Home for Christmas

I've left Cornwall and I'm back in the homeland for the next few weeks before heading off to South Africa in January!

Christmas and New Year this year are going to be really strange as it'll be the first time in probably 6 years that I haven't had to revise for January exams over the Christmas break. I went shopping today and was standing waiting for a bus just before 4pm wishing the bus would hurry up because I'd been out far too long and needed to get home and do some work... then I realised I actually didn't need to rush home and felt like a bit of a fool. The last term's been so busy that my brain is stuck in "must do work" mode!

My first full day at home was spent moseying round the shops and eyeing up the new Hobbycraft that's just opened in town. Sooooo much stuff I wanted to buy, shame I don't have limitless money (and shame it's fairly expensive...). I did get some cute little cross stitch kits though that I'll be making up when I've got some free time over the holidays. Guilt free crafting FTW!

So what have I got planned for the holidays?

- My brother's coming home on Friday (Christmas Eve Eve!), and he'll be staying until the day after Boxing Day
- Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day which will probably involve way too much eating and being incredibly lazy, but hey, it's Christmas, I'm allowed.
-  Packing for South Africa and trying to make sure all of my stuff fits in my bag - probably going to be a major challenge...
- Flying out to South Africa on the 3rd of January for 2 weeks in the sun... I can't wait!
- Back to reality and starting my last ever term of education!! Not going to lie, I'm more than a little bit excited that I've only got about 4 months until I'm finished.

I'm off to spend my evening curled up in bed watching TV and reading a book now that I can do so without worrying that I should be doing something else!

Oh, and I've updated my list of 101 things in 1001 days. 15 down, 86 to go!

Ashford hits the headlines!

Photo from The Independent
Info below from The Telegraph

Armed robbery at Barclays bank on Ashford High Street, about half a mile from home! This made it as 'breaking news' on Sky News, and there were reports being given every 5 or 10 minutes on the situation.

It is believed he entered the bank at 4pm brandishing a sawn-off shotgun then handcuffed the staff and customers using plastic cable ties and made them put on white boiler suits. One of the hostages said he ordered them to blackout the windows of the bank using spray paint.
When police responded to the scene and told the suspect to surrender he is understood to have shouted to them that he had “dynamite” with him inside.

Thankfully he came out and was arrested before anyone was seriously hurt. The whole thing did drag on for 3 hours though, it must have been unbelievably horrible for the poor people trapped inside.

You hear about things like this all the time on TV, yet it really hits you and feels so much worse when it's so close to home.