Good afternoon lady and gentle readers, as I start this entry it is a dark wet Wednesday and the start of the second week of 2020. With a clear week between the present and the previous year I want to take a look back at 2019, reflect and see what I can bring forward into 2020.
2019 was a very low year for me personally, towards the end of 2018 I had joined a hospitality company who operated the contracts for the three biggest stadiums in South Wales. I shall be referring to them a "the company" as I signed forms that said I wouldn't mention them by name on social media and quite frankly I really enjoy working with them and don't want to screw it up. So even though I was unemployed I would have 4/5 hours a weeks work casual employment. At a low ebb going into this job I was enjoying my weekly trips to work but unfortunately it had little effect on my job hunting. Looking back to my diary January is littered with applications that looked positive until the employer realised I was trans gender then dropped interest in me.
This is the story of my year up until May, at that time I found out that the company had lost the contract for the Liberty Stadium as well as The Principality. Meaning I could only do matches at the ground of the Cardiff City which after travel and being taxed 63% of earnings as I'm on Universal Credit meant I'd be making about £1.00 a shift. Fortunately a new company took the contract at Swansea and I was transferred over. However as we were now approaching the end of the football and rugby season work was about to dry up.
I put my name down with agencies that I knew had contracts for venues in Wales but on hearing I was trans they would shelve my application or come up with blatantly made up excuses not to take me on. Eventually I passed an interview with a company that cater to events and venues all over the country. They were doing a good number of events in my area so summer should have been busy. However they shelved my application, after two months of phoning and making a nuisance of myself I was finally registered but at this point there was only one event left in Wales which resulted in me going a few months without work.
I'd love to be putting something else into this blog entry at this point, telling you about something amazing that I did or someone I met that would go on to have a significant effect on my life. But when the world decides to put you on the shelf it stops everything and at some point during this year I lost the will to do anything. I stopped doing the things that I enjoyed due to feeling low and cost - long term readers might have noticed there were less entries on this blog. But as the title to this blog points out there is a good ending.
At the tail end of July the football season started back and with friendlies fast approaching I found myself booked for a number of Saturdays in a row. Summer was in full force, there were faces I hadn't seen in months, new systems, a new company, a new menu and I threw myself into things. Typing now from two thirds into the season I've done every home game at the Liberty bar one due to public transport on Sunday mornings being non-existent.
Around October I was asked after a shift if I was interested in being a team leader to which I said yes. My hours were extended at this point coming in to help pre match on game days and a few other various things that I enjoyed. In December there were a lot of Hospitality shifts and I put my name down for all I could. Which meant for December it felt like I was virtually full time employed, during this time a manager happened to be nearby when I was briefing a team of mostly newbies and apparently I impressed them.
So what have we learnt readers? I for one am greeting 2020 with good vibrations, I'm keeping the positive energy from December, tearing up the rest of 2019 and throwing it into the bin.
Lets make this a good year...
Wednesday, 8 January 2020
Saturday, 4 January 2020
The Big Finish Catch-Up October to December 2019
For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;
Lords of the Red Planet, was the first story in October from the lost story range featuring the 2nd Doctor, Jamie and Zoe. I'm not going to focus on this one as its a rare story that I didn't like and struggled to get through to the extent I fell asleep twice and have no idea how it ended. I'm not going to rank it and make a point to come back at a later date and have another go with it.
Farewell Great Macedon, came next also from the lost story range and featured the original line up. Whenever I hear a lost story I want to feel like I'm listening to a TV story with missing visuals and that is what I got from this story. It feels like the production team thought "oh Marco Polo went down well lets do another one" and it would fit in somewhere before the Dalek invasion of Earth. I was just hooked and it truly felt like I was listening to something from fifty years ago. Not only is this my favourite story in some time, I think it ranks up there with my personal classics from Big Finish as I write this it just might be my favourite 10/10.
Nightshade, started off November - I realised it was Nightshade within the first few minutes and smiling my little head off. This book has hung over Mark Gatiss career and he's never eclipsed it imo. It was as good as I hoped it was going to be, I never came away thinking that it didn't work as an audio. On top of that its so strange listening to a pre Love and War story featuring Ace, these stories foreshadow her actions so well.
Next up was Lucie Miller / To the Death the finale to the fourth season of the 8th Doctor adventures. Blimey this feels like the end of an era, first things first this isn't a story for you if you're dipping in and out of the range I'd recommend listening to this season in order and preferably listening to the range up to this point in order. This story feels like an epic and strangely most of the characters are this seasons regulars. When bad things start to happen in this story it feels more emotional than it usually does. This is such an emotional story and its a testament to the range and this season how much I cared about what happened in this story. 10/10 and I can't wait to see what happens in this range next.
Iteration of I started off in December, the final story in the Fifth Doctor box set featuring his original line up of companions. A very very good if slightly too wordy horror story 9/10.
Blue Tooth a companion chronicle starring Caroline John as Liz was next. A dark story set in the UNIT era doing interesting things with the Cybermen 8/10.
Auntie Matter, a fun throwaway story featuring the Fourth Doctor and Mary Tamms Romana. Very much Doctor Who does Jeeves and Wooster, lots of fun 8/10.
Another companion chronicle Frostfire came next starring Maureen O'Brien featuring the First Doctor, Vicki and Steven. A very good moody story that does interesting things with the format 7/10.
The final story of this blog entry is The Veiled Tiger, a freebie released with Doctor Who Magazine that Big Finish released in their Christmas sale. A fun bit of fluff featuring two opposing teams of companions Peri and Erimem Vs Ace and Hex. Good crack and a few laughs, highly recommended if you can find it 8/10.
Lords of the Red Planet, was the first story in October from the lost story range featuring the 2nd Doctor, Jamie and Zoe. I'm not going to focus on this one as its a rare story that I didn't like and struggled to get through to the extent I fell asleep twice and have no idea how it ended. I'm not going to rank it and make a point to come back at a later date and have another go with it.
Farewell Great Macedon, came next also from the lost story range and featured the original line up. Whenever I hear a lost story I want to feel like I'm listening to a TV story with missing visuals and that is what I got from this story. It feels like the production team thought "oh Marco Polo went down well lets do another one" and it would fit in somewhere before the Dalek invasion of Earth. I was just hooked and it truly felt like I was listening to something from fifty years ago. Not only is this my favourite story in some time, I think it ranks up there with my personal classics from Big Finish as I write this it just might be my favourite 10/10.
Nightshade, started off November - I realised it was Nightshade within the first few minutes and smiling my little head off. This book has hung over Mark Gatiss career and he's never eclipsed it imo. It was as good as I hoped it was going to be, I never came away thinking that it didn't work as an audio. On top of that its so strange listening to a pre Love and War story featuring Ace, these stories foreshadow her actions so well.
Next up was Lucie Miller / To the Death the finale to the fourth season of the 8th Doctor adventures. Blimey this feels like the end of an era, first things first this isn't a story for you if you're dipping in and out of the range I'd recommend listening to this season in order and preferably listening to the range up to this point in order. This story feels like an epic and strangely most of the characters are this seasons regulars. When bad things start to happen in this story it feels more emotional than it usually does. This is such an emotional story and its a testament to the range and this season how much I cared about what happened in this story. 10/10 and I can't wait to see what happens in this range next.
Iteration of I started off in December, the final story in the Fifth Doctor box set featuring his original line up of companions. A very very good if slightly too wordy horror story 9/10.
Blue Tooth a companion chronicle starring Caroline John as Liz was next. A dark story set in the UNIT era doing interesting things with the Cybermen 8/10.
Auntie Matter, a fun throwaway story featuring the Fourth Doctor and Mary Tamms Romana. Very much Doctor Who does Jeeves and Wooster, lots of fun 8/10.
Another companion chronicle Frostfire came next starring Maureen O'Brien featuring the First Doctor, Vicki and Steven. A very good moody story that does interesting things with the format 7/10.
The final story of this blog entry is The Veiled Tiger, a freebie released with Doctor Who Magazine that Big Finish released in their Christmas sale. A fun bit of fluff featuring two opposing teams of companions Peri and Erimem Vs Ace and Hex. Good crack and a few laughs, highly recommended if you can find it 8/10.
Thursday, 19 December 2019
My Top Ten Doctor Who Stories of the Decade
10. The Husbands of River Song, this is one of my favourite Christmas stories being loud, fun with an added dollop of emotion thrown in. We've got the tying up of River Songs story line, the slow dawning for The Doctor that he has one final adventure with her and a good fun adventure that keeps escalating. This story has so much range and all aspects are handled perfectly.
9. It Takes You Away, an absolute bonkers story that starts off as Dog Soldiers and morphs into the Frog Princess. I love the mystery of this story, its cold, its dark and yet its all about love. This is the high point of Season 11 for me, the show hit its stride at the halfway mark and builds until this high point.
8. Under the Flood, oooh I love the vibe of this one - a ghost story in an odd location with a timey wimey aspect thrown in. I love these dark stories and to me the end of Peter Capaldis first season and start of his second is utterly my jam. Of course it has a brilliant WTF cliff hanger which made the wait to the next episode unbearable.
7. Vincent and the Doctor, this is the only story that I'd describe as a tough sit on first viewing. Everybody loves the final scene with Dr Black and Vincent, but for me the punch the air moment is earlier in the story. When they're about to leave Vincents home and Vincent can't leave is the moment where everyone who has dealt or had depression breathed a sigh of relief in that depression was being done properly.
6. The Witch's Apprentice, my favourite start to a season. Scene upon scene where I'm holding my breath, Davros at his best since Remembrance, A Doctor being hunted, Missy thrown into the pot just to add chaos and a real feel that the season is going to be bleak. A story where it doesn't feel like anyone wins - just survives.That scene with the young Davros may be my favourite in Who.
5. Day of the Doctor, the perfect anniversary story - its destined to become one of my most watched stories and its nearly there already.
4.Listen, the complete opposite of the previous story in this list. A quiet intimate story - possibly the most a-typical since the comeback. There is no plot which is wonderful, The Doctor gets an idea stuck in his head and follows it to see what happens - utter brilliance.
3. A Christmas Carol, my favourite Christmas story and its peak Matt Smith - I can't imagine any Doctor doing this story. The music, the casting, the tone and the twists are all virtually perfect. Already this is my most watched Christmas story.
2. Heaven Sent, one of the most important factors I have in compiling these lists is the impact the story had on first viewing. If this list was only based on that this story would be top. Peter Capaldis Doctor walking around a tower for an hour pursued by a monster. This is the Twelfth Doctor at his peak and sums up The Doctor, he will be the last person trying even if it takes a million years.
1. The Pandorica Bangs, Season 5 is my favourite season of this decade and the ending is majestic. The first episode looks like its building to a Hollywood blockbuster but them the final episode turns it on its head. So many moments, the stone Dalek, the converging of enemies, River trapped in the sun, the girl who waited. For me this is the perfect ending to a near perfect season.
9. It Takes You Away, an absolute bonkers story that starts off as Dog Soldiers and morphs into the Frog Princess. I love the mystery of this story, its cold, its dark and yet its all about love. This is the high point of Season 11 for me, the show hit its stride at the halfway mark and builds until this high point.
8. Under the Flood, oooh I love the vibe of this one - a ghost story in an odd location with a timey wimey aspect thrown in. I love these dark stories and to me the end of Peter Capaldis first season and start of his second is utterly my jam. Of course it has a brilliant WTF cliff hanger which made the wait to the next episode unbearable.
7. Vincent and the Doctor, this is the only story that I'd describe as a tough sit on first viewing. Everybody loves the final scene with Dr Black and Vincent, but for me the punch the air moment is earlier in the story. When they're about to leave Vincents home and Vincent can't leave is the moment where everyone who has dealt or had depression breathed a sigh of relief in that depression was being done properly.
6. The Witch's Apprentice, my favourite start to a season. Scene upon scene where I'm holding my breath, Davros at his best since Remembrance, A Doctor being hunted, Missy thrown into the pot just to add chaos and a real feel that the season is going to be bleak. A story where it doesn't feel like anyone wins - just survives.That scene with the young Davros may be my favourite in Who.
5. Day of the Doctor, the perfect anniversary story - its destined to become one of my most watched stories and its nearly there already.
4.Listen, the complete opposite of the previous story in this list. A quiet intimate story - possibly the most a-typical since the comeback. There is no plot which is wonderful, The Doctor gets an idea stuck in his head and follows it to see what happens - utter brilliance.
3. A Christmas Carol, my favourite Christmas story and its peak Matt Smith - I can't imagine any Doctor doing this story. The music, the casting, the tone and the twists are all virtually perfect. Already this is my most watched Christmas story.
2. Heaven Sent, one of the most important factors I have in compiling these lists is the impact the story had on first viewing. If this list was only based on that this story would be top. Peter Capaldis Doctor walking around a tower for an hour pursued by a monster. This is the Twelfth Doctor at his peak and sums up The Doctor, he will be the last person trying even if it takes a million years.
1. The Pandorica Bangs, Season 5 is my favourite season of this decade and the ending is majestic. The first episode looks like its building to a Hollywood blockbuster but them the final episode turns it on its head. So many moments, the stone Dalek, the converging of enemies, River trapped in the sun, the girl who waited. For me this is the perfect ending to a near perfect season.
Thursday, 31 October 2019
Monday, 14 October 2019
Job Application Funk
I'm in a bit of a funk today lady and gentle readers, a proper funk. Like I've fallen down a dark hole and can't pull myself out kind of funk.
I'll tell you why, earlier today I saw my old job being advertised on a job site via an agency. This was a civil service job and I immediately checked if it was advertised on the civil service site - it was. This left me with a decision to make and I'll explain why.
Over the years I have applied for a number of civil service jobs directly and never got one. Despite the fact I am qualified and experienced in admin and call centre management - I believe the fact I'm transgender is a factor in this. At one point in 2015 I applied to what looked like a civil service job via an agency, I firmly believed this was a fake job advert but applied anyway as a job could still come out of this. I registered for the job, interviewed for the job and got the job, mainly due to the fact the recruitment consultant was stoned out of her skull and didn't realise I was transgender.
During the time I was there, the entry level (fixed term) in the workplace was removed which would have been the next level I got promoted up to from a temp. I wasn't allowed to apply for permanently, a number of jobs I was experienced in and qualified for came up and I was unable to apply for them because I wasn't permanent or fixed term. Eventually after 15 months I was phased out due to the temp contract coming to an end. During this 15 months I managed a department over Christmas and New Years, trained countless staff and got nothing from it.
My choice is do I apply for this as a temp or directly. Directly I don't get in, this is plain fact, I have helped manage a department for this branch of the civil service but it counts for nothing because I'm transgender. I've got no choice but to apply for this job as a temp and hopefully get more than three months work out of it.
I should be firmly entrenched in this branch of the civil service by now, a few levels up striving to get back to I was before two decades of work placed transphobia killed my career. But I'm sat here typing a blog with only four hours guaranteed work this week.
Like I said readers, I'm in a funk.
I'll tell you why, earlier today I saw my old job being advertised on a job site via an agency. This was a civil service job and I immediately checked if it was advertised on the civil service site - it was. This left me with a decision to make and I'll explain why.
Over the years I have applied for a number of civil service jobs directly and never got one. Despite the fact I am qualified and experienced in admin and call centre management - I believe the fact I'm transgender is a factor in this. At one point in 2015 I applied to what looked like a civil service job via an agency, I firmly believed this was a fake job advert but applied anyway as a job could still come out of this. I registered for the job, interviewed for the job and got the job, mainly due to the fact the recruitment consultant was stoned out of her skull and didn't realise I was transgender.
During the time I was there, the entry level (fixed term) in the workplace was removed which would have been the next level I got promoted up to from a temp. I wasn't allowed to apply for permanently, a number of jobs I was experienced in and qualified for came up and I was unable to apply for them because I wasn't permanent or fixed term. Eventually after 15 months I was phased out due to the temp contract coming to an end. During this 15 months I managed a department over Christmas and New Years, trained countless staff and got nothing from it.
My choice is do I apply for this as a temp or directly. Directly I don't get in, this is plain fact, I have helped manage a department for this branch of the civil service but it counts for nothing because I'm transgender. I've got no choice but to apply for this job as a temp and hopefully get more than three months work out of it.
I should be firmly entrenched in this branch of the civil service by now, a few levels up striving to get back to I was before two decades of work placed transphobia killed my career. But I'm sat here typing a blog with only four hours guaranteed work this week.
Like I said readers, I'm in a funk.
Friday, 11 October 2019
The Haunting of Hill House
I have finally finished watching last years Netflix hit miniseries The Haunting of Hill House and can fully recommend giving it a watch. Rather than being full of jump scares its a proper slow burn series which rewards viewers for paying attention and adding layers to earlier episodes.
In particular there are a few episodes that rank with the finest things I've ever watched.The three episodes The Twin Thing, The Bent-Neck Lady and Two Storms are not only powerful episodes but the highlight of the miniseries.
There are so many things in this show that I fully expect will get better with a rewatch, the little background details in scenes, plot points that are so delicate you only realise them two episodes after you should have. Unlike a lot of horror it also has a satisfactory ending, speaking personally I go into horror not giving two hoots about the ending but this one left me nodding my head in approval.
So lady and gentle viewers if you're looking for something to get your teeth into this Halloween and haven't seen it yet give The Haunting of Hill House a view.
In particular there are a few episodes that rank with the finest things I've ever watched.The three episodes The Twin Thing, The Bent-Neck Lady and Two Storms are not only powerful episodes but the highlight of the miniseries.
There are so many things in this show that I fully expect will get better with a rewatch, the little background details in scenes, plot points that are so delicate you only realise them two episodes after you should have. Unlike a lot of horror it also has a satisfactory ending, speaking personally I go into horror not giving two hoots about the ending but this one left me nodding my head in approval.
So lady and gentle viewers if you're looking for something to get your teeth into this Halloween and haven't seen it yet give The Haunting of Hill House a view.
Friday, 4 October 2019
The Big Finish Catch-Up September 2019
For those of you new to this section of the blog, I started listening to the Big Finish Doctor Who releases when they started back in 1999, getting them as they were released up to mid 2002 and release No 33 Neverland. At that time I left Uni and due to being a bit busy with life and what not I only heard one or two releases over the next few years. I started getting back into them around 2008 and was 6 years behind at that point. Due to wondering off into the Lost Doctor range and a relaxed listening pace I fell further behind. In order to catch up I'm listening to two releases a month (or more when its a 60 min single disc release, plus without seeing the cover or knowing anything about the story) and my mission to catch up continues;
First this month its back to the monthly range with The Cradle of the Snake featuring, the 5th Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough. Good dark story, good use of a villain and a very a-typical story 9/10.
Secondly its the 8th Doctor range and Prisoner of the Sun may be the best example of a one disc story Big Finish have done. So many curve balls and twists plus a good hook at the end leading into the next story 10/10.
Finally its a trip over to the Companion Chronicles with the 6th Doctor and Jamie Nights Black Agent. A fun good spooky monster story that I recommend for Halloween 7/10.
First this month its back to the monthly range with The Cradle of the Snake featuring, the 5th Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan and Turlough. Good dark story, good use of a villain and a very a-typical story 9/10.
Secondly its the 8th Doctor range and Prisoner of the Sun may be the best example of a one disc story Big Finish have done. So many curve balls and twists plus a good hook at the end leading into the next story 10/10.
Finally its a trip over to the Companion Chronicles with the 6th Doctor and Jamie Nights Black Agent. A fun good spooky monster story that I recommend for Halloween 7/10.
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