3@three

New ITV programme 3@three sees three presenters argue for the public vote on a range of subjects. Today was the first time I have watched the programme and found a few of the topics worthy of a blog post. The presenters of today’s programme were: Mark Durden-Smith, Gloria Hunniford and Andrea McLean.

British Jobs for British People?

Before I give my view on the topic, below are the opinions of the presenters and the result of the public poll.

Mark Durden-Smith – “We need to be realistic – it should be the best person for the job”

Gloria Hunniford – “It should be British jobs for British workers and the government needs to do more to make sure this happens”

Andrea McLean – “Small British companies are crumbling because they are being undercut by foreign workers”

59% of the British public agreed with Gloria

23% of the British public agreed with Mark

18% of the British public agreed with Andrea

I find it hard to agree outright with any of these statements. My opinion closely resembles that of Mark Durden-Smith but I feel that there should be some exceptions. For example, jobs which involve how the country is run, i.e. government work should only be done by British people. Another job which I feel should be carried out by a British person is that of England Football Manager.

In international football, all players must be a representative of their country however this is not the case for managers. Maybe I, like many other England fans am still bitter at being knocked out of the World Cup by Germany but Britain has many good managers that many people feel would make a better job than our current Italian manager.

For all other jobs which don’t require a British view jobs should be awarded to the best applicant rather than their ethnic background.

Men Better Bosses?

Once again, below are the opinions of the three presenters then how the British public voted.

Mark Durden-Smith – “It doesn’t matter about the sex of the person – it is down to their personality.”

Gloria Hunniford – “Women have too many issues going on in their heads – I prefer a male boss”

Andrea McLean – “Women are better bosses because they are more likely to understand emotional issues”

62% of the British public agreed with Mark

25% of the British public agreed with Gloria

13% of the British public agreed with Andrea

Firstly, I believe that Gloria’s comment is a bit of a stereotype. Not every woman is interested in having a family life and many put their careers first. Her view that women will leave work at the drop of the hat to tend to their ill children is not a view suitable to today’s lifestyle; especially with so many stay at home dads.

Secondly, I feel that Andrea has a point; women can be more approachable and more likely to feel sympathetic when workers come to them with their problems. However I feel that women can also come across as bitchy especially when often they have to make more of an effort to stand out from their male counterparts.

Overall I must admit that I agree with Mark Durden-Smith again. A good boss should not be judged upon their gender but instead upon their ability to carry out their role. I am glad that the majority of viewers voted for Mark’s view as it shows that there is no longer a large gender divide and that equality, although still questionable in some areas, is starting to emerge in the world of work.

Tall Ships Races 2010

Hartlepool’s economy received a massive boost at the weekend as over 600,000 people flocked to see the armada of 59 Tall Ships in the town’s marina.

The atmosphere on the Sunday was one of joy as queues of people, young and old waited to get on board some of the ships which came from as far as field as Russia, Indonesia and the Netherlands.

The Tall Ships Races are an annual event in European waters and are a great experience for young people to get involved as at least 50% of the crew must be aged between 15 and 25.

The vessels left Victoria Dock at 3pm today, and despite the rain, thousands stood and watched them sail towards Amsterdam for the next leg of their journey.

Combining My Passions

As well as writing, I count photography as a passion of mine. I have hundreds of photographs hidden away on disks and have decided that its time that they saw the light of day! I have decided to combine my two passions for your pleasure. Enjoy.