Game, Set, Murray!

Scotland's Andy Murray has become the first British man to win Wimbledon since Fred Perry 77 years ago, after defeating world no.1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets.

In a match that was laden with long, drawn out rallys, it was the second seed who took the initiative, going up two sets to love after two hours of play.

With a break early in the third set, it looked as if the Wimbledon title was firmly under Murray's grasp as he held serve for 4-1.

However, persistence and power from Djokovic saw the Serb break back to 4-4.

Spurred on by the crowd, Murray broke back immediately, giving him the opportunity to serve for the match.

Serving for the title at 5-4,  Murray saved two break-back points before claiming the title 6-4, 7-5, 6-4, to rapturous cheers from the crowd.

Murray adds the Wimbledon title to his Olympic Gold Medal and US Open title, both of which he won last year.

Image courtesy of Carine06 via Flickr

10 Days in Dublin

In what only can be described as a moment of madness, fueled by extreme boredom, I answered an ad a few months ago looking for volunteers for an arts festival called 10 Days in Dublin(10DID).

Running from the 4th-13th of July, 10DID is an open-format, multidisciplinary festival that aims to showcase some of Ireland's up and coming talent through various art mediums, including film, music comedy, theatre, visual art, and spoken word.

Although apprehensive at first, I am delighted to report that my first day as a festival volunteer went off without a hitch. As film assistant, my job was to supervise the other volunteers whilst greeting customers, taking their tickets, and showing them to their seats before the screenings began.

While the hours may be long, and the work unpaid, I have gained some valuable experience, independence, and responsibility which will certainly stand to me in the future.

On top of that, not only have I been given the opportunity to view some excellent films and documentaries by Ireland's fresh-faced filmmakers, but I have also met many fantastic people that make working for free a whole lot easier!

For more information on 10DID, visit http://www.10daysindublin.com/ 

Mad About Books

I've lost count of the amount of times I've walked into Easons/WHSmith full of enthusiasm at the thought of purchasing a new book, only to leave disappointed and empty-handed when I find that they do not stock my novel of choice.

Unwilling to admit defeat, and in desperate need of a good read, I head online to Amazon where my desired novel can be ordered and delivered right to my door, albeit with a few extra delivery charges.
Faced with no other option in the past, I have resigned to forking out those extra euros to have my book shipped over to me.

Now though, it seems as if my days of paying postal charges for books are set to come to an end. A few days ago, I stumbled across BookDepository.com, a website that stocks over 9 million different titles, so you're almost guaranteed to secure your book of choice. Registration is not required before making an order, and the best part? FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY.

So, on behalf of book lovers everywhere, get buying!!!

Image courtesy of Ginny via Flickr

New beginnings

After months of "will I, won't I?", I have decided to bite the bullet and start a blog. Having deprived the world of my intellectual wisdom for so long, I thought it only fair to share my knowledge with the rest of the human race.

So, here's to blogging!

-Claire