About Me Tuesday, October 14, 2008

About me…
Well what do you want to know?

Lets start with the basics…

I don’t put gumbles in jam tins! So if you are of a bottersnike disposition, please click away now!

Name: Mary Stokes
Age: 24
Occupation: MA Student – I’m currently studying Multimedia Broadcast Journalism at the University College Falmouth.

To be honest, that is probably all you need to know. But since you have taken the time to read my musings I think it is only fair that you know a bit more about my background and how I managed to become so cynical for one so young!

Not wanting to sound corny, but I have always been interested in current affairs  – R4 was always on when having breakfast at home, and we were never allowed to turn over to the Simpsons once Neighbours had finished at 6pm. At the time I didn’t appreciate it, but now I recognise the importance of having a broad knowledge of current affairs – you can only be truly free if you have intellectual freedom.

I can, however, accurately pinpoint the moment when began to consider journalism as a potential career.  As a kid I was a Newsround Press Packer (see below), at university I was one of the few freshers to get their articles printed in the Liverpool Student and then in my final year I joined the epic faliure that was Icon Radio!

OK right back to the blog. You have probably noticed a number of common themes by now – music, the environment, and politics being the 3 most common categories. I am very passionate about protecting the planet from the more destructive tendencies of Western Society and I have been known in the past to wage war against housemates who point blank refused to recycle. With regards my political views, I do not affiliate myself with any particular political party – I rely very heavily on my conscience when making decisions or forming opinions. Having said that I tend much more towards the left than the right and I am most definitely pro-Europe!

But music is my one true passion in life. If at any point I make an disparaging comments to my vioin playing (or lack of it) it’s because I’m currently fighting a bout of disillusionment. I passed my Grade 8 2 years ago and since then I have been struggling to stay inspired…  I love discovering new bands or re-finding old ones but live is the best way to see music!

Finally, I just want to say a little about the links down the right-hand side. They are a small selection of the sites I visit on a regular basis and are hoped to give you a vague idea of how wide my interests are.

This blog started out as a compulsory course task, but I’m hoping to mould it into a space where I can discuss the issues closest to my heart.

So.. enjoy!

Oh and if you feel the need to rant or rage at anything found within these pages.. rant away! It’s a blog, not a lecture!

Back when the dream began! BBC TV Centre, London, 1998

And most recently interviewing Seth Lakeman at the Minack Theatre, Porthcurno