Tel: 01732 367449 - New Line Learning

Issue 6 is packed full of exciting features written by young people for young
people.
Fit for Life
The Vibe team meets each month at the Switch Youth Café in Maidstone for a
couple of hours. Apart from socialising and drinking lots of hot chocolate we also
come up with ideas for the magazine which is published four times a year.
If you attend a Maidstone secondary school and would like to get involved, just
drop us a line and we will let you know when the next meeting is. We’re always
keen for new contributors to come on board.
Email: vibe@newlinelearning.com
In this edition we get to interview Heart Kent radio presenter Claire Lawson and
Strictly Come Dancing celebrity booker David Harvey. Winter woolly fashion
makes a splash, we find out more about scuba diving and archeology as hobbies,
there’s loads of game reviews plus you can find out what it’s like to work part-time
in a supermarket to earn some extra cash.
So once you’ve packed up mucking about with friends in the snow, make sure you
take time out to read The Vibe.
The Vibe is distributed to all
secondary schools in Maidstone
and is available to download
from many of their websites.
The magazine can also be
picked up from youth venues
across the County Town such as
the Switch Youth Café and Info
Zone plus it can be found at the
Town Hall, Maidstone Library,
County Hall, Maidstone Museum
and the Kent Messenger offices.
If you are a youth organisation or
local business that would like to
stock issues of The Vibe please
get in touch at:
vibe@newlinelearning.com
Oh, and don’t forget to enter the competition to win UK ClubCulture tickets for
December dance nights at Liquid.
This issue wouldn’t have been
possible without all the hard
work from our fantastic team!
TRIAL EXCEL
session for just £1*
Valid to 31 January 2011
*Excludes Aqua Aerobics & EXCEL Gym one voucher per person.
Tel: 01622 719345
www.larkfieldleisure.co.uk
Designed exclusively for 11 to 15 year olds, the EXCEL
Programme is a perfect way to get fit for life. Sessions
include Boxercise, Aqua Action, Spin, Dance Fit, Circuits,
Dance Mat and Target Wall Fitness, plus sessions in the
Lifestyles Gym.
EXCEL monthly membership for just £15 a month provides
unlimited access to all fitness classes and swimming at
our leisure and fitness pools. Three month and annual
memberships are also available.
Visit our websites to view the full programme.
Tel: 01732 359966
www.angelcentre.co.uk
Tel: 01732 367449
www.tonbridgepool.co.uk
Wesley Denne
Joanne Nokes
Daniel Taylor
KT Bishop
Matt Boughton
Elise Jones
Paul Monan
Kerys Jeffrey
Jacob Judge
Lewis Shepherd
Paul Roberts
Sam Amos
Joe Pearce
Naomi Fenton
Georgia Horton
Abigail Morgan
Jasmine Haskell
Francesca Earnshaw
Jamie West
Stuart Ballard
Luke Harris
The Vibe is printed by Creekside
Press on 100% recycled paper using
vegetable based inks.
2
By Joanne Nokes
By Wesley Denne
Thorpe Park theme park is a great
family attraction. It caters for all age
groups and has rides specifically for
young thrill seekers and for older
thrill seekers too. Thorpe Park holds
events such as Fright Night, which
is when the park is open until late at
night so that visitors can experience
Surge’ and will consist of a 64ft
spiralling drop in which you will be
rapidly turning in a life raft. This ride
will be exciting, adrenaline pumping
and will be something for all the
family to enjoy together. Stealth has
been described as ‘exhilarating’,
‘amazing’ and ‘brilliant’.
rides such as Saw, Nemesis Inferno,
Stealth and Colossus in the dark.
Overall I think that Thorpe Park is
a reasonably priced family day out
which creates a lot of memories that
you can keep forever. You can buy
merchandise or pictures of yourself
on rides. Also you can purchase
memory wristbands with up to five
photographs on them, or alternatively
a disk with up to six videos of yourself
and your friends on the rides.
Thorpe Park also opens a series of
horror mazes on Fright Night. Also,
Thorpe Park has a new ride opening
in 2011! This ride will be called ‘Storm
Offers are also available for a
weekend break at Thorpe Park by
staying in a Travel Lodge nearby.
This allows you more time to enjoy
the park and means you don’t have
to rush stressfully to every single ride
in one day.
Thorpe Park has a great atmosphere
with the right balance between
midway games, themed rides and
music. It has been described as one
of the best theme parks. Other theme
parks run by the same company
include Chessington World Of
Adventures and Alton Towers. I’d
definitely recommend a visit to Thorpe
Park to everyone.
Photograph by Dave Rolph
By Daniel Taylor
Port Lympne and Howletts house
very interesting animals. They are
both linked together, have a family
background and are run by charity
‘The Aspinall Foundation’.
These wild animal parks exist to
help protect and breed rare and
endangered animals and, where
possible, return them to safe areas in
the wild.
At Port Lympne there is a safari ride.
This takes you inside a huge cage
with wild animals running around
while you’re in a safari van tumbling
all over the place. It‘s VERY fun! And
if you get too tired you can always
stay overnight at the Livingstone
Lodge for the ultimate UK safari
experience.
At Howletts you can get up close to
the animals and watch shows around
the monkey experience. It also has
a new attraction but you have to go
there to find out what it is!
3
On the way into Hastings town centre, you will find a traditional English style
green park. This is called Alexandra Park and it is the main park of Hastings.
Back in 2001, the Heritage Lottery Fund granted £3.464m to the restoration of
the park buildings, pathways and planting areas. At the north end there is a
nature reserve where many different birds including kingfishers have been
spotted.
give donations ensure the animals
can be protected in the future and the
attractions can remain open all year
round.
I have been to both attractions and
have found them great fun. My
favourite of the two parks has to be
Howletts as it has a stone shop inside
the park.It’s a place you do not want
to miss out on, especially during the
school holidays as you can have a
great time there with family or friends.
As you walk to the front of the town towards the beach there are
amusement arcades, fish and chip shops, rock shops and beach-related shops
with inflatables, body-boards, buckets and spades, jelly shoes and more on offer.
Near to the old town there is a really good fun fair, which is open throughout the
summer and has small rides including dodgems, and a crazy golf course. For the
younger children there are a few gentle rides including a carousel.
Hastings used to have a pier that opened in 1872 and was originally 910ft long.
It was designed by Eugenius Birch who also designed Brighton’s west pier.
Unfortunately Hastings pier burnt down in October this year.
GO ON, GO WILD AND HAVE AN
ADVENTURE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hastings beach is a pebble beach but does have an expanse of sand at low tide
but is mainly sea-smoothed pebbles. Part of the beach is patrolled by life guards
and dogs are banned between May and September.
Photograph by Premier Photos UK
People who pay to visit Port Lympne
and Howletts Wild Animal Parks and
Photographs by Bob Mazzer courtesy
Hastings Borough Council
Hastings is only one of the many great beaches in the South East.
4
By KT Bishop
smashed the record. We did jiving and tacking. Jiving is when you turn the boat
towards the wind. The boom, which weighs a ton, comes across to the other side of
the boat. Tacking is when you turn the boat away from the wind. We were sailing
fine when we suddenly we realised our sail had ripped. Three people had to go up
to the bow and pull down the sail whilst two others eased the sheets. The weather
was lovely on our final day and we went to the harbour opposite Gunwharf. This is
so we could watch the fireworks, which were amazing. Then we visited Gunwharf,
tidied up the boat and then went on shore and had a shower.
Day 8
Today we had to tidy the boat from top to bottom. The fridge to the mooring lines.
It took us 1 hour which was pretty quick. We scrubbed the deck and shined all
the metal. We took some pictures and got our tall ships t-shirts. We said our final
goodbyes to the skipper, boat and mates then headed off back to Maidstone.
Sailing tall ships was an amazing experience. We all learnt new skills, improved
our team work and got our level one in sailing which was fantastic.
5
6
By Matt Boughton
On 6 May 2010 the British people
went out and voted to make history,
producing a hung parliament, which
is very rare in British political history.
This meant that a coalition had to be
formed between the Conservative
Party and the Liberal Democrats.
With a change of government this
means there will be very big
transformations on the lives of those
in and around Maidstone.
and the grass at parks like Mote Park
will not be cut as often.
But unfortunately, we will be affected
in other ways too. As of January 2011
VAT will raise to 20%. This means
that everything that we buy will cost
us an extra 20%. This affects a wide
range of things such as chairs, cars,
and chocolate bars. This means that
the cost of living will rise while the
money we earn will decrease.
politics special:
One of the major changes is that all
government departments will have to
find up to 40% cuts from their current
budget. While this is necessary to
reduce the debt that the country finds
itself in, it could have very serious
implications for us. Take, for
example, the department for local
government. They give money to
councils and if they are given less
money, councils will have less money
available to spend. This would mean
that potholes may not be repaired,
public toilets will be closed, bins will
be collected on a less regular basis
Why is it that money will be hard to
come by? For those who have jobs it
is increasingly unlikely that wages will
increase with tax on employers being
increased. For those on Educational
Maintenance Allowance (EMA) the
January bonus will be scrapped.
For those who want a job it will
become harder with companies
wanting to reduce the number of
employees. And it is very likely that
many of your parents will have to take
wage cuts to help keep their jobs.
With little jobs available, people may
look to go to university. However the
price of this has risen, with tuition
fees rising from £3,000 to £9,000.
This coupled with the likely reduction
in the number of places at university
means that going to university will be
even harder and more expensive,
thus putting people off from going.
However, despite this doom and
gloom the future does looks bright.
If the government had not made
these tough decisions then the
situation in a couple of years
would be terrible, with mass
unemployment.
However
the
coalition have decided to make tough
choices at the beginning so hopefully
in a couple of years the country’s finances will be much healthier. This
means that there will be more money
available in the long term which is
good for everyone. And by the time
the country goes out to vote in the
next general election, hopefully we
will be talking about how the country
is booming!
By Elise Jones
Health is a very important part of our lives; it is combined into different parts including a healthy diet,
exercise and sleep. If we don’t get enough of each aspect we could become tired, dehydrated and eventually ill.
A HEALTHY DIET
If you want to get the balance of your diet right, use the ‘eat-well’ plate. The ‘eat-well’ plate makes healthy eating easier
to understand by showing the types and proportions of foods we need to have a healthy, well balanced diet. Each
section of the healthy eating plate is a different size and
shows the percentage of the amount of that food we
should eat. These sections are: fruit and vegetables,
dairy products, protein, carbohydrates, fats and sugars
and starchy foods. Also, there are foods that are good for
our brains - fish, walnuts and pumpkins.
EXERCISE
By Matt Boughton
Government and Politics students
from Oakwood Park Grammar School
were honoured when they were
visited by Baroness Emerton, a
member of the House of Lords to
talk about life in Westminster. The
Baroness was visiting as part of
the Peers in Schools programme,
which is seen as a way in which to
encourage young people to get
involved in Politics.
Baroness
Emerton,
who
is
from
Tunbridge Wells, has been a long
standing member of St John Ambulance,
7
becoming County Nursing Officer for
Kent, County Commissioner for Kent and
Chancellor Chief Commander nationally.
She became a Lord in 1997 when she was
invited to join Parliament by then Prime
Minister John Major. When asked whether
she thought she would ever become a Lord
she said: “No, good Lord no, no one was
more surprised than me when I received a
phone call from John Major in 1997 offering
me a place.”
The Baroness answered questions from
A Level Politics students and the school’s
student reporters, on both current affairs
and what it is like to be a member of
the House of Lords. The Baroness was
particularly impressed by David Cameron’s
‘Big Society’ saying: “It’s excellent. We’ve
got to have better contact between
government and the public.” However
the Baroness was concerned about the
possibility of an elected House of Lords as
she questioned who the elected peers would
be accountable to. Despite this, when one
of the students suggested a system similar
to the Irish Senate with elected members
of Trade Unions she thought it was an
idea worth more consideration. The
Baroness, with her years of experience
in the voluntary sector also gave some
advice for young people. She encouraged
us to do lots of voluntary work and
mentioned how her career had started when
she was our age by volunteering, and said:
“I wouldn’t be in the position I am in now if
it wasn’t for St John’s Ambulance.” She also
complemented Oakwood’s Student Voice
organisation and was very keen to know
how so many of our students were involved
in Politics.
I thought that Baroness Emerton’s visit to
Oakwood was extremely useful and so very
interesting because of the depth in which
she explained about the role of the House of
Lords, which is much more influential than
many of us realise. I thought it was also very
interesting to see what the people who sit in
parliament think of their role as lawmakers.
Baroness Emerton’s visit to Oakwood Park
Grammar School was well received by all
the students who would like to thank her for
taking the time to visit us.
Keep it
Exercise is very important too, keeping our muscles in
great shape. To keep fit and do some exercise, we could
go to the gym, go out for a run or a walk, go for a bike
ride, run up and down the stairs and maybe even go
on a charity walk or run. Exercise helps to improve our
memory, speed up our reactions and reflexes, improve
our balance, flexibility and also increase the strength of
our bones.
SLEEP
For safety advice visit www.kent.police.uk
Call 01622 690690 to report a crime. Call 999 in an emergency
If deaf or speech impaired text ‘police’ and your message to 60066.
this Winter
Sleeping restores the body’s energy in order for it to
work. You should try to get to bed early and not late
otherwise you may feel tired, weak, annoyed or stressed
as a result. Different aged people need to sleep for
different amounts of time. Babies need to sleep for 14-15
hours a day, whereas older people only need to sleep
for seven or eight hours and for children aged between
five and twelve, it is advised that somewhere in between
10 and 11 hours is beneficial. If you are without sleep,
as well as becoming cranky or clumsy, you may
encounter difficulties in simply functioning properly, for
example struggling at school. After five days of no sleep,
It is also thought you may start hallucinating!
8
By Kerys Jeffrey
A paramedic can work alone but
more usually with an emergency care
assistant or ambulance technician.
Their role requires them to assess the
patient’s condition and, if necessary,
give essential treatment. A paramedic’s
job is often demanding but is a very
rewarding career.
By Paul Monan
T
hroughout school life, I longed for
money. Clothes, music, games, I wanted
it all. I couldn’t wait to go out and get a
part-time job, to fund a relatively lavish
teenage lifestyle. As soon as I hit my 16th
birthday, my main priority was to find some
sort of work. Now, not only do I have a handy,
twelve hours a week job at Sainsbury’s, I also
have developed valuable life skills and made
new friends, that wouldn’t have been achieved
by sitting around at home on a Saturday.
barista; a coffee-maker not a lawyer. Practically, I had
picked up basic culinary knowledge which will aid me
when I go to university and fend for my future-self.
Working with Sainsbury’s many customers allows me to
meet and interact with a diverse range of people. Confident and effective communication is key to any job, and
I’ve been able to develop this important ability through
serving customers and working in a large team.
I’m only able to speak from personal experience, but
for first time employment, I believe that supermarket
work is a great starting block. Everyone goes to the
supermarket, whether it be with friends, family or
on your own, and so it’s pretty obvious to see what’s
involved. Friends of mine work at the checkouts and
stacking shelves, but my job is quite different, as I work
at Sainsbury’s busy café, technically known as the JSR.
With little knowledge of food preparation and customer
service, I was slightly apprehensive about what to
expect, but the opportunity to go out and do something
different was appealing, and I persevered. Now, my
perseverance is definitely paying off and I’m reaping
the rewards.
Basically, my job is a bit of everything. From serving
customers and making coffee, to cooking meals
and washing dishes, I’ve been given the chance to
develop skills that I wouldn’t necessarily get at school.
After only a few shifts I had been taught how to pour the
perfect latte (it’s all about the milk!), whip up tasty, fresh
milkshakes and tend to the till, meaning responsibility
had been thrust upon me from the start. I was a crucial
cog in the café team machine, and luckily I was able to
thrive under the early pressures. Within weeks I was
able to cook for paying customers, and had been
awarded status as an official
9
Apart from helpful skills, there are many rewards when
it comes to working. A supermarket employs dozens,
maybe hundreds of staff, and making new friends
is easy. Working with a team in a relatively small
environment has ensured that I’ve developed
relationships with everyone in the café, but any job will
see you working in a team and making bonds with new
people. The money isn’t a bad thing either. There’s a lot
more freedom when you have money to pay for what
you want, when you want, and no longer rely on the
bank of Mum and Dad.
There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing you’ve
personally earned what you’re buying. Your employers
are likely to give you benefits too. Sainsbury’s give a
good staff discount, and I managed to save a bundle
when I bought my Playstation!
My advice would be to go for anything, and be proactive in searching for first time employment. It may
seem scary, but it’s so rewarding!
The ambulance service in the UK is
under authority of the NHS, divided
into separate NHS Ambulance Trusts
covering various geographical areas.
There are 12 ambulance services in
England, providing emergency access
to healthcare.
A paramedic can earn up to £26,500
once they have completed the training.
When they are a full-time paramedic
they can earn an increased salary.
The career of a paramedic also offers
something unique that very few other jobs
offer - the chance to help people and give
something back to the community.
At some point in life, most people will
have to call upon the services of a
paramedic. Cheryl Cole, a popular,
well-recognised role model in the
celebrity world, is one example of
someone who required emergency aid
for her shock malaria scare. Cheryl
became very ill very quickly and was
admitted to a private hospital. Another
celebrity, famous singer Pink went into
hospital too after having an accident
on stage, falling from a wire holding
her to perform stunts at a concert. The
wires holding her up weren’t strapped
on properly, causing her to fall and
become injured.
Fortunately, she only suffered a few
cuts and bruises and wasn’t hurt too
badly. This just shows that anyone can
require treatment unexpectedly and
that paramedics are always on call and
dedicated to helping us.
Find out more about becoming a
paramedic and get information about
your future at the following sites:
www.nhscareers.nhs.uk
www.paramediccareers.co.uk
www.sja.org.uk
www.connexions-direct.com
www.kentchoices4u.com
www.ucas.com
www.direct.gov.uk
also met some appallingly rude stars
who are very talented and popular.
What’s it like working on Strictly
Come Dancing?
getting as many famous faces in the
audience as possible and, in the way
that TV works, my CV read ‘celebrity
booker’ so that’s the work I was
offered from then on. I never sat
down and said to myself that I
wanted deliberately to work with
celebs or be a booker and now that I
do, it’s great fun.
What sort of things does your job
entail?
Strictly’s Celebrity Producer David
Harvey in the spotlight
What is your job title?
Celebrity Producer (has been Celebrity
Booker and Celebrity Associate - they
all amount to the same thing).
How did you get into the
profession?
My godmother was a TV producer and
when I was 14 I would travel down to
London in school holidays to watch
shows she was working on like The
Generation Game, Jim’ll Fix It and
Blind Date. I loved being in
television studios and hearing an
audience laugh, a band playing live - I
wanted to work in TV from then on. It
wasn’t until I was 29 that I finally got
the chance to be a runner on a
Channel 5 afternoon show and I
grabbed the opportunity with both
hands.
I got into celeb booking pretty much
by accident - as did most other celeb
producers I know. I was working on
BBC2’s Food & Drink programme in
2000 as an Associate Producer with
responsibility for the wine tasting items
with Oz Clarke. On the second day of
the contract my producer decided that
the items needed ‘sexing up’ by having
celebs involved. Cue many frantic
calls by me to get contacts for agents,
publicists etc, none of which I had. My
next contract was on ‘An Audience
With Des O’Connor’ which involved
11
It’s nowhere near as glamorous as
people think. Well over 90% of what
I do is office-based and phone
bashing, emailing, talking to agents
to see if their clients would be
interested and available to participate
in the show I’m working on. Most
of the time it’s people saying ‘no’
usually because they are not free or
maybe because the project in
question just doesn’t appeal and
even to get a handful of guests will
mean approaching, quite often,
hundreds of names. There’s also a
lot of managing people’s
expectations as well; all producers
want Madonna, or Ewan McGregor
or Kylie to be on their show but the
chances of that happening range
from slim to non-existent. I frequently
have to ‘sell’ names to programme
executives to convince them that, as
Angelina Jolie isn’t free, then Celeb X
would be just as good on the show.
Meeting the celebs when they come
to studio is just part and parcel of
the job and there is too much to get
done and worry about on studio days
to bother with being star-struck. You
can also spend days making sure
that everything will run smoothly for
your guest but if your celeb arrives in
a bad mood then all that planning can
fly out of the window and the job can
then become very fraught and
stressful. All bookers have had times
when we are faced with a grumpy
celeb in a dressing room refusing
to do anything that you are asking
of them. You then need a tactful
combination of ego-massaging and
coaxing!
Name some celebrities you’ve
worked with during your career?
I’ve been booking celebs for over 10
years now so the celebs I’ve worked
with are varied. Victoria Wood,
Roger Moore, Ruby Wax, Davina
McCall, Joan Collins, Robbie
Williams, Brigitte Nielsen, Joan
Rivers, Ian McKellen, all of the
current Strictly Come Dancing cast and, of course, Biggins!
I’m enormously proud to have Strictly
on my CV, especially as this year
is being viewed as a vintage cast.
There is a big sense of
responsibility working on a show like
this that attracts well over 10 million
viewers a week and runs for so
I’m not sure about glamorous but the
best and most interesting places I’ve
been on holiday have been Sydney
and Trinidad & Tobago in the
Caribbean.
What do you enjoy doing when
you’re not working?
long - you want to get the best
cast you can. And it’s fabulous
working on a show with SO much
glitter. It get’s everywhere!
In my spare time I’m most likely to
be pottering about in the garden (I’m
an enthusiastic but rather clumsy
amateur) but I also enjoy theatre and
cinema. My clubbing days are long
gone.
What is the worst job you’ve ever
had?
What is your favourite book and
why?
Before I started working in television
I was a chef. It’s a long story. I did
spend one long, horrendous
summer in a hotel which I hated due
to the bizarre man who ran the place.
He wasn’t quite Basil Fawlty but he
clearly didn’t like people.
Do you have good memories of
your school days?
David with Justin Ryan on the set of I’m a
Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here. Justin is
one half of celebrity interior designers
Colin & Justin.
Where’s the most glamorous
place you’ve been on holiday?
Overall, yes I do. I was deeply
confused by maths and science but
loved English and drama. If I were to
go back in time and meet myself as
a schoolboy I would tell myself not to
worry too much and that everything
usually ends up all right.
Very difficult to choose one as read
loads. I love the Mapp & Lucia series
by EF Benson and re-read them
every few years but I also read a lot
a biographies - try Gloria Swanson’s
autobiography for a fascinating
depiction of Hollywood in its early
years.
Describe your character in five
words?
Conscientious, honest, professional (I
hope!), calm and mischievous.
What do you like most about living
in London?
There are so many multi- cultural
Sharing a bite to eat with celebrities on
Hell’s Kitchen.
things going on - as a celeb producer
you need to have an idea of what’s
happening and what/who is hot. It’s
also where my home and husband
are.
If I hadn’t been a celebrity booker
I would have…….?
Missed out on a huge amount of
memorable moments and
experiences money cannot buy. I
imagine I would have tried to get
work in theatre management had I
not been in television.
Who’s the best celebrity you’ve
met?
That’s a really difficult question! The
only time I’ve ever been slightly star
struck was briefing Dame Julie
Andrews while she had three
different people fussing over her hair,
make up and wardrobe just minutes
before a live show. She was one of
the nicest people I’ve met, however,
and not at all diva-ish. Judi Dench
comes a close second.
Who’s been the rudest celebrity?
I’m asked this all the time and
although there have been some true
horror stories, I cannot name names
as I may have to book them again
sometime! As a general rule,
however, the more ambiguous and
doubtful a celeb’s talent and
standing is, there is more likelihood
that they can be rude and illmannered. However, there are
always exceptions to every rule - I’ve
The new luxurious New Line Learning Academy building in Boughton
Lane, Loose is phenomenal. It fulfils all of our students’ needs and we are
so lucky to have this place as a school. The building has learning plazas,
a lecture theatre, a massive sports hall, a dance studio and many more
fantastic resources giving the students state-of-the art facilities and a
fantastic education. Our school has around 700 students with over 150
students that have come up this year. The new build cost over £26m to
build because of all the facilities. At first our school was two separate
schools “Senacre Technology College” and “Oldbrough Manor Community
School.” In 2009 the schools merged onto the one site in Loose and now
this school is one of the best in the county. The new build has the same
field as the last school but we have three football pitches, three rounders
Plaza at New Line Learning Academy
pitches, a running track and a rugby pitch. Many of the students have
called it the best school they have EVER been in and Lewis and I have a really good feeling about this school. Our school
didn’t just perform well last year in GCSE results but our Year 11s got the highest results in maths and English this school
has ever seen! Over 80% of the year group got at least one C grade and hopefully my Year 11 will break the records again
this year.
12
By Paul Monan
With snow just around the corner and cold mornings already upon us, it’s time to
bolster your wardrobes, and ensure that you wrap up this winter. My advice would
be to think twice before ditching your Gran’s knitted jumper, as I have a sneaking
suspicion that the traditional Christmas jumper style will be a focal trend.
Both practical and stylish, Fair Isle knitwear is sure to be one the hottest lines
on the market this season. Fair Isle is a knitting technique, which simply means
to create patterns with multiple colours, and contemporary designs have moved
away from the classic five-colour look. For a few years this trend has been flirting
with high-street stores, and now that the designers have released a few interesting
takes on the design, it is sure to be a big deal this winter. In Maidstone, the usual retailers
are likely to stock a variety of knitwear, so check out Topman and River Island to start.
Colour-wise, the next few months will see plum and maroon as a popular choice. Did
anybody see Cheryl Cole’s red hair on The X Factor? Or the female contestants who
also died their hair? They know what’s on trend, and they’re sure to be sporting it in
magazines and on television.
Moonlight printed tee £6, Velvet blazer £30,
Jeans £13, Shoes £10 - Primark
If you want to invest in something plum, a jumper or a sweatshirt may again be
the answer, but also scoop-neck t-shirts, which are proving to be popular. It’s
mainly the big designers who are keeping the colour-scheme ‘warm’, with washy
purple items, and Woods Designer Clothing on Bank Street have a very good
range of trendy, seasonal products. Their top brands, including Boss and D&G,
and are on the pricey side, but be sure to bag a bargain come the January sales.
Keeping the X Factor theme going, teenage girls nationwide are in love with One
Direction, but I think boys should definitely look at what they’re wearing in order
to stay current and bang on trend. Week in, week out, the boys wear the best that
the high street has to offer, and because they’re kings of the high-street, the price
tag isn’t going to be that of a popstar. From head to toe, the boys are kitted out
to look contemporary by their stylists. They keep it quite bland tonally, with lots
of dark colours, particularly earthy and stoney shades. This subtle, washed look
works with big military style boots, which can be found in nearly every shop and
are made by practically every good brand. Their sheer size and quality are likely
to raise the price, but, from about £50, there are well made boots everywhere.
Brand-wise, more alternative designers like All Saints and Bolongaro Trevor are
the leaders in this style.
To accompany the boots, I’d suggest breaking the norm and going for a chino trouser.
As versatile as jeans are, they can be a bit boring, and a beige pair of chinos can give
an outfit a brighter look without needing a garish top. Slim-fit still proves to be popular,
but look out for this year’s new style; carrot-fit. Named after the carrot shape, the fit
fuses a baggy, drop-crotch with a tight, fitted calf.
White Aztec-pocket t-shirt £10, Dark chinos
£25, White trainers £15- New Look
Get the look for under £30
at Primark:
Snowflake tunic £15,
Faux fur trapper hat £6,
Faux fur mitten £4
Patent skinny bow belt £2
Over-the-knee socks £2
Ladder military hooded coat £44.99, Plaited belt £8,
Grey skinny jeans £19.99, Lace up shearling boots
£39.99 - New Look
Plum knitted wrap
cardigan £25 - very.co.uk
Mocha Fair Isle Jumper
£40 - Simply Be
Fair Isle sweater,
Napoleon waistcoat,
Super ken skinnies,
Block stripe scarf,
Mix yarn scarf,
Dry desert boots
- River Island
14
By Paul Roberts
By Joe Pearce
Well, it's that time of year again. Game companies have got all of the best teams in the world and we are left with a daunting
choice, PES or FIFA for Christmas!? Many may leave this option of games purely for a new 'Call of Duty' which is released
every November, whereas the football games are released in October. Or some will go without and save up for this year's
No.4 bestselling game Call of Duty: Black Ops.
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010. Rating: 8/10
PES totally blew me away this year. It's the most realistic PES that's ever been, with all the small extra features. The
referee indicates now, the goalkeeper hangs on the crossbar after a save, and there are all new football moves. Although,
don't be overjoyed when you receive a penalty, as this was extremely tricky to get the hang of, although for some advice,
simply hit soft and aim low and wide!
I played the game on the release date and couldn't put the controller down for another three weeks! PES 2011 way
exceeded my expectations, and whats more there's plenty of good Gamerscore & Trophies to be earned, so get playing!
The new add on to the Xbox is terrific. It’s a motion sensor with instant reaction time and in my opinion; it beats the Wii
any day. With brand new games especially for the Kinect, it makes it unique to any other console with active situation
to keep you fit and healthy. You don’t need to do anything you don’t already know such as body movements which the
character on the screen will copy and probably react. One new feature is that when you enter the room and it is still
on, it will recognise your face and greet you as you enter. The Kinect is voice activated too so if you want the game to
start, you just say “game start”.
By Sam Amos
Call of Duty:
Black Ops, is the 7th Call of
Duty (COD), set in Vietnam. This
time last year Modern Warfare 2
(MW2); the 6th Call of Duty hit
record sales setting the standard
of COD forever. Black Ops
has been created by different
developers than MW2 - Treyarch.
This company created “Nazi
Zombies”, COD5, COD3 and
COD2 as well as other games. This game is a huge new
generation of Call of Duty. It’s picked up on the
annoying glitches as well as features that other Call of
Duty’s have. They have changed many things, for instance, on the online multiplayer instead of unlocking
weapons you pay for them with all new “Cod Points”
that you receive for winning games and completing
challenges. There are now 50 levels and 15 prestiges.
The game leaves you with hours of constant fun
playing against people all over the world. The
campaign of Black Ops is also very
exciting, some of the
15
places you will be fighting in are: Cuba, Russia
Vietnam and Germany.
Fable 3:
Fable 3 is the 3rd fable and it’s made by Microsoft game
studios. Fable 2 was a mind-blowing success. This game
is only for Xbox, but if its anything like Fable 2 it will be a
real success.
Where to pick up games in Maidstone:
•
Blockbuster - 96-98 Week St
•
GAME - 13 Week Street
•
Game Station - The Mall
•
HMV - 15 Fremlin Walk
FIFA 2011. Rating: 7/10
Fifa 11 is awesome this year, but still no match for the new PES! All new features
include in-game with added custom built player features, Gameplay also has all new
options and tweaks. The only thing difficult was keeping the ball in-play from crosses.
Even a slight overpower will send the ball flying into the crowd.
Again, I played this as of its release date, and I loved it! There is a great amount of
new gameplay and more realistic effects happen, such as on the training field plus
there are wind effects, high balls and throw-ins. Fifa 2011 also has access to
Achievement Gamerscore and Trophies, although, for the second year in a row, the
Rewards are lower graded, and harder to get.
By Paul Roberts
Halo Reach
Halo Reach is a really fun game. Instead of going on Call of Duty you can have a wide range of
game types which you don’t get in most games. You get more armour to customise and create your
own fire fight load outs. The new assignation method has changed the gameplay of Halo and the
controls have changed a bit. So by holding the right bumper (to melee) and instead of instantly
killing them, you go out to third person and perform a combination of moves and each one is
different depending if you are either a trustworthy Elite or a noble Spartan.
Formula 1 2010
Unlike the other racing games, this one has to be one of the most realistic racing games.
Especially the distinctive sound of the Formula 1 car is just enough for you to love the game. The
graphics make you feel that you are really in the game however the race times are never-ending
and after a while your fingers start to go numb. Although the driving and the steering have gone
up a level because going round the corner has just became a lot harder. All it takes is to be a good
gamer to outrank the AI’s. Your main foe is the weather, due to its unlikely habit of turning bad
when you don’t want it to.
Gears of War 3
Gears of War 3 is a world of rubble and conflict with opponents on every corner of the world. One
of the new features of the game is that you don’t have to stay staring at an ugly brute of a man,
and can switch to the third person. There are many new weapons to choose from and the
graphics have changed vastly. The gameplay has also became a lot more realistic so watch you
head out there, or else!
16
By Naomi Fenton
H
ave you heard of Michael Morpugo
or of some of his books like the
‘Butterfly Lion’, ‘Friend or Foe’ or
‘Private Peaceful’? From the same
author comes a moving book called ‘War
Horse’ first published in 2007, it was so
great that they made it into an award
winning play recently! It is a National
Theatre production currently showing
at the New London Theatre. Presented
in association with Handspring
Puppet Company, this is a truly
spectacular production. So popular it
has just been extended to run until at
least 22 October 2011.
weeks developing the puppets and their
movements, by studying real horses on
YouTube and visiting farms, so they would
know how they move. And so the puppets
look, move and sound like real horses,so
much so that the farm horses thought the
puppets were real. At times, watching
the play, you also forget the puppeteers,
dressed as stable hands, and then you
This heart-warming story came together
by coincidence, as Michael walked into a
pub in Devon 30 years ago and talked to
a soldier who had fought in the First World
War alongside horses. Something like one
million horses died just on the British side
alone during the war and he wrote this story
so that we should remember them.
In this production the horses are
magnificent full-size puppets, because real
horses can’t be trained to do some of the
things that puppets can. The puppeteers
were given the names the ‘head’, ‘heart’
and the ‘hind’ according to the places they
control the puppet from and the element
they represent. They trained for eight
see the horses as living animals – nervous,
shivering or looking for reassurance. The
puppet horses on stage pull at grass, rear
up on their hind legs, gallop, trot, people
ride on them and they even pull carts! There
is even a foal, which is so cute! The horses
are made from willow and the harnesses
and saddles were real. This all helps
create the illusion to make us think they are
alive. There was even a puppet goose to
add to the setting of the farm and to make
you laugh!
The story line was exceptional (thank you
Mr Morpugo) but the actors and life-like
puppets made it so emotional that you
could find yourself crying over a puppet that
had ‘died’. Nearly everyone that saw the
production went home with tears in their
eyes.
The play is about the journey of a horse
during the First World War. As a foal,
Joey is sold to a drunken man and his son
Albert cares for him and they create a very
strong bond. But when Albert’s father sells
Joey to the army, Albert is determined to
join the army to find him. Will they ever
be reunited again? I truly recommend this
performance to everyone and anyone, as
there is something in it for all ages. This is
such a popular play that it is even going to
Broadway. Steven Spielberg has already
made a film of this story with real horses,
which will probably be out next year. But
don’t wait for that, this production has
everything from heart-rending emotion to
humour, horses to geese and puppets to
people.
If you want to know how the story ends,
read the book, but better still, watch and
experience it on stage!
By Georgia Horton
As of the 30 September, the best selling
single so far this year goes to Eminem’s
‘Love the Way You Lie’ which features
Rihanna. This has gone on to sell
nearly 700,000 copies and has spent
nearly 15 weeks in the top 10! The
video broke a YouTube record for the
most views in 24 hours — 6.6 million!
Christina Aguilera also set two chart
records with her comeback album
‘Bionic’. Bionic debuted at number 1
in the UK charts, with sales of around
24,000 copies, which is the lowest
seven day sales for a number one
album in the UK for eight years. It set
another record the following week by
17
falling 28 places to number 29! This
is the largest decline for a number 1
album.
Lady GaGa has set a few records in
British music history. Her single ‘Bad
Romance’ returned to the number one
spot at the start of the New Year, making
her the only female in British chart
history to have a number one in the
2000 and 2010 decades so far.
The VMA’s took place on 12 September
this year, and Lady GaGa became the
most nominated artist in VMA history by
having 13 nominations. She set another
record by having 2 singles nominated for
‘Video of the Year’ with ‘Bad Romance’
and ‘Telephone’. Since it’s release, her
debut album ‘The Fame’ has spent
nearly 90 weeks in the top 20 of the UK
albums charts.
2010 has seen quite a few new artists
from here and across the pond break
into the music scene.
B.O.B, Bruno Mars, Jason Derulo,
Iyaz and Ke$ha are just a few of the
American artists who have started to
build a reputation over here. With other
artists like Katy Perry, Flo-Rida, NeYo
and Kylie Minogue picking up where
they left off. We’ve also had some new
British acts giving it their best to make
themselves heard of, such as Tinie
Tempah, Roll Deep, Aggro Santos and
Eliza Doolittle.
Keep your eyes peeled for new songs
from this lot!
By Abigail Morgan
“I do hope Father returns home safely. May all of the Seishu die,” Kagome said bitterly as she stabbed the needle through the
silk she was embroidering.
“Lady! You must not say such things,” Chiyo, Kagome’s personal maid chided. They sat opposite one another, doing embroidery
upstairs of the residence. The air was heavy with humidity, the cicadas droned out the sound of the small tinkling river near the rice
fields and the sun glared down onto the land. The screens were open to catch what breeze there was. Usually the sounds from the
town would drift to them, but today was quiet with the threat of invasion should their army lose to the Seishu.
Kagome grumbled under her breath. All the Seishu wanted was power. And because of that, Kagome’s clan had to fight back.
She carried on sewing, but her mind was with her father, not on the needle. She breathed sharply as she pricked herself, the blood
swelling from the tiny hole.
“Lady Kagome must be careful,” Chiyo criticised, taking Kagome’s sewing away before the silk stained.
There was a sudden thump from somewhere near the back of the house. Both women looked up in confusion. That was strange.
No one was there. The maids were in the kitchen, some at the market, and Kagome’s mother, Lady Hojo was at the castle with
teacher Ishida. So, who was at the back of the house? Kagome was stunned. It could not be a burglar, they would not dare.
Then a crash boomed from the room beside theirs. Fear began to fill Kagome as she jumped in fright. Something or someone
was there. The sunlight suddenly seemed to dull, the cicadas silenced and a strange, foreboding feeling began to bubble up inside
Kagome’s chest, filling her with an anticipation that began to stifle her breathing.
“No!” Chiyo suddenly shouted, leaping to her feet, catching Kagome by surprise. It was the fastest Kagome had ever seen Chiyo
move. Fear and disbelief was written across her wrinkled face. Immediately Kagome knew something was wrong.
“Hurry, Lady Kagome, you must get out of here!” she said urgently.
“I am sor–” before Kagome could even finish, Chiyo grabbed her arm, hauled her to her feet and starting rushing for the stairs.
Kagome’s startled mind still managed to register Chiyo’s treatment of her and she began to plan of a punishment before she
stumbled out onto the corridor. Out on the corridor there was another crash which shook the house. Kagome squealed and stumbled
back. From out of the corner of her eyes she caught a dark mass of something writhing at the end of the corridor. Kagome’s skin
crawled.
“Lady!” Chiyo screeched, she was already dashing down the stairs, surprisingly fast for a woman in a kimono. Kagome did not
hesitate and followed, her heart hammering hard in her chest, its pulse thundering out all other sound from her ears in panic. But
after the first four steps, her movement slowed, her limbs stiffening as if in a dream, when a force pushes against the dreamer until it
feels like they are wading through a thick mud while the chaser gains on them.
Horror filled Kagome as she very soon became frozen, feeling a strange sorcery keep her immobilised. An icy whisper sighed
about the corridor above her and for the stairs. Kagome wanted to scream but no sound came out. She felt she was drowning in
panic as her breathing froze in terror.
“Kagome . . .” a dark whisper sighed, brushing her back.
Chiyo looked back up behind her as only a few moments had passed. Just Chiyo’s firm glance alone freed Kagome’s tongue and
she managed to croak out, “I cannot move!”
Chiyo quickly came back up the stairs, hand reaching out. At the same time Kagome could sense the cold feeling behind her
reach out. She did not need to have eyes in the back of her head to imagine a pair of pale hands reach out for her from the dark,
swirling mass.
The maid took Kagome’s hand and immediately the spell was broken. Kagome’s sigh of relief was huge as she tore down the
stairs behind Chiyo and Chiyo led her out onto the front, where the air was cold despite the sunlight which had dulled. Two young
children stood before them, a boy and a girl, no more than peasants.
“Go with them,” Chiyo instructed. “They will protect you. I will hold him off.”
Kagome was about to argue, breathing hard, and wanting to ask who ‘him’ was when the girl chimed, “Lady Kagome, come with
us.” There was something special, or strange, about the children.
“We will take you somewhere safe,” the boy said, smiling slightly with his hand outstretched.
Kagome did not hesitate as the young naïve girl inside of her took over, filled with fear and the desire to run. She took the boy’s
hand and the three of them fled, leaving Chiyo to face the darkness.
18
By Stuart Ballard
By Luke Harris
The boardroom battle at Liverpool
Football Club has been a main
talking point among football
for recent years now and with
the High Court battle saga just
unravelling into a tortoise and
hare race with New England Sports
Ventures patiently waiting on
the fence for their inevitable
congratulations and gratitude from
the Liverpool fans who will welcome
them.
Behind the scenes at Liverpool
it is no doubt a complete mess
because of two men who were
seeking to own a football club with
no interest in football, something
any good businessman straight
away would say is a bad idea.
But luckily enough for the players
whilst they have been playing some
appalling football, the media have
not been picking up on this as the
High Court battle makes a much
better read. Players like Torres,
Gerrard and Carragher would
usually be the players to come
under heaps of pressure by the
press in asking why the bad form.
Roman Abromovich was the first
big money chairman that helped
a club (Chelsea) on the verge of
Champions League qualification to
become the best established team
in England at this moment in time.
He has managed to govern his club
well and got all of the dead wood out
straight away and brought in players
he thought would give him the best
squad. In this he succeeded with
minor debt. The Glazer family were
the next big money family to take
control
of
a
football
club
(Manchester United) and the first
big money Americans. As any
Englishman knows, no football
fan
agrees
with
Americans
19
associating
themselves
with
football... let alone running one of
the biggest clubs in Manchester
United.
They have never gained respect
from their fans and in the past years
protests from fans have resulted in
a blast from the past bringing in the
true colours of Manchester United
of yellow and green scarfs. But
somehow they are managing to
cope with the substantial debt of
around £700m. However, not too far
away the same cannot be said for
the Liverpool owners.
Tom Hicks and George Gillett
bought Liverpool Football Club each
having equal shares, and it is not
in any American’s nature to be on
equal terms. They always want to
be one better than each other, so
squabbling started from the very
beginning with each one trying to
weasel there way into having more
shares in the club to gain further
control. The boardroom battle has
resulted in jobs behind the scenes
at the club lasting around three
months if you are a worker that
disagrees with the owners. But
fortunately the first sight of a silver
lining came in the appointment
of Martin Broughton as the new
chairman whose first job was to find
someone new to purchase the club.
While the fans grew inpatient with a
man who is a season ticket holder
at rivals Chelsea, the fans lack of
patience was kicked to the side of
the road when compared to their
hatred of the current club owners.
Birmingham City
The Liverpool fans are most likely
the most loyal and passionate fans
in the country in the essence that
they care for the club they love.
Almost like a loving Auntie or
Uncle, they visit them on weekends
and are always in high spirits when
seeing their nephews, but care for
them enough to be able to tell them
off occasionally. And that’s what the
club needs to always remember.
That is clearly where Tom Hicks
and George Gillett went wrong from
the start. They were fighting with
each other for ownership of the club
when all along everyone knows it’s
the fans that run a football club,
especially Liverpool Football Club.
Blackburn Rovers
This ongoing High Court battle
was brought to a close on the 15th
October 2010 and since then
Liverpool Football Club have
endured a turbulent, yet promising
run of form with a 2-0 win against
Chelsea bringing Fernando Torres
out of his scoring duck and in that
same week we saw heroics at
Anfield that Liverpool only seem
to get on European nights, albeit
the
Europa
League.
Steven
Gerrard came off the bench at
half time against Napoli to score a
hat-trick in a memorable European
night not only for fans but also the
new owner John W Henry and
his wife who embraced the warm
atmosphere by singing along to the
infamous “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”
That song has always been the
body and soul of Liverpool Football
Club, but for this moment in time it
has never been so relevant to the
club’s predicament. The fans will
be chanting the song in hope that
their team will now not walk alone
but with owners with whom they can
trust upon to salvage their club.
Manager: Alex McLeish
Last Season
Table Finish: 9th
Top Scorer: Cameron Jerome (10)
Manager: Sam Allardyce
Last Season
Table Finish: 10th
Top Scorer: David Dunn (9)
Fulham
Manager: Mark Hughes
Last Season
Table Finish: 12th
Top Scorer: Bobby Zamora (8)
Bolton Wanderers
Manager: Owen Coyle
Last Season
Table Finish: 14th
Top Scorer: Ivan Klasnic & Matthew
Taylor (8)
Newcastle United
Manager: Chris Hughton
Last Season
Table Finish: 1st (Championship)
Top Scorer: Andy Carroll & Kevin
Nolan (17)
Wolves
Manager: Mick McCarthy
Last Season
Table Finish: 15th
Top Scorer: Kevin Doyle (9)
Blackpool
Manager: Ian Holloway
Last Season
Table Finish: 7th (Championship)
(Play-Off Winners)
Top Scorer: Charlie Adam (18)
West Bromwich Albion
Manager: Roberto Di Matteo
Last Season
Table Finish: 2nd (Championship)
Top Scorer: Chris Brunt & Graham
Dorrans (13)
West Ham United
Manager: Avram Grant
Last Season
Table Finish: 17th
Top Scorer: Carlton Cole (10)
Wigan Athletic
Manager: Roberto Martinez
Last Season
Table Finish: 16th
Top Scorer: Hugo Rodallega (10)
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 11th (-2)
Star Player: Alexander Hleb
Young Player: Matt Derbyshire
Top Scorer: Cameron Jerome
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 12th (-2)
Star Player: Steven N’zonzi
Young Player: Mame Biram Diouf
Top Scorer: El-Hadj Diouf
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 13th (-1)
Star Player: Danny Murphy
Young Player: Rafik Halliche
Top Scorer: Clint Dempsey
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 14th (-)
Star Player: Martin Petrov
Young Player: Chung-Yong Lee
Top Scorer: Johan Elmander
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 15th (-)
Star Player: Joey Barton
Young Player: Hatem Ben Arfa
Top Scorer: Andy Carroll
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 16th
Star Player: Steven Fletcher
Young Player: Michael Mancienne
Top Scorer: Kevin Doyle
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 17th
Star Player: Charlie Adam
Young Player: Elliot Grandin
Top Scorer: Marlon Harewood
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 18th
Star Player: Chris Brunt
Young Player:
Top Scorer: Peter Odemwingie
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 19th
Star Player: Scott Parker
Young Player: Victor Obinna
Top Scorer: Carlton Cole
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 20th
Star Player: Steven N’Zogbia
Young Player: Franco Di Santo
Top Scorer: Hugo Rodallega
Chelsea
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti
Last Season
Table Finish: 1st
Top Scorer: Didier Drogba (29)
Manchester United
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Last Season
Table Finish: 2nd
Top Scorer: Wayne Rooney (26)
Arsenal
Manager: Arsene Wenger
Last Season
Table Finish: 3rd
Top Scorer: Francesc Fabregas (15)
Manchester City
Manager: Roberto Mancini
Last Season
Table Finish: 5th
Top Scorer: Carlos Tevez (23)
Tottenham Hotspur
Manager: Harry Redknapp
Last Season
Table Finish: 4th
Top Scorer: Jermaine Defoe (18)
Liverpool
Manager: Roy Hodgson
Last Season
Table Finish: 7th
Top Scorer: Fernando Torres (18)
Aston Villa
Manager: Gerard Houllier
Last Season
Table Finish: 6th
Top Scorer: Gabriel Agbonlahor (13)
Everton
Manager: David Moyes
Last Season
Table Finish: 8th
Top Scorer: Louis Saha (13)
Sunderland
Manager: Steve Bruce
Last Season
Table Finish: 13th
Top Scorer: Darren Bent (24)
Stoke City
Manager: Tony Pulis
Last Season
Table Finish: 11th
Top Scorer: Matthew Etherington (5)
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 1st (-)
Star Player: Florent Malouda
Young Player: Ramiress
Top Scorer: Didier Drogba
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 2nd (-)
Star Player: Luis Nani
Young Player: Javier Hernandez
Top Scorer: Dimitar Berbatov
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 3rd (-)
Star Player: Francesc Fabregas
Young Player: Jack Wilshere
Top Scorer: Marouane Chamakh
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 4th (+1)
Star Player: David Silva
Young Player: Adam Johnson
Top Scorer: Carlos Tevez
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 5th (-1)
Star Player: Rafael Van Der Vaart
Young Player: Gareth Bale
Top Scorer: Jermaine Defoe
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 6th (+1)
Star Player: Joe Cole
Young Player: David Ngog
Top Scorer: Steven Gerrard
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 7th (-1)
Star Player: Stewart Downing
Young Player: Marc Albrighton
Top Scorer: Ashley Young
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 8th (-)
Star Player: Mikel Arteta
Young Player: Marouane Fellaini
Top Scorer: Tim Cahill
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 9th (+4)
Star Player: Asamoah Cyan
Young Player: Lee Cattermole
Top Scorer: Darren Bent
2010/11 Predictions
Table Finish: 10th (+1)
Star Player: Matthew Etherington
Young Player: Ryan Shawcross
Top Scorer: Kenwyne Jones
20
By Naomi Fenton
M
By Jasmine Haskell
.A.A.G was formed by a bunch of
amateur archaeologists with various
levels of qualifications and experience
on 16 April 1969 in Maidstone Museum. It is a
friendly group, which is looking for more
volunteer members and this summer was
spent excavating a roman building in East
Farleigh. It sounds very specialised, but
anyone can get involved!
Was it Maidstone’s first pizza take-away, a home, or
a small temple? There are lots of theories. Maybe it’s
been all of these over time. But it has been interesting
finding out more in this very ‘hands-on’ roman
experience. While there I witnessed the discovery of a
baby’s skeleton, laid out carefully in one room, as well
as part of a ‘hoard’ of really tiny coins, which are now at
the British Museum.
I had volunteered, with my family, to help out for just
one day at first and I found it so amazing. Tools were
provided so I got straight to work, as directed, in what
was an old fireplace. Within only one and a half hours,
I found a cooking pot with a meat bone still in it. On
other occasions I dug up a jaw bone from a cow, metal
nails, oyster shells, a bone needle, lots more pottery,
roof tiles and lots of painted plaster which is really quite
rare.
T
he sensation of scuba
diving is akin to what you’d
imagine being in space
would be like. You are surrounded
by a blue haze, breathing
through unusual equipment and
there is an amazing feeling of
weightlessness. Trying scuba
diving - which stands for ‘self
contained underwater breathing
apparatus’ - was the best decision
I made.
The first breath you take underwater is
like nothing else you’ll
experience
21
on this planet – as it’s as if you’ve been
morphed into some sort of strange bionic
sea creature.
Aside from the unusual sensation of
being metres under the surface for
a period of time, amazing creatures
can be found and seen up close and
personal in their natural setting.
A glass tank does not compare to
the incredible variety of vivid fish,
corals,
crabs,
plants
and
other
creatures found all over the world
when scuba diving.
The Open
Water Diver level which I’m at allows
me to dive to 18m – plenty deep
enough to see beautiful wildlife. During
training on this course you not only learn to
dive in the pool, but you also visit a
lake for a day of diving and testing your
underwater skills. During the course, I
have learnt various safety techniques,
from removing the mask to navigation and
buoyancy control, all of which have made
me very comfortable with the sport.
Maidstone Scuba School next to Mote
Park is where I was taught, and I couldn’t
recommend it more. If you fancy a go at
this fun, exciting and beautiful hobby (you
won’t be disappointed) then book a free
‘try dive’ by popping into the store. Try it
now and you’ll be a pro in time for summer!
Visit www.maidstonescuba.co.uk
or call 01622 754280.
You may not think that it would be particularly exciting
but it certainly helps if you think that these objects had
not been seen for about 2,000 years! The other people
there working alongside
are really friendly and
know a little more about
the site so they can
identify what it is you
have found. We stopped
for a small tea break in
which we discussed the
finds and had a good
laugh as well. I found
it amazing and felt
ecstatic, wishing I didn’t
have to go home. I
loved it so much that I
have been almost every
Sunday since. I do strongly recommend it to anyone
and every one of all ages.
Now, the site is packed up, covered over and left for the
winter. The land it is on is due to be sold. But we got an
awful lot out of that one site. There is talk of
another roman building nearby and so, when we know
where we’re digging next, I hope to see you there!
I talked to Linda and Richard Weeks, the secretary and
chairman of M.A.A.G and she answered some of my
questions. Personally, they have found quite exciting
things like an old bronze-age antler pick (now in a
museum), some hand-axes and an incredibly old
elephant tusk.
If you don’t like getting your hands dirty then you could
learn to do some other jobs like cleaning and illustrating
the finds. You could even join the Young Archaeological
Group for people younger than 17 at www.yac-uk.org
If you are interested specifically in archaeology in or
close to Maidstone then contact Richard and Linda
Weeks at maag.info@virginmedia.com or talk to them
on Facebook and Twitter.
Newcomers welcome!
• Do you have spare time on Sundays?
• Do you like history?
• Have you seen and enjoyed ‘Time Team’?
If you have answered ‘yes’ to one or
more of these questions then you should
consider joining M.A.A.G or just come
along to see for yourself!
22
radio station which helped. It is
also important to be confident and
believe in yourself. If you want
something really bad you will get
it. Don’t wait to be pushed.....
push yourself.
What are your hobbies?
I love skiing. I once qualified to
instruct.
What does your job entail and what
exactly do you do?
I host the weekend breakfast show
on Heart in Kent, between 8am and
12.
Do you get to contribute to the
website, what news stories are
aired, competitions or anything like
that?
If there is something that I have
been talking about on air, whether
it be a major local news story or
something showbiz, I will always
make sure it gets straight onto our
website.
How long have you been at Heart?
Over 6 years now.
Where is Heart in Kent based?
Whitstable.
What is a ‘normal day’ like at a
radio station?
I was there I helped out at the uni
radio station reading their news
bulletins. It was this demo tape
which got me my first job in radio
when I left. I started out as the
traffic and travel presenter on
Century Radio in Newcastle Upon
Tyne. I then left 2 years later to
host the overnight show at TFM on
Teesside. Then, my next move was
to Invicta FM, now known as Heart.
I arrive and set up my studio,
chat to the listeners and read my
emails and texts coming through
to the studio. Then basically play
the music and chat for 4 hours!
Your weekend slot is from 8am - 12
noon. What sort of music or content
can listeners expect on your show?
We play more music variety so
you can expect to hear a little bit
of everything from the 80’s up to
the present day. You can hear me
talking about what I have been up
to in the week to anything major
happening in the celebrity world.
What are the best things
about your job?
I love my job so much. How
can I complain....... I play
great music and get to chat
about what I love chatting
about!
What are the worst things?
Having to get up at 6am at
the weekend!
Claire on holiday with her daughter Gracie
How many people are behind the
scenes at Heart?
We are a team of about 35. This
includes our sales, marketing,
promotions
and
programming
teams.
What experience did you have
before you started at Heart?
I left university in Nottingham in
1999 where I studied media. While
23
Who chooses the tracks that are
played?
You!!
Our music is compiled
in London after hearing from
listeners what they would like to
hear.
“
”
As a music DJ, what are your
favourite tunes of all time and
currently?
I absolutely love 80’s music...... my
number 1 80’s tune being Starship
- Nothings Gonna Stop Us Now.
From today I absolutely adore
Bruno Mars - Just The Way You
Are.
Do you get to interview any artists
and who would you like to
interview?
Every now and again I get to chat
to the artists. I would love to
interview JLS..... for obvious
reasons, ha ha!
Outside the studio, what are your
interests?
I love to eat out and go on
holiday. Clubbing and shopping are
favourites too.
by Francesca Earnshaw
Claire with her fiancé Mark
For anyone wanting to work within
radio, what did you do to gain your job?
I studied media and worked at the uni
Claire Lawson is the voice
of weekends at Heart Kent.
You can listen to Claire live
from 8am-12noon on 103.1FM
or at www.heart.co.uk/kent
By Jamie West
The DJs playing throughout the evening at the UK ClubCulture Under 18s club night
were really good. The floor itself was decorated with a number of Halloween related
items, such as spider webs and skeletons. On the tables there were pointed orange
“Halloween” hats, which people enjoyed wearing all night.
Everyone that was there seemed to have a great time, dancing the night away like
there was no tomorrow. When the DJ announced the last song, you could hear a symphony of sighs as people realised the night was drawing to a close. Some of the dance
moves they were doing though... WOW. I haven’t seen anything like them. And on top
of all that, the drinks were FREE all night! That was pretty awesome.
From what I could see, there was a strong security presence throughout the night. All
the staff seemed very approachable and this made the atmosphere all the more enjoyable.
I personally thought the evening was a success in general, as I enjoyed it just as much
as everyone else. I would definitely recommend an event like this to anyone and I’m
sure I’ll be heading down to Liquid sometime soon when they hold a similar event.
By Francesca Earnshaw
I recently volunteered through my school for a Public Speaking Group Day, working on
developing skills and confidence. Throughout the day, we indulged in numerous speaking
techniques; we evaluated the use of eye contact, pitch, pace and pause, gestures, body
language, stance and posture for success..
After this, the group exercised these
techniques through improvisation – our
group leader organised us with a random
question such as ‘Do you think marriage
is a tradition of the past?’ or ‘Do you think
the celebrities of today make good role
models?’ We then had to stand and speak
in response for two whole, unstructured
minutes. At this, I utterly failed – I found
my body shaking and mind penetrating
complete blankness. This may have been a
result of my question being along the lines
of ‘Are the men in society the product of
war?’ which I found absolutely appallingly
difficult at that moment in time… but,
collectively, I think I was feeling the struggle
of being under pressure, standing in front of
a blur of faces.
The day invested in other exercises such
as the creation of ‘new’ words – I was
assigned with the word ‘mugwump’ and
proceeded to guess that it was an exotic
mushroom found in the depths of English
forests. Not only that, it was extremely
rare and recognised as a hugely
anticipated, potentially vital ingredient to
critical medical investigations… I didn’t
get many votes for the realism of my word!
However, these fun aspects continually
added to my comfort and slowly, I was
becoming recognised for not only peeping
out of my shell, but coming right outside it.
At the end of the day, the task ahead was to
perform a formal, two-minute speech on a
chosen subject in front of the Headmaster,
a few teachers and the rest of the group.
This mini-competition would be a practicesituation for public speaking accompanied
with its pressures, but also enabled two
students to be identified to compete against
other schools at a Black-Tie Public
Speaking Event at Invicta in December.
25
Unexpectedly, after structuring my speech
for a good half an hour beforehand with
rough notes and a plummeting, beating
heart, I managed to control my nerves
and speak about a subject that had
recently surfaced with me – two days before
the speaking group, I visited Auschwitz in
Germany.
“
I managed to control my nerves
and speak about a
subject that had recently
surfaced with me.
”
After collecting my thoughts and
narrowing down my main feelings
and thoughts extracted from the trip, I
performed my speech. Alongside my
speech were subjects of music, politics,
current
technology,
abortion
and
psychology.
Once finished, the judges decided on two
winners and, happily, I accepted second
place and an invite to Invicta’s Black Tie
event. The winner, Scott Redington,
absolutely soared through a strongly
engaging speech about none other than
the debate between what was better –
Marmite or Bovril. Runner-up Tom Oakley
also wowed our small audience, raising his
(and I’m sure most others’!) angst at how
Cadbury’s Freddo’s had been raised from
10p to a whopping 17p…
All in all, the day was a complete success
and I was very happy to be invited to
the event. On the evening, I will be
extending my speech to maintain a
four-minute slot rather than the two-minute
one – nevertheless, this is the structure of
my speech about Auschwitz.
“How would it feel living in a world where
intolerance, prejudice and injustice lie
unchallenged?
How would it feel living in a world where
an estimated 17 million innocent people
were murdered over a course of 5 years?
After visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau in
Poland, the experiences opened my eyes
to how we do live in a society with these
horrific statistics in our history. How does it
feel?
I faced a wall. On this wall was hundreds
upon hundreds of photographs, looking
back at me darkly. What struck me the
most was how these photographs looked
so familiar – they could easily have been
on my own mantelpiece. I could have been
the little girl kissing her mother’s cheek, I
could have been the one with her father’s
arms around her neck holding a huge
picture book, I could have been the one
running along the beach with my sister,
the grinning skier, the one playing amongst
the rabbits or the chickens... What I
realised was how these people had
perished for no reason at all. They may
have had alternative beliefs, attitudes,
behaviour, clothing, lives... but they had
no difference as human beings. They
all had futures, aspirations, hopes and
dreams, and they were cut short simply by
intolerance to the diversity of the human
race.
I leave you with the thought that man
has conquered many great distances.
Man has been to the moon and in space.
Man has crossed many lands and many
borders, flown by air and sailed by
sea. But the one distance that remains
unresolved,
seemingly
the
easiest
distance, is the distance between human
beings.
Competition
With Christmas just round the corner, Liquid is feeling a
touch festive and has given The Vibe 10 free pairs of tickets
to attend their forthcoming UK ClubCulture party nights!
Both events, for teenagers aged 13 – 17, take place on
Wednesday 22 December and Wednesday 29 December.
The fun kicks off at 7pm and finishes at 11pm. Normally
these tickets would cost £10 each so if you want to bag one,
email The Vibe with your name, age and address FAST!
vibe@newlinelearning.com
COMPETITION DEADLINE: Friday 17 December 2010.
You’re a winner!
Congratulations to Hannah Reilly from Astor of Hever Community School who
scooped an iPod shuffle after winning the competition in the summer edition of
The Vibe.
news and events:
U-Chat!
Connexions offer free confidential information, advice and guidance on learning, living
and working for young people aged between 13 and 19.
They organise a focus group called U Chat!
where young people get together to talk
about issues that affect them such as
transport, health, things to do, jobs and
training locally.
This is your chance to have your say on what
you think is important to young people to a
make a difference.
The meetings are informal and if you don’t
want to come on your own why not bring a
friend. Connexions will refund your bus or
train ticket, snacks are available and you get
to meet new people, make new friends and
learn new skills.
If you’re interested call 01622 689439 or
email involve@connexionsandmedway.co.uk
For more information about Connexions visit:
www.connexionskentandmedway.co.uk
December
27 Nov - 4 Jan - Contemporary Art and Craft Exhibtion
- Clarke Gallery - Hazlitt Arts Centre - Maidstone www.hazlittartscentre.co.uk
NHS Teen LifeCheck is a teen health quiz for
12–15 year-olds.
Answer questions, get results and find out
how you’re doing on:
•
•
•
•
Exercise and healthy eating
Drugs, solvents, alcohol and smoking
Safe sex
Bullying, feeling stressed or under
pressure
• Personal safety and crime
There are no right or wrong answers and
all your answers are private, so be honest.
When you have your results, get top tips and
use links to find out more about topics
relating to teen health.
www.nhs.uk/lifechecktools/teenlifecheck
3-19 Dec - The Dickens Christmas Market - Rotchester
Castle Grounds - one of the largest ‘authentic’ German
Style Christmas markets in the UK, featuring German-style
Christmas chalets, a bandstand, and carousel - FREE www.dickenschristmasmarket.com
4 -24 Dec - Lapland UK - Bewl Water - recreation of
Father Christmas’ arctic homeland provides families with a
magical experience - www.laplanduk.co.uk
4 Dec - 9 Jan - Beauty & The Beast - Hazlitt Theatre Maidstone - The most magical panto - 01622 758 611
6-24 Dec - Christmas at Leeds Castle - from £10.00 www.leeds-castle.com
January
21 Jan - National Youth Jazz Orchestra - Assembly Hall
Theatre - Tunbridge Wells - The band’s musical repertoire
is enormous, covering a wide variety of styles - Adults £18
Concessions £16 - www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk
26
Music, Wii
iPod-dock,TV
food, drink
& snacks
waiting for a
bus?
?
?
s
e
t
a
m
g
meetin
nothing to do?
k?
n
i
r
d
a
t
n
a
w
?
?
th e
down posite
op
alley go rock
a
chic
Tuesday-Thursday 3.30pm to 5.30pm
Friday 3.30pm to 8pm
Saturday 12noon to 4pm
ople.
ng pe
u
o
y
By
ople.
ng pe
u
o
y
For
by Ma
was se
idstone
t up
Youth
help fr
Forum
om Ma
with
idstone
Boroug
Council
h
and ot
her
agencie
s
Join us on
to keep in
touch with the latest news, events and
school holiday opening hours
www.facebook.com/switchcafe
Available anytime for bookings by
youth groups and organisations working
with young people.
01622 661885
info@switchcafe.co.uk
www.switchcafe.co.uk
34A High Street, Maidstone, ME14 1JH
Registered Charity No. 1127568