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Month: November 2015

Campus Confidential: Five Days North

Name: Five Days North
Genre: Indie-pop anthems
Members: Darryl Messer (Lead Vocals), Sam Taromsari (Guitar & Backing Vocals), David Urwin (Banjo/Guitar & Backing Vocals), Lewis Howells (Bass), Zoravar Bakshi (Drums)

Approximately, how many days does it take you to get up North?

We’ll reach for the calculator on this one: A question like this deserves nothing less than the combined mental power of 4 STEM students and the occasional reluctant input of a music student who’d rather not deal with any numbers with double digits….

Dave and Zo (London) – 4.5 hours each (9 hours in total)

Darryl (Portsmouth) – 5 hours

Lewis (Swansea) – 5 hours

Sam (Salford) – 0.00 hours

So in total, it takes us approimately 20 hours to get up North. Unfortunately, ‘0.8 Days North’ doesn’t quite have the same ring to it….

How did you guys meet and get started as a band?

Quite a long and winding road this; essentially Sam (guitar) and Dave (banjo) met in halls and played in bands in their first year of uni before discovering Darryl (vocals) singing in his room whilst playing FIFA. Thankfully they tore him away from the controller and the cheese puffs and went on to form the first lineup of the band before finding Zo (drums) and George (who played bass on our first single ‘Won’t Stop For Nothing’) in March 2015 to replace the old rhythm section. Unfortunately George left us in June so that’s where Lewis (bass) comes into the mix. Funnily enough all of us bar Zo lived at Dalton-Ellis in our first year.

What’s a name to a band, and your name to you?

I guess a name is one of a band’s chances to make a first impression, which is a bit risky really because it’s hard to choose a name which echoes the music unless you’re a death metal band or something. It’s good if a name is memorable and distinctive and we’d like to think ours is one which sticks. Our name came from the sort of military language about a target being “two clicks north”; we’ve always been a five-piece and five is a nice round number so we thought we’d stick that in.

Of all the classic ‘rock band stunts’, which would you pull?

FDN: Turning our amps up to 11—I’ve seen Dave tear through all the classic sex-drugs-and-wanton-violence clichés on an average Tuesday night, so we’d have to let him stretch himself a bit.

What’s been your favourite gig in Manchester?

Probably either our headline gig at Ruby Lounge this September or the one we did at Gulliver’s a few months before that. It’s always great to feed off the energy of some great crowds, and this September’s Pangaea was great fun for that reason too.

What are your upcoming plans?

We’ve got some gigs to round off the year (including Tuesday Night Live on December the 8th) and are currently working on organising some gigs in 2016. We’re going to be putting out our third single around February time too, and hopefully following that with an EP and a big launch gig sometime between Easter and the summer. Getting an EP out is a big deal for us and we’re all itching to see how it shapes up when we go into the studio to finish it in February.

Any tips for people starting up?

I know it’s been said so many times before but always make sure you enjoy yourselves when you’re making music; it’s really not worth doing if you’re not having fun and getting something out of it. I mean, a skilled classical composer who can write fugues and toccatas might get a massive buzz from a crowd’s reaction to a four-chord pop song that they’ve written, in the same way that recording a 50-minute prog rock track which just contains guitar feedback might set someone else’s pulse racing—even though the audience for something like that might be quite a select few.

A Taste of Freakout Honey

If you go to gigs in Manchester and you haven’t heard of Freakout Honey, you probably will have done by this time next year. They’ve not been around for long, but have a string of shows at some of the city’s best small venues under their belt, and with a name referencing the symbolic Manchester Bee, they’re on an upward trajectory towards practically having a cult following—their recent packed-out headline slot at the Night and Day Café was evidence enough. Ahead of this, I dropped in on the last rehearsal before their biggest show to date to see what they were all about.

After a brief prelude out in the rain with them waiting for someone to find a key to their scuzzy-but-characterful practice space opposite fka Kraak Gallery (now AATMA), I was led into the hive amid an enthusiastic run down of the names they toyed with before settling on Freakout Honey. “The Boris Johnson Massacre was one of our favourites – like the Brian Jonestown Massacre but more appropriate. It’s a bit mental but kind of cool. We actually used that name when we collaborated with the Purple Heart Parade so we were obviously determined to get it in!”

In fact, two of their guitarists, Ryan and Sam, are ex-members of The Purple Heart Parade, a Manchester shoegaze outfit. When asked how and why Freakout Honey consequently came together, they explained: “We came wanting something fresh – they [TPHP] were great musicians and great people, but another member of the band was settling down and having a kid and we weren’t having that! So we contacted Sofia [vocals] and Natalie [bass] who used to take photos of our old band. Then she enlisted Tom [drums] and then we found Taous [guitar], and that completed the jigsaw.”

The shoegaze influence of their old band is certainly strong, but Ryan was quick to point out that FH are not so quick to be pigeonholed into a genre: “We’ve all come together from very different musical backgrounds. We don’t really sound like anything else on the scene at the moment because there’s such a wide variety of influences.” Indeed, when asked about their sound, words like “tropical”, “glam” and “dark” were thrown into the mix, meanwhile Taous (labelled by one publication as ‘the effortless French slacker’) points out “my last band was a punk outfit—it was more of a joke band really but it shows that we’ve all come from different musical places… …we were called The Balotellis!”

Despite the sense of being slightly crazy, slightly ‘all over the place’ as a band, Freakout Honey seem to have a strong sense of identity, and they’re not afraid to bring an element of darkness to the table either. This is best illustrated in their song, ‘The Witch Surf’, a YouTube demo which is racking up the views. Singer Sofia explains: “I named it ‘The Witch’ because the song is actually about a woman killing a guy – the lyrics are pretty fucking deep – “baby what’s wrong tell me why you look so blue / did she take your soul and run away, did she abandon you?”

“When you die you go blue, so… She’s killed him and left, basically! Then we wanted to whack surf on the end because that’s just how we like it.” Ryan: “Some working titles actually stick and sound alright, you know?” Before I left, they gave a rendition of this, and it was as swirling, surfey, and dark as it was on record.

Finishing up, I asked about the forthcoming show. Ryan said: “The Night and Day is actually our second headline gig but it’s the single launch, and it’s definitely our biggest gig so far. We’re close to selling it out too, which is exciting.” “What?!” interjects Natalie, “Shit, I told everyone to get tickets on the door too, it’s gonna be RAMMED!”

She was right. Nothing in a practice room was going to match the intensity of Freakout Honey’s live performance. After support from locals Bad Molly and CABBAGE, Freakout Honey took to the stage in front of a drunken, packed out Night and Day Café and kicked off with ‘So Far’, followed by the driving, droning ‘Trap Me’. Musical intricacy is not what this set is about, but they have a real talent for creating the overall ‘sound’ that they want. Sparkling effects and swirling vocals combine to create a brand of surf-psyche, which, although far from entirely ‘unique’, has many in the audience transfixed and excited in equal measure. It’s certainly the sort of reverb-soaked gig that will help to attract a sell-out attendance to Cosmosis festival next, which they are playing along with The Jesus and Mary Chain and FH’s big influences The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

My personal highlight was the aforementioned ‘The Witch Surf’. Before playing this tune they offer a prize for the best dancer, before the song descends into an intense jam in which bassist Natalie loses it, grabbing a tambourine and wielding it like a weapon before dropping into the audience to join them in the exhuberant sweat-pit of a crowd. This pretty much sums up the band for me—a driven, close-knit and slightly unhinged psych outfit that really know how to work a crowd. On the current Manchester live scene, they’re more than likely going places, so keep your eyes peeled.

Be wary of the march to war

I must assure you that I stand in deepest respect for the Paris victims and, indeed, every victim of terror around the world. However, using their deaths to fast-track the bombing of Syria, and in doing so inevitably create further violence, is despicable. We must not be fooled by the rhetoric employed by those who argue for the bombing of Syria—let me debunk some of the myths that are propagated:

 

“We are already in Iraq, and IS has its headquarters in Syria. Therefore, we need an effort across Iraq and Syria to combat them.”

Firstly, so-called IS is not contained to these two counties. Under the logic of this argument, what would prevent military action across the whole of the extremist-plagued Muslim world in the case that conflicts escalated elsewhere? Secondly, it ignores that when the bombing of Iraq began, the West wanted to take military action in Syria against Assad. The U-turns and double standards with regards to dictators and extremists weaken the foundations of the argument for bombing.

“It will make us safer.”

Bombs will not save us from potential terrorist attacks in the near future—such attacks will have already been planned. The way Cameron and Hollande have gone about demanding urgent military action to protect our safety plays off fears of imminent attacks. The news—whether justified or not—of a further attack to be carried out in Brussels fuelled these anxieties. The immediate way to protect against terror threats is to increase security and surveillance. However, these policies threaten public freedoms in the long term. Therefore, the extent of these measures should be reduced when other long-term efforts for economic development and social justice hopefully create a safer environment.

The assumption that the campaign will work that is so embedded in the argument for bombing is its weakest and most infuriating element. The 1,600 bombing runs carried out in Syria by the US in less than a year has only resulted in IS gaining territory. Furthermore, using the Russians’ success as evidence for doing the same ignores both their brutal tactics and lack of plans for reconstruction after attacks.

Even if we were to defeat IS, what would come next? Poking a stick and then changing regional leadership (as is being suggested by some ministers and commentators) will not destroy extremist ideology. It is hard to imagine terrorist groups much more brutal than that of IS, or Boko Haram for that matter, but it is possible. If our bombs anger and brutalise the populations and their financial backers enough, the beast of the moment could be replaced or re-formed as something more terrifying.

Any argument for bombing refuses to acknowledge the vast complexity of the issue. Not only are there multiple forces fighting each other on the ground—IS, the Kurds, and the Syrian rebels, for example—but there is a greater geopolitical game being played too. By fighting the Kurds, Turkey (a western ally) effectively strengthens IS by taking out some of the opposition against them. Saudi Arabia (a western ally—for oil, not the beheadings) along with other Gulf states and Turkey, provided most of the initial funding for IS to expand.

With the Turkish attack on a Russian warplane, the Cold War divisions between the West and Russia have been escalated and whipped up by the media. Assad—who Russia supports and the West opposes—and IS are caught up in it in what we could describe as a proxy war. Whilst attacking IS will strengthen Assad, the West remains firm (with words, at least) that he has to go. It is almost as though they are seeking to wipe the slate clean in Syria: As though they want to take down every side and go about adding pages to their history book of disastrous nation-building. Amongst this confusion, there is still the religious split of the Muslim faith between Sunnis (Turkey, Saudi Arabia and IS) and Shia (some of Iraq, and Iran).

Fundamentalists on each side despise each other.  These are only the main conflicts of the region. Given these complexities and an its unsuccessful history in the region, how dare the west regard itself with such authority on the matter.

To defeat this extremist ideology we need hard and fast negotiations with those who we can negotiate best with—our supposed allies, who happen to provide much of the funding that sustains IS. Unfortunately, the dependence of the western world on Saudi and Gulf States’ oil currently makes it difficult to demand changes to their funding. However, Turkey offers a good opportunity for negotiations. By pressuring them to end the oppression of the Kurdish people and alleged support of IS, Kurdish fighters will have much greater success against the group. Other than that, yes, negotiations with the key regional players—Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the like—need to be at the forefront of the effort. However, the long-term is key. Extremism breeds from economic, social, and psychological hardship. Tackling this, alongside political negotiations to defeat IS in the short term, might be the best hope for a peaceful future.

I am not hopeful. With so much conflict and devastation being wrought upon the region, the likelihood is that extremist ideology will prevail. However, one principle I stand by, and that you should consider to, is quite simply that our politicians seem oblivious to the fact that military action could simply make things worse.

Stranger leaves £20 for struggling student

Charlotte Rose Ford, a student at the University of Manchester, was treated to a random act of kindness after a stranger overheard her phone call to a counsellor about the pressure she was under.

Charlotte had been sitting in the Students’ Union speaking with her counsellor about the £20 cost to get a doctor’s letter needed to get mitigating circumstances for her university deadlines.

Charlotte explained she sometimes misses deadlines due to getting distracted by her low mood or gets anxious that her work isn’t good enough.

Her phone call in ended in tears, but she was then presented with a coffee with a note and two £10 notes in the coffee cup’s sleeve.

The stranger’s note said: “I hope you don’t mind that I overheard. Just wanted to say don’t worry! I’ve been there, I thought I wouldn’t get through my undergrad and now I’m doing a Ph.D.! This is for the doctor’s note. You’ll get through it!”

Charlotte posted about the incident on Facebook and it was widely shared. She wrote: “Mental health stuff at uni is hard and sometimes I struggle to get my work done to a standard I’m happy with, or I miss deadlines because I’m too distracted by my low mood or I’m too anxious that my work isn’t good enough—so I have to ask for mitigating circumstances. It wasn’t a particularly fun phone call, and I got a bit emotional whilst I was explaining to the counsellor what I wanted to see them for.

“At one point I mentioned the fact that I needed a letter for a mitigating circumstances form, and that I’d been to the doctor but that they would charge me £20 for it, which is money I can’t always spare.”

Charlotte has said she is now booking an appointment with the University’s Counselling Service.

Charlotte added: “I don’t know who it was that sent it to me but if they read this I want to thank them so much because they completely made my day and made me feel so much better; as well as completely baffled by how kind strangers can be!”

Charlotte said the experience proved “you’re really not on your own” and that “the world is a lovely place”.

Spending Review: What does it mean for Greater Manchester?

As part of the joint post-election Spending Review and Autumn Statement, the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has announced more devolution measures for Greater Manchester.

The further devolution to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and directly-elected Mayor is certainly more evolution than the revolutions we have previously reported on. Though substantially less than the £7 billion devolution wishlist submitted by council leaders before the deadline in September, there are key changes to Devo Manc.

Sir Richard Leese, Vice-Chair of Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Devolution to Greater Manchester’s is about shifting influence and decision-making to local Leaders better placed to respond to the city-region’s priorities and needs, delivering better outcomes and better value for our residents and businesses.

“Whether that’s investing in the services or infrastructure we need to drive improvements and ensure that Greater Manchester have the skills which match the jobs being created—benefiting employees and employers alike—the measures announced today are another step in that incremental journey.”

Devo Manc arrived a little over a year ago and much has changed since, with additions such as the devolution of the £6 billion in health spending and the awarding of the right to retain 100 per cent of growth in business rates that has been in place since April.

This comes in the week after a ComRes poll commissioned by BBC local radio found that 44 per cent of Northerners said they have never heard of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ and a further one in five said they had heard of it, but know nothing about it. The poll did, though, show strong support for devolution in the North; 82 per cent agreed the North should have more control over transport, health, and other services.

The announcements on the 25th of November were formally endorsed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) on Friday 27th. Tony Lloyd, interim Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “I strongly welcome the recommitment from both sides to deliver real change to how decisions about Greater Manchester are taken. Decisions about people in Manchester and Greater Manchester are best made here and today’s announcement is another step in that journey.

“We are bound to continue to press government on resourcing so that we can ensure that communities across Greater Manchester get the services and investment they deserve.”

Osborne announced that the Greater Manchester Earn Back deal, announced in November 2014, will be continued subject to a gateway review in 2019. This includes £30 million per annum for 30 years to enable the delivery of the Trafford Park Metrolink extension, connecting the Trafford Centre to the Metrolink network, and the SEMMS road link, which will ease congestion around Manchester airport.

The Chancellor also confirmed £9 million a year from 2018/19 in the Spending Review; this came on the same day as the plans for the multi-million pound creative hub that will house the Manchester International Festival were released. It is expected that The Factory will create 2500 jobs and contribute millions of pounds to Manchester’s economy.

The largest financial package agreed is the devolution of control over European funding. The GMCA will become an Intermediate Body for European Regional Development Funds and European Social Funds in Greater Manchester. With respect to 2014 – 2020, this amounts to €413.8 million, over which the GMCA will have greater influence and decision making powers.

In planning policy, Osborne has given the Mayor the power to implement a Community Infrastructure Levy, subject to the unanimous approval of his cabinet, the GMCA. This levy will permit extra spending on development and regeneration across Greater Manchester. In the short term, the GMCA has been asked to develop a business case for a Land Programme, which will ensure strategic sites for housing and employment are developed faster—though in order to activate the Land Programme, the case will have to demonstrate that it expedites development.

Beginning on the 1st of April 2017, the government has committed to the full transfer of resources to support bus franchising. The government will work closely with the GMCA to ensure this timetable is met and that bus related payments will become part of the Mayor’s multi-year transport settlement.

There was disappointment as only £300 million was budgeted for cycling outside of London, whilst London alone has £1 billion earmarked. The non-London cycling funding average is now £1.39 per person per annum, which is set to disappoint the citizens of Greater Manchester who asked for £25 per person per annum in a Sustrans Greater Manchester survey about cycling earlier this month.

The GMCA and the British Business Banks will now agree a Memorandum of Understanding setting out how they will support small and medium-sized enterprise businesses, ensuring access to support and financing for better growth.

Subject to legislation, the GMCA will also be able to introduce a Business Rates supplement to support local investment.

In children’s and young people’s services, the government will support the GMCA to develop an integrated Greater Manchester approach by April 2017. This comes too with increased focus on skills, seen as key to Greater Manchester’s success.

The government has asked the GMCA to complete analysis into post-19 skills provision and how it can better meet the needs of the local economy by the end of the financial year so that the process of devolving this skills provision can begin.

The GMCA and Osborne have agreed that subsequent to the Spending Review, discussions will take place to allow Greater Manchester full control of the commissioning process of Employment Support. These discussions will be finalised by the end of the financial year.

Councillor Sean Anstee, Vice-Chair of GMCA and Leader of Trafford Council, said: “The announcement today of further devolution of powers is welcome and demonstrates the on-going commitment of Government to this cause and enables Greater Manchester to look at new areas where local decision-making will make a positive difference.

“Whether it is enhanced transport, energy and science commitments, integrated services for children or a joined-up skills and employment system, this announcement, coupled with those over the last year, mean the foundations have been laid for stronger, more prosperous Greater Manchester to benefit our residents and businesses across the city-region.”

Councillor Sue Derbyshire, Vice Chair of GMCA and Leader of Stockport Council, said: “While local government is facing the challenge of further spending reductions, the 10 Greater Manchester councils are working together to make sure we can maintain growth and services to residents. The devolution agreements with government are a major step towards this and these extra announcements take us further.”

Spending review: What does it mean for students?

The government’s spending review, announced this Wednesday, has seen a number of key policy implementations and cuts for the student population.

Despite strong protests over the last few months, the spending review confirmed that student maintenance grants for those from disadvantaged backgrounds will be scrapped completely and will be replaced by additional student loans. According to the Chancellor this review could save some £2 billion. However, this highly controversial move could leave students from the poorest backgrounds, as the National Union of Students calculates it, in over £50,000 of debt on leaving university.

The spending review also revealed two other key changes to higher education. Student nurses are to face huge cuts to their education budget. Tuition fee grants are to be axed and replaced with loans. According to Osborne this will help free up some £800 million a year for the treasury.

Parallel to this cut, Osborne has removed the cap on student nurse places. Osborne said: “Over half of all applicants are turned away, and it leaves hospitals relying on agencies and overseas staff.

“We’ll replace direct funding with loans for new students—so we can abolish this self-defeating cap and create up to 10,000 new training places in this Parliament.”

However, the general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, Janet Davies has responded saying that the change would leave the UK in a “precarious position” saying the move would make people worse off, put people off becoming nurses for the NHS, and would be a “big loss for our society.”

The news comes as earlier this month CEO of the NHS in England, Simon Stevens, described Osborne’s funding plan for the NHS as not “workable.”

Wednesday’s spending review also announced a shake-up in the student loan repayment schemes.  Notably, the review reveals that students who took out loans after 2012 will have to pay more in repayments through a freeze in the £21,000 repayment threshold until April 2021. Times Higher Education reports that originally the government had pledged to up-rate the threshold in line with earnings.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has estimated that this freezing of the threshold for repayment means that the average graduate has to pay back £3,000 more than previously thought. Strikingly, the IFS also estimates that disadvantaged students, who will have taken the additional maintenance loans in place of the scrapped grants, will be on average £6,000 worse off.

Moreover, the Student Opportunity Fund will, according to the spending review, have its budget halved by 2019 – 20.

The former head of the Independent Task Force on student finance information, Martin Lewis, has described this as a “disgraceful move and a breach of trust by the government that betrays a generation of students.”

Many of these shake-ups and saving schemes have gone ahead so that Osborne can roll out new schemes for postgraduates and part-time students.

According to the TLS, students wishing to study for a second degree will be allowed to access a tuition fee loan from 2017 – 18, as long their chosen subject is in science, technology, mathematics or engineering.

Moreover, the current age restriction of under 30 will be lifted for those who wish to take post-graduate loans out after 2016 – 17. Instead loans will be available to all those under the age of 60.

Part-time students will also have access to a new maintenance loans from 2018 – 19. The government says some 150,000 students could benefit from this change by 2020.

The director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, Nick Hillman, said: “The Spending Review could have been worse for universities and students than it has turned out to be.

“The improvements to postgraduate loans, the new support for part-time students and the protection of research spending are all welcome and better than many people feared.”

Lemn Sissay’s Christmas Dinner

Christmas is a time to be thankful for those around us, to gorge ourselves on delicious food and to give and receive wonderful presents. At least, that is what the majority of us have to look forward to this festive season.

It is difficult for the majority of us who are lucky enough to have such a Christmas that there are those in society—people with whom we interact on a regular basis—who do not experience any such enjoyment.

Young people who have left care are one such group. According to poet Lemn Sissay, the newly-installed Chancellor of the University of Manchester and himself a care leaver, big set-piece events like Christmas are the most difficult times for care leavers.

He has, in typically eloquent and emotive style, compared the Christmases of those in care, or who have just left it, as “like playing pass-the-parcel to the tune of Jingle Bells when everyone knows there’s nothing in the box.”

For care leavers, Sissay says: “Christmas Day can be the saddest, most distraught day of the year. I remember when I was in care, and when I left care, that Christmas Day was the worst day. So I get as much out of this as the people who come along.”

However, it does not need to be like that. In 2013, Sissay and a group of like-mined people began organising Christmas festivities specifically for those young people who have left care and will have no family or friends to celebrate Christmas with. They started in Manchester and Hackney, and have expanded to Leeds for 2015.

Members of the group give up their own time at Christmas to help put an end to such miserable Christmas experiences felt by young care leavers.

Now in its third year—and growing—Sissay’s collective is hosting Christmas dinner for over 150 care leavers aged between 16 and 30 in Manchester, Leeds, and Hackney—those who would otherwise be alone without family and friends to be a part of the festivities.

This Christmas, the young care leavers will be given a delicious, home-cooked Christmas meal, and bespoke gifts, bought with public donations.

Homemade Christmas dinners and bespoke gifts will be given out in Manchester, Leeds and Hackney this Christmas. Photo: The Christmas Dinner

Today, the group has volunteers from an incredibly broad cross-section of society: From paediatricians to teachers, surgeons to social workers—even unemployed people have given up their time to help host the dinners. Members of the cast of Coronation Street and EastEnders turned up to the Manchester and Hackney events last year.

Sissay is unequivocal about why he feels such an initiative needs to be undertaken: “So that no care leaver, on Christmas Day, is alone, on the streets, in a B&B, or in desperate need. I want us to start taking our responsibility as a community to look after them on that particular day.”

Facing Christmas alone is staggeringly tough, and part of what Sissay is doing is to provide respite from the hardship: “They need to have fun, they need to have a great, joyous experience, and wonderful presents.

“We want to say: ‘Put your feet up, relax, and let us treat you. Let’s make a memory, so that next year you have something really positive to look back on.’

“It’s not like a group therapy session though—it’s a laugh.”

This year’s festivities promise to be the biggest yet, and future growth seems assured. However, Sissay is adamant that this won’t become a national charity—with all the bureaucracy that would entail—but a grassroots movement of altruistic communities.

“I don’t want to go national and create a formula through a series of management committees and provide justifications to people: It has be born out of the grassroots, it has to be people in the community giving up their own time and giving something back.”

The University of Manchester has provided a (secret) location to host the Manchester event, whilst supermarket Booths, and Bailey’s Turkeys will be supplying the food.

However, Sissay and co. still require donations—and volunteers—in order to ensure that the everything runs smoothly on the day. At time of writing, £16,175 of their ambitious £30,000 target had been raised. It is critical that in the next three-and-a-bit-weeks this target is reached.

You can donate to, or volunteer with, the Christmas Dinner appeal at crowdfunder.co.uk/the-christmas-dinner-2015, and can keep up to date with developments on social media at #MCRCD2015.

Christmas markets evacuated in “stupid and silly” hoax bomb scare

A security scare on Friday 27th of November 2015 prompted a complete evacuation of Manchester’s Christmas markets.

Town hall bosses say a full security alert was put in place after a “stupid, silly” hoaxer made a 999 call in the early hours of the morning.

In connection with the incident in Albert Square, a 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of malicious communication.

 

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police said: “At 4:50am on Friday 27 November 2015, police received an abandoned 999 call regarding the Christmas Markets in Manchester city centre. Later, a man claimed a ‘package’ had been left in the market.”

The 19-year old, thought to be an intoxicated student, remains in police custody for questioning.

During the evacuation on Friday morning, the Christmas markets outside the town hall were sealed off, with PCSOs patrolling the entrances. Other officers and sniffer dogs were seen to be searching the closed stalls in the Albert Square region, reportedly looking between and underneath the outlets for suspicious items.

Trading at the markets was delayed for around two hours whilst police ensured there was no danger to the public. The site was first re-opened to traders at around midday, and then fully re-opened to the public just before 1pm.

Earlier in the day, city councillor Pat Karney said: “This stupid, silly person has triggered our full security response and officers are now searching the stalls. I hope when he sobers up he realises the mayhem he has caused. We believe it will be business as usual again soon.”

Manchester City Council’s executive member for Neighbourhoods, councillor Nigel Murphy, emphasised that “there is no threat to public safety” after the hoax. He also commended the security systems of Manchester’s Christmas markets, stating: “The markets have the appropriate security systems in place, and although we would prefer to never have to test them, it’s reassuring that the markets are as safe as they can be and the safety of our visitors is paramount.”

In a statement by Greater Manchester Police, Chief Superintendent Wasim Chaudhry, said: “Based on the nature of information we received, we conducted a thorough search of the area and found nothing suspicious or a threat to the public. I understand people may have been frustrated by the closure but I would like to thank them for their patience.

“We take all incidents such as this extremely seriously and the safety of the community we serve is our priority. We have plans in place with the Local Authority for instances such as this and they were implemented successfully.”

Walk of Shame tips….

For some, the ‘walk of shame’ is usually accompanied by a grin, a confident sexually-assured saunter home and loudly slamming the door in the morning to make sure every house or flat mate knows what time you got in.

But for those who do not like to kiss and tell, here are a few tips to wash away the eau du sexe.

Firstly, hygiene is key. Although this depends on your eagerness to get away, a shower is advisable. Before setting off, one should at least try to wash away the alcohol, sweat and the lasting aroma of that dodgy take away from the night before. Freshly washed hair will confuse your witnesses. Erasing smudged lipstick, club entry stamps and mud stains may even leave you in an acceptable enough state that fellow Magic Bus passengers will not shun you.

Comfort is also of extreme importance. Nothing says walk of shame like a pair of too-high heels, sex hair and smudged makeup. A pair of flats, a makeup wipe and a toothbrush could make all the difference but honestly, who has that kind of space in their night out bag anyway!?

Second of all, timing. Not so early that it seems as if you deeply regret what you have just done. Not too late so that the whole world is already awake to witness your shame.  Staring intently at the ground, red faced and wishing you were elsewhere whilst people pass you on their way to work, families on their way to church and your friends on their way out of the house, is not advised.

Practice walking in dodgy footwear. Even doing this in the gym on the treadmill will be more useful than doing it in comfortable running trainers. Hey, maybe you can even practice after a few drinks to make it even more authentic.

Fourthly, assuming that last night was a sexual extravaganza, you probably did not get chance to fit much sleep into your schedule. However, do not be tempted to fall asleep on the bus home! Yes you are tired, but wait until you are warm and in (your own) bed before catching 40 winks.

Fifthly, keep it classy. That means no to carrying any half finished beers or takeaway with you as you walk — no matter how hungry or thirsty you might be. A hot fresh Dominos once you get in will surely do you more good than the stagnant piece of fried chicken you could not bring yourself to finish last night.

Sixthly, make sure you have everything before you leave. Underwear, keys and phones….all essential, you do not want to have to go back for any of these. A phone call the next day asking for your favourite knickers or boxers back is never sexy.

And finally…sunglasses (God’s gift to hungover beings). These magical glasses not only hide your puffy eyes or smudged mascara, they also hide the ‘I had sex last night’ smirk  glint in your eyes. You can also pretend with your still-drunk-from-the-night-before logic that because it is still dark (in your world anyway) no one can see you…

Music Beats Mines

The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) is a 1997 Nobel Peace Prize winning charity that works in areas and communities affected by landmines, unexploded bombs and weapons left as a legacy of conflict. Students here at the University of Manchester are going to contribute to the cause by holding an online auction of music and literary memorabilia from November 26th to the 6th December.

All money raised will go towards aiding MAG in continuing their work. Last year the auction raised £4500 which helped MAG to clear 3000m² of land, making life safer for communities dealing with the threat of unexploded bombs. Worldwide MAG have cleared over 20 million square meters of land of land mines, directly benefiting 1.1 million men, women and children.

This ‘Music Beats Mines’ auction will be selling items from big names such as The Editors, Scouting for Girls and John Bishop. Anyone looking to place a bid should keep an eye on the fundraisers’ Twitter page @MusicBeatsMines where they will be posting regular updates about the auction which will itself be held on eBay.

Sport in the City: The Fifth Manchester ‘Christmas Pudding 5 Mile Dash’

Over the course of the academic year, as well as paying close attention to, and prioritising the progress and successes of, our university’s very own societies, teams and campus sports, let our new Sport in the City feature tempt you into a very different sporting day out. Whether it’s a new sport, a team about whom you did not know, or just an event that interests us, we hope that we will be able to entice you to explore the wide sporting variety that the city has to offer during your time studying at the University of Manchester.

In the spotlight this week: The Fifth Manchester Christmas Pudding 5 Mile Dash

Well… what is it?

As the calendar in a wide range of sports other than football begins to wind down ahead of the upcoming Christmas break, it is credit to Manchester’s diversity that even in the lead up to Christmas, there are sports and competitions still available to enter. And with end of the semester well and truly on the horizon, why not get into the Christmas spirit in a much more productive way than an afternoon spent shopping in the Trafford Centre. That’s right, this section has searched high and low for sporting activities for you to go to watch, but now it’s time to get physical with a festive charity fun-run, raising money for Greenmount Wild Bird Hospital in Bury. The Fifth Manchester Christmas Pudding 5 Mile Dash, however, is no ordinary 8km run, and on its completion you get more than just a medal to reward your efforts. Throughout the race there are Christmas Puddings and other Festive goodies on offer. What’s more, a mince pie awaits you at the end. Certainly much more of an incentive than usual to get yourself over the finish line, right? Also, don’t panic, the route is suitable for both experienced runners and beginners alike, so there’s no need to have done any real training as such.

How do I get there?

For a fifth time, the annual run will be hosted in Wythenshawe Park, South Manchester, M23 0AB. The run itself consists of a flat offroad course using the footpaths, fields and trails in the park, so make sure to come with proper sports trainers for running in! Luckily, with regards to transport, in comparison to what seemed like an absolute voyage to get to Salford City, Wythenshawe Park is definitely much easier to get to. The Manchester City Council website advises that if you are heading from Manchester City Centre you can catch a 101 bus operated by Stagecoach or a 370 bus from Didsbury. Bus stops are located nearby on Princess Parkway and Altrincham Road, but you really should not encounter any difficulties if you ask the bus driver on either service for Wythenshawe Park. For those lucky enough to have a car with them here in Manchester, take either the M60, leaving at Junction 5, or alternatively the M56, at Junction 3, onto Princess Parkway. The main entrance to the park is located on Wythenshawe Road and should be signposted en route to your destination.

But how much does it cost to get in?

For those wishing to take part in the fun-run, you can pay on the day (subject to the availability of places on the day of the race, please consult http://www.nice-work.org.uk for more information) but it is recommended that you sign up in advance, not just to secure your place in the run but also to receive entry at a discounted rate. And although you can register your interest and sign up for the run by post, I would personally suggest booking your entry to the race through the website listed above. The online cost for a non-club runner in advance amounts to £16.70 for the full five mile race, with the opportunity to pay a lesser £6.20 if you wish to compete in an adult 1 mile scurry. All proceeds again go to the Greenmount Wild Bird Hospital in Bury. So with only 350 spots in the race up for grabs, don’t hesitate to sign up!

What are the facilities like? 

Unlike some of the arenas and stadiums this feature has documented in recent weeks, a public park is probably one of the easier locations that will be mentioned, both for us to describe and for you to imagine! However, take it from me, the park is set in 109 hectares of open parkland in South Manchester, with historic and ornamental woodlands, herbaceous borders, formal bedding, open grassland and beautiful wildflower meadows. In addition, there are three Grade II Listed Buildings located within the park: North Lodge, the Statue of Oliver Cromwell, and Wythenshawe Hall. Furthermore, during the 1926 regeneration of the area—led by Manchester City Council in partnership with Lord and Lady Simon to help Wythenshawe become ‘The Garden City’—the park was given to the city ‘to be kept forever as an open space for the people of Manchester’. But of course, neither the park nor the run are exclusive, and anybody would be more than welcome to compete in this cheery Christmas competition.

Tell me something that I didn’t already know…

Well, aside from the individual details of the run itself alongside the history of the featured facilities, there leaves very little to insightfully inform you about! Yet given we are a only matter of days away from the start of December and the opening of the first door on our advent calendars, as well as the dreaded search all over for that elusive £12 Primark Christmas jumper, it is only fair to try to focus on the true meaning of Christmas; not the giving and receiving of presents or eating enough chocolate until you explode but instead thinking of and helping those less fortunate at this time of year. This is something, however, that our hosts Greenmount Wild Bird Hospital thankfully do all year round, since they are a group dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of injured, ill and orphaned birds. Founded in 1979, the group is run by a team of volunteers who work tirelessly to rehabilitate around 1200 ill and injured wild birds each year and hand-rear hundreds of orphaned or abandoned baby birds. They always aim to release each bird when fit and well, and work hard to treat any species of wild bird.

Finally, when can I see this in action?

The 2015 and fifth Manchester Christmas Pudding 5 Mile Dash takes place on Sunday 29th November at 11am. For more information and if you have any questions, please visit: http://www.nice-work.org.uk/events.php?id=51

If you have any requests for local teams, sports or events taking place in Manchester, or if you wish to be involved, please contact: [email protected].

Council makes move to open buildings for Manchester’s homeless

Hulme Library and the Beech Mount children’s home in Tauperny have been announced as the first of the new overnight shelters to be opened for rough sleepers.

These two buildings, having been shut since 2013, are the first of the town council buildings being reshaped into facilities for Manchester’s homeless.

Homelessness has been a rising issue in Manchester, with the amount of rough sleepers in the city having surged by 50 per cent in 2014. The issue reached a pinnacle this October with the eviction of the ark homeless community near Manchester Metropolitan University.

In the wake of the eviction, Manchester United stars Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs began allowing homeless citizens to stay in their Stock Exchange Hotel. The council issued statements shortly thereafter about their own plans for reshaping abandoned buildings into overnight shelters.

164 new beds will be created between the two buildings. These are partly funded by the council and partly funded by charity groups. On top of this, the centres plan to provide support for medical, drug, and alcohol conditions.

A transportation system to move the large number of homeless in the city centre to the shelters is also being investigated by the council.

Paul Andrews, the executive member for adult health and well-being on the Manchester Council, describes this as a “lengthy process.”

“We have now identified the first pair which we can open and we’re now continuing to carry out inspections so we can open more empty buildings in other parts of the city.”

“While providing shelter and a roof over their heads is obviously a good start,” Andrews explains, “what’s really important is working with charities, faith groups and our own homelessness services to make sure the right help and support is available to rough sleepers so we can help them make the first steps towards getting off the streets for good.”

The buildings will be available to Manchester’s homeless starting next month.

Top 5: Books the Tories should read

There is no medium as powerful as a novel for providing a chilling reminder of the past, a stark reflection of the present, or a prophetic vision of the future. Here are five the current Tory government could learn from…

1. 1984, George Orwell (1949)

“Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing.”

1984 displays a society in which customs, language and social pressures induce passivity; a world in which even thoughts can be crimes under the tyrannical rule of ‘Big Brother’. Though often read as a critique of Fascism and Communism, we now find ourselves in a world where one-party dictatorships are no longer necessary for social control. Disempowerment is more subtle with pacification rebranded as securitisation. By making us fear the unknown, governments are able to track our movements and now, with the proposed Investigatory Powers Bill, decide whether or not we constitute a threat to society on the basis of our browsing history.

2. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley (1932)

“The optimum population… is modelled on the iceberg—eight-ninths below the water line, one-ninth above.”

In Brave New World, consumerism rules the World State. Individual initiative and awareness have been sacrificed to the mass consumption of goods, whilst babies are produced in factories to fit the requirements of society. We see in the World State’s disregard for creativity, beauty and freedom the current Tory State’s prioritisation of science and business, at the expense of humanities and the arts, as we are told that economic growth is the meaning of life. Meanwhile, adverts and the media condition us from an early age into believing that happiness is to be found only in consumption.

3. The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck (1939)

“If he needs a million acres to make him feel rich, seems to me he needs it ‘cause he feels awful poor inside hisself, and if he’s poor in hisself, there ain’t no million acres gonna make him feel rich.”

Steinbeck’s novel is set in the Great Depression and follows a family from Oklahoma heading to the “promised land” of California in search of work. Yet, despite the rumours, they find the job market depleted and move from one camp to another in search of food and work. The large landowners, fearing an uprising, do what they can to keep the migrants poor and dependent. In this novel, California can be seen the promised land of capitalism, where expectations of more jobs and higher incomes are soon replaced with greater unemployment, poverty and social inequality. Police violence and their attempts to shut down a camp find resonance in the current treatment seen towards the homeless, squatters, and protesters.

4. Americanah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (2013)

“…racism exists but racists are all gone. Racists belong to the past… if you haven’t lynched somebody then you can’t be called a racist.”

Americanah brings to light the racism still present in purportedly liberal societies. Through an examination of the pervasive institutionalisation of racism and its changing language, Adichie highlights the injustices still endured. Whilst Nigerian-born Ifemelu goes to study in America, her teenage boyfriend, Obinze, travels illegally to the UK. Their romanticized notions of ‘the West’ also call into question such countries’ romanticisation of themselves. Much rhetoric surrounding immigration stems from the idea that, if given the chance, people would flock to the superior UK, yet Adichie paints a realistic and sobering picture of British life and both characters soon become disillusioned with life abroad and return to the place they call home.

5. Men in the Sun, Ghassan Kanafani (1962)

“He dragged the corpses one by one and threw them onto the end of the road, where the municipality’s dustcarts usually stopped to dump their rubbish…”

Men in the Sun centres around three men who seek to escape the economically-suffocated refugee camps of Lebanon for the oil boom in Kuwait and find transport in a water tanker. At checkpoints they must hide in the sweltering tank that eventually takes their lives, and in today’s climate of othering and inhospitality, the book has lessons to teach us all. It is worth noting the title—not Migrants in the Sun, nor even Refugees; these are simply men risking their lives to escape a desperate situation. Though heading for Kuwait, their destination could easily be exchanged for Turkey, Italy, or the UK. Kanafani thus humanises the dehumanised and, 50 years later, we are left wondering why people are still forced to die in the pursuit of freedom and dignity.

Anxiety: The Unwanted Guest

Alongside the fun and frivolity of university, social anxiety is that unwanted guest at the party. The expectation is that first years will experience social anxiety and then as soon as they make friends it will disappear. Although social anxiety is an experience that most first years go through, it does not mean that it is not an issue for other students.

Social anxiety is an excessive fear of social situations; this may sound extreme, but it is becoming an increasing commonality amongst students. Self-consciousness and fear of being judged is a large factor to the contribution of social anxiety. Classed as the third most common health problem in young adults, it is a surprise that social anxiety can often go undetected. Health psychologist Graham Russell outlines that social anxiety can often be mistaken for shyness and simply considered a personality trait. There are many situations that students encounter that can trigger this state of mind, and in turn it becomes very difficult to break.

A social setting where you don’t know anyone can seem daunting to anybody, yet for someone with social anxiety it can trigger a feeling of self-deprecation. The fear of being judged negatively can impact a student’s decisions and influence them even attending. This avoidance of social settings can prevent a student from interacting with their peers and even impact their educational welfare. Social settings can include parties, gatherings and even lectures.

Surveys have shown that amongst university students, approximately 10% of students were diagnosed with severe social anxiety. Although there is very little empirical research on how social anxiety can affect student well-being and learning, there have been focus groups which give us an insight into real situations that sufferers of social anxiety face on a day to day basis.  Presentations, a common form of assessment in university, triggers fear of embarrassment for 80% of students and for those with social anxiety-induced distress. In order to avoid this distress, students often remain inconspicuous in order to avoid public speaking.

In contrast to an academic setting, the drinking and socialising culture that is deemed a necessity at university can be considered as a challenge to social anxiety sufferers. They may be discriminated against and labelled as anti-social if they do not participate. This was an issue that sufferers raised in Russell’s focus group, and it was suggested that less pressurised social settings ought to be recognised. The notion of forced interaction is one that can be very uncomfortable, hence the focus being placed on proactively forming bonds rather than just the element of communication.

As many students remain undiagnosed regarding social anxiety, the desire for it to be explained more to students in university remains an issue. Many social anxiety sufferers feel that the issue of social anxiety should be tackled by the university. By offering services and support groups, social anxiety suffers may not feel as exposed, and could have access to a port of call.

Indeed, there are many situations in university that can be considered a challenge and maybe even a trigger for students with social anxiety.  Even in your friendship group, there may be someone suffering from social anxiety.

The University of Manchester offers Nightline as a way to chat about anything, no matter how big or small. The issue of social anxiety is often misunderstood, and Nightline is one way to speak about it, to a non-judgemental receiver, anonymously. The number can be found on the back of your student card.

Domestic abuse call actually for a spider NOT FOR ONLINE

Australian police rushed to a New South Wales home after neighbours reported a series of female screams from a nearby house. Once officers reached the property, around 2am, they heard a male voice shouting “I’m going to kill you! Die! Die!”Worried about a potential domestic violence incident, police on the scene were surprised to find the man was alone. He had been chasing a spider around his house with a can of bug spray for several hours.

When asked about the women screaming the man became shy and replied: “Yeah sorry that was me, I really hate spiders”. Police said they left “after a long pause” and “some laughter”. One member of the force said “judging by the size of the spider, it is not a shock that the man decided to scream at it”.

Genetically modified mosquitoes may eradicate malaria NOT FOR ONLINE

Researchers at the University of California Irvine and San Diego campus have finished  engineering a new strain of malaria resistant mosquitoes.

 

A new type of genetic engineering, involving cutting out segments of mosquito DNA and replacing them with malaria resistant genes, has been used to generate the mosquitoes.

 

A technique called ‘gene driving’ has also been used. This involves inserting the resistance gene in not one, but both of the mosquito chromosomes. This ensures that the malaria resistance is passed on to all of their offspring.

 

Gene driving is incredibly efficient; the researchers believe  that malarial resistance has the potential to spread throughout the world in as little time as one summer.

 

Since the implications of releasing genetically modified animals in the wild are up in the air, the mosquitoes are being kept in a lab while their release is debated.

Trump insults disabled reporter NOT FOR ONLINE

Donald Trump is yet again in hot water after performing an imitation of a New York Times reporter with a congenital joint condition. He started his bizarre impression by stating “the poor guy, you gotta see this guy”. The Republican presidential candidate then proceeded to flail his arms and jerk uncomfortably in a mocking fashion.

Mr Trump was using an article written by Mr Kovaleski, the reporter in question, to support his claims that Muslim Americans celebrated 9/11. Kovaleski, has said “the sad part about it is, it didn’t in the slightest bit jar or surprise me that Donal Trump would do something this low-rent”. Trump has since attacked the New York Times calling it “poorly run” and the staff “dopes” on his Twitter.

Thousands of pounds stolen from Withington café Fuel

Popular Withington café bar Fuel was broken into in the early hours of Monday 23rd of November, with thieves taking a till with up to £4,000 of cash inside.

The thieves made their way in through the roof, causing devastating damage inside the café, as well as stealing cash and various other items. They then fled through the fire escape. It is thought that the theft happened between 1am and 10am on Monday.

Manager Michael Dumbabin said: “I came into work and there was stuff literally all over the place. They had come in through the ceiling and kicked the ceiling from above and then climbed down on a ladder.

“They’ve not taken that much stuff, just cash from the till.”

A police spokesperson said that Greater Manchester Police received a call about the break-in and attended. She said: “Entry was made via the roof and exited via the fire escapes. Various items were stolen, including a till.”

Michael added: “There is so much equipment that could have been taken I can’t understand why they just took cash.

“The real problem is the absolute mess they have made. We have got builders in fixing the roof so it will be back to normal as soon as possible.”

This will be good news to the many students of Fallowfield and Withington who frequent Fuel, on Wilmslow Road, for their student-friendly vegetarian fare, and weekly ‘Quiz and Chips’.

Fuel was also targeted back in July 2011, when robbers threatened staff and stole money and one employee’s iPhone. At the time, Detective Constable Chris Cox of Greater Manchester Police said: “This was clearly a very distressing experience for the members of staff, though I would stress that incidents of this nature are rare in Withington.”

If you have any information about the incident, call police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Fallout 4 – Review

Fallout 4 is the best game that Bethesda has ever made. Everything from

the world, to the gun-play, to the engrossing story, has been crafted with a punctilious attention to

detail. Despite the fact that the basic formula remains the same, Fallout 4 retains the

engrossing, addictive qualities that have made Bethesda’s games so popular in the past.

Set in a post-apocalyptic Boston, you are free to explore this vast and beautiful open world

comfortably within its first half hour—a stark contrast to Fallout 3’s extended opening sequence. I

chose to play as a female character after botching up an approximation of myself on the admittedly

advanced character creation tool. Maybe I just have a weird face. However, I found that this fitted

thematically with the overarching plot of a desperate mother looking for her lost family in a hostile

world, which gives Fallout an emotional weight not seen in many games. Whilst it starts slowly, the

story builds over time and towards the end there are some truly palm-sweating decisions to be

made. It gets that intense.

Fallout 4, Photo: Bethesda Softworks

Over the course of my journey I came to appreciate more and more the sheer time and effort that

went into the making of this huge world. Almost every aspect of Fallout 4 is a monumental step up

from its predecessor. Fallout 3.5 this is definitely not. The refined combat system is the most

significant of these. Weapons are far easier to aim and fire than previous entries, and your tools of

destruction have a realistic weight and feel to them this time around. However, traditional shooting

is only one part of the combat system. The legendary V.A.T.S. mode makes a welcome return,

allowing the user to periodically slow down time and target the various body parts of your foes. You

are rewarded with a frequently gruesome cinematic ‘kill cam’ after each of these, so be warned: This

is not a game for the squeamish. You can now choose to pull out of V.A.T.S. at any time, and also

unlike its predecessor, V.A.T.S. does not stop time but instead slows it down, which creates some

truly tense moments. The changes that have been made to the combat are so compelling that it

might be enough for those who avoided the previous games in the series, for this reason, to

reconsider this title.

 

Despite the strengths of the main plot, the foremost appeal of Fallout 4 is the bevy of side-quests

available for you to undertake. They are numerous, they often take you to surprising places and all

are worth your time. Due to the strength of these missions, expect to sink hundreds of hours into

this game if you’re foolish enough to try to finish everything on offer. The best part is that you

probably won’t regret it. For the more nomadic player, you may occasionally come across a

legendary enemy, which is guaranteed to reward you a weapon with a unique modifier, and you are

frequently gifted with useful loot drops through mere exploration.

 

A huge new addition is the crafting system. Every weapon you find is heavily customisable, varying

from the optic sights to the gun barrel for your weapon of choice. Previous Bethesda games had

numerous items in their worlds, but most were vendor trash. Not so with Fallout 4, since these items

can be broken down and used to customise your weapons, and provide resources for building your

own settlements. However, I eventually avoided the settlement building mechanic, since my towns

failed to provide me with the adequate resources for the time and effort required to manage their

cumbersome interface.

Fallout 4, Photo: Bethesda Softworks

Another point worth mentioning is that the enemies, despite being some of the most intelligent and

freakish foes that we’ve seen in this universe, do occasionally succumb to erratic AI weirdness. Yes,

this is a Bethesda title, and there are some minor glitches and bugs that you will see across your

adventure. Whilst nowhere near the scale of the issues plaguing Fallout: New Vegas at launch, they

are noticeable when they happen, but they are not significant enough to break your immersion. If

anything, the glitches and inconsistencies are somewhat charming by this point. No, the real super

mutant in the room is the graphics. I have played Fallout on PS4 and PC, and simply put, they’re not

that hot. Fallout is artistically beautiful, but it just falls short of that next gen WOW! factor that I was

expecting. Non-prominent character models fall flat, and in parts the lip-syncing is so poor that they

are more reminiscent of a Team America character than an actual person. However, the graphical

inconsistencies and glitches get a pass from me simply because the developers focused on what

mattered most, in modernising the Fallout formula for current gen hardware. Other than the

aforementioned settlement mechanic, the gameplay is borderline flawless, and the game remains a

consistently entertaining experience over the 30 or so hours required to beat the main storyline.

Dripping in atmosphere, and a devil in the detail, Fallout 4 is a more than worthy successor to Fallout 3,

and makes me wonder how on earth Bethesda is going to top this with their next project.

 

In my opinion, Fallout 4 is a better game than Skyrim. I know, I’m as surprised as you are. Buy it. Now.

Belated Belieber or Bieber Berater?

Despite being widely despised by the music industry and general public alike throughout his teenage years, Justin Bieber somehow managed to score the front cover of NME last week. His new album, Purpose, has unsurprisingly big expectations—with a pre-empted sales figure of 450,000 copies in its first week.

Not only does this album feature some chart-topping hits, but what’s more, Bieber seems to have taken this opportunity to humanise himself to both his fans, and the world, too. He even goes so far as to assert that he’s “not made of steel” in his song ‘I’ll Show You’. You may even start to sympathise with the unbelievable pressures, and continual abuse subjected onto this pop star—who, not so coincidentally, has a net worth of $200 million. This brings me to question whether the ‘good teen gone bad’ trend has finally come to an end for Bieber’s generation of young pop stars, or whether we have simply become immunised to their behaviour.

Although not completely unaware of Justin’s religiousness, I, for one, was surprised to learn that the meaning behind the album’s title was none other than God. One cannot help but wonder if this toned-down bad boy persona and commitment to faith is a promo stunt co-ordinated by his oddly named manager, Scooter; or an honest realisation at the atrocity of his own past behaviour.

As I listen to this album, there’s no denying that my previous flame of dislike for Bieber is gradually warming to him. His voice has finally lost its pre-pubescent whine and has consequently become rather sexy, and more appealing to the ear.

However, I cannot say that I am not mildly disappointed with Bieber. This album is clearly his attempt at showing the world that he has become a man, yet he has chosen to do this through revealing his sensitive side with a string of seemingly heartfelt ballads. Whereas I would have preferred him to have taken a leaf out of Justin Timberlake’s book, with his rite of passage album Justified, embracing his inner sexiness and thrusting it upon the world with provocative force.

Ultimately, I must admit that despite previously hating on the teen pop sensation, I have been converted to the reformed church of BELIEBERS. It must be said that the album contains multiple hits, and that makes it hard to deny that Bieber has succeeded in producing music that will even leave a Bieber hater’s feet tapping.