Hello old friends.

 It's been a while, I do apologise for not keeping up with this but as with all things in life, it seems to slip through your fingers when you least expect it, I could sit here and spew on about how hard life can be and how unfair it is but you don't want to read that, and I don't particularly want to write about it.

I'm sat here at half past midnight of a Friday evening during a world wide pandemic munching on a chicken and mushroom slice and contemplating what to say to you all now I'm finally typing away, Honestly it makes me remember back to a year ago when I was working for a retail company, gearing up for Christmas in the hustle and bustle of people, No social distancing then!

I remember days and evenings spent being pushed back and forth by customers, over crowded trains and buses, the world we used to know, a world I feel we took for granted, and like many recent events, it has changed our world forever, so many of my friends I haven't seen in months, family that are further than ever, while I write this, I think of my great-aunt Riek, Who lived over in the Netherlands, with a fair amount of my family, Home, On my Oma's side (Grandmother).

A few weeks ago I received a call from my mother, explaining that she had contracted the virus that has so easily slowed our world to a halt, and that she had succumbed to it, she wasn't a young woman, but I had hoped to travel over to see her at least one last time before she passed, to say goodbye at least, I didn't get the chance with my Great-Uncle Wim at the end of last year, and it will be a pain in my heart that I was unable to travel.

It all brought back a flood of memories, My Great-Uncle Tiny(pronounced Teeny) visiting for my fathers funeral, my Second cousin coming to see us various times and always smiling, visiting the Dutch family in Eindhoven with My Uncle and my Grandmother, not understanding a word they said to me and yet knowing full well I was still being included and that they cared.

I think what I'm trying to say is, no matter who someone is in your life, if you are close to them or not, make the effort, even if it's a quick "Hi" or a check up to make sure someone is looking after themselves, Do it, because you never know what tomorrow will bring, Especially with the world how it is now, everyone feels isolated and some days are harder than ever for people suffering from hidden illnesses.

We all know someone who is distant, quiet and alone, please check on them, let them know they are loved, and that they count.

Sorry for the heavy post guys, but we need to be united now more than ever, We can all be Light in the darkness.

also.... Wear a mask!

Yours as always.

Alex x

I'm Back.. And this time, it's Personal.

Hello lovely people!

So I've been away for a while (4 YEARS!) and now I've decided it's time to come back into the world of blogging, I've missed making reviews and writing stories, but as they say Life has to come first and at the time it made more sense to put the blogging on hold until i had time to myself to get back into it.

so what's happened these last four years i hear you shout?

Guys?... Hello? No one?

Oh well i'm gonna tell you anyway:

Job:

I spent some time working with B&M as a supervisor, which was an amazing opportunity to grow as a person and meet loads of lovely people that changed my life for the better, I helped to build the store and then run it, as of September though it was time to part ways and find myself something i could progress with at a higher speed, since then I've been working for myself doing various jobs that i have experience with.

I will be using this blog to follow all of my various pursuits including films, games, books, TV shows, the works!

Some may be in written form and some in video form from the New YouTube channel once it has all been set up and prepared to a standard we love!

there will also be a meet the team video/article once we have everyone in one place and we can begin making content for you all.

I will be running a fitness and weight loss blog at some point in the future as i've been working to shed those extra stone for the last year

October 2017 and January 2019

Projects:

Currently i am working on several projects including but not limited to:

A new YouTube channel set up with like minded people who want to create Let's play's, Reviews, Sneak Peaks and Custom content all from the comfort of the Dark Noble Banner.

A band that focuses on rock covers of hit songs from across the years

Custom builds, now this is the exciting one! i'll be building various things out of cheap, easily obtainable materials that anyone can make!

I've even begun creating merch! here's a sample.

and many many more...

I've also taken up photography again! enjoy a small sample here:

Thanks for reading guys!

Aftermath The Beginning: Part 9.

We're in a barn, not much else to say to that really...

We've walked a long distance from where we started in Leicester but now we are in Kent, still a little way to go til we are home but now spring is in full bloom we are making headway, Today we are about ten miles outside of Maidstone, somewhere I knew well back before this all happened, almost home, I can taste it now!

We also have some more survivors with us, Chantelle and Clare, we found then in this barn hiding out, they are quiet but are really happy to see other people who aren't infected, they filled us in on their story after we had settled down around the fire for the evening...

They came from Lenham, a small village between Ashford and Maidstone, and it was while they were visiting family in London that the virus hit, they explained how they watched the city begin to tear itself apart but their uncle managed to guide them through the city to safety, he managed to get them over the bridge and told them to head south, to head home, any way possible, he then headed back to find the rest of the family with only the instructions to go home and wait for him to come back, that was months ago and having tried to get through maidstone but unsuccessful due to the undead they hid in the surrounding areas, to afraid to see what had happened to their families, but they had heard of a safe place near the coast, somewhere that had the walls to keep out the dead, and that was where they wanted to head, to somewhere safe because they knew that they wouldn't last much longer on their own, so now they will travel with us, to this Haven, somewhere safe in all this madness? I have my doubts, as do Crystal and Skyler, I can see it in their eyes....

So this morning we are going to make one hell of a push, we are going to go straight through the middle of Maidstone and hope for the best, if we are lucky we might find a working vehicle or two, at which point it makes it easy to get back to Ashford, we are stopping there on our way to the coast in the hopes of finding people that we know, if we don't then we'll just have to make do, the two new girls seem highly nervous but Matt and Wes are looking after them as Crystal, Lilla, Skyler and myself go over the map, while Tara makes sure the weapons are in good order, after a quick breakfast we begin our walk to Maidstone, staying vigilant for both Undead and Survivors, all knowing what our individual jobs are within the whole.

We make it to Maidstone in a few hours and find a resting place before we push on, Crystal and I decide to scout out for a vehicle that might get us through the city quickly, we wander for a couple of hours around the local area, eventually finding a road packed with vehicles, after some searching we find a van that has fuel and starts first time, we head back to the others in the van and we all load in, Wes drives us towards the high street, which is crawling with the Undead, Luckily for us Wes dodges all but two which seem to explode as he hits them because of the state of decomposition, after ten minutes we are heading along the road out of Maidstone, On our final approach to Ashford, this is what it's all been about for us, getting home.... If there is a home left.


 As we drive along I look at our little group, We have learned to work as a team in ways we never thought possible, we don't look at each other as friends anymore, we are a family in a messed up world, a family trying to get home, one day at a time, we all know that so long as we all have each other then we can do this.... for the first time in a long time I see something I thought was gone forever..... I see Hope.

Aftermath The Beginning: Part 8

Those things are everywhere now, it's like the winter kept them at bay, but now it's warmed up they are out in earnest, they are hunting us, our group has officially split up, Matt, Tara, Crystal, Lilla, Wes, Skyler and Myself Have gone one way while the others have gone off west we are heading south, all the way to Kent.......

"how are we supposed to get out of London with these things blocking every way?" Matt asked the group while we watched the shambling bodies passing along the front of the tunnel, There we a scattering of shrugs between us, Crystal was some way off to the side of us, trying to spot a way around without using the tunnel, I took a look through the binoculars and saw no possible path, It seemed we would have to walk all the way around, which would take some time and would require finding a bridge that had none of the undead upon it, which so far had proven impossible.

Four hours later we are walking along the Thames, Crystal had returned proclaiming she couldn't find a way past them without us being attacked, so we decided to try our luck on finding a bridge safe enough to pass, London is a warren of Alleyways and roads, now being stalked by the people who once called this place home, Unfortunately for us, none of us know the routes that are best suited to finding a way across the river, Wes has been looking for a working vehicle big enough to get through them, so far the most he found was a small car that only seated two, so it was kind of useless to a group of seven, We are going to need to rest up soon, everyone feet are aching, I believe we are near a train station, maybe we can find somewhere to crash in there.....

It's heating up in the evenings now, making it easier for us to move without the multiple layers we were wearing before, at this moment we are currently resting in a train carriage, we decided on this while looking for somewhere last night, once everyone is up we are going to move on by walking down the track, which has it's own undead free bridge across the water, Crystal and i were up earliest this morning and were sat on the bridge watching the sun rise over the dead city..

"Do you think thing's will ever be the same?" I asked, sitting down next to her, spotting a group of undead ripping into a body. "Maybe, but not for a very long time, and not while those things are still walking around." she said, barely hiding her disgust for them. "And even then they'll always be feared, The undead now walk among us, who knows what else will happen." I looked side long at Her as she said this, tears glittered in Her eyes and I knew what she was thinking, the same as we were all thinking, that all of our loved ones were dead and were now these creatures, devoid of emotion, memory and life, the worst prison any of us could imagine. I wrapped an arm around her to comfort her. "We don't know how bad the south is yet, Maybe they had time to prepare? Maybe when we get there everything will be fine." It was her turn to look at me side on "yeah, Maybe it will." We sat watching the sun hit the windows of the city, the light making it look like the city was on fire, Like it was being cleansed of the darkness that had befallen it, We waited a full hour before heading back to the others, who had all woken up and packed, I still had my trusty bat, I had used it a lot recently, it was stained which the black blood of the dead, Crystal went about packing her gear as i slid my backpack on and spoke to Skyler and Matt about our route, We agreed to head all the way along the tracks until we needed to stop for supplies, Which seeing as we were almost out of food wouldn't be long, We set off as soon as we had eaten and had a drink.

We have been walking for miles now, We left London behind with lightened hearts, We haven't seen any of the dead in a long while and it's almost like we are all on a hike, albeit a heavily armed hike and we are all covered in various degrees of mud and blood, Matt decided to lead the way, which is good as he's been quiet the last few days, since the splitting of the group we've all been in our own little worlds most of the time, trying to work out if we made the right choice.

Resident Evil 4 Review.... It's been a while old friend!

This year marks the 10th anniversary of this Resident Evil game.....

Has it been that long already? Ten years since this game came out! wow that's shocking, 

Not quite as shocking as the fact I was 11 when it came out.... let that sink in.... yep.... this game is still doing better then me after 10 years....

Now then, lets begin:

Six years after the events of Resident Evil 2, former Raccoon City police officer Leon S. Kennedy  is sent on a mission to rescue Ashley Graham, the U.S. President's daughter, who has been kidnapped by a mysterious cult. He travels to a nameless rural village in an unspecified part of Europe, where he encounters a group of hostile villagers who pledge their lives to Los Illuminados, the cult that kidnapped Ashley.

While in the village, Leon is captured by its chief, Bitores Mendez, and injected with a mind-controlling parasite known as Las Plagas. He finds himself held captive with Luis Sera, a former Los Illuminados researcher. The two work together to escape, but then quickly go their separate ways. Leon discovers that Ashley is being held in a church, and rescues her. They both escape from the church after Osmund Saddler, leader of the Illuminados, reveals his plan to use the Plagas they injected into Ashley to cause a disaster in the United States once she returns home. Leon and Ashley try to take refuge in a castle, but are attacked by more Illuminados under the command of Ramon Salazar, another of Saddler's henchmen, and the two become separated by Salazar's traps. Meanwhile, Luis searches for the pills to slow Leon and Ashley's infection, as well as a sample of Las Plagas. He brings the two items to Leon but is killed by Saddler, who takes the sample, while the pills to suppress the infection remain in Leon's hands. While in the castle, Leon briefly encounters Ada Wong, a woman from his past who supports him during his mission. He then battles his way through the castle before finally killing Salazar.

Afterwards, Leon travels to a nearby island research facility, where he continues the search for Ashley. He soon discovers that one of his former training comrades, Jack Krauser, who was believed to have been killed in a helicopter crash two years prior, is responsible for her kidnapping. It is eventually revealed that both Ada and Krauser are working with Albert Wesker, for whom both intend to secure a Plagas sample. Suspicious of the mercenary's intentions, Saddler orders Krauser to kill Leon, believing that no matter which one dies, he will benefit. After Krauser's defeat, Leon rescues Ashley, and they remove the Plagas from their bodies using a specialized radiotherapeutic device. Leon finally confronts Saddler, and with Ada's help, manages to kill him. However, Ada takes the sample from Leon at gunpoint before escaping in a helicopter, leaving Leon and Ashley to escape via her jet-ski as the island self-destructs..

The player controls the protagonist Leon S. Kennedy from a third-person, over-the-shoulder perspective in a mission to rescue the daughter of the President of the United States, Ashley Graham. The gameplay focuses on action and shootouts involving crowds of enemies in large open areas. The camera is focused behind Leon, and it zooms in for an over-the-shoulder view when aiming a weapon. Unlike previous games in the series, there is the addition of a laser sight that adds a new depth to the aiming, allowing the player to aim in various directions and easily change their placement at any time. Bullets affect the enemies specifically where they are shot: shots to the feet can cause enemies to stumble, while shots to the arms can cause them to drop their weapons.

Another aspect brought in with Resident Evil 4 is the inclusion of context-sensitive controls. Based on the situation, the player can interact with aspects of their environment: kicking down a ladder, jumping out of a window, or dodging an enemy attack. There are also quick time events, in which the player must press buttons indicated on-screen to execute actions such as dodging a falling boulder or wrestling an enemy to stay alive. These are often incorporated into the game's many boss battles, where the player must avoid instant kill attacks.

The main enemies are violent villagers referred to as Los Ganados. Los Ganados can dodge, wield melee and projectile weapons, and are capable of working collectively and communicating with each other. They were once simple farmers until becoming the product of an infestation of Las Plagas.

The inventory system of the game features a grid system, represented by an attaché case, that has each item take up a certain number of spaces. The case can be upgraded several times, allowing for more space. Weapons, ammunition and healing items are kept in the case, while key items and treasures are kept in a separate menu. Items may be bought from and sold to a merchant that appears in various locations throughout the game. He sells first aid sprays, weapons, allows for weapons to be upgraded and buys various treasures that Leon finds. The various weapons each have their own advantages and disadvantages

This is the game that most others are based on, this was the benchmark for all modern games and looking back you can see why, it's almost as perfect as a game can be!

If you are a fan of having your pants scared off then look no further then Resident Evil 4, it's honestly one of the scariest games I've played and thats saying something! this is one of my top games because it makes me jump and because it's so beautifully put together, if you haven't played it then I suggest you do!

Now I'm a huge fan of Resident Evil, Despite coming in late to the whole Zombie thing, This series has always had my attention as being great, including 4, but something seems to have been lost in the HD remake, It is exactly the same as the old game except for graphics and a couple of tweaks... but i just don't feel the same about it.... maybe I'm caught up in the past? whatever the reason I can assure you that the original version seems perfectly good enough to be playing and in my eyes didn't need the HD work over that so many other games are getting in an attempt to get people to buy them again, I believe that a games merits should get copies off the shelves and this game had loads before, it's still the game that whenever I ask anyone what their favorite Resi game is, 90% will say 4... the original 4... not the HD remake... Why's that you ask? 

Nostalgia.

We all have that one game that no matter how many versions there are of said game, We'll always love the original, I personally have all my old consoles so I can experience that nostalgia of holding a Megadrive controller, or an N64 cartridge, True gaming isn't about super graphics, it's about how a game makes you feel, whether you're a little italian plumber jumping on goomba's or a blue hedgehog with speed issues collecting rings while fighting DR, Robotnik.... it's the feeling of these games, do they need HD remakes if they already give us that feeling of completeness? Comment your thoughts below, I want to see if this is a shared opinion!

Life tips: Planning for trips

Hey Ale-gators!

First up, I'm sorry I haven't been writing anything lately but I've been working hard on radio shows, book writing and planning a visit to the amazing place that is Nottingham! Hence why I thought I'd write this little Life Tips post for you to enjoy and plan with!

THE LIST:

1: Plan out your trip as best as you can.

learn the local area and find attractions that take your fancy before you go, I know we all love that little bit of randomness but if you really want to enjoy yourself have a look online at some of the things you can do! If you look in the right places you can find some really awesome things to do in the local community!

2: look at the best travel prices and decide what is best for you.

It's all well and good going by the train but if like myself money is something you don't have a huge abundance of then sometimes it's just not logical to go that way, so it's always good to look at various means of travel, For me to get to Nottingham for my trip it would cost me roughly £250 on the train (for a return) which is hugely expensive! With a little hunting around I found out I could get there for about £45 pound (return) via National Express coaches, while this means it's a 6 hour 15 mins trip it also means I get some time to see London and also saves me £205 pounds! Which I think we can all agree is quite a saving (til we find a pub that is) and although it takes a while to get there it'll be a fun trip if you have the right travelling buddy! which brings me to my next point!

3: go with people who make you happy to be around.

Now this one is one of the most important! when hitting the road for a long period of time it's good to have yourself at least one amazing buddy along for the ride... For me that person is my Best buddy Robin:

Now this guy is what the word Legend was created for, He's my best friend, He's also like my brother, I've known him about Ten years now and every day is a new adventure when you hang out with Robin, you can pretty much guarantee that you are going to have a hilarious time when you see him, We went to college together which is where we really got into trouble for some of the random things we did, So it's great to be having him along for the ride to Nottingham!

4: pack accordingly to the place you are going.

This one is just common sense, you wouldn't take sandals to the northpole and you wouldn't take a ski suit to the sahara desert!

This is where Step 1 and Step 4 kind of intertwine because if you know something about what you plan to do you'll know exactly what to pack for the trip, now do you plan on going clubbing in the evening? or going out to a nice dinner? chilling by the pool or going for a hike? these are all thing's you need to think about when packing, how many pairs of shoes will you need to take? I am personally taking three pairs, trainers for comfort, my sneakers for when I wanna look fashionable, and my formal shoes for going out in the evening, as you can see I like to cover all bases!

5: know all the numbers you might require in an emergency.

This one is important if you are going to another country, you never know when you might need the emergency services!

6: make sure you have adequate money for the trip.

Do I really need to go in-depth on this one? everyone knows that you should always make sure that you have enough for a holiday so you can get home if your plans fall through! also the pub is rather expensive so spend carefully!

7: Have fun.

now comes the best part, go forth and frolic! you'll have a lot more fun if you look for it by exploring! that's the biggest piece of advice i can give you, just look around, be a tourist, and have a fantastic time! 

Right, now I've done my part I'm off to go finish packing for Nottingham! I'll be Vlogging on the way there and when I get there, so keep an eye over on the twitter and Youtube so you'll see it, looks to be a fun time!

Catch you later Ale-Gators xx

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update 25/06/15

Hey there guys.

Once again i am here to fill you in on what is happening, now some of you know that i've been having a rather hard time in my life at the moment and now i'm going to fill you in a little bit as to why i haven't been writing:

Unfortunately i suffered a nervous breakdown a few weeks ago and while i have tried to work through it i found out that it's in fact made it worse for me, i have both depression and anxiety so sometimes i find it hard to pick myself up after such a turn, well now i am working through it, other complications involve leaving my work and finding out so called friends are in fact spreading rubbish about me behind my back, now said people are out of my life i can work towards getting back to my life as both a writer and as a youtuber.

 i am waiting to hear back on more work so that i can afford to buy a new computer as mine unfortunately burnt out during filming of gameplay videos, a very small group of friends have been helping me through this difficult time, they know who they are and they know i am eternally grateful to them, now i do not know how long it'll be until i am writing full time again but please bare with me and read previous blogs, feel free to share it out and help me to increase readers, the more readers the blog gets the more likely i am to be able to write about more things!

and for those who don't know i am now blonde, i decided it was time for a change!

Anyway guys i will post when i can! i love you all and thank you for being so patient and understanding during this difficult time <3