University debate will swing Newcastle vote

Transcription

Volcanic ash cloud causes
University travel chaos
Students
stranded
Page 5
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Issue 1210 Monday 26 April 2010 www.thecourieronline.co.uk
FREE
University debate will
swing Newcastle vote
must make
‘Wait for university ‘Poorest students

‘MPs
their position clear’
must have a chance’
funding review’
Inside today >>>
Kyle comes to town
Controversial British talk show
host Jeremy Kyle appears in
front of students at University
News, page 3
University in major
DNA discovery
Scientists at Newcastle develop
pioneering technique to prevent
transmission of genetic diseases
News, page 4
The ‘Freewomen’
of Newcastle?
Should women be allowed to
take on the traditional role?
Comment, page 10
Student’s stabbing
Richard Hirson tells The Courier
of his harrowing experience
on holiday in Singapore
Life & Style, page 14-15
Boat Race heroes
target Olympics
Newcastle graduates Fred Gill
and Henry Pelly have set their
sights on London 2012 after
helping Cambridge to victory
in the University Boat Race
Sport, page 44-45
Aaron Porter
NUS President-elect
David Lammy
+LJKHU(GXFation Minister
Nick Brown
1HZFDVWOH(ast MP
NUS dubs Newcastle the number one student battleground as general election looms
Simon Murphy News Editor
The newly elected President of the
NUS has backed the student vote to
make the difference in Newcastle.
Aaron Porter was elected at the annual NUS Conference, which took
place in Gateshead this month, and
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Newcastle students to pressure candidates to make their position clear
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an increase in top-up-fees.
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Minister David Lammy and local
Labour MP Nick Brown have also
DFNQRZOHGJHG WKH LPSRUWDQFH RI
the student vote.
In an exclusive interview with
The Courier, Porter said: “Neither
the students from Northumbria or
Newcastle University will want to
see their fees rise and it’s quite important that students choose a canGLGDWHWKDWKDVSOHGJHGQRWWRYRWH
for an increase in fees.
“The proportion of students in
Newcastle is hefty and that’s why
students do have the ability to shape
the outcome of the election there.”
Nick Brown, who has served as
03 IRU 1HZFDVWOH (DVW IRU WKH SDVW
27 years and currently holds a majority of 5,565, has decided not to
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in top-up-fees.
He said: “The key objective for me
is to make sure that people of ordiQDU\ PHDQV FDQ DIIRUG KLJKHU HGX
FDWLRQVRWKHWRWDOLW\RIWKHDUUDQJH
ments have to meet that test – and
that’s my position.
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Later this year, an independent review, headed by Lord Browne, will
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port to Parliament.
Porter – who will succeed Wes
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tion” to allow the major parties to
hide their true position.
Continued on page 5
Nick Brown interview page 6-7
Boy George is back
The former Culture Club frontman
chats to Alice Vincent as he
makes his return to music
Culture, page 32
2
Monday 26 April 2010 THE COURIER
Student faces the
Countdown clock
The Union Society, King’s Walk, Newcastle
upon Tyne, NE1 8QB. Tel: 0191 239 3940
Comment
> Page 9
St who?
Football always stirs
national pride but
who cares about the
man who started it all?
Page 11
/LIH6W\OH
)OLUWLQJDPRQJVWÀFWLRQ
Helen Atkinson describes the sexual
tension in the Robinson Library
Page 14-15
&XOWXUH
Pete Tong
David Coverdale speaks
to the legendary
Radio 1 DJ on
a landmark
weekend for the
Essential Mix
Page 20-21
Sport
Henderson and Hurricanes
SURJUHVVLQFXSVHPLÀQDOV
Intra Mural Wednesday Cup
reaches its latter stage in a busy
week of action at the Longbenton 3G
Page 50-51
Meetings Timetable:
Monday
Sport - 11am, Committee Room A
News - 12pm, Committee Room C
Comment - 12pm, Committee Room C
Photos - 2pm, Committee Room B
Tuesday
Life & Style - 12pm, Committee Room A
Wednesday
Film - 12pm, Committee Room A
Music - 1pm, Committee Room B
Thursday
Arts - 12pm, Committee Room A
Editorial Team:
(GLWRU'DYLG&RYHUGDOH
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1HZV(GLWRUV-HVVLFD7XOO\DQG6LPRQ
Murphy
&RPPHQW(GLWRUV&DUROLQH$UJ\URSXOR
Palmer and Nicholas Fidler
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Felton and Ashley Fryer
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Chris Mandle
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Walker
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Monson
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Childs, Kath Harmer, Lucy Houlden, Anna
Kenolty, Charlotte Loftus, Emma Peasgood
and Claire Russell
News Editors: Simon Murphy and Jessica Tully - courier.news@ncl.ac.uk
‘Meow-meow’ illegal under new Act
-HVVLFD7XOO\News Editor
The legal high drug mephedrone
was made an illegal drug in the UK
WKLVPRQWKDVRIÀFLDOVFODVVLÀHGLWDV
a Class B drug from April 16.
The ban follows a recent report in
The Courier where Newcastle pharmacologist Dr Mohammed Shoaib
claimed mephedrone could kill.
Anyone found in possession of
WKH VXEVWDQFH FRXOG IDFH ÀYH \HDUV
in prison and the maximum sentence for dealing the drug will be 14
years.
The Association of Chief Police
2IÀFHUVXUJHGIRUFHVWRWDUJHWGHDO
ers, saying that it had no intention
of criminalising young people who
had been using it.
The drug, popular with students,
is sold on the internet labelled as
plant food.
There has been controversy surrounding the illegality of the drug,
Established in 1948, The Courier is the fully
independent Student Newspaper of the Union
Society at the University of Newcastle-UponTyne. The Courier is published weekly during
term time, and is free of charge.
The design, text, photographs and graphics
are copyright of The Courier and its individual
contributors. No parts of this newspaper may
be reproduced without the prior permission
of the Editor. Any views expressed in this
newspaper’s opinion pieces are those of the
individual writing, and not of The Courier, the
Union Society or the University of Newcastleupon-Tyne.
WRWDO IDEULFDWLRQ 2QFH WKLV NLQG RI
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unstoppable.
“During the week prior to the ban,
it seemed parents who had tragically lost children were queuing up
to get in the news, one distraught
mother claiming her son (recently
returned from Afghanistan) would
never have committed suicide were
it not for the fact he’d taken mephedrone.
“So, now the highly emotional and
ZKROO\XQTXDOLÀHGYLHZVRIDJULHY
ing mother, desperate for someone
or something to blame for her son’s
death, are elevated to ‘TRUTH’.
“You can almost see the hacks
punching the air as they discover
some poor victim of something or
other once took mephedrone. This
cocktail of distortion, exaggeration
and downright lies has been the
driver behind policy rather than
considered advice and informed de-
University helps in passing of landmark
Bill to protect world’s poorest countries
Larisa Brown
Newcastle University played a key
role in getting a third world debt bill
passed through Parliament earlier
this month.
%\ DSSURYLQJ WKH VR FDOOHG ¶9XO
tures Law’, a landmark bill which
will protect the poorest countries in
the world, the UK has become the
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The University was the only university in the country to back the
campaign, persuading several key
ZRUOG ÀJXUHV VXFK DV $UFKELVKRS
Desmond Tutu to add to their support. Both staff and students exerted
SUHVVXUH RQ WKH *RYHUQPHQW WR JHW
the bill through the Houses of Parliament.
The Debt Relief (Developing CounWULHV %LOO OHG E\ WKH -XELOHH 'HEW
&DPSDLJQLVWKHZRUOG·VÀUVWODZWR
UHVWULFWWKHDELOLW\RI¶9XOWXUHIXQGV·
to sue some of the world’s poorest
countries for full repayment of debts
that they have bought up cheaply.
/DVW 1RYHPEHU WZR 9XOWXUH
Funds were given $20 million in the
High Court from Liberia, the second
poorest country in the world, for a
debt dating back to the 1970s.
The law is expected to make that
verdict unenforceable and will prevent future private investment comSDQLHVIURPPDNLQJVXFKSURÀWV
'U 'DYLG *ROGLQJ 3URIHVVRU RI
Marine Science and Technology,
who led the campaign on behalf of
the University told The Courier ´,
ZDVIXULRXVZKHQ,OHDUQWXQVFUXSX
ORXV FRUSRUDWH SUHGDWRUV ¶9XOWXUH
Funds’) were hijacking the relief
process.
“Buying up poor country debts at
knock-down prices, these Funds sue
for full repayment when debt relief
is granted, siphoning off resources
earmarked for health care and education and making astronomical
SURÀWVLQWKHSURFHVV
“With the passing of the new Bill,
we have started to curb this outraJHRXV EHKDYLRXU , DP LPPHQVHO\
JUDWLÀHGWKDW%ULWDLQKDVRQFHDJDLQ
taken a lead on this issue - gratiÀHG WRR WKDW P\ XQLYHUVLW\ DQG UH
gion have taken such an active and
prominent role, a role which is undoubtedly globally unique.”
,QWHUQDWLRQDO VXSSRUW IRU WKH ELOO
also came from President Ellen
-RKQVRQ6LUOHDIRI/LEHULDDQG3UHVL
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$QGUHZ *Z\QQH 03 DQG VSRQ
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lutely thrilled that my bill has been
SDVVHG LQWR ODZ ,W ZDV FRPSOHWHO\
unacceptable that a small number of
companies were ever allowed in the
8. FRXUWV WR SURÀWHHU RII WKH WKLUG
world debt market.
“These “vulture funds” were completely unjust and it is to the credit
of this parliament, and the efforts of
WKH-XELOHH'HEW&DPSDLJQWKDWZH
KDYH ÀQDOO\ PDQDJHG WR SDVV WKLV
law.”
'LUHFWRU RI WKH -XELOHH 'HEW &DP
paign, Nick Dearden said: “We
hugely appreciate the contribution that the staff and students of
Newcastle University have made
towards this bill becoming law,
IURP WKH 3UR9LFH &KDQFHOORU 3DXO
Younger, to the staff and students.”
Dearden thanked the University
for its huge support over many
years, claiming it has made a big
difference towards debt relief in the
third world.
Researchers make breakthrough in arthritis treatment
&DUROLQH$UJ\URSXOR3DOPHU
The Courier is printed by: Harmsworth Printing Limited, Northcliffe House, Meadow
Road, Derby, DE1 2DW. Tel: 01332 253013.
Mephedrone was made illegal in the UK,
led by Home Secretary Alan Johnson
with some claiming it was a “rushed
decision” following pressure from
the media and government.
Critics claim that banning each
new substance that comes along is
counterproductive.
Patrick Hargreaves, Drug and Alcohol Advisor for Durham County
Council told The Courier´2QFHWKH
trickle of stories of meph-deaths
started, there followed an undigniÀHG UDFH WR EULQJ QHZV RI IXUWKHU
casualties and horror stories. 27
dead, we are told (in fact, one so
far).
“A young man tried to rip his scrotum off (no he didn’t-a prankster
posted a message on a site which
was apparently swallowed hook
line and sinker by the police without
DQ\ YHULÀFDWLRQ WKHQ UHJXUJLWDWHG
by the media).
“180 pupils off sick from one
school in Leicestershire after taking
LWWKH&R&RXQFLOFRQÀUPVWKLVWREH
Newcastle University scientists
have made a breakthrough in the
way rheumatoid arthritis sufferers
are treated, developing a tailored
therapy which is hoped will be
much more effective.
A blood test can show if patients
have one of two immune system
antibodies which makes them more
likely to respond to an advanced
form of treatment. This is believed
to include 80% of rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.
Research presented last week reveals that this group have a good
chance of responding to the drug
rituximab, also known as MebThera,
which targets the immune system.
Rheumatoid arthritis is caused by
the immune system unnecessarily
LQÁDPLQJ MRLQWV ZLWK DQ HVWLPDWHG
690,000 people currently suffering
from it, and 26,000 new cases identiÀHGHYHU\\HDU
This blood test will allow doctors to identify who will respond
to rituximab, allowing it to be administered early enough to prevent
irreversible joint damage and consequential disability. However, it
may not be worth giving the drug to
the 20% of sufferers without either
of the antibodies.
Previously, the patient body has
been treated as a whole, leaving
some patients on ineffective drugs
for some time before the best soluWLRQLVIRXQG2IWKHSDWLHQWVLQ
this new study, all responded poorly
to standard treatments with drugs
such as methotrexate, a Disease
Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drug.
The group contained patients with
and without the antibodies, and results showed that after 48 weeks,
13.2% of patients treated with rituximab who had the antibody were in
remission and no longer showing
symptoms, compared with 5.9% of
the patients without the antibody.
Patients who had tested positively
for the antibody were also three
times more likely to experience an
improvement of their symptoms on
rituximab than those without either
antibody.
Newcastle University Professor of
&OLQLFDO5KHXPDWRORJ\-RKQ,VDDFV
led the research team. He told The
,QGHSHQGHQW´7KLVLVDQLPSRUWDQW
breakthrough in the treatment of
this chronic and debilitating condition, heralding the beginning of an
exciting new era for patients, physicians and indeed the entire RA community.”
,VDDFV FRQWLQXHG ´$GGLWLRQDOO\
this will reduce treatment costs
by avoiding the use of ineffective
drugs.” Rheumatoid arthritis is believed to cost the country almost
£8bn per year in care and treatment,
as well as due to lost employment
caused by the disease.
THE COURIER Monday 26 April 2010
3
News
Roles reversed as Kyle gets grilled by students
Joshua Shrimpton Dean
Controversial talk show host Jeremy
Kyle appeared in front of a live audience at Newcastle University before Easter to face an unforgiving
interview.
Dianne Nelmes, who was responsible for launching Kyle’s career,
pressed the daytime TV favourite on
the ethics of his confrontational style
in front of a packed King’s Hall.
Introducing Kyle, Nelmes, a visiting professor in media and journalism, said: “I’m personally and professionally thrilled and delighted to
be here to share some thoughts and
views with you with the somewhat
infamous, controversial and certainly charismatic Jeremy Kyle.”
The 44-year-old then took centre
stage for what should have been a
gruelling two hours. But Kyle, no
stranger to heated discussion, appeared sharp-witted and proceeded
to make light work of his supposed
interrogation.
Nelmes, a former Editor of The
Courier, began: “Your own life is not
totally blemish-free. What gives you
the authority, the right sometimes,
to really have a go at some of these
people, as you do very effectively?”
Kyle, who is known to have battled an alcohol and gambling addiction in his early years, ignored the
ÀUVWSDUWRIWKHTXHVWLRQ
He responded: “I’ve had that question more than any other question.
They come on the show, they know
ZKDW LW·V DERXW LW·V DERXW FRQÁLFW
resolution.
“But unlike any other show, the
after-care and procedures that are in
place mean that, in a way, it’s morDOO\ÀQH%XWLW·VDFWXDOO\TXLHWVDG,
suspect that for 90 percent of people
who come on my show, it’s a last
resort.
“People appreciate honesty, certainly in this society nowadays
where people fanny around all the
time. I think people need it.”
Kyle went on to give a rare insight into the selection process of
his show, which has aired over one
thousand times on ITV, before taking questions from an eager audience.
But it quickly became clear to the
amassed media and journalism
students that putting a question to
Jeremy Kyle himself is no straightforward task.
In a discussion about the likely low
turnout in the forthcoming general
election, in which Kyle revealed a
desire to go into politics, one student asked what he would change
if he were Prime Minister. Kyle’s familiar condescending tone quickly
belittled his inquisitor.
He responded: “Do you vote for a
Jeremy Kyle with former Editor of The Courier, Dianne Nelmes, in Newcastle University last month. Kyle was invited by Nelmes to speak in front of an open audience in King’s Hall
party or do you vote for a person?”
The student replied: “I don’t do either; I don’t vote.”
“Will you ever vote?” Kyle retorted.
Afterwards, Kyle succumbed to a
crowd of female students to patiently pose for photos outside King’s
Hall before sitting down to speak
exclusively to The Courier about a
range of issues facing students.
The University of Surrey graduate
began by addressing the ongoing
squeeze on university places and
current funding crisis: “I’m all for
further education more than you
would know; I went to university
myself and got a 2:2; which meant I
drank too much in three years - but
it was great.
“I’m not elitist at all, but one of the
reasons there’s become this huge
debate about money is because over
the last 10 or 15 years there’s been so
many courses at so many places.
“I think it’s tragic that students fall
out after three years with a twentythousand-pound overdraft and
spend ten years paying it back.
“When I went to university, it was
DERXWWKHTXDOLÀFDWLRQEXWLWZDVDV
much about three years of a different life and becoming more rounded
as a person.
“But I’m all for the student life, because they watch my programmes.
I’m always surprised that they’re up
at 9.25 in the morning. Actually, I
think that they record it.”
Amidst the ongoing mephedrone
crisis, Kyle reiterated his tough antidrugs stance to address students’
use of cannabis, a prominent part of
the university experience for many.
He said: “There are phases in all
of our lives where we’ll do things,
like the gambling that got me when
I was in my twenties. If you’re an
adult and you want to smoke cannabis, am I right to say you shouldn’t
do it? Do I think it should it be legalised? Well, I’m not getting into that
debate.”
The Courier asked Kyle if, during
his time at university in the 1980s,
he had ever taken cannabis: “I’ve
never, ever, ever taken drugs” he
responded frankly.
Full interview with Jeremy Kyle in
next week’s The Courier.
Newcastle students cover 6,209 miles for SKIP charity
Charlie Oven
A group of Newcastle students are
planning to collectively cover 6,209
miles in a series of events running
over the summer term.
The volunteers are representing
SKIP, a national registered charity with branches at Universities all
over the UK.
SKIP’s aim is to develop and maintain sustainable community-based
projects aimed at improving the
health, education and welfare of
vulnerable children.
The big challenge is aptly named
‘Mission 6209’ as it is 6,209 miles
from Newcastle to the Kampong
Thom province in Cambodia, where
Newcastle students aim to promote
SKIP’s mission.
Volunteers have started clocking
up the miles with a fun run already
completed and a public walk and
fancy dress cycle to be done in the
near future.
Students of the Newcastle branch
of SKIP focused their attention on
Cambodia after the Khmer Rouge
genocide in the seventies.
Talking to The Courier, publicity coordinator of SKIP Newcastle,
Sophia Pownall, said: “A major effect of the genocide has been a lot of
poverty, which has had profound
consequences for the children of
Cambodia.”
5HÁHFWLQJ RQ WKH SRYHUW\ RI WKH
region Pownall stressed how “chil-
GUHQ KDYH WR ZRUN LQ SDGG\ ÀHOGV
rather than go to school, and healthcare is unavailable to the majority of
the population.”
This summer 42 people from SKIP
Newcastle will be going to the Kampong Thom province where they
will teach in several schools, an opportunity Pownall believes “will
give children the chance to be children.”
The voluntary work will also involve working with adults in the
community teaching English and
Healthcare, to ensure messages can
still be passed on when volunteers
are not there.
In terms of promoting SKIP’s aims
Pownall claims “as a student-led
charity, funding is always a problem, so anything you give will make
a huge difference to a child’s life.”
You can donate to the SKIP charity
online by going to www.bmycharity.
com/skipnewcastle.
4
News
Major University breakthrough offers
hope of preventing life-threatening disease
Elliot Bentley
A team of Newcastle University
researchers have developed a new
technique for curing life-threatening
genetic diseases.
The team, led by Professor Doug
Turnbull and Dr Mary Herbert,
proved it possible to replace faulty
mitochondria in fertilised human
eggs, potentially allowing permanent curing of serious genetic conditions.
However, the treatment is yet to
be made available on the NHS, and
some groups have expressed fears
that this may be a step too far in
terms of humans “playing god”.
Serious mitochondrial diseases affect only one in every 6,500 people,
but can leave sufferers both mentally and physically disabled. In many
cases these symptoms can be fatal.
Sharon Bernardi is one such sufferer of mitochondrial disease. Although her symptoms are relatively
absent, of her seven pregnancies six
died within hours of being born, and
her only surviving son, Edward, requires constant care. He suffers from
chronic pain in his muscles that
“makes him scream throughout the
night”, Ms Bernardi told BBC News.
She said of the research: “It will be
too late for me but it would be an
amazing thing if scientists and doctors can prevent this in the future.”
The mitochondria themselves are
“power packs” found in every cell
that act as the source of energy for
every organism bigger than a bacteria. They are peculiar in the way that
they have their own DNA, separate
to the rest of the cell.
Due to the mitochondria’s important role in the body, if its DNA
mutates by even a small amount, it
may prevent the body’s organs from
functioning correctly, and can lead
to genetic mitochondrial diseases.
The researchers from Newcastle
University’s biomedicine department used an interesting quirk of
mitochondrial DNA - that it is inherited entirely from the mother - in
its treatment.
The procedure consists of taking
the DNA of a fertilised human egg
with diseased mitochondria, and
inserting it into an egg with healthy
mitochondria. The resulting child
will therefore not be affected, and
neither will any of its offspring.
Since the egg with healthy mitochondria must come from a donor
separate of the couple, some have
labelled the process as “three-way
IVF”. Professor Turnbull himself
has described it as “changing the
battery on a laptop”.
Speaking to The Courier, he highlighted interactions between departments in Newcastle University’s
medical department as key to the
team’s success.
Professor Turnbull and
his team have
discovered treatment
that could potentially
cure genetic diseases
He said: “One of the things to appreciate in research now is how
many advances are possible because
people work together.
“It was a combination between
Mary Herbert’s lab, which is an embryology lab, and our lab, which is a
mitochondrial genetic lab.
“Although the process is theoretically simple,” said Professor Turnbull, “it is far easier said than done,
and has never been attempted with
human eggs before.“
His team were also refused a license to culture embryos from the
Human Fertilisation and EmbryolRJ\WZLFHEHIRUHÀQDOO\VXFFHHGLQJ
in 2005.
“It’s not going to be the cure for
all inherited diseases - that’s been
taken out of context. But as the chief
execute of the Muscular Dystrophy
Campaign said, if we can cut the
disease out at the knees it would be
fantastic,” he said.
However, some have voiced ethical concerns over the procedure.
Josephine Quintavalle, of campaign
group Comment on Reproductive
Ethics, told The Daily Mail: “We
know very little about the beginning
of life and it is extraordinary how
willing we are to break down one of
the most obvious barriers, which is
that it takes a sperm and an egg to
create an embryo.
´:H KDYH JRW WR ÀQG EHWWHU ZD\V
to cure these diseases.”
Professor Turnbull stressed that
the research was in “an ethically
challenging area”, but rebutted such
criticism.
“What we want to do is offer
women choice, and I think it’s very
important that we accept that this
would not be important for some
women who don’t want IVF - and I
absolutely accept that some in society might have ethical or moral objections,” he told The Courier.
´7KH GLIÀFXOW\ , KDYH LV WKDW LI
they are in a minority, should their
ethical problems with this stop a
woman from having the potential of
having a normal baby?”
The next step for the team is to
prove the technique safe and reliable, in order for it to become available to patients. “I think this will be
particularly valuable to those families who have severely affected children,” said Professor Turnbull.
“I would like to hope that, for these
VSHFLÀF IDPLOLHV ZH ZRXOG EH DEOH
to offer this treatment.”
5
News
Grounded: volcanic ash saga sees hundreds of
students and staff trapped abroad as term begins
J. WHITTAKER
Hundreds of Newcastle University
students and staff were stranded
abroad last week following the massive disruption to transport services
caused by the volcanic eruption in
Iceland.
0DQ\ PLVVHG WKH ÀUVW ZHHN RI
teaching after the Easter break as
ÁLJKWVDFURVV(XURSHZHUHJURXQGed amid fears that an ash cloud lingering over much of the continent
could have caused serious damage
to aircraft engines.
Some staff reported the cancellation of all lectures last week in what
is a critical time in the run-up to the
main exam period, just three weeks
away.
Despite the eventual reopening of
European airspace, many students
will still remain stranded abroad
EHFDXVH ÁLJKWV RQ VRPH URXWHV UHmain fully booked until backlogs
are cleared.
In two separate incidents, groups
RI VWXGHQWV DQG VWDII RQ ÀHOG WULSV
were stranded in Athens and New
York.
Speaking to The Courier from
Athens at the height of last week’s
chaos, second year geography student Emily Walker told how some
members of her party of thirty had
braved the clogged arteries of Europe’s transport network to get back
to Newcastle via a ferry to Venice.
6KHVDLG´,WKDVGHÀQLWHO\EHHQDQ
H[WHQGHG ÀHOGWULS 7KHUH LV D PL[ture of emotions here with different
people relaying different messages
to us.
´6RPHWLPHVZHDUHFRQÀGHQWWKDW
we will get home and it is when
we are feeling like this we can get
on with enjoying the sun. But other
times we are quite unsure.
“Andy Gillespie, the head of Geography, Politics and Sociology, has
been extremely helpful.
“He has been calling everyone
almost every day, checking our
whereabouts and plans, and has
even been booking people into hotels to make sure we all have a bed
for the night.”
A second year Geography student
LQ 1HZ <RUN VDLG ´2XU ÁLJKW ZDV
RQH RI WKH ÀUVW DIIHFWHG :H ZHUH
PHDQWWRÁ\RQ7KXUVGD\DQGLW
got cancelled.
“We’ve now managed to get on
WKHÀUVWÁLJKWRXWEHFDXVHWKHUH·VD
plane at JFK which just can’t leave.
“Our lecturers who were on the
ÀHOGWULSLQ1HZ<RUNDOVRWUDYHOOHG
to Washington so they’re stuck as
well. We can get an extension and
most lectures have been cancelled
anyway.”
Newcastle University’s examinations department told The Courier
that the travel disruption was not
expected to have an impact on the
forthcoming exam timetable, despite many students concerns that
their revision schedules have been
ruined.
Examinations coordinator Kate
Walton said: “Some exams which
are taking place at the moment had
a teaching week last week so their
students should have been back on
campus in time before the travel disruptions began.
“No exams staff have been stranded abroad, but I am presuming that
it will have affected some support
staff areas.”
Second year marketing student
Damyan Georgiev, who last week
FRQWHPSODWHG D KRXU FRDFK WULS
from Bulgaria, told The Courier of his
concern: “I don’t have access to my
textbooks at the moment as none of
my core texts are currently available
through the library’s e-books service.
“Not having access to my textbooks will also affect my revision
schedule as I have only taken two of
them with me.”
Stranded students who are not
sitting exams in May are worried
about looming deadlines for assessments, although the University appears to have been sympathetic to
those who are unable to complete
work on time.
7KLUG\HDUDQFLHQWKLVWRU\VWXGHQW
Niall Sandwith, stranded in Dubai
on a trip back from New Zealand,
VDLG´7KHPDLQSUREOHPLVWKDWP\
GLVVHUWDWLRQ ZDV GXH LQ RQ 7XHVGD\ $SULO VR , KDYH PLVVHG WKH
deadline due to the eruptions and I
have also lost about half a week to
WRXFKLWXSDQGDSSO\WKHÀQLVKLQJ
touches.
“My tutor and programme director
have been very understanding and I
think they will be giving me some
kind of extension when I return.”
Second year media, communication & cultural studies student Jenni
Sadler, currently stranded in Qatar,
has been told by her airline that she
will not be back in the UK until May
KDYLQJ PLVVHG DOO UHPDLQLQJ OHFtures for the year.
She told The Courier: “I emailed all
of the lecturers explaining where I
ZDV 7KH\ UHSOLHG VD\LQJ LW·V QRW D
problem as it can’t be helped.
“But it’s a pain because I don’t have
proper access to the library and all
the books, so there’s only so much I
can do out here from Blackboard.
´, KDYH ZRUGV GXH LQ WKUHH
weeks, so if I’m stuck out here for
another two I’m a bit stuffed.”
All students and staff received an
email from the University giving
advice on what to do if stranded
abroad on University business.
Student Registration also took the
unprecedented step of sending an
urgent email announcing that the
deadline for next year’s module
choice had been put back by a week
due to the “severe” travel disruption.
Initial hopes of an end to the chaos
ZHUH GDVKHG ODVW 7XHVGD\ DV LW EHcame clear the volcano had erupted
again overnight, hurling another
ash cloud towards UK airspace.
But that evening, aviation authoriWLHV ÀQDOO\ DQQRXQFHG WKH UHRSHQing of all UK airports after tests on
aircraft engines indicated the ash
cloud posed little threat.
Dr Beate Muller of the University’s
School of Modern Languages was
optimistic about returning to Newcastle after being stranded in Israel
on a research trip.
Speaking to The Courier from Erez,
Dr Muller said: “If all things go to
plan, I’ll step off the plane at NewFDVWOHDWDPRQ0RQGD\PRUQLQJ
which should just about give me
enough time to rush home, grab a
shower, and then set out to teach my
%HUOLQPRGXOHDWSP
“I might be a bit bleary-eyed on
that occasion, but at least things will
be back to normal.”
Richard Dale, Newcastle University’s Executive Director told The Courier ´:H DUH DZDUH RI VWUDQGHG
VWXGHQWV VWXFN DEURDG PRVWO\
EXWQRWDOOLQ*UHHFHDQGXQDEOH
to travel abroad.”
Continued from front page
“Candidates, irrespective of the fact
that there’s a review going on, can
still be expected to give their personal opinions.
“If a candidate doesn’t give their
personal opinion on the review,
they should not expect a single student vote,” he said.
Higher Education Minister Lammy said: “It’s a thorough review set
up looking at all the options – the
impact on students over the last few
years, looking at access to higher ed-
ucation and employer contribution.
“I’m not pre-empting the review, I
want to see what the review comes
up with, but I think Parliament has
to decide how we move forward.”
Lammy attacked both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat
parties for their stance in the higher
education debate.
“It would be like turkeys voting
for Christmas for students to vote
Conservative or indeed Liberal
Democrats in this coming election,”
he said.
“I think that students in Newcastle should vote Labour because they
need to ensure that they don’t end
up with a Conservative government
that I think would do great damage
to higher education.
“And clearly, would cause students a whole heap of problems that
they hadn’t even predicted.
´7KH /LEHUDO 'HPRFUDWV DUH FRPmitted to cutting student numbers,
that’s why they’re talking about
abolishing fees.
´7KH\ ZDQW WR FXW VWXGHQW QXP-
bers so there will be far less students
at university, which will be disastrous for any young people who are
in sixth form at the moment and any
young people from a working class
background.
´7KH /DERXU JRYHUQPHQW LV FRPmitted to access - it’s the Labour
government that capped fees in the
ÀUVWSODFHµKHDGGHG
David Willetts, the Conservative’s
Shadow Higher Education Minister, does not think the current fees
system will survive the Browne re-
view.
+HVDLG´7KLVLVQRWJRLQJWREHD
kind of quick, dirty exercise to keep
the Blair structure and charge higher fees.
“I think it would have been better
if they’d have done the review sooner and we had something in front of
us before the general election.
“I think we’re going to get some
quite radical proposals on different
ZD\VRIÀQDQFLQJKLJKHUHGXFDWLRQ
which are going to tackle some of
the problems.”
Joshua Shrimpton Dean
6
News Election 2010
Brown looking to
whip the region
into shape after the
economic downturn
As the nation braces itself for the general election, News
Editor Simon Murphy talks to Newcastle East Labour
MP Nick Brown about his three decades in Parliament
N
ick Brown said he
wished he’d taken a
gap year before he
went to university.
Perhaps he’s starting
to feel like he needs a break after
serving as Labour MP for Newcastle
East for the last 27 years – yet, for
now at least, it appears there’s still
DULFKYHLQRISROLWLFDOEORRGÁRZLQJ
through this politician.
In his job as Chief Whip, Brown is
in charge of party discipline for Labour MPs, but he has strong views
of his own, not all of them completely in line with government policy.
While a backbencher he led a revolt
against tuition fees and thinks there
is some merit to the NUS graduate
tax scheme.
It’s clear that Brown – a staunch
supporter of his namesake, the
Prime Minister – is a man of strong
values. He talks fondly of his grandfather, who was a member of the
Communist party, and attributes his
early interest in politics to the conversations he had with him.
“Granny found out that he was a
communist – they were both strict
Methodists – so she made him leave
and he was forced to join the Labour
party,” he said.
“He was forced to because my
grandmother took the view that the
Communist party were atheist.”
Nick Brown’s clearly ‘old Labour’
– a broad man who wouldn’t look
out of place on the old Tyneside
dockyards. He certainly wasn’t
forced into the Labour party when
he became a Newcastle councillor in
1980.
“I believe in the Labour party, I believe in democratic socialism, the interventionist state without the state
being in charge,” he said.
Brown – who is currently in his
second stint as Chief Whip – cites
getting the country through the foot
and mouth crisis as Agricultural
Minister and rolling out Job Centre
Plus as the Minister for Work as his
biggest achievements in politics.
Though, he’s most proud of helping getting the country through
ZKDWKHGHVFULEHVDV´WKHPRVWGLIÀcult times”. Are these now the most
GLIÀFXOWRIWLPHV"
“The situation facing the country
at the moment is very serious,” he
said.
“The strength of the Labour market at the minute is underpinned by
government intervention – that is
because of the recessionary forces
that have been at work in the economy.
“The future of young people and
the working population more generally depends on us making a success
of the recovery and it is our party’s
strategy that is geared at doing that
DQGSXWWLQJWKHUHFRYHU\ÀUVWUDWKHU
the public expenditure cuts.
“There is a price to pay for that. It
means we’ll be spending more on
servicing debt and that is not something I would normally agree with
but it is in my view the correct response to the banking crisis.”
Being Chief Whip, Brown argues,
can be quite a demanding role.
“I’ve asked colleagues to do things
that even myself I’ve had doubts
about but they’ll do it because the
alternative is far worse.
“If you fracture the Labour party,
let it quarrel amongst itself, or worse
still, let it split, you’re going to do
something pretty terrible.
“My fear is that
people from all
families of ordinary
means are
discouraged from
going into higher
education because of
the cost”
“My view is that you should always reconcile your own views
with the views of your colleagues
– the people you’re supposed to be
working with.
“We used to get one or two really
GLIÀFXOW SRVLWLRQV RQFH RU WZLFH LQ
a parliamentary term and it seems
like for the last two years that we’re
getting two of them in a week.
“It happens a lot in politics; the list
of Labour MPs that have rebelled
against the party is well over 200 so
the idea that they’re a pretty supine
lot who do as they’re told is hopelessly wrong.
“These are people with individual
views and beliefs.”
What’s striking about Brown’s
rhetoric is that it’s not loaded with
VSLQ RU FDPRXÁDJHG ² KH FRPHV
across as rather genuine.
He said: “I take the view that politics is a team game, not for gifted
individuals to do what they think is
right regardless of everybody else’s
views.
“It’s particularly true of Labour
politics: politics that arise from ordinary people’s political mechanisms
rather than from the wealthy and
the powerful and the people that
have access to the decision making
almost as a matter of right.
“We don’t have those things,
therefore it’s even more essential
that we preserve that unity of purpose and I believe in that, but do we
PDNHFRPSURPLVHVEHFDXVHRILW"2I
course you do.”
Interestingly, though his position as Chief Whip often requires
him to toe the party line and make
sure Labour MPs back the government when they vote in Parliament,
Brown himself has been known to
rebel.
While serving as a backbencher in
2004, Brown was a main player in
the rebellion over the government’s
plan to introduce top-up-fees, but he
eventually backed down and sided
with the government.
He said: “We negotiated a whole
raft of concessions and the reason
I gave in at the last minute was because the alternative would have
been all the concessions would have
gone and I think the cap is quite a
valuable concession.
“The reason of my disquiet over
student fees is not the issue of over
principle about whether students
should make any contribution.
“I think it’s right that if you benHÀW IURP WKH HGXFDWLRQ \RX VKRXOG
put something back in when you
can afford to and that’s the underpinning principle of where we are at
the minute.
“But if you just increase it to a
higher proportion of the total cost of
the fees then you’re going to price
some youngsters out of the market.
“My fear is that people from all
families of ordinary means are discouraged from going into higher
education because of the cost, and
that’s the very opposite of what I
want to achieve.”
It might also surprise students to
learn that Brown believes “there is
some merit” to the NUS’ graduate
tax scheme and had private discussions with the then Education Minister Charles Clarke when the idea
ZDVÀUVWVXJJHVWHG
Brown also supports lowering the
age of the vote to 16-year-olds and
advocates electoral reform, suggesting the alternative vote system as
Still smiling: Nick Brown is looking to win for the seventh time in Newcastle East
the fairest.
After the MPs’ expenses scandal
broke, Brown was put in charge of
investigating questionable expenses
claims by Labour MPs.
He said: “There are people who’ve
done things I didn’t think any MP
would do.
“If you’d asked me to name individuals I would expect of being caught up in it right across the
Parliament, some I would have got
right and some I would have got
completely wrong. It is a fascinating
thing that you never really know
with people.
“There is quite a strong feeling
amongst the population that they
are against politics and the politicians.
“I can see why they think that but I
can also see that people are working
really hard and really genuine right
across the political spectrum – it’s
not just a party political point here –
and I don’t think it’s fair on them.
“I could take from our region
a number of colleagues who are
putting their heart and soul into it.”
What’s the worst thing about modHUQ GD\ SROLWLFV" ´6HOI LQGXOJHQFH
frankly,” Brown thinks.
“Not everybody takes my view on
this but I think there are some very
strong willed people who are almost
looking to adopt a separate position
for the purpose of political posturing.
“There are very few people I would
accuse of that but there are a few.”
T
he Newcastle East candidates will not be following in the footsteps of the
party leaders and sharing
a platform for an open
election debate.
1LFN%URZQWKHÀUVWHYHU5HJLRQal Minister for the North East, was
honest in his reasons for not doing
so, suggesting that there was no
need for him to give a platform for
his opponents while he was still in
charge.
Does Brown feel like the Liberal
Democrats have made a hash of
their time in charge of Newcastle’s
FRXQFLO"
“I think John Shipley is quite impressive as a council leader,” he
said.
“I think there’s a case for Shipley, I
don’t think there’s much of case for
the pretty incoherent gang that he’s
got behind him and I think there’s
some pretty dreadful people elected
in the Liberal [Democrat] party on
the city council.”
2QHQDPHVSULQJVWRPLQG&RXQcillor Greg Stone was forced to resign
as the Liberal Democrat’s original
candidate for Newcastle East after it
was revealed he was using a pseudonym to post offensive remarks
about MPs on a political blog.
7
Election 2010 News
Brown has led calls for Stone to
resign from his post as North Heaton councillor, and said Nick Clegg
“had not had the guts” to make him
stand down.
He said: “I don’t like him at all. I
think it’s cowardly to attack your
opponents anonymously on a blog,
I think it’s childish as well.
“I strongly deplore the way that he
has particularly gone for women in
the Conservative and Labour parties – there’s something rather immature in it and he drags down the
public life of the city.”
“I say to staff that if
lose we’ll have to get
a window cleaning
round, maybe
delivering the free
newspapers and that
sort of thing”
during the general election. Brown says Labour are the party to lead the country through the economic recovery and that young people and the working population are counting on it
Nick Brown on:
7KHÀUVW79GHEDWH
“David Cameron didn’t
PDNHDYHU\JRRGÀVWRI
putting his points over.
What Nick Clegg did was
to say ‘see, they’re both
the same, I’m against
them’ and he spoke for
this disappointment, this
disenchantment with
mainstream party politics and presented well. I
think that is all he did but
it was enough for people
to say ‘yes I agree with
that and that young man
put it very well’ and he
did – but that’s all.”
David Cameron
“I think he sees what’s
wrong with the traditional Conservative old
guard – and it’s not dif-
ÀFXOWWRGR²EXWZKHWKHU education you ought to
he actually stands for
see through that.”
something that is right
for the modern world,
The Iraq war
I’m not sure.”
“In retrospect, would
The Conservatives
you do the same thing
again? I don’t know, it
“Social mobility counts
was a pretty close call
less with the Conservafor me. You know when
tives than it does with
people say to you if you
us.”
knew then what you
knew now would you
do it again? The truth is
The Liberal Democrats
you can’t do that in life,
“The Liberal Democrats
you never do, you just
are saying they’d abolish make the best decision
the fees but they’ve actu- you can at the time and I
ally also said that they
thought the Prime Miniswon’t do it now. They’re
ter – I was serving in his
just trying to bribe peogovernment, I’d known
ple with no intention of
him since 1982 – was
actually paying the bribe. convinced and he was
Frankly, if you’re underentitled to ask for our
going a course of higher
support.”
Bankers’ bonuses
“Instinctively you know
the difference between
right and wrong and I
think, frankly, helping
yourself to a huge bonus
from the very sector that
has precipitated this economic situation cannot be
right.”
The foot and mouth crisis
“At the height of it I
stood up to Tony Blair
over the issue of whether
we should, or should not
vaccinate the animals. I
felt very strongly that we
should not and that the
culling strategy should
be pursued until conclusion.”
The council’s housing strategy
had courted a lot of controversy this
year. The plan calls for an increase
of between 5,000 and 6,000 purposebuilt bed spaces, citing that growth
in student numbers over the last ten
years has not been met by an increase in the availability of purposebuilt student accommodation.
Brown said: “I’m strongly opposed
to the council’s housing strategy.
This idea that you should create
student ghettos and that students
shouldn’t be part of the community
is fundamentally wrong and I’ve
thought hard about all of the issues
raised.
“I favour a more integrated model
- live and let live - and I think the
key issues are that you can’t be sold
by housing policy but should be
sold with how people live alongside
each other, with a bit of consideration for neighbours.
“The charge against students is not
that they bring crime and disorder
to an area but that they’re noisy,
rowdy, boisterous - that there’s too
many of them and these sort of arguments. I think they bring a lot of
character to the area.
“Good citizenship is the answer
here. Older people say they don’t
tolerate young people as a generality but they’re all really fond of their
own children and grandchildren
and incidentally – if you ask them –
want them to go to university.”
N
ick Brown turns 60 this
June and it’s fair to say
he’s been around the
block. He’s been elected
as MP six times in Newcastle, held numerous positions in
the cabinet and been at the heart of
some of the most important debates
in the last decade.
“Like in all jobs, there is a possibility of, through experience or through
having worked at it for a long time,
JHWWLQJ WLUHG RU F\QLFDO DQG WR ÀQG
that you’re going through the motions,” he said.
“My promise to myself is that if I
felt that I would quit, stand down
and do something else – but I don’t
feel like that.”
Brown holds a majority of 7,565 in
Newcastle East as he looks to win
his seventh election yet he still jokes
about making provisions for the future.
“I say to staff that if we lose we’ll
have to get a window cleaning
round, maybe delivering the free
newspapers and that sort of thing.
“But until that happens I think I’ll
carry on trying to cling on to the job
I’ve got.”
8
News
Newcastle student tests his wit on Countdown
Bethany Sissons
Third year Newcastle student Ned
Walker appeared on Channel 4’s
legendary game show, Countdown,
during the Easter holiday.
After applying 16 months ago,
Walker, who is also Puzzles Editor
of The CourierZDVÀQDOO\JLYHQWKH
opportunity to showcase his probOHPVROYLQJ VNLOOV LQ D VKRZ DLUHG
on April 12.
From watching Countdown with
his housemates during his third
year, Ned’s friends realised that he
had the brainpower to appear on the
show.
After watching and beating a
week’s worth of Countdown contestDQWVLQKLVOLYLQJURRP1HGZDVWROG
by his friends that he should apply.
Ned, who is now studying for a
Masters in Computing Science, told
The Courier´,ÀOOHGLQDQDSSOLFDWLRQ
form online around Christmas 2008,
a few weeks later they got back to
me and I had to attend an audition
in Newcastle.
“I competed in a practice game
there against a couple of older women and beat them. In the end it was
about a year before I got in front of
the cameras.”
Ned took a relaxed approach to
preparing for his appearance on the
show, explaining how a charity shop
board game edition of Countdown
formed his training programme.
´, XVHG WKH ERDUG JDPH WR KDYH D
few practice games before the real
thing. My only other training was
watching the show and getting tips
that way.
´%HLQJ 3X]]OHV (GLWRU PXVW KDYH
KHOSHG PH WRR DV KDYLQJ WR WKLQN
of puzzles each week got me in the
right frame of mind.
“The whole thing was a really
JRRGH[SHULHQFH7KHVKRZLVÀOPHG
in Manchester and it didn’t really hit
PHWKDW,ZDVJRLQJWREHRQWHOHYLVLRQXQWLO,DUULYHGWKHUH
“It was so scary at the time but apSHDULQJRQWKHVKRZZDVGHÀQLWHO\
an unforgettable experience; I had
so much fun.
´, FDQ·W HYHQ UHPHPEHU WKH EHVW
word I came up with now, although
LWZDVDVHYHQOHWWHURQH
´7KH ÀOPLQJ VHHPHG WR JR VR
TXLFNO\ XQGHU SUHVVXUH HYHU\WKLQJ
became a blur.”
Ned said that being in front of the
FDPHUDVZDVQHUYHZUDFNLQJ´<RX
suddenly become self conscious; I
was afraid of looking stupid and
making mistakes.
“It’s not the same as sitting in front
of the TV at home where you can
shout out the answers. The ticking
clock was especially off-putting.”
Ned met the Countdown presenter,
Jeff Stelling, who he described as a
legend. “Jeff Stelling said hello and
DVNHG LI , ZDV 2. +H ZDV YHU\
friendly.”
1HG HYHQ ZLWQHVVHG &DURO 9RUderman’s replacement, Rachel Riley, make a mistake. “No one could
JHWWKHÀQDOPDWKVSUREOHP5DFKHO
thought she had the answer and
started explaining it before realising
Tick tock: Ned Walker described his appearance on Channel 4’s Countdown as “scary” but an “unbelievable experience”
WKDW VKH ZDV ZURQJ ,W PXVW KDYH
been embarrassing for her.”
When asked about the airing of his
Countdown episode, he said: “I was
actually working when it was on,
but loads of my friends watched it.
I was inundated with text messages
and wall posts while it was airing.
“It was my birthday on the Wednesday and my friends got me one of
those photo cakes with a screenshot
of me on the show on top.”
Unfortunately, Ned was beaten by
ÀYH SRLQWV E\ WKH FXUUHQW QXPEHU
Students given voice on city council
as community motion gets passed
Jacob Cunliffe
A motion for the creation of a student community forum has been
SDVVHG E\ FRXQFLOORUV DW WKH &LYLF
Centre.
The motion, carried without any
opposition from within the city
FRXQFLO ZLOO JLYH VWXGHQWV D YRLFH
to debate with residents, landlords,
and councillors on a broad range of
issues, from housing and parking to
noise control and student welfare.
1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ 6WXGHQWV·
8QLRQ &RPPXQLW\ 2IÀFHU 'DYLG
Hickling, the force behind the motion, spoke to the full council at the
beginning of the meeting
+H VDLG ´7KH IRUXP ZRXOG VHUYH
a dual purpose. Firstly, it would
help to facilitate dialogue and understanding between these groups,
ZKRWUDGLWLRQDOO\KDYHKDGQRÀ[HG
channels of communication.
´6HFRQGO\ LW FDQ VHUYH DV D ERG\
of consultation for the council, who
can keep the forum up to date with
SROLF\GHYHORSPHQWVµ
+LFNOLQJ·V DUJXPHQW ZDV JLYHQ
YRLFH LQ WKH FRXQFLO E\ &RXQFLOORU
Joyce McCarty, Labour’s deputy
council leader
When asked for her response to
the passing of the motion, Councillor McCarty said that she was delighted that an important issue for
Labour councillors was now being
seriously considered.
6KHVDLG´7KLVIRUXPLVORQJRYHUGXH )RU WRR ORQJ VWXGHQWV KDYH
been seen as a problem and this will
The new council motion will give students more of a say in areas such as Heaton
challenge that perception.”
McCarty also pointed to the good
work already being done in her own
ward.
´,Q :LQJURYH ZDUG ZH KDYH UHally good working relationships between residents in Spital Tongues,
students and staff on the Castle
/HD]HV FDPSXV DQG KDYH D FKDQFH
to share our concerns.
“This model can work elsewhere
WRRLIHYHU\RQHFRRSHUDWHVWRPDNH
it happen and the citywide forum
will be a further opportunity for
open discussions.”
It was not known beforehand
whether the ruling Liberal Democrat faction would lend their weight
to the motion, although an article in
the Newcastle Evening Chronicle the
day before the meeting suggested
that their support would be likely.
Representing the Liberal Demo-
crats, the leader of the council, John
6KLSOH\ H[SODLQHG WKDW ´, DP YHU\
keen to see closer working between
students, local residents and the city
council.
“It would increase mutual understanding. Listening to others is always helpful in creating policy so I
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council.
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enormously in the life of the city
and this forum can only help to
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the council.”
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both Newcastle and Northumbria
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and a half percent of the city.
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pleased that this motion has been
passed. We will hopefully begin to
see a new era of dialogue between
students and the rest of the city.
“The motion has the support of
the Jesmond Residents’ Association.
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put the hard work in to see the forum come to fruition.
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has promised.”
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forum will also be useful in allowLQJ D FRQVWUXFWLYH DQG IRUPDO PHdium for dialogue between students
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it should be possible to ensure the
quality and desirability of student
housing.
In 2009, there were almost 6,000
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the motion as a priority of student
community welfare.
two contestant for the 2010 series.
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Ned is also hoping to enter a team
of The Courier section editors on to
Eggheads. It seems that there are no
limits to his puzzle skills.
Recycling scheme
shortlisted for
national award
Freya Leete
1HZFDVWOH 8QLYHUVLW\ LV LQ WKH UXQning to win the ‘Commercial Recycling Champion Award’ for 2010.
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Daniel O’Connor is one of a shortlist
of three to scoop the prize.
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recycling and sustainability projects
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create a recycling-friendly campus
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from a recycling bin”.
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the Newcastle campus has risen
from a mere 20 percent to an incredible 60 percent.
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Daniel O’Connor is gradually imSURYLQJVWXGHQWDZDUHQHVVDQGDLPV
to make recycling more appealing
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each year as a result of recycling.
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back into the waste management
structure.
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9
News
Union scoops hat-trick of awards
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The Catholic Church:
Africa, the Pope and
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Comment Editors: Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer and Nicholas Fidler - courier.comment@ncl.ac.uk
> Comment page 12
Decision time
James Stubbs
Columnist
One of South Park’s many merits is
you can often apply its episodes’
various happenings to what’s happening in current affairs or just in
life generally. Recently I watched
one where the school’s mascot is
required to change from a PETA
offending cow to a new one of the
children’s choice.
The main two contenders for the
position of new mascot end up
being a giant douche and a turd
sandwich, with everyone in town
hitting the campaign trails eager
to use their valuable vote to secure
their favourite candidate the place.
Everyone is excited, except Stan,
who is unhappy with having to
choose between a giant douche and
a poo. I’m fairly sympathetic to his
plight, and I’m still deciding which
way my vote will go in May.
)RUWKHÀUVWWLPH,·PJHWWLQJ
interested in the elections, when
previously I had let them fairly
wash over me, deciding who to
vote for just on opinions formed
from a few snippets of manifestos.
Reading about each party and their
campaigns more and more I should
be getting closer to an informed
decision, but as I read on I get less
and less sure of who I might vote
for; I don’t really want to vote for
any of them.
Watching the TV debate the other
night I looked on in horror as echoes of mindless programmes like X
Factor bled into British politics. The
set reeked of low budget cheesy
game shows from the early nineties,
with Alastair Stewart bouncing off
the walls with all the excitement of
a child on Christmas Day.
Each candidate gave us their two
pennies’ worth, Brown: ‘I have
memorised some facts.’ Cameron:
‘Waste.’ Clegg: ‘Lib Dems – why
not?’ It was shiny-faced brown
nosery at its highest, and the overt
drama of it is still stuck in my
mind. In the end Nick Clegg won
a washing machine and a weekend
break to Blackpool.
As entertaining as it was I am no
closer to deciding, in fact I am now
even less sure. So who do I vote
for? The minute I start seeing sense
in one party’s economy or educaWLRQSODQV,EHJLQWRVHHÁDZVLQ
their others, and I’m back to square
one.
None of them have a set of policies that I would be happy to watch
being put completely into action.
I suppose the question should be
who do I believe the most and who
do I dislike the least?
In the South Park episode Stan
gets banished from the town for
refusing to vote. I don’t think the
same thing would happen to me,
but I don’t want to opt out simply
because it’s a tough decision.
I don’t like the giant douche or the
turd sandwich, so maybe I’ll vote
for the massive penis. Either that or
the Green Party.
Let sleeping cows lie? Freemen of Newcastle, who can graze cows on Town Moors, have traditionally only been male, but this is to change with women permitted to take the role.
Should Newcastle’s Freeman Guild be open to women?
Yes
Laura Heads
It seems a little dated to me that
in this day and age we can still
be having an argument regarding
the transfer of women into jobs
traditionally regarded as male.
Women have had the vote since the
early 1900s, agreeably it took a little
longer for fairness in jobs and such,
but in 2010 you’d think we’d be all
for equality.
The Freemen of Newcastle are
probably known to most students
as the people who graze their cows
on the town moors across the city.
The term does traditionally refer
to males, indeed the clue being in
the name; free-men is a big giveaway, but that being said there is
no legitimate reason why women
FDQQRWÀOOWKLVUROHWRR
There are now more women in
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than ever before and they are still
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men, the apparent bias being only
in name and that is purely because
of custom rather than deliberate
use of the term; women don’t seem
to mind and neither should we.
Indeed just because something
has ‘man’ or ‘men’ in the title does
QRWPHDQLWLVVSHFLÀFDOO\IRUWKH
male sex, take manholes for example, these weren’t built exclusively
for men, and quite frankly it would
be a little odd if they were.
Disallowing women from becoming freemen also has enormous
effects on families.
Many of the Freemen posts are hereditary, passed down from family
to family, father to son and so on.
You hit a slight problem when you
get to a Freeman whose only children are daughters, not sons, who
should he pass the title on to now?
Should we allow this family tradition to die out purely because we
feel like being sexist?
Many women across the city who
come from a family of Freemen
would be only too willing to take
up this responsibility and, dare I
say it, would do a very good job at
it too.
Although I realise that raising
cattle is not their only job, it is the
one they are perhaps most well
known for, and in a country that
is regularly crying out for farmers
and home grown British produce,
the idea of restricting this based on
gender becomes a little silly.
Yes, tradition should always
have a place at the heart of British
society, without it we would not
be the nation that we are, but there
is always room for traditions to
change and adjust slightly as society changes and adjusts also.
If we were to still follow tradition
to the letter, women would be living in the shadows.
They would not be allowed to
vote or work; the fact we have progressed from this is an asset to our
community, so disallowing women
from becoming Freemen would be
almost like a slap in the face to this
social shift.
We’re a nation of equals all the
time, not when we feel like it, tradition or not.
No
Nick Kershaw
If we do not have traditions in our
society, what is there left? Traditions form the backbone of our
great nation. They provide the
foundations of the culture that uniÀHV%ULWDLQ7KH\HQGXUHDQGDUH
not to be messed around with.
Our national traditions should not
be undermined for the sake of such
petty gains. 900 years is an awful
long time. Why change things now?
I simply do not see the need in
changing a harmless rule that has
been accepted for the best part of a
millennium.
The Freemen of Newcastle are
made up of bricklayers, shipwrights, joiners, master mariners
and other such traditionally maledominated industries.
These men came together in
Anglo-Saxon times in order to
defend our city. These were the
strongest and bravest men, revered throughout Newcastle. I do
not want to question the value of
women within our society but I
have my limits - I want to defend
and protect my woman and not be
defended by her.
Some may say this is sexist,
however it is our natural instinct;
we as men have an inherent need
to be the hunter. Chivalry lives on
in the 21st century. Why should we
be ashamed to say so? I refuse to be
VWRSSHGIURPIXOÀOOLQJWKHUROHP\
father brought me up to play.
Aside from the clear issues with
traditions, we must also fear for
the plight of the cows. If these new
women Freemen (what do we call
them anyway? I propose ‘Fremales’?) bring yet more cows to our
town moors we will be forced to
consider the serious repercussions
of the natural scarcity of food.
What is the point in feminism
winning this battle? Is this the glass
ceiling the Suffragettes fought so
hard to smash through? It hardly
ranks in the great successes that
women have achieved.
Surely it undermines the overall
goals that feminist theory puts
forth. It’s not about empty victories
over long-standing traditions of
little consequence. It is about being
recognised as equally valuable to
society as men.
Having equality does not mean
having the same roles. I would love
to breastfeed my own child, that
would be the most astonishing experience imaginable, but I have had
to come to accept that this is simply
not feasible.
Men are being pressured to accept
women into every part of their
lives, is there nowhere safe any
longer? The traditional places of
male escapism such as golf clubs,
pubs, and now the Freemen’s
Guild, are being captured by the
unrelenting march of the female
inferiority complex.
For these reasons, I put it to the
readers, that this archaic rule
should remain sacrosanct. Such
ideals are an integral part of our
makeup as a society and, as a
nation, we should not yield them
under any circumstances.
11
Comment
We need St. George to slay
dragon of racist patriotism
James Brown
The feast of Saint George has been
a festival of national pride and gluttony - two of the worst of the seven
deadly sins - since 1222 when the
Synod of Oxford promptly declared
the Day of Saint George a national
holiday. Somehow we lost this tradition along the way: last Friday’s
events passed relatively unnoticed.
Some blame the Protestant work
ethic for our lack of national
holidays. But wait, the Scots have
Saint Andrew’s Day off; the Irish
literally go mad for Saint Patrick’s
Day. Why not celebrate the English
saint’s day more?
Perhaps Gordon Brown should
have done the same as those Oxford Synod chaps: he could have
simultaneously done away with
any qualms all those little Englanders have about him ruling the
whole island and wooed swathes of
those Holy Grail ‘middle England’
votes in marginal constituencies all
with one red and white hued press
conference.
Imagine the reception at the port
RI'RYHUUHSOHWHZLWKÁDJVRI
Saint George, for all those Gordo
‘rescued’ from the ‘horrors’ of
having to stay one extra week in an
airport hotel because of the volcano
WKDWZDVGHÀQLWHO\KLVIDXOWWRR
You may have detected a tone, dear
reader, but I only take my cue from
‘The Best Newspaper In The World’
– one that has the Patron Saint
George himself on their front page
every day – that bastion of insightful journalism and patriotism – The
Daily Express.
I digress: back to the celebrations.
Just imagine it! We could all, for
one glorious three-day weekend,
have lived in the shires of yesteryear: supping Real English ales
and ciders, erecting marquees and
engaging in the utmost reserved
English frivolity the likes of which
have not been seen since the Long
$ZDLWHG3DUW\LQWKHÀUVW/RUG2I
7KH5LQJVÀOP7KLVVRXQGVOLNHD
winning formula for all England
– just what we as a nation needed
after the tiresome recession, the
bizarre volcano episode and the
incessant election coverage.
Alas, that image is of an England
that has long since passed into the
history books for most of us. It just
GRHVQ·WUHÁHFWWKHPXOWLFXOWXUDOLVP
of the England which we all inhabit
nowadays.
Instead Saint George’s Day
celebrations became, as they often
have in recent years, a target of
celebration for the BNP and other
fascist, racist organisations. They
6W*HRUJH¶V'D\WHQGVWREULQJWKHGHEDWHVXUURXQGLQJ(QJOLVKQDWLRQDOLVPWRWKHIRUHDVJURXSVOLNHWKH%13KDYHDGRSWHGWKHÀDJ
chose to hijack the patron saint’s
day last Friday to launch their
manifesto: as ever, woefully behind
reality – all the other parties did it
the week before.
By wrapping themselves in the
ÁDJDQGKLMDFNLQJWKHFHOHEUDWLRQV
the BNP spoil the fun for the rest of
us. The sensible majority fear using
WKHÁDJWRGHPRQVWUDWHSULGH²ZH
may have to take comfort in the fact
that the English way is surely to be
quietly patriotic without the need
to resort to overt symbolism and
FUXGHÁDJZDYLQJ&KHHUIRUWHDPV
Á\WKHÁDJRQO\RQVSHFLDORFFD
sions: just don’t overdo it.
Newcastle’s own small celebra-
The curious case of the modern ‘true lad’
Danny Kielty
When we look back through the
not-so-recent history of British
society and culture, we tend to be
greeted by a confusing mixture
of war, class tensions and empire
building; all set amongst rather
liberal amounts of gushing poetry,
triple-decker novels and, of course,
DQXQTXDQWLÀDEOHQXPEHURISDLQW
ings in which rather large naked
women are the primary subject.
Considering the fact that I’ve been
DEOHWREULHÁ\VXPXSRXUQDWLRQ·V
cultural past in four sentences, I
often wonder how amateur anthropologists such as myself will sum
up today’s British culture when
ÁRDWLQJFDUVDQGOLYLQJRQ0DUVDUH
all the rage.
Leaving aside famous Prime
0LQLVWHUVLQIDPRXVOHDGVLQJHUV
and formaldehyde shark stiffeners,
surely their most valuable point
of reference will be: www.truelad.
com. No dusty textbook can ever
claim to identify with one such
aspect, a true British phenomenon;
the beer chugging, banter loving,
footy watching, womanizing man the LAD.
Of the plethora of evidence at
hand (and trust me there is plenty),
only a fractional amount can be
FRQVLGHUHGÀWIRUKXPDQH\HV2QH
charming story from Stowmarket,
UK, reads: ‘Quite into my big girls,
managed to get one home, she
heads to the bathroom to freshen
up while I turn on the box. It’s the
Ashes. She returns, ready to do the
business, and says, “You’re not
really going to watch that while
I’m here are you?” Response: “The
Ashes is only every two years love,
I have fatties round every weekend.”’
She heads to the
bathroom to freshen
up while I turn on the
box. She returns, ready
to do the business, and
says, “You’re not really going to watch that
while I’m here are you?”
Response: “The Ashes
is only every two years
love, I have fatties round
every weekend”
Gone, it seems, are the articulate
laudanum-fuelled poetic laments
of a Shelley or Byron observing the
condition of the world in days gone
by; replaced instead by the brutally
honest LAD, armed to the teeth
with a six-pack of Stella, tracksuit
bottoms worn at least halfway
down their backside and of course
an unshakeable determination to
have sex with anything that is over
the age of 16; preferably without a
condom.
Shelley and Byron did the same
WKLQJDOEHLWJDUEHGLQUXIÁHVDQG
hose, yet I doubt they made love to
their women whilst watching Freddie Flintoff bowl another blinder.
It’s clear to see that the female sex
get a pretty raw deal in all of this.
However, it seems the LADETTE
has risen and is biting back, as one
traumatized young man recalls:
¶0HWDEORQGHRQDQLJKWRXW
decided I was going to try and use
the weirdest chat up line my mate
could think of… Asked her if she’d
like to “stroke my lucky scrotum”,
unknowing of what was to come
she said yes and smacked me in the
nuts.’
6RPHKRZ,ÀQGLWKDUGWREH
lieve that our cultured friends in
Continental Europe take the same
pleasure in mutual humiliation
H[FOXGLQJRIFRXUVH0D[0RVHO\
and Silvio Berlusconi).
0D\EH,KDYHP\KHDGLQWKH
clouds, but I’d like to think that
the anthropologists of the future
will look back to our time and not
be greeted by a mass of stories
involving bruised testicles and the
most unbecoming of toilet cubicle
photographs.
But on the other hand, maybe we
should be grateful that we live in
a time when the biggest danger to
our dignity is a drunken mistake or
a well placed comeback, instead of
having to face the prospect of being
baited to lions for public entertainment or being one of one of
Genghis Khan’s concubines - which
was a real risk in the olden days,
I’m told.
If any of you guys and gals out
there are unlucky enough to form
the subject of a truelad tale, you
have my sympathy, but in the
meantime we can all only enjoy
scrolling through what is surely
the anecdote capital of the world
and pray none of us get soaked,
stripped or slapped by anything
humiliating anytime soon.
WLRQVHQFRPSDVVHG0RUULVGDQFHUV
and a market with local goods at
the Civic Centre and were focussed
on the Newcastle: City for Peace
initiative and also included a service of remembrance at St Thomas’s
Church for all those soldiers lost in
the cause of peace and a night of
English music (akin to a mini Last
Night of the Proms) at City Hall.
The website for the daytime
events encouraged members of
what it delicately termed “other
communities” to join in the fun,
later explaining that Saint George is
patron saint of many other countries including Georgia, Greece, Palestine, Lithuania, Portugal, Ethiopia
and Russia.
He was born in Palestine (it may
interest the BNP to note) and was
made a saint for converting pagans
to Christianity through his suffering under torture, not quite for
slaying a dragon.
The lessons of the legend of Saint
George are ones we can draw from
even today. Now the dragon blighting our country is the danger that
racism and fascism pose. Slaying
that dragon must start by embracing a moderate patriotism like
that experienced at Newcastle’s
festivities last week, not draping
RXUVHOYHVLQWKHÁDJDQGXJO\VOR
gans of the BNP.
Frobbed: Facebook robbery
Tarren Smarr
Facebook status: fancy dress-check,
taxi booked for home-check, night
out with the girls-on my way!
Facebook has been all the rave in
the news during this past year. In
some instances, it has been a positive social website.
For example, it was used as an
alibi to help keep an American
teenager from facing prosecution
after being accused of armed robbery.
And let’s not forget the obvious, a
great way to keep in touch with our
friends and family members who
now span vast countries, oceans,
and even continents.
However, Facebook has also
recently been spotted as an easy
device for thieves.
Think about how many times a
day you post in your status your
location. In doing so, you are also
posting one place you won’t be:
your own house. So what is to stop
a thief from going to the one place
where no one will be: home?
Thieves are becoming more clever
and creative with their means of
obtaining your property. If you
KDYHQ·WEHHQLQDÀWWLQJURRP
ODWHO\\RXPD\EHVXUSULVHGWRÀQG
that the purse hooks are now a little
lower than they used to be. Why,
you might ask?
It’s the response of department
stores around the country to do
what they can to stop thieves from
stealing your purse.
Though a purse is easily replaceable, think of how much of your life
is kept in a purse or carrier bag of
some kind. It wasn’t too long ago
when a woman, shopping in a well
known British department store,
had her purse nabbed when a thief
reached over the door and snatched
it off the hook.
Only a few hours later she
received a call from someone claiming to work at the store. The caller
claimed to have found her purse
and asked her to pick it up.
But while she went to the store,
the thief, who now had her house
keys and address (which was in
her purse, obviously), robbed her
home. Poor girl lost her bag, everything of her life inside, as well as
her home possessions.
We feel bad when we hear stories
of people being completely had.
Especially when it is a double hit
like the poor girl above, but don’t
be the one to tempt a thief by giving them a very easy target. It’s all
about using your common sense.
They say don’t post anything you
wouldn’t want your Gran to read.
Well, don’t post anything you
wouldn’t want a thief to know.
Yeah, we all know you will be moving into the library for the duration
of the term and until the end of
exams.
There is no need to paste it on
your Facebook page. Plus, how
many of your Facebook friends do
you actually know?
Though it may seem awesome to
have hit that 1,000 friends mark,
\RXPD\EHVXUSULVHGWRÀQGKRZ
many of them might think of taking
a shopping trip in your home while
you are away.
12
Comment
A. SUTHERLAND
Only the tip of the iceberg of abuse by priests
Caroline
Argyropulo-Palmer
Comment Editor
The mounting allegations of child
abuse by Catholic priests are rightly
receiving considerable coverage
and investigation. However, while
the West focuses its eyes on the
Vatican, the same situations are
likely to be going unnoticed in
places where sexual abuse is still a
taboo, the church still has considerable power compared with the
wane of religion in Europe, and
victims are even more vulnerable.
Like many other gap year students I spent six months living in
Tanzania working at a primary
school. Religion was a central part
of the lives of all the children and
teachers; it took a while to regain
face after starting to drink your tea
in the staff room before grace, and
invitations to church turned down
with an attempt to explain atheism
were met with more confusion than
animist might have done.
Tanzania was placed 164th out
of 177 countries in the 2005 Human Development Index. It has an
estimated population of over 38
million, a 5.4% adult AIDS rate, and
1.2 million orphans due to AIDS.
Nearly 27% of the population are
Catholic and there are over two
thousand priests. In 1991 the Catholic Church ran 413 nursery schools,
6 schools for the handicapped and
36 hospitals.
Corporal punishment is legal in
Tanzania, and was certainly not
spared in the school I worked in.
Walking into my classroom one day
I found every single one of my 90
pupils being caned on their hands.
My class were not perfect by any
extent, but I couldn’t understand
what they all could have done.
Racheli was one of the most
FRQÀGHQWJLUOVLQP\FODVVDQGKDG
the best English. It was towards
the end of my time there, and being closer in age to my pupils and
more involved with them outside
of school, I think they felt comfortable with me, certainly more so
than with their other teachers. But
when I asked her why she had
EHHQKLWKHUÀUVWUHSO\ZDV´,·G
Nearly 50% of
Congolese are Catholic,
as are 79% of Brazilians,
but less than a quarter of
North Americans are
been naughty”, and when pushed
further she just looked confused.
If one of the pupils in my class
was experiencing sexual abuse, at
home or in an institution, I strongly
doubt they would have told me.
I’m not sure they would have told
anyone. And teachers certainly
aren’t trained to look for signs, or
how to deal with accusations. Sex
isn’t a comfortable topic, and sexual
abuse is not fully recognised.
At church with one of my teachers
it was preached that everything
that happens comes from God,
the bad and the good. It wasn’t
a Catholic church, but this is a
common developmental concern
with regards to religious teachings
across denominations, and it also
poses a problem in this case. When
:H·UHVWLOOQRWUHDG\WRÁ\OHVV
Fran Infante
With transport in chaos last week,
European society got a real taste
of what luck, timing and dogged
determination may be required, just
to make it back home from a family
holiday abroad. We also learned
what a bloody long time it took to
get anywhere before we had the
ease and convenience of hopping
onto the nearest Ryanair special.
In short we learnt we have been
spoiled.
On a more serious note the total
air ban gave a chilling demonstration of how dependent we are on jet
travel and by default jet fuel.
Despite, it seems widespread
awareness of its soaring price
and limited future as a resource,
conventional transports systems remain unequipped to deal with the
excess of passengers that a reducWLRQLQÁLJKWVZRXOGFUHDWHDZDUQ
ing that Britain along with Europe
needs to take serious action.
The irony of course is that given
the enormous press coverage Icelandic Eyjafjallajoekul has had,
instead of this warning, what we
have heard is a series of anecdotes
and railings about how jolly tiresome the whole thing was and a
VHULHVRIDWWHPSWVWRÀQGVRPHRQH
to blame.
Frustration is predictable and
completely understandable when
RQHÀQGVWKDWDWKUHHKRXUÁLJKW
from Alicante has been unceremoniously replaced by a three-day
trek via every train and bus station
across the Iberian Peninsula.
But doesn’t all the anger and
recrimination seem just a tiny bit
ULGLFXORXVDÁRRGYLFWLPSDXVLQJ
amidst the wreckage to shake his
ÀVWDWWKHUDLQFORXGVIRUWKHLUIDLO
ure to stop the rain strikes a similar
level of futility.
How can you play the blame
game when there truly is no one to
blame – the fundamental and most
irritating part of natural disasters, is
that they occur - naturally.
The European Commission who
implemented the ban has taken
the brunt of the continent’s rage.
I wonder though, watching the
testimonies of the stranded travellers whether they realise that if
WKH\KDGÁRZQRQWKHLUVFKHGXOHG
ÁLJKWVWKHUHLVDYHU\UHDOSRVVLELO
ity that they could have died?
These authorities are not deliberately scuppering your holiday
plans; they are saving your life. The
ban is inconvenient of course it is,
but it’s a lot less convenient to be
dead. Yes there could have been
WHVWÁLJKWVHDUOLHULWGRHVQ·WPDWWHU
where I was stranded, I would not
be queuing up to be on one of them
Who has pondered the chaos and
thought it presents a perfect opportunity to spark the revival of the
boat? The rescue effort by Eclipse
&HOHEULW\ZDVWKHÀUVWVWHS)RUJHW
EXGJHWÁLJKWVDQGWKHLUVXUFKDUJHV
bring back the boat. We are an
island, we are good at boats.
a priest’s words are taken to be
God’s, will a community recognise
they have done something wrong?
There is no doubt that it is happening to some children; child
abuse is a prevalent problem in
Africa. Three young men in neighbouring Kenya have come forward
and said they were abused by an
Italian priest over years at a shelter
for the poor. Although the church
has said they will investigate, the
police have said they believe the
men are innocent.
The persecution of ‘witch children’ in Nigeria was led in places
by Evangelical preachers, showing the power and corruptibility
of religious leaders. One article
investigating child abuse in Kenya
and Tanzania suggests that it is
used as a way for AIDS sufferers to
‘cleanse’ themselves.
There are countries both poorer
and more Catholic than Tanzania.
Nearly 50% of Congolese are Catholic, as are 79% of Brazilians. Less
than a quarter of North Americans
are Catholic, and even Ireland has
fewer than Brazil with 76%.
Not everyone who enters the
Catholic ministry is a paedophile.
However, it is inevitable that a career that grants access to vulnerable
people will attract abusers. Combined with the evidenced inability
of the Catholic Church to regulate
themselves, outside attention and
regulation is needed.
But focussing this on people
with more chances to speak out
in countries more likely to listen
won’t solve the problems, it will
just allow the cycle to continue,
causing more damage to people’s
lives and communities in countries
where picking up the pieces could
EHPXFKPRUHGLIÀFXOW
The pope-mobile: in impoverished Tanzania, one third of the population are Catholic
Papal revamp: papa needs a brand-new hat
Daniel Rawcliffe
Hats are important; not quite as
important as shoes, but they rank
highly in terms of sartorial impact.
This fact is most vividly realized at
events like Ladies’ Day at Aintree
and religious ceremonial rites of
passage: christenings, weddings
and funerals. What can we deduce
from this? God adores head gear.
Thus it follows that God’s man on
Earth simply must have an interest in hats too; Pope Benedict XVI
not only loves a fetching hat but a
whole cascade of fabulous attire.
But whilst clothes certainly make
the man do they make the Pope?
Who is the man behind the mitre?
Joseph Alois Ratzinger shares his
birthday (April 16) with super-cool
ODG\VLQJHU'XVW\6SULQJÀHOGEXW
he was the son of a policeman, not
a preacher. After an encounter with
DÁDVKDWWLUHGFDUGLQDODWWKHDJHRI
ÀYH\RXQJ-RVHSKZDVFDSWLYDWHG
by the holy man’s distinctive garb
and decided that the priesthood
was where he’d wear his many,
many fabulous hats.
Flash forward 73 years of gaybashing, woman-bashing, Jewbashing and any other bashing you
can conceive of and Joseph gets his
ZLVKDQGLVSRQWLÀFDWHGDV%HQHGLFW
XVI. The Catholic Church gains a
QHZ3RSHDQGROH·-RHÀQDOO\JHWV
that killer wardrobe he’s been after
for such a long time.
But like any decent celebrity
worth their column inches learns,
image isn’t everything; you may
have the clobber but are you worth
the bother? Joseph needed to start
speaking up and live up to his old
nick-name of ‘God’s Rottweiler’.
You see, the Pope is more than a
man, more than a priest, more than
a super-mega-ultra cardinal: he’s an
icon. And what’s an icon coupled
with an extensive collection of fabuORXVRXWÀWVDQGWHDFKLQJV"7KDW·V
right, a diva.
The Pope is essentially
Madonna; except she’s a
much better dancer
,QÁDWHGVHQVHRIVHOILPSRUWDQFH"
Diva. Devoted band of ardent
followers? Diva. Contingent of
potentially violent stalkers necessitating a large security detail?
Diva. Pretentious album of prayers
recited over classical music which
none of the fans like but will buy
anyway? DIVA.
The Pope is essentially Madonna;
except he hasn’t had the misfortune of making an album like Hard
Candy and she’s a much better
dancer than he is (maybe). Like
Joseph, Madonna did her best
material when she was younger
and now risks cultural redundancy
unless she gets it together and stops
child-snatching.
Madonna is at her best when
working with a decent producer
and this is just what Joe needs:
DFROODERUDWRUZKRZLOOUHGHÀQH
his image as God’s instrument
(tool?) on Earth. Ideally he should
renounce Catholicism as the camp
bitch-fest it is and go ask Apple
if they have any positions availDEOHKHLVDIWHUDOOWKHÀUVW3RSHWR
have an iPod. Failing that he needs
to call up the one man who will
understand his need for cultural
relevance: Richard Dawkins.
Despite Dicky clamouring for
Joe’s arrest on his impending visit
to the UK, they’re a match made
in ideological heaven. Only Dick
doesn’t believe in heaven so we’ll
have to call it Devon. Both share
a vested interest in dictating what
people should and should not
believe; they both adore hearing
themselves speak and both possess
a large and frequently terrifying
fan-base.
Dick has also been called ‘Darwin’s Rottweiler’ in the past. Looks
like these two could learn a lot from
one another. Dick could tell Joe to
stop gay-bashing and covering up
child-abuse; Joe could lend Dick his
tiara. Because if there’s one problem that people have with Dicky
it’s how bloody boring he sounds.
His valiant efforts to destroy
people’s belief in God/The Devil/
fairies/Pokèmon would sound a lot
more fun if he was tarted up a bit.
Joe could also advise Dick on his
abysmal attempt to create a fashion
line (http://store.richarddawkins.
net/collections/apparel); Joe would
have a lot to say about the inclusion
of a baseball hat. Where’s a Papal
tiara when you need one?
13
Comment
9RWLQJXQGHUWKUHDWZHQHHGWRÀJKWIRU%XUPHVHSROLWLFDOSULVRQHUV·ULJKWV
arrests for many things we take for
granted in the UK, and with the
prisons at double their capacity and
medical care being withheld from
many prisoners, the situation is
desperate.
Jeremy Mason
But the Junta
responded to the
demonstrators with
ferocity. Security forces
killed around 3,000
civilians and thousands
more people were
imprisoned – or simply
disappeared
Burma, also known as Myanmar, is
one of the poorest countries in Asia
with a population of 50 million, and
is ruled by a military government:
the ‘Junta’. The Junta has absolute
power and controls everything that
the Burmese people watch, read
and hear.
They brutally repress even peaceful protests. The generals and the
army are responsible for widespread human rights abuses which
include holding 2,200 political prisoners behind bars, often after unfair
trials and interrogations commonly
involving torture.
Citizens are frequently arrested
without a warrant and held “incommunicado” in prison, which
means they aren’t able to communicate with anyone else, not even to
let their families know where they
are. There are laws that limit freedom of expression and criminalise
even peaceful campaigning.
Curfews after dark are
imposed, freedom of
speech and media is
forbidden, discussion of
politics, economics,
religion, social and
foreign affairs is banned
In March 1988 a courageous group
of Burmese students began to call
for democracy. They were dubbed
“the 88 Generation Students’
Group” and they rapidly gained
broad support across the country,
leading many peaceful demonstrations for change.
But the Junta responded to the
demonstrators with ferocity. Security forces killed around 3,000 civilians and thousands more people
were imprisoned – or simply disappeared. The surviving leaders of the
student movement were given long
jail terms, some spending up to 15
\HDUVLQVROLWDU\FRQÀQHPHQW
Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of
Protest against Burma’s military Junta at the Chinese Consulate in Chicago in 2007: anti-government protests in the same year in the
country were violently put-down. A national election is due to happen this year, but many of the party’s critics are still imprisoned
the National League for Democracy, was put under house arrest
in 1989. Her party won a landslide
victory in the general election in
1990, but the Junta ignored the
election result, and refused to allow
Parliament to meet.
In 2007, mass anti-government
protests swept through Burma once
again. The uprising was brought
to an end in a violent crackdown
by the military Junta, which is the
IRFXVRIWKH2VFDUQRPLQDWHGÀOP
Burma VJ.
Members of the 88 Generation
Students’ Group who had been
released took part in the mass
anti-government protests. The
Junta arrested 300 people, including leading activists from the 88
Generation Students’ Group. Some
of them received 65-year jail terms
after grossly unfair trials.
I went down to Amnesty International’s Human Rights Action Centre in London and met Waihnin, a
campaigner here in the UK from
Burma whose father is a member of
the 88 group and is currently one
of those imprisoned for 65 years for
standing up for democracy in the
2007 protests.
&KDWWLQJWRKHUDQGÀQGLQJRXW
her experiences before she was
IRUFHGWRÁHH%XUPDWRSXUVXHKHU
education revealed to me the extent
to which Burmese people’s lives are
controlled by the ruling military
dictators.
For example, curfews after dark
are imposed, freedom of speech
and media is forbidden, discussion
of politics, economics, religion,
social and foreign affairs is banned
and foreign journalists are not
allowed to enter the country. To
PHHWXSLQJURXSVRIPRUHWKDQÀYH
requires a permit from the police
and even then people are frequently arrested for grouping together.
Waihnin said there were frequent
The next year, in May 2008
Cyclone Nargis swept across the Irrawaddy delta in southern Burma,
killing more than 100,000 people
and leaving hundreds of thousands
homeless.
The Burmese Junta had planned
to hold a “referendum” that month
on the new Burmese constitution
proposed by the Junta. Ignoring
the humanitarian crisis caused by
the cyclone, the Junta went ahead
with its planned “referendum”.
They claimed, absurdly, that 99
per cent of people had voted in
the referendum, with 92 per cent
in favour of a constitution which
reserved 25 per cent of the seats
in Parliament for the military,
outlawed freedom of speech and
assembly, allowed a military veto
on all legislation and granted the
military immunity for previous
crimes.
This year, in October, Burma
SODQVWRKROGLWVÀUVWQDWLRQDOHOHFtions since 1990. The Junta intend
to use this election to put a rubber
stamp on the new constitution,
ZKLFKKDVEHHQGHVLJQHGVSHFLÀFDOly to ensure the next generation of
military leaders remain in control.
Amnesty International is lobbying
for the release of all 2,200 political prisoners, so that everyone in
Burma can be part of its future.
Burma VJ is being screened on Tuesday
at 7pm in the Union Lounge, on the
WRS ÁRRU RI WKH 6WXGHQWV· 8QLRQ. Visit
ZZZEXUPDFDPSDLJQRUJXN IRU PRUH
LQIRUPDWLRQ DERXW IUHHLQJ WKH *HQHUDWLRQ6WXGHQWV·*URXS
Rehabilitation is needed not just for the addicts, but their supporters
Nick Kershaw
There is a great deal of publicity
about the plight of drug addicts:
the terrible testimonies that explain
how they ended up turning to
drugs; the painful experiences
ZKLOVWVHHNLQJWKHLUQH[WÀ[WKH
awful spiral towards ‘rock bottom’,
and the shocking things they got up
to during that spiral. But there are
many other victims, many innocent
people drawn into this demise.
What are their stories? Who is there
to help them?
I am not talking about the victims
of muggings, burglary or violent
crime. I am talking about those
whose lives are burdened and
potentially crushed by the addicts’ self-involved behaviour: the
friends; the family; and the partners.
I am talking about the parents
who stand by their son as he battles
the illness of addiction. He lies to
them about where he is going, who
he is seeing, what he is doing. They
know he is lying, they know they
are seeing their little boy staggering
down the path to self-destruction.
Maybe they question where it
went wrong and how to keep
showing him that there is a way out
and that they love him unconditionally. They’re hurt and at a loss
as to what they can possibly do.
I am talking about the boyfriend
crippled by self-doubt as he blames
himself every time the girl he loves
relapses, or lies to him again. He
turns in on himself, struggles to
get up each day and face the next
disappointment, the next let down.
His friends are then punished
Our politicians tell us
that supporting drug
addicts will reduce the
victims of crime, but
they never speak up for
the real victims, who are
just as blameless and yet
forever tormented;
consistently ignored
as he pushes everyone and every
distraction aside so he can focus
solely on saving his partner from
her turmoil. He knows her troubles
are damaging to him, but the distant hope of a better future drives
him on.
I am talking about the best friend,
confused as to why they have been
cast aside, desperate to help but
without a clue of how to go about
it. Nothing they say seems to get
through and they cannot come to
terms with who their friend has become in their pursuit of happiness.
These are the people whose stories
are not heard, whose pain is not
known. There is nothing out there
for them. Who do they turn to? The
few books there are seem only to
contradict each other in the advice
they proffer.
The idea of going to a group
therapy meeting is intimidating,
not to mention the fact that they are
probably telling themselves to stay
strong and not get beaten down.
But they will get beaten down,
some may get physically beaten up,
others may be totally drained by
the emotional toll. There has to be
better education about how to help
an addict; clear advice on what to
do.
When the addict enters a treatment centre there must be immediate and obligatory classes for those
friends and family caught in the
maelstrom of an addict’s actions to
attend.
These classes would tackle what it
means to be an addict, the process
of how they will combat the addictions and the role that loved ones
should play in aiding this.
Our politicians tell us that supporting drug addicts will reduce
victims of crime, but they never
speak up for the real victims, who
are just as blameless and yet forever
tormented; consistently ignored.
This shocking oversight does litWOHWRHQFRXUDJHFRQÀGHQFHLQWKH
rehabilitation process. It must be
addressed if addicts are to receive
the support from their friends and
family that they so badly need.
14
In the trenches
this season
> Fashion, page 21
Life & Style Editors: Larisa Brown, Alex Felton and Ashley Fryer - courier.life@ncl.ac.uk
life
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S
ingapore is a place which
is renowned for its clean
streets, welcoming locals
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Unfortunately during my
time there, I only saw evidence for
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I can reassure you that they do
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days which I had planned to spend
there quickly turned in to a week
spent in intensive care with doctors
who didn’t speak my language and
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I found myself in Singapore on a
three day stop off before a month in
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brief tour of the city before checking in to our hotel in the centre of
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few drinks and looked around the
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After coming back to the hotel, we
were in the lobby when a few of the
boys from our team came back saying a group of locals claiming to be
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rest of guys didn’t think much of
this until the gang came in to our
OREE\
At this point we all became slightly
nervous as we were outnumbered,
out of place and as it turned out
woefully underequipped for what
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We nervously looked towards the
security guards who helpfully did
nothing, which made us rethink
the moment which we dismissed
the proposed links with South East
Asia’s most well known criminal
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As these unknown hostiles ran towards us none of us knew how seriRXVWKLQJVZHUHDERXWWREHFRPH
As the blood continued to
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For a reason that I will never
know, the majority of the gang singled me out and tried their hardest
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15
Life Life & Style
The Penny Pincher
Lesson 17: Holidays
Rowan Taylor
Columnist
Wounded: Richard Hirson was forced to have 46 metal staples in his stomach after being stabbed. His trip to Singapore will always have associations of violence and pain
from the lobby.
It was only when I glanced at the
face of my best friend; that look of
fear and worry is something I will
never forget.
As I looked around at the rest of
the boys, I knew that something serious had happened.
The moment that I looked down
and saw my shirt in tatters and my
shorts drenched with blood is something which I still think about on a
daily basis.
The next 20 minutes is perhaps the
weirdest of my life. After taking off
my shirt I could see that there were
wounds all over my chest.
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the people around me slowly started
to react to what had happened.
Some of them had seen the knives
which my attackers had concealed
from me.
I am sure that the fact that I didn’t
see the knives during the attack, as
well as the effects of the adrenaline
meant that I didn’t feel anything
during and immediately after the
attack.
After a short time the police turned
up, however they were not helpful
as they were not prepared or used
to these sorts of incidents.
The combination of broken CCTV,
unprofessional security services and
a police service who failed to take
any evidence meant that a conviction was going to be almost impossible.
When the ambulances service arrived they seemed to be unprepared
and uncomfortable with these sorts
of injuries as well, but I was taken to
hospital after being asked to walk to
one of Singapore’s busiest streets in
front of busloads of tourists.
It was as soon as I lay on the amEXODQFH EHG WKDW , ÀQDOO\ KDG WKH
time to process what had happened
to me.
After hearing about the rise in
knife crime for many years, I like
most people had always thought of
how people get themselves into a
position to get stabbed.
It was always the sort of thing
which happened to someone else in
what sounded like a different world,
but there I was with what turned
out to be six, four inch stab wounds
in my stomach, side and back.
On arrival to hospital I assumed
that it would be an effective and
moderately comfortable experience,
unfortunately this wasn’t the case.
I was taken into the waiting area,
WKLVZDVWKHÀUVWWLPHWKDW,KDGEHHQ
on my own, until now I had been
with my closet friends, but now the
only people around me didn’t speak
any English and seemed not to have
much of an interest in me.
,W ZDV RQO\ ZKHQ , KDG ÀQDOO\
had enough of being ignored that
I stood up to walk back to be with
my friends and coaches, this is when
the nurses saw that the bed was now
GUHQFKHG LQ EORRG WKDW WKH\ ÀQDOO\
decided to act.
I was taken out of the waiting area
and placed in a consultation room,
as soon as the doctors looked at me
they moved me on, this time I was
taken upstairs to have a CAT scan.
This was vital as it would allow
them to see if I had sustained any
damage to my internal organs.
This was the point that I became
really worried.
As I lay in what seemed to be a
huge metal tube, all I could think
DERXWZDVZKDW,ZDVJRLQJWRÀQG
out in ten minutes time when the
doctors came with the result.
When the results came, it has decided that I need an operation but
due to the fact I had alcohol in my
body the operation would have to
wait until the morning.
,ZDVWDNHQWRWKHWRSÁRRURIWKH
hospital; this is where I was left on
my own in the dark, until my coach
was allowed to come up and see me.
It was when I got my phone back
that I began to think about telling
my family what had happened.
When I turned my phone on I
found a voicemail from my dad
which let me know that my parents
had already been told.
Listening to this voicemail was the
hardest part of the whole ordeal.
Even though I was in pain and alone
I still knew exactly what was going
on and what state I was in, whereas
my family knew hardly anything.
I woke up from the operation to
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stomach together, even though this
was alarming it was also a sign that
the healing process had begun.
As I lay in what seemed to
be a huge metal tube, all I
could think about was what
,ZDVJRLQJWRÀQGRXWLQWHQ
minutes time when the
doctors came with the result
,ZDVQRZÀQDOO\DEOHWRWDONWRP\
family, it was very hard for them as
they still didn’t really know what
had happened and what state I was
in, but I managed to convince them
WKDW,ZDVRNEHIRUHWKH\ÁHZRXW
The following weeks involved
slowly building up muscles in my
chest in order to regain full upper
body movement.
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the fact that I had decided to stay on
tour so was now travelling around
Australia.
This challenge was made a lot
easier by the efforts that everyone
around made to make me feel comfortable.
As the weeks went by I was slowly
able to move around normally, the
healing was slightly delayed after I
decided to go bowling.
, UHJUHWWHG WKLV DIWHU P\ ÀUVW JR
when blood started coming through
my shirt as I had pulled out one of
the stables when I threw the ball.
The staples also were tested when
I decided to hold a Koala bear in an
Australian zoo.
The bear managed to hook its
claws under some of the staples;
luckily I was able to unhook them
before it decided to pull away.
When I got back home it was a
feeling of relief for both me and my
parents, and just a matter of time before we all got over what had happened to me.
The one thing which most people
ask me is what happened to the
perpetrators of the attack, as far as I
know the answer is nothing.
This is partly because of the way in
which the police handled it by not
taking any evidence at the scene;
this would make it almost impossible to secure a conviction.
I was also told that if they were
caught it was very likely that they
would be put to death and after little thought I knew that this is something thing that I would not like to
have on my conscious.
I still stick by my decision not to
pursue a conviction as this would
have meant a trip back to Singapore
and to have to go through the whole
ordeal again, and this is something
which I wanted to avoid at all costs.
I am also sure that the coaches who
led the tour would have come under
question if there was a full investigation.
After all the efforts that my coaches had made to accommodate me on
tour, I was sure bringing their work
into question would be no way to
repay them, and this was the case.
With all these stories of school trips
going wrong there was nothing that
could have been done to prevent it
happening.
Even though this whole experience
could be described as traumatising
and life threatening I am convinced
that it was a simple case of being in
the wrong place at the wrong time
and something that could and does
happen all over the world.
Remember the days before the
awkwardly-named ‘no-frills’ airlines? Your seat used to come with
a pre-packed meal of indeterminate
nutritional value.
These days though, even British
Airways has removed meals from
LWVÁLJKWVXQGHUWZRDQGDKDOI
hours. There is little extra value in
booking with a ‘full service’ airline.
The orange one and the blue one
battle against each other and many
others on Skyscanner.net, a comparison site for airlines.
It’s especially good if you don’t
mind where you go, you can search
‘Newcastle to anywhere’. How you
spend your reading week is up to
you…
Holiday accommodation divides
opinion, but personally I prefer to
stay in hostels not hotels, to meet
more people and have more fun for
less money. As ever the best place
to look is online - hostelworld.com
and hostelbookers.com cover a
world of hostels.
So you’ve booked your cheap
ÁLJKWPDGHDUHVHUYDWLRQDWDKRVtel, but you’re still going to spend
wads when you’re there. Hence,
buy your foreign currency wisely.
Travelex at the airport can be
simultaneously the cheapest and
most expensive. Saunter care-free
to the airport lacking Euros and
you will be hit with the very worst
exchange rate.
Order the day before on Travelex.
com, and you are given a top rate
to pick up at the airport. Don’t use
traveler’s cheques, or may as well
enter yourself for a wild goose
FKDVHWRÀQGDEDQNZKLFKWDNHV
them.
Most banks charge around £1.50
every time you extract money
abroad. Even Nationwide, which
has always given free withdrawals
abroad, have changed their terms
for new customers. If you’re taking
money out abroad, just get it over
with in one big withdrawal.
Festivals:
)HVWLYDOVDUHQRZÀUPO\LQWKH
mainstream, and many people use
them as an alternative to a holiday.
With ticket prices up to £180,
prices have doubled since the millennium. If you work festivals, you
may get in free AND get paid.
)ODLU(YHQW6WDIÀQJUXQVWKHEDUV
at events such as T in the Park, V
Festival and Isle of Wight Festival.
I’ve got personal experience working with them over two years, and
they treat their staff very well.
*RWRHYHQWVWDIÀQJFRXNDQG
send them an email. The shifts can
be long, but hell is it worth it.
Deals of the Week:
1. Free BEER: 2 x 330ml Sol @
Pitcher and Piano. Up to April
30, walk down to Quayside and
reward yourself with two beers. For
your voucher code, email rowan.
taylor@ncl.ac.uk.
Free Penny Pincher updates by text at
facebook.com/pennypincher
16
Life & Style Sex & Relationships
sex & relationships
Two Girls &
A Coffee Shop
Kath
Little
& Fran
Swan
Columnists
blind date
Ashley Fryer (Life &
Style Editor)
& Grant Guthree
She said:
It’s a sad day, perhaps the
saddest. This is our last ever
article for The Courier - hello
The Times.
And thus, to honour this
ÀQDOHZHZDQWWRKRQRXUZKDW
this last term is all about.
No, it’s not exams, not that
looming-ever-closer dissertation deadline, not embracing
life-long friendships, nor the
bubble that is Jesmond.
This is far more important.
This needs to be heralded, this
needs to be championed, this
needs to be grabbed with both
hands, feet and breasts if the
opportunity arises…(cue fanfare)…THIS IS GOLD RUSH.
For those of you (surely not
many) unacquainted with this
phenomenon, let us enlighten
you.
3LFWXUHWKHVFHQH\RXUÀQDO
WHUP\RXUÀQDOFKDQFH
The hottie you’ve been lusting
after for three years, telling
yourself he likes you too (or at
least he would if you actually
plucked up the courage to talk
to him) walks past you on a
night out.
There’s only one thing for it:
Gold Rush.
Gold Rush allows everyone
who has ever liked anyone
a chance to pounce. Taunts,
jeering and rejection aside, why
not? This is the golden opportunity.
So, here’s what to do: 1. Make
a list. 2. Dump your girlfriend.
3. Go to a dark club. 4. Let the
orgy commence.
This is how it has to be, everyone must be involved. Everyone must lose their inhibitions.
If the person you’ve been
mildly conscious of staring at
you through the geography
books is suddenly planting
grateful kisses all over your
face, allow it.
It’s tit for tat (guys, you
bring the tat). So, if you want
the privilege to lust (it’s not a
right) you must be willing to be
lusted after….oh, the hardship.
In the doom and gloom of
ÀQDOVHYHU\RQHGHVHUYHVMXVWD
little happiness don’t they?
The Robinson will seem so
much more exciting when
you can daydream about last
night’s fervent kissing and
discuss in all-too graphic
detail with your friends in the
canteen the antics of the night
before.
Yes, there might be the
awkward meet in the stairwell,
oh hi, but we think it’s worth
it and anywho, the beauty of
Gold Rush is that these awkward moments will soon be no
more, given that graduation is
just around the corner.
So, come on fellow graduates,
make a list, and do us proud as
you look to bow out of university in style.
Having been talked into a blind
date by my co-editor, I decided I
had nothing to lose and went out
for a date with a nice young man
named Grant.
Armed with the sneaky information that he was Scottish, a medic
and funny, I felt optimistic that
if nothing else, we might have a
pleasant afternoon.
His suggestion of the Baltic was
quite cultural really, and it was a
nice change to go out on a date in
sunny daylight. Despite promising
me he would turn up in a pink top
hat on a unicycle, Grant met me at
Central Station wearing a nice grey
jumper and jeans. Not too shabby
at all.
We had a nice stroll down to the
quayside and enjoyed a really gorgeous afternoon in the sunshine.
The Baltic was bonkers as usual,
but it was a nice change from a
dingy bar and we followed it up
with a coffee at Pitcher and Piano.
The afternoon was very leisurely,
DQGWKHFRQYHUVDWLRQÁRZHGSUHWW\
well. Grant was a pretty decent
guy – he was sporty, bright and
quite funny, so it was a pleasant
enough afternoon.
He did seem quite shocked at the
revelation that my house’s cocktail
hour starts at 10am in summer, but
other than that, we seemed to have
a fair amount in common.
After a nice afternoon we headed
back to Jesmond, and Grant was
enough of a gentleman to walk me
home.
Unfortunately I feel we are fated
to be nothing more than friends,
DVWKHFKHPLVWU\ZDVGHÀQLWHO\
lacking, however he gets credit for
being a nice guy, and it was a damn
sight better than I thought it would
be.
He said:
Given that my recent experiences of
blind dates have been nothing short
of terrifying, I am unsure of what
provoked me to ascent to another.
,ZDVFRQÀGHQW,ZRXOGEHSDLUHG
with a rabid leper or Ann Widdecombe’s ugly sister. Astoundingly
the lassie that greeted me greatly
exceeded my expectations.
Ashley immediately impressed on
me that she was chatty, affable and
free from leprosy. As we walked
towards the Baltic I discovered that
she was the editor of the section of
The Courier in which my write up
would eventually appear. Initially
I was concerned that any cutting
comments I made would be mercilessly censored.
Fortunately there is no need for
censorship as I have no complaints
about Ashley at all; it was a pleasure to spend an afternoon with her.
Baltic served us up its staple
platter of confusing drivel. I began
to regret my decision to venture
EH\RQGWKHEODQGFRQÀQHVRI2V
bourne road - should have stuck to
the neutral gloom of Bar Berlise for
the blind date.
7KHWZLVWHGVXUUHDOLVPRIWKHÀUVW
exhibit was the strangest. Children’s femurs were lined up neatly
beneath the sickly glow of seizure
LQGXFLQJÁDVKLQJQHRQVLJQV
Transparent plastic men hung
from the roof, inscribed with umpteen random verbs. Ashley was
looking vaguely disgusted by the
time we escaped into the evening
sunshine.
Sitting across the water in the
3LWFKHUDQGWKH3LDQRZHÀQDOO\SXW
the Baltic behind us and discussed
our various cycling, skiing and running injuries.
Given the number of times Ashley
had face planted into lamp posts it
was remarkable that she was still
alive, never mind good looking.
It turned out we had a fair bit in
common and we got on well. Sadly
though I don’t think we really
clicked.
I learned several vital lessons
from the day: blind dates are not
always disastrous, head injuries are
often funny and children’s remains
can be art.
ient for you, rather than for your
girlfriend. She’ll probably be better
off without you anyway. If this really has to be done, then complete,
gentle honesty is always going to
be the best solution.
a friend of mine the other day, and
I haven’t been able to get it out of
my head since. The problem is
it was about my housemate, who
is the same sex as me. I have had
feelings for girls in the past, but
I have never seen my housemate
this way before.
Shall I talk to her about it, or
would it just make things weird?
I would normally just pass it off as
a dream, but it was a few days ago
now and it’s really stayed with me.
Is it a sign?
ask señora rosa
Oooooh girl, I know exactly what
you mean, I have very similar
trouble with Senor Jose! I tend to
just hold his nose while he snores –
why not try this?
Yes, it does hold the risk of potential suffocation, but that’s his fault
for being so damn irritating! I am a
little concerned about these ‘grunting’ noises you describe however– I
would make absolutely sure that
your boy doesn’t have any bestial
IDQWDVLHVEHIRUH\RXÀQG\RXUVHOI
caught in a tricky situation.
Señora Rosa is here
to answer all of your
problems. Email her at
courier.life@ncl.ac.uk
Senora,
I have been having trouble sleeping lately. I don’t sleep well as it
is, but my new man snores really
loudly, steals the duvet and makes
peculiar grunting noises on a
regular basis.
I don’t want to say anything just
yet as the relationship is new and
I don’t want to offend him, but I
am getting to the end of my tether!
Help!
Senora,
I am graduating in a couple of
months but my girlfriend is still in
second year. I want to move away
and start my career etc, but by the
way she has been acting, I think
she is assuming we are going to
stay together. How can I break it
to her that our relationship always
had an expiration date without
breaking her heart?
What kind of pessimistic attitude
is this? If you have already decided
that your relationship will bite the
GXVWDVVRRQDVDOLWWOHGLIÀFXOW\LV
introduced, then I don’t believe that
your relationship was ever worth it
LQWKHÀUVWSODFH
It all sounds just a tad conven-
Senora,
I have never had a girlfriend and
,VRUWRIDVVXPHG,ZRXOGÀQGRQH
when I got to uni. But since it is
nearly the end of my second year,
and I still have no one, I am starting to worry I repel the opposite
sex. Can you give me any tips on
ÁLUWLQJ",MXVWGRQ·WXQGHUVWDQG
KRZWKHVHFRXSOHVÀQGHDFKRWKHU
To be honest, the majority of
FRXSOHVDWXQLYHUVLW\ÀQGRQH
another through a combination of
alcohol and lowered standards, so
I wouldn’t really worry too much.
Why not take tips from a well
known lothario? Austin Powers
for example, seems to have ladies
ÁRFNLQJWRKLPGXHWRKLVPDW
ted mane of chest hair, shocking
dentistry, and frequent proposals
of threesomes. Why not some of
these? I’m sure the ladies of Newcastle will love them…
Senora,
I had a rather saucy dream about
Well, if your housemate’s pretty
ÀWWKHQ,ZRXOGQ·WEHWRRFRQ
cerned, as pretty much all girls
seem to enjoy nothing more than a
good old perv on their more attractive friends. However, if she’s had a
fair thwack with the ugly stick and
you’re still feeling all hot and sticky
over her, then I’d think again, as
yes, it probably is a sign.
Rather than telling her outright,
which may make things a tad
awkward, why not test the waters
E\VXEWO\ÁLUWLQJZLWKKHU1RWKLQJ
hard-core, just a squeeze/caress
of the thigh whilst snuggled up on
the sofa, or an ‘accidental’ pass-out
in her bed after a big night. Who
knows, she may well feel similarly
steamy feelings for you.
17
Sex & Relationships Life & Style
D. RAWCLIFFE
View Askew
Live and Let Die
Kathy Jackman
Columnist
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The Robinson Library: why
DOOWKHÁXVWHULQWKHFOXVWHU"
Helen Atkinson on the
lovin’ in the library
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18
Life & Style Health & Beauty
health & beauty
Feeling Lush
Rachel Flint joins fellow cosmetic lovers to
sample the new range of Lush products
L
ush Cosmetics are arguably the best, most delicious hand-made beauty
products available on the
high street, and I can’t get
enough of them.
Their products are individually
handmade, fair trade and against
animal testing, and they even cater
for vegans.
Their products look and smell
good enough to eat; just one whiff
of lemon soap when I’m walking
down Grainger Street has me reaching for my credit card and running
inside the store like a child in a
sweet shop.
It’s a cosmetic addiction, and with
summer coming my skin is in desperate need of a revitalizing treat, to
prepare it for the months of (hopefully) warm weather and tiny outÀWV
So when I heard that the Newcastle branch of Lush was reopening on
Saturday, and throwing in goodies
IRU WKH ÀUVW FXVWRPHUV , UDFHG
GRZQWKHUHLQDÁDVK
When the Newcastle branch of
Lush cosmetics reopened its doors
RQ$SULODIWHUXQGHUJRLQJDPDjor revamp for the summer, I was
DPRQJVWWKHÀUVWRIWKHHDJHUVKRSpers to take a look inside.
I joined the diehard group of dedicated cosmetic lovers outside the
store on Saturday and impatiently
ZDLWHG ZKLOVW WKH VWDII SXW WKH ÀQishing touches to the store.
Through the windows the store
looked fantastic, like a cosmetics paradise; spacious, well-lit and
ÀOOHG ZLWK PRXQWDLQV RI FRORXUIXO
goodies, waiting for me to buy and
use.
I was itching to get inside and almost burst through the doors when
they eventually opened at 11am.
Once I got inside the store it was
hard to hold me back.
The store has undergone a total
renovation. Gone are the cramped
aisles, crowded shelves and dark
lighting, now the store is spacious,
airy, bright, modern and extremely
comfortable.
It was like being in heaven. A
dreamland of cosmetics, where
everything screamed “look at me”,
“buy me”. Everything in Lush is so
wonderfully weird.
I was intuitively drawn towards
the middle table, piled high with
colourful bath bombs of all different
shapes and sizes.
The products wouldn’t have
looked out of place in a fairytale or
Wonka’s Chocolate Factory; bright
purple with twigs sticking out, gold
DQGJOLWWHULQJSLQNDQGÁRZHU\RQ
that one table there was a bath bomb
of every size, shape, colour and texture imaginable.
I just couldn’t help but pick them
up, stare at them, and most of all
smell them. I only had one product
that I was really determined to buy
– a tub of Dream Cream.
I swear by this product; this one
tub can solve every skin problem,
from spots, to dry skin, sun burn,
DQGHYHQHF]HPD$WMXVWXQGHU
a tub it’s a bit of a luxury, but it lasts
ages.
I like to think of it as my miracle
product, a bit of a cheaper alternative to Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour
Cream.
When I eventually made it to the
till, an hour, two glasses of complementary Pimms, some chocolate
cake and the offer of a facial later, I
had rather more in my basket than
just my little black tub. I couldn’t re-
An array of the new Lush Cosmetic products on offer, all individually handmade, organic, Fairtrade and against animal testing
sist the scrumptious offerings.
I bought some amazingly lemony soap, lavender jelly shower
gel, scrummy yummy chocolate lip
balm, and my cream, all for just over
£25. Bargain.
To my delight I was one of the
OXFN\ ÀUVW FXVWRPHUV ZKR JRW DQ
amazing goodie bag with my purchase. I couldn’t believe how much
I got free; 2 hair treatment pots, free
soap, free natural shaving cream,
and a Sparkle shower gift set, perfect as a spare present or a little treat
for me on a bad day.
I was so pleased with my bargains
that I went back and bought the
amazing smelling shower gel the
VWRUH DVVLVWDQW KDG ÁLUWHG ZLWK PH
with earlier.
These limited edition retro shower
gels where only available to buy at
the launch party.
They were fairly expensive at
around £12 per bottle; however the
rather yummy assistant assured me
WKDW , ZRXOG GHÀQLWHO\ EH JHWWLQJ
my money’s worth.
So, I got one of each; citrusy Slammer to wake me up in the morning,
and amazingly chocolatey Butterbomb, which literally smells good
enough to eat. And guess what, I got
more freebies.
I left the shop over an hour later a
truly happy customer. I had really
enjoyed myself, picked up some incredible products at bargain price,
ZDV IDLUO\ WLSV\ DQG KDG RYHU
worth of freebies.
Life couldn’t get any better and the
sun was shining! So now there reDOO\LVQRH[FXVH,PD\ÀQGLWKDUG
to leave the bathroom in the morning thanks to my Lush products, but
there is no way I won’t be premed
and polished for summer. I have
Lush to thank for that.
Why tantastic is not always fantastic
Sun-worshippers beware, Lauren Girling discusses skin cancer, wrinkles and reasons why fake tan is often the better option
D
ue to the tempestuous
and somewhat sub-arctic climate that we often
encounter in Newcastle,
LW LV VRPHWLPHV GLIÀFXOW
to imagine that the sun does actually exist and is the most powerful
resource in our Solar System.
Entering British summertime
marks the arrival of sunny afternoons, trips to the beach and the potential for plenty of sunburn.
Well, maybe not in April, but there
is no harm in preparing for the summer ahead, especially when Cancer
5HVHDUFK 8. UHSRUWV QHZ
cases of skin cancer each year.
7KHVH VWDUWOLQJ ÀJXUHV FHUWDLQO\
JLYHIRRGIRUWKRXJKWDVVNLQDIÁLFtions such as this are most commonly caused by UV rays from the sun.
However, it isn’t just a fatal health
issue that is risked when going out
in the sun in just your bikini; the
aesthetic price of overexposure can
be massive too, with harmful rays
causing deep-set lines and wrinkles
in later life.
Imagine having more creases in
your face than your bed sheets
IRU WKH QH[W \HDUV ² QRW D SUHWW\
sight.
This has come to the fore with
former sun-worshippers such as
Nicola Roberts using their fame
wisely to jump on the sun awareness bandwagon.
It is important to remember that
the amount of SPF (Sun Protection
Factor) each of us need is dependent
upon our skin type and complexion
and you must seek professional ad-
vice on the ideal one for you.
And girls, don’t forget your faces
– not all makeup safeguards your
skin. A top beauty tip is to look for
a good quality foundation with SPF
in. If your student loan can’t exactly
stretch that far, just mix one part
your regular foundation and one
part sun cream to avoid freckle outbreaks and peeling.
A certain amount of common
sense just needs to be applied as the
answer isn’t to be covered head-toWRHLQERWWOHVRI63)DQGD
slight bronzing is perfectly healthy.
It’s the same with everything; as
long as you’re protected, you can
have all the fun you want.
The sun isn’t all about public
KHDOWK ZDUQLQJV ,W LV D VFLHQWLÀcally proven fact that exposure to
sunlight makes your body produce
a hormone called melatonin which
is associated with abolishing the
“blues”, and thus a good excuse to
take a sick day to embrace the sun
as it helps support your mental and
spiritual wellbeing.
In the short term, the sun is a useful and worthwhile resource as it
provides the perfect distraction
from exam revision - soon we’ll see
Jesmond Dene packed with footballers and sunbathers.
Why not, seeing as the sun is our
prime source of Vitamin D, which is
created in our skin when UVB rays
are absorbed by the skin.
At least in the summer, students
can say that they are getting at least
one of their crucial vitamins.
After much consideration, it seems
that despite the very apparent and
concerning risks that the sun can
pose, it is all about moderation.
There is no need to be silly and go
RXWLQWKHÀUVWJOLPSVHRIVXQDQGIU\
oneself until you resemble a lobster,
but rather enjoy all the possibilities
that a sunny day can possess.
Having discovered that most people consider a tan one of the great
advantages of being out in the sun,
remember to adequately protect
your skin as it lasts with us our
whole lives.
The much safer alternative is, of
course, to buy your tan. As an advocate of this method of bronzing,
I’d personally much rather risk the
tangerine effect rather than risk it all
to peel and to be constantly layering
the aloe vera onto rouged skin.
19
Travel Life & Style
travel
Unforgettable experience: photo taken whilst on safari in Serengeti, Tanzania. Tanzania is one of the oldest known continuously inhabited areas on Earth and species such as elephants are in depletion after a rise in poaching
The hidden beauties of Eastern Africa
From Malawi to Tanzania, Caroline Argyropulo-Palmer samples safari and swims with dolphins on her African adventure
W
e had presumed
that putting up a
tent on the deck of a
ferry would be easy poles in, bags in each
corner instead of pegs, up in a jiffy.
Half an hour later, cowering behind the bar, tent on our laps we
had encountered an unexpected
hitch. A storm.
The Ilala Ferry runs around Lake
Malawi, and it was the only way for
us to reach Likoma Island.
Our tickets were just for the top
deck, but after a brief beg to a
gloomy dormitory of sailors we
were allowed to sleep in the dining
room.
+XGGOLQJRQWKHÁRRUKDOIDVOHHS
and interpreting every frenzied
shout and bang as a sure sign that
there had been some kind of irreparable, Titanic-esqe damage, I was
unconvinced that it would be worth
the effort.
After a calmer day, which sigQLÀFDQWO\ LPSURYHG H[SHFWDWLRQV D
rowing boat took us from the ferry
to the beach, where we arrived be-
fore it was light.
Pick-up trucks were arriving to
collect produce off the boat, but they
were less keen to take a bedraggled
group of travellers.
Eventually one agreed, and we set
off along bumpy sand roads with
the rising sun revealing uninterrupted stretches of bush.
The island is small, and practically
uninhabited, particularly on the
side which holds the only two hostels. One is an exclusive honeymoon
destination, the other a small collection of huts with a strip of beach to
camp on.
The latter, Mango Drift, our destination, couldn’t be seen from where
we were dropped. We were pointed in, what we dubiously took to be,
the right direction through the tall
grass. A fraction of the price of its
luxury competitor it has the same
seclusion, the same achingly clear,
warm water.
The same hoards of multicoloured
ÀVK7KHVDPHVRIWZKLWHVDQGWKDW
was too hot to walk on by midday,
and the same hammocks in the
shade. There is very little to do on
the island, but there doesn’t need to
be. Jack, a distinctly laidback South
African, was entering his third week
having missed the early morning
Ilala pick-up twice. He didn’t seem
too concerned.
Occupied by the water and the
beach, occasional trips to the only
town 45 minutes walk away provided supplies of various types, with
bread, oranges and monkey nuts
usually t-he staple, washed down
with a jar of Marmite (not bought
on the island...)
Back in Nkata Bay on mainland,
Malawi people gave a spectrum of
excuses why they hadn’t gone out
to the island: too far; not enough to
do; didn’t want to stay for the week
enforced by the Ilala’s times.
%XWLWLVGHÀQLWHO\ZRUWKWKHHIIRUW
the route from Tanzania down to
Malawi is busy, a gap year and over
land truck favourite.
Likoma offers a genuine break and
a refreshing lack of other people,
hawkers or tick list activities.
And, our favourite guide book fact
DQG GHÀQLWH XQLTXH VHOOLQJ SRLQW there is absolutely no crime on the
island. Fact.
This contrasts with an Island it
takes much less persuasion to get
people to, though which probably
can’t make the same claim: Zanzibar.
Situated off the Tanzanian coast it
is tropical postcard perfection, and
is a lot easier to get to. It even has
an international airport; though a
range of daily ferries are the more
common option.
I never encountered a storm on
any of these trips, though apparently rats were running around our
feet as we slept on the slower night
boat option.
There is also no shortage of things
to do. Beach resorts have established
themselves all around the Island,
with Nungwi in the North the best
known for travellers and a South
East Asia style nightlife, cocktails
included.
You can learn to scuba dive. You
can swim with dolphins. You can
eat Dutch pancakes whilst gazing
out onto the Indian Ocean. There’s
HYHQ D ÀOP IHVWLYDO RI JURZLQJ UHpute.
Eating on Zanzibar is incredible,
SDUWLFXODUO\LI\RX·UHDIDQRIÀVKRU
want to eat what must be the cheapHVWOREVWHU\RX·OOHYHUÀQGDQG\RXU
longest walk for food is likely to be
the more holiday esq. 4.5 minutes.
Accommodation prices vary, but
none are as cheap as Likoma, partly
because one of the few laws Zanzibar is able to pass for themselves is
banning camping.
That and, arguably more sensibly
than the mainland, restricting the
number of people allowed in taxis
to one per seat.
And in the end it is taxis it comes
down to. Because taxis mean hotels,
restaurants, activities – crime in the
suggested inability to walk around
at night.
Zanzibar is well worth a visit, or
several, but Likoma sees its Evian
clear water and raises it isolation
and a minimalism that makes it really special. Even without the Marmite, that’s still a winning hand.
20
Life & Style Fashion
fashion
Barbie doll or
porcelain doll?
Lucy Borrell discusses the versatility of pale skin and reasons why an
ivory complexion is better than looking like an overgroomed satsuma
G
rowing up, whilst most
girls strived to look like
Californian Beach Babes
– and ended up looking
like over groomed satsumas – my skin was always more
porcelain doll, than Barbie doll.
Historically, having an ivory skin
tone has always been deemed to be
more desirable than a glowing tan.
Indeed, like many of today’s ‘tanorexics’, women have risked their
lives for china white skin, avoiding
sunlight and using poisonous skin
creams that would seep into the
blood stream and poison the vital
organs.
White skin was always deemed to
be symbolic of wealth and fragility,
qualities that epitomised the perfect
woman.
It wasn’t until 1923, when Coco
Chanel turned up at Cannes with
a golden glow, did women every-
where reject their bonnets and parasols, opting instead to turn their
faces to the sun.
Now however, it appears that the
imperative need for that golden
glow, is – like a holiday tan in winter – quickly starting to fade.
Many believe this to be as a direct
result of years of investigation into
the links between suntans and skin
cancer.
However, the effects of UV light on
A pale complexion complements both pastel colours and gothic lace leggings
the skin have been well publicised
since the early 1990’s; and instead
of becoming less popular, the tan
has become more desired, resulting
in spray tans and bottled tans being sold in supermarkets across the
world.
Such products give skin a golden
glow, whilst eliminating almost all
of the health hazards that are associate with a tan.
Yet such products are costly, and
given the current economic climate,
may people are starting to reject the
tan in favour of their natural (and
less costly) skin tone.
According to journalist Fay Schlesinger, “a deathly pale complexion,
has become the new ideal” because
of the revival of the Gothic genre.
Indeed, the effect vampire inVSLUHGÀOPVDQGSURJUDPPHVVXFK
as Twilight, Being Human and True
Blood have had upon the decline of
the tan have been two fold.
Firstly, they have catapulted pale
faced stars such as Kristen Stewart
and Robert Pattinson into the media
spotlight, but more importantly they
have men and women everywhere
wanting to look like their Twilight
idols.
Most high street retailers, such as
Topshop, Miss Selfridges and Oasis,
have been selling clothing, inspired
by grunge – like the gothic fashion
LQWKHÀOPV
There is no doubt in my mind, that
part of the appeal of pale skin, is that
it is so versatile, something that can
be seen in recent fashion trends.
Whilst most high street shops have
used models with ghostly complexions to advertise their ‘gothic
inspired’ clothing, models with porcelain complexion have also been
used by many big name fashion designers on the Spring/Summer 2010
catwalks.
Earlier this year, when showcasing their couture collection, Armani used pale models to compliment their lunar inspired collection
whereas Dior and Givenchy used
girls with porcelain complexions to
contrast the bold, bright colours in
their clothing.
In doing so they created, according
to fashion journalist Colin McDowHOO ´7KH PRVW FRQÀGHQW >IDVKLRQ@
statement in recent years.”
And what else is fashion about, if
not making statements?
From the likes of Katy Perry and
Lady GaGa to Alexa Chung and
Lily Cole, all of whom topped 2009
best dressed lists, even celebrities
seem to recognise that “pale and
interesting” has become a fashion
statement in its own right.
21
Fashion Life & Style
Get
Trenched
Anna Craig explains
why trench coats are a
must buy this summer
This month we’ve cinched in our
waists with classic trench coats.
Boys too. Hurrah.
Although classic cream was looking sharp, I rather enjoyed exploring the realms of the navy trench
and of course the checked. Nods to
Burberry all round.
Fenwick has an excellent selection
of trench coats in at the moment,
the a-symmetric button up David
Berry Trench is a snip at £55, style
it down with a satchel during the
day, and up with a clutch bag at
night.
Alternatively if you’re looking for
something a little more outlandish (and crueller on the wallet) go
for the new Four Seasons collection; hooded trench, £179, checked
trench, £249.
For the perfect trench setting,
head towards Attica and RPM (Old
George Yard/ High Bridge Street),
it’s a beautiful old cobbled street,
with some excellent shops along
it, so do have a look if you haven’t
already.
Photographer: Sarah Metcalfe
Models: Alex, Lisa and Ste.
Styling: Anna Craig, Grace Cook,
Emma Starkie.
http://courierfashion.blogspot.com/
23
“Good people do bad things”
- Boy George tells all
Culture Editor: Alice Vincent - courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk
> Music, page 32
news
preview
Music writers rocked by new contract
Film stars
of CCTV
Chris Scott on
David Bond’s new
thriller coming to
the Tyneside
Making a noise: Bauer’s controversial new freelance contract is to jeopardise the rights of hundreds of contributors to major British music magazines like Kerrang! and Q
Polly Randall
It came to light recently on website
PressGazette that German company
Bauer would be enforcing new legislation on its freelance journalists
which dramatically cut the ownership rights they have to their own
work.
Writers and photographers for Q,
Kerrang! and Mojo have been asked
to sign a contract which would allow Bauer to sell their articles withRXWQRWLÀFDWLRQEDVLFDOO\UHPRYLQJ
FRS\ULJKWDVZHOODVDOOOHJDOÀQDQ
cial and moral ownership of their
work.
The company set an ultimatum to
its writers - either sign the contract,
agreeing to these measures, or they
will no longer be commissioned by
any Bauer-owned publications.
The list of magazines that these
new requirements will eventually
affect is extensive, covering almost
every top selling title in circulation
in Britain including Grazia, Heat,
Empire and Zoo.
However, they now face the risk
of losing their best and most well
known journalists, the sort who
have the reputation that make peo-
ple want to buy their magazines, as
200 freelancers have refused to sign
the agreement and become slaves
to the corporation, accusing Bauer
Media of ‘declaring war’ on their
contributors.
This is a massive attack by Bauer
on the essential principles of freelance journalism and could potenWLDOO\ PDUN D VLJQLÀFDQW FKDQJH LQ
the way magazines are created.
comment
‘Journalistic standards can only suffer as a result’
Mark Corcoran-Lettice Music Editor
There have been better times than
2010 to be a freelance journalist.
With the push for free and online
FRQWHQWHURGLQJWKHÀQDQFHVRI
many a notable publication and an
ongoing recession, the already risky
business of working as a hired-gun
writer has become increasingly
tumultuous.
To add to their woes, Bauer
magazines (the publishers of titles
including Q, Mojo and Kerrang!) are
attempting to push through new
contracts with their freelancers that,
amongst other bizarre measures of
unprecedented hostility, remove all
claims to copyright or ownership
that writers may have over their
work. Who fancies freelancing now
then?
This in itself is a worrying development.
Over 200 contributors are now
under the threat of either signing away all rights to their own
material, or of losing their livelihood, with the company having set
a deadline for earlier this month
for all freelancers to either accept
the contract or no longer work for
Bauer magazines.
It’s easy to blame Bauer magazines solely, and certainly nothing
quite like this has been seen before.
But as well as threatening the
employment of hundreds of writers
and photographers, this also sets a
dangerous precedent.
,QRWKHUDUWLVWLFÀHOGVFODLPVWR
authorship and copyright have
already come under attack – part of
WKHMXVWLÀFDWLRQRIFRXUVHIRUWKH
passing of the poorly drafted and
authoritarian Digital Economies
Act earlier this month – but now it’s
affecting journalists as well.
Self interest? Well, maybe just
a little – it’s hardly a pleasant
thought to think of one possible
dream career disappear.
It’s the effect that such contracts,
should they take off, will have on
journalistic integrity that we have
to worry about.
Newspapers and magazines are
currently trying many different
measures to try and build new
business models, but no other ‘solution’ seems as likely to bury the
industry as this one.
By penalising the people who
NHHSLWDÁRDW²LHWKHSHRSOHZKR
actually write them – journalistic
standards can only suffer. What
kind of writers, and with what
kind of ethics or integrity, are you
going to get if you treat them like
servants?
What’s become evident is that
current attempts at free journalism
such as blogging can allow for fresh
voices and ideas, but more often
than not result in plagiarism, sloppiness and laziness. Those aren’t
the things good journalism is made
of.
Journalists have often come under
threat before, often as a result of
this country’s notoriously strict
libel laws.
Never before though have they
been victimised in this way by the
people who rely on their work to
make their fortunes.
:HKDYHWRKRSHDQGÀJKWDJDLQVW
such measures as these, because
otherwise journalism in this
country will face an inevitable and
painful decline.
How many times have you
put pen to paper, when applying for a loyalty card, or signing up to newsletter and given
a complete stranger all of your
personal information and contact details?
Do you have any idea who
else gets to have a peek at that
information after that, or what
else it gets used for?
We all do it, sometimes every
day, and go about our daily
lives oblivious to the answer
to those questions and are
blind to the fact that nearly
every step we take outside our
front door is monitored and
recorded by CCTV.
It gets to a point where most
of our daily business is in
some way tracked and analysed, and getting away from
it can be quite a challenge.
7KDW·V ZKDW WKH ÀOP Erasing
David is all about. In this thriller, David Bond attempts to go
under the radar and avoid being ‘caught’ by two of the best
private investigators who are
trying to discover as much
about David as they can whilst
he disappears.
They track him down using
only CCTV and information
available to the general public,
while David sees if it is possible to live a life that retains its
privacy, or whether it’s actually too late, and have we all,
unwittingly, let ourselves be
watched and recorded day after day.
David Bond directs and stars
LQWKLVÀOPDQGFKRVHKLPVHOI
to play the main role as he felt
it needed a strong personality
to really hit home the message
he was trying to get across,
and what better way to do
that than use someone with
ÀUVWKDQG H[SHULHQFH RI GDWD
mishandling.
David himself found himself
under these pressures when
he was told, after his daughter
was born, that her data had
for some reason gone missing
from the government’s Child
EHQHÀWRIÀFH
Erasing David will be showing at the Tyneside Cinema
on April 29. There will be a
live forum after the showing
discussing the effects of data
protection and the use and
misuse of personal data in our
everyday lives with Will Self,
David Davis, Michael Nyman
and Shami Charabarti.
24
Culture Arts
arts
stage
Top of the class
The internationally
acclaimed The History
Boys returns, reports
Fiona McCutcheon
Alan Bennett’s cutting edge depiction of teenage pressures, desires
and anxieties takes the stage once
again as the Theatre Royal presents
a revival of the international smash
hit The History Boys.
The realistic and moving portrayal
of male adolescence is directed by
Christopher Luscombe and features
a fresh cast of rising stars such as
Kyle Redmond Jones, James Byng
and Ben Lambert, promising to be
the most gripping performance yet.
The play is a semi-autobiography
of Bennett’s own school days, focusing on the academic pressures
placed upon gifted teenagers amidst
the emotional and sexual turbulence
of teenage life.
Bennett, who is described in the
Daily Express as “among the greatest playwrights of our time”, was
inspired to write the play in 1951
when he and his peers experienced
similar direction from ambitious
teachers.
The many thoughts and ideas that
have been brought together within
the play have been maturing for
over sixty years and Bennett describes The History Boys as a “confes-
sion and an expiation for what I feel
was cheating.”
He explains that in order to satisfy
his own headteacher’s aspirations he
developed a strategy for passing exams, which he believes got him into
2[IRUGLQWKHÀUVWSODFHDQGKHOSHG
KLPWRDFKLHYHDÀUVWFODVVGHJUHH
6HWLQDÀFWLRQDOQRUWKHUQJUDPPDU
school during the 1980s, the plot is
centred on a small group of teenage
boys who achieve outstanding A
level grades and are placed under
tremendous pressure by their teachers to be accepted into Oxbridge.
The boys, who are discovering
themselves sexually and socially as
well as academically, are taught by
characters Hector and Irwin.
7KH FRQÁLFWLQJ WHDFKLQJ VW\OHV RI
these men touches on an intense
struggle that is wholly present within academics today.
The importance of knowledge
for the sake of knowledge and the
growing pressure of league tables
and rigid curriculums.
The History Boys incorporates many
engaging contemporary issues within its dynamic plot structure.
Bennett has created a remarkable
play which is dense in both meaning
and topic which makes it an appealing performance for a wide range of
audiences.
The play opened as an in-house
production at the National Theatre
where it went down a treat with a
sell-out run.
School’s out: the full cast of Alan Bennett’s award winning production The History Boys at the Theatre Royal in Newcastle
During the play’s continuously
successful life span it boasts roarLQJVXFFHVVLQWKH:HVW(QGDÀOP
adaptation and no less than 30 major awards, including the Evening
Standard award for Best Play.
Don’t miss this chance to experi-
dance
ence this renowned portrayal of adolescent struggles where Bennett attacks the educational system amidst
a backdrop of raging hormones, naivety and passion.
The History Boys is a play that entertains its audience whilst dually
untangling underlying issues that
are both moving and thought-provoking.
The History Boys is on at the Theatre
Royal from May 4-8.
art
Entity: breaks, beats and ballet Victorian Phantasies
Sally Priddle on the
UK’s new boundarybreaking ballet
Entity is the cultural combination of
exciting contemporary choreography and traditional concepts from
the Royal Ballet School, choreographed by the critically acclaimed
Wayne McGregor, whose work and
style has been seen on The Big Chill
main stage and at Glastonbury
McGregor was hired by the Royal
%DOOHW 6FKRRO DV WKHLU ÀUVW UHVLGHQW
choreographer in 16 years and his
experience in the world of contemporary dance makes his work new
and inventive, as seen in Entity
through the combination of beats
and strings and the movements of
the ten dancers.
Entity demonstrates the exhilarating new culture created by McGregor through a blend of athletic bodLHV OLJKWV WHFKQRORJ\ DQG ÀOP VHW
against the stunning soundscape
created by Coldplay and Massive
Attack collaborator Jon Hopkins, as
well as award-winning composer
Joby Talbot.
This radical and boundary-break-
ing amalgamation leads to a technically astonishing, emotionally
uncompromising and hard-hitting
SURGXFWLRQ WKDW GHÀHV FDWHJRULVDtion.
Since its premiere in 2008, Entity
has sold out theatres in more than
fourteen countries, including the
Venice and Lyon Biennales.
McGregor’s work has been described as “some of the most exciting work in ballet on the planet” by
the New York Times.
Wayne McGregor was born in
Stockport in 1970 and after studying dance at the University College
Bretton and the Jose Limon School
in New York he founded his own
company I Random Dance.
His company became an opportunity for McGregor to evolve and
develop a drastically fast and articulated choreographic style that he
would become known for.
Throughout his rapidly advancing career his company has become
famed for its manipulation of incorporating new technology such
DVDQLPDWLRQGLJLWDOÀOP'DUFKLtecture, electric sound and virtual
dancers into live choreography.
His contemporary approach to
movement has been transferred
IURPWKHVWDJHWRÀOPDVVHHQLQHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and he
KDVFUHDWHGVLWHVSHFLÀFLQVWDOODWLRQV
for numerous projects throughout
the world including the Saatchi Gallery, the Houses of Parliament and
the Pompidou Centre in Paris.
McGregor has also been involved
in many collaborations with various artists outside the world of
dance, including composers such
as Sir John Tavener, Scanner, Plaid
and Joby Talbot, The White Stripes,
animatronics experts, Jim Henson’s
creative workshop and neuroscientists and heart-imaging specialists
for his past two works AtaXa (2004)
and Amu (2006).
However, McGregor has also created traditional works, seen in his productions Chroma (2006) and Deloitte
Ignite (2008), which were performed
at the Royal Opera House.
McGregor has brought new style
and cultural density to the Royal
Ballet School through inventive choreography, which is demonstrated
in Entity, which combines all of McGregor’s experience and culture and
allows the development of his inspirational style, which was recognised
when it received the Movimentos
Dance Prize in 2009.
Rosie Tallant on a
revolutionary take on
Victorian culture
You’d be forgiven for writing off an
art exhibition inspired by Victorian
society as outdated and depressing,
but in Nick Fox’s Phantasieblume, the
exploration of Victorian sexual oppression is nothing less than fascinating.
When strict morality codes made
it impossible for lovers to communicate their desires publicly, they
were forced into these clandestine
DIIDLUV UHO\LQJ RQ ÁRZHUV DQG ODFH
to express longings that they were
unable to put into words.
But Fox has not simply resurrected
this forgotten system, he has “found
his own way of inverting the coded
articulation of desire, playfully and
subtly expressing a highly personal
and symbolic pictorial language of
concealment”.
$W ÀUVW JODQFH WKH LQWULFDWH FUHDtions appear to be only beautifully
crafted gifts, noticeably precious but
still nothing outrageous.
However, on closer inspection
´QXGH ÀJXUHV HPHUJH IURP WKH
sensual surfaces to create tantalising, elusive narratives of desire and
courtship”.
At the centre of the display are
Fox’s Phantasieblume Cabinets, which
also hold unexpected details waiting to be discovered by observers.
7KH FDELQHWV FRQWDLQ ZKDW DW ÀUVW
sight seem to be a collection of handcrafted lace objects, industrially cut
lace doilies and discarded rags, all
trapped beautifully between layers
of glass.
These treasures, however, have in
fact been created by carefully crafting layers of acrylic paint on glass,
which are then skillfully cut through
to reveal these delicate designs
which ”resemble the preciousness
of Victorian lace”. The sheer skill,
patience and care that has gone into
each object reveals Fox’s devotion to
both his work and the process of its
creation.
Not only has he recreated each
decorative piece as though it were
his own love token, he has translated the beauty of Victorian craft and
courtship into something that we
can appreciate over 100 years later.
Phantasieblume is on at the Vane Gallery from April 22 until June 5
25
Arts Culture
Arts Editor: Stephanie Ferrao - courier.culture-arts@ncl.ac.uk
interview
David Shrigley: making the real surreal
Arts Editor Stephanie Ferrao speaks to a British
artist who brings the banal to life
Look at any of David Shrigley’s
work and you can’t mistake it for
anyone else’s.
He uses distinctive and seemingly
crude freehand drawings to satirise
the modern day motives for buying
art and the extent to which trends
can be exploited.
His work parodies the mass consumption of art and the lack of real
meaning in pieces that are created
for production’s sake.
Shrigley learned his craft at the
Glasgow School of Art and Design in
the 90s; eschewing the London arts
scene, he has thrived on Glasgow’s
active yet laid-back arts scene.
For an artist whose creative ubiquity has come from creating cartoons, one would expect a ferocious
appetite for graphic novels or a
childhood of comic book obsession;
however Shrigley speaks dryly of
his artistic beginnings.
“I looked at cartoons in the newspaper, but to be honest I’ve never really had any interest in cartoons per
se; I’m not really into comic books or
anything like that.
“I didn’t really do that well at art
school so doing cartoons was a bit
of a rebellion because the way I was
WDXJKWÀQHDUWZDVTXLWHWHGLRXV
“I liked Gary Larson’s work as I
felt it was a kind of work that I responded to; I felt that if that’s what
cartoons were, then that’s what I
could do.”
And that he did. Rather than pursuing it as a passion, Shrigley used
it as a practical starting point for his
career.
As a cartoonist, he has notched up
regular commissions for both the
Independent and the Guardian, creating drawings that touch upon the
dysfunctional yet banal aspects of
life with morbid humour.
“Obviously, I’m very aware of
wanting to make things humorous,
but I suppose it’s very intuitive really. It’s just the way I think about
stuff – it’s a way of looking at the
world, albeit on quite a surreal level.
“It’s the way I am and that’s my
voice, as it were.”
Although he has published several
books of cartoons, Shrigley is anything but a one-trick pony.
“I use a lot of different mediums as
I’m not really bound by craft skills,
as it’s not like I demonstrate great
drawing skills.
“The 3-dimensional work I make
isn’t technically fantastic, but I suppose my work is much more about
narratives and a sensibility really
rather than about demonstrating a
craft skill - it’s probably just because
I’m not very talented.”
This sense of self-deprecation
VHHPV ZKROO\ XQMXVWLÀHG FRQVLGering his recent public acclaim – in
2008 a collection of his drawings
and sculptures were exhibited at the
BALTIC in Newcastle to a great deal
of mainstream success.
In between creating animation
shorts and soundscapes, Shrigley
co-directed a music video for the
legendary Britpop band Blur.
“It was for the single Good Song
from their album “Think Tank”. It
was fun. I kept watching MTV to see
it, but never did, though I have it on
good authority that it was on TV at
some point.”
So what does the rest of 2010 hold
for David Shrigley?
A huge exhibition of his work in
Glasgow as well as a compendium
of his entire cartoon collection - both
RI ZKLFK DUH VXUH WR FRQÀUP KLP
as one of the most innovative and
unique artists of the new decade.
Glasgow-based artist David Shrigley with his most recent collection of cartoons Red Book, which was published earlier this year
opinion
Cultural icon: the rise and rise of Anthony Gormley
Gemma Farina looks
at a local artist who has
put Newcastle on the
world’s cultural map
Every time you’re travelling back
into Newcastle, it’s impossible to
miss a certain sculpture just off the
A1 as you pass Gateshead.
The Angel of the North was
erected to create a “symbol for
Tyneside”, and has without a doubt
PDQDJHGWRIXOÀOWKLVSXUSRVHERWK
as a physical creative piece and a
signpost for the presence of artistic
culture in the North East.
Anthony Gormley, who won the
prestigious Turner prize four years
prior to the Angel’s completion,
had the vision to undertake this
challenge.
He wanted to produce a sculpture representing the miners of
the North East in today’s light, all
the while ensuring the piece was a
collaborative effort including many
ORFDOÀUPV
The success of the Angel of the
North has not only vastly increased
the volume of cultural development in Newcastle, but has brought
Gormley to the forefront of the
national modern art scene.
Nine years on from the completion of the Angel, Gormley unleashed his exhibition Event Horizon
in London.
&RPSULVLQJRIÀJXUHVRI
Gormley himself, the sculptures are
positioned on buildings and walkways in order to recognise the vast
number of people living in cities.
Over our Easter break, Gormley
took this idea even further, to New
York City, stunning passers-by
with more life size forms of the artist himself.
Just like with the Angel, iron was
WKHPDWHULDORIFKRLFHIRUWKHÀJXUHV
which were scattered around the
Madison Square Park area, as
well as atop some of New York’s
skyscrapers, which was a cause for
concern for some passers-by!
Fitting the trend for local arts
gone large, Lee Hall’s The Pitmen
Painters, previously hosted by
Newcastle’s own Live Theatre, has
recently been given the go-ahead to
transfer to Broadway.
The play depicts the tale of a
group of miners from the North
East who develop into renowned
painters, and provides another
example of the way in which Newcastle has been exporting its arts to
cities such as New York, as well as
other cultural centres.
Newcastle is showing a stronger
and stronger ability to transfer its
arts to other places, ensuring that
they are recognised throughout the
world.
Since the Angel of the North was
erected, we have seen other cultural
venues such as the Sage Gateshead
and the BALTIC Centre for Con-
temporary Art become prominent
features of Newcastle’s landscape,
and indeed such buildings have
provided a platform for North East
Arts to develop and progress.
Now, the North East provides a
stage for local artists to gain the
recognition that they deserve.
Over the past decade, Newcastle
has managed to establish itself as
a front runner in terms of art and
culture, and Gormley’s success has
RQO\VHUYHGWRDIÀUPLW
The North East has become a
FHQWUDOÀJXUHLQWKHDUWDQGFXOWXUH
scene, proving that it has something
to offer not only in its own area, but
elsewhere too.
my newcastle
Exams are approaching, and times are
stressful. You may be pining for the
good old days of the Easter break and
weeks of free time.
But all is not lost; the holiday season
is not quite over as good old May is
gracing us with not one but two bank
holiday weekends! Give yourself a
break this Mayday weekend, enjoy
the extra day off uni and use it wisely;
there’s an array of great one off and
special events around the Toon to ease
your revision woes for the day, night,
or for as long as you want them to be
eased.
Why not pop over to the Star and
Shadow cinema for a weekend extravaganza ‘DIY Aye!’ – Newcastle’s (appropriately) radical festival.
Join them for workshops, talks,
GLVFXVVLRQVÀOPVPXVLFDQGPRUH
celebrating the anarchist ethos of ‘Do
It Yourself!’. Events are running from
12pm Sat- 4pm Sun.
Also running over the whole weekend is the ‘ClubBriTPOP Weekender at
Hyem in Heaton, and its only £6 for a
weekend wristband- three great nights
for a bargain price!
For the night owls out there, the city’s
best clubs are pulling no punches this
weekend; it’ll be a busy few nights
for those who don’t want to miss out
on some of the best one off nights this
year. Its [Ctrl]’s 1st birthday party at
The Other Rooms on Saturday night
which is not to be missed, and ‘Byker
Groove’ at the Tanners will be banging
out an epic eight hour stint from 4pm
Friday - Monday
Ciara Littler
that day to get you in the mood.
If clubbing isn’t your thing, head
to the Culture Lab at 8pm for a great
evening fronted by the fantastic Carla
Bozulich. Sunday night should be a
treat too with Deviate’s Bank Holiday
Special making full use of that extra
lie in on Monday – It promises to be a
goodun’.
If all this sounds a bit much, or
if you’ve gone and spent that loan
already, fear not, there are plenty of
cheaper (and more relaxing) ways to
make the most of Mayday.
If (we can pray) the weather Gods
treat us kindly, the leafy wilderness of
Jesmond Dene is a fantastic place to
take yourself and a group of friends
and escape the city for a few hours,
and it’s only a few minutes out of
Jesmond.
For a sea breeze, head to Tynemouth,
JUDEVRPHÀVKDQGFKLSVIURPRQHRI
the best places around, and enjoy the
fresh air (there is indoor seating if our
wishes for sunshine aren’t granted!).
Closer to home is the great Cumberland Arms in Ouseburn; while away
the hours indoors or out playing scrabble, enjoying a Sunday lunch and having a pint or two. If that really is too
far to stretch your legs, the Hancock
are still doing their Beer and Burger for
£3.95!
Take a break from revision, get in the
holiday spirit and let’s (hopefully) get
the ball rolling for the summer.
Touring their latest album ‘Post
Electric Blues’, the Scottish heroes of
post-rock will be delving into their
deceptively large back catalogue to
please their long standing fans
O2 Academy, 19.00, sold out
Idlewild
music
NSR Studio, 15.30, free
NSR Presents: Kurran
&The Wolfnotes
acoustic set
radio
Peeling back the surface of the
SHUIHFW$PHULFDQIDPLO\WKHÀOPLV
tough but very rewarding viewing.
Catch this rare chance to see it on the
big screen
Tyneside Cinema, 20.10 , NUS
£.3.50
Cult classic at the
Tyneside: Happiness
Tyneside Cinema, 19.00, £5
The Great Tyneside
Film Quiz
film
monday
by Phil Booth
Jesmond Dene
The Cluny, 19.00, £7
Loose Grip
music
Union Lounge, Newcastle
Students’ Union, 15.00, free
See page 30
Burma VJ
Tyneside Cinema, 15.00, £6-7
Language Café: Mar
Adentro
Director Lisa Gornick introduces the
quirky comedy in which a 30
something Lesbian couple are in
search of a sperm donor. As time
goes on the decision becomes more
intense and less romantic
Side Cinema, 19.00, £4-5
Tick Tock Lullaby
film
Students for Kids International
Projects host a night of Asian
cuisine, games, drinks and prizes to
raise money for the charity
Perdu, 19.30, £4.50
SKIP Cambodia night
charity
tuesday
the guide: 26 April to 2 May
highlighted
Bank Holiday weekened
Culture
26
&ODVVLF·VVFLÀKRUURUWRHQGWKH
John Carpenter season at the Star
and Shadow. A group of researchers
DWDQ$QWDUFWLFUHVHDUFKRXWSRVWÀQG
themselves confronted by an alien
organism that can perfectly replicate
its victims. Paranoia is high as the
men attempt to work out who has
been assimilated. Blood, guts and
gore at its best
Star and Shadow Cinema, 19.30,
See page 30
The Thing
film
Drop The Bass Soundsystem once
again bringing the extra 5k of
sounds! Hailing from London, Sukh
Knight is bringing one of the most
unique sounds in dubstep, with clear
HDVWHUQLQÁXHQFHV:LWKKLVPDVVLYH
Cheese Loueez EP, tracks like Diesel
Not Petrol, Ganja and Jewel Thief
in his arsenal, he is sure not to be
missed
World Headquarters, 23.00, £6-8
Rusty Bucket Bay
presents Sukh Knight
and Funtcase
clubbing
Listen to the manifestos of those
hoping to make the editorial team
of Newcastle’s independent literary
magazine
English Common Room, Percy
Building, Newcastle University,
14.00, free
Alliterati Election
Hustings
The Sage, 19:30, £29.50
Joan Armatrading
O2 Academy 2, 19:00, £11
The Bronx
Swedish psych rock legends Träd
Gräs och Stenar bring their mindblowing records of heart pounding,
rhythmic, trance inducing psych.
One of the most outstanding live acts
that the genre has to offer...
The Cumberland Arms, 20:00, £7
Träd Gräs Och Stenar!,
Richard Dawson
music
Stars of CCTV: David Bond
A documentary that sees David
Bond attempt to evade capture for 30
days from private investigators hired
to track him down. Followed by a Q
and A session with the director.
Tyneside Cinema, 8.30pm, £6-7
See page 23
Erasing David Q&A
A Spanish comedy about an
encyclopaedia salesman whose
company is forced to move into the
Scandinavian porn home movie
market. Protagonist Alfredo’s wife
unknowingly becomes an overnight
DGXOWÀOPVWDULQQRUWKHUQ(XURSH
although the couple soon learn
Alfredo’s sperm count is zero
Star and Shadow, 7.30pm, £tbc
In this innovative series of lectures,
leading contemporary poets speak
about the craft and practice of
poetry. Fiona Sampson has won the
Newdigate Prize, been shortlisted for
the Forward Single Poem and T.S.
Eliot prizes and in 2009 received a
Cholmondeley Award. Subsequent
lectures are on April 29 and May 5
LT1, Herschel Building,
Newcastle University, 17.30, Free
Torreomolinos 73
film
Over the last four years Inertia’s End
of Term Blow Outs have become the
stuff of legend. This year’s looks to
be no different, with ‘house music
elite’ Sonny Wharton headlining
the night and a 4am curfew. Really,
there is no possible better way to see
out the Spring term
World Headquarters, 23.00, £4
Inertia End of Term
Blow Out
thursday
clubbing
27
Culture
With new album Total Life
Forever out in the near future and
ÀUVWVLQJOHVUHFHLYHGZLWKFULWLFDO
praise, the coming year is looking
like a promising one for the Oxford
quintet. Always guaranteed to put
on an atmospheric live show, this is
one show not to be missed
Newcastle Students’ Union,
19:30, £13.50
Foals
In the midst of the diverse and huge
Brooklyn music scene, Andrea Ambro and Sarah Register shared some
of the most tense and noisy DIY
pop as TALK NORMAL. Like an
inverted Yeah Yeah Yeahs or early
Sonic Youth cassette left in the sun,
they specialized in powerful and
distorted guitars with a
proclivity for sudden rhythmic
changes and off-kilter harmonies
Star and Shadow Cinema,
20:00, £5
TALK NORMAL /
Chippewa Falls /
Foot Hair
music
WHQ, 23:40, £8 adv
Crossfade Newcastle:
Mungo’s Hi Fi,
Dubterror 20hz
soundsystem
Cesar has quickly made a name for
himself with releases on Circus
Company, Serialism, Safari
Electronique and others. His colourful, upbeat sets have been heard in
some of the hottest clubs (Fabric,
the Key, Canvas), but also in Ibiza
(Space), Detroit (Works) and Germany (Watergate, Week End, Bar 25,
Club Der Visionaere)
Cosmic Ballroom, 23.00, £7-10
Ape-X: Cesar Merveille
(Cadenza) + Darius
Syrossian & Nyra
clubbing
The International Festival of Arts
and Music may only have been
running for two years but it is fast
becoming one of the biggest cultural
events in the student calendar. This
year promises to be a spectacular
evening featuring a wide range of
acts including Tango, Latin and
Swing dances as well as music
performances from some of the
University’s most talented students
Journal Tyne Theatre, 19.00, £5
International Festival of
Arts and Music
arts
friday
The Culture Lab, 20:00 - £6
Carla Bozulich (Evangelista) + Helictite + ~~~ +
-D]]ÀQJHU'-VHW
music
The Other Rooms, 22.30, £8-10
[Ctrl] 1st Birthday Party
with Deniz Kurtel LIVE
& Gavin Herlihy
clubbing
A special live satellite broadcast
from the Metropolitan Opera House
in New York. Pricey maybe, but its
not very often world class opera gets
a show in the Toon
Tyneside Cinema, 18:00 , £18-20
Armida by Gioachino
Rossini
Lit and Phil Society, 14.00, £2-4
The History of Spirit
Photography with
Gordon Rutter
arts
saturday
Star and Shadow, 20:00, £8
Darren Hayman & The
Secondary Modern
The Cluny, 19:00, £4
IIMITAK + Polar Sets
O2 Academy 2, 18.30, £6
Attack! Attack!
music
Digital, Times Square 23.00, £8
Gatecrasher
'9EULQJVEDFNWKHÁRRUZDOODQG
bar-vibrating soundsytem to the toon
for the best delivery of dubstep and
drum and bass
WHQ, 23.00, £8
DV8 presents: Iration
Steppas Soundsystem
clubbing
A perfect excuse to try out the best
Sunday lunch in Ouseburn with
DGGHGFUHDWLYHEHQHÀWV
The Cluny, 12.00, free
Cluny Craft Market
arts
sunday
Listings by Ciara Littler, Alice Vincent, Joe Skrebels and Matthew Blackwell - send your listings to courier.culture@ncl.ac.uk
Fiona Sampson,
Bloodaxe poetry lecture
With dramatised readings, David
Stuart Davies traces the development
of the ghost story in the 19th century
through the work of two masters of
the genre: Charles Dickens and
M.R. James
Lit and Phil Society, 13.00, £2-4
Boo! The Ghost Stories
of the 19th Century –
David Stuart Davies
arts
wednesday
28
Culture Arts
arts
art
Capturing the country through the camera lens
C. STEELE-PERKINS
Ciara Littler on a range
of photography that
encapsulates both
sides of Britain
Northumbria University are currently holding a fantastic photographic exhibition that intimately
chronicles England’s evolution into
and ethnically and socially diverse
society.
<RXZRQ·WÀQGDQ\SRPSDQGFLU
cumstance here though, no changing
of the guard or rose-tinted myths of
the beauty of Britain.
:KDW\RX·OOÀQGLQVWHDGLVDUHDOLW\
of the people of England, with photographer Chris Steele-Perkins focussing on “everydayness and how
that can be special.”
Steele-Perkins is an award winning Magnum Agency photographer who came to England from
Rangoon in 1949 when he was two.
He is the son of a Burmese mother
and English father, and his diversity
and certain level of distance means
his work comes across as a remarkably calm and unprejudiced depic-
tion of how he has seen England
develop.
He presents to us the absurdities,
pleasantries and tragedies of English life, and his subjects are far from
characters we would all feel comfortable meeting in a dark ally.
From members of the National
Front to angry football fans, some
of the more negative issues within
English life are displayed alongside
the more touching. Ultimately there
is a certain pathos in the image of
a crowded beach, complete with
donkeys, with a dog urinating on a
windbreak.
He resists being called a cultural
anthropologist but it does appear
that all aspects of human life are observed in this exhibition, as well as
the illusions that propel it.
You can move from an amazing
shot of obese male strippers, to one
of a Brixton Reggae Festival where
inexplicably, the entire Afro-Caribbean audience looks glum; or to a
group of ‘blissful’ Children of Jesus.
All of the great absurdities, quirks
and fantastic parts of life in England
are displayed with a certain level of
humour, fun and sadness.
Importantly for us, Chris Steele-
Perkins is an alumni of Newcastle
University where he studied Psychology from 1967-70, whilst working for this very student newspaper
as a photographer and picture editor.
It’s great then to see where growing up and being educated in this
interesting country of ours can lead
us, and what opportunities and
paths we will go on to once we leave
university.
Steele-Perkins insists his stance is
non-judgemental but what he does
show us, through the good and the
bad, is a truth about England that is
beautifully captured and great for
us all to see.
This exhibition does not set out
to show us what we already know
about England, but what SteelePerkins has seen of it himself, yet
through his touching images of English life we are able to see a certain
level of truth that is missed out by
all the tourist brochures and news
broadcasts.
This is England, warts and all.
England, My England is at University
Gallery until June 4
Beside the seaside: Blackpool Beach in 1982, part of the England My England display
29
Arts Culture
debate
Live poetry readings: are we losing touch with performance poetry?
Polly Randall
Joe Barton
If we were to hark back to the days
when literature was just emerging,
poetry is there in all its glory long
before the conception of the novel
or the creation of plays.
The great stories of the olden
times were acted out in spoken
word, a form so diverse it was appropriate for sonnets of love or epic
stories of battles and wars.
Fast forward a few thousand
years, why should anything be
different? I have regularly attended
poetry readings, as an appreciation
of literature, as a social event and to
support friends.
Poetry too often has the stereotype applied to it that it is merely
for moody boys with Morrissey-like
haircuts and a love for unattainable
girls, and whilst this is true it can
also be really, really funny.
On recent nights I have heard
verses on online masturbation
over men pretending to be women,
council estate slags and holidays to
Magaluf.
These are not what many would
From the court poets of Anglo
Saxon Britain, to the post-punk
expletives of John Cooper Clarke,
poetry readings remain a staple of
public entertainment. But should
they?
Yes, poetry originated as a handy
way of disseminating knowledge
through the generations, but most
of what we now consider poetry is
a strictly private affair.
Reading a poem is like pressing
the pause button on the stop-watch
of life, and it’s a moment best
enjoyed alone. In fact, some poems,
like ee cummings’ r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-ag-r, depend on their visual impact
to make sense, so reading them
aloud misses the point entirely.
Furthermore, most poetry fans
will admit that even the vocal
stylings of their favourite writer
always fail to match up to the voice
that they hear in their head when
they read their work. On the page,
The Wasteland is a masterpiece that
deepens with every reading.
T.S. Eliot’s recorded performance
expect from traditional conventions
of poetry, but poetry has a changing face - it is not an outdated form
but a type of writing which is very
alive and relevant.
For emerging poetic talent these
poetry readings also form a really
important space to promote their
work, and give them opportunities
to make a name for themselves in a
vibrant local poetry scene.
And this is just what some Newcastle students are doing. Poetry
nights organised by University
societies are allowing them to gain
regional and national recognition.
From the diverse range on offer,
you’re sure to see at least one poet
who you really like, who can probably make you either laugh or cry
with the skill in their art.
of it, however, sounds like General
Melchett from Blackadder.
TV poetry readings are even
worse, with actors thinking that,
in order to be arty and poetic, they
need to pause.
Dramatically. After. Every. Word.
Brian Blessed’s Tourette’s
syndrome version of Charge of the
Light Brigade, which starts off earsplitting and then gets louder, is a
terrifying example of this fallacy.
Then there are the horrors of
open mic nights. Having barely
survived the trauma of listening
to complete strangers discuss their
most intimate thoughts with essentially meaningless combinations
of obscure adjectives, it’s something
that cements poetry’s reputation as
pretentious and self-indulgent.
That said, there’s still a great tradition of performance poetry in the
UK and elsewhere, be it national
treasures like Ian MacMillan, or
young pretenders like Luke Wright.
But the pivotal point is knowing
what works in public, and what is,
as Stephen Fry described, subjecting innocent strangers to “the worst
kind of arse-gravy imaginable.”
30
Culture Film
film
feature
preview
We want you
Burma VJ
Chris Binding discusses the history of military
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Although cinema as a technique
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country to develop and monopolise
the medium into a global product
and a powerful cultural force.
Despite breakthroughs for indeSHQGHQWÀOPWKURXJK0LUDPD[DQG
Film 4, the Hollywood studio system still maintains majority control
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worldwide.
American cinema is symbiotically
linked to the military and in this
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‘suitably’.
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historical fact and are pro–war,
spreading incredibly biased propaganda worldwide.
Filmmakers wishing to produce a
script involving the military have to
request military co-operation to use
these expensive sources.
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can delete characters, order re–
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position of intense creative pressure.
Even if access is granted, agents obVHUYHWKHVKRRWDQGÀQDOYHUVLRQVRI
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Pentagon.
This system doesn’t actually mirURU WKH ÀUVW DPHQGPHQW RI WKH
American constitution ‘freedom of
speech’ and produces incredibly biased representations of the American military.
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bowed to this pressure, such as John
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Talkers, where he was forced to remove characters and alter historical
facts, and James Bond’s Goldeneye
where the entire production was
jeopardised by one joke about the
Vietnam war.
The directors who openly oppose
WKHPLOLWDU\KDYHWRPDNHÀOPVZLWK
little support such as Francis Ford
Copolla’s Vietnam classic Apocalypse
Now, accumulating huge budgets
but having the autonomy to present
more critical depictions of the scandals surrounding military and war.
+RZHYHU IURP D ÀQDQFLDO SHUspective it is easier to co-operate
with the military, lowering budgets
DQG DYRLGLQJ FRQÁLFW ZLWK VWXGLRV
Perhaps the worst offender is Jerry
Bruckheimer constantly caving to
3HQWDJRQGHPDQGVRQÀOPVVXFKDV
Pearl Harbour, Armageddon and Black
Hawk Down, in which the military
are overly romanticised.
0DQ\ RWKHU FRQWHPSRUDU\ ÀOPV
such as Independence Day and Rocky
VI promote clear pro-American valXHVZKLOHWKH·VÁLFNTop Gun functioned as an effective feature length
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The American military also negotiates its messages into children’s
television, with script alterations
appearing in episodes of both The
Mickey Mouse Club and Lassie, immorally targeting these propaganda
values at vulnerable age groups.
7KHOLVWRIÀOPVLVP\ULDGDQGWKH
general viewer that does not recognise the military undertones is
more susceptible to subconsciously
envelop these sanitised propaganda
messages.
Allowing the world’s most powerful military to place its messages
into the world’s most powerful
medium has undoubtedly aided
recruitment and changed the military’s public image, but any country
that allows its military to control the
arts is incredibly unconstitutional.
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US Navy stated after Top Gun’sUHOHDVHQDY\DYLDWRUUHFUXLWPHQW¿JXUHVURVHE\
stereotypes of others and formulates
a doctored military image.
Consequently when America goes
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involving adultery, corruption, homosexuality or racism have faced
severe problems and to avoid these
issues, the military can withdraw
their support which can trigger total collapse of a project. The practice
still continues today under the cur-
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Strub, who has made over one hundred directors and producers alter
their projects in favour of military
representation.
With Congress and the Writer’s
Guild of America proving ineffective at protesting against these practices, expect the same tired clichés
and patriotic sentiments to continue.
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for freedom, the infrastructure of its
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all.
Burma VJ is the Oscar nominated
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brave new breed of young video
journalists who risked torture and
life in jail to tell the world of the
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country, Burma.
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LQVLVWHG RQ NHHSLQJ XS WKH ÁRZ RI
news from their closed country.
Armed with small video cameras
the Burma VJs stopped at nothing
to make their reportages from the
streets of Rangoon.
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coordinates other young journalists
VHFUHWO\ÀOPLQJWKHSHDFHIXOSURWHVW
led by monks in Rangoon. They
FRQWLQXH WR ÀOP WKURXJK WKH EUXWDO
crackdown of the protest by the ruling military and the footage is put
together to form a unique, tangible
spectacle that helps us understand
and feel their situation.
With foreign TV crews banned
from entering Burma, Joshua is
left with his team to document the
events secretly and takes on the
challenge of establishing a lifeline
to the surrounding world. The VJs
soon become the prime target of
Burmese intelligence and Joshua
lands himself between hope and
despair as he frantically attempts to
track his reporters.
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paid with their freedom in bringing this feature to you and face 65
years imprisonment. An important
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feature shows bravery in its truest
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insight into high risk journalism and
dissidence in a controlled policed
state whilst also providing scrupulous documentation of the historiFDOGD\VLQZKHQWKH%XGGKLVW
monks started marching.
Burma VJ is being screened on Tuesday
at 7pm in the Union Lounge, on the top
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Jeremy Mason
preview
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Whatever happened to John Carpenter? Back in the late 70’s and
early 80’s he was not only considered the greatest horror director
about, but also one of the most viVLRQDU\DQGEROGÀOPPDNHUVRIKLV
time.
Then he was gifted with bigger
budgets and studio backing and
went on to make some of the most
expensive shit committed to celOXORLG SXWWLQJ WKH ÀQDO QDLO LQ KLV
DUWLVWLF FRIÀQ ZLWK ·V Ghosts of
Mars.
Thankfully Newcastle’s Star and
Shadow have a decent appreciation
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you a chance to get a taste of the director’s golden era with a selection
RIIRXURIKLVÀOPVAssault On Precinct 13, They Live, Escape From New
York and The Thing.
Even by today’s standards these
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punch. Precinct 13’s infamous scene
in which a schoolgirl is shot in cold
blood is still likely to have censors
crusading for it to be banned.
However, they also capture Carpenter’s dark humour and satirical
take on society. They Live, about a
hitcher who discovers that aliens
have integrated themselves into
society, is packed full of cheesy but
amazing one liners like ‘I have come
to chew bubble gum and kick ass.
And I’m all out of bubble gum!’.
Then we have Escape From New
York ZKLFK JDYH FLQHPD LWV ÀUVW
true anti-hero in the form of Kurt
Russell’s convicted criminal Snake
Plisskenho is sent on a supposed
suicide mission to rescue the President from the world’s largest prison facility that was once New York
City.
And thankfully Star and Shadow
have saved the best for last. While
John Carpenter’s remake of The
Thing is renowned for its bloody
horror and gore, the complexity of
its narrative and unnerving direcWLRQ PDNH LW D VFL À PDVWHUSLHFH
timeless classic and out of the four
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If John Carpenter does decide to
return to his roots and make more
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lot to look forward to and the fuWXUHFRQWUDU\WR&DUSHQWHU·VÀOPV
would indeed be bright.
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31
Film Culture
Film Editor: Frances Kroon - courier.culture-film@ncl.ac.uk
reviews
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was exceptionally weak, the sto-
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passable Ghost Town and the disappointing The Invention of Lying he is
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against the Gods when his adoptive
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together any and everything that
was ever slightly related to Greek
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OHVVDFWLRQÀOPEXWClash Of The
Titans proudly fails here too with
ridiculous action sequences and
plot turns such as bad guys suddenly befriending the good guys
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There is just nothing to save this
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Cemetery Junction
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Stephen Merchant
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Jones
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What plot there is revolves
The Ghost
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Brosnan
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Gregor’s character assuring his publisher that he “doesn’t know anyWKLQJDERXWSROLWLFVµ²DPRYHWKDWLV
assuredly designed to convince the
audience that they, too, will be able
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two, it was not the tear-jearking,
heart-wrenching classic I was told it
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anything beyond the fact that the
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want to pack a coffee to get through
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propriately enough, as he’s a ghost
writer who is designed to not have
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ister who has just been accused of
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Ashley Fryer
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while also getting the best out of
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proved that they can transfer their
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television series Mad Men, and he’s
right, Reading’s never looked so
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Adam Williams
Thomas Ward
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cheeky self however, but the fact
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drags, and the action of the last third
picks up a little, but not enough to
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a little routine, his character ranges
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if only to give the audience a protagonist that people actually cared
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Camila Tessler
32
Culture Music
Full interview with The Indelicates and a review of the final Youthmovies gig >>>thecourieronline.co.uk/music
music
interview
Do you really want
WRKXUW%R\*HRUJH"
Alice Vincent talks to
the Culture Club frontman about prison, DIY
style and Lady Gaga
%R\ *HRUJH LV RIÀFLDOO\ WKH FURVV
GUHVVLQJ FDPS XQFOH , QHYHU KDG
Chatting to a man who epitomised
a decade in style, musical ingenuity
and sexuality is daunting enough,
let alone when the said decade is
RQH,EDUHO\H[LVWHGLQ
$GG WR WKH PL[ WKH FRQWHPSRUDU\
vision of George - a man imprisoned for assaulting young men,
who paints his chin and who is currently embarking on a new stripped
back tour - and fair to say anticipation was high when I picked up the
SKRQH
The hits of Culture Club were arJXDEO\ WKH ÁRRUÀOOHUV RI RXU SDUents’ generation rather than ours,
DQG \HW %R\ *HRUJH UHPDLQV D
KRXVHKROG QDPH ,W·V EHHQ RYHU years since Karma Chameleon topped
the charts but it, complete with
George’s infamous style, continues
WREHLFRQRJUDSKLHVRIWKH¶V
Contrary to what the media would
suggest, however, George is no
GLYD+LVODWHVWWRXULVQRWVRPXFKD
comeback attempt as an indulgence
in the performing he claims he has
RQO\MXVWVWDUWHGWRHQMR\
‘I never used to like doing live
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The change of heart has come
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three decades George has ‘got used
to performing’, and no longer has
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George admits that behind the
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hey-day he was hiding an on-stage
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‘People weren’t really coming to
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there’d just be people screaming,
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Rather than ‘being caught up in a
kind of madness’, George returns
to crowds ‘that listen more now’,
both in his current tour as well as
KLVORQJVWDQGLQJ'-FDUHHU
‘I think the crowds now are full of
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obviously, some of them love me as
ZHOOEXWWKH\ORYHWKHPXVLFWRR·
His latest single Amazing Grace
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He’s not keen to dwell on the past
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miss so much by not being where
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it also references his knowledge of
up-to-the-second electro and dance
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nights, he’s highly opinionated on
the issues of drink and drugs, despite having suffered with heroin
DQG RWKHU GUXJ DGGLFWLRQV *RGspeed, his latest project, is ‘actually
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‘I do a lot of work in clubs where
people are wasted and drunk and
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people are just not pissed or high,
but having a good time – I can’t
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all about what you wore, who you
knew and if you were cool enough
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with the house revolution and I preIHUWKDW&OXEELQJLQWKLVFRXQWU\LV
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The ‘mixed vibe’ is something
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try not to play gay clubs, and I’ve
always been lucky in getting to play
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HYHU\RQH·
6R IRXU PLQXWHV LQ DQG WKUHH FOLchés have been written off: no diva,
no drugs, no jewel in the queer
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‘I’ve never been a follower of fashLRQ+LJKIDVKLRQLVDERXWZHDULQJ
money,’ George explains, sounding
ever like a teenage wannabe deVLJQHU
‘I’m very frugal when it comes to
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walk into a room and be dressed
OLNHVRPHRQHHOVH·+HPDNHVDYHU\
good point, but I still struggle to
envisage him appliquéing sequins
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Making an effort is important to
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, JR RXW OLNH D JLUO· +RZHYHU KH
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make-up, he says having his friend
to do it ‘is a luxury, only for really
special things - usually I just do it
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insistence that he is not representaWLYH RI MXVW RQH GHFDGH ¶,·P YHU\
proud of what I did with Culture
Club, but for a long time I think I
was the only person who knew that
WKHHLJKWLHVZHUHRYHU·
Ever looking out for the latest slice
of individualism, George is a big
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bothered’ about the special effects
of her stage shows, preferring the
reality and vulnerability of her solo
piano performances; perhaps reÁHFWLQJKLVRZQRQVWDJHIHHOLQJV
Not a fan of celebrity culture - ‘all
WKLVWDNLQJSKRWRVDQGÀOPLQJSHRple all the time’ - George nevertheless claims he didn’t really struggle
with the media attention following
KLVUHOHDVHIURPSULVRQODVW\HDU
¶<RXMXVWJHWRQZLWKLW,·YHOHDUQW
in the last couple years that you
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somewhere [he’d] recommend’, but
simultaneously wasn’t ‘an awful
H[SHULHQFHHQWLUHO\·
Needless to say, I was surprised
ZKHQ KH DQQRXQFHG KH KDG IXQ
‘You make friends, you laugh, you
take the piss out of the people who
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people in prison, good people do
EDGWKLQJV·
Boy George’s new single ‘$PD]LQJ
Grace’ is out now. For more info visit
www.boygeorgeuk.com, or follow The
Boy on Facebook - www.facebook.com/
ER\JHRUJHRIÀFLDO
the debate The Libertines: can we stand them now?
Thomas Belcher
%HIRUH7KH/LEHUWLQHVZHUHDQnounced to be playing Reading and
Leeds this summer, I wasn’t that
VPLWWHQZLWK%DUDW'RKHUW\DQGFR
I didn’t dislike the band and knew
a little about them, but I hadn’t
really become acquainted with their
PXVLF
When I (eventually) managed to
get a ticket to Leeds Festival I felt
REOLJHGWRFKHFNRXWWKHLUDOEXPV
I soon began to realise what all the
excitement had been about in the
ÀUVWSODFH
Their songs portray an intensity
and urgency that has been much
replicated and envied ever since,
but the key ingredient that makes
the band so explosive, if a little temperamental, is the bond between
&DUODQG3HWH
The tragedy of Pete leaving the
band when he did is that fans
didn’t get to experience the chemistry of the second album in a live
setting, which was largely focussed
on his relationship with Carl - Can’t
Stand Me NowLVDSULPHH[DPSOH
These concerts give old fans a
chance to witness the rapport these
newer tunes bring out between the
two front men while hopefully introducing many people (including
myself) to a band which actually
deserves the substantial hype given
WRLWE\WKH10(
Yes, they’re back – just as the cockroach survive the nuclear holocaust
and the Tiger Woods survives scandal, the bad boys of noughties ladrock The Libertines have returned,
amidst much rejoicing and waving
RIÁDJV
Thing is, is there really much
to celebrate here? Reforming for
some enormous fee to play the
main stage of the Reading & Leeds
Festivals to an audience of boozedXSÀIWHHQ\HDUROGVDQGDVRI\HW
nowhere else, smacks of enormous
F\QLFLVP
0D\EHWKLVLVQ·WDOOVRVXUSULVLQJ
The cocktail of warmed-up Lon-
don Calling leftovers, conveniently
timed PR opportunities/guerrilla gigs (as the press releases had
them) and knees-up-mother-brown
mockney nothingness that spun
WKHPLQWRLQIDP\LQWKHÀUVWSODFH
is one of the great pieces of twentyÀUVWFHQWXU\QRWKLQJQHVV
The Libertines are like a
Halley’s comet of disaster:
every time they reappear,
something terrible happens
Kicking out their original drummer Paul Dufour before signing for
being ‘too old’, contriving a faintly
reactionary iconography out of suppressed desires for a return to the
‘good ol’ days’: rock and roll rebelOLRQWKH\DLQ·W$QGQRWDNLQJKDUG
GUXJVLVQ·WHGJ\LW·VMXVWVWXSLG
Not convinced? Look at it this
ZD\WKHLUÀUVWDOEXPFDPHRXWDW
WKHHQGRIDVWKHÀDVFRRIWKH
,UDTZDUVWDUWHGWRORRP,Q
their second album came out, and
*HRUJH:%XVKZDVUHHOHFWHG
LQ$PHULFD,QWKH\UHIRUP
while the ultimate enemies of rock
music, the Conservatives (why else
JHW*DU\%DUORZWRFDPSDLJQIRU
\RX"ORRNVHWWRWDNHEDFNSRZHU
The Libertines are like a Halley’s
comet of disaster: every time they
reappear, something terrible hapSHQV<RXKDYHEHHQZDUQHG
33
Music Culture
Music Editors: Mark Corcoran-Lettice and Chris Mandle - courier.culture-music@ncl.ac.uk
interview
Be afraid of The Indelicates
Mark Corcoran-Lettice
debates feminism and
the music business
with the cult heroes
‘I don’t know - you just write what
you can stand to. I don’t really like
dancing, I haven’t been in the early
stages of a relationship for years,
I’ve got an MA in Renaissance
Studies and most of the time I listen to popular science audiobooks
instead of music. If I tried to write
about a girl being lovely I’d just be
a big fat liar.’
The Indelicates are not like most
other bands, and thank f*** for that.
Forming in late 2005 around the
central duo of performance poet Simon Indelicate and Julia Indelicate
(a founding member of The Pipettes
who quickly sought to take her music in a much sharper direction),
The Indelicates are quite unlike any
other act working in Britain today.
A mixture of stadium rock guitars,
Billy Bragg emoting and the odd
touch of Scott Walker dramatics,
makes them, musically and lyrically, the sharpest kids in town. Angry
malcontents waging war on popular culture with an infectious and
often hilarious way with words.
2008’s debut ‘American Demo’
ZDVRQHRIWKHGHFDGH·VÀQHVWIURP
these isles, with tracks like the
self-explanatory We Hate The Kids
marking them out as a unique and
remarkable voice, and their new
record ‘Songs For Swinging Lovers’
is possibly even better.
Self-released via the Corporate
Records website, I thought it sensible to ask about the state of the music business and the reasons for going DIY. ‘It’s simple’, they explain,
‘record companies used to have a
monopoly on music sales because
the key resources they controlled
(recording, manufacturing, distribution and promotion) were scarce
and expensive. The internet has
made them abundant and pretty
close to free.
‘Consequently, a radical shift in
the business model is just necessary. I think it’s good - everyone always knew that the music industry
were card stacking parasites - now
we actually have alternatives.’
The recently passed Digital Economies Act, for many, looked like the
last gasp of a desperate industry.
The Indelicates notably campaigned
against it, commenting, ‘it’s still a
shockingly stupid and ill-thoughtthrough law made by people who
don’t understand the internet for
WKH EHQHÀW RI PXVLF SULFNV ZKR
don’t want to.’
But kicking against the pricks is
what they do best. One of the standouts on the new record, Flesh, deals
with current trends of dismissing
feminism in unsettling, bleakly
comic detail.
On this subject Simon says, ‘We’ll
get into trouble for this, but I think
there’s a sense in which fashionable
post-modern theories about cultural
relativism have trickled down into
the mainstream to the point where
normal, left-leaning, well-meaning
people are quite happy to forgive
egregious oppression of women’.
The song Flesh itself though ‘is
more about the general dilution of
feminism and also has Julia saying
snatch, which people are oddly uncomfortable about’. Well, quite.
For anyone who’s ever felt at odds
with our increasingly incredulous
and apathetic society, ‘Songs For
Swinging Lovers’ is the record for
you.
The whole album is full of anthems
for the discontented, from the Patty
Hearst inspired We Love You, Tania,
the war against bourgeois bullshit
of Be Afraid Of Your Parents and the
Brave New World referencing Savages, a song about how ‘in a world
like this you have to hang yourself
just to stop yourself spoiling things
for everyone else’.
Still, at least there’s some good
news. One deluxe edition of the
album, set to be released in June, if
purchased, will see the band travel
to your house, play for you, record
it and give you the rights. ‘It’s expensive, but you can club together.
The second we can get booked to
play, we’ll come.’ Now there’s an
offer…
of the Northumbria University
SU decide to advertise a for-fans
Renegades gig as Feeder.
The band came on stage, opening
with a new song from the ‘Renegades’ EP, Sentimental, only to fall
on the confused ears of Feeder fans
expecting the Radio One favourites.
After an awkward start to the
show, the band had a divided
crowd of Renegades fans and
casual Feeder fans, yet they rose
to the occasion and won over the
confused with energetic performances of both grassroots Feeder
songs and new material.
The Renegades fans, initially
diffused, found their way to the
front, generating such movement
and energy that one could entirely
forget this is the band who wrote
Tumble and Fall. Classic songs such
as Shade, Sweet 16 and Godzilla just
DGGHGIXHOWRWKHÀUH
After a decade of churning out
hit after hit, Renegades is the
sound of a band rediscovering
their roots. The casual fans may
have left rueing the lack of hits,
but try as they might, surely such
a powerful performance cannot be
denied.
‘Songs For Swinging Lover’s’ is available for download now at www.corporaterecords.co.uk, with physical releases
scheduled for June.
gigs
Renegades
(Feeder)
Northumbria University,
16 April
You’ve got to feel sorry for Grant
Nicholas.
No sooner has he shaken the
monkey of commercial expectation off his back for these intimate
Renegades gigs, previewing new
material, than the intelligent folk
Laura Marling
Journal Tyne Theatre,
19 April
With two critically acclaimed albums, a Mercury prize nomination
and collaborations with various
indie bands under her belt at the
mere age of 20, Laura Marling has
certainly done well for herself.
Her live reputation preceded
her when she came to Newcastle’s
Journal Tyne Theatre, bringing an
evening of enchanting folk music
to a quaint venue.
Opening act Boy & Bear from
Australia came across well, their
mix of Fleet Foxes-esque vocal harmonies and Mumford & Sons-ish
banjos setting the tone for proceedings with a series of impressive
songs that should see them do very
well in the coming months.
Next up was Alessi’s Ark, an endearingly timid nineteen-year-old
whose dainty and delicate tunes
are sure to have won over many
new fans amongst the well-sold
crowd.
When Marling took to the stage,
VKHVWURGHRXWFRQÀGHQWO\EHIRUH
Stuart Edwards
commencing with new single
Devil’s Spoke, backed by a talented
band.
Drawing from both her debut and
her recent album ‘I Speak Because
,&DQ·VKHFXWDVHOIDVVXUHGÀJXUH
pleasing the crowd with both old
favourites such as Ghosts and Alas
I Cannot Swim, and showcasing her
fantastic voice on highlights from
the new album, particularly Rambling Man and Hope in the Air.
All in all, it was a brilliant and atmospheric night of music from one
of Britain’s brightest talents, with
melodies that belie her age.
Ben Travis
Black Rebel
Motorcycle Club
Newcastle University,
19 April
It had been three years since Black
Rebel Motorcycle Club last played
in Newcastle, so unsurprisingly
there was a lot of catching up to
do with their North East fans.
Taking to the Basement stage,
they set ahead on rewarding their
patience.
After an unexpectedly compelling performance by Dark Horses,
the de facto indie doom-rock
support band on the night, Black
Rebel Motorcycle Club took the
stage by storm and launched right
into some of their classics from
way back when they were more
likely to glean scruffy old Led
Zeppelin fans than indie hipsters
in skinny jeans.
The set seemed to progress and
mirror the band’s own musical
development, with the occasional
noisy foray into screechy feedback-laced hard rock breaking up
the poppy selection of tunes and
the odd slow ballad thrown in for
good measure. Everything you’d
hope for in a Black Rebel Motorcycle Club set then - and even better,
none of the annoying noise of last
\HDU·VH[SHULPHQWDOÁRSThe Effects of 333.
When you’ve got over a decade
of music-making behind you,
choosing what to play for a set becomes dubiously hard, but Black
Rebel Motorcyle Club managed to
pull it off to offer something for
all their fans as well as including
the well-known singles that got
WKHPQRWLFHGLQWKHÀUVWSODFH
Material from their new album
‘Beat The Devil’s Tattoo’ was
aired to a warm (for a Black Rebel
Motorcycle Club gig) reception,
while classics like Love Burns
resounded perfectly.
Even the Students’ Union managed to pull out enough stops
to actually have decent sound,
tweaking a bit of love into the
setup and allowing the sludgy
feedback that Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are famous for to shine
through the mix handsomely. For
a band whose sound can sometimes be a mixer’s nightmare, the
venue coped brilliantly.
Let’s just hope then that it’s not
another three years before they
return to grace Newcastle again.
Romain Chenet
34
Culture Music
More record reviews and an exclusive interview with The Bluetones>>> thecourieronline.co.uk/music
music
albums
singles
LCD Soundsystem
This Is Happening
MGMT
Congratulations
Darwin Deez
Darwin Deez
Ever since 2003’s debut single Losing My Edge, LCD Soundsystem
have occupied a strange, fruitful position in the music world,
SURYLGLQJGDQFHÁRRUJROGZKLOH
casting an aloof eye over it all.
As the elder statesman of dancepunk,James Murphy has been
responsible for some of the last
GHFDGH·VÀQHVWVRQJVEXWLIKH·V
to be taken at his word, ‘This Is
Happening’, the third full-length
LCD Soundsystem album, is to be
the last.
,IWKLVLVLWWKRXJKWKHQLW·VDÀW
ting end to a short but illustrious
career. The slow-burning Dance
Yrself Clean highlights a restraint
not always apparent in their work,
but those of you who fell in love
with LCD Soundsystem the dance
band are not going to be disappointed: aside from the Velvet
8QGHUJURXQGDSLQJÀUVWVLQJOH
Drunk Girls, the infectious One
Touch and the relentless Pow Pow
(featuring one of Murphy’s funniest
rants to date) look set to reverberate
amongst any discerning festival or
GDQFHÁRRUWKLVVXPPHU
That said, it is (marginally) their
weakest album. You Wanted A Hit’s
mock-arrogant narrator becomes
quickly annoying over its nineminute runtime, while the deliberately ugly synths of Somebody’s
Calling Me are somewhat misjudged. Lyrically also, there’s little
that matches the emotional power
of ‘Sound Of Silver’ favourite All
My Friends.
There is, though, one notable
exception to this, in the form of the
sensational closer Home. Having
toured the world with his band,
James Murphy has found true happiness at last, and it’s at his front
door, making for a remarkable end
to the album. While we’ll doubtlessly hear more of Murphy, if this
is it for this incarnation, it’s hard to
think of a better note to end on.
Goldfrapp
Head First
New Young Pony Club
The Optimist
Diana Vickers - Once
Presuming this would be awful
given her shady X Factor past,
in actual fact it’s a well manufactured teen pop anthem akin
to Millay Cyrus. The crooning,
wispy vocals are backed by
polished piano arrangements
and punchy drums making it all
round very catchy. Expect much
more of the same.
Polly Randall
Florence & The Machine Dog Days Are Over
So, it’s come to this Florence. A
re-release. Undoubtedly one of
her best tracks from last year’s
all conquering ‘Lungs’ album,
however you can’t help but feel
that this smacks of management
milking the poor girl for all she’s
worth. Can you hear the cash roll
in? Because here it comes.
Tom Richards
(VWHOOHIW.DUGLQDO2IÀVKDOO
Freak
Estelle encourages girls to ‘embrace their inner freaky freak’
over a mildly hyperactive retro
fusion, courtesy of a straight-outof-an-aerobics-class vocal loop,
a jaunty dancehall/garage-type
mix and a bouncy sung chorus.
Add bass designed for stationary
cars with oversized exhausts at
WUDIÀFOLJKWVDQG\RXREWDLQD
fairly catchy result.
Martin Flynn
Kate Nash - Do Wah Doo
It’s important to get one thing
straight when approaching
MGMT’s sophomore album – ‘Congratulations’ is sure to be a polarising listen.
The sound of ‘Congratulations’
may come as less of a surprise,
however, to those who actually
bothered to listen to the other eight
tracks on ‘Oracular Spectacular’
that weren’t Kids or Time To Pretend.
It seems that the most apt word
to describe ‘Congratulations’ is
hyper. Hyper-psychedelic, hyperkinetic, hyper-atmospheric. Frantic
opener It’s Working immediately
thrusts the listener into explosions
of kaleidoscopic hues, its infectious
surfer-hook of ‘it’s working in your
EORRG·EHLQJUHPDUNDEO\ÀWWLQJ
The pace rarely lets up, from the
tribute to The Television Personalities, Song For Dan Treacy and its
mad organ-bashing to Brian Eno’s
staccato interludes providing the
genius insanity in spades.
‘Congratulations’ is a piece that
is sure to alienate casual listeners,
but is also highly accomplished,
musically complex, and extremely
interesting.
It’s best to judge this one by its
cover – strange, delirious, yet undeniably brilliant.
:KHQWKHÀUVWOLQHRIDQDOEXPLV
“Twinkle twinkle little star/How I
wonder what you are”, you don’t
hold high hopes for the next ten
tracks or so. Yet with the effortless
delivery of Julian Casablancas, and
the minimal beats of The xx, on
paper at least Mr Deez appears to
ÀQGDZLQQLQJIRUPXOD
Lead single Radar Detector is radio
friendly pop and catchy as hell,
whilst The City, with its infectious
hand claps and DNADOOVFLHQWLÀF
play on words, offer moments of
well written pop songs.
However, it’s the weaker songs
that let the album down, such as
The Suicide Song, which doesn’t
quite lead you to carrying out the
act itself, but it by no means sets the
world alight.
Mr Deez has by no means created
a monstrosity of a debut album:
the man certainly has the ability
to write a catchy pop song and
given time will (hopefully) produce
something a bit more substantial,
but the album fails to gather speed
and starts to falter all too often.
Still, let’s give the man time WKHUH·VGHÀQLWHSURPLVHKHUH$Q\
man with a moustache like that
must be onto something good.
Surely?
Given the ethereal quality of 2008’s
‘Seventh Tree’, which saw Alison
Goldfrapp masquerading as a folk
nymph complete with warbling
mystical vocals, and the disco
smash of ‘Supernature’, Goldfrapp
are becoming quite the musical
chameleons.
This record is undeniably upbeat
plastic pop, and Rocket resonates
with synthetic pride, a world away
from their previous wholesome
image.
Aside from this, the song also
features some of the worst lyrics I
have ever heard - ‘Oh oh oh, I’ve
got a rocket/ Oh oh oh, you’re going on it’.
There’s more synths than you can
shake a Betamax at, and the vocals
on Dreaming and Head First sound
so Madonna it is impossible not
to imagine some shoulder padded
stage wear.
Then though, there are hidden
gems like Hunt, creating a more
atmospheric quality than other
tracks; a more haunting vocal and
some passable lyrics makes for the
standard of song expected.
The diversity they’ve show
between records signals a skilled
band, but the ‘80s maybe isn’t their
decade.
New Young Pony Club haven’t
forgotten how to produce catchy,
fresh sounding electro-pop.
Their follow up to ‘Fantastic Playroom’, their debut album, seems
to take a slightly more laid back
approach but it doesn’t lack that
certain, unique character the NYPC
inject into all their songs.
They’ve swapped the sexually
charged lyrics of singles like Ice
Cream for more relaxed and chilled
out tracks that provide more atmosphere.
It oozes with coolness and every
single has the potential to be a hit.
During the festival season this album should go down very well and
would sound amazing live.
But perhaps this album needs a
little something extra: there’s an underlying factor that’s missing. The
DOEXPÁRZVZHOOEXWLWQHHGVD
bit more variation in it. The tempo
remains fairly slow throughout
and never picks up, which could
result in the album sounding a bit
uneventful after a while.
But that aside the album is
GHÀQLWHO\ZRUWKDOLVWHQZKHWKHU
you’re a newcomer or a long standing fan of the band, especially for
stand-outs like Chaos and We Want
To.
Ben Travis
Tom Richards
Polly Randall
Chris Scott
Despite three years having
passed since her debut album,
Nash seems to have progressed
very little as an artist, still concentrating on those old topics like
fancying boys and bitchy girls.
Clocking in at just two-and-a-half
minutes, the song offers a catchy
chorus but very little else. We’ve
moved on, Kate hasn’t.
Adam Williams
Keane ft K’Naan Stop For A Minute
Keane’s ability to produce radiofriendly pap never ceases to
amaze, and even a collaboration
with Somalian/Canadian singer/
rapper K’naan fails to provide
Stop For A Minute with any edge.
Expect to hear this constantly on
trailers for light-entertainment
TV shows in the near future.
Elliot Bentley
We Are Scientists Rules Don’t Stop
Edging ever closer to the mainstream as each album goes by,
We Are Scientists return with
something a little punchier than
their previous material but are
careful never to stray too far from
their college rock roots. Existing
fans are sure to lap this up.
Adam Williams
35
Music Culture
line-ups
festivals
EXIT Festival:
Headlining the Serbian festival
this year are reformed alt-metal
act Faith No More and big beat
pioneers The Chemical Brothers, alongside many more dance,
electronic, rock and hip-hop acts.
Festival dos and don’ts
Chris Mandle on
getting the festival
experience right
As our blistering Geordie winds are
brightened by a faint hint of sunshine, it seems everyone’s keen to
get on their Topshop (or Primark
depending on how the loan’s lasting) board shorts and show off their
ghastly pale legs. But before you
gear up for festival season, heed
these warnings of biblical proportions:
THOU SHALT shower as regularly
as one can. Alternatively engulf
oneself in baby wipes – I prefer the
Sainsbury’s variety (works wonders
for the skin).
THOU SHALT NOT attempt to
crowd surf. Groping will ensue.
THOU SHALT don a straw trilby
and wear it religiously throughout
the week. And then discard it on
your return to civilisation.
7+286+$/7127ZHDUÁLSÁRSV
You’re wading through muddy
ÀHOGV'RQZHOOLHVWKHMD]]LHUWKH
better.
THOU SHALT expect the rain. God
doesn’t like festivals, but a raincoat
will see you through the watery
purge.
THOU SHALT NOT prattle on
about ‘discovering’ the headliners
before they were big. I think you’ll
ÀQG LW ZDV me that had heard of
Latitude Festival:
Recently announced acts for the
Suffolk event include The Coral,
NME Tour faves The Big Pink
and the much-hyped Egyptian
Hip-Hop.
)HVWLYDOGRQ¶WFURZGVXU¿QJLW¶OORQO\HQGLQWHDUV/HDYHLWWRWKHEDQGV
Kings of Leon before anyone else.
THOU SHALT wander to the
smaller stages and open thine ears
to lesser-known bands.
THOU SHALT NOT waste money
on stodgy festival food and watery
beer. Bring as much as you can
ZLWKRXW KDYLQJ D .DWH 0RVVVL]HG
entourage.
THOU SHALT try and sleep with
a celebrity. A-list will score most
SRLQWVEXW'OLVWZLOOVXIÀFH
THOU SHALT NOT remember a
thing. That one shouldn’t be hard.
Festival Guide 2010: Part III
Glastonbury
23-27th June,
Glastonbury, Somerset,
SOLD OUT
glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
V Festival
21-22nd August,
Chelmsford/Staffordshire,
SOLD OUT
vfestival.com
Truck Festival:
The cult Oxford festival this year
features acts like Mew, Future of
the Left, Los Campesinos! and
0V '\QDPLWH DQG \HV VKH LV
still going.
Øya Festival:
The Norwegian festival has announced Miike Snow, Pavement,
Iggy and the Stooges and many
other favourites.
competition
Reading/Leeds Festival
27-29th August
Reading/Leeds
SOLD OUT
leedsmusicfestival.com
&UHDPÀHOGV
28-29 August,
Daresbury, Cheshire
£100, plus booking fee
FUHDPÀHOGVFRP
Glastonbury is, and always will be,
the festival that all others will be
compared by.
Now entering its 40th iteration,
Glastonbury is as big as it’s ever
been, and as ever it’s full of numerous delights and sounds to appeal to
almost every taste.
Many press inches have been
spent on U2, Muse and Stevie Wonder, but it’s the smaller stages that
really make Glastonbury so unique,
and this year they’ve really excelled
themselves.
For my money, the place to be this
year is the newly-christened West
+ROWV VWDJH IRUPHUO\ -D]] :RUOG
Headlined by hip-hop leviathan
0RV'HIWKH3)XQNOHJHQG*HRUJH
Clinton, with Parliament/Funkadelic and Rodrigo y Gabriela, West
Holts has got it all.
With other superb acts like Afrobeat
hero Femi ‘son-of-Fela’ Kuti, tropicalia pioneers Os Mutantes and oneZRPHQ ORÀ VHQVDWLRQ 7XQH<DUGV
lower down as well, you may never
need reach the Pyramid Stage for a
great weekend.
There’s too many acts to mention,
but noisy, ferocious Brit-rockers
Earl Brutus at The Queen’s Head on
Saturday and dubstep super group
0DJQHWLF 0DQ RQ :HVW 'DQFH RQ
Sunday look set to be remarkable
also.
And if you don’t have a ticket?
Well, there’s always the BBC…
Ah, globalisation! The big trans
national companies often get a bad
press for their wicked ways, but
let’s be honest, they get so large for
a reason: they offer a world class
service, and Virgin are no different.
Their plane food may be rather
lacking (Google that one for a laugh
sometime) but with the V Festival,
held every August in Chelmsford
and Staffordshire simultaneously,
Branson and his minions have provided another one of those wonderful services.
If the mud in Glastonbury and
the riots of Reading aren’t for you
then V could be the perfect alternative.
Far more relaxed, and with a
myriad of shopping stalls, phone
FKDUJHUV DQG FKLOO RXW ]RQHV LW LV
one of the more comfortable places
to spend your weekend shacked
up in a tent.
The line up has something for
everyone too, from chart toppers
like the Sugababes, Tinie Tempah
and Kings of Leon to dance legends Faithless and The Prodigy.
Even the musos should be satisÀHGZLWKWKHOLNHVRI$PHULFDQDOW
rock heroes Eels and the returning
Brit-rockers Skunk Anansie, with
plenty more still acts to be announced.
Oh, and the food’s not too shabby
either, lovely.
Leeds Festival 2009. A tentative affair, the line-up being the biggest
shift away from its roots as the decisive alternative rock weekend of the
year since 2001. Whilst Radiohead
and Placebo restored a sense of normality, a predominately ‘indie’ line
up stirred controversy.
2010’s line up is setting this year’s
August bank holiday event to be an
amalgamation of ‘90s Reading and
the remnants of the past decade.
Nostalgic acts such as Cypress Hill,
:HH]HUDQG%OLQNOLWWHUWKHPDLQ
stage in an odd harmony with more
recent names such as Paramore,
Pendulum and Biffy Clyro.
The talking point thus far has been
Arcade Fire’s rise to headlining status. Facebook groups have rallied
the confused/sceptical, whilst fans
ÀHUFHO\ GHIHQG DQ XQGRXEWHGO\
iconic act.
Festival Republic have taken a
gamble here, but the clever clashing
with Pendulum will restrict ill-timed
protests. The other two headliners
*XQV1·5RVHVDQG%OLQNZLOO
undoubtedly be memorable performances and help retain the festival’s status.
Such a combination of styles and
audiences could either be a disaster
or a perfect balance - hopefully, it’ll
be the latter. Ironically, it could be
V’s Kings of Leon coup that allows
Reading and Leeds to revel in itself
this summer.
+DYLQJMXVWZRQWKHSUL]HGFURZQ
of best festival at the Music Week
$ZDUGV &UHDPÀHOGV LV DUJXDEO\
one of the best weekends of dance
music throughout summer.
This year’s event brings together
chart topping hit makers and underground legends to create one of
the strongest line-ups around.
This is big on exclusive: all the
headliners are making this their
premier festival appearance of the
VXPPHU KHUH 'DYLG *XHWWD ZKR
has produced some of THE songs
of the last year plays on the SatXUGD\ QLJKW DORQJVLGH 'HDGPDX
another current dance master of I
Remember fame.
The Sunday headliners lose none
of the prestige, featuring Calvin
Harris, everyone’s favourite purYH\RU RI VKLQ\ GDQFH ÁRRU KLWV
who’ll be warming up the decks for
the legendary Tiesto, who has been
at the top of the game for the last
decade.
Other acts playing include Erol
$ONDQ 3HWH 7RQJ (ULF 3U\G] DQG
Sasha, and the list is seemingly
endless.
If you have ever danced the night
away at Wax:On or Turbulence
WKHQWKLVLVGHÀQLWHO\WKHIHVWLYDOIRU
you. Grab your wellies, glow sticks,
sun cream and head on down to
&UHDPÀHOGV IRU DQ XQIRUJHWWDEOH
or maybe completely forgotten,
weekend.
David McDonald
Stuart Edwards
Polly Randall
WIN TWO
TICKETS FOR
BEACH BREAK
LIVE!
Voted ‘The UK’s Best Small Festival’ in last year’s UK Festival
Awards, Beach Break Live has
quickly become one of the country’s leading festivals.
Now in its fourth year, the event
which came to life after a successful pitch on Dragon’s Den is still
the only festival that caters solely
for students.
With a line-up that so far features Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, Plan B, Chase & Status, The
Futureheads and many more,
2010’s event looks set to be the
biggest yet.
7DNLQJ SODFH RQ -XQH LQ
Pembrey Country Park in South
:DOHV WLFNHWV XVXDOO\ FRVW
plus booking fee for students, but
we’ve got a pair of tickets to give
away for you and a friend.
For a chance to win the tickets, simply answer the following
question:
Which Kate Bush
classic did The
Futureheads cover?
Email your answer to courier.
culture-music@ncl.ac.uk no later
WKDQSPRQ)ULGD\$SULODQG
you could be in with a chance to
ZLQ WZR WLFNHWV WR WKLV DPD]LQJ
festival.
So what are you waiting for?
Get your emails in, and get ready
for the Beach Break!
36
Culture TV & Radio
tv & radio
BBC
tv highlights
soaps
Prime Ministerial Debate
Coronation Street
Mon, Thurs, Fri on ITV1
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him! Mary takes Norris away on
a cottage getaway and recruits
him in her competition scheme
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back onto the street.
Thursday, 8.30pm BBC1
This Thursday
marks the third
DQG ÀQDO GHbate between
the three candidates running
for the Prime
Minister’s job
and the race is wide open.
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an important subject at the centre of
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ground breaking and historic one.
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of questions by the moderator, and
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question to the candidates in adYDQFH YLD EEFFRXNHOHFWLRQ LI \RX
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about something so important.
,I WKLV LV \RXU ÀUVW \HDU RI YRWLQJ
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around the corner (May 6) be sure
to tune in and don’t miss out the imSRUWDQWLVVXHVZKLFKZLOOVKDSHWKH
future of your country.
The Ricky Gervais
Show
The Lady and the
Revamp
Pick
of the
week
Friday 10pm, C4
Eastenders
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri on BBC1
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be mates with him anymore. Zsa
=VDFDQ·WVWDQGVHHLQJ%HQVRXQhappy so she persuades Leon to
make friends with him.
Hollyoaks
Weekdays at 6.30pm on C4
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his and Leo’s drinks with drugs
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be around to remind him of their
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to upset him any further.
Christina Renner
Heston’s Gothic
Horror Feast
C4
Emmerdale
Wednesday 9pm, C4
Tuesday 9pm, C4
Tuesday 1.15am, C4
C4
Jamies Does...
Stockholm
C4
C4
Weekdays at 7pm on ITV1
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37
TV & Radio Culture
TV & Radio Editor: Aimee Philipson - courier.culture-tv@ncl.ac.uk
Guido fakes tan
catch-up
You Have Been Watching
Joe Mellor
Columnist
Catch-up on 4OD or watch Series 2 on
Thursdays at 10pm on C4
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Aimee Philipson TV & Radio Editor
There comes a time when every
student knows they’re growing
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when the preferred radio station in
our student kitchen changed from
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Thank You For My
Freedom
World Twenty20
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BBC Introducing on 6
Music
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Tuesday 8pm, BBC R4
Friday 5.45pm, BBC 5LIVE
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radio highlights
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38
Culture TV & Radio
tv & radio
BBC
interview
It’s all gone
Pete Tong
David Coverdale speaks to the dance music
legend as Radio 1 celebrate an historic
landmark for the Essential Mix
Not many DJs can claim to have
their name used in everyday cockney rhyming slang. Not many DJs
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named after them. And not many
DJs can say that they have welcomed
in the weekend to listeners of Radio
1 for the last two decades.
In short, there are not many DJs
like Pete Tong.
Although he may not have realised, next year will be Tong’s twentieth year at BBC Radio 1, having
joined the station back in 1991.
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that,” he admits. “We’ll have to
think of something to mark the occasion – 52 weeks of celebrations
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But that is for another time and
7RQJ KDV SOHQW\ RI UHDVRQ WR FHOebrate right now, having reached
an historic landmark last weekend
with his other world-renowned Radio 1 show, the Essential Mix.
First broadcast on Radio 1 on 10
October 1993, the Essential Mix has
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across Britain’s airwaves.
“I don’t turn water into
wine - I’ve always believed
that if you’re good, you’re
good and you’ll always get
there
Dance music greats from Oakenfold to Sasha, and from Groove Armada to Daft Punk have graced the
hallowed Essential Mix turntables
over the last 16 and a half years, and
last Friday saw the 500th DJ, artist
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The act to be given the honour was
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gurus, and he joined Richie Hawtin,
Sasha and of course, Pete Tong, for
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It marked a major milestone for a
show that as Tong says has “such
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your ideas and your talent.”
“It’s the most bootlegged show
in the history of radio around the
world,” he continues.
“Although that’s something that’s
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There is no question that the Essential Mix can make a career. One of
the stand-out sets for Tong was that
of David Holmes, a Northern Irish
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in Holmes to do the soundtrack for
Ocean’s Eleven and the rest of the
Ocean’s series.
But the list doesn’t end there. “I
think the Essential Mix has had a
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generation that have broken through
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likes of James Zabiela, Mark Knight,
Funkagenda and the Swedes. And
then right back at the start - for Carl
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and for Digweed. Those slots were
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of breaking us worldwide.
“It’s still one of these things that
everyone looks to do. It’s a bench
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Breaking new talent and discovering the next big thing is what Tong
thrives on. His Essential Selection is
notorious for its world exclusives
and ‘Essential New Tune’.
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49-year-old’s mind immediately.
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right now - they didn’t have an outlet anywhere else.
“I’ve always said I don’t turn water into wine. I’ve always believed
that if you’re good, you’re good and
you’ll always get there.
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the case with David and Deadmau5,
who are the two biggest electronic
ticket sellers in the world right now
DQG WKH VKRZ ZDV LPSRUWDQW IRU
them.”
And Tong also credits these two
QDPHV IRU KHOSLQJ WR SXW GDQFH
music in 2010 in a “really healthy
SODFHµ
“There’s always something to be
found that’s good about it, all the
way through my career, but I think
ZH·UHKHDGLQJLQWRDELWRIDSXUSOH
SDWFK ZKHUH WKH PXVLF LV DFWXDOO\
LPSDFWLQJDQHYHQZLGHUDXGLHQFH
“From the commercial end in
America, we’ve seen David Guetta
VWDUWWRSURGXFHZLWKWKH%ODFN(\HG
3HDV DQG SHRSOH JHW RQ WKHLU KLJK
horse and get cynical about it but
actually you can only celebrate it.
Deadmau5’s success can also only
be good.
Essential: Pete Tong on the decks at Digital in Newcastle in March. The DJ has been a mainstay at BBC Radio 1 for nearly 20 years
´,W·V RSHQLQJ VR PDQ\ GRRUV DQG
VXGGHQO\ WKH PRQH\ VWDUWV ÁRZLQJ
through the business again, everyone wants to sign everyone again
DQGUHFRUGFRPSDQLHVVWDUWZDNLQJ
XS,W·VMXVWJRRGQHZVµ
As for Pete Tong and his Friday
QLJKWVKRZ²WKDW·VHQMR\LQJDSXUSOHSDWFKRILWVRZQ
+DYLQJ RIÀFLDOO\ NLFNHG RII WKH
ZHHNHQGIRU\HDUVIURPSPSP DQG PRUH UHFHQWO\ 7RQJ·V
show was moved to the later time
RI SP ZLWK $QQLH 0DF WDNLQJ KLV
SODFH
This move was seen to be a furWKHUH[DPSOHRIDJHLVPDWWKH%%&
ZLWK ORQJVHUYLQJ SUHVHQWHU 6WHYH
/DPDFTGURSSHGDQG-R:KLOH\ORVLQJ KHU SULPH PLGPRUQLQJ VORW DV
SDUW RI D FRQWURYHUVLDO RYHUKDXO RI
the station.
Tong though says Radio 1 bosses
KDGWR´IUHVKHQXSWKHVWDWLRQµDQG
feels the move has “reinvigorated”
the show.
“They get an awful lot of stick in
WKH SUHVV DERXW WKH DYHUDJH DJH RI
SUHVHQWHUV EXW WKH\·YH HLWKHU JRW
WR SURPRWH WKHLU \RXQJHU '-V RU
they’ve got to get rid of them.
´, GRQ·W WKLQN LW·OO HYHU KDSSHQ
again in the history of Radio 1 that
WKH\·OOOHDYHRQHSHUVRQLQWKHVDPH
time slot for 18 years - I think they
forgot about me.
“One of the reasons the show’s so
renowned and your name reverberates around the world is because
\RX DUH OHIW LQ WKH VDPH SODFH IRU
so long and so that becomes quite a
SRZHUIXOWKLQJIRU5DGLRDQGWKH\
leave you there.
“I think they were scared to move
me and I was a little bit scared to be
moved.
“But the longer it went on, it was
becoming inevitable that one day
someone was going to have to
change things around and it was
UHDOO\DOPRVWDUHOLHIWKHGD\LWKDSSHQHG
“The time change has given everyWKLQJDNLFNXSWKHDUVHLW·VUHLQYLJorated everything, and being a bit
PRUHVSHFLDOLVWKDVPDGHWKHZKROH
buzz about the show feel very exciting.
“I don’t think it’ll ever
happen again in the history
of Radio 1 that they’ll leave
one person in the same time
slot for 18 years
´1RZ$QQLHKDVWKHUHVSRQVLELOLW\
of the daytime into the night-time.
To be honest, it feels like the show
has double the length even though
it’s the same, because I’m free to do
whatever I want to do.”
Tong is now looking forward to the
summer and the Ibiza season where
he has recently made an equally
successful move from his long-running night at Pacha to Wonderland
at Eden, something he describes as a
“massive challenge”.
7KHUH LV FOHDUO\ QR VWRSSLQJ WKH
man who will celebrate his 50th
birthday this summer as he goes
on to talk with excitement about
5DGLR·VSODQVIRUWKHLU,EL]DZHHNHQGSURPLVLQJVRPHWKLQJ´ELJDQG
large”.
And as for just how long Tong
FDQ FRQWLQXH LQ WKH JDPH IXOÀOOLQJ
his role as Godfather of House and
breaking the next generation of clubÀOOLQJ '-V KLV PHVVDJH FRXOGQ·W EH
clearer.
´$V ORQJ DV ,·P KDSS\ ZLWK ZKDW
,·P GRLQJ DQG WKH\·UH KDSS\ ZLWK
what I’m doing, I wouldn’t set a
date on it yet.”
Listen to Radio 1 on the BBC iplayer
this week to hear Pete and friends celebrate the 500th DJ, artist or group to
take part in the legendary Essential
Mix. Visit the wesbite at bbc.co.uk/
radio1/essentialmix
39
Puzzles Culture
puzzles
Puzzles Editors: Ned Walker and Suzi Moore - courier.puzzles@ncl.ac.uk
crossword
ACROSS
5. A person who suffers for their
belief (6)
8. A punctuation mark indicating
surprise (11)
10. To solve a mystery; to become
undone (7)
12. “ -------- Come Dancing” (8)
14. Polio is this type of illness. (9)
7KHRIÀFLDOLQFKDUJHRID
prison. (8)
20. Stay behind. (6)
22. Childish name for an avian
creature that can tell you information (9)
25. Saint remembered on 14th February. (9)
27. Titania’s husband in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Shakespeare) (6)
33. Owing money to someone else.
(8)
34. West End show starring Michael
Ball; Product for keeping hair tidy
(9)
35. To explain the appearance of
something. (8)
37. Canadian city on Lake Ontario
and home to the CN tower (7)
40. Candidates for ASBO’s? (11)
41. Spin off show of “Wizard of Oz”
(6)
DOWN
1. Way out (4)
2. Unable to read (10)
3. Several of these were used to
move a house in “UP” (2009) (7)
4. Four and twenty blackbirds met
their end here! (3)
6. Suddenly (8)
7. European system for matching
paint colours (3)
9. 13th letter of the Greek alphabet
(2)
11. Carrier of blood to the heart (4)
12. He seeks an Apprentice (5)
13. Expression of a creative mind;
found in galleries (3)
15. To travel (2)
17. Part of a female cow (5)
6XFFHVVIXOÀJKWHUSLORW7\SHRI
playing card (3)
19. Popular cookie with sweet
ZKLWHÀOOLQJ
picture phrase puzzle
21. Dutch cheese with distinctive
red rind (4)
23. Synonymous with “McDonalds”
(10)
24. An evergreen coniferous tree.
(3)
26. Genre of poems written by
Edward Lear; gibberish (8)
28. Prod gently with elbow. (5)
29. New graduate doctor. (US) (7)
30. Scale of acidity and alkalinity (2)
31. Jim Carey played this untruthful
W\SHRIPDQLQDÀOP
32. Insane (3)
36. Roman city near Bristol; place to
wash (4)
37. Pull a vehicle with a rope (3)
38. Misuse of drugs can cause this
(US slang) (2)
39. Be unwell (3)
7KHÀUVWSHUVRQWRFRPHWRThe
CourierRIÀFHZLWKDFRPSOHWHG
Crossword wins
a free beer and
burger at The
Hancock
sudoku - easy
From left to right, use the pictures to come up with a phrase,
WKLQJSODFHRUQDPH7U\WRÀQGWKHFRPPRQWKHPH
wordsearch
Find the different brands of car in this grid. They can be positioned
in all direction and overlap other words
7KHREMHFWLYHLVWRÀOOWKHJULGVRWKDWHDFK
column, each row and each of the nine 3×3
boxes contains the numbers 1-9 one time each.
sudoku - hard
Trumpet
Flute
Piano
Trombone
Cello
Clarinet
Violin
Oboe
Saxophone
Bagpipes
Guitar
Drums
word link
)LQGWKHZRUGWKDWFDQEHDGGHGWRWKHHQGRIWKHÀUVWZRUGDQGWKH
beginning of the second word to make two new words
PHOTO
RIGHT
HAND
THING
PAPER
ABOUT
CART
BARROW
40
Culture Puzzles
puzzles
logistical
Keep you brain in shape by trying to complete these sums
as fast as you can without using a calculator
EASY
1
Double
it
+37 ÷3
-4
+9
x7
+5
x8
+40
Square
root
x8
1/2 of
this
÷6 =
MEDIUM
2
Times
itself
75% of Double Square
root
it
this
=
65% of
this
=
HARD
3
Cube
this
-4
x10
'DYHZDNHVXSKXQJRYHURQHPRUQLQJDQGGLVFRYHUVÀYHQHZQXPEHUVLQKLVSKRQH/DG
However, he struggles to put faces to the names and to remember who the girls are.
)URPWKHFOXHVJLYHQEHORZE\KLVÁDWPDWHVFDQ\RXPDWFKHDFKRIWKHÀYHJLUOVZLWKWKHLU
course, age and which halls they live at?
CLUES
1. The Geographer Amy is
in her 20’s, though is younger
than Emma, who is the girl that
lives at Henderson Hall
7KH\RXQJHVWRIWKHÀYH
girls lives at Windsor Terrace,
accommodation that Louise
does not live at
3. The Artist is older than the
Maths student
4. The 19-year-old English
student does not live at Marris
House
5. Sarah enjoyed her birthday
last week when she turned 20
6. The Castle Leazes girl
DQQR\VKHUÁDWPDWHVZLWKKHU
constant practice of her musical
instruments for her course
Record in this grid all the information
obtained from the clues, by using a
FURVVWRLQGLFDWHDGHÀQLWH¶QR·DQGD
WLFNWRVKRZDGHÀQLWH¶\HV·7UDQVIHU
these to all sections of the grid thus
eliminating all but one possibility,
which must be the correct one
odd one out
Compare the Meerkats to spot the odd one out
weird word
What is the true meaning of this
unusual word?
Skoptsy
1. The act of self castration
2. A type of poetry that is read aloud in public
3. The feeling of impending doom
maze
Enter the maze through the gap at the
bottom and trace your way through the
maze out to the other side
wordtrail
Track the Brands of Lager through the grid. You
should use all of the letters in the grid but only once
answers
Picture Phrase Puzzle: Jackie Stewart, Damon Hill, Jonny
Wilkinson, Zara Phillips, Steve Regrave, Virgina Wade. Common Theme - Winners of BBC Sports Personality of the Year
award.
Ned’s Number Cruncher: Easy - 6, Medium - 12, Hard - 78.
Wordtrail: Budweiser, Fosters, Stella Artois, Coors, Carlsberg,
Grolsch.
Logistical: Sarah, Music, 20, Castle Leazes. Amy, Geography,
21, Marris House. Louise, English, 19, Ricky Road. Holly,
Maths, 18, Windsor Terrace. Emma, Art, 22, Henderson Hall.
Word Link: Copy, Some, Round, Wheel.
Weirdword: 1
Odd one out: The 2nd meerkat in
3rd row on the right has no smile.
ned’s number cruncher
41
Newcastle graduates
Hurricanes
feel
shine in University
the Loko-motion
Boat Race
> Intra Mural Football, page 40-41
Sports
Editors:
Paul
Christian,
Gavin
Tom
James
courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk
Sports
Paul
Christian,
JamieJamie
Gavin
Tomand
James
- courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk
SportsEditors:
Editors:
Paul
Christian,
Jamieand
Gavin
and
Tom
James -- courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk
> Page 44-45
7KLUG,3/VKRZFDVHVEHVWRIFULFNHW
Nicholas Fidler
Comment
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I don’t like cricket, i love it: the IPL has introuduced a whole new fan base to the game with its fast paced, action packed format providing excitement to spectators
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42
Sport Cricket
How do you like
them Onions?
'XUKDPDQG(QJODQGERZOHU*UDKDP2QLRQVUHÁHFWV
on an astonishing year with David Coverdale
G
raham Onions is in
dreamland.
This time last year,
few outside of county
cricket’s long-suffering,
hardened followers had even heard
of the Durham fast bowler.
Roll on 12 months and the name
Graham Onions resonates with
rather a few more people – just ask
Lily Allen – for Onions is an Ashes
winner and one of Wisden’s Five
Cricketers of the Year.
“I don’t like using clichés, but of
course, it’s a bit of a dream come
true” said the humble Gateshead
lad.
There is though, no other way to
sum up a year that began with On-
ions not even sure if he would start
WKHVHDVRQLQ'XUKDP·VÀUVWWHDPDV
despite an England call-up in 2006
and numerous Lions appearances
that followed, Onions was dropped
from his county’s side at the end of
2008.
He subsequently missed Durham’s
celebrations as they recorded their
ÀUVW HYHU &RXQW\ &KDPSLRQVKLS
win, something that clearly hurt the
27-year-old but equally spurred him
RQDV2QLRQVFDPHEDFNLQÀW
ter, stronger and more determined
than ever.
“I never thought that I would play
for England at the start of the year,”
he said. “This time last year, I was
just as excited as I am this year, but
knowing what can happen in six
months is just phenomenal.
“I did a lot of hard work, I did a
lot of hard training and then lucky
enough for me, the hard work did
pay off. You can get a little frustrated at times but you’ve just got to
think that it will eventually pay off.
“I suppose I’ve worked hard since
making my Durham debut in 2004
and last year really was when I got
my rewards.
“You train for summers like last
summer and now I’ve got an Ashes
medal at home – nobody can take
that away from me.”
2009 got off to the perfect start for
Onions, with eight wickets in his
ÀUVW &KDPSLRQVKLS PDWFK DJDLQVW
7DVW\2QLRQV'XUKDP¶V*UDKDP2QLRQVNLVVHVWKH$VKHVXUQDIWHUKHOSLQJ(QJODQGWR
Yorkshire, including the scalp of a
former England captain looking to
push his case for a recall to his country.
Michael Vaughan, though, was
LJQRUHGZKHQVHOHFWLRQIRUWKHÀUVW
Test of the English summer against
West Indies at Lord’s was announced. Onions was not, and he
FHOHEUDWHG KLV FDOOXS LQ ÀQH VW\OH
by taking 6-31 and skittling Somerset for 69 on a dream day for the
bowler.
And ‘dream’ is the only word to describe Onions’ debut as he claimed a
ÀYHZLFNHWKDXOLQKLVÀUVWHYHU7HVW
match spell, including three wickets
LQ DQ RYHU WR ÀQLVK ZLWK ÀJXUHV RI
5-38 and get his name on the Lord’s
KRQRXUV ERDUG DW WKH ÀUVW WLPH RI
asking.
“I’ve worked hard
since making my
Durham debut in 2004
and last year was when
I got my rewards”
Whether it was ‘Sizzling Onions’,
‘Cheers and Onions’ or ‘5 in the
Onion bag’, the headlines soon followed and neither he, nor the headline writers, have looked back since.
$OWKRXJKQRWVHOHFWHGIRUWKHÀUVW
Test against Australia at Cardiff in
favour of a second spinner, he returned to the fold for England’s
success at Lord’s and also featured
in the third and fourth Test matches
as England went on to regain the
Ashes.
“From watching the Ashes on TV
in 2005, I thought then, ‘I want to
be in an Ashes winning side’. I just
wanted to be part of it, and last year
I was and it was absolutely brilliant,” he said.
“It was important that I came in
and didn’t try too hard really I suppose. I was lucky to be playing with
a good set of lads and I thoroughly
enjoyed it.”
Although his international commitments meant he only appeared
a handful of times for his county,
Onions still managed to return 45
Championship wickets at an average of 15.28 to help Durham claim
their second consecutive Championship title and with it, become the
ÀUVW ERZOHU VLQFH WR ZLQ ERWK
the Ashes and Championship in the
same season.
It was then off to South Africa
where the man nicknamed ‘Bunny’
became a hero with the bat; twice
saving his country from two Tests
with some battling displays at
number 11 as England went on to
draw the series.
Now, having returned home from
England’s second tour of the winter
to Bangladesh with a back injury,
Onions faces the challenge of getWLQJEDFNWRIXOOÀWQHVVZLWKWKH
season already in full swing.
He recently suffered a setback
in his recovery which looks set to
leave him on the sidelines for longer
than was initially predicted, but for
the level-headed Onions, it’s just a
case of taking the rough with the
smooth.
“I went to Bangladesh and I was
WRWDOO\ ÀQH DQG WKHQ , KDG WR FRPH
home which was bitterly disap-
43
Cricket Sport
Harmison and Plunkett
committed to county cause
Durham pair tell David Coverdale that club not country is focus this year
WKHLUPHPRUDEOHVHULHVYLFWRU\RYHU$XVWUDOLDLQKLV¿UVW\HDULQLQWHUQDWLRQDOFULFNHW
pointing to be honest.
“Over the last few years I’ve never
had a great deal of injuries but of
course, with the amount of cricket
that I’ve been playing at the moPHQW LW·V TXLWH WRXJK WR EH ÀW IRU
every single game.
“You’ve got to listen to your body,
and if your body tells you you’re in
a little bit of pain, you’ve got to take
a little time out and rest up and get
yourself ready.
“These little knocks along the way
make you better as a cricketer mentally and physically. From making
my debut, I took plenty of knocks
along the way and as you get slightly older you get more experienced
and you learn to take them.”
A
fter being left out of
England’s squad for
the World Twenty20 in
the Carribbean, Onions’
next target will be the
ÀUVW7HVWPDWFKDJDLQVW%DQJODGHVK
on May 27.
He is only too aware that he still
has a lot of work to do before becoming an established member of
WKHÀUVWWHDPEXWLVSUHSDUHGWRSXW
in the hard yards necessary to cement his name on the England team
sheet.
“My ambition is to play as many
times as I possibly can for England.
Whether or not I play another two
or another 50 times, I’ve just got to
try my best and do as well as I possibly can.
“I’m at an age now where I’ve still
got a good few years of my best
cricket and I honestly believe that its
a case of hard work and desire to do
ZHOO,·YHGHÀQLWHO\JRWWKDWLW·VMXVW
a case of getting over little knocks
on the way.
“My ambition is to
play as many times as I
possible can for
England - whether or
not I play another two
or another 50 times”
´,·P QRW D ÀUVW WHDP UHJXODU IRU
England at the moment so I’ve got
to constantly take wickets for Durham and I think that’s a good position to be in because I know that I
need to constantly work hard and
keep improving.”
There appears to be no stopping his beloved native county,
with bookmakers making Durham
huge odds-on favourites for a third
straight Championship title.
And for Onions, a relative veteran
at the club in his seventh season, this
would mean every bit as much as
his other achievements.
“Durham’s where I’ve been involved, it’s where I love - I want
to play as much cricket as I can for
Durham.
“A third successive trophy would
be absolutely massive for the club
and for me, being a local lad, that
would be a dream come true.”
This time next year, Onions could
EH UHÁHFWLQJ RQ D WKLUG &RXQW\
Championship success and an England victory in the Ashes down under. Now that’s what you really call
a dream.
Steve Harmison is in all too familiar territory as the 2010 season gets
underway.
Out of the England squad and
with his international future under
question, the Geordie paceman goes
into the current campaign in the
knowledge that one simple equation is becoming a recurring theme
of his English summers: Harmison
ZLFNHWV IRU 'XUKDP SOXV D PLVÀUing England attack equals an international recall for the man with 63
Test caps and 226 Test wickets to his
name.
In 2008, having been dropped from
the England team in New Zealand
and subsequently not picked for the
home Test matches that followed,
Harmison was later selected for the
fourth Test match against South Africa.
On 7 August 2009, exactly one year
after his previous return, Harmison
was back in England whites for the
fourth Test match of the Ashes and
VWD\HGLQWKHVLGHIRUWKHÀQDOZLQning Test at the Oval, claiming the
three penultimate Australian wickets to fall as England reclaimed the
urn.
And now, having yet again been
overlooked for England’s winter
tours, the 31-year-old is back at the
Riverside with plenty to prove once
more.
Given the promising Test debuts
of Tim Bresnan and youngster Steven Finn in Bangladesh, the task
of pushing for England selection in
2010 is set to be Harmison’s hardest to date, but is he up for the challenge? You don’t even need to ask.
“I know you’ve come to ask the
question ‘is the door shut?’ and no I
don’t think the door is shut, but it’s
a bit harder when the young lads are
coming through,” he said.
“It’s a big six months for English
cricket to see where these young lads
can take the English cricket team.
“I think if they take them ideally
where they want them to go then I
think the door probably is shut, but
if they don’t take them where they
want to go then the only thing I’m
going to concentrate on is taking
wickets for Durham.
“If I take wickets for Durham then
the questions will be asked then.
They’ve proved in the last three
years that England haven’t found
anyone to replace that big, tall, hit
the deck bowler and until they do
that, they might have to keep calling.
“In the last two years I’ve got back
in, against South Africa and Australia, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of
it, but that’s up to them, it’s not up
to me.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m still
up for selection.”
For another Durham player itching
to get back into the England reckoning, the equation has not always
been quite as clear cut.
/LDP3OXQNHWWÀUVWVKRWWRSURPLnence aged just 20-years-old when
he was picked for the England tour
of Pakistan in 2005 after only two
IXOO VHDVRQV RI ÀUVWFODVV FULFNHW
making his Test debut in the third
Test of that series in Lahore.
He has only featured in eight Tests
since however, the last of which
came at home to West Indies in June
Local lads: Durham bowlers Harmison and Plunkett say county wickets are priority
2007, and there appeared no end in
sight to his stay in the international
wilderness, especially with the recent rise of Durham team mate Graham Onions.
That though was until his surprise selection for England’s tours
to South Africa at the end of 2009,
ZKLFK FDPH RII WKH EDFN RI D ÀQH
season for Durham in which he
claimed 49 Championship wickets
and managed 400 runs.
It was a frustrating tour for Plunkett who didn’t mange to add to his
international caps in South Africa,
and bowled just two overs in a oneGD\ À[WXUH LQ WKH %DQJODGHVK WRXU
that followed.
However, the 25-year-old was just
delighted to be back in the fold and
is eager to take the positives away
from his winter.
“It is frustrating but I didn’t expect
to be in the squad this winter. It was
good to be back in that environment
and I enjoy it,” Plunkett said.
“I didn’t play that much but at least
I feel like I’ve gained something
from the experience rather than just
sitting down and watching.
“I’ve netted quite well, worked
really hard with Andy Flower and
worked on my batting quite a lot.
“You’ve just got to realise what the
situation is and make the best of it.
I’m certainly not going to complain
about being with England away on
tour.”
Now back under England’s radar
and having last week been named in
their 27-man performance squad for
the summer, Plunkett is in the sort
of territory Harmison knows well:
concentrate on club form and let the
country call-up look after itself.
And there is something very
Harmison-like in Plunkett’s words
as he looks forward to the new season.
“I’m not really thinking about England this summer, I just want to play
for Durham.
“If things go well then you get
picked, but if not then I’ll just work
hard at Durham.
“This year I’ll hopefully do as well
as last year, if not better, and we’ll
see what the winter brings again.”
44
Sport Rowing
Newcastle stars
singing the blues
As Cambridge were victorious in the University Boat
Race, Newcastle were also celebrating as two of their
graduates helped the light blues to glory. Fred Gill and
Henry Pelly tell David Coverdale about their experience
Y
ou can take the boys out
of Newcastle, but you
can’t take Newcastle out
of the boys.
That was clear to see for
anyone who watched the OxfordCambridge Boat Race last month,
ZKLFKIRUWKHÀUVWWLPHLQLWVKLVWRU\
featured two Newcastle University
alumni.
Fred Gill, an Economics and Politics graduate of 2008, and Henry
Pelly who graduated from Architecture in 2007, were both part of
the winning Cambridge crew who
saw off Oxford by over a length and
a half in the 156th University Boat
Race.
However, the pair made a lasting
impression in more ways than one,
after appearing on national television proudly donning the blue star
symbol of Newcastle University
Boat Club on their wellington boots
that they wore before the race and in
the celebrations after.
“It absolutely drove our head
coach mad,” said Gill.
“He said it was a massive insult to
him because he’d put a lot of work
into me, and he felt that by wearing
the blue stars it was giving him the
ÀQJHUDVLI,ZDVVD\LQJWKDW¶,·PVWLOO
part of Newcastle and I’m not part
of Cambridge’.
“He said that we hadn’t moved
on from Newcastle and we should
have done by now. But for me all I’d
done at Cambridge over the last two
years was lose so I’ve still got Newcastle in my heart because I won so
much there.
“It gave me such a wonderful feelLQJRIFRQÀGHQFHVR,ZDFNHGWKRVH
blue stars on. It massively offended
the coach but I was glad everyone
noticed from Newcastle.”
While Gill admits to being a little
naive to the connotations of wearing
the blue stars, Henry Pelly, the 2009
Cambridge Boat Club President was
fully aware.
“I’d thought we’d get in more trouble than we did,” Pelly said.
´, DVNHG IRU VRPH VLJQLÀFDQWO\
smaller ones, but the Newcastle
boatmen decided to ignore what I
had said. I only saw them the night
EHIRUH WKH UDFH DQG , WKRXJKW ¶RK
Christ – I’m not going to get away
with those’.
“I just tried to hide them from my
crew until it was too late and there
was no way I could take them off.”
To hear the pair’s take on the blue
star tale tells you everything you
need to know about their respective
characters.
Pelly is the experienced head. Currently in his third year at Cambridge
studying a Masters in Environment
Design in Architecture, the 26-yearold Eton graduate had a successful
career at Newcastle University, most
notably becoming World University
Champion in the men’s double scull
in 2006.
He was also the President of Newcastle Boat Club for three years, a
role he took on unsuccessfully at
Cambridge last year.
Pelly, however, says he was able to
draw from his presidential experience in this year’s race, where, at his
WKLUG DQG ÀQDO DWWHPSW WKH HOXVLYH
ZLQÀQDOO\FDPH
“It would have been nice to have
won as President but the work I did
last year has fed in nicely to this
year,” Pelly said.
“I think two races feels like sigQLÀFDQWO\PRUHSUHSDUDWLRQWKDQWR
have done one before. I remember
VLWWLQJRQWKHVWDUWOLQHWKLQNLQJ¶QRbody else is nearly as well prepared
for this as I am’.
“It was a relief to win because it’s
quite a miserable race to lose. Unlike
almost any other club, it’s the only
Starring role: Newcastle graduates Fred Gill (far left) and Henry Pelly (far right) celebrate
thing that matters - the club only exists for the Boat Race. If you lose it,
pretty much anything else you’ve
done that season is irrelevant.”
Gill on the other hand is a relative
rookie, having come to Newcastle
University in 2005 as a track runner
and complete newcomer to rowing.
He claims it was “the enthusiastic
people in Freshers’ Week” that persuaded him to give the sport a go,
one of which was a certain Henry
Pelly, Boat Club President that year,
)UHG*LOOOHIWFHOHEUDWHVZLWKFR[7HG5DQGROSKDIWHUGHIHDWLQJ2[IRUGLQWKH%RDW5DFHHDUOLHUWKLVPRQWKZKLOH+HQU\3HOO\ULJKWUHÀHFWVRQKLV¿UVWZLQDIWHUWKUHHDWWHPSWV
who proudly admits to have “seen
Fred’s rowing career from the very
beginning”.
From that day he signed up to the
Boat Club, Gill’s progress has been
nothing short of remarkable, making the Great Britain U23 squad
WKUHH\HDUVDIWHUÀUVWVWHSSLQJLQWRD
boat and then being part of the Newcastle four who memorably won the
Prince Albert Cup at Henley Royal
Regatta.
Up until three weeks ago, the
Henley win stood out as Gill’s
proudest moment to date. However, the 24-year-old from Shrewsbury admits that the Boat Race win
blows all other achievements out of
the water.
“The Newcastle thing was amazing
because it was with my best mates.
I was a novice when I came to Newcastle, I learnt to row and ended up
winning at Henley.
“But because of the higher standard of this, beating Olympians, and
being massive underdogs, I’d say
WKLV LV GHÀQLWHO\ P\ EHVW DFKLHYHment.”
8QOLNH 3HOO\ ZDV *LOO·V ÀUVW
Boat Race as part of the main Cambridge eight, having stroked the losing Goldie boat the year before, and
he says the experience was something he will never forget.
“It’s a dream come true to compete
in it. In the winter months you look
forward to it and then you get there
and it’s terrifying because you realise it’s actually going to happen now
and you’re going to race on TV in
front of all your family and friends.
“The experience was just incredible. Walking down to the boat
with my blade is probably the most
amazing feeling I’ve ever had with
regards to feeling alive.
“Then to come through it successfully, to have rowed that well and to
have won it in that way was just an
enormous relief and just a massive
feeling of ecstasy and elation. It was
just a dream come true basically - an
unbelievable feeling.”
Gill, in the stroke seat, was credit-
45
Rowing Sport
ties in some different ways. They
are both strong headed - when they
want to do something, they are
never going to quit until they reach
their target.
“It’s always been harder for Henry
because he’s a bit smaller than Fred.
The GB coaches like bigger, taller
guys, and Henry is a bit shorter
so has always been put in the second line when they have to choose
squads.
´%XW , NQRZ +HQU\ LV D ÀJKWHU
When people think less of him, he
will be really willing to prove them
wrong.
´,W·VGLIÀFXOWWRVD\ZKRFDQPDNH
the team and who cannot because
both of them have the qualities to
do it.”
It is testament to the professional
set-up Savarino has instilled, that
both Gill and Pelly claim their training at Cambridge – around 36 hours
DZHHNLVQRPRUHGLIÀFXOWWKDQWKH
sessions they had to put in at Newcastle.
“I wouldn’t say that the training
was harder at Cambridge at all.
Under Angelo, the 100% weeks at
Newcastle were harder than anything I’ve ever done at Cambridge,”
Pelly says.
“People in the rowing world know
that everyone at Newcastle probably trains harder than anyone else
in Britain.”
Instead, both athletes are in agreement that the main difference between the two institutions is the
standard of rower on arrival, with
with their Cambridge crew donning the Newcastle blue stars on their light blue wellies
ed by many as the main man behind
the Cambridge success, who went
into the race as underdogs according to bookies.
They looked to be playing up to
that tag as Oxford built up a lead in
the early stages but thanks to Gill’s
stroke-weight and rhythm, the light
blues managed to stay tight to their
rivals before slowly edging ahead.
“Sitting in the stroke seat there is
added pressure because you get
more glory if you win and more
blame if you lose,” said Gill, who is
studying an undergraduate degree
in Land Economy.
“Walking down to the
boat with my blade
is probably the most
amazing feeling I’ve
ever had with regards
to feeling alive” (Gill)
“You can’t win it on your own. If
you try to win it on your own you’ll
lose, but you can lose it on your own
if you have a bad rhythm or if you
don’t keep the rate high enough or
push at the right times.”
Pelly also praised the performance
of his team mate saying: “He did his
job really well. I don’t think there
was anyone that really stood out
in our crew, but he was under the
most pressure out of any of the rowers and he performed absolutely as
well as he possibly could.”
There is a healthy rivalry between
the two rowers, who have mirrored
each others university careers and
will soon be competing with each
other for Great Britain honours.
“Because I started off as a novice,
he [Pelly] treats me as a bit of kid,”
joked Gill. “He lectures me and tries
to give me advice the whole time
when most of the time I don’t really
want it.”
“But he’s a good friend and a very
JRRGURZHUVRKH·VGHÀQLWHO\VRPH-
one you want in your boat the whole
time.
“He’s always underestimated because of his size – he’s only 6ft 1inch
– and he’s constantly proved people
wrong. He’s a performer.”
And how does Pelly rate his protégé? “I’m not going to say he’s better than me, because I don’t know,
but it’s quite likely that he is.”
T
here is one man who
knows the pair better than
anyone else on the circuit.
Angelo Saverino has
been Head Coach of Newcastle University Boat Club since his
appointment in September 2005, an
appointment helped made by Henry Pelly.
Savarino and his gruelling training methods are largely credited for
Newcastle’s unprecedented success
in recent years as well as the unparalleled development of novices such
as Gill, who credits the Italian as one
RIWKHPRVWLQÁXHQWLDOFKDUDFWHUVLQ
his career to date.
“Angelo is just a fantastic rowing
coach - he makes you feel very special. He told me from a very early
stage that I had the possibility of
doing special things and he put me
in boats with the senior rowers at
the time that brought me on really
quickly.
“He was always telling me ‘you
can do this Fred, you can be an Olympian one day’ which was enorPRXV FRQÀGHQFH EXLOGLQJ +H ZDV
fantastic, an absolute inspiration.”
Savarino himself says that it was
“beautiful to see” the two combine
to achieve victory for Cambridge
and believes both have the capabilities and abilities to go on and row
for Great Britain.
But who is the better rower? It’s a
question he wisely chooses not to
answer.
´7KDW LV D YHU\ GLIÀFXOW TXHVWLRQ
and will make me hated by one of
them,” Savarino joked.
“They both have very good quali-
most of Cambridge’s crew coming
to the University as post-graduates.
This has taken some getting used
to for Gill, Newcastle University’s
top rower in his time at the club.
“Cambridge is completely different with regards to the people
you’re working with – everyone is a
massive character and has massive
egos and don’t like being told what
to do.
´,W·VEDVLFDOO\HLJKWYHU\FRQÀGHQW
guys and stroking a boat like that
is a massive challenge mentally. To
handle the characters in the boat
LV GLIÀFXOW DQG WR KDYH WR OLVWHQ WR
what they say and the constant advice is extremely draining.
“It’s a relief to win
because it’s quite a
miserable race to lose the club only exists for
the Boat Race” (Pelly)
“There’s a lot more pressure to
row at Cambridge because it’s higher stakes and people don’t believe in
you as much.
“If you are a senior international
with Olympic medals you may have
got the same rapport that I got at
Newcastle but because I don’t have
those assets, I didn’t gain the respect
from the crew that I had at Newcastle.”
It may not be long before Gill, or
Pelly, have those Olympic medals,
with both currently training with
the senior Great Britain squad and
targeting London 2012.
Pelly missed the recent trials because of illness, while Gill and his
pairs partner, fellow Cambridge student George Nash, came eleventh - a
UHVSHFWDEOH SRVLWLRQ ÀQLVKLQJ RQO\
behind senior internationals.
“The aim was to take down a senior pair, and we didn’t manage that
in the end, we lost to them by two
seconds,” Gill says. “But I’ve spoken to Jurgen Grobler [Great Britain
coach] and he said he is interested in
me and I’m going to train full time
next year and hopefully try and
make it in the team.
“The Olympics is a dream, but I’ve
got a long way to go. These guys are
in a different league with regards to
strength and power but hopefully
two years will be long enough.”
Both men will graduate from Cambridge this summer and look to turn
rowing, a sport that has played such
an important role in their academic
life, into a professional career.
The pair will be working towards
securing one of the 21 places available for British male rowers at the
London Games, with competition
for selection likely to be tougher
than its ever been.
However, if Fred Gill and Henry
Pelly can continue the levels of success they have so far achieved in
their careers, we could well be seeing the blue star on show again in
two years - and this time on the podium at an Olympic Games.
46
Sport Rugby League
NURL seconds crowned champions
Rugby League
Newcastle 2nds
Birmingham 2nds
18
10
Kev Davey
at Leeds Westwood Sports Complex
With a hard-fought victory over Birmingham opposition the indefatigable NURL second team completed a
PDJQLÀFHQW DQG XQOLNHO\ PDUFK WR
silverware glory.
The triumph concluded a tumultuous and at times bizarre cup-run
that belied the seconds’ largely unsuccessful league campaign.
Indeed, the experiences shared
through the tough season seemed to
provide the impetus for the Death
Machine’s late surge in the BUCS
Plate competition.
2Q WKH ORQJ URDG WR WKH ÀQDO WKH
team overcame challenges from
Bradford, Lancaster and Edinburgh
with methods as diverse as coin toss
victories, last minute tries and adPLQLVWUDWLYHVNXOGXJJHU\
The last victory proved to be the
biggest rabbit out of the hat though
with captain Tom Burnham’s men
RQO\ PDGH DZDUH RI WKH ÀQDO KRXUVEHIRUHNLFNRII
After some clerical wrangling at
WKH 6WXGHQW 5XJE\ /HDJXH RIÀFHV
the NURL regime were forced to assemble a team overnight, out of term
WLPHIRUWKHGRRUGLHÀ[WXUHDWWKH
neutral venue in Leeds University’s
Weetwood sports complex.
&DUURWVVWLFNVWKUHDWVDQGDEGXFtion were all required to re-assemble
Nurlians from across the UK and a
VTXDGRIZDVÀQDOO\DJUHHGXSRQ
after miserly Warrington duo Ste
Moorcroft and Will Winter acquiesced in accepting extortionate travel subsidies.
Come match day the team arrived
LQ<RUNVKLUHLQGULSVDQGGUDEVZLWK
the main body of Newcastle based
SOD\HUV KXVWOHG IURP D UDPVKDFNOH
soviet era mini-bus.
7KLV ZDV LQ VWDUN FRQWUDVW WR WKH
enormous Birmingham party of
players, coaching staff and supporters who had been preparing for the
À[WXUH IRU RYHU D IRUWQLJKW %\ WKH
time the full Newcastle contingent
KDG ÀQDOO\ DPDVVHG WKH WHDP RQO\
KDGPLQXWHVWRFKDQJHDQGZDUP
up.
The non-idyllic preparation was
Champions: Tom Burnham receiving the bejewelled salver from Matt Jeffery after the Owls beat a strong Birmingham 2nds team in Leeds to claim the SRL 2010 Plate
immediately forgotten as the game
NLFNHGRIIZLWK185/ULSSLQJLQWR
%LUPLQJKDPIURPWKHÀUVWVHW
While it soon became clear that the
Birmingham second team was heavily padded with players from their
¶6XSHU · ÀUVW VLGH WKH %UXPPLHV
KDG FOHDUO\ QRW EDQNHG RQ 0HVVUV
Moorcroft and Winter rampaging
RYHU WKH 3HQQLQHV ZLWK ÀVWIXOV RI
cash.
NURL, for once, seemed to have
a slight size advantage over their
RSSRQHQWV DQG WKH H[WUD EXON VRRQ
paid dividends as James Phillips
scored within ten minutes following
VRPHÀQHZRUNIURP+RRNHU&KULV
%URZQ LQ WKH PLGGOH RI WKH SDUN
Robert Andrew duly added the exWUDVZLWKKLVÀUVWRIWKUHHVXFFHVVIXO
conversions.
For the remainder of the half Newcastle were dominant but were una-
ble to capitalise on their greater possession and territorial advantage.
Overambitious play (normally the
KDOOPDUN RI D ÀQH 185/ SHUIRUPance) continually led to turnovers
deep in the Birmingham half while
WKH 0LGODQGV VLGH VHOGRP ORRNHG
OLNHVFRULQJWKHPVHOYHV
)RUWKHÀUVWSDUWRIWKHVHFRQGKDOI
Birmingham’s larger interchange
bench and vociferous support began to swing momentum in their
favour.
7KH ODFN RI 185/ PDWFK SUHSDration was beginning to become
apparent as the Owls became lazy
DURXQG WKH UXFN JLIWLQJ %LUPLQJham priceless metres up the middle
of the pitch. From one such scooting
run they pulled the score to within
WZRSRLQWVIURPDVPDUWNLFNRQWKH
ULJKWÁDQN
Although Newcastle were imme-
diately placed under pressure from
WKHUHVXOWLQJNLFNRIIVRPHLQGLYLGual brilliance from man of the match
Joe Robinson soon put the team at
ease.
After receiving an innocuous ball
RQ WKH VHFRQG WDFNOH WKH 3URS
surged through the Brummie line
and proceeded to eat up the meWUHV OLNH D EDJ RI FKHHVH DQG RQLRQ
crisps.
Seeming to get perpetually faster,
Robinson charged through numerRXVFRYHUWDFNOHVVSXUQLQJWKHDEOH
VXSSRUW RI KDUGZRUNLQJ ZLQJ (GGLH'XQFDQWRJUDFLRXVO\EHOO\ÁRS
over the line for an emphatic try.
The converted score proved to
dampen Birmingham’s spirits and
Robinson’s brutal defending in following sets, with fellow forwards
-DPHV6KHSKHUGDQG-RKQ$NWLQVRQ
put a stop to any sustained resur-
JHQFHIURPWKH0LGODQGVRXWÀW
,QWKHÀQDOPLQXWHVRIWKHFRQWHVW
%LUPLQJKDPZHUHDEOHWRPDNHWKH
match seem tighter than it was with
a second try awarded in somewhat
dubious circumstances.
The disputed points were soon
FDQFHOOHGRXWZLWKWKHÀQDOWRXFKRI
the game as substitute Kevin Davey
stormed over after winger Rory WilOLDPVGLIIXVHGDQDZNZDUGVZLUOLQJ
bomb on the halfway line.
Rapturous cheers greeted the full
WLPHZKLVWOHDQGLWZDVOHIWWRVNLSper Burnham to raise the hollowed
Plate presented by SRL Chairman
Matt Jeffrey.
The victorious team only contained
IRXU SOD\HUV LQ WKHLU ÀQDO \HDUV RI
VWXG\VRWKHQGVFDQEHVXUHWRH[pect a more rewarding league camSDLJQLQWKHVHDVRQ
Elated: The Owls celebrate after being crowned BUCS Plate champions after a hard fought 18-10 victory over Birmingham. The squad had to be assembled out of term time. (Left to right) Jon Aktinson, Leigh Mcmenamin, Ste
Moorcroft, Andrew Urquhart, Rob Corner, Rob Andrew, Rishi Sumra, Joe Robinson, Kevin Davey, Tom Burnham, Will Winter. Eddie Duncan, Chris Brown, Rory Williams, Gareth Herbert, James Shepherd, Chris Chatterton
48
Sport
Taekwondo club leave their mark
preventing them from progressing
WRWKHLUUHVSHFWLYHÀQDOV0HDQZKLOH
Craig Nilsson and Graham Mathews were both beaten in their quarWHUÀQDOV
The Newcastle Uni girls made
their mark on the competition with
gold medals from all the remaining
competitors.
Emily Hutchinson defeated a gold
medallist from the previous year in
a strong performance, whilst Emma
1HDODQG6RÀH9DOXDERWKDFKLHYHG
well deserved gold medals with excellent performances.
The remaining boys, however,
were not to be overlooked. An unlucky Josh Maqsood was narrowly
EHDWHQ LQ KLV ÀQDO ZKLOVW DQ LQ
credible competitive performance
from Alex Hawke saw him emerge
bruised but victorious with a further
gold medal.
The team ended the competition in
sixth place out of around 20 univerVLWLHVDJRRGUHVXOWFRQVLGHULQJWKH
injuries in the club and the decline
LQVL]HWKLVVHDVRQ
This strong result can be attributed to a great coaching regime
IURP ÀJKW FRDFKHV .\H 7RPSNLQV
Ben Shaw and Scott Abley from Chi
taekwondo and we look forward to
another successful year ahead.
Daniel Colman
Newcastle University taekwondo
club made the long journey down
to Aylesbury for the 24th BSTF Student nationals.
The team’s competition got off to
a poor start in the patterns competition as the new knockout format
worked against our competitors,
with many of Newcastle’s team being knocked out in early rounds by
the eventual winners.
After disappointment in the patterns the team was eager to make an
impact on the sparring competition,
an area where Newcastle is widely
recognised as a strong team.
However the knockout tournament got off to a bad start as Karla
Butterworth, a silver medallist last
year, was beaten by a point in a
close match.
Shortly afterwards Michael Gilbert was felled by a head kick from
a strong opponent as he attempted
WRZLQWKHÀJKWLQWKHÀQDOIHZVHF
RQGV+LUDP0DZRQKLVÀUVWURXQG
match in dramatic style before being beaten in a close encounter in
WKHTXDUWHUÀQDOVEHIRUH/HZLV5HLVV
%RZ\HU JRW WKH WHDP·V ÀUVW EURQ]H
PHGDODIWHUDFORVHVHPLÀQDOÀJKW
7KLVZDVIROORZHGE\EURQ]HPHG
als from Dan Coleman and David
Kung, who were both beaten in
FORVHÀJKWVLQWKHLUFDWHJRU\·VVHPL
ÀQDO ZKLOVW 'DQLHO ;X DQG :DLHO
Yonos suffered unfortunate injuries
Fight for your right to party: Newcastle had reason to celebrate after a strong performance at the BSTF student nationals
For information on how to join the club
in addition to photos and videos from
the competition please join the Taekwando club’s Facebook group.
49
Intra Mural Sport
Thirds in seventh heaven after Dyslexic rout
Intra Mural Football Division One (Sat)
Newcastle Uni 3rds
Dyslexic
7
1
Dominic Pollard
at Longbenton 3G
In a one sided encounter a clinical
display by Newcastle’s third team
saw them come out 7-1 victors over
'\VOH[LF 7KH 8QLYHUVLW\·V WKLUG
string used their superior quality
to brush aside their opponents in a
JDPHWKDW'\VOH[LFZLOOEHKRSLQJWR
forget quickly.
The thirds quickly capitalised on a
promising start by scoring an early
goal. A perfectly timed ball over the
WRSVSUDQJWKH'\VOH[LFRIIVLGHWUDS
and left Matt Gouland to delicately
lob the ball over the keeper.
7KH8QLYHUVLW\RXWÀWORRNHGFRPposed and comfortable on the ball
and dominated both possession
and territory throughout the match.
$OWKRXJK '\VOH[LF·V YHQWXUHV LQWR
their opponents half became slightly more frequent they rarely looked
threatening.
7KH8QLYHUVLW\·VVWULNHU-D\7D\ORU
missed a chance to extend his team’s
lead as he failed to convert a oneon-one opportunity. Their second
goal came soon after, however, and
Gouland was again the scorer with a
well struck shot from the edge of the
penalty area.
'\VOH[LF GLG QRW ORRN WKUHDWHQLQJ
IRU PXFK RI WKH ÀUVW KDOI EXW GLG
manage to grab a goal on the halfhour mark.
A free-kick was lofted to the back
SRVW ZKHUH 'DQ 6KHYLOO VNLOIXOO\
ÁLFNHG WKH EDOO EDFN DFURVV JRDO
leaving Lawrence Jackson with the
simplest of headers which he duly
converted.
Celebrations were short lived
WKRXJKDVWKH8QLYHUVLW\TXLFNO\UHstored their two goal lead. Gouland
FDSSHG RII D VXSHUE ÀUVW KDOI SHUIRUPDQFHDVKHFDUYHGRSHQ'\VOH[LF·VGHIHQFHWRVHW7RP6PLWKFOHDQ
WKURXJKDQGWKHZLQJHUFDOPO\ÀQished to make it 3-1 at the break.
6RRQ DIWHU WKH UHVWDUW 1HZFDVWOH·V
WKLUGVJUDEEHGDIRXUWK7RP6PLWK
this time turned creator with a great
UXQGRZQWKHULJKWÁDQNEHIRUHWKHQ
sliding the ball across the six yard
ER[WROHDYH6LPRQ0XUSK\ZLWKD
simple tap-in.
'\VOH[LF·V $GDP &RQFKLH QHDUO\
scored an outrageous goal out of
nothing as he tried an audacious
Beckham-esque shot from the halfway line with the keeper a long
way off his line. The thirds keeper
denied him a spectacular goal by
scrambling back in time to turn the
ball round the post.
'\VOH[LF·V 6KHYLOO ZDV DZDUGHG D
generous penalty decision moments
later but any hopes of a comeback
GLVDSSHDUHG DV 6KHYLOO URVH WR WDNH
the spot-kick, only to scuff it wide.
7KH8QLYHUVLW\VHHPHGWREHDEOHWR
score at will in this match and in the
ÀQDO PLQXWHV WKH\ EDJJHG WKUHH
more goals to add insult to injury.
A brace by striker Jay Taylor and a
VHFRQGJRDOIRU7RP6PLWKIURPWKH
penalty spot rounded off the scoring
PDNLQJLWDWWKHÀQDOZKLVWOH
%UHDVWLQÁLFWWHQWKVWUDLJKWGHIHDWRQXQ+DSS\)HHW
Intra Mural Football Division Four (Wed)
Breast Rummage
Happy Feet
5
2
Graham Matthews
at Longbenton 3G
Happy Feet sank to a tenth consecutive defeat against Breast Rummage
Albion, almost certainly condemnLQJ WKHP WR ÀQLVK ERWWRP RI 'LYLsion Four.
After a narrow 3-2 victory for Albion in October it looked like this
might be a close game and a chance
IRU+DSS\)HHWWRÀQDOO\JDLQDORQJ
sought after point.
Their hopes must have been boosted when Albion turned up with
only one substitute, but in the end it
made little difference.
Albion, like the weather, started
brightly, hitting the post with their
ÀUVW HIIRUW RI WKH PDWFK 7KHLU VHFond effort, a minute later, found the
target.
A great ball over the top of Happy
Feet’s defence fell perfectly for Albion’s number ten striker Alex Raimo,
whose soft shot slipped under the
keeper, putting Albion ahead.
Five minutes later and Albion were
2-0 up and in full control, Happy
Feet having not had a shot.
A long throw in into Happy Feet’s
box made it through the mass of
players and was somehow scrambled into the back of the net by
5DLPR DJDLQ WDNLQJ D GHÁHFWLRQ RU
two along the way.
7KLVVHHPHGWREULHÁ\EULQJ+DSpy Feet to life, as they started to put
some pressure on Albion’s defence,
which paid off in the 25th minute.
A brilliant low shot from Matt Hossack from inside the penalty area
ÁHZSDVW$OELRQ·VNHHSHUDV+DSS\
Feet got back in the game.
These hopes didn’t last too long
though, as Albion were awarded a
penalty for a push on Raimo.
0DWWKHZ %DEEV FDOPO\ ÀUHG SDVW
the keeper to make it 3-1 at half
time. Happy Feet started well in the
second half, having a few long shots,
but most were overpowered.
It was Albion who scored again,
making it pretty much game over.
The ball was headed into the area
for Joe Heptinstall to power through
on the half volley, described as a
‘rocket’ by the man himself after the
game.
There was mild drama late on as
Albion were left to play the last 15
or so minutes with an injured player
in goal. Having two injured players
but only one substitute, Albion’s
goalkeeper was forced to play on
the right wing with one injured
player playing in goal as the other
recovered on the sidelines.
Happy Feet took this small chance
to get back in the game as Hossack scored his second of the game.
+LV ÀUVW VKRW ZDV EORFNHG E\ D GHtermined Albion defender but he
pounced on the rebound, blasting a
low shot into the bottom of the net.
)RUWKHÀUVWWLPHLQWKHJDPH$OELRQ
seemed to be slightly losing control.
This assumption was soon
VTXDVKHG DV $OELRQ DGGHG D ÀIWK
with only a few minutes remaining.
From a corner the ball slipped
through the scrum of players to Albion captain Chris Mableson, whose
tap in was enough to secure all three
points for a comfortable Albion victory.
Even though there might not seem
to have been much happiness in
Happy Feet’s season so far, the players all seemed in good spirits after
the match.
With talk of it being a moral victory, they’ll be hoping to turn it into
a real victory in their last two games
of the season.
50
Sport Intra Mural Football
Medics close
in on title as
Hendo face
relegation
Intra Mural Division One (Sat)
Medics
Henderson Hall A
4
2
Paul Christian
at Longbenton 3G
Newcastle Medics closed in on a
second consecutive Division One
title after an inspired thirty minute
spell left Henderson lost in the ash
at Longbenton 3G.
$ JRDO DSLHFH LQ WKH ÀQDO WKLUG RI
the match from substitute Rob Pearson and Union Chair (ahem) David
Craig gave the clarets a deserved
4-2 victory and forced Henderson’s
players to pen ‘avoid relegation’ to
an existing list of ‘revision’ and ‘dissertation.’
The gloss on Intra Mural’s return
was stained by the shocking news
for any footballer that they would
have to play three days in a week
to atone for games lost earlier in the
year. For Longbenton 3G, see European airports. Busy.
The night yearned for football;
cool, dark, moist - and Catchpole as
ref. It didn’t disappoint. Both teams
made use of the space, and moved
WKH EDOO VOLFNO\ WKURXJKRXW WKH ÀUVW
half. Decision-making, nevertheless,
as so often is the case, was interesting to say the least.
Henderson took the lead after a
ball over the top caught the Medics
square. The keeper, in two minds
whether to come, came, and was
easily lobbed by the striker.
But the goal arrived too early for
Henderson, who still weren’t fully
settled in the match. The Medics
looked increasingly comfortable
and the equaliser was inevitable
–the scorer too.
Dhand whipped a corner to the
penalty spot and Fairmichael rose
- unchallenged - to nod home his
hundredth goal of the season. Unaffected and consistently exceptional,
Fairmichael’s the closest thing to
Paul Scholes that Intra Mural offers.
7KH0HGLFVWRRNWKHOHDGÀYHPLQutes later in almost identical fashion.
Kilvington (I’ve run out of postman
jokes) crossed from the left and, this
time, the unchallenged header was
met by Davison, who leapt above a
static defence to convert. Cue incredulity from the Henderson players
at their capitulation.
But, to their credit, the Hall fought
back. They were impressive going
forward all night, and a sweeping
PRYH ZDV ÀQLVKHG ZKHQ D FURVV
caught the Medics keeper napping
at his front post. It was a goal undeserving of the move. A goal all the
same.
The second half was galvanised
by the Medic’s breathless half-hour
spell. Boosted by the introduction of
Pearson, the champions moved up a
gear, proving too strong for Henderson.
Craig smartly nodded into the bottom corner before Pearson turned
ZHOO DQG ÀQLVKHG EHWWHU WR SXW WKH
Medics nine points clear of the
University Thirds, who have three
games in hand.
With both teams due to play each
other, the Saturday league looks set
to go to the wire for the second year
in a row.
+HQGHUVRQDQG+XUULFDQHV
Intra Mural Cup Semi-Final Round-Up
Paul Christian Sports Editor
The Intra Mural Wednesday Cup
reaches its climax this week in what
should be an intriguing tie between
Henderson Hall A and the Hurricanes.
Form counts for nothing in cup
ÀQDOV EXW +HQGHUVRQ JR LQWR WKH
match in higher spirits, chasing promotion from the Second Division,
while the Hurricanes sit rock bottom of Division One.
However a resounding victory in
WKH VHPLÀQDO DJDLQVW &UD\ROD ZLOO
surely give the Hurricanes a second
wind.
Henderson will be looking to seFXUH WKHLU ÀUVW RI WZR WURSKLHV WKLV
season and the pitch at Cochrane
Park should suit their slick passing
style.
The Hurricanes will look to seek
inspiration from the likes of Portsmouth. They may be destined for
relegation, skinned and struggling,
but there’s a lot to be said for team
spirit, and there’s no better place to
ÀQGLWWKDQDFXSÀQDO
Both sides have overcome tough
opponents on the road to Cochrane
with the Hall seeing off current cup
holders Castle Leazes, before comfortably beating the Tub Boys in
WKHLUVHPLÀQDO
Hurricanes defeated Lokomotiv
and Politic Thistle before making
short work of Division Two strugglers Crayola.
It should prove to be a refreshing
encounter, and one neither team
must have expected at the start of
the campaign.
*UDQWHGWKH,QWUD0XUDO&XSÀQDO
which will take place at Cochrane
Park this Wednesday, is the most
PRGHVWRIRFFDVLRQVEXWLW·VVWLOODÀnal, and there’s something at stake.
See below for reports on both Intra
0XUDO&XSVHPLÀQDOV
Hurricanes
Crayola
,W¶VQRWRYHU\HW/RQJEHQWRQ*ZDVLQIXOOXVHWKLVZHHNZLWKDEDFNORJRI¿[WXUHVLQERWKWKH,QWUDO0XUDO:HGQHVGD\DQG6DWXUGD\OHDJXHDQGFXSV
7
2
Jonathon Taylor
at Cochrane Park
The Hurricanes put aside their
disappointing league form last
Wednesday, easing to a comprehensive victory over Division Two
strugglers Crayola to set up a Cup
Final against Henderson Hall.
There was not an ash cloud in
sight at a sun-baked Cochrane Park,
which contributed to an incredibly
open match that saw goals in abundance, and a number of comical incidents.
The opening goal came inside the
ÀUVW VHFRQGV DQG ZRXOG QRW EH
out of place if shown on a ‘David
Seaman’s goalkeeping gaffes’ DVD.
:LWKWKHLUÀUVWDWWDFNRIWKHPDWFK
the Hurricanes right back hurled
the ball into the crowded box from a
throw-in, only for the ball to amazingly deceive the Crayola keeper,
who fumbled it into his own net.
Crayola’s misfortune continued
only minutes later, after a sensationDO VWULNH E\ +XUULFDQHV PLGÀHOGHU
Niall Haughey doubled their lead.
The ball fell beautifully to Haughey
25 yards out, who unleashed an impressive right-foot volley that sailed
into the top corner of the net.
Finding themselves a demoralising
GRZQZLWKLQÀYHPLQXWHVZDVD
shock to the system for the Crayola
players, and their nightmare start
could have been made much worse,
had their keeper Mark ThompsonRhoydes not pulled off a couple of
good close-range saves shortly after.
Crayola began to improve and deFUHDVHGWKHGHÀFLWPLGZD\WKURXJK
WKH ÀUVW KDOI $IWHU D JRRG PRYH
GRZQ WKH ULJKW ÁDQN WKH &UD\ROD
centre half took advantage of some
non-existent marking from a corner, gratefully scrambling the ball
over the Hurricanes line from closerange.
:LWKRQO\ÀYHPLQXWHVUHPDLQLQJ
RIWKHÀUVWKDOI&UD\RODVDZDVWRQH
wall penalty controversially turned
down in comical circumstances.
With the Crayola striker clean
through on goal, centre back Andrew Selby performed what was
later described as an ‘ankle-tap’ on
the striker by his Hurricanes teammates. Amazingly, no penalty was
given.
Crayola started the second-half
very much in the ascendancy, and
should have drawn level only minutes after the restart. A free-kick
ZDVÀ]]HGDFURVVWKHER[DQG&UD\ola winger Chris Watts instinctively
ÁDVKHG D OHIWIRRW VKRW LQFKHV ZLGH
of the post.
The killer blow however which effectively ended the contest was in-
/DWH'\VOH[LFURXWGDVKHV3ROLWLTXH·VWLWOHGUHDPV
Intra Mural Division One (Wed)
Dyslexic
Real Politique
3
0
Dan Robinson
at Longbenton 3G
Real Politique’s title hopes suffered
a major blow as Dyslexic demonstrated that possession is the key to
victory on the Longbenton 3G.
Dyslexic took advantage of the
quality surface and width available
on the pitch to display their superior passing game, with a second half
goal glut shrugging off the Politique
challenge.
Patience was vital in the opening
period as chances were few and far
between for either side.
Ambitious long shots seemed to be
the order of the day, with the Politique winger coming closest. Fending off the challenge of the defender
and with the keeper off his line, he
blasted a dipping volley which cannoned off the crossbar.
Dyslexic were at their best when
WKH\ NHSW WKH EDOO RQ WKH ÁRRU EXW
struggled to create anything clearcut from good build-up play. Laurence Jackson went close when he
forced a good save from a header.
The most memorable moment of
the half came from Dyslexic goalkeeper Weston Murau - an Intra
Mural veteran who never fails to
light up a game. Unsurprisingly no
saves were involved.
With Politique striker Matt Marchington chasing a long ball into the
corner, Murau was quick off his line
to execute a superb sliding tackle.
However, with dispossession
clearly not enough for the eccentric
keeper, Murau performed a glorious
nutmeg to beat the striker and build
a new attack for his team.
The second half provided more
entertainment with the game beginning to open up. Politique again
51
Intra Mural Football Sport
VHWXSFXSÀQDOVKRZGRZQ
7KH:HGQHVGD\OHDJXHFRXOGEHWLHGXSE\*DUQHWWWKLVZHHNSLFWXUHGDERYHDIWHUWLWOHULYDOV5HDO3ROLWLTXHVOLSSHGWRDGHIHDWDJDLQVW'\VOH[LF
ÁLFWHG RQO\ PLQXWHV ODWHU FRXUWHV\
of a clinical example of counter-atWDFNLQJIRRWEDOOE\WKH+XUULFDQHV
After clearing their lines, Hurricanes forward Aaron Ritchie combined with Chris Holmans, who
placed a right-foot strike into the far
FRUQHURIWKHQHW
The third goal of the match for the
+XUULFDQHV RSHQHG WKH ÁRRGJDWHV
with the remaining twenty minutes
of the match seeing no fewer than
ÀYHJRDOV
Their fourth proved almost as
comical as their opener, with Hurricanes’ left back Alex Smith seeing
his looping cross somehow nestle
in the far corner of the Crayola net,
much to the bemusement of their
KDSOHVVJRDONHHSHU
$ ÀIWK HQVXHG VRRQ DIWHU ZLWK
Holmans once again combining
with Ritchie on the counter-attack,
who effortlessly side-footed the ball
into the bottom left corner of the
&UD\RODQHW
Crayola’s miserable afternoon was
rounded off with two late Hurricane goals - winger Harry Slavin
and Ritchie adding further insult to
LQMXU\
A comprehensive 7-2 victory for
the Hurricanes means that they will
JRLQWRWKLVZHHN·VFXSÀQDODJDLQVW
Henderson Hall brimming with
FRQÀGHQFH
Henderson Hall A
Tub Boys
3
1
Colin Henrys
at Cochrane Park
Fourth Division side Tub Boys’ extraordinary cup run came to an end
at Cochrane Park, as Henderson Hall
$EHDWWKHPLQWKHVHPLÀQDO
Despite the match almost representing a ‘home’ game for the Division Two side, it was Tub Boys who
EURXJKW WKH PRVW YRFDO VXSSRUW
Their loyal following was given little to cheer about however, as a goal
in each half from Tom Reade set The
+DOORQWKHZD\WRWKHÀQDO
Francois Dunesme’s late freekick did give the Greens hope, but
Barnaby Baxter’s header put the tie
EH\RQG DOO GRXEW WR VHW XS D ÀQDO
VKRZGRZQZLWK7KH+XUULFDQHV
The match was a largely one-sided
affair, and Tub Boys had goalkeeper Callum MacQueen to thank for
preventing the result from reading
PRUHOLNHDFULFNHWVFRUH
He could do nothing to prevent the
ÀUVWJRDOWKRXJKDVKLVVLGHIDLOHGWR
GHDOZLWKDGHHSIUHHNLFN7KHEDOO
ZDV ÁLFNHG RQ WR 5HDGH ZKR EHDW
the keeper to head powerfully past
WKHGHIHQGHURQWKHOLQH
The Hall could easily have gone
into the break several goals up,
but MacQueen pulled off a string
RI JRRG VDYHV ÀUVW GHQ\LQJ %D[WHU
with his legs, despite having dived
the wrong way, before charging
down a shot as the offside trap was
EURNHQ
Nevertheless Hendo’s one-goal
lead looked vulnerable and on the
stroke of half-time Tub Boys nearly
equalised; Dunesme ran on to a long
bouncing ball but couldn’t get his
header on target after beating the
NHHSHU
The second-half continued much
DVWKHÀUVWKDGZLWK7KH+DOORQWRS
MacQueen was called into action
WZLFH PRUH DV ÀUVW KH VDYHG ZHOO
from close range before punching
clear as Reade got in behind the deIHQFH
It was Tub Boys who put the ball
LQ WKH QHW ÀUVW WKRXJK 'XQHVPH
ÀQLVKHGZHOODVWKHEDOOZDVÁLFNHG
on by his strike-partner, only for the
referee to rule it out for an infringePHQW
It appeared to be a harsh decision
and the Greens were still reeling
from it when Chris Henderson received a short corner on the left and
fed Reade for an easy tap in to make
LWWR+HQGHUVRQ
That should have been it as far
as the contest was concerned, but
Tub Boys were given renewed hope
when the referee awarded a dubious free-kick on the edge of the
+DOO·VDUHD
Contact had certainly been made,
but it appeared to be no more than
DQ DFFLGHQWDO FROOLVLRQ 'XQHVPH
took full advantage, placing the
IUHHNLFNLQWRWKHERWWRPFRUQHU
Any hopes of a fairytale comeback were extinguished by Baxter’s
KHDGHU WKRXJK +H URVH XQPDUNHG
to meet a left-wing corner and wrap
up a victory which was far more
comfortable than the score-line may
VXJJHVW
After a good year in the league and
cup, Chris Henderson spoke of being “very proud of the boys” and
+HQGHUVRQ +DOO ZLOO HQWHU WKH ÀQDO
FRQÀGHQWRIZUDSSLQJXSWKHLUVHDVRQZLWKDWURSK\
DVSRVVHVVLRQSURYHVWKHNH\RQ/RQJEHQWRQ*
FDPH FORVH VRRQ DIWHU WKH ZKLVWOH
0DUFKLQJWRQ IRXQG VSDFH WR ÀUH
on goal, only to see Murau pull off
a top-class save and push the ball
RYHU
It didn’t take long for Dyslexic to
ÀQGWKHLUIHHWDQGWDNHWKHJDPHWR
WKHLURSSRQHQWV
They were rewarded for their efIRUWV ZKHQ 'DQL 6KHYLOO ÀUHG DQ
unstoppable 30-yard drive into the
bottom corner, triggering wild celHEUDWLRQVIURPWKH'\VOH[LFSOD\HUV
Politique responded by attempting
a range of through balls from Jack
*UDYHVWRFN
However, they found the Dyslexic
defence in no mood to let the boat
rock as they showed great composure to shut out the threat and hold
on to only their second clean sheet
WKLVVHDVRQ
With 25 minutes remaining, the
lead was doubled as Jackson got in
front of his marker to head home
Adam Conchie’s pinpoint cross
IURPWKHULJKW
7KH WKLUG DUULYHG VKRUWO\ DIWHU
Conchie was again the provider as
he superbly picked out Kilvington
with a long ball from deep, and the
winger remained steady to poke it
SDVWWKHRQUXVKLQJNHHSHU
From thereafter, the game was as
good as over with Dyslexic content
to just retain possession and force
Politique into chasing the ball for
WKHÀQDOTXDUWHURIDQKRXU
Politique’s frustration was summed
up by several late challenges in the
second half as they watched their
FKDPSLRQVKLSGUHDPVOLSDZD\
This was only their second defeat
of the season, the other ironically
coming against the same oppoQHQWV
Adam Conchie commented on his
side’s pleasing victory: “It was a
patient passing team performance,
which proved decisive with three
ZHOOZRUNHGVHFRQGKDOIJRDOVµ
=HURWRKHUR
+LOWRQLVWKH
difference for
WKH<HERDK·V
Intra Mural Division Three (Sat)
Tony & The Yeboah’s
FC Civille
3
2
Colin Henrys
at Longbenton
Three second half goals were enough
to earn Tony & The Yeboah’s a crucial three points against FC Civille
DW/RQJEHQWRQ
0HUFXULDO PLGÀHOGHU 'DQ 5REHUWson had recovered from a long, hard
day, satisfying the deepest desires
of the bovine race to put Civille in
front at half-time, but a stunning
ÀJKWEDFN WKURXJK JRDOV IURP 'DQ
Parnaby, Harry Dawson and Niall
Bankroft kept the Tony’s title hopes
alive despite a late consolation goal;
the Tangerines running out 3-2 winQHUV
After a nervous start by both
teams, Robertson pounced on a
loose ball on the edge of the Tony’s
DUHDULÁLQJDOHIWIRRWHGKDOIYROOH\
past the despairing dive of the goalkeeper, to put Civille in front with
WKHÀUVWUHDOVKRWRIWKHJDPH
Robertson was central to much
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Several powerful breaks down the
left-wing could have resulted in his
side doubling their lead, but it was
his handball in the penalty area that
nearly gifted the Tangerines with an
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Fortunately for Civille, Tony striker Oliver Hilton contrived to miss
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bar, but he was reprieved after the
referee spotted encroachment into
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advantage though, dragging his secRQGVKRWZLGH
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Civille could have been two-up,
however striker Khalid’s overhead
kick failed to trouble the goalkeepHU
As the pressure on the Civille goal
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James Chadwick played a fantastic
through-ball to Hilton, who took
on two defenders before drawing a
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The rebound fell straight to Parnaby
who made no mistake in front of an
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The Tonys were soon in front too,
as they were awarded a second penDOW\WKLVWLPHIRUDWULSRQ&KDGZLFN
Hilton wisely left kicking duties to
Dawson who placed it comfortably
past the goalkeeper to put his side
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Civille looked a shadow of the
side that had been so dominant in
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King drawing a great save from the
opposition ‘keeper, they never really looked like getting back in the
PDWFK +LOWRQ·V VHFRQGKDOI SHUformance was wrapped up with another assist, as he ran in behind the
defence before pulling the ball back
for Bankroft to score his side’s third
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Robertson’s ambitious long-rage
effort, his second in as many minXWHVWRRNDFUXHOGHÁHFWLRQWREHDW
the Tony ‘keeper and make for a
nervy last ten minutes, but the Tangerines deservedly held on to their
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52
Graham Onions looks
back on a dream 2009
> Page 42-43
Sports Editors:
Paul
Christian,
Jamie Jamie
Gavin and
Tomand
James
- courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk
Sports
Editors:
Paul
Christian,
Gavin
Tom
James - courier.sport@ncl.ac.uk
Newcastle still mountains
ahead after Alpe d’Huez glory
University retain titles following week of domination on French slopes
Simon Murphy
Newcastle University’s skiers and
snowboarders made a clean sweep
at the British University Snowsports
Championships in Alpe d’Huez,
retaining both the BUSC and BUCS
crowns for the second successive
year.
Newcastle beat off bitter rivals
Bristol into second place at the
event, which saw over 2,500 students descend on the French resort,
including 800 competitors and 330
students from Newcastle – and they
were not to be disappointed.
Performance sport scholar Pete
Bruton bagged gold in the men’s
slalom while race captain Benn Hall
claimed the bronze medal.
In horrendous weather conditions,
the top three racers were separated
by mere tenths of a second after the
ÀUVWUXQEXW%UXWRQPDQDJHGWRJRD
full second better than his competiWRUVLQWKHVHFRQGUXQWRVFRRSÀUVW
The racers were greeted with clear
blue skies and hard-packed snow
conditions as Bruton also managed
gold in the giant slalom – overcoming his demons after falling on the
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mate Hall took silver.
Hall battled his way through poor
weather and an extremely long
course as he secured fourth place
in the super giant slalom, managing to fend off the in-form Bruton,
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WHDPVNLHU-RHO%DGJHUÀQLVKLQJLQD
respectable twelfth place.
Eliza Inglis produced a remarkable
display in the women’s event, more
than exceeding expectations to grab
fourth spot.
Bruton bounced back in the skier
cross event, completing an outstanding hat-trick of gold medals by
winning on an internationally recognised course – again beating off
close rival Hall into fourth place.
Captain Benn Hall said: “Newcas-
You Bru-ty: Performance sport scholar Pete Bruton pictured on his way to a hat-trick of medals which capped off a fantastic week of performances by Team Newcastle at BUSC
tle has had a strong race team for a
couple of years now, and this year
was certainly no exception.
“I was happy to see Newcastle’s
racers stand up to challenge and
take home plenty of medals.
“After our recent years’ performances, Newcastle’s ski-racers are
always under increasing pressure
to perform and I think we delivered
this year.”
Former snowboard captain Ivy
Taylor – who has represented Great
Britain – took gold in the women’s
snowboarding giant slalom event,
while team mate Rachael Turner secured fourth spot.
In the men’s event, fresher Hamish Livingstone claimed the silver
medal just ahead of team mate Ryan
Newton in third.
Snowboard captain Pete Tupper
failed to build on his second place
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from last year, managing only seventh place.
However, he was delighted with
the snowboard team’s success.
“The whole team were on top form,
pulling out skills across the board,
with results coming from new and
older riders alike and from half pipe
right through to snowboard cross,”
he said.
“The enthusiasm and determination in these comps has been great
and it was good to see so many
Newcastle riders on the start lines.
We’ve really stepped up our game
this year and I feel we’ve got a team
to be proud of.”
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the week disrupting many of the
freestyle events, Newcastle’s skiers
dominated the half pipe competition.
Freestyle captain Tom Blanshard
was second in the event last year
and he managed to go one step better claiming the gold medal, pulling
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Bart Loades secured third spot after
impressing the judges with an extremely technical run.
Fellow freestylers Paul Kendall
and Ben Shepherd also reached the
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nal six – a remarkable feat.
Pete Tupper and Hamish LivingVWRQH ERWK UHDFKHG WKH ÀQDO VL[ LQ
the snowboarding event but neither
managed a podium. In the women’s
event however, Ivy Taylor wowed
the judges with some impressive
spins on her way to another gold
medal.
1HZFDVWOH·V PL[HG ÀUVW WHDP ÀQ
ished a close second to LoughborRXJKÀUVWVLQWKHWHDPGXDOVODORP
event.
A highlight of the knockout competition included a thrilling quarterÀQDO DJDLQVW /RXJKERURXJK·V VHF
ond team, which saw Joel Badger
and Benn Hall lead an astonishing
comeback in the last two legs.
The women’s team managed second place as a strong Bristol team
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there was yet more snowboarding
glory for Ivy Taylor as she led the
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slalom.