The one where: I review 2015

Goodbye 2015, you served me well. 

So, 2015 was a umm... a crazy year! I met a lot of new people and said goodbye to a lot too. I finally got the hang of my new (amazing!) job and I think I also grew up a bit. I have written down, in bullet points, a few things I did this year. Hopefully you enjoy.

• January 2015 - I promised myself I would become a better person and really stop caring what people thought all the time. I think I got the hang of this around February last year and decided it was time to change. 

• February 2015 - A weird month! I met someone who I honestly don't think I could live without today. It's not even been one year yet and it already feels like I've knew him for an incredible amount of time. He's taught me how to appreciate the smaller things in life and not to be so serious all the time.. 

• March 2015 - I was starting to really get the hang of work and (finally!) got promoted to PR Assistant... can you believe it? Coz I can't! It was hard getting my head around things but I knew once I stuck with it that it would be worth it. 

• April 2015 - I'm classing this month as the first month of my new life. I went on my first proper date and realised that not everything is always what is seems (future Paige will know what this means). 

• May 2015 - I can't really remember much of this month - whether it was good or bad - it seems to have totally gone out of my mind. I remember that - now one of my good friends - Roxie joined us at work and I didn't think I'd like her at first. Fast forward nearly nine months and I couldn't be without her. 

• June 2015 -  This was a great month, really. It was one of my best friends' birthday, my nan's birthday AND I got to pretend to be a lady for the day (on June 7) as I went to a really really posh restaurant. 

• July 2015 - Another great month. My beautiful mum celebrated her birthday and I told her we were going to see The Carpenters (see review here). 

• August 2015 - Nothing properly amazing really happened in this month either - nothing that I care to explain anyway. 

• September 2015 - I turned 20! Obviously a brilliant month because I became one year older (I'm not going to feel much happier about becoming older for much longer so taking it in my stride). 

• October 2015 - I went to Manchester to see Circa Waves. It was my first 'real' gig (I'm not counting going to see One Direction four times as a proper gig, sorry). I also went to see The Carpenters Story at the theatre with my mum. That was really good, I reviewed it here.

• November 2015 - Nothing much happened in this month. The year was nearly over so I was getting ready for Christmas (one of my favourite times of the year!) and the New Year.

• December 2015 - A month to reflect on the previous year. It was in this month that I realised who my 'real' friends were and that I don't need as many people around me as I thought I did to be able to succeed. I planned my year (so to speak) in this month too and I was trying to work out the person who I wanted to be in 2016. 

Here's to a great 2016, it's February now and already it's flying by. I know it's going to be a good one because... well why wouldn't it be? I have great people around me and I have A LOT to be thankful for. 

Until next time, 

The one where: I review The Carpenters Story

Review: The Carpenters Story, Liverpool Empire - Tuesday, October 20 2015

Growing up, The Carpenters were a very big part of my life. Always singing along to the words I knew in the car with my mum and learning that Close to You was my favourite song at the age of 11. When I seen that The Carpenters Story was coming to the Liverpool Empire, I couldn't help but jump at the chance to buy me and my mum tickets - knowing we would both love every minute of it and would finally get the chance to enjoy mother-daughter bonding time at the theatre.

It's the opening night and the curtains are lifted to reveal a huge projection screen towards the back of the stage. A recording of an Eagle FM DJ is played and he is talking about The Carpenters then introduces their first song. This is when the band strikes up and a few songs follow before again going back to Eagle FM for the next song. As much as I would love to say this isn't it for The Carpenters Story, it is. That's about it for the 'story' part of the production's misleading title and it does tend to lack any more than just some wonderfully sung songs.

Quite simply put, The Carpenters Story is a concert of covers. However, the lead singer, Claire Furley, really gave an excellent performance. She has a very strong voice and seemed to convey Karen's voice with studied professionalism. You could tell that she has spent a lot of time working out how to replicate such a beautiful voice and delivery. As well as this, she did give a really bubbly and cheerful performance along with the excellent musicians who stood behind her - particularly the saxophonist who also played the tambourine and jazz flute. 

Although the 'story' lacked general information about The Carpenters, which was really a disappointment as I was expecting a play about how The Carpenters first started out or a background to what Karen and Richard were like growing up as kids. The good thing about it though, was being able to sing along to some of their best songs with my mum sitting beside me. The general atmosphere of the theatre was electric and by the end of the night, everyone was on their feet dancing and singing to the music - which, I suppose, is what it was all about. My mum seemed to love it and that means I did too.

Speak soon,