Gwyn

My Revision Aid...

You need not read this blog.

I am simply using blogger to help with revision...

How is the rural-urban fringe changing and why?

Madejski Stadium, Reading

The construction of this football stadium in 1998 shows major changes in the rural-urban fringe of Reading. As the city of Reading's population grows, there is an increased demand for recreational activities. The small amount of space within the inner city, and the greater expense of land means that pressure is put upon the fringes of the city. To accommodate demand, stadia have been built on the fringes of cities throughout the UK. In Reading, there are also examples of golf courses that have been created on the rural-urban fringe, at Calcot and Sonning. 

The pressures upon the rural-urban fringe have also required the construction of many motorways, to link cities for economic gain. For example, just to the south of Reading the M4 is present. Motorways ease transportation problems for industry and tourism. With motorways, the economy of the UK is boosted greatly. 

With British cities experiencing a rising population, and a culture change of families starting later, an increase in the construction of housing is needed. Generally, people also wish to live further away from the centre of the city, which is perceived as a place with more crime and a lack of fresh air. Therefore, pressure is put upon the rural-urban fringe to build more houses. This is a case of suburbanisation, where the outskirts of cities such as Reading become estates; towns are villages also become suburbanised 'dormitory settlements', where their residents work in the city miles away from home. 

These changes in the rural-urban fringe may have a decent economic effect on the city involved. There are gains to be made in housing, recreation and retailing. The development of the rural-urban fringe can also have a good effect socially, as people are content with their suburban houses, and the easy access of shopping and sporting facilities. Nevertheless, the development of the rural-urban fringe has a detrimental effect on the environment. The environmental effects may eventually work against the good economic, and social effects. 

That essay took me about 25 minutes... Hopefully, I'll be able to get the words out quicker in the exam. 12 minutes per essay...

Must mention either Cribbs Causeway or Culverhouse Cross as more local examples. Perhaps Castell Maen too..

One Hell of a Big Jump!

This just sounds so epic! =] When I'm older, I know I want to have a go at skydiving. BASE jumping is a bit more hardcore; doesn't really suit me, but it does sound amazing.

Burj Khalifa is the new tallest building in the world (in the United Arab Emirates).

At 828m, it is the world record.

Its other records include:

• the world's highest mosque on its 158th floor
• the world's highest swimming pool on its 76th floor
• the world's fastest lift at a speed of 18 metres per second!

Of course BASE jumping is illegal, as it is the most dangerous recreational sport in the world with every 1 out 60 participants dying. The two fellows in the video were arrested afterwards.

However, two men from the UAE managed to get permission off the authorities to BASE jump from a crane suspended on the tower's 160th floor, at 672m, being the world's record BASE jump. Both men were successful. 

I so want to visit this place to see the tower! I like tall buildings =] I've been to the tallest tower in Melbourne, Eureka Tower. I think I mentioned it in a previous blog. The Eiffel Tower is also fun to visit. Of course, you probably all know that :P apart from Leah. 

I'm not afraid of heights at all, unless I was on a tightrope. I couldn't manage that, no. Falling - that's the real fear. I love heights; I like seeing things getting smaller. The London Eye is good like that, as things get progressively. The queues are irritating though ;| ... apparently, its much the same for Burj Khalifa; although, it is possible to get tickets beforehand with a 75% discount =]

My list of places to go on holiday has now expanded. I haven't got any great plans to go on a gap year, so i just hope I'll get a good enough job to go on all these holidays when I'm older.

I want to go to Egypt, Peru, Australia again (I want to visit Sydney and Uluru), many places in Europe, Canada, and now the UAE. 

I'm going to go now.

Bye x

A Summary of my Saturday - Post 43..

Audacity.


- boldness or daring, esp. with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety, conventional thought, or other restrictions.


That's the meaning behind Gavin's strange Facebook name.
I know I intended to listen to his music as well, to laugh at it. But I have not been bothered with that. 




Instead I have been bothered with watching films. Me, Rosie, Phil and Jemma watched Bounty Hunter at the cinema today, where we saw Ben at work which was a very strange sight indeed!


Being driven around by Phil is also a very different experience to being in Carrie's car or Sarah's. He is a very careful driver, and he has the same car as my dad. He drives similarly to a 40 year old :P


I look forward to Monday. I intend to drink my Kronenbourg and generally act like a good boy. :)


If Rachael is appearing at the party, I do hope she returns my tie.


I have very little to report at this point in time so I shall go to bed.




Night peoples!

That Place What Gets More Rain Than Us o:

Before I write this blog what springs to mind is Frankie Boyle, Edinburgh Castle, Bad weather, lots of unhealthy food, including haggis and oo Biffy Clyro.




I want to write a few things about Scotland now. What would keep you interested with this country. Perhaps, you'd enjoy Loch Ness considering that's very publicised, or Ben Nevis. Meh.

The Truth

You may think Scotch eggs are Scottish. However, you would be LYING to yourself! These disguised eggs were in fact created by the London Department store, Fortnum and Mason, in 1738.

I find this much less impressive =/

In any case, I think they taste abhorrent so I say whatever :)

Where d'you think Scotland Yard is? This always confused me. Its in London though and its where all the police talk about policing and whatnot. I looked up into why it was named Scotland Yard and well, it seems very slight. Perhaps Scottish kings visited the place from time to time, or the street may have just been owned by someone called Scott.

How many things with 'Scot' in the name actually have a very firm Scottish origin then?

To call a Scottish person 'Scotch' would be wrong too, as it was only confused English people that applied the term to them. The action, to scotch means to put an abrupt ending to. It has nothing to do with Scottish people and never did. Ha.

Now for anything that actually is Scottish:

• Ewan McGregor! =]
  
• 
  
  
  

  
  
  I saw Moulin Rouge yesterday and that was fabulous. I have now downloaded 'Your Song', the one he sang because it is like amazing. And yeah.
  
  
• A Grey Seal on the Isle of Skye 

• Nova Scotia, Canada, as in ethnicity. Almost 30% being Scottish.

• Càrn Mòr Dearg - the eighth highest mountain in Scotland. Even this mountain at 1220 m is highest than Snowdon ;[

That's enough about Scotland for one day...

Bye!

I would never suit a chav's lifestyle =]

I just noticed that my last blog was concerned with the last party. I don't want to make a habit of only documenting parties though. So tonight I will write a blog on Scotland, as promised in November.

So yeah, there was a party last Friday. Mair's 18th which I had originally thought was a pyjama party, and then I was informed otherwise after buying a pair of pyjamas...

I did like the idea of school stereotypes though. Pregnant Mair was hilarious =] and I also liked Emo Ben. And well there were a lot of general good outfits. I remember coming in at the start of the party, sitting down next to Ben, marvelling at Mair's big shaggy dog. Then I commented on Ben's outfit and I laughed at his tie and he took offence.

So yeah, then there was a bit of singing, and there was sitting down on the sofas and chatting. Then more people turned up. We could hear Sarah coming from miles away because of the excessive laughter. Party carried on and there was drinking going on. I remember taking off one of my trainers...for some reason and the leaving it on the floor. I also remember photos being taken by Sarah and Carrie. I took a few photos of Sarah's legs because she wanted them documented. And I was told that I failed at photography.

I remember being tickled.. and I remember break dancing on the floor. Or well spinning on the floor..


Memory starting to go fuzzy.. I went to Mair's room for a while. I had a long chat with Leah about a lot of things. And this was at the same time as when people went for their first walk..

After that, I went downstairs, realised no one was in the house. I went outside and I was dragged away by Sarah down a lane... And yeah..

Then I remember being back in Mair's bedroom and chatting to Liam about things while Sarah was on my lap..
The lights were turned on and off and my memory is very small a this point. I just about remember the conversation I was having with Liam.

After this I remember returning downstairs, and seeing Beth very ill sitting on the wooden floor of Mair's house. Then Mair returned from 'Toppy' informing the rest of us that Xanthe had been left somewhere along the walk slowly freezing to death. I speedily left Mair's house in search of Xanthe with Sarah, without any of my trainers I might add. I didn't notice any of the stuff I trod in =/

We ran to where we thought we might find Xanthe, failed and walked back again. On the second time, Mair and Liam and Trev came with us and we found Xanthe. Then I, Liam and Trev walked on further to find Alan and Amy. However, we later discovered they were at Mair's house anyway.

I remember returning once more to Mair's house, getting emotional, shouting at Alan, being told by Liam and Trev that they were leaving, watching Xanthe stagger in with a look of Hell upon her face. People talked about things and i wasn't really listening. Then I settled down on the sofa, watched a bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and fell asleep. I woke again later; thankfully I had missed the programme about penises... The traffic cops were very loud though and I could not get back to sleep until Mair had turned off the television.

We then chatted at about 4 in the morning, fell asleep again, woke again at about 7. I left Mair's later with Tim and that was the end of that.

I have no idea where my trilby hat has gone, however :(


So yeah, hope this shall get the appreciation is deserves. I put a lot of thought into it :P

I shall blog later. Bye!

A Party To End The Month With.

Thanks for the glasses Sarah :] lol

Suits me. x]


So yeah, to relieve ourselves of all the stress exams brought upon us we needed to go wreck Rob's house again and get scared by Cleo, who poses as a nice dog and then bites your hand off :'(

Well, Cleo doesn't like me, but ha no problem with Carrie, I seem to remember her saying.


So we arrived, I walked through the door twice again. There seems to be a problem in Rob's out in that I always have to walk through the door twice - I forget to take my shoes off.

I love it that we've had enough parties at Rob's that we must keep up traditions at his parties now =]

I always end up sitting on the floor, and under the table. And I have a nice chat with Rob's dad about Meg and Cleo.

We didn't get to play Air Hockey this time though :( Rob, you really need to get the car out of the goal thing.

I do applaud Rob on the lovely designed Kit Kats and other chocolates. I reeeally didn't want to move them, but we did anyway. I was starving. I enjoyed laughing at Carrie's attempts at eating hot pizza =]

So yeah, more people arrived and after an hour people were drunk enough to dance wildly in the living room. I was talking to Ross at the time, and he told me that Sarah scared him too lol. That was when we were sitting on the sofa and she fell on us. Silly Sarah.

There was also the point where Sarah compared Adam to something from the 1940s? And then she laughed hysterically..

The last encounter with Sarah was where she lured me to the alleyway :| and then well, you all know what happened next..
After that I set out to drink far too much, although I didn't mix anything so I wasn't sick.

There was much dancing apparently though I can't remember much of it..
And I had had enough partying at some point so I went to sleep on the sofa. Woke up to find Lewis staring at me, there was a penis drawn on my face. Thanks (Y)

Then stuff happened and we went home eventually. I seem to remember more people turning up very late. Pointless, but yeah.

Ben gave me Trainspotting because we had been talking about it (:

The walk home really sobered me up, but I still forgot to lock the door, and I got shouted at :/


And those were Gwyn's memories...

HUG ME LEWIS =]

Moi