Surviving Gazza

I recently watched the documentary "Surviving Gazza", and it struck me how different the image in this documentary was to the one I'd grown up with of him.

In the papers we often read artcles either saying Paul Gascoigne is on the mend or he has hit another terrible time of depression. For instance today, The Sun has an article in titled "Gazza "Im back and I'm on the mend" which has again kept this story alive. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Maybe all of the televison and newspaper coverage will inspire him to re-build his life? Or maybe it helps to remind him of what he was, a football icon, and can never get back?

In the documentary you see the struggles of his family, desperate to save him, which was the origonal title of the programme, "Surviving Gazza". I think the change in the title makes a lot of sence becasue you begin watching with more understanding fthe Gascoigne famiy, who are in such great pain. Gazza has been an idol to many for so many years, it is hard with only the newspaper tales to really understand how far he has fallen.

The previous image I had of him was a World class footballer, who liked to have a good night out and had a bit of a problem. I now think of him as a man who has lost what he believe was his purpose in life, football, to drink.

The documentary is a heartfelt last attempt from his ex-wife and three children to sort his life out, for not only ther sakes, but also his. I thought it was fantastically honest, never showing the Gascoigne family as any thing other than a normal family fighting a big problem.

Work experience

I have found work experience to help put together my portfolio is not an easy thing to find. Someone feels they have a burden put on hem as soon as they know you are coming and this is before they have even had the chance to meet you.

I have been very lucky to hve had the oppertunity to work at both an independant consultancy and well as, mor erecently, an in house communications department in Glaxosmithkline. Both experiences have been really enjoyable and I have learnt alot.

These two placements have given me the oppertunity to find out first hand what a career in communications and PR is likey to entail, and I am very pleased to report I could not be more happier in my choice of degree after having spent time in the industry. The fast moving pace and constant change is something which I, personally, thrive on. Both the work experience placements I have done have been completely different in the way that they are run, the numbers of people and the aims. I have found this fascinating, watching how people have been interacting on meetings and presentations.

I can already tell that I am going to continue to enjoy the future of my degree and life in the communications sphere.