John Seager's 30 for 30: Epilogue

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Epilogue:  24^th July 2012 – The day i turn 30

Evening all,

Well the day has finally come when i finally turn 30. A very daunting day, it’s a day when i can’t act like a child anymore and i have to be more adult around everyone, especially in a media newsroom.

Whilst writing these 30 days up it does take me back when times were good and especially when times were bad. But i do prove by writing these days that for every bad day something good does come out of it.


But i totally underestimated myself on how popular this was going to be. I was expecting at least a few hundred views from my close friends and family to read them but to get a lot of my other friends reading them is quite a surprise. 


However, i have missed out a few days on purpose which i will not go into in great detail as they are too painful for me to write about.

I hope that you have enjoyed a small peek into my life and i hope that over the next 30 years they’ll be many more to come. Like when i get my first paid reporter job, when i pass my driving test, when i meet the girl of my dreams who i want to settle down with, and of course having children. But there’s it plenty of time for that, I’ve got to go out there and start enjoying my life..

Till next time as they up ‘north

Ah’ll Sithee

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 30

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 30:  20^th May 2012 – Rugby League in Kent??

Evening all,

Previously on here, i left you with the idea of the following:

“But little did i know, football would not be the only that i will be covering from the area.”

Well it was true i was mainly covering football for the Medway times and i feel in order to try to add to my sporting journalism knowledge i had to try other sports.

Then one day after at trip to Priestfield to see Gillingham play at home i found out that there was going to be a Super League being held at the stadium not only for the first time but also it will be the county’s first ever Super League match.

Naturally i had to find out how big when this was going to happen and it was going to be held on the 20^th May 2012, but there was other events going on that weekend. So it was an excellent opportunity to showcase my work to do Rugby League as well as football.

So i met up with the local Rugby League team who where also having a Rugby League stampede event being held at the same weekend at the Super League game being held at Priestfield. The Medway Dragons have worked really hard to profile the sprat not just across Medway but further afield across the county of Kent. It was really interesting for the plans they have over that weekend.

Medway Dragons - the local Rugby League team. 

I also met up with the London Broncos who were one of the teams involved in the game. They told me that they were really looking forward to the game and are hopeful that if it was popular that they will be back the following season.

The Stampede started off with a Wheelchair Rugby League match being held on the Friday, it was really interesting to see the pure physicality of the sport especially without using your legs.

The stampeded continued on the Saturday and the Sunday with other events being held at Medway Park, before it was time for the main event on the Sunday.

Luckily for me this time was that i was allowed in the press box for the very first time at the Priestfield Stadium. And the view i had from my seat was totally unbelievable. I will go on record as calling the seat i had as the second best seat in the stadium – only being my seat in the Rainham end of course. However, it seemed that i was the only person covering the game for the local media; there were a lot of people in the press box from the RFL and BBC Humberside. But not a single local journalist, it was worrying for me being there as i was the only local journalist but i did meet the assistant editor of ‘The People’, he was there not only for the game but also was working on an article about the Medway Dragons. After the game he took my details in case they ever need a football reporter in the future.

The game in action - still weird seeing Rugby goals at Priestfield.

The match itself was really interesting to watch, the only rugby league i would normally watch are the national games and the super league grand final. Being a southerner you don’t normally get associated with a sport with a northern feel to it. So watching this game really showed the sport can catch on here in the south of England.

After the game, it was time to be whisked off to cover the interviews from the two team coaches before meeting up again with the Medway Dragons to reflect on a massive weekend not only for them but also for me as well.

I had a brilliant time with them over the weekend and seeing the sport being quite popular with the children as well as the adult and the Wheelchair team helped me understand that if they continue as they are going; the dragons will be a very popular rugby league team in Kent – St Helens and Warrington watch out.

After reading my the feedback from my articles from the Medway times and the Kent Sports News – where i now cover all aspects of Rugby for them – i feel that it was a great weekend to get out and report on a sport not normally associated with me but i can’t wait to report on it again. 

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 29

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 29:  22^nd February 2012 – finally get to be a sports reporter.

Evening all,

Since starting out as a reporter, opportunities to work have been very few and far between. I mean i have my radio work which is still very good as a reporter to show on his CV but actual reporting work had really dried up. I have tried so many times to apply for journalism jobs but i have not been successful.

So when an opportunity comes my way i see it as a brilliant opportunity to showcase me work as a reporter.

The opportunity came my way oddly by default and looking on twitter i saw a local online newspaper called the ‘Medway Times’ which is from the Medway area. That area has recently lost a printed paper over the last year and i thought it would be great to write some articles for them.

The Medway Times - the newest way to get the news in Medway

After a few enquiries, i asked being a sports reporter for them as they didn’t have one at the time. And to my joy they gratefully said yes.

My first work was going to be after the Gillingham v Rotherham game, which meant that the articles was going to be published on the 22^nd February 2012, so i didn’t have a lot of time to prepare for the article.

After the game, i just basically reported on what happened, using my journalism knowledge from Nottingham Trent and write an article of what happened and also give opinion about the performance from the team.

After the article was written and sent to the editor, i got some really good reviews from the people who read the article and also some guidance of how to improve it as well. Which for me i feel will make the articles more readable.

Since then I have been the main person who writes articles in and around Gillingham FC and they get published on the website. It was been a learning curve for me especially getting the work doubled checked before sending the article to the editor.

During the new season i will be adding new work as well from the club which i believe make more people read the online newspaper of the Medway Times.

But little did i know, football would not be the only that i will be covering from the area.

To be continued...

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 28

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 28:  4^th September 2011 – A piece of unofficial broadcasting history

Evening all,

Well that special project involved the studio manager Mark – who works as a DJ across the clubbing land known to me as Margate – broadcasting live from the studios for 8 days and 8 nights nonstop.

If we were able to do this, then it would be classed as a Guinness world record. Which i thought at the time would be great to have on the CV. So i was on the bus from day one.

The main day which i found to be quite interesting for me was the last day, the 4^th September 2011, a day which i had to do something very extraordinary.

At the beginning of the broadcast on the 27^th August, Mark announced that the support team would be doing various special challenges over the week and our individual main challenge would be performed live on the radio.

We had little challenges like i had to get a pizza for a meal for the studio and i had to do a 2 hour trance DJ set which i have to say i thoroughly enjoyed doing.

Then we all found out what our main challenges would be for the week. My one was one the most difficult ones set for the group. I was told that i was going to perform a song on the guitar live on the radio on the final morning of the broadcast. But i didn’t know what one i was going to perform so Mark played the song live on the air which song i was going to perform. It was ‘Firework’ by Katy Perry.

At that point my head just dropped with fear knowing that i will be killing a song live on the radio. Luckily for me i had 7 days to learn the song and whilst being unemployed at the time, i feel that i had a good chance of doing a good attempt of performing the song.

Over the week i spent whatever available time i had to learn the song and i only had the internet to do it. Lucky for me i had found a very good tutorial video to watch over and over again. By the end of 6^th day i near enough had the chords and the song in my head.

 Me getting doing my final preparations 

So it was time to get ready for the performance live on the radio. Luck came my way again as i had to perform live at 7am in the morning so i had a bit more time to practise, Sadly i needed a power nap in order to help me perform the song.

When 7am came it was time to perform the song to a packed studio and a few listeners as well. I feel that i did ok with the song and i did struggle with the notes on a few lines but i did an ok performance in the end for a first timer. At the end of the song i got a massive round of applause from the studio so i was pleased that i have passed my challenge for the radio marathon.

Sadly due to a technicality, we didn’t get the world record but we did prove that anyone can do an 8 day radio marathon and if we had the chance to do it again i most definitely would.

If you want to hear the performance is it on my Facebook page under the video section. I couldn’t find a copy to put on here sadly. 

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 27

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 27:  28^th June 2011 – Finally get to step up my game

Evening all,

Previously on here, i left you with the idea of the following:

“I was just hopeful that i can enjoy this experience and help me be a better reporter. Then i had an idea of how to stamp my mark on the station.”

To put it simply, my idea was to broadcast my own local news bulletins like they do on other local radio stations where i live. I would be sourcing and writing my own stories and broadcasting them on the hour every hour that i am in the studio.

The plan was popular with my radio colleagues, they may have known more for a small period of time but they like me to bring my experience i have to the station. But i had to go to the committee in order to start broadcasting. I got the green light to start this work in May so i was hopeful that i can start straight away after this.

My first broadcast would come on the 28^th June 2011, and boy i was under pressure to perform well on my first bulletin.

 Gearing myself up for another broadcast, Danger, High Voltage!

I manger to find at least six stories from the Canterbury and Herne Bay area – the area that the station can be received – and write a total of three 60 second bulletins to go out on the hour.

Luckily for me, I did my writing homework before i left home as i did my main block of writing at home. So all i had to do was to write any updates before my first broadcast.

At 6.02pm, it was time to start, and initially ok, my first bulletin i did not stumble on ay words and i did not miss any words out. So after the bulletin finished it was relieved but eager to do the second one an hour later.

After the night finished i was very happy with my work and i feel that i can do this over and over again and i feel that i can improve with every broadcast.

Since then, i have sated to really nail on the bulletins with time and with less words as well. I even had a crack of doing the national and local bulletins as well with the station. So i was happy to continue with this for a long time.

Although i did have to take a week off in September for a special project with my other colleagues at the radio station

But yet again, this is for another story. 

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 26

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 26:  29^th March 2011 – Are you Moyles in disguise?

Evening all,

I came out of the ITV News traineeship interview with one goal in mind; try to step up my game into being a reporter. I did send a lot of emails asking to be an intern within regional news programmes across the ITV News network, I failed with this attempt but i did get some encouraging emails about where to go from here.

One of those emails suggested that i try to become a radio broadcaster at a hospital radio station. I have never considered trying to apply for a radio station before as i wanted to work in TV news but i then realised that at this present time, its best to be multi-skilled as a broadcaster working in any form of work. So i decided to give it a chance.

I was initially going to work for Hospital radio swale but Canterbury Hospital Radio got back to me first and invited me along for a night to see what it is like.

This could be the start of good times ahead

My first day would be the 29^th March 2011 and i was hopeful it was going to go well.

It did take me a little while to find the studio which was situated right at the back of the hospital but i did manage to get there with plenty of time before the shows started.

Once i got to the studio, i managed to sit on the rest of the shows for the day and i also manage to get involved during one of the shows as well.

Overall i did enjoy the day and i was eager to get started with some ideas i have for my show over the next few weeks and months.

I was just hopeful that i can enjoy this experience and help me be a better reporter. Then i had an idea of how to stamp my mark on the station

But that’s another story...

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 25

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 25:  10^th January 2011 – Almost my big break

“The secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes” Earl of Beaconsfield

Evening all,

Once i left university with my qualification as a qualified broadcast journalist, i felt it was natural to try and get my career of to a great start. So i tried to get as much work experience as i can. This was difficult than i thought it would be as all i go t was a local placement on a radio station for a week. So i decided to try my luck further afield in Kent and i got a placement with the KM Newspapers group based in Maidstone.

It was a good period of time that i spent there and i learned a lot from the team in Maidstone. But after my placement was over, it was time to continue to find my own work and i applied for a job as an ITV news trainee – which I’ve been told is one of the best ways to being a career as a reporter.

However in the past my past applications have ended in defeat – I’ve also upset a few people as well as one my past applications ended with me apologising after a 4 word comment was mentioned on Facebook about everyone in ITV news. But i was determined to overcome this and apply again.

Luckily for me this time i was shortlisted for an interview, i was pretty happy that i made it this far and i was hopeful that i can do what i need to do in order to be selected for the traineeship. So i setup a plan to help me with this.

The interview was going to be held on the 10^th January 2011. So i didn’t have a lot of time to do this. But with a couple of days to go before the interview, i managed to get a few critiques and news stories for the day itself.

I hope that we will meet again really soon, once I've proved myself. 

On the day of the interview, I got to London in plenty of time to have a look around and try to find the ITV studios in Central London. One i got there i was pleasantly surprised that i bumped into one of my old friends from the Nottingham Trent Uni 2006-07 group who was working at ITV at the time. Chris and I had a nice chat about the day ahead for me and he wished me luck.

After that we were ushered upstairs ready for the day to begin, i had a feeling that it was going to be a long day but i didn’t know how tough it was going to be.

I spent the first half of the day trying my hand of organising a structure of an idea for a news story and also sorting out a programme order for a local news programme. I felt that i did pretty well in the news story idea; i contributed a lot and had some good ideas which were well received by my colleagues in the group. However, the same can’t be said for the programme order; as a group we failed to come up with a programme in the time allowed and although i did contribute to the task, i didn’t stand up for what news stories i believed would make a good local news programme.

After lunch, the tests got tougher as it was time to showcase our general knowledge and writing skills. I did feel that i did well and both of these tests although looking back now i felt that some of the answers i gave were incorrect but at least i tried to answer the questions. With the writing tests it did take me a few goes just to get it right which i felt did hamper me as i felt that they were looking for someone who can write news intros in an instant. I can do it now but i couldn’t do it then.

The final part of the interview was a 2 on 1 interview. I got drawn Richard Frediani – Ex ITV Granada’s head of news and now ITV News at 6.30 programme editor – and Phil Braund – Ex ITV Central head of news.  I felt that i did have a decent interview with them. I was given the opportunity to improve what changes i would have made from my earlier tests. Although i felt that impressed with my critiquing of work from local news storied across ITV News, i failed to impress them with my story ideas and other ways which i felt that they were looking for as an ITV News trainee. After the interview finished it was time to leave.

I left the building, knowing in my head and heart that i failed to get onto the traineeship, and i only had myself to blame. I couldn’t impress anyone on the panel that i was worthy enough to be an ITV new trainee. And within a week i found out that i didn’t make the final 8 for the traineeship.

Although this did upset me at the time i felt that it was time to move on and wait for the next opportunity – should it come. Although i did take a small positive from this was that i wasn’t the only one currently in my position. But it’s what i do next which i feel will help me become a reporter.

To be continued...

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 24

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 24:  4^th December 2009 – Target achieved (finally)

“Believe it or not, this is the fun part!”

Evening all,

Evening all,

Since the end of 2006, my main goal was to get university finished and start my career as a qualified broadcast journalist. But as you many well know whilst reading my 30 for 30, things never go to plan.

So after returning a second time to Nottingham, I got the finances for my course and i finished it with getting the qualification that i think that i deserve, not just on skill and enthusiasm but on dedication for completing the course after a break of nearly 2 years.

I got my certificate on the 4^th December 2009, but i could’ve had it earlier if i was able to attend the graduation ceremony.

 My certificate - proudest moment in my life so far

Sadly i wasn’t able to attend the graduation ceremony in Nottingham a couple of weeks before. This was due to work commitments on a new job i was working in Exeter over the Christmas period.

But i did make a video message for everyone on the course to see just to day thanks for putting up with me over the past year. It was a shame i didn’t get to meet the people that i have made friends with on the course over the past year.

There were a few differences between the courses over the time i was on the course. Although i did enjoy the input i had from the TV News tutor Chris Hesketh, I felt that the impact i had from Barnie stills stay with me today. It was a shame when i found that he moved onto pastures new before my course started but i wasn’t going to let that change my decision about taking the course.

 Me with the NTU CBJ MATV class of 2008-09

I also felt that although we had a lot of new equipment to play with – NTU had a new building open in 2008 just for the journalism course – I personally prefer working with some of the other students from my first time course rather than the second course. This is because i felt my work was better appreciated from the first group than the second one.

However, socially I felt more bonded with the group from 2008. I was the manager of the infamous CBJ Athletic FC. We were a Uni 6 aside football team which was run and managed by myself with some of the guys from the newspaper course getting heavily involved as well. We only won one game over the 2 seasons – the only win was done by the CBJ famous 5 which i wasn’t one due to reasons beyond my control. I will never forgive myself for missing this game.

With hindsight, i felt that going first time around was the right thing to do and definitely gave me the understanding and the commitment to go back second time around to finish off what i started.

The only problem is now where do i go from here, as in a kindly reminder by my friend and ITV journalist Lee Comley said on my Facebook picture:

“Now the fun bit really begins,”

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 23

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 23:  27^th September 2009 – 24 unforgettable hours in Leeds

“In a faraway place, great things can happen”.

Evening all,

In my opinion, the north of England has never been kind to me. Even as far north as Nottingham was a daunting place to live. But since my return to Nottingham in 2008, i have learned so much about myself about being in a different place doing what I’ve always wanted to do.

So in theory my trip to Leeds for the week with the team at ITV Yorkshire should be an enjoyable experience. But as with the same as my other days here on my 30 for 30, things never work out the way they go.

But there was going to be an added bonus as well as part of my trip. Basically i was waiting for one more result from Nottingham Trent Uni to wait for. If i pass this result then i am officially a professional and qualified broadcast journalist. If not, then i have to start all over again back in Nottingham.

It was going to be 24 hours i will never forget and the say in question is the 27^th September 2009, a long day started oddly enough on the south coast of England.

It was about 9 in the morning when i had to leave my home where i was staying and head on the coach north to Leeds. I had the week all planned out and i was hopeful by the end of the week i will have achieved something special.

After a 10 hour coach journey, i arrived in Leeds confused where to go and what to do. I initially was going to meet my would-be landlady for the week and settle down for the night. But this is where it started to go wrong.

Unaware by me, the room i was staying in was doubled booked. I was hacked off as i should have had the room as i asked for it first. But the landlady asked who had the money upfront for it. As i didn’t have any money till i get paid, i was kicked out of the house and told to find a room elsewhere.

After a massive argument with the landlady, which i nearly punched the landlady after telling her how i felt, i left the house and spent the rest of the night trying to find a hotel for the night. As i did not have much money on me i was not having much luck. After a quick brainwave i got in contact with West Yorkshire Police and they kindly guided me to stay at Leeds train station for the night.

Leeds station - a weird place to stay the night

Both Leeds train station and West Yorkshire Police people were very helpful trying to make me feel calm and positive in a dark situation. I stayed the night in a warm waiting room where i had the opportunity to get some sleep before the day at ITV Yorkshire.

The next day came and after a quick freshen up in a disabled toilet in Leeds station, it was time to go to the news studios of ITV Yorkshire. Once i got there, i settled down to try to help them out with whatever i can do to help with their news programme. It also felt weird about telling them what happened to me the night before. I bet they never will have a work placement guy in the future who spent the night at Leeds station. But they did help me out with a new place to stay for the week. I found a really nice house in the Roundhay part of the city centre.

ITV Yorkshire - I hope we meet again soon. 

After the lunch bulletin, i quickly checked my email to see if a message has been sent about my final result.  And there was a message from my tutor telling me about my final result from University. I opened it and it said that i had successfully passed my final result and that i have graduated from University for a second time.

My first reaction was that i yelled out YES!!!! When i read the email out, I did manage to upset a few colleagues at ITV Yorkshire. So i took myself out to the corridor where i just simply cried my eyes out with joy.

I couldn’t believe that i have finally did it, 2 years of coming and leaving Nottingham, working in 2 different groups to get what i want and all of the other challengers that came my way came down to this. I never felt so happy before in my life.

I spent the rest of the day with a smile on my face i will never get rid of. After the placements shift finished, i called my parents to let them know what happened and they were both happy for me. I spent the evening with a cider in my hand reflecting on a momentous 24 hours that i will never ever forget. 

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 22

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 22:  9^th December 2008 – man, I love the FA Cup

“There’s nothing better than seeing your team win away from home, even if it is in the FA Cup”

Evening all,

Away games are the best to follow your team especially if you win way from home in a meaningful game like a promotion or in the FA Cup.  For me this time around it was a cup replay for the Gills and they were up against Stockport after the first leg finished 0-0.

I knew it was going to be a cold Tuesday night in Stockport but i was hoping that we can do something special.

The trip to Stockport wasn’t going to be that long to me as a Gills fan as i was based in Nottingham at the time.

The game was played on the 9^th December and the winners would be at home to Premier League side Aston Villa. So i finished uni early to catch the train to Manchester.

Once i got there my early fears were right, it was bitterly cold and but it was dry and luckily no rain which is the ‘norm’ when going to Manchester.

But after a couple of Bovril’s and ciders, it was time to head to the ground to see the game. There were not a lot of Gills supports who made the trip up north – i estimated that there was about over 100 fans. I even saw a couple of kids with their families who took the day off work to see that game, now that’s dedication.

Being behind the end stand behind the goal wasn’t easy to see the action in the first half, well i said that then Stockport promptly took the lead early in the first half.

At this point i was thinking that it was a trip that wasn’t going to have a happy ending. That was before Andy Barcham scored from the edge of the box to make it 1-1.

Naturally we were in bedlam when the goal was scored and it got even better latter on the first half when Barcham scored again after a brilliant run by Curtis Weston which gave the Gills the lead.

At this point going into half time i was worried about the score line. Although we were ahead Gillingham never perform very well away from home and i felt that we would implode at this point.

But After a quiet end to the half and after a lot of huffing and puffing by both sides in the second half the game ended 2-1 to Gillingham and the final whistle was the start of a massive disco by about 100 Gills fans in the away end.

I still have patches which went blurry that evening after the final whistle. There was a lot of man hugging and man kissing, even the odd cry of “Bring on the Villa”. It was a big party which the players, management and even Scally himself got involved with. It’s not every day when you tem cause an upset and get a premier league side at home in round 3. Even the stewards of Stockport were gracious in defeat.

 A kind reminder of the final score :) 

After the game there were a lot of man hugging and drunk phone calls on the way back to Stockport train station and i manage to get back to Nottingham in the early hours of the morning. But it was a game i will never forget and it was part of something special to see your team win away from home in the FA Cup.

I spent the next day at university with a sore headache and a sore throat. It was worth every single minute of me going. 

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 21

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 21:  31^st August 2008 – on the road again back to Nottingham

"Only those bold enough to chase dreams are the ones who catch them." WWE

Evening all,

It took me a long time to realise how hard it would be to go back to Nottingham. After May 2007 i felt depressed, hungry but determined to get back on my own two feet and get back to Nottingham Trent for either 2007 or 2008 entry.

But after a long journey spent around Britain i was ready to go back to Nottingham.  

The day i went back was going to be the 31^st August 2008, but how was my recovery and how did it help me get me back on my own two feet.

I spent the summer of 2007 in the south west of England living with my mum in Torquay. It was an excellent opportunity to get away from what happened to me in Nottingham and after only a week, i got myself a new job and i made some new friends in the town as well. So i was settling into my new surroundings well.

I also managed to keep in contact with Nottingham Trent Uni over this time and they were willing to let me back for October 2007 entry but once again due to finances, i decided not to enter this year and reapply for entry in 2008. I felt that this was the time to move out on my own and try to save as much as i can to go back to Nottingham in August.

I was then offered a transfer of location to Taunton for November 2007; although it was a temporary transfer with the option to stay permanently, this also gave me another opportunity to move out on my own again away from my mum.

Living in Taunton helped me get used to living on my own and with new people as well. I was very helpful in work and at my house where i was living. Christmas of 2007 was a hard working one but it was enjoyable.

After Christmas, I was offered a full time transfer to work in Bristol. This is where i really enjoyed my time. I had an excellent full time job working with people who enjoyed my input and company; i had an excellent place to live which was behind the end stand of Bristol City FC and it was an excellent time for me to recover and enjoy my life again.

Living in Bristol and Weston-Super-Mare also converted me to being a cider drinker. 

One of the perks of living in Bristol was also part working in Weston-Super-Mare. It is a nice little seaside town about 30 minutes away from Bristol and favoured by folks from the Midlands. I normally spent my free time here in Weston as well as working the odd day here as well.

I was also working here when the pier at Weston-Super-Mare caught fire and burnt down. The people who took pictures and also who i talked to about their memories of the pier and the future of the town helped me get my reporting/journalism mojo back.

After an enjoyable summer of 2008, it was nearly time to go back to Nottingham, but this time, i almost had everything prepared to go back. I had a really nice place to stay which i can afford to live decently on, I had a job to work as well which i enjoyed doing, all i needed was the finances, which i had to get when i moved to Nottingham.

On that weekend of the 31^st August, i said goodbye to all of my friends from Weston and Bristol. It was sad to leave them but i promised them that i will return soon to enjoy a cider with them.

So i thank god for letting me stay in these locations which helped me recover and got me enjoying life again.

I just hope i can get that again from my second time in Nottingham.

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 20

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 20:  26^th May 2007 – I’ll be back, one day

"Even if you stumble, you're moving forward."

Evening all,

The decision to leave Nottingham Trent Uni was a decision which was let lead me down a difficult and uneasy path which i have to say made me realise how life can be difficult at times.

But i was determined to try and make the best of a bad situation. However, that didn’t even work as the way i hoped.

After all troubles that i went through, I knew eventually i had to leave – for my own sake. And when i left Nottingham i knew i can restart my life all over again.

The day i left was the 26^th May 2007, but what exactly happened during my life between February and May 2007. Well let me tell you.

My initial plan was to stay and continue to work for Currys in Nottingham although i wanted to move back to Canterbury to work for my old team again, i felt that i wanted to help out the team where i currently work.

However, i was working for long hours for 7 days at a time i never get anytime to myself. This lead to me not eating properly as my main source of income was spent on my rent where i was living.  This made me very sad

I was also not sleeping properly as well at this time because my mind was still in the belief that i was going to be working as a reporter and not living what was the real life.

I was also practically living on a food budget of £10 A MONTH!!!  Which i did manage to stretch to get a meal and a drink every day but i was not getting any goodness inside of me.  

I was also not very social at this time as well. I had a massive fall out with my colleagues one evening and i tried to patch things up but they weren’t listening to me so connecting with people at this time was very difficult. I also tried to have a relationship with a work colleague but she wasn’t interested in me at all. This continued to add to my sadness of how i was feeling at the time.

Later on this period, the sadness of what happened caught up with me, i was in a period where i was thinking about taking my own life as i felt that i disappointed myself and my family. But after a trip to the doctor i was told that i was on the verge of being clinically depressed and i had to leave in order to rebuild my life.

So a phone call was made to my mum and stepdad and two letters of resignation were sent out to my boss and my landlord and within a three week period i was packed and ready to leave.

I left Nottingham on the 26^th May 2007, as i was leaving i felt that coming here was the right thing to do at the time but it turned out to be a bad decision in the end.

But i knew that i would be coming back to Nottingham eventually to complete what i stared back in 2006.  

But how was i going to recover what happened to me from the first time?

PS. There are no pictures to take from this time as i was not in a position to take pictures of my life at this point. 

John Seager's 30 for 30: Day 19

A Cunning look back of 30 days which have changed my life over the past 30 years

Day 19:  1^st February 2007 – I did what i had to do.

‘There comes a time, where a man should be accountable for his actions’.  

Evening all,

Life for me when i moved to Nottingham was starting to move forward, i was on an education course which i was really enjoying.

I was working with people who i respected as fellow journalists including a fantastic course leader called Barnie. I was enjoying life on my own from my family for the first time and I also had a chance of being in relationship with someone who really liked me.

Life for me was looking pretty rosy – then all of a sudden i was told by the banks that i was not going to get the financial help that i needed to stay on the course.

This was a massive blow; I felt that for the first time my dream of me being a reporter was totally unrealistic. Although there was a chance i can stay for the whole year and try to get the finances later in the year, i decided to take the heart breaking decision to leave the course.

The day of the decision was the 1^st February 2007 – which in the NTU calendar was the halfway point of the year. But for me there was one last hurrah on my behalf. It was time to finish off semester 1 with my colleagues and it was time for the news day trial.

I was given the task of reporting on a new social online programme and its impact on the people of the East Midlands. I did a really creative report which i morphed into an avatar from the programme.

The feedback i got from that report i did with the team still stays with me today. To do a really creative and eye catching news report and seeing it branded as a ‘pure genius’ report was emotional for me to hear.  

When the programme finished, Barnie broke the news to the team that i was leaving the course, there were a few people who was upset that I was leaving but there were a couple of people who just didn’t give a S*** about me leaving. I would mention names but I’m not that bitter over me leaving as it was my decision to leave.

Me with the NTU CBJ MATV class of 2006-07

I still keep in contact with most of the guys from the year i had to drop out of. Some of these people have moved onto local radio and even a couple have made the limelight of working for ITV and the BBC and abroad on international stations like CBC in Canada.

What still gets me upset to this day was that i was working with people who have moved onto bigger and better things and to be associated with that group for one semester at least proved to me that i do have what it takes to be a reporter/journalist but it will take me longer to achieve it. 

Looking back i still feel it was the right thing to do, but the decision of leaving totally f***** me up for a long time after the decision.   

Sadly for me there were still darker days to come,

To be continued....