Mobile phones of all type this day are common in Freetown and the desire for it is mounting especially among young people, there is great competition among young people with regards having recent and decent mobile phones, for the ladies, they desire decent mobiles phones not only to communicate, but also to add to their price, value and integrity, Most ladies this days in Sierra Leone, one of the ways they determine the financial capability of  a guy is by the type of mobile phone he is having (first impression)
The guys also need it for also most the same but, mostly to add up to their value and seduce ladies.
An old man told me that, if you have the three M’s (Money, Motor-car and Mobile Phone) Sierra Leone, then ladies are not of a problem. That sounds sooooo true.

Last month I and my club members went to a big night club to enquire the price of booking for one night to make a music show, Smokey (my friend) was in front talking to the lady on the desk, she was not talking with a cam and polite voice, by then I was outside on the phone, I just pop in with SPV-M500 mobile phone in my hand. Whiles taking to her, she was busy watching my hand and after she responded in a more cam, polite and sweet voice, in-fact she was smiling.

As a result this mounting desire for mobile phones, some young people goes out to get it by hook or crook, recently mobile phone theft is common, the commonly reported cases on daily basis in police stations are mobile phone.

When I return from the UK, I came with lots of second hand Mobile phones, I shared it as gifts to friends and love ones, I was having two, one was first stolen and yesterday, the remaining one was finally stolen in town, am so sick of it.

My Last Day in Hull city was on the 22 July 2007.

My friend Jon dropped me at the railway station, it was my very first time to board a train, so I was very much careful. with a lot of bags on my hand I enter the train my destination was London but the train stop half way and we were ask to join another train, the reason was because of the floods, I arrive in London the same day and Murray pick me up at the train station, we boarded the double-decker bus to go home, We arrive home and I was warmly welcome by Katrina (Murray’s wife).

London from what I see is quite different from Hull city, It is a very busy place with lots of urgent people and cars, I see different type of people from all over the world out in the street. London is highly a business place with big buildings.

I spent a day in London and the next day we Head for the Big chill Festival in Eastnore (Hereford Shire), which is like a four hours drive from London.

We arrive at night and we logged in a big hotel called The Abbey. The picture below shows the inside of my room.

we stay there for two days, we were suppose to have stayed at the festival site in a caravan, but because of the floods, there is a shortage of caravans.

So far so good, i have got a cabin which is a bit similar to caravans.

Things are getting on nicely except for the mud in some working areas.

The good news is, i will be performancing live on stage with a guy called Yam-Yam in front of over ten thousand (10,000) people.

I hope to learn new things (show preparation, stage management etc) as my main aim is to broaden my knowledge about media skills and entertainment

On the 19^th of  July 2007 in the morning hours I was at St Mary’s College, it was the day when certificates were handed over to all the BTEC students who successfully completed the media course. I was presented a gift (Digital audio recorder) and a certificate for my valuable contribution in a media project in the school.

Late in the afternoon, I went for a session at Dave’s studio (Dave is a very good musician and producer), he mentor me on using REASON ( a good music software) we recorded one demo song. At night, I hook-up with one of my best friends in Hull called; Leanne, with some of her friends, it was my first day to go out in Hull by myself. Leanne is a nice girl and a good friend of mine.

On the 20^th July 2007 we went down town to shoot some video, we spent most time shooting the Video, we later went in mobile phone shop to unlock some phones which Simon got me to take Back to Freetown as Gifts, whiles waiting for the phones, I had a shout from a woman saying “Hey, is that you on TV? When I turn to the big screen TV at the middle of town it was BCC TV Look North lunch time news, and I was featured, I said yes to the woman and she went off with a big smile.

On the 21^st July, I had session with Dave again and I did one complete song with two hours mix and Mastered.

0n the 22^nd July in the morning, I had pack my things, Because, I will be going to London on the 23^rd July for the Big Chill festival. I went Bowling with my friends Jon, Sarah, Simon, Claire and Leanne. It was great.

The past days have been very much about media training using editing software with Jon (cafesociety.org). The training has been fruitful, I believe, it is one main reason why I am in Hull. On my return to Freetown on August 10th 2007, alot of young less fortunate people will be able to learn from me some skills that will give them new skills, as empowerment is what the youths need in Sierra Leone after a decade long civil war that has rendered the country in the drains.

On the 17th of July 2007, St Mary’s College organise a Wilberforce day for the students in which I was invited to do a live performance.

As I have been working with kids in the school, I did a freestyle song with the kids on stage, it was wonderful, and I receive amazing response from the audience.

After the performance, I did an interview with Hull daily mail.

On the 18th July 2007 I had a whole page in the newspaper,
On the same date, I went out with Jon and Matt (cafesociety.org) to do some video shooting as part of my training and a new film we are all working called ‘things are happening’.

08:00 - 18 July 2007 - Hull Dail Mail

A Young rapper from Sierra Leone has been inspiring children across Hull to exchange stories about their lives through music.

Nineteen-year-old Lansana Mansaray, known as Barmmy Boy, is in Hull as part of a project to connect schools here and in Hull’s twin townFreetown, the capital of the west African country.

Over two months, he will work with children from St Mary’s College in west Hull, Winifred Holtby in Bransholme and Wilberforce College in east Hull.

He said: “It’s my first time out of Freetown and it’s really different.

“Everything is more organised, and the schools are all provided by the Government.

“It’s strange, but I am enjoying it.”

Among the issues Barmmy Boy raps about are growing up in Freetown, HIV/Aids and the aftermath of the civil war that ravaged the country for a decade.

He was brought to the UK by Hull-based organisation Cafe Society and funded by the British Council and Government arts programme Creative Partnerships.

Cafe Society organiser Jon Robson said: “We met Barmmy Boy when we went to Sierra Leone.

“He had so much energy and creativity, we thought he’d be fantastic with children here and they could really learn from each other. We got him some funding to buy him a laptop so he could start producing music and videos in Freetown and he could learn the skills to pass on to other youngsters there.”

Yesterday, Barmmy Boy took part in a performance at St Mary’s College, Cranbrook Avenue, with teenagers participating in a special week to coincide with Hull’s Wilberforce year.

This year is the bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, which followed a campaign against slavery led by Hull MP William Wilberforce.

Barmmy Boy said: “It’s been great working with people here.

“They have made up their own lyrics about the issues that affect them, and we’ve been editing videos to accompany them.

“I want to take the skills I’ve learned here back to Sierra Leone.

“Many teenagers in Freetown are disillusioned. They move out of Sierra Leone and never bring the skills they have learned back to their country. I believe there is a lot more to do in Freetown. It doesn’t help the country when the youth leave and never come back.”

Barbara Veloso, 13, of Massey Close, west Hull, who has been working with Barmmy Boy, described the experience as “amazing”.

She said: “I’ve never rapped before, but I have been this week.

“Some of the stories Barmmy Boy told us about through his music are surprising.

“I had no idea many of the soldiers in Sierra Leone during the war were children.”

Andy Rendell, 14, of Malpas Close, in north Hull, said: “I was really shy about singing and it’s been great doing it as a group.

“All of us who took part have discovered hidden talents.”

On the 9th July 2007 My close friends Simon Robinson and Claire Marshall took me on a day out of Hull city.

we went in a quite and old village called Staithes, it is a nice and peaceful village by the North-East coasts (The Yorkshire cost) of England.

On the first day after day, we stroll around and in the evening hours we went at Whitby harbour which is also in the Yorkshire cost of England.

The Whitby harbour according to the novels about Dracula Is the place were the original story of Dracula started.

It is the place were the Dracula is said to have landed in a boat after killing the whole crew in the boat, change into a dog and ran up the 199 steps.

We went in a business place were we pay to watch some scary made up things about Dracula (the tale from Withby).

Dinner time, we went at Magpie Café, the famous restaurants in Withdy were most times there is along queue to go in. anyway their food is nice.

There are fantastic amusement arcades where we spent some time exploring new forms of games.

On the second day, in the morning, we stop by at Robin hoods Bay.

we also visited the withby Abbey in Withby. The abbey is quit a famous seven hundred year old church situated on a hill over looking withby harbour.

Some tourists go there to visit, as there is also very old cemetery in the compound of the addey.

In the evening we went on a twenty five minute boat ride which was really nice.

Withby, staithes and Hull, were great fishing ports, many people in made fortunes in fishing, but there was over-grazing and now there are few fish in the water.

As a result of this, the fishing industry in these places is collapsing, there very few fisher men who do small scale fishing.

I spent most of my time yesterday 6th/07/ 2007 in the music department at St Mary’s college.

I deed three freestyle songs in the three hours with the with beats and vocals together with the kids in the college.

Dave was the engineer, the first song was about the children which I did with first group. Most of the teachers including the principal were amazed, the by the way I blew the minds of the kids.

One of the teachers told me it is not usual to get their full participation and involvement like I did. I think it is nice a times to get some from a different place, with different culture, to come in , this will help them to learn more about how things look like across the divide.

One of the kids called; Tha Shuffler ( Babra ) wrote a rap which I guide her to do in one of the songs in just five munite, the end product was great as the teachers couldn’t believe that Tha Shuffler can do it.

The teaching profession in the UK seems to be a great job, than it is in

My 8^th day in hull was ok, I was at Simon and Claire’s (close Friends) place for weekend, I had a good time with them, we went at a birthday party of one of their neighbour, they made a very big pig barbeque, it was ok, but the party was completely different, with the way we celebrate ours.

On the 9^th day (Sunday) was good, we do some painting in the kitchen, there was fun, we went for dinner and I got a burger and orange juice.

On Monday my 10^th day in hull was also a great day, we went at Winifred Holtby school,  the kids like me a lot, the have seen my video and they were anxious for a freestyle rap, I gave the some and they appreciate it a lot, we took some photos together.

I spent a lot time in the school with different kids doing some short project films with Jon, Matt Tony and other teachers, we ride back home and do some editing.

My 11^th yesterday was a very good day, for we went to a new school (St Mary’s college) to work with you people on a radio interview project , a lot o the students interviewed me, about how life is in Sierra Leone, My music and my plans for the future  It was nice talking to them, the kids in that school look really nice.

At night, we went to play football, with Simon and some other friends, I scored two goals. The football field was straight and level with artificial peach, which different from our football fields in Freetown with dust and stones, but we are use to those fields now and people enjoy playing in those fields.

Today my 12^th  (4^th / 7 / 2007) day, we went at Winifred Holtby School in the morning to finish up the short films. During lunch time, we stop by at the Wilberforce

We went back toWinifred Holtby School, for the rest of the school day.

What I realise, in these schools is that, the kids have all the facilities in school and it is free for them, but to be fair enough most of them are not serious over their education.

 Whiles in Sierra Leone the young people wants to learn but there are less facilities and it is costly .

My fifth day was not bad, but I was could-up and coughing around, it was ok ,I had a nice time around the college interview students and pupils and, I also interview the principal of the college about how the education system is in the UK, It was nice talking to him.

Today, my sixth day, is one of my best days in

Guildhall for an event, (Making an impact celebration event), The event was to celebrate a project which Jon & Matt were involved with earlier this year and related to the two hundred anniversary of the abolition of slavery. 200 years ago William Wilberforce passed a bill in parliament to end the slavery of the north Atlantic slave trade.

There were some presentations of short project films and also there was a presentation by a man dressed exactly like William Wilberforce, we took some photos together.

I visited the William Wilberforce house (the house were William Wilberforce was born over two hundred years ago, One of my songs Freeze, which I got a laptop for was use in one of the rooms and the Pride, Freedom, Belief and Change song that I wrote.

We took some photos and ride back home to edit some films.