Skip to main content

Month: December 2011

Review: The Bride Stripped Bare

I don’t want to like this book. Not because it’s not a lucid, compelling collection of stories – I just don’t know what it says about me if I do. Rachel Kendall’s slivers of contemporary gothic feature mutant births, rape fantasies, acts of bestiality and gobbled-up grandparents. All varnished with the achingly beautiful imagery more commonly found in a Bataille poem, or a film by Lars Von Trier. Once read, some of the descriptions can’t help but find a place in, well, maybe not your heart, but they’ll definitely be lodged in there somewhere. Your bile duct, perhaps.

Despite the relentlessly controversial subject matter, there is variety here, meaning a few stories are structured more satisfyingly than others. Those that disappoint (‘Fly’, ‘IIIVVWVVIIIVV’) are very short, and their language opaque to the point of impenetrability. But when Kendall permits us to access a character, over a longer, first person narrative, the results can be as intimate as they are unnerving. ‘Solid Gold’, for example, performs a careful, insidious seduction on the reader. In it, a woman drags an abandoned motor engine from the street and into her bedroom. Just so she can sleep beside it. As if it were her lover. The scenes of tenderness here are more powerful than those of dismemberment elsewhere. The image of black motor oil sluicing over white carpet is as chilling as a bloodstain on a bedsheet. Similarly, the dreamy-dark metaphors in the eponymous ‘The Bride Stripped Bare’ deserve your attention: “a horse lies broken in her dream street, sleek-bellied, white-eyed, not yet dead but near enough”. That’s an opening sentence that buys you half an hour with me, anytime.

Maybe don’t read them all in one sitting, or on a full stomach. But Kendall’s twisted tales have more than just shock-value in their favour.

3 stars.

Improved 2nd Half sees Manchester edge physical encounter

The University of Manchester Rugby League team put in a performance to be proud of against a strong Man Met Cheshire side at the Armitage ground on Wednesday.
The match started under some controversy due to the referee being unable to make it to Fallowfield because of the strikes. However, Manchester started very brightly with two tries within 15 minutes, whilst Man Met Cheshire engineered one of their own.
Joe Butcher and William Dawbarn finished off some brilliant moves out wide, an area of the game where Manchester Uni felt they could dominate due to their expansive and entertaining style of rugby.
With early parity awarded to Manchester, both sides ran at each other very hard which required stern defence and big hits at the breakdown, confirming this game was going to be a very close affair.
Man Met Cheshire scored two tries in quick succession; however it was more to do with Manchester University’s poor defence than anything else. A couple of missed tackles were the cause but it seemed to kick Manchester University into a higher gear as they realised how fine the lines were going to be between winning and losing this match.
Despite the obvious setback, calm remained amongst the home side and they set about constructing waves of pressure by keeping the ball tight and kicking the ball long down field.
With simplicity appearing to be the key for scoring tries, the forwards began to win the battle in midfield through direct running lines and good use of width when gaps were created. Eventually, Man Met Cheshire began to tire after being unable to do anything with their possession.
Manchester took full advantage and the “destructive duo” of Bower and Bates overpowering the midfield resulted in a try out wide for Chris Bates who clattered through two defenders on his way to the line.
At half time the score was 18-16 to Manchester, and during the break, Coach Neil Blackburn demanded more positivity from his team and more communication in defence.
With the second half underway, Manchester set their stall out with some thrusting runs out wide and an increase in commitment at the breakdown. Through sheer intensity they scored an early try which set the marker for the rest of the game.
From the restart, Jack Bower caught the ball on his own 20m line and crashed through five tackles to carry the ball up by himself into Man Met Cheshire’s 20m line. This sent the Armitage crowd into a frenzy of testosterone fuelled pleasure, and the chants of ‘Moooo’ could be heard around Fallowfield in tribute to the oxen-like forward.
The resultant passing phase ended in a debut try for Oli White who outpaced his opposite winger, following some fine handling out wide. This seemed to put Man Met Cheshire into a five minute state of dejection as they replied with lateral running and dropped passing.
However, after a clumsy turnover from Manchester, Man Met Cheshire capitalised on an overlap and managed to score in the corner, and a period of pressure followed which had Manchester Uni well on the back foot and learning that basics would be the key to winning this closely contested match.
Realising it was very much their game to lose, Adam Seabrook scored a brilliant individual try to regain dominance in Manchester’s favour. Again Man Met Cheshire found a way to exert prolonged pressure, but the home defence stood firm against the onslaught.
Oli White rewarded the team with another two tries to have himself a debut hat trick, one of which was made by a pitch long run from Imad Nasir who gathered the ball from inside his own 20m line, broke through two tacklers and offloaded in the tackle. The word glorious was mentioned to describe this feat of skill.
Man Met Cheshire managed to pull a try back in the last ten minutes and got within one failed swan dive attempt of scoring another. The winger in question (with no defenders near him) did not realise that after jumping, he had to hold on to the ball until his body had regained contact with planet earth.
Failing to adhere to this principle the player ended up accidentally jettisoning the ball over the dead ball line whilst in mid air. Beautiful.
Manchester finished the game battered and bruised, but victorious, much to the pleasure of the large crowd who had come to watch.
Captain Chris Bower said ‘The Backs were brilliant today and the team as a whole reacted to little setbacks that could have undone us in the past. We had to work extremely hard for this win, it definitely wasn’t easy and I’m really glad we’ve got back to winning ways’.
The University of Manchester Rugby League club would like to invite everyone to come and watch their Varsity game on Wednesday the 7th December where they take on Manchester Metropolitan University at Broughton Park.
Tickets are £3, there is bus transport to and from the game and kick off is at 8pm.

Manchester Power on in Cup campaign

It was a cold, crisp afternoon at the Armitage Centre as it played host to a pulsating second round cup tie between Manchester and Dundee. As current holders of the trophy, Manchester entered the tournament, having received a bye in the last round, looking to emulate last season’s success.

Before the game, Manchester had been in fine form, having won three of their five league games, including an away victory at much-fancied Leeds. However, they came up against a stubborn Dundee side that is enjoying plenty of domestic achievement. Dundee travelled south sitting in 2nd place of the Scottish University Premier League having also made it to the last eight of the Scottish National Cup. The stage was set for a classic cup encounter and the sides didn’t disappoint.

It was a cagey start to the game as the respective defences held strong. Both teams struggled to maintain possession and create any meaningful chances. The deadlock was broken after ten minutes, as Dundee’s Andrew Crone carried the ball on a mazy dribble and his deft pass to the right of the shooting circle was turned in from close range by Ian Macaulay. Manchester responded well to going a goal down, beginning to pass the ball quicker and more effectively. This good play soon came to fruition as Kav Jabbel smartly converted an excellent through pass from Sion Tuckle to put the home side level.

Dundee’s possession was restricted by the tenacious work of Manchester, however their ability to break away with speed was a constant threat in the first half, the skill of the attacking trio of Crone, Macaulay and Paul Martin proving particularly effective. With twenty minutes on the clock, Martin executed a delicate turn on the half way line, leaving two defenders in his wake. He bore down on goal and his ferocious strike forced a superb save. The game was really beginning to liven up, with chances going begging at either end.

As the half drew to a close, another dribble from Martin spelt trouble for Manchester, but his misplaced pass allowed for a chance at the other end. Manchester’s Jacob Plummer worked resiliently to escape the attention of the Dundee defence, before playing a great pass to Dutoy, who controlled expertly before coolly slotting past the helpless keeper from close range. The umpire then called time on the first half, with Manchester holding a narrow 2-1 advantage.

The half time team talk of coach Johnny Bell appeared to work wonders, Manchester emerging for the second half with renewed vigour and desire. Just three minutes in they came close to extending their lead. As Phil Dutoy’s snapshot was saved by the Dundee keeper, Jabbel slotted in the rebound, only for the umpire to controversially rule the goal out. With ten minutes of the second half gone, Manchester deservedly established a two goal cushion. Kieron Mulholland forced another short corner, which he converted comfortably into the bottom right of the goal to make it 3-1.
Dundee appeared a spent force in the second half, as they struggled to cope with Manchester’s attacking play. Macaulay and Martin continued to show their ability, but they were restricted to only one clear cut opportunity, which Macaulay skewed wide of the target. Manchester on the other hand were growing in confidence as the stretched Dundee defence began to concede more chances.

With twenty minutes of the second half gone, the Dundee keeper was forced into action again to save a fine effort from Plummer that looked destined for the top corner. Sloppy errors began to show through in Dundee’s game, and a misplaced pass amongst the defence led to another opportunity. The Manchester attack forced a double save from the Dundee keeper, Dutoy crashing a third attempt against the crossbar from a narrow angle. As the game wore on, Manchester rounded off their victory with a late fourth goal.

More good dribbling from Jabbel forced yet another short corner, which was set up for Mulholland to fire in his second of the match. The team had demonstrated its character in what had been a tough encounter. They will no doubt look forward to building on this success throughout the rest of this season.

A minute’s silence – Gary Speed.

The footballing world was shocked and saddened at the news of Gary Speed’s untimely passing. Remembered with fondness for a long career and an undeniable passion for the game, fans up and down the country are mourning his passing. With 85 caps Speed is Wales’ most capped outfield player, and holds the record for third highest number of premier league appearances with 535 – behind only David James and his compatriot, Ryan Giggs.
Speed’s long career began at Leeds United, where he won the first division title in 1992. After a brief spell at Everton between 1996 and 1998 in which he was made captain, he moved to Newcastle United, winning two FA cup runners up medals and playing Champion’s League football. His 500th premier league appearance came during his time at Bolton Wanderers – a 4-0 victory over West Ham in December 2006.
Succumbing to back injury early in the 2008-9 season after playing for Sheffield United for less than half a season, Speed took up a coaching role at Bramhall Lane. The next season he replaced Kevin Blackwell as manager.
Despite a relatively unsuccessful tenure, the Welsh FA approached Speed with a view to appointing him as their new manager – a role the patriotic Welshman was only too happy to accept. In his first game Wales were beaten by the Republic of Ireland 3-0 in the inaugural Nation’s Cup, and also lost their first competitive match to England 2-0. However, Wales’ results soon picked up and he recorded three more wins during European Championship qualifying. Despite their lowest ever FIFA ranking – 117th – Wales were certainly improving; Gareth Bale claimed that under Speed they would play World Cup football in 2014.
Why Gary Speed chose to end his life so suddenly might forever remain a mystery. What is in no doubt is the love he showed his clubs and his country – a love clearly reciprocated up and down the British Isles. Speed was a man who may have played for Everton, but wasn’t hated by Kopites – a man who wore the white of Leeds and was deeply respected by Manchester United supporters. He was a rarity. Let us remember one of modern football’s truly great players.

Where Are They Now? – Dion Dublin

Dion Dublin began his career in Norwich but it was his goals for Cambridge United that brought him his big move with Alex Ferguson, who parted with 1 million to acquire the striker’s services for Manchester United. Sadly a broken leg hindered his career at Old Trafford. He made just 12 appearances for the Red Devils before in 1994 he left for Coventry City.
He joined an exciting Sky Blues outfit and went on to become a club legend. His goals were instrumental in keeping Coventry up in the 1996/97 season with a memorable 2-1 win at White Hart Lane on the final day being the highlight. In 1998 he was joint top-scorer in the premiership and his omission from Glenn Hoddle’s England squad that led to their unspectacular performance at the World Cup in the eyes of many Coventry natives.
He then made the switch to local rivals Aston Villa where he undeniably reached the peak of footballing achievement. In the second city derby of 2003 Dublin delighted footballing fans across the country by head butting outspoken Welshman Robbie Savage. Referee Mark Halsey later commented that Dublin’s dismissal was the most gut-wrenching decision of his career as he sent the hero to the stands.
Understandably, Dublin struggled to cope with the pressure his achievements brought and in 2004 he moved on to newly relegated Leicester City. After over a year at the club he crossed the border and had a brief stint at Celtic scoring in the Scottish League Cup Final and winning the SPL. He then returned to Norwich end his career where it had started almost 20 years earlier.
While at Norwich Dublin broadened his horizons and made his latest contribution to the world through inventing The Dube: a cube shaped percussion instrument with six playable sides all with various tones. The instrument has endorsements from various musicians ranging from the Feeder to DJ Tim Westwood who said it would bring ‘nothing but heavy hits’.
Dublin also manages Nottingham based group ‘The Establishment’ who are currently supporting Ocean Colour Scene around the country. Hear the Dube in action with Dion himself at www.thedube.com.

Jimmy Jump

The Eurovision Song Contest and the World Cup might not appear to have much in common. Both are competitions between nations, yet what they test is quite different. However, it is hard to disagree that the most recent iterations of both were some of the dullest yet, and required something a little different to provide entertainment. For many, Jimmy Jump’s cameo provided that much needed spark of imagination and humour.
Jimmy Jump is a serial pitch invader from Spain. He has amassed an impressive tally of pitch invasions, or ‘jumps’, as he likes to call them. His ‘jump’ from the World Cup final of 2010 between Spain and Holland is arguably his most famous, as it left us with an iconic image of him being taken out by FIFA security literally centimetres from the trophy. It was an impressive show of fleet of foot that even Messi himself would have been proud of.
Others include cameos at the Rugby World Cup final of 2007 between England and South Africa, the Euro 2004 final between Greece and Portugal, the 2007 Champions league final between AC Milan and Liverpool, and even an appearance at the 2004 Spanish Grand Prix, in which he managed to run through the starting grid before the parade lap began.
At times, Jimmy’s purpose seems to be political. In the 2010 World Cup final, he was sporting an anti-racist message on his t-shirt; during an invasion in the Euro 2008 semi-final, he carried a Tibet flag declaring ‘Tibet is not China’. However commendable that is, it does not always seem to be his prerogative. His website lists that his aim is purely to ‘make the whole world laugh at his funny and great performances’. Whilst he may have achieved that, especially with his well-timed intervention during another terribly dull Eurovision Song contest, many of his other ‘jumps’ seem to relate merely to his obsessive support of FC Barcelona.
During the 2004 Champions League semi-final, for example, he ran on to the pitch and threw a Barcelona shirt on Thierry Henry (then of Arsenal), with Henry’s name and number on the back. During a Hungarian derby match between Ujpest and Ferencvaros in 2010, Jimmy ran through the field with a Catalan flag displaying the message ‘Kubala Forever’ on it – in adoration of the Barcelona legend and former Hungary international. He even managed to invade a weather forecast on Hungarian channel TV2, running towards the microphone chanting wildly ‘Barca! Barca!’ – much to the surprise of the presenters.
His trademark, though, is the deployment of the ‘Barrentina’. The Barrentina is a small red hat that is closely associated with Catalan culture. Jimmy has successfully managed to don one on Samuel Eto’os’ head before, as well as attempts on Roger Federer in the 2009 French Open final – an attempt which ended comically as Jimmy tangled himself in the net whilst trying to jump it – and the FIFA World Cup trophy itself in 2010.
Whatever Jimmy’s purpose may be, his pitch invading prowess is certainly impressive, and his occasional, if somewhat random, display of political messages is commendable. Attention seeking he may be, but who doesn’t love a good pitch invader?

Gary Speed – Rest in peace.

In the early hours of Saturday the 26th November, Stan Collymore made a post on his Twitter page. It was a long account of his battle with depression – how he hadn’t slept for four days, how he was riddled with suicidal thoughts.
It was a tragic coincidence that the next day terrible rumours of Gary Speed’s suicide began to surface.
The news stunned the footballing world, and many outside of it.
In this post-Diana age we are a nation of grief-junkies. Whether it’s an earthquake in Japan or the death of Jimmy Saville, people are all too keen to show their concern in the form of Twitter hash-tags and Facebook statuses.
Yet when it transpired that Speed had hung himself the tributes which followed were borne out of genuine sadness and shock. There were no band-wagon jumpers who wanted to get their fix of public mourning – people, like myself, who had no real attachment or affiliation with the man from North Wales, were completely stunned.
The same day as Speed’s death the game between Swansea and Aston Villa went ahead. The Sky cameras lapped it up – cruelly focusing on a visibly distraught Shay Given as a minutes silence turned into a minutes applause. That evening on Radio 5 Live Robbie Savage was present in his usual role as co-host of the 606 phone-in. The programme began with Land of my fathers in tribute to Speed and when it was Savage’s turn to speak he simply couldn’t, as he broke down in tears on national radio.
‘Why?’ he asked. Why would a man like Gary Speed, respected up and down the country, with a brilliant career behind him and an equally promising one ahead of him – a man with a young family and movie star looks – kill himself?
It is the question on everybody’s lips. From the outside looking in, Speed had it all. This is the scariest, most sombre aspect of his suicide. How tormented, how mentally ravaged must Speed have been for him to take the most fateful of action?
It appears that even those closest to Speed had no idea about his depression. Less than 24 hours before his death he had appeared on the BBC’s football focus – an articulate, likeable, affable man.
Like homosexuality, depression is one of sport’s last taboos. It is obvious that top flight sports people – people who operate in a fierce, pressure cooker of an environment – are likely to be susceptible to mental health problems. Yet why can’t they speak about them?
In recent times stories of sporting depression have become more commonplace. Ronald Reng’s biography of German goalkeeper Robert Enke and his suicide was named William Hill sports book of the year. Former Somerset captain Peter Roebuck, and German referee Babak Rafati, who was found bleeding to death in a hotel bath just hours before he was to take charge of a Bundesliga fixture, are recent examples of desperate cries for help.
Yet nothing has reverberated or saddened people quite like the death of Gary Speed. Since his suicide five footballers have contacted the Sporting Chance clinic, seeking help. Maybe if Speed’s death can urge people to seek treatment – and shatter one of sport’s last taboos – then maybe something positive can come from something so tragic.
Gary Speed should never be forgotten. We can only hope that whatever demons he had have been put to bed.
Goodbye, and rest in peace.

Federer has last laugh in year of the Djok

Having fallen to Tsonga in the quarter finals at Wimbledon, the Swiss number one and world number four exorcised some demons, but ultimately failed to silence those who suggest the 16 time Grand Slam champion is on the slide. Instead, 2011 has been dominated by Serbian star Novak Djokovic, who stunned the tennis world in the early part of the year with a run of scintillating tennis, accumulating 43 consecutive victories – including the Australian Open final victory over Andy Murray- along with six other titles.
It took perhaps the match of the year, at the semi-finals of Roland Garros, to ultimately end the Djokovic juggernaut – the Serbian succumbing to the superb Federer in a 3 sets to 1 defeat. In an all too common occurrence however, Federer was powerless to prevent the man to beat on clay, Rafael Nadal, from amassing his 6th French Open title, with the Spaniard strolling to a 3 sets to 1 victory in his solitary grand slam of the year.
Djokovic quickly returned to form at Wimbledon however, disturbing the old axis of Nadal and Federer once again as he comprehensively made his way to the final, and upset the bookies by sending reigning champion Nadal reeling in the final with a 6-4 6-1 1-6 6-3 victory in impressive fashion. A remarkable year for the Serbian culminated in yet another major at the US open, defeating both Federer and Nadal to become only the 6th player in the history of the sport to win 3 grand slams in a year. Tennis legends such as Pete Sampras waxed lyrical over the new world number 1, claiming the feat to be ‘one of the best achievements in all of sports.’
Sole British interest Andy Murray endured yet another year of great promise, followed by immense disappointment and frustration in his quest for a first grand slam title. The Scot started the year well, reaching his 3rd grand slam final against Djokovic at the Australian open. However, symptomatic of his career to date, Murray failed to deliver when it mattered most, succumbing to a crushing straight sets defeat. Subsequent good runs at the French Open and Wimbledon – reaching semi-finals in both – has sustained hopes in Britain that Murray will one day achieve glory at a major finals.
Frustratingly, the rise of Djokovic at the time of a declining Roger Federer and some patchy Rafael Nadal form has prevented Murray becoming the successor to the world number one throne, yet at the tender age of 24 the Scot’s time will surely come sooner rather than later.
2011 has undoubtedly belonged to Novak Djokovic, and the ‘big four’ have largely dominated the major events as expected. However, those on the periphery such as Jo Wilfred Tsonga, David Ferrer and Juan Martin Del Potro will undoubtedly be looking to make a big impact in 2012, building on their good work this year.

Festive gifts of pulchritude

Grooming / beauty products are the timeless infallible gift option for that miscellaneous person in your life you find yourself obliged to give a Christmas present to. Either you have no idea who they really are (new boyfriend / girlfriend) or your sentiments are apathetic at best but you’ll be spending the big day together (every family member ever, most notably siblings).

As an attempt to assuage this burning issue, I’ve assembled an arbitrary collection of offerings – including an appropriate amount of festive facial hair – for the peripheral boys and girls in your life. Season’s greetings!

 


For the Boys: Festive Party wear

 

Whether it’s a Christmas dinner with the family or a soirée in the city with friends, here at The Mancunion, we’ve got Party-wear 101 sorted. Chinos and leavers’ hoodies are to be left in the wardrobe (not that we are condoning the usage of leavers’ hoodies) and it’s high time that blazers and smart shoes were welcomed back. The menswear must-have is a statement belt. It has the power to bring an outfit together, not to mention the fact that it keeps trousers on the waist rather than showcasing your embarrassing underwear for all to see… For all you colour-phobes out there who wear nothing but navy, black and grey clothes (myself included), a statement belt will justify your somewhat boring, or arguably “classic” colour choices. Steer clear from soft-material woven belts and opt instead for coloured leather or a belt with a bold buckle. This Vivienne Westwood belt might seem garish to some but it does the trick whilst bringing a little Christmas sparkle into the mix. Its meaty price tag of £120 does mean however, that it will most probably be on the Christmas wishlist but remember that there is always a high-street alternative. Go forth and spread the Christmas cheer…

 


The Twelve Faux Pas of Christmas Style

It’s the start of Christmas break, and you’ve conveniently swept the looming deadlines of January and essentiality of getting dressed for the day under the carpet of ignorant bliss. Parents at your beck and call- well, cooking and washing your clothes for you at the very least- and life seems simple and cosy again… so romantically care-free even, that your inhibitions and sense of style have been forgotten and left in Manchester with your lecture notes.

Here are some dreaded, but unfortunately common examples of potential Christmas disasters to avoid, lest you become a subject of ridicule over the holiday season.

 

 

(1st Day: Christmas Party)

The custom of fancy dress is rife come December with work ‘dos’ and end-of-term house parties. With this theme comes the lip-bitingly disastrous choice of animal ears to your party outfit, confusing the most festive of guests of the relevance of reindeer ears to the commemoration of the birth of Christ.

 

(3nd Day: Christmas Shopping)

The epitome of homecoming perks is shopping with Mum and Dad, and of course such a laborious mission will require practical yet stylish attire. However, calamity strikes when you realise and you’ll have to make do with that squeaky, seemingly astronaut-inspired puffer coat you’d abandoned at home. Note: take every vital garment back with you over term break.

 

(6rd Day: Christmas Night-out)

Swilling down those pigs in blankets with Bucks Fizz has resulted in a disheartening ‘food baby’, and made the option of form fitting partywear a no-go. Remember that the allure of Boxing Night body-con is very dangerous territory: that metallic dress can be flaunted at a later, less bloated date.

 

(9th Day: Opening Gifts)

The revival of the Christmas Jumper has been welcomed by the inner nerd in us all, but I highly doubt that the over-sized, home-made knit by yourNanencompasses that desired quirky, vintage look. Over-exaggerate your gratitude, but wear at your own risk outside of familial company.

 

(12th Day: January Sales)

You’ve awoken from your Christmas food-coma to hit the sales, but this is no excuse for deliriously purchasing anything you’ll regret later. So take note and avoid hideous Ugg cardigan socks, headache-inducing patterned leggings and any garment that plays a festive jingle. Your reputation and student loan will thank me later.


Christmas Market 2011 most popular ever

Manchester’s Christmas Market saw more than 67,500 people visit its site at Albert Square on its opening weekend. A combination of frozen prices on beer and Glühwein with the ever early arrival of Christmas consumerism has drummed up the massive footfall in and around the town centre this year.

Manchester’s market is now one of the biggest German markets of its kind in the country in terms of the number of stalls trading. It is one of the many markets continually growing year on year as result of their increasing popularity.

Councillor Pat Karney believes the markets are an important festivity for the city: “In these difficult times, it is fantastic to see the markets bucking the trend. They have a vital role to play in attracting visitors to the city centre in the run-up to Christmas.

“If the opening weekend is anything to go by, we could be looking at the most successful Christmas Markets ever.”

Independent research carried out in 2009 suggests the market generates around £50m of economic benefit for the city. The swollen numbers of passing custom on the weeks of the market certainly benefit some outlets which are located in the presence of market sites all year round.

Tim Dolphin, store manager of a Starbucks branch on Albert Square, believes their weekly number of customers doubles during the Christmas Market season.

“The Christmas market brings in a lot of business, a lot of custom and a lot of sales…and as soon as the market finishes business gets quiet again.

“We get around 1,500-2,000 more customers each week as a result of the Christmas Market.”

However, it is appears the benefits of the market are not evenly spread amongst business in proximity to the market. Although chain establishments such as Starbucks, Slug and Lettuce and other outlets on Deansgate and Albert square stand to benefit greatly, the arrival of the Christmas Market poses trouble for other firms.

Small shops such as newsagents express concerns over the distraction the market creates for consumers. Smaller independent stores, which typically stock Christmas wares such as greeting cards and wrapping paper, often experience decreases in sales as a result of the Christmas Market.

While the great net benefits of the market can not disputed, the growing popularity of the market may be becoming a growing worry for some.

‘The enemy within’

The most unimaginative, intellectually bland and lazy political commentators on the left are forever drawing comparisons between the 1980s and today, specifically in reference to rising unemployment and a robustly radical Conservative-dominated government in office. It is clear, however, that the only thing that has remained constant since then is their own reluctance to move with the times and defend narrow sectional interests.

Once again, the ordinary hard-working men, women and families of Britain find themselves battling not only a turbulent world economy but also the forces of reactionary politics in the trade unions. This is not simply a matter of being for or against austerity measures regarding public expenditure, but more about the government’s programme of progressive reform versus the public sector oligarchs.

A month or so ago, I was making my way to work when I was accosted by a young Union member brandishing a flyer demanding that local parents oppose plans to upgrade the local high school into an academy. When challenged about this matter, the woman argued that I didn’t know what I was talking about as “an upper class Tory who only cares about bankers”.

The language of the Unions is telling. Accusing the entire government of being of a certain class or suggesting that NHS and education reforms are ‘privatisation’ measures – despite not involving the sale of any public assets to the private sector – clearly demonstrates a political agenda behind the rhetoric. Rather than being based on high-minded principle or reasoned argument, this campaign is rooted entirely in self-interest.

Whether it is an attempt to prevent the government from prising offensively lucrative pension arrangements out of their clutches (despite the private sector shouldering such a burden for years already), or the threat of a more independent and free-thinking public sector workforce, outside of the sphere of union control, the Unions are digging in and refusing to compromise.

They would, of course, disagree with my analysis; but forgive me for failing to come over tearful at the wails of Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT, who languishes on £100,000 per year in a council house whilst depriving another hard-working, impoverished family of a roof over their heads. Neither do I hold much sympathy for the Lecturer’s Union, who provide little in the way of tuition or support for students (especially here at the University of Manchester), yet whinge about being entitled to greater benefits, salary and pensions whilst they busy themselves with navel-gazing and furthering their own careers.

I have always been far more sympathetic to trade unions than most other right-wing commentators and they do provide a valuable service to members who cannot afford legal protection in employment tribunals or require extra support in the work that they do. However, when blatant self-interest threatens to ride roughshod over securing the best for Britain, my patience begins to dwindle.

This “upper class Tory who only cares about bankers”, who is in actual fact a working class Mancunian and the son of a postman, calls upon people of sound mind and sensibility to reject bully boy Union tactics and accept that we are all in this together. We must all shoulder our share of the burden caused by the mistakes of the past, learn from them, and build a better and stronger Britain for the future, lest this green and pleasant land becomes stained with deepest red.

My Political Hero: Tom Watson

Politicians are not a well-liked bunch.

Though most likely sharing the dubious accolade of Britain’s most-hated profession with traffic wardens and bankers, a particularly nasty kind of vitriol is reserved for those people who are elected to represent us. This is unfortunate: after all, we should not judge such a wide-ranging group of people by their occupation, and the vast majority of Parliamentary inhabitants are hard-working, honest politicians who work tirelessly to fulfil their democratic responsibilities.

Due to the scurrilous nature of our media, it is unsurprising that our finest politicians garner minimal coverage – good work hardly makes for a tantalising story. So it is always a joy when, occasionally, the hard graft of one individual is thrust to the forefront of the political spotlight. Step forward my political hero, Labour MP and tireless media campaigner, Tom Watson.

Watson is one of a small but steadily growing group of politicians to have fully embraced the digital age. Westminster is largely an antiquated relic of centuries past, and often the people who inhabit it seem to find modern technology a struggle, embarking on awkward projects which betray their unease at the pace of 21st Century change – recall the awful ‘Webcameron’, for example.

Not so with Tom Watson, a social media butterfly whose Twitter biography describes him as a “busy dad, disorganised politician, lover of film and video games”. He is a prominent champion of policymaking on digital matters, an area largely ignored in Parliament for aforementioned reasons, having campaigned for a variety of specific causes including the right of every UK citizen to connect to the internet, public sector data transparency and continued attempts to persuade his fellow MPs to utilise the internet as a tool to improve the functions of our democracy. In the digital age, our MPs must be dragged kicking and screaming into the present if they are to effectively represent us. Perhaps if they more made an effort to do so, they would be held in slightly higher regard.

As important as his digital mission has been, however, it is Watson’s more recent activity which has most earned my respect. Over the past few months, he has played a vital role in helping to uncover the depth of scandal and illegality endemic throughout the News of the World, setting in motion far wider implications for News International, the UK-based division of Rupert Murdoch’s colossal News Corporation. Sitting on the Select Committee which has questioned some of the most powerful players in the media including Rebekah Brooks and Rupert Murdoch, he has commonly been viewed as the most aggressive of the committee, labelled by The Independent as its “attack dog.” Notably, he recently called James Murdoch “the first Mafia boss in history who didn’t know he was running a criminal organisation”.

Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of Murdoch’s titanic influence on British politics – gaining the backing of The Sun is of paramount importance for any party wishing to form the next government – will undoubtedly agree that describing Watson’s actions as ‘courageous’ might be something of an understatement.

For his part in bringing down the News of the World, Watson himself has earned the ire of the Murdoch press. It was revealed recently that he was one of a number of MPs targeted by private investigator Derek Webb. How this will play out for him remains to be seen, but for now his desire to stick to his principles in the face of a potential threat from the murky world of the media should be appropriately respected and celebrated. If it were not for campaigners like Tom Watson, the horrors of phone hacking may have remained a secret – with the practices continuing unchecked – for many years to come.

Here’s to you, 2011

When we witness history, we almost inevitably fail to recognise the significance of events as and when they happen. Yet this has truly been a momentous year in world politics.

Sometimes, you just have to stand back to realise that you are living through a remarkable period. The Arab Spring, which began tentatively this time last year as one man in Tunisia took a courageous stand against his own government, has spread across North Africa and the Middle East, sparking a chain reaction of protests, uprisings and (in the case of Egypt and Libya) full-on revolutions.

We have seen nothing on this scale since the break-up of the Soviet Union. Who in their right mind would have predicted at the start of 2011 that Colonel Gaddafi would be deposed and deceased by now? Or that Egypt would be holding its first democratic elections before Christmas? The Arab Spring has irreversibly shifted the international paradigm, and with the Syrian uprising escalating it seems that the wave of demonstrations is far from over.

Meanwhile, Europe has experienced its fair share of turmoil, with economic crise0s in the Eurozone threatening to boil over into a full-blown catastrophe. The Greek bailout package has been the source of much contention amongst European leaders, fully aware of the severity of the crisis but equally determined to shield their respective countries from having to shoulder the burden of financial responsibility. The crisis has claimed both Greek and Italian Prime Ministers – so long, Silvio! – and is far from over.

In the United States, Barack Obama’s faltering premiership received a welcome boost as US forces finally captured and killed al-Qaeda figurehead and 9/11 mastermind, Osama bin Laden. His death was seen as a symbolic victory for Americans after ten years of botched attempts to find the FBI’s ‘Most Wanted Terrorist’.

However, Congress left the US economy on the brink of collapse as Obama’s efforts to raise the debt ceiling were repeatedly blocked by dogmatic Republican opponents. It took a serious feat of brinkmanship to avert disaster.

Speaking of the Grand Old Party, a wacky field of presidential candidates was assembled as the race for the White House continued apace. Michelle Bachmann’s ‘hockey mom’ approach won early plaudits on the American right, only for a series of Palin-esque gaffes to derail any realistic hope of winning the nomination; Rick Perry, the darling of evangelical conservatism, announced his candidacy only for his campaign to follow a similar trajectory. Several thousand televised debates later, we are still no closer to finding a winner with the February primary season just around the corner.

On the domestic front, the full extent of the phone hacking scandal revealed itself, forcing the closure of Britain’s oldest and biggest Sunday newspaper, the News of the World. Revelation after criminal revelation left the Murdoch family with no choice but to wind up the legendary paper – a sensible decision in light of the ongoing Leveson Inquiry which has shocked us day after day with stories of depraved tabloid practices. The country was appalled as it emerged that celebrities were not the only targets of phone hacking; journalists had gone as far as hacking the mobile phone of murdered schoolgirl Milly Dowler. A grim year for the media, and for News International in particular.

Moving on to Westminster, the angry response to severe austerity measures imposed by George Osborne’s Treasury has made life difficult for the Coalition government in its first full year. The abiding images of 2011 in this country are undoubtedly those of burning buildings, as furniture shops and department stores went up in smoke during the worst riots in a generation. The country was shocked: £200 million worth of damage was caused in August, a vivid reminder that these harsh economic times have created a sense of injustice and an atmosphere of unrest. There would be myriad further anti-austerity protests, from a succession of tuition fee marches to last week’s unprecedented walkout by two million public sector workers.

The government ploughs on, though, driven by a steely determination to get our economy back on an even keel, seemingly at whatever cost. Bonded by the ‘national interest’, the Coalition shows no signs of falling apart despite reviled Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s tremendous unpopularity filtering through to his party; the Liberal Democrats have polled as low as 12% in recent months. A resounding ‘No’ vote in May’s AV referendum set the tone for a bad year for Clegg and Co. Things, as the infamous political anthem went, can only get better.

Dame Nancy criticises fees policy

There is continued uncertainty over how much universities will charge for postgraduate courses after the introduction of higher tuition fees in 2012, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester has acknowledged.

Speaking to students at a meeting in the Student’s Union building last week Dame Nancy Rothwell said that the coalition government hadn’t thought of the impact on postgraduate study when deciding to increase fees for undergraduate courses.

“The government hasn’t even sorted out the impact on choices for postgraduate study, when students are leaving university with higher levels of debt,” she said, in relation to the increase in fees for courses starting in 2012.

The University of Manchester has been forced to increase its fees for Masters Courses starting in 2012 due to government cuts to higher education; with most courses rising from around £3,500 to £5,000 for 2012-13. There is no government loan system for postgraduate study; meaning that students who don’t receive a bursary from their institution have to find a way of funding their degree themselves.

Earlier this year Professor Vincent Emery, vice-head of the graduate school at University College London said that it was likely that fees for Master Courses would increase in 2012, so as to be more in line with fees for undergraduate courses.

“It is sensible that if the charging is changing for undergraduate programmes then universities will need to look at what they are charging for postgraduate courses,” he said.

“Students will have to focus much more on what it is they want from a postgraduate course and why they want to do it. They will also need to be more focused on the advantages for them in terms of career and employment of going on to do a master’s.”

It is widely felt that students with higher levels of debt from their time as an undergraduate will be less inclined to continue on to postgraduate study. A poll of 672 graduates and postgraduates conducted by the Student Room in May this year showed that fewer than half of them would have gone on to postgraduate study if the £9,000 fees had been in place while they were studying.

Dame Nancy Rothwell also used the meeting with students to defend her decision to raise tuition fees for undergraduate courses in 2012-13 to £9,000.

“The reason we decided to raise fees is quite simple: it covers the cost of our bursaries and makes up for the loss of government funding. It doesn’t give us any extra profit,” she said.

“In fact, if we maintain the same student numbers, which we may not, we will have about the same income.”
But the Vice Chancellor was still at pains to show that she was troubled by the decision to triple fees for 2012.

“The rise in fees concerns me greatly,” she acknowledged. “Particularly in terms of the impact on students from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Classic Album: Otis Redding – Otis Blue

Otis Redding
Otis Blue
Stax Records
Released September 1965
5 stars

It is often difficult to hazard a guess at the exact moment in an artist’s career when they realise that their life will never be the same again.  The release of Otis Blue is a good shout though.  It not only shot Otis Redding to the top of the US Soul charts for the first time in 1965, it also set him on the path to stardom.

The album, his third in the studio, is a complete exhibition of Redding’s soulful repertoire, from the epic opening ballad ‘Ole Man Trouble’, written by Otis himself, to the floor -stomping covers of Sam Cooke ‘s ‘Shake’ and Mick Jagger’s ‘Satisfaction’.  The track listing includes two more Cooke tributes, the first of which, a soul-charged rendition of “A Change is Gonna Come”, is undeniably one of the best songs on the album.

It was actually recorded in just over 24 hours, with the help of Stax house band, The Mar-Keys, featuring Isaac ‘Chef’ Hayes on the Organ.  Redding’s voice is on another level though.  It is showcased best on ‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long’ where he is able to demonstrate both ferocious power and sweet, sweet tenderness.

There is also the inclusion of ‘Respect’, another Redding original, which was famously championed by Aretha Franklin.  His may not be as technically brilliant as hers, but you feel every single word he says.  It is raw, gospel-fuelled and unmistakably Otis.

It is almost impossible to find a flaw anywhere on Otis Blue.  It combines elements of rock, soul and rhythm and blues to create a unique and inimitable sound.  Each track feels so spontaneous that it’s difficult to know what emotion you will experience next.   Every song taps directly into your heart, and some even make you shiver.

Otis Redding – Wonderful World

Otis Redding – My Girl

Otis Redding – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Interview: Lisa Hannigan @ St. Phillips Church

Lisa Hannigan
St Phillips Church
25th November
3 Stars

Lisa Hannigan’s speaking voice is almost as beautiful as the vocals on her second album, Passenger. She speaks so softly that at times it’s almost a whisper and my clumsy accent sounds crude in comparison. We covered a variety of subjects, from favourite venues, home, touring, the album, artwork, university and more. She really does seem to have a brilliant life; she tours with those nearest and dearest to her, describes tour as a summer holiday and speaks of their week in Wales recording the album with nostalgic longing. Today she is having a bit of an off-day, feeling cold and tired, which the rest of the band respond to with “extreme slagging off”. In general, however, she seems to be enjoying it all.
I was surprised to learn that a church would not have been her first choice of venue. I had imagined that a church would be the ideal setting for her music and given how many bands and artists tour churches now, there must be something that attracts them to it. There is an intimacy that comes from being in a church and given that they are generally beautiful buildings, it is fitting to listen to beautiful music inside them.
“It’s really nice to sing in a church because it’s so designed for singing. But in general I really like standing gigs, when people are kind of up close. [In churches] there’s this huge gap down the middle. I don’t want to be negative, I mean, I’ve had some lovely gigs in churches, I’m really looking forward to tonight, it’s beautiful, but I like a mix and certainly it wouldn’t be my absolute favourite.”

Watching Hannigan’s set, I could see where she was coming from; we were miles away from the stage, lined up on uncomfortable benches in a venue where you feel naughty for saying the f-word. She needs a venue that is less restricting, where she can be at ease and feel freer. I felt detached from the music that I love on the album and couldn’t help but feel she would have been happier in a sweaty little club, with her crowd standing at her feet.
Nevertheless, the church crowd still loved her and the music was faultless. The highlight for me had to be ‘Safe Travels (Don’t Die)’, which has the perfect combination of witty lyrics and deep, delicate vocals.

Lisa Hannigan – Knots

Live: Thurston Moore

30th November 2011

The Ritz

5/10

There’s something fundamentally not quite right about seeing Thurston Moore playing an acoustic guitar. This is a man who, through his work with the hugely-influential Sonic Youth, revolutionised the way in which the electric guitar is viewed; along with bandmate Lee Ranaldo, he blended elements of punk, art rock and noise rock to create a signature style, characterised by unorthodox tunings and screeching harmonics. With the band’s future now hanging in the balance after Moore’s shock divorce from frontwoman Kim Gordon earlier this year, he arrives at the Ritz tonight to promote a new solo record that couldn’t sound less like Sonic Youth: the Beck-produced Demolished Thoughts.

The album’s great triumph is that, for what is ostensibly an acoustic rock record, it’s sonically very dense; whilst the guitar is undoubtedly at the forefront, the throb of the bass and the chime of subtle string sections help create impressive soundscapes.

Unfortunately, Moore’s efforts to translate them to the live arena prove only partially successful. The seven-minute ‘Orchard Street’, for example, comes together perfectly, it’s hazy first half and instrumental second, superbly driven by live harp and violin. On ‘Circulation’, on the other hand, Moore fails to find the right tempo, delivering an oddly-rushed rendition that fails to replicate the crisp sound of the album version. On typically eccentric form, Moore prefaces a number of tracks with short poems that share the wistful, nostalgic tone that underscores the record lyrically, and there’s also a nod to the ‘mythology’ of the Manchester music scene.
A smattering of tracks from debut solo LP Psychic Hearts are a pleasing addition, including closer ‘Staring Statues’, but as far as the set-dominating Demolished Thoughts is concerned, there’s something lost in the live translation.

Thurston Moore – Benediction

Live: The Staves @ Sacred Trinity Church

The Staves
Sacred Trinity Church
24th November
4 Stars

People behave better in church; everyone here is absurdly polite and you certainly won’t find any antisocial piss bottle antics here. The tiny room is packed with people of all ages sitting cross legged on the carpet and the set is minimally decorated, with just a few fairy lights lining the amp, which makes for an intimate atmosphere; sort of like story time at primary school.

The delightfully timid Rae Morris opens tonight with a promising set; compared to her awkward banter between songs, her powerful singing voice comes as a shock. Paul Thomas Saunders, who followed her set, was even more cripplingly shy, barely able to utter a word to the audience between songs and hidden behind a thick mop of dark hair. In spite of this, he leads the band with confidence. The music is technical stuff and the band use their instruments in interesting ways to create atmosphere. The songs generally start off well, but at times they drift and I find myself easily distracted. It’s technical, brooding, musical prodigy stuff, which comes as a contrast to the light-hearted, personable Staves who headline the show tonight.

The Staves are a choir of 3 young sisters, with angelic voices, folky tones and complex harmonies. Tonight they are appropriately dressed in sensible Sunday school attire; long sleeves and sensible necklines, with their locks flowing freely. Their personalities contrast their appearance and they have 2 major swearing slip ups within the first 15 minutes, for which they jokingly apologise. They are likeable, down to earth and at times hilarious, which goes down well with the crowd. Think Laura Marling multiplied by three with an added Sunday school vibe.

The Staves – Mexico