Hoopla

Picture the scene in your head.

You're in a swish nightclub with your friends, the music is so loud you can barely hear yourself think, the dancefloor is jam packed with party lovers showing off, and the drinks are flowing nicely. You're having an amazing time and are already dreading the drunken pictures that will inevitably surface on your facebook profile the next day. You won't let that put you off though. Why should you? It happens to everyone right?!

12A cert, 133 min

It’s the biggest event in European football – The European Championships, and the draw for the 2012 competition has left the nation’s supporters counting down the days to the big kick-off in June. Both the EUROs and the World Cup have an uncanny ability to cause mass excitement at the very mention of their name, prompting memories of yesteryear and speculations for future games. However, is all this excitement really necessary when history has shown us that there is precious little to cheer at the tournament itself?

Stepping into the old fashioned cliff lift, the oldest surviving water balanced lift still functioning in the UK, the familiar view of Saltburn’s Victorian pier emerges from below. The lift creaks to a halt; I pay my 70p and step into the cool breeze of Saltburn’s promenade. The sound of lively children in the arcades and the greasy smell of fish and chips as families stroll by tell me I am at Saltburn seaside.

It’s a long, long way from provincial Russia to Haworth. But the two became beautifully entwined in Blake Morrison’s We Are Three Sisters; a brave re-imagining of Chekhov’s Three Sisters - swapping the usual protagonists for Yorkshire’s own Brontë sisters.

Ibiza: the world’s ultimate party destination. The beautiful Balearic Island, known best for sun, sea, sand, sex and the chance to embrace the all-day and all-night long party scene, is a must for any party animal. The legendary clubs, including Space, Amnesia and Pacha, play host to some of the best DJs in the world. And if you’re looking for a party that’s a little different, take to the sea on glass bottom boats, so you can soak up the sun around the mystical islands of Es Vedra, dance to the very best in tribal house music and see the beauty of the Mediterranean just beneath your feet.

Despite Ibiza’s wild reputation, there is a softer side to the island. The Mediterranean landscape offers some of the most stunning views in the world, the most breathtaking of all being the sunset in San Antonio. Never the same twice, it draws thousands of people to ‘the sunset strip’ every evening to see this performance that never ceases to enchant. The bars along the strip are renowned for their luxurious champagne cocktails and unobstructed view of this wonderful show.  Below the strip lies a jumble of rocks to climb over and find the perfect spot. Once found, whilst dipping your toes in the sea that gently laps at the rocks, you watch other pairs of lovers looking for their perfect spot, all waiting for the greatest show on earth to begin. An eclectic mix of music to soothe the soul flows out of Cafe del Mar’s speakers; skydivers float down from the heavens in front of the blazing star, reaching the sea just before its grand finale. All those watching hold their breath as the sun bows out; the sight of the last glowing ember prompts a round of applause that ripples around the bay.

When watching We Are Three Sisters, written by Blake Morrison and directed by Barrie Rutter, it was surprising to find that the theatre was not filled with the dull tones of a Yorkshire history lesson about Haworth. The lives of three love-obsessed novelists do not make for the most riveting viewing, let’s be honest. It was refreshing to see the story as a prelude to their lives, rather than their fame.