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_2244

Grand Theft Auto V_20141123212806

Grand Theft Auto V

DSC_2133Part 5 – Vespucci Beach a.k.a Venice Beach (Gold’s Gym)

IMG_6503Part 6 – Miscellaneous 
 

Oil rigs

DSC_7731

Grand Theft Auto V_20151229095414

Grand Theft Auto V

Big Creek Bridge A.K.A Bixby Bridge, Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur

DSC_8724DSC_8713

Grand Theft Auto V_20141123215229

Grand Theft Auto V

Notable Omissions

Le Brea Tar Pits & Angels Flight & Disney Concert Hall (available in L.A. Noir)

DSC_7942DSC_7935DSC_7963DSC_7977DSC_7877DSC_7934

More than just a heist game

As hopefully this comparison has demonstrated, there is no denying that the franchise has come a long way since it’s very first release back in 1997 when all the detail you had was a 2D bird’s-eye-view of Liberty City, San Andreas and Vice City.

Whilst not a gamer myself, I must confess that I had not expected the realism or indeed, scope of GTAV.  For me, it was not the heists, main plot line or the characters that fascinated. Instead, it was the painstaking detail of the sandbox world of Los Santos that moved me: the beautiful sunsets, the flora and fauna, the uplifting soundtrack.  I can certainly  say that it was GTAV that ignited my newfound love affair with the West Coast of America.

Who knows where Rockstar will take us next – A trip back to London may be fun…

Where to Stay

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (www.hollywoodroosevelt.com) – Fabulous Art Deco, Hollywood Glamour hotel right on Hollywood Boulevard, and sits  right opposite the Chinese Theatre.  The hotel itself is beautiful, a gorgeous pool side area and the wonderful Spare Room games suite.  A great central location for those wanting to explore central Los Angeles.

Casa Del Mar (www.hotelcasadelmar.com) – A must for a visit to Santa Monica.  Located right on the beach and with a perfect view of the pier, it is truly luxurious.  One of the best hotels we have ever stayed in.

DSC_2258

Christmas Is Coming 2015

by

It was time for the annual “Christmas at the Englands’” shindig, and, whilst Star Wars was the obvious choice (but it seemed a little too soon to replicate our Star Wars Xmas 2013 party), we decided instead, that the Seven Kingdoms would be a fitting backdrop to our festive celebrations.  DSC_5673

The Game of Thrones is the first novel by George R.R. Martin forming part of the A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series.  The novels are truly epic beasts, and spawned a hugely successful television franchise produced by the American network HBO, released in 2011.  For the first time, a fantasy genre has captured the imagination of a whole new audience, with the series assuming a defined place in general popular culture.  Inspired by the complex and intricate War of the Roses, Game of Thrones has something for all tastes, and the collision of treachery, enchantment and battles continues to entertain us.  And it looks like it will be with us for some time yet, as the novels have a further two installments until conclusion, and Season 6 of the television series is scheduled for another couple of seasons.

Watchers on the Wall

GOT is unquestionably a perfect Christmas theme, with its snow, merrymaking and feasting.  The (Gingerbread) Wall took centre stage at our GOT party table, and it is arguably the most iconic of all of the awesome Game of Thrones locations.   The Wall (inspired by Hadrian’s Wall in Northern England), is a colossal structure, thousands of years old, and made entirely of ice.  Having been built by Brandon the Builder, the gallant Black Watch guard has guarded it against those wildlings inhabiting beyond for millennia, but as winter approaches, rumours of supernatural beings and White Walkers unearth ancient cautionary tales.  The fate of the realm lies in the hands of these dedicated and noble watchmen.DSC_5749DSC_5811DSC_5804DSC_5788DSC_5625

The Great Houses

In the GOT universe, there are nine great houses (Baratheon, Bolton, Florent, Lannister, Martell, Redwyne, Stark, Umber, Targaryen and Tully), and here, snowflakes bore the emblems of some of these.  Available from Krystal HigginsDSC_5618DSC_5790Joffrey, officially one of the Baratheon’s, but in truth a pure bred Lannister, is silhouetted here poised and ready for a spot of target practice, a nod to the sadistic nature of the young king.  Lannister gold coins also adorned.DSC_5695DSC_5682DSC_5687DSC_5655

The night is dark and full of terrors

A traditional Xmas glitter tree was transformed into a Heart Weirwood tree, dedicated to the Old Gods of the Forest (a Northern religion), usually sitting at the centre of a Godswood.  The Old Gods existed prior to the invasion of the Andals, and has been replaced in more Southern regions by the Faith of the Seven.  The Lord of Light/R’hllor is another deity worshiped in the realm although largely followed in Essos, but the GOT series witnesses the infiltration of the one true god in Westeros, promoted by the exiled Stannis Baratheon, and also the outlaw Beric Dondarrion.DSC_5677DSC_5740

Everything is better with wine in the belly

Feasting assumes a prominent role in the GOT series, with the novels particularly dedicating much page space to describing the food consumed by its characters.   The infamous Red Wedding destroys the inalienable custom that was, and the Purple Wedding brings with it its own horrors, albeit more satisfying ones.

And feast we would, with the reliable M&S party selection as the foundation. Our cheeseboard (with some unusual pepper and port varieties) was served on a gorgeous US red slate from the Just Slate Company, and the Baratheon meat platter presented on a rustic Welsh wood board.DSC_5605DSC_5617DSC_5668DSC_5615DSC_5753DSC_5640

The winter theme continued into the Jon Snow(flake) mince pies glistening with a sprinkling of obligatory pale purple glitter!DSC_5595

Hot mulled wine from the Arbor region warmed us, and a dragon-scale flagon of water supplied by the wonderful Bou Chic Ryde.DSC_5734DSC_5816

My sun and stars, the moon of my life

And it wouldn’t be Christmas without an abundance of lights and candles.  A local potter’s stars and moon votive fitted in perfectly, as did the weeping ice candles from Lakeland.  We also picked up some fabulous crab apples from Forbesfield Flowers, Castle Arcade, Cardiff.DSC_5720DSC_5651DSC_5785DSC_5709DSC_5683DSC_5773

We also overlaid our trusted GeoChron with a map of the continents of Westerns and Essos.DSC_5646DSC_5812

Winter is Coming

Despite the musings of House Stark, winter in Wales is as yet, no-where to be seen, but the Englands are, at least, ready for the festivities to begin!

GOT returns to our screens in April 2016 for Season 6, where we all eagerly await the fate of protagonist, Jon Snow.   The Winds of Winter (the novel’s 6th installment) is still, it seems, a long way away.

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

DSC_5793