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Day: 15 April 2016

Unison claim protesting catering staff threatened with pay deductions

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in News.

Last Thursday 100 students, staff and campaigners took to Oxford Road to protest the planned cuts of 43 catering jobs across the University of Manchester campus.

It was later claimed by Unison, who represents the caterers, that a number of the UMC members of staff were contacted by a manager of UMC who told them that if they were to attend the Unison lunch time rally they would be deducted an hour’s pay.

As revealed by The Mancunion last month, after implementing the living wage in February, University of Manchester Conferences Limited (UMC) the company in charge of catering services across the university, then announced plans to make 43 of their staff redundant and to cut salaries by up to a third.

UMC is a private, wholly-owned subsidiary company of the university that provides catering services across campus and in the University’s Halls of Residence. UMC runs the Chancellors Hotel, The Chancellors Collection, FoodOnCampus, FoodInResidence, and BarsInResidence on behalf of the University.

In the original e-mail leaked to The Mancunion it was revealed that 60 out of UMC’s 283 staff have been told that their jobs are at risk. The e-mail went on to say that if less than 43 of these 60 do not accept voluntary severance, then UMC have announced that they plan to go ahead with compulsory redundancies. Alongside this, UMC were allegedly planning to impose inferior contracts on the remaining staff, cutting salaries by up to a third.

These claims of redundancies within UMC came on the back of redundancies and further threats of redundancies to 38 employees and 68 IT staff last year, alongside 28 other staff this year.

Unison has since also told The Mancunion that UMC staff are “feeling pressure from management to take their annual leave during down time to suit UMC services”.

Our source expressed concern with the direction the university is taking, especially expressing concern over the treatment of lower paid staff in contrast with those who earn the most at the university.

The University of Manchester has the 23rd highest number of staff paid above £100,000 in the country. Dr Adam Ozanne, President of UMUCU, questioned at the rally how the university could struggle to pay those at the bottom while continuing to pay more than 100 staff more than £100,000. Protesters talked of feeling “undervalued” by university management.

Unison, who represent the catering staff, have been in talks with UMC since March, while staff have been told that the cuts are due to the financial pressures the company are facing.

However according to the leaked e-mails back in March, the company turned a loss of £114,554 in 2013/14 into a profit of £164,362 in 2014/15. It has also since been claimed by workers for UMC that the company has made a profit of almost £1.5 million over a four-year period.

Sean Gibson, Unison North West Regional Organiser, told the Manchester Evening News: “The proposed restructure would be damaging to students and to staff.

“Some of our members are sole breadwinners and their families will suffer if their working hours and incomes are cut.

“It was welcome news for staff when UMC decided to introduce the full living wage across campus in February, but this restructure would mean that UMC would be giving with one hand and taking with the other.”

Hannah McCarthy, Campaigns & Citizenship Officer at Manchester University Students’ Union, who helped to organise the rally, in a statement prior to the demo said: “I am appalled be the university’s complete disregard and contempt for the staff who work here. That’s why I’m joining Thursday’s demo to demand that they receive no job losses, no pay cuts and are brought in-house to be treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.”

McCarthy also told The Mancunion, in response to the claims that staff were threatened with pay deductions: “I’m appalled to hear the news that management have allegedly threatened catering staff with pay docking if attempting to exercise the right to protest in order to save there jobs. This merely gives more proof, if ever was needed, that management merely see pound signs on a spreadsheets, as opposed to the human lives that they are systematically ruining with these horrific redundancies and pay cuts.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson did not respond to the alleged threats to staff in attendance at the rally of a deduction in pay, stating only that a “consultation is ongoing between UMC Ltd and UNISON over a restructure of University catering operations on campus (FoodOnCampus) and in residences (FoodInResidence).

“A voluntary severance scheme was opened on 11th March for impacted staff and applications are being taken up to and including 29th April.

“In addition to this, any other catering vacancies that arise have been reserved in order to provide potential opportunities for affected staff.

“The University hopes to successfully conclude this process early in the summer.”

Review: L’elisir d’amore

Written by Kate Harvey on . Posted in Theatre.

Navigating your way around the opera genre may seem daunting, yet Daniel Slater’s adaptation most definitely confirms that it is something to be enjoyed among a range of audiences. This production, having enjoying an excellent reception since 2001, returns to The Lowry with a retro twist in 2016. Complete with sleek Vespas, hot air balloons and an ocean summer breeze, Robert Innes Hopkins gives a taste of la dolce vita with an eye-catching set design.

L’elisir d’amore, literally ‘The Elixir of Love’ in Italian, is a whimsical update on the opera buffa genre, designed originally as an upbeat comedy for nineteenth century audiences. This performance is a story of the loveable underdog Nemorino, played by Jung Soo Yun, who falls madly in love with the beautiful Adina in an impressive portrayal by the Romanian soprano Gabriela Iştoc. Appearing self-assured and indifferent to Nemorino’s sincerity, Adina is instead initially swept off her feet by the accomplished Belcore (Duncan Rock), who rivals the luckless waiter as he arrives in style on a vintage Vespa. And so, inspired by the love potion in the tale of Tristan und Isolde, Nemorino looks for help from a swindling quack doctor, played by Richard Burkhard. Duped with a cheap bottle of alcohol instead of a bonafide love potion, Slater’s production features an amusing skit of inebriated partygoers in which Adina eventually realises her true feelings for the other.

Although largely a stranger to opera myself, I was pleasantly surprised to recognise the rendition of ‘Una Furtive Lagrima’, ‘A Furtive Tear’ in Italian—a melody loved by none other than Pavarotti himself and movingly delivered by Jung Soo Yun. Have no fear if you haven’t had the chance to brush up on your language skills, this performance does a splendid job in Britalian; the actors perform in English but sing in Italian with English subtitles.

The musical accompaniment was seamlessly conducted by Tobias Ringborg, and responded accordingly to the range of emotions exhibited in the vocals of the cast. Operatically speaking, the performance was sung in a bel canto style, its purpose being to exhibiting the splendour of the human voice. Often left unsupported by the orchestra, their voices resonated beautifully as all of the vocalists displayed a mastery of a challenging style, while managing to remain faithful to the liveliness of the play itself.

Opera North will return between the 13th and 18th June of the summer season, this time with a four-part adaptation series of the Richard Wagner epic music dramas—collectively known as Die Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring Series).

Review: The Witches

Written by Kate Harvey on . Posted in Theatre.

Although I may have been one of the oldest audience members present, I couldn’t help but get a bit antsy before the theatre performance of one of my most nightmarish childhood reads, The Witches on stage at The Lowry. Dahl’s harrowing descriptions of numerous hysterical hags never quite escaped me to this day, especially coupled with Quentin Blake’s etched illustrations of their bald heads and square feet. I was eager to see what director Nikolai Foster would deliver with what seemed to me endless possibilities of reworking the children’s classic.

The Witches, as with most of Roald Dahl’s works, is a moralistic tale with copious doses of child cruelty, a wild mixture of animals and children and an infamously abominable villain. The Grand High Witch was performed superbly by Sarah Ingram, teamed with a highly expressive variety of grimaces and her ‘rrreally vunderful’ Germanic accent. Flanked by her cronies played by Sioned Saunders and Elexi Walker, the traditional witches’ metamorphosis into bald monsters was turned on its head as they were adorned with colourful wigs and costumes designed by Isla Shaw – an flamboyant twist on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, except this time pouring over a cauldron of ‘Formula 86 delay action mouse maker’. Despite meeting his unfortunate fate being turned into a mouse, Fox Jackson-Keen gave a happy-go-lucky portrayal of ‘Boy’, whose athletic ability kept the story moving.

The seven-total-cast were tremendous in their pan-musical ability to hop between instruments that were incorporated into an inventive set that was set in a dilapidated seaside town hotel, hosting the annual witches’ meeting. The stage nodded subtly to elements of other Dahl classics with oversized props and pyrotechnics, and although not as musically orientated as perhaps Tim Minchin’s musical score for the West End adaptation of Matilda, it struck the balance well impressing the audience with authentic sound effects, the odd musical chorus and optical illusions.

Despite only lasting one hour and fifteen minutes in total (a sensible decision made to pacify the younger members of the audience), it became clear that it was by no means a performance intended for this age bracket alone. Foster clearly understood the potential of Dahl’s far-reaching tales, moulding it for the purpose of her own exuberant interpretation but never losing sight of his imaginative capabilities to bring out the inner child in everybody watching. At times I found myself laughing out loud at its sheer outlandishness; however it was one that cleverly darted between the gruesome, touching, and the downright silly.

Unfortunately the chance to see The Witches for their Manchester dates has now been and gone, but the Leicester Curve/Rose Theatre Kingston companies are currently in the thick of a hectic UK tour, so keep your eyes peeled if you’re on the lookout for ideas for something that all of the family can enjoy.

Review: Riverdance 21

Written by Olivia Gaskill on . Posted in Theatre.

I sat down in the O2 Apollo with high expectations of Riverdance, and I can say I was certainly not disappointed. Now in its 21st year of production, Riverdance is touring around the UK at 13 different venues from March to May 2016, before moving on to Canada.

As the lights in the theatre dim, Bill Whelan’s ‘Reel Around the Sun’ takes us on the start of our journey through the history and struggles of Ireland. In front of me I can see a fellow audience member moving his hands to the beat, and as the ensemble of dancers file on stage, I can feel my feet tapping along too. Although, I was disappointed by the lack of crowd response when the lead male dancer, Callum Spencer, made his début mid-dance, as I thought his entrance and remarkable footwork deserved at least a few cheers.

The lead female dancer, Ciara Sexton, captivated my attention, and it seemed everyone else’s too, as she appeared on stage during ‘The Countess Cathleen/Women of the Sidhe’. Elegance and grace are the words that come to mind when watching her dance and you can see why she was cast as the lead female.

Although an Irish show, Riverdance is not limited by just one style of dance, featuring performances from those such as flamenco dancer, Rocio Montoya, and a Russian ensemble who show off their talents through their brilliant leaps and pirouettes. My personal favourite and a definite crowd pleaser was ‘Trading Taps’, which took us to New York in a comical rivalry between Irish and Tap dancers. The two lead tappers were immensely talented and, not surprisingly, received the loudest cheer during the finale encore. Neither missed a beat and they seemed to take full advantage of there being a section with no music, which left the audience wanting more.

Drawing on its first performance at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994, the finale was also a crowd favourite. Opening with a duet between the leads and ending in the iconic line of dancers, this routine brought goosebumps to my arms and made me want to watch it all again from the beginning.

Riverdance will be performing in the UK until the 15th of May, so if you get the chance to see it and are debating whether to buy a ticket, I recommend this: Act fast, you certainly won’t regret it.

Fashion face off: Denim vs Leather

Written by Kathryn Murray on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

There are two types of people in the world: those who wear denim jackets and those who wear leather jackets. What about those people who have both jackets I hear you ask? Well, those people are kidding themselves.  Harsh, I know, but true. If you are one of these deluded people, then you should take this as an opportunity to re-evaluate your fashion choices.

Yes, you may own both a leather jacket and a denim jacket. But let’s be realistic here, we both know you wear one of those 80% of the time and the other one is saved for those days where you can’t find your first choice or you spilt last night’s kebab down its front so have had to resort to your second option. (Note: a denim shirt is not the same as a denim jacket and is more comparable to a checked shirt which is another way to divide the fashion masses.)

So which category do you fall under? Are you a fan of a reliable, punk style leather jacket? Or perhaps you prefer a sturdy yet classic denim jacket? Either way you can congratulate yourself for making such a momentous decision in your life, even if it was a subconscious one.

It is a common misconception that denim jackets are more spring/summer and leather jackets are more autumn/ spring. But times have changed. Leather jackets aren’t always black, denim jackets aren’t always blue, and season trends aren’t determined by dark colours and light colours. Both materials are of the same weight, they can be cool and light. Both can be smart, or casual. Both have the same amount of water resistance, because let’s be honest, a leather jacket still doesn’t have a hood so its waxy coating is redundant. Both jackets are perfect for a winter to spring transition. But which do you prefer?

Denim

Denim jackets have been making a comeback for a few years now. Once a taboo in the world of fashion, double denim is now accepted and even embraced by the trendy crowd which is working in the denim jackets favour. Perhaps people are running with the vintage look or perhaps we have just discovered how amazing it is to have an easily washable jacket, but either way; denim is back and in a big way. Oversized and preferably Levi, denim jackets can be seen everywhere. Flung over a cute floral summer dress, or paired with some strategically ripped shorts, the denim jacket can help to provide warmth and style on a spring day.

Photo: Asos
Jack Wills Jacket £69.50

Leather

I am a hard core member of the leather jacket tribe. I bought my first one at 13 and have never looked back. I must admit that I haven’t ventured from the black biker jacket, apart from a mild flirtation with a cream leather jacket which now sits sadly unworn in my wardrobe, price tag on and all.  To me, a leather jacket is always a safe option. It is smart, but cool, gives an edge to every outfit, and goes with everything. I wish I was adventurous enough to go for a nice teal or hot pink leather look, but alas, I can’t pluck up the courage. The rock-chick foundation has carried as the jacket has matured. Over a dress on a night out, paired with a fine knit jumper on a spring day, or even over your pj’s on a supermarket run; a leather jacket is the missing piece to any fashion puzzle.

Photo: Asos
Goldie Jacket £65

So there we have it, our two contenders in the spring jacket final.

Who wins? You decide.

TV Binge: My Jihad

Written by Imran Bukhari on . Posted in Film.

The word Jihad has infamously become associated with acts of terrorism and hatred, but for the majority of Muslims, it refers to the spiritual struggle within oneself against sin. Available on BBC iPlayer, My Jihad centres onto two Muslim protagonists,  struggling to find an acceptable partner in a halal (non-sinful) manner. The first member of the potential couple we are introduced to is Fahmida, a pragmatic single mother, who carries a hard and prickly exterior. Fahmida uses her intellect to mask her vulnerability and fears; having suffered a troublesome past when it comes to relationships. Her prospective suitor comes in the form of Nazir, a hopeless romantic with a deep admiration for Michael Jackson. Nazir is unemployed and lacking in the financial department, but he has his heart set on finding a pious and devoted wife. The pair butt heads at first and both must inevitably shake off their preconceived notions of the other. The show asks the same of its audience, asking viewers to reconsider their misconceptions regarding Islam.

The world explored by My Jihad will be an eye-opener for many, and all too familiar for others—as the task of searching for a soulmate through Islamic means is a daunting one. The odd bar encounter or flirtation on a first date are completely replaced by organised speed dating events, chaperoned excursions, and dreaded family introductions. But religion isn’t the only factor involved in deciding the fate of our protagonists, as in life there are always other hurdles, making the relationship that much more relatable. Despite being centred on Muslims and shining a light on modern Islamic customs, My Jihad is a romantic comedy in the purest sense. The show highlights the universal themes of love and the honest human connections found between two people. Nothing cataclysmic occurs in the four episodes. The writing is equally in parts, poignant and humorous—that through dialogue exchanges alone, each character is fully developed. The short format also lends itself well, as My Jihad never overstays its welcome. The audience is left longing for more, grateful to have been privy to the briefest moments in the lives of these characters.

There is no question that the representation of Islam and Muslims in general through film and TV is not only sparse, but also significantly one-note. Tired clichés of terrorists and extremism dominate the small and large screens. Four Lions was idiosyncratic in its subversive take on the subject—and seven years after its release of the film, there has been very little progress since. The recent BBC drama Murdered by My Father further highlighted a prehistoric minority of Muslims who engage in honour killings. When the majority of Muslims are peaceful and well-integrated members of their community, it is deeply frustrating to see such acts of evil steal the headlines. Having more TV shows like My Jihad is not only important, but vital to painting a much more authentic and positive picture of everyday Muslims.

HOME Pick of the Week: Dheepan

Written by Nadia Cheung on . Posted in Film.

If you know anything about the Sri Lankan Civil War, you probably might feel that it was a war, derived from a conflict between the Singhalese and Tamil people of Sri Lanka, that was not reported on as much as it could or should have been. Described as a “war without witnesses”, a lot protests happened over the years, but many probably didn’t know why or what they were about other than that “it’s probably something to do about Sri Lanka and politics, maybe.”

Dheepan is a drama following a family of strangers headed by a former Tamil Tiger militant taking on the identity and passport of a dead man named Dheepan (FYI: the Tamil Tigers were a guerrilla organisation who wanted to gain Eelam as an independent Tamil state, and employed militant tactics to do so, but lost to the government). They leave behind a post-war Sri Lanka to settle down and seek refuge in a housing project somewhere in France with undesirable residents, where violence and crime is just as apparent and is just as much of an everyday occurrence.

Dheepan takes on a job as as housekeeper of the building, sorting out the cleaning, mail and maintenance—all the while manoeuvring around French self-made criminals and gangsters hoisting guns and swaggering around the residence ready to point, shoot and kill at any given moment. Yalini (Kalieaswari Srinivasan), Dheepan’s faux wife takes on the simple task of cooking and cleaning for a nearby resident, all the while resenting that she is France and not in the England where she could have been with her cousins and familiars. She gets caught between trying to make peace.  She lacks any maternal instincts and has a tumultuous relationship with 9-year-old Illayaal (Claudine Vinasithamby) who equally has just as much as a hard time connecting with two random grown-ups who pose as her parents, as well as a new school, and learning French.

The ending was pretty disappointing to say the least, but that’s because I’m not a fan of predictable romance. And the romance was predictable. But it’s okay, because the whole story overshadows that and you won’t have to think about the shabby ending montage anyway. The acting performances in this film were pretty great, and this was probably the most gripping part of what made the film so intense and dramatic for a crime drama film. The cinematography was probably best of all, with a fitting soundtrack that didn’t overcompensate and abuse the subject matter to near-exploitation.

Overall, writer-director Jacques Audiard (Rust and Bone, A Prophet) brings us into another drama about love, family and humanity. The script is great and the dialogue wasn’t too shabby for a French film that was mostly in Tamil. Dheepan won the Palme D’Or at Cannes Film Festival 2015, and brought widespread attention to the Sri Lankan Civil War. Though still today, there still isn’t the media attention that there could be, and that makes me really question about where popular media stands about these kind of things, but I guess that sadly not many people think it’s worth knowing about.

4/5

HOME Pick of the Week: Victoria

Written by James Moules on . Posted in Film.

Anyone aware Sebastian Schipper’s Victoria probably knows that the entire two-hour and twenty-minute movie was shot in a single, unbroken take. No digital editing tricks were involved (à la Birdman), just one long shot following our characters around Berlin in the early hours of the morning. As a technical achievement, Victoria is undeniably impressive. But while it generally succeeds as a narrative, there are times at which it tests the audience’s suspension of disbelief a little too much.

The plot of Victoria sees the titular character (Laia Costa)—a young Spanish woman who does not speak German—setting home from a night out in Berlin. But when she meets a group of young men who persuade her to join them, she finds her night dragging out in unexpected ways that will eventually lead her into deep trouble, as encounters with gangsters, robbery and the police prevent her from getting home.

The film’s single take stunt works remarkably well for the narrative of the film, making us feel Victoria’s night being wearily prolonged as we spend every single moment of real time in her presence. What could easily have been a simple attention-grabbing gimmick serves as a fantastic means of connecting the audience with the protagonist. Praise must be given to all of the cast and crew of Victoria for delivering on such a daring and (likely) exhausting shoot.

But despite the technical achievement of the film, it is hard to overlook some glaring flaws in the narrative. Victoria does, at times, test our sympathy with the titular character. Her lack of knowledge of German does give us cause to empathise with her plight as she is driven further into the murky crime in which her new found friends are involved. But as she continues to accompany them even after she can see that she is in danger for apparently no more reason than advancing the film’s plot, it becomes increasingly difficult to root for her. Great drama can be established by sympathetic characters making poor decisions, but Victoria’s motivations are often too unclear.

That being said, Victoria still remains a perfectly solid drama that will keep audiences and cinephiles engaged with its technical prowess and intriguing premise. The biggest crime it commits is the poorly considered juxtaposition of the realistic element of the single take against the (at times) downright absurd plot. But as an unconventional piece of entertainment—and a remarkable work of cinematography and film craft—Victoria achieves what it sets out to do.

3/5

Top 5: Nuclear war movies

Written by Dylan Kerlann on . Posted in Film.

5) Threads
This film depicts the long-term after-effects of a nuclear attack in the UK, focusing specifically onto Sheffield city. This is a very good movie showing the unthinkable. Alas it does, in my opinion, suffer from over-dramatisation, which is understandable considering the context of its production and its ulterior motive.

4) When the Wind Blows
The UK strikes back with a treasure of animation, based on Raymond Briggs’ novel of the same name. It depicts an adorable elderly couple, and their suffering due to the nuclear war. Sadness grips you as you watch. Absolutely powerless, this optimistic and naive couple slowly whither from radiation poisoning.

3) O-Bi O-Ba: The End of Civilisation
This Polish sci-fi is one of the best I’ve seen in this genre. It’s about the shielded survivors of the apocalypse, who blindly believe in the lie of aliens coming to save them—a lie made up by the soldiers to save them from the fallout. A treasure of absurdity, this film can also be interpreted as a satire about communism.

2) The Divide
One of the rare movies that have realistically depicted the human dark side, by one of the few French directors who hasn’t yet indulged into the boring State sponsored social dramas, this movie is hard to watch. It’s about stranded survivors descending into madness after the destructing devastation in New York.

1) The Day After
Set in the United States, and quite similar to Threads, this film offers a realistic depiction of the end. With great casting that rendered the event’s drama, the film shows several survivors, representing American society. This movie deserves the top spot of this list, and I hope it will be the gateway to your discovery of  nuclear war in cinema.

TV Binge: The Walking Dead

Written by Barney Weston on . Posted in Film.

The Walking Dead, perhaps more than any other series currently in its sixth season, has truly had its ups and downs. So much so, that one website, theverge.com, reviews each episode according to their likeliness to quit the series. It is fair enough. Audiences who have stuck with the show have had to go through half-seasons of watching characters try to build something, before coming up against a formidable opponent in the season finale, failing, travelling, and then repeating. In recent years, The Walking Dead has struggled in the wake of shows, such as Game of Thrones, which do something that The Walking Dead has only done a few times within its last few seasons. Take risks.

As part of its repetitive format, The Walking Dead is now expected to kill off a major character every season finale. The season six finale does this, but doesn’t show you who, making it seem like the show runners merely couldn’t decide who to kill off thanks to contract disputes. Within the show’s first few seasons, this could have been got away with, but now, six seasons in, even me, someone who has gritted his teeth through each and every one of the show’s 83 episodes, is not happy.

But can you really not expect a tired format from a show that relies on the survival of its main characters? Neither Rick nor Carl Grimes (played respectively by Andrew Lincoln and Chandler Riggs) are ever going to be killed off, and several other characters, for example Michonne (played by Danai Gurira), are being added to that safe list. Something that the show’s competitors, again for example Game of Thrones, thrive off not having.

As well as this, there are moments in the second half of season six of The Walking Dead where we see our main characters living, instead of surviving. We see them having a lie-in or listening to music. Although the show runners have inserted these moments into the season in order to try to trick the audience into thinking that perhaps this is ‘happily ever after’ for our characters, these moments instead reminded me of the tired format that The Walking Dead is suffering from. The inclusion of Negan and his group of Saviors into this, although true to the comic, is testament to such.

So what can save me, and seemingly several other audiences, from giving up on The Walking Dead? What the show really needed in its finale was the grand unveiling of Negan as this truly evil, ominous, yet also hilarious character who was going to brutally kill a main character with Lucille. But instead, what we got was a character with his cards close to his chest, and a mere thud of an unnamed bat with barbed wire coiled around it to end the season.

I don’t know if I’ll be back for season seven, but I’m praying that The Walking Dead’s younger spin-off sibling, Fear The Walking Dead, can quench my thirst for apocalyptic survival in the face of zombies, and other humans.

Positives for England despite World T20 despair

Written by James Haughton on . Posted in Sport.

Even though England were denied the 2016 Men’s World T20 title by an inspired West Indies, their development over the past year is highly encouraging

Six, six, six, six. The West Indies required 19 runs off the final six deliveries of their innings to snatch the Men’s World T20 title from England. Thanks to Carlos Brathwaite’s majestic hitting, however, only four balls of Ben Stokes’s final over were needed. It was an aptly thrilling conclusion to a topsy-turvy final and a pulsating tournament, but that was little comfort to the distraught Stokes and his teammates.

With his first, third and fourth deliveries of the 20th over, Stokes missed the fine margins required of death-bowlers nowadays, turning what he had hoped would be snarling, toe-crushing yorkers into leg-stump half-volleys that, such is the nature of T20, are routinely dispatched for six. Brathwaite’s second six, however, was astonishing: a leading edge that sailed over the off-side boundary for six, a true testament to the power and bat speed that Brathwaite possesses.

England batted first and started poorly. Jason Roy went for a duck, and Alex Hales and the England skipper, Eoin Morgan, went cheaply too, leaving England on 23-3. The England batsmen struggled with the mystery spin, or lack of spin, of Samuel Badree, who bowled from the start and took 2-16 in his four overs.

Then a partnership of 61 between Joe Root and Jos Buttler brought England back into the game; Root and Buttler sensibly built a partnership yet complemented that by scoring heavily off bad balls in order to create momentum and increase the run rate; in particular, Buttler whacked full deliveries from Sulieman Been, the West Indies’ second spinner, for six.

Even with the dismissal of Buttler for a brisk 36 (off 22 balls), England had recovered from their slow start to reach 110-4 midway through the 14th over. Root had, by this time, reached 50 off 33 balls, the joint fastest half-century in a World T20 final, along with Kumar Sangakkara. Then the wickets of Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali fell within three balls, and Root soon followed after an unsuccessful ramp shot meant he was caught at short fine-leg. Good hitting from David Willey, however, ensured England reached 155-9 from their 20 overs. This was a total that, after the game, Morgan felt was up to as much as forty runs below par for the wicket.

The start of the West Indies’ innings could not have possibly gone for better for England. Morgan’s decision to have Root bowl the second over, while the Powerplay’s fielding restrictions applied, proved a master stroke. Root took the wicket of Johnson Charles with his first ball and then, two deliveries after that, that of Chris Gayle, the man who had put England’s bowlers to the sword with a 47-ball hundred in both sides’ first match of the tournament, which the West Indies won. When Willey dismissed Lendl Simmons in the next over, the West Indies were reeling at 11-3.

Marlon Samuels’ superb 85 not out from 66 balls, which saw him named Man of the Match, with some support from Dwayne Bravo (25 from 27 balls), enabled the West Indies to have a chance come the final over, a chance that Brathwaite took with aplomb.

Despite the two defeats to the West Indies in the 2016 World T20, England’s performances in the tournament, and across all formats of the game in the past year, have been invigorating, and imply that success is a matter of when, not if, for this side.

In this year’s World T20, the game against South Africa, in particular, will live long in the memory. Chasing a score of 229-4, England plundered 89 runs in the first six overs, mainly thanks to Jason Roy’s 43 off 16 balls, and they reached their target with a couple of balls to spare, with Joe Root top-scoring again, with 83 from 48 deliveries.

Even in the match against Afghanistan, where the top order failed to perform—England were 85-7 at one point—Ali and Willey guided England to 142-7; in the past, the side might have collapsed to a score below 100, but this side are a resolute outfit now, and the depth of England’s batting line-up is a particular strength—in the final, Adil Rashid, an all-rounder by trade, came in to bat at 11. England’s bowlers restricted Afghanistan to 127-9 from their 20 overs, thereby preventing an embarrassing defeat that would have severely damaged England’s progress in the tournament, an unfortunate hallmark of England’s previous tournament campaigns.

What made England’s performances in this tournament even more refreshing and exciting was that they were in stark contrast to those of 2015’s Cricket World Cup. In that tournament England were frankly atrocious, and how they played the game was antediluvian compared to that of the likes of New Zealand and Australia. Whereas Brendon McCullum and David Warner, to name just a couple, made the most of the fielding restrictions by attacking the opposition bowlers from the start, England attempted to steadily build an innings and then only accelerate in the final ten overs. It didn’t work: Australia beat England by 111 runs and England were skittled out for 123 by New Zealand.

For England the nadir was still to come, however. A defeat to Bangladesh confirmed England’s exit from the competition at the group stage. Only seven teams were in the group, and the top four qualified for the next stage, but England weren’t one of them. Victories against Scotland and Afghanistan were scant consolation.

The one positive that sprang from England’s miserable campaign was that the nature of the defeats made the selectors and coaching staff realise that England needed a drastic change in philosophy if they were going to challenge for trophies and beat the best in all formats of the game.

That change in philosophy was vindicated by England’s World T20 semi-final defeat of New Zealand, a complete performance with both bat and ball. Stokes and Jordan’s death-bowling stifled the Kiwis. From 89-1 after ten overs, the New Zealand batsmen stumbled to a total of 153-8. In reply, England hammered the New Zealand attack, one that had bowled India out for 79 and restricted Australia to 134-9 earlier in the tournament. Jason Roy was the linchpin; he scored 78 off 44 balls, his barrage of fours and sixes leaving the Kiwi bowlers dumbfounded. From the tenth over, England were in cruise control and they reached their target with 17 balls remaining.

England’s achievements since the spring of 2015 demonstrate the rapid progression from their dismal 50-over World Cup campaign. Jos Buttler has scored 46-ball and 66-ball centuries against Pakistan and New Zealand, respectively, since then. In the past year England have made scores of 399-9, 355-5, 408-9, 350-3 (in 44 overs), 365-9 (46 overs) in One-day Internationals (ODIs). And in test cricket, England secured impressive series victories away to South Africa and at home to Australia.

Therefore, despite the heroics of Brathwaite and the pain of seeing a world title once again slip away from its grasp, English cricket has rarely been in a better position on the international scene. Thanks to a young, fearless, resolute, and most importantly, extremely talented squad of players, that promise has translated into very good results, and international trophies and world-number-one rankings are surely close at hand.

Manchester City Women in Flying Form

Written by Harry Newton on . Posted in Sport.

It was recently announced that away tickets in the Premier League have been capped at £30 for next season, and the whole country rejoiced! Some teams have been known to sell their away tickets for double that—and then some—so this was a fantastic step in the right direction for the men’s game. So, that’s £30 for a football match. Well, then you’ve got to buy the £4 programme, too. Oh, and the £5 chicken and Balti pie. Just don’t get thirsty, you may have to re-mortgage to buy a pint. There’s also currently no cap on home games in the Premier League, so it will depend on if you support Bournemouth or Arsenal as to how much a match would set you back.

But we all love football, so what does it matter eh? It’s an investment into fun! But, what if I told you that a ticket to watch Manchester City Women (MCWFC) against Arsenal Ladies a couple of weeks ago cost £5? They even threw in a free match-day programme and poster too. You can’t buy a Freddo for that much in some places! However, buying a ticket to MCWFC isn’t like buying a DVD from the fella in the pub for a cheaper price – you still get top-notch quality. The pace and strength of any Women’s Super League (WSL) game is just as impressive as any Premier League one, and City have been scoring some exquisite goals this season.

City have been raking in the fans this season, with four-figure attendances regularly being noted, creating a great atmosphere in their brand-spanking-new Academy Stadium just opposite The Etihad Stadium. City are yet to concede a goal in the five games they’ve played this season, and are looking comfortable in front of goal also with five wins on the bounce! All but one game has finished 2-0 so far, with one being a very impressive win over big rivals Arsenal Ladies. The one game that didn’t finish 2-0 was a 1-0 win over Notts County that brought about the most exciting moment of the season so far, as a last minute free-kick from captain Steph Houghton flew into the net! Clean-sheets, and especially digging out 1-0 wins, are exactly what makes a championship-winning side, so City are kicking off this campaign perfectly!

Manager Nick Cushing has assembled a very well-balanced side. Big performances are being pulled-out by players from all positions. Steph Houghton’s goal against Notts County might have been the highlight of the season so far, but her defensive display has been equally as impressive alongside the rest of the back four and goalkeeper Karen Bardsley. Notabley, Demi Stokes has been just as important to City’s attack as their defence, as she bombs on from the left-back position.

Midfielder Jill Scott has also kicked off the season in great form, involved in all the midfield action, giving no opponent a moment’s time on the ball, as she covers so much ground. Rumour has it that Jill Scott could take a corner, head it in, and have the ball back on the centre-circle before a defender has jumped to clear the corner. Even Doctor Who would struggle to find time on the ball with Scott around. (Is it okay I just made that very uncool reference? It’s not okay, I take it back).

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

The British trio that are Toni Duggan, Nikkita Parris and Jane Ross are doing their job at the top end of the field also, with all of the attackers amongst the goals already. Fellow attacker and new signing Kosovare Assllani looks like she has lots to bring to the table too this season, giving Nick Cushing a variety of attacking options before him for the season ahead.

BT Sport will be showing games from the (WSL) this season, but don’t let that stop you getting down to watch a game at The Academy Stadium this season! The season runs from March to October, meaning that Premier League fans can fill their summer void by getting down to the Academy Stadium to watch the Women’s Team.

 

Festival Preview: Latitude Festival 2016

Written by Joe Casson on . Posted in Music.

Suffolk, England
14th-17th July

Since 2005, Latitude has built up a reputation as a sort of mini-Glastonbury: a diverse, family-friendly and sustainable celebration of the performing arts. Now, entering its second decade, the festival shows no signs of letting that accolade slip.

The stellar line-up offers something for everyone, and sometimes at the same time: expect headliners New Order to attract edgy students and their parents in equal measures. Returning headliners The National—playing their only UK show of 2016—offer an outlet for every festivalgoer’s middle-aged, middle class malaise.

At the other end of the spectrum, art-pop darling Grimes will bring her energetic, colourful live show to the Radio 6 Music stage, while fans of witty guitar music will be spoilt for choice with both Father John Misty and Courtney Barnett up against each other on the bill. Those hoping to see acts more representative of the festival’s gentle, pastoral character will also be pleased with Beirut, The Lumineers, and Of Monsters and Men, adding an acoustic edge.

If music isn’t your thing, yet you’ve still coughed up £197 to go to the festival, not to worry (although I do have some questions for you)—Latitude boasts the most extensive comedy line-up in Europe, offering acts ranging from Russell Howard to Reggie Watts. Other art forms are also well represented, with a range of poetry, theatre and cabaret acts to choose from.

Anything else? Well, a few things: a newly-built spa, extensive woodlands, and a lake to swim in with free boat rides. Also, neon sheep.

Conclusion: go to Latitude. Buy the t-shirt. Boast about it in years to come.

Review: Enjoying It: Candy Crush and Capitalism

Written by Jack Blenkinsopp on . Posted in Books.

Enjoying It: Candy Crush and Capitalism is the first full-length book by Alfie Bown, editor of the excellent Everyday Analysis website and its books of compiled articles. It is very typical of the site’s tone, mixing the seemingly trivial with critical theory and evaluating the things that we do without thinking.

The book explores the implications of different types of enjoyment, and argues that no type of enjoyment, however trivial it may seem, is truly mindless. Bown argues that all enjoyment is in some way political, and goes on to look at Game of Thrones, Gangnam Style and Football Manager through this lens of critical theory.

The book gives an interesting insight into the politics of enjoyment, and it is so much a testament to the strength of its arguments that I now have to think about what I mean by ‘enjoy’ before saying that I’ve enjoyed something.

In Enjoying It all enjoyment is meaningful to the enjoyer, even that which seems to be nothing more than a pointless distraction. Applications such as Candy Crush, for example, are enjoyed because they seem so trivial, which then makes the work that we are eschewing, in favour of messing around on our phones, seem worthwhile in comparison. Candy Crush, then, is a way of coping with the lack of fulfilment we receive from our work, but Enjoying It is more than just a finger-wagging criticism of these capitalist tools designed to help us put up with the jobs we dislike.

One of the book’s strengths is that Bown himself seems to be a fan of these less highbrow pursuits he subjects to his analysis. He discusses Football Manager as if he wants to understand the nature of his own obsession, rather than use it to keep the reader on board during his discussions of Freud. For example, one chapter is about the problems with ideas of highbrow and lowbrow enjoyment, and Bown practices what he preaches here by seeming to enjoy both in equal measure.

Enjoying It is an interesting read and it more than matches the depth and quality of analysis on the Everyday Analysis website. I am only slightly troubled by one thing: the book’s structure.

The first chapter features possibly the most in-depth critical theory in the book, which feels like a little too much too soon. The studies of Deleuze and Lyotard would have been better placed if they were incorporated into later chapters, allowing the analysis of Candy Crush and Game of Thrones to gradually reach critical theory rather than working in the other direction.

This is only a small problem, though, as the case studies are almost as entertaining as the rest of the book, which pursues the Everyday Analysis project but adds even more depth to its ideas.

Everyday Analysis focuses on that which we do without thinking, but Enjoying It focuses on that which we intend to do without thinking. It suggests that Candy Crush and Football Manager are not enjoyed quite as mindlessly as we realise, or even as mindlessly as we want to believe.

Check out how it’s become a bit of a YouTube sensation.