Hey so I wanted to write an entry for each weekend I spent away from the ol' college room but it's gotten to this point so I guess 2 in 1 is just as worthwhile.
So, first thing's first:
Sat 23 - Mon 25 April: The trip to the London MCM Expo
This, as expected was a pretty good trip in the end. It began, as most student trips do, with a 5-hour long bus drive down to Victoria Station, London where we had to wait in the noisy and uncooperative Train Station. Soon after we were wonderfully accommodated though as Alex's parents (Alex is a friend from Uni and future housemate and organised this trip since he lives near London) put us up for the night and drove us just about everywhere.
The Con was amazing. The internet can never really prepare you for it. For me who isn't a cosplayer, a fresher with regard to Con's and not all that heavily into things like most people there. So it was all a little new and fantastic to me. And what a day to be there for it, it as wonderfully sunny and nice to be in, and major kudos to all the cosplayers for keeping that up all day! Except those that were cosplaying as Rikku or something, you weren't weariing THAT much so you can't have been too hot. And for the record, the guy going round as Zetsu... dude you were just plain weird. And for all those people dressed as the Doctors (i.e. THE Doctor) - you guys looked great! It was really surreal and cool to watch about 5 or so 10th Doctors running across the grass all at once. Which reminds me of the awesome Scrubs guys who performed a song as well - a sight you really should see if you like Scrubs at all. But back to the Con side of things, I managed to pick some Copics up so hopefully my pictures may look a little more fleshed out properly. And I met Marc Ellerby who is just great and immensely nice in the sense that when I went up to him and asked "Are you Marc Ellerby?" (Which I really want on a tshirt now...) and he replied I turned to the guys and was all "WOOT! We found him!" - he was fine with that. It felt lik we'd been looking for him for ages.
And now for the apologies. Ben asked me to find John Allison, I did, then didn't remember I had previously found his Scarygoround online and forgotten it. Mr. Allison, I am VERY sorry for not recognising that your Scarygoround was THE Scarygoround. I'd tip my hat if I had one sir. And next for Mr. David Hine who I bought a Spawn Comic from and wasn't sure who he was. I have looked you up sir and I now am VERY grateful you signed that copy for me. Sorry for being so ignorant of your awesomeness man. And apologies for anyone else whose time I wasted or who thought I was weird, you know, being the sole Mac Hall fan in the entire place - what was i thinking?! Anyway, after that thee weekend was pretty much over as we had to get up early Monday (which is a near impossibility for us)to catch our bus. We missed it and now I want to say a big thanks to Alex's Mum Alison who drove us all the way back up to Leeds alone in place of that bus. I also want to promote her and Peter's (her husband, Alex's Dad) books which can be found here: [link] Of what I've read so far I really liked them.

And now for Oxford:
Fri 29 Apr. - Mon 1 June Trip to see Bryony in Oxford
For starters, the train trip down there, though daunting and more than a little scary for me was pretty ok really. Despite getting caught up inn the cramped midsection with football fans when trying to get to my reserved seat and not knowing what the hell to do in the unapologetic Birmingham New St. Station, the idea of being reserved a seat on a clean and carpeted train with air con and the like was great. Very enjoyable. XP
Getting there and seeing Bry again (she's enrolled at Mansfield btw, I know you don't know that cos SHE NEVER UPDATES HER JOURNAL! ahem...) was great and after not being able to visit last term and most of this term it felt really good to see her down there in Oxford. It was ridiculously sunny all weekend which made Oxford look spectacular (a word I'm loathe to use as it sounds stupid) but yeah, really shiny and everything. The shops were really cool as well: like 4+ different departments and shops for Blackwells, and Scriptum which is so ridiculously-priced you never buy anything cos it all looks so nice but so out of your financial reach as well,and G n D's! Need I say any more?
It was really great to meet Bry's friends as well who are some of the nicest, warmest and friendliest people I've yet to meet. (apart from my Rochdale lovelies of course ) Anyway yeah, it was kinda unsettling to watch the Summer VIII's that were going on (the boat-races that go on between the colleges in Oxford) as you kinda realise (well,for me anyway) that you are a) not a big manly rower (for the male rowers i mean) and b) you are not a student at Oxford. Sorta makes you wanna go back and change your grades so you are tbh. But after that there was the surprisingly long exodus to a 'nearby' cowfield, that's right, I said COWFIELD, where the girls went for a SWIM in the adjoining RIVER... Apparently it was fun though so yeah, fun had by all. Afterwards there the weekend seemed to fade slightly into Monday which meant catching the inverse train back up. And British Rail, your timetables SUCK! You told me I was late and I nearly had a heart-attack! > But yeah I really enjoyed myself and I wanna say a very big THANK YOU to Bry who gave up work and revision and necessary normal things for the weekend so I could visit her and steal her 7-Up and use her laptop to play radio while I fell asleep. Than you.

But anyway, blog over. I'm at the official end of my first year at uni now and will be home soon again for Summer. Mostly looking forward to it I think. Especially Momentum if it all works out. Duno when I'll have something new for you guys to look at. See yall later and well done if you just read ALL this.
Much loves,
Dan x