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Day: 25 September 2017

Re-appraisal: Jungle Fever

Jungle Fever was Spike Lee’s sixth feature, first shown in cinemas in 1991. Recently shown at HOME Mcr, the film was followed by a panel discussion with The British Blacklist’s Akua Gyamfi, where we delved into some of the many layers of the film, such as the glass ceiling in the workplace, black women’s thoughts about black men, and of course how Spike Lee approaches what Jungle Fever actually is.

The movie begins one morning in Harlem, taking a look into the harmonious life of Flipper Purify (Wesley Snipes) a successful architect who is both happily married, and a wonderful father. On this particular morning, Flipper’s bosses introduce him to his new temp worker, Angie Tucci (Annabella Sciorra) a young and alluring Italian-American woman from Bensonhurst.

Their first interaction is not pleasant, as Flipper almost immediately strides back to his bosses’ office, angrily protesting he asked for an African-American to be hired, on the basis that he is the only person of colour in the entire office. “This sounds dangerously like reverse discrimination” one of the two bosses points out. The issue Spike Lee is tackling here is that the modern American workplace needs to normalize hiring people from all backgrounds, especially African-Americans.

When talking to his wife Drew (Lonette McKee) about his long overdue promotion to partner of the architectural firm, as much as she agrees he deserves it, she carefully warns him to be prepared. “Prepared for what?” Flipper asks. “In case they say no.” Flipper throws that statement to the wind — to him, it’s all very straightforward — “Most of the money they make in the company, it’s because of me”.

This glass ceiling is still hugely present in the workplace today — as many of the people confirmed during the discussion panel. One woman recounted her experience of deciding to leave her job to start her own business due to the very same problem Flipper faced almost 30 years ago.

Angie and Flipper grow increasingly drawn to each other, creating a routine of working late and eating Chinese takeout together, one night finally giving in to temptation. It is quite obvious that the pair share more of a physical attraction than a romantic one. The backlash their liaison causes quickly outweighs the fascination they held for one another.

It is this unhealthy sexual attraction that Spike Lee evokes as Jungle Fever, or the fetishization of different skin colours or ethnicities than one’s own. Both ruin the relationships they were in, Angie receives a vicious beating from her father when word gets out she is seeing a black man. Her boyfriend Paulie (John Turturro, also known for the role of Pino in Do the Right Thing) is a “nice guy”, their break-up scene is so well played that it is genuinely upsetting to watch.

Paulie’s friends — or probably better described as an entourage — are intensely racist and attempt to push him to be angry not over the adultery, but over the fact that the man in question is black. Thankfully Paulie does not share this point of view and quite soon asks a regular client out on a date. Contrasting with Angie and Flipper’s relationship, this was a nice addition to the story as Paulie is infatuated with her not only because he finds her beautiful, but also for her intelligence – He does not have “the fever”.

It is interesting how the pair’s different skin colours are recurrently seen as a larger issue than the adultery itself. Angie’s father is ashamed of her actions, throwing her out of his home because the man she is seeing is not white or Italian. Flipper’s wife Drew has struggled all her life being mixed-race, and for this reason feels all the more hurt upon discovering the other woman is white.

This opens up a discussion she and her friends have that evening. She is now convinced Flipper has always fantasized about white women, wondering aloud if it’s for her light-coloured skin that he married her. They criticise the fact that men’s ideal of beauty is far too often the white woman. Growing up, the black girl is constantly surrounded by media and advertisements that push that stereotype. Lee and the actresses improvised this whole scene over the course of two days, and it is one of the most realistic scenes in the entire film. It evokes what women of colour felt and experienced then, and as women during the discussion panel confirmed, still reflects what women of colour feel and talk about now.

Many of the people at the screening confessed that the film didn’t ring as true as when they first saw it in 1991, but we all agreed that Spike Lee had once again brought together an incredibly talented cast and a realistic grasp of the tensions on the streets of Harlem and Bensonhurst that must be watched, shared and talked about continually.

Review: American Assassin

After a string of well-received films by director Michael Cuesta, the Hollywood call for another riskless, humourless franchise was just too strong to ignore.

Thankfully, American Assassin will lay to rest with the other bare minimum attempts by Lionsgate to create a cash-cow replacement to the Hunger Games and the other 15 and counting novels in the same series will remain just that.

The four billed writers are the biggest red flag, who produced three separate rewrites of the book adaptation. Four different people who wanted to leave their personal stamp, skewing the plot and tonality in their separate directions. The result is an incredibly self-serious film with a ludicrous storyline.

Dylan O’Brien, whose performance is only restricted by the material he has to work with, plays the main character of Mitch Rapp. On an idyllic beach in Ibiza, he proposes to his girlfriend before heading to the bar for celebratory drinks. From the overly-saturated shooting style, it is obvious that violence is incoming and sure enough multiple terrorists slaughter holiday-goers in a horrendously explicit sequence. Rapp gets shot several times but makes it over to his now-fiancee just in time to see her become his ex-fiancee.

From here on in American Assassin becomes a vengeance-obsessed thriller and Rapp dedicates the next several months to become an MMA expert and a gun-toting killer whilst simultaneously infiltrating a terrorist cell. When he travels to meet them, the CIA, who have allegedly been “monitoring him for some time” charge in and take them all out. Rapp in frustration stabs the dead body of one of them repeatedly before being dragged away.

CIA Deputy Director Irene Kennedy, a role that wastes the talents of Sanaa Lathan, decides to hire Rapp rather than put him into prison, as any rational person would do.

A further step down into madness and Rapp’s character gets quick-fire training by former Navy SEAL Stan Hurley, played by Michael Keaton, to be one of his ‘Orion’ operatives. His first task is to stop World War III. A person who two years prior was just an average joe now holds the peace of the world on his shoulders.

Throw in Taylor Kitsch as ‘generic villain 001’, a nudity scene for the sake of the nudity scene and a finale with worse CGI than the James Bond glacial-surfing scene in Die Another Day and you have the makings of yet another 2017 flop film.

Although it isn’t addressed we can assume that many American people died in the climax to the film. None of that matters though because the main protagonist survives and the deceased aren’t introduced or developed as characters, going against the supposed main theme of the film that the death of innocent people is needless.

Through all the preposterousness you can kind of see what Cuesta intends; to find the gap between the young adult and crime genre, hopefully attracting both demographics. The final scene is purposefully left open-ended to hint at a sequel but anyone who enjoyed this film may find themselves waiting a very long time.

Pizza dough used three ways

Basic recipe for the dough —

Ingredients:

4 mugs of plain flour

1 ½ tablespoon dried yeast

1 tablespoon oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon of salt

1 mug of warm milk and water mixed

Method

  1. Combine the flour, yeast, oil, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add half the milk and water and stir the mixture with a spoon.
  3. Little by little, keep adding the milk and water slowly to the bowl. At this stage use your hands to bring the mixture into a dough.
  4. Use your own discretion regarding when to stop adding milk and water. If the dough becomes too sticky, don’t worry, just add some more flour.
  5. Cover the dough with a tea towel and leave to rise for at least 2 hours.

How to turn this dough into pizza:

Simply divide the dough into four and roll out into a circle on a well-floured board. This recipe will make four pizzas. Add sauce and toppings of your choice.

How to turn this dough into naan bread:

  1. Divide the dough into 8.
  2. Roll out into an oval shape on a well-floured board.
  3. Spread melted butter over the 8 naans (at this stage you can add toppings such as garlic, coriander and cumin on top of the melted butter).
  4. Heat a dry non-stick frying pan until it starts to smoke.
  5. Put the naan onto the pan, it will only need 1-2 minutes on each side.
  6. Enjoy your fluffy naan bread with a tasty curry or have as a snack with some hummus.

How to turn this dough into dough balls:

  1. Divide the dough into around 16-18 balls.
  2. Bake in the oven for around 20 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and oregano to some melted butter.
  4. Dip the balls into the buttery heaven and enjoy. (Additionally, the dough can be shaped into sticks and served with a garlic studded camembert)

 

 

 

 

 

Review: Victoria and Abdul

Dame Judi Dench returns to her role as Queen Victoria, first debuted in John Madden’s Mrs Brown in 1997, and brings another unlikely friendship to our screens. Though this time not between a Queen and a Scottish commoner, but a weary ruler and her devoted Indian servant.

Victoria and Abdul sees Stephen Frears take on the final years of Queen Victoria’s life, portraying a depressed and haggard old woman who becomes transformed and bedazzled by a charming, young, Indian clerk, played by Ali Fazal. Victoria develops an obsessive fascination with Indian-Muslim culture, but Frears’ well-meaning period flick has a plain disregard for the wider international issues that shaped this complicit relationship with hierarchy, failing altogether to deliver a kind of resolution with which you could feel completely comfortable.

Dame Judi Dench is, as ever, wonderful at playing the sultry, self-righteous, figure of authority. But even her performance is not enough to save this glorification of servitude and grovelling, which is at best disguised as some sort of aspirational, unexpected friendship, defying all odds and taboos.

A stellar cast and strange moments of exaggerated comedy provided some light relief; Eddie Izzard playing stuffy Prince Bertie was the convincing villain of the story, and Michael Gambon as Lord Salisbury gave some humorous one-liners, but the comedy was often nonsensical, and simply added to the overall feeling of discomfort. I would question how appropriate and credible it was to include Abdul’s joke, “at least I think that’s the right way around!” when introducing his wife and mother-in-law, who were both wearing identical burqas.

At first, some of the exaggerated caricatures of pompous English aristocracy seemed like a promising satire, but this film was far from a critique or commentary. I think it was just trying to be ‘cute’. What it became instead was a validation of colonial servitude, and seems to absolve Queen Victoria of any responsibility.

It did, at times, try its best to portray some taboos being defied. The way Abdul’s wife slowly removes her burqa in front of the Queen to reveal a stunning, shimmery, colourful dress and decorated face, is a quietly beautiful moment; this celebration and understanding of this aspect of Muslim culture felt like something actually quite remarkable, in this otherwise unremarkable film. Victoria’s fascination with Indian-Muslim culture was a perhaps refreshing take on the era, but does little to erase the wider tensions of British rule in India — something I could not get out of my head for the entire hour and 52 minutes.

This film would (rightly) not have had the same capacity for charm and allure had the story been about a snooty king who develops a lustful and endearing fascination for an ‘exotic’ female servant. That said, even with the roles reversed, Victoria and Abdul falls short of the clearly attempted and anticipated appeal.

The final scene is nearly as baffling as trying to understand why someone fought to tell this story in the first place. In a moment — I imagine — intended to hit hard with poignant and emotional resolution, Abdul leans down and kisses the foot of a towering statue of Queen Victoria. As the camera zooms out, we see that the statue resides in the gardens near the Taj Mahal; Victoria got her wish to go after all.

As this was a story much more about Victoria’s lonely and depressed final years, and her lust for life resurrected by her Indian servant, it felt slightly redundant and morally obligated when the end credits explained “India gained independence from Britain in 1947.” Almost half a century after poor Abdul was whispering “Good morning” to a statue of the Queen of England.

Victoria and Abdul tries to be charming, endearing and heartfelt, but its emphasis on the Queen’s boisterous demands, inescapable loneliness, and frustration with the advisers surrounding her left little dialogue and focus on Abdul, who came across as a devoted, unquestioning servant. The Queen became his “most special person” for reasons never really explained. There’s probably not much truth to be found here, about which the film is fairly honest. It had some lovely moments and gave some small laughs, but I doubt, however, that this was a story worth telling.

2/5

New menu at Las Iguanas: adding some spice to chilly autumn days

Las Iguanas will launch a new autumn menu on the 26th of September 2017; 15 new additions will be heating up the menu, all bursting with the vibrant colours and bold flavours of Latin America.

The menu has been intricately designed by a team of highly-skilled chefs who love to discover unique flavours from across Latin America. They have their hearts set on bringing these flavours to life using high quality, fresh ingredients.

The new menu is full of exciting creations that will get your tongues tingling. For example, Ipanema Mussels — cooked in a lightly spiced lime, coriander, and coconut sauce and served with ciabatta to soak up the delicious broth.

The Seco de Cordero — a Peruvian-style dish that will have meat lovers drooling: lamb slow-cooked in golden ale, red wine and Amarillo chilli sauce, and served with sweet potato mash and crispy chilli onions.

For those who would prefer a vegetarian alternative, the Cauliflower and Corn Quinotto — a Peruvian-style quinoa risotto with smoked cheese, roasted cauliflower, and charred baby corn — sounds absolutely dreamy.

If you still have room for dessert, there are several new sweet treats on offer to continue your journey across the continent. From the Banana Empanada, where traditional pastry is hand-filled with banana, sweet plantain and glorious dulce de leche, served with vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of rum flavoured syrup, to the Piña Colada Mess: piña colada ice cream served with caramelised pineapple salsa, crispy pineapple pieces and toasted coconut chips. These exotic tantalising desserts will have you daydreaming about tropical beaches!

To accompany taste-bud heaven, Las Iguanas have ALL COCKTAILS AVAILABLE FOR 2-4-1 ALL DAY EVERY DAY! Happy hour becomes happy days. Las Iguanas always use premium spirits, including their own award-winning, artisan Magnifica Cachaça.

With the addition of 14 new cocktails, there will certainly be a new and unique mix to suit all palates. There’s a Latin American take on the classic Porn Star Martini using Gosling’s Gold Rum, apricot, Funkin passionfruit, vanilla, pineapple, and a shot of cava, which sounds truly scrumptious. Additionally, a host of new sharing drinks are on the menu, for example the Alpaca Punch: El Dorado Rum, falernum, passionfruit, lime, and cranberry, topped up at the table with a bottle of Freixenet Cava.

The new autumn menu seems like the perfect excuse to bid farewell to summer or to round up your friends for a tasty, Latin-inspired catch up!

 

 

 

 

Review: God’s Own Country

Francis Lee’s directorial debut, God’s Own Country, is beautiful in its unapologetic and bold depiction of gay relationships and sex. Throughout the film, visual metaphor takes precedence over dialogue, creating a world that is naturalistic and sombre.

For the characters, Johnny and Gheorghe, some things don’t have to be spoken to be understood, and the things that they do say are all the more telling and powerful because of it.

Depictions of the English countryside have changed, fallen in and out of fashion over the decades. From Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s tamed vision of ‘the ground’s most gentle dimplement’, to the more rugged and Romantic imagery — Romantic in the same way that Mary Shelley decided to lose her virginity to Percy Shelley on her mother’s grave at midnight, not in the roses and chocolate way.

Thankfully though, Lee’s portrayal of the isolated village and farmland where the film is set has far more in common with the sublime than it does more passive and quaint portrayals. Indeed, this seems to be the trend among directors at the moment, and you can see the similarities between God’s Own Country and other British films such as Andrea Arnold’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights (2011) or Clio Bernard’s Dark River (2017).

The harsh, lonely countryside in God’s Own Country acts as a perfect visual metaphor for Johnny’s — excellently played by newcomer Josh O’Connor — state of being at the beginning of the film. Indeed, the opening shot is of Johnny throwing up the contents of his stomach — beer and bile — against the backdrop of the Yorkshire moors, just before sunrise.

A borderline alcoholic, Johnny spends his days working on the farm that has become his unwanted responsibility after his emotionally distant father — played by Ian Hart — falls seriously ill. His free time is spent drinking to excess in the local pub alone, or engaging in silent, anonymous sex. His resentment towards his father and feelings of being trapped on the sheep farm are highlighted in a brilliantly awkward scene between Johnny and an old school friend, Robyn — played by Patsy Ferran — who has since left the small village for university.

Things change when Gheorghe — beautifully portrayed by Alec Secareanu — a Romanian immigrant hired by Johnny’s father to help during the lambing season, arrives. With him, Gheorghe brings a kinder, more hopeful atmosphere with him, gently scooping out the mucus and rubbing life into the runt of the litter. The fact that he does not give up on the beast is obviously a foreign concept to John, who watched uncomprehendingly on.

Just as with the lamb, Gheorghe breathes life in Johnny and his family, offering a fresh perspective. For a time, the animosity felt between Johnny and Gheorghe at the start fades first into attraction and finally into something similar to domesticity.

However, we are never allowed to forget that the love story Lee deftly weaves before our eyes is not plain sailing. When a personal tragedy occurs, Johnny’s progression falters and his relationships with those closest to him once again begin to fail.

Josh O’Connor and Alec Secareanu share the kind of chemistry that all love interests should, and what’s more, they understand the deep and sometimes difficult emotions that this film tries to convey. It is a film about love, yes, but it is also about understanding oneself.

God’s Own Country could so easily tell the same story of heartbreak and tragedy that Ang Lee’s 2005 film Brokeback Mountain, and countless other films, novels, and TV shows tell about the gay relationships.  This trope is so widespread, lesbians dying once they’ve found love has become a meme. Lee, however, expertly carves out hope rather than gloom, from the the bleak stony hills that form the backdrop of this film.

Fashion player of the week: Adwoa Aboah

Deputy Fashion and Beauty Editor Amy Nguyen delves into the off-duty work of model and activist Adwoa Aboah as she is crowned our fashion player of the week.

Occupation: Model and Activist

Age: 25

Nationality: British (Ghanaian Origin)

Walked for: Dior, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, Burberry, Kenzo, Topshop, Coach, Fendi

Featured on: Business of Fashion, British Vogue, Italian Vogue, American Vogue, I-D Magazine, Love Magazine, ES Magazine

Campaigns for: H & M, Dior, Calvin Klein, Miu Miu, Gap, Versace

There is no dispute that Adwoa Aboah is strikingly beautiful. However, she is far more than meets the eye.

Awarded GQ’s Woman of the Year and pinned by the Business of Fashion as one of five hundred figures to be shaping the $2.4 trillion dollar fashion industry, Adwoah, we can fairly justify, is this season’s MVP.

Gracing the covers of Vogue, Love and I-D Magazine as well as walking the runway for Dior, Chanel and Burberry, her resume couldn’t spell out supermodel more if it tried.

It is not simply her beauty that has gained the attention of the industry and its peers alike but her repertoire of work off the runway that has brought Adwoa universal appeal.

Her story is one that is compelling in nature. Following her own battles with depression, addiction and attempted suicide, she created a network and online community named Gurls Talk which provides a voice to young women and raises issues of race and feminism. In conjunction with Coach, Adwoah hosted an event in London in July as a manifestation of this community and was attended by over 700 people.

The platform that she has created encourages conversation between the younger Generation X to look beyond the realms of Instagram to matters of higher importance such as racial equality, female sexuality, and addressing the taboos and stigma regarding mental health issues. It is her innate honesty and bravery in talking about her own experiences that I find most appealing about her character. It is this exact openness with her own personal struggles that promoted Dazed to define her as “the real thing.”

Under the new leadership of Edward Enninful and his strive for Vogue to become a voice for all different cultures, Adwoa will now be a contributing editor of British Vogue. Her authenticity, uniqueness, and encouragement to raise issues for those that do not have a voice signal to me that simply being conventionally beautiful isn’t enough anymore.

Interview: YolanDa Brown, the UK’s leading Saxophonist

Passion is what keeps the world spinning. It’s what makes you get up in the morning and really want to partake in all this life stuff. After the release of ‘Love Politics War’ — her latest album this past June — YolanDa Brown, the UK’s leading saxophone soloist and two times MOBO award winner, took the time to chat with me about how she did what everyone dreams of: how she made her passion become her livelihood.

Much has changed for YolanDa since she picked up the sax at the age of thirteen. Self-taught and well versed in other instruments like the drums and piano, YolanDa’s love for music would stem from needing an emotional outlet, not for a grade or any kind of kudos.

“It was like writing in a diary,” YolanDa tells me. “As a teenager sometimes it’s pretty hard to process emotions! I could play what I wanted, improvise to how I felt.” Growing up in East London and later attending the University of Kent to study business, YolanDa was just like any other student, working hard and trying to enjoy her time. Making money out of her closeted talent wasn’t her first thought, but the music never took a back seat.

“I didn’t think about playing gigs, instead I just played for myself,” she tells me. “I tried to find clubs to join at my freshers fair but found the brass band was just too clinical. It was all about what grade you had. It wasn’t about the music really. I found myself shying away.” I’m sure students with a secret passion can relate. So many people I know are in bands, DJ on the side of studies or love singing in the shower. When you’re only 18 or so you might not have much money for music, which can be a pretty expensive hobby.

“Leaving university I started a fund, called the YolanDa Brown music award with the University of East London when they awarded me the Honorary Doctorate of Arts award. This was my way to give back to students as I know funding really helps. It’s important for young musicians to look for ways to get financial support as that’s what normally stops people from being able to play.”

Being able to find the time to sort out gigs can be pretty daunting, too. If you don’t find like-minded people at uni — which at first YolanDa didn’t — it’s a big deal to seek that out, to put yourself out there, and to discover what the world has to offer in music, but YolanDa urges you to try. For her, it wasn’t until she took an Erasmus year abroad in Spain that she truly felt like she belonged in a musical community. “That was the first time I found music to be played for the love of it, everyone was just there having a good time, that’s what I had craved all along. When I got back, between my undergrad and PhD I decided to join a band. For a while, it still wasn’t a career for me, but a passion. I started playing gigs in London, odd ones like a comedy night where I would be the only musician there, so it was a bit of an unorthodox introduction to the scene! But that’s how I grew my audience and they’ve been with me ever since.”

Being able to grow your audience is probably one of the most challenging but rewarding parts of being a musician. Knowing that other people appreciate what you do is what keeps the fire of your passions going, keeping you on track to keep creating. “We’re living in a totally different time where you can build your own audience. What with social media, you don’t have to study music to have a career in it. If you love playing music you will find those people who love it too and who really want you to succeed.”
“I had a sort of double life with my PhD at university and touring, spending my time growing my craft, audience and music. My first concert was in 2007 which had a capacity of 600 and we sold out. I remember standing in the room at the end thinking, ‘this is it, I get it now.’ This will be my 10th year as a solo saxophonist and I haven’t looked back.”

Photo: YolanDa Brown

It seems YolanDa really has taken the world by storm. Now a two-times ‘Best Jazz’ MOBO award winner, she talked to me about how it feels to be recognised for your talents and where that’s taken her.

“It was amazing. An award is something great to hang onto, something you can see as a way to say ‘keep going’. The best part about it all was the fact that the MOBO was publically voted rather than decided by a panel of professionals. That gives you that encouragement that people actually want to hear what you have to say!”

With two wins in her pocket, YolanDa hasn’t changed who she is or why she plays. She still sells out shows and makes new music by being who she is and doing what makes her happy — the music. Her new album ‘Love Politics War’ came out this past June and you can really hear the love that went into it. Wonderfully soulful with an exciting combination of reggae beats and a jazz style, the music is a beautiful overflow of different cultural influences. YolanDa tells me this all came from her own upbringing, with Jamaican heritage and her parents’ varied music tastes, the album totally encapsulates her love of experimentation and a wonderfully warm nostalgia that will get you dancing.

“Different music styles were what I naturally listened to growing up, my dad had collections of all different types of music. He would play a lot of reggae, Cuban music and Latin jazz, as well as things like gospel. I would always go to the ballet and musical theatre as well. It means I play what I feel, anything I like. Which is why maybe my first album was too much of a mish-mash of that!” She laughs. “But my new album has the variety which works well at live gigs, there’s definitely something for everyone!”

With the new upcoming tour this autumn and a gig at Band on the Wall in Manchester on the 29th of October, YolanDa told us about previous times playing in the powerhouse of music that is our city.

“I played in Manchester on my tour with Billy Ocean, and a year ago I performed with special guests, so this year is my first time just me and my quartet. Mancunians are definitely vibrant! I played at Bridgewater Hall where you would expect a certain type of person but there was so much variety. Everyone was dancing, which I highly encourage! Definitely, Mancunians all get into the vibe of the night!”

I’m sure the night at Band on the Wall will be as much fun as her beautiful new album ‘Love Politics War’ which you can find on both Spotify and Apple Music. I can’t wait to see the crowds getting funky and having a groove along with YolanDa herself!

If you’d like to also ‘get into the vibe of the night’ see YolanDa’s website http://www.yolandabrown.co.uk for news and updates about new music and the upcoming tour.

Fashion week: Diversity takes centre stage

The fashion industry is now making a concerted effort to embrace diversity and celebrate real women; from Ashley Graham to Winnie Harlow and Halima Aden, these women are part of the changing face of fashion. The appointment of Edward Enninful as the new Vogue Editor-in-Chief earlier this year heralded a new era for the magazine as he completely re-shaped the predominantly white team of his predecessor, Alexandra Shulman.

Enninful’s new team consists of big-name stars such as Naomi Campbell, Pat McGrath and model of the moment and activist Adwoa Aboah. This new team celebrates inclusivity and diversity.

However, it is not just Vogue that is making waves; a number of fashion houses are trying to make their runway shows more diverse. Alex Bruni represented the older models and participated in diversity in fashion workshop at Somerset House as part of the week’s events. Bruni, 59, only began modelling in her 40s and it is her trademark silver-grey hair that is part of her allure and what makes her the unique, sought after model that she is.

Further, following walking for labels such as Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, and Oscar De La Renta this NYFW, model Teddy Quinlivan has revealed publicly that she is a transgender woman. Quinlivan stated that she felt obliged to come out as transgender given the political climate and to express her support for the LGBT community. Quinlivan said: “If being transgender is something that gets attached to my name throughout my career, then it’s for a worthy cause. But I look forward to the day when it doesn’t matter.”

However, the spotlight was on brand Teatum Jones who had two physically disabled models walk in their ‘The body part two’ show.  The line up included model Vicky Blach, who lost her leg when the ride at Alton Towers malfunctioned in 2015. She looked stunning as walked the runway in an olive green knitted dress with minimal makeup.  Model Kelly Knox took to the runway to walk for the brand for the second time. Later she tweeted “Kat and Rob are the most beautiful souls who truly believe in diversity.”

The show was a follow up to the AW17 show in February this year which was entitled ‘The Body, Part One’. The first show was memorable for its soundtrack that featured Meryl Streep’s critique of Donald Trump mocking a disabled journalist. Designers Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones’ goal is to focus on disability fashion and gain representation for those with a disability.

Whilst there is admittedly still a long way to go, with brands like Teatum Jones and Edward Enninful leading the way the future looks bright for a more representative and inclusive fashion industry.

Designer vs high street: the fashion week edition

For those of us who can’t afford to take out a loan to blow on the hottest looks straight from the runway, here are the strikingly similar top picks from our faithful high street. If it’s cheaper, then surely that means we can buy even more, right?

With designers jumping on board with the see-now-buy-now runway collections, there is even more demand for high street retailers to keep up to date with the best trends from the catwalk, and get them into stores while there’s still a post-fashion-week-buzz. The purpose behind these see-now-buy-now collections is to prevent shoppers from turning to replicas of designer items during the agonising wait from runway to store. Yet it seems our high street is just too good — earlier this month, Kourtney Kardashian posted on Instagram a photo of her in that Gucci-inspired-but-really-its-H&M tracksuit. Within days, copies were popping up on online retailer sites such as Missy Empire.

If buying straight off the runway is just a hopeful but distant dream, fear not, because the high street has got you covered.

Burberry

The trench coat is synonymous with Burberry, and this season we’ve seen a spin on the classic style of what you and I would call a raincoat. Yes, it is still plastic and waterproof, but it has been given the more luxurious name of a ‘car coat’ because if you’re wearing Burberry then why on earth would you be walking in the rain? If you don’t have a spare grand, then ASOS have a great selection of rain/car coats to satisfy all of your travelling needs. Rains macs and Monki, in particular, are great.

Photo: burberry.com Photo: [email protected]

Erdem

The London show was a nod to the 50s silhouette — cinched in waists and full skirts, with a cardigan draped over the shoulders. In true Erdem style, the collection plays with textures and patterns from floral to feather, and fringing.  Spring/Summer 2018 is a beautiful collection for Erdem. Whilst it is near impossible to find items on the high street that have the same exquisite detail as Erdem, take inspiration from the shape of their clothes and the prints. All hope is not lost, however, because Erdem is collaborating with high street juggernaut H&M this season. Expect the signature style, but at a fraction of the price. The collaboration hits stores on the 2nd of November.

Photo: erdem @instagram Photo: topshop.com

 

 

JW Anderson

This London fashion week saw JW Anderson showcase a collection inspired by the simplicity of homemade clothes. Patch-worked fabrics and raw hems in muted tones were the main features in this season’s show, as were cropped peasant tops paired with flowing cotton trousers and skirts. Of course, no JW Anderson show would be complete without an assortment of corset style tops, and this collection has seen the fail-safe style revived in leather and knitwear. Check out these corsets on ASOS, or you can head over to Uniqlo and check out their collaboration with JW Anderson to get your hands on pieces designed by the man himself. The Uniqlo and JW Anderson collaboration is available in selected Uniqlo stores now.

 

Photo: jw_anderson@instagram Photo: asos.com Photo: asos.com

HOME Cinema Preview: 22nd September

Films opening at HOME this week:

Borg Vs McEnroe

Directed by Janus Metz Pedersen — Rated 15

Award-winning Danish director Janus Metz brings to the screen the story of one of the world’s greatest icons Björn Borg — and his biggest rival, the young and talented John McEnroe — for their legendary duel during the 1980 Wimbledon tournament. The film stars Sverrir Gudnason as Borg and Shia LaBeouf as his tennis court rival John McEnroe. Playing Borg’s trainer, the legendary Lennart Bergelin, Stellan Skarsgård returns for a major part in a Swedish film for the first time in almost a decade.

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In Between

Directed by Maysaloun Hamoud — Rated 15

In director Maysaloun Hamoud’s remarkable feature debut, three Palestinian women sharing an apartment in the vibrant heart of Tel Aviv find themselves doing the same balancing act between tradition and modernity and citizenship and culture.

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On Body and Soul

Directed by Ildikó Enyedi — Rated 18

A slaughterhouse in Budapest is the setting of a strangely beautiful love story. No sooner does Mária start work as the new quality controller than the whispers begin. At lunch, the young woman always chooses a table on her own in the sterile canteen, where she sits in silence. She takes her job seriously and adheres strictly to the rules, deducting penalty points for every excessive ounce of fat. Hers is a world that consists of figures and data that have imprinted themselves on her memory since early childhood. Her slightly older boss Endre is also the quiet type. Tentatively, they begin to get to know each other. Recognising their spiritual kinship, they are amazed to discover that they even have the same dreams at night. Carefully, they attempt to make them come true.

This story of two people discovering the realm of emotions and physical desire — at first individually and then together — is tenderly told by director Ildikó Enyedi, but in a way that also exudes subtle humour. On Body and Soul is a film about the fears and inhibitions associated with opening up to others, and about how exhilarating it can be when you finally do.

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Orlando

Directed by Sally Potter — Rated 15

Orlando is a story of the quest for love, and it is also an ironic dance through English history. Addressing contemporary concerns about gender and identity, the film is remarkably true to the spirit of Virginia Woolf, but it also skilfully adapts the original story to give it a striking, cinematic form. The screenplay is a standard text taught in film schools as a radical and successful adaptation of a classic work. Orlando is a bold, unsentimental re-working of Virginia Woolf’s classic novel in which an innocent aristocrat (Swinton) journeys through 400 years of English history first as a man, then as a woman.

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Tramontane

Directed by Vatche Boulghourjian — Rated 15

Vatche Boulghourjian’s poetic and sensitive feature debut is a poignant exploration of the role of culture and storytelling in navigating the complex histories of war and life after conflict. Rabih, a young blind man, finds his life unravelling when he applies for a passport in order to tour with his choir and discovers the ID card he’s carried his whole life is a forgery. With his mother unable and his uncle unwilling to address his many questions, he sets out to find answers himself. Travelling across rural Lebanon in search of the truth, he must confront the sheer magnitude of the layers of collective silence that permeate the country’s troubled recent past. In his first acting role, real-life blind musician Barakat Jabbour bestows Rabih with a drive and persistence that are deeply moving, enhanced by his magnetic and defiant musical performances.

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Films continuing this week:

Mother!

Directed by Darren Aronofsky — Rated 18

A couple’s relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. From filmmaker Darren Aronofsky of Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream fame, Mother! stars Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris and Michelle Pfeiffer in a potent psychological thriller about love, devotion and sacrifice.

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Victoria and Abdul

Directed by Stephen Frears — Rated PG

The extraordinary true story of an unexpected friendship in the later years of Queen Victoria’s rule. When Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal), a young clerk, travels from India to participate in the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, he is surprised to find favour with the Queen herself. As the Queen questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and devoted alliance with a loyalty to one another that her household and inner circle all attempt to destroy. As the friendship deepens, the Queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes and joyfully reclaims her humanity. Directed with characteristic intelligence by Stephen Frears.

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Wind River

Directed by Taylor Sheridan — Rated 15

Screened to acclaim in Cannes where director Taylor Sheridan deservedly won the Best Director in the Un Certain Regard section, Wind River is a chilling thriller that follows a rookie FBI agent (Olsen) who teams up with a local game tracker with deep community ties and a haunted past (Renner) to investigate the murder of a local girl on a remote Native American Reservation in the hopes of solving her mysterious death.

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God’s Own Country

Directed by Francis Lee — Rated 15

Johnny, a young sheep farmer from Yorkshire, has sacrificed his own life choices to run the family farm. As lambing season approaches, much to Johnny’s initial resentment, migrant worker Gheorghe is hired to assist. Gheorghe proves he not only understands this farming life but more importantly, he understands Johnny.

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Special events taking place this week:

23rd & 24th September — Hook

Directed by Steven Spielberg — Rated U

Captain Hook kidnaps his children so an adult Peter Pan (Robin Williams) must return to Neverland and reclaim his youthful spirit in order to challenge his old enemy.

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23rd September — The Night is Short, Walk on Girl

Directed by Masaaki Yuasa — Rated CTBA

Masaaki Yuasa’s animated tale of young love is based on Tomihiko Morimi’s novel of the same name. Sendai falls head-over-heels in love with a fellow student at his college and decides on a strategy of ‘accidentally’ running into her to get her to notice him.

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24th September — The Tango Lesson

Directed by Sally Potter — Rated PG

The Tango Lesson is about a female filmmaker (Potter) who discovers and falls in love with the tango. In between bouts of writing a screenplay for Hollywood with which she finds herself increasingly dissatisfied she places herself under the tutelage of Pablo, an Argentinean tango dancer living in Paris. As the lessons proceed, they strike a bargain: if he will make her a tango dancer, she will make him a movie star. He accomplishes his side of the bargain when they perform in a show, but her attempt to make a film with Pablo in Buenos Aires exposes the complexities at the heart of the story — how do you follow when your instinct is to lead?

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24th September — The Cinema Travellers 

Directed by Shirley Abraham, Amit Madheshiya — Rated 12A

Part of HOME’s Not Just Bollywood Season

One of the most critically acclaimed documentaries to have come out of India in years. Amit Madheshiya and Shirley Abraham’s stirring elegy is a semi-observational portrait of the travelling cinemas of India, uncovering an unforgettable subterranean subculture of dreamers, cinephiles and projectionists. The work also depicts the transition from celluloid to digital and the inescapable anxieties associated with this technological leap of faith.

The work also depicts the transition from celluloid to digital and the inescapable anxieties associated with this technological leap of faith.

Moreover, Madheshiya and Abraham’s eye trains itself on capturing the idiosyncrasies of the ways in which audiences behave and watch films, leading to some rapturous images of cinema gazing. The Cinema Travellers has won numerous prizes at various film festivals including most notably The Golden Eye (Special Mention) at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, The Young Critics Choice Award at The Mumbai Film Festival 2016 and the Special Jury Award at the National Film Awards in 2017.

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25th September — Step

Directed by Amanda Lipitz — Rated PG

The Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women opened in 2009 with a mandate to send every student to college, despite the barriers that their home lives and community might present. Now, as the first class enters its senior year, the stakes are high to achieve that purpose. The film follows three irrepressible seniors and their ‘Lethal Ladies’ step dance team as they navigate a nerve-wracking college application process and strive to elevate the creative outlet that keeps them united and fighting to reach their goals.

Step hones in on the trials and triumphs of these tenacious young women, as well as their relationships with the women who champion and challenge them: their mothers, an unstoppable college counsellor, and a no-nonsense step coach. These mentors are never far, doing all that they can to enable achievement, often with the odds stacked against them. This founding class is wrestling with life at the brink of their independence, always to a contagious beat that is haunting and universal.

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25th September — The Lost Weekend

Directed by Billy Wilder — Rated PG

Don Birnam (Milland) is a struggling writer. Every day he bangs away at his typewriter, trying to compose something he can sell to meet the rent and to keep his creativity alive. But instead of completing pages of manuscript, Don is only adept at finishing off bottles of liquor.

Burdened with a severe case of writer’s block, he turns to alcohol for inspiration and emotional support. Wick (Phillip Terry) Don’s brother, tries to bring his sibling back from the abyss of alcoholic despair. Even the protestations of Don’s girlfriend, Helen (Jane Wyman) are not enough to stop the writer’s descent into a black hole from which he may never return.

The Lost Weekend is selected by Portraits of Recovery as part of a week-long series of activities here at HOME, including the free live performance Portraits of Recovery present: Apples & Other Fruits, and indoor gallery picnic and discussion, Portraits of Recovery present: Sustenance. Portraits of Recovery are a Manchester based, international visual arts charity. Founded in 2011 by Mark Prest, the organisation’s work supports people and communities affected by and in recovery from substance use to open up new ways of knowing and looking at the subject by working with contemporary visual art and artists.

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26th September — Court + Panel Discussion

Directed by Chaitanya Tamhane — Rated PG

Part of HOME’s Not Just Bollywood Season

An astonishing directorial debut, this skilfully scripted docu-fiction political melodrama from Chaityane Tamhane won a major prize at the Venice Film Festival. Taking a pointed look at the contradictions of the Indian legal system, Tamhane uncovers a prescient story about Mumbai’s invisible underclass in which an ageing folk singer emerges as an unlikely source of socio-political resistance. The film took three years to make and was supported by the Hubert Bals Fund of International Film Festival Rotterdam. Court was met with universal critical acclaim on the film festival circuit and is one of the best films to emerge from the recent wave of independent Indian films.

This screening will be followed by an informal panel discussion exploring Indian independent cinema. We will be joined by Ashvin Devasundaram, Lecturer in World Cinema at Queen Mary, University of London; Cary Sawhney, Director of the London Indian Film Festival; and Roy Stafford, freelance film educator.

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27th September — Missing

Directed by Costa-Gavras — Rated 15

When his son goes missing in a Latin American country following a military coup that overthrew a democratically elected government, Ed Horman is quick to blame the young man’s radical politics. However, when Ed visits the country to try to find his son he slowly realises the American government he supports so much is deeply involved in the atrocities enacted in the aftermath of the coup. A gripping story based on real events that took place in Chile following the overthrow of President Allende, Missing won the Palme d’Or and Best Actor awards at the 1982 Cannes film festival and is another example of director Costa-Gavras’ mastery of the political thriller.

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27th September — The Man Who Cried

Directed by Sally Potter — Rated 12A

Fegele (Christina Ricci), a Russian Jewish refugee working in a variety troupe in Paris just before the Second World War, is befriended by Lola, a white Russian exile (Cate Blanchet). Fegele meets Cesar, a traveller (Johnny Depp) in the world of the opera and they fall in love. But when the German Nazis invade Paris, Dante Domino, the star of the opera (John Turturro) betrays Fegele, and she has to escape. Under the extreme conditions of war, alliances are formed and broken and questions of identity become matters of life and death.

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28th September — Black Sabbath The End of the End

Directed by Dick Carruthers — Rated 15

The End of The End chronicles the final tour from the band who forged the sound of metal — Black Sabbath. On 4th of February 2017, the band took to the stage in Birmingham, the city where it all began, to play the 81st and final gig of The End tour — bringing down the curtain on a career that spanned almost half a century.

The sold out show marked the culmination of a tour that had seen them play to well over a million fans in arenas across the globe. Since their beginnings in 1968, they created a sound that would form the basis of heavy metal, going on to influence bands all over the world — an influence which is still felt to this day.

The End of The End is the story of that final, emotionally-charged concert. Fans are taken into the heart of the action, up close and personal with the band on stage as they perform genre-defining hits, from Iron Man to Paranoid to War Pigs, amongst others. Sabbath also took the opportunity to spend some time in the studio, delivering a unique performance of some of their favourite songs.

This film gives fans an intimate glimpse into the band’s relationships and their banter with each other, with both individual and group recollections from Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler.

The band’s loyal following spans generations and this is the opportunity for fans, young and old, to come together and see the boys from Birmingham doing what they do best, almost 50 years after they started. This is the final word from the greatest metal band of all time.

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Manchester joins ‘The Conversation’

As of September 2017, Manchester has become an official member of  ‘The Conversation’, a non-profit group funded by universities, acting as an online news source for academics.

The Conversation is an online news source who, according to their website, publish “intelligent discussion” as well as “independent and fact-based debate.” They aim to “rebuild trust in journalism,” stating that “access to independent, high quality, authenticated, explanatory journalism underpins a functioning democracy.” Contributors and partners come from a range of acclaimed institutions around the world.

The website launched in Australia in 2011, and has since expanded to six editions. The Conversation launched in the UK in 2013, and has since been backed by a list of institutions, including 11 Russell group universities. As of May 2017, the site has reported a monthly online audience of 5.2 million, and a reach of 35 million people.

According to a Manchester Cancer Research Centre (MCRC) bulletin, “media relations are encouraging academic colleagues to register as authors so they are able to work with the Conversation’s team of professional editors.

“The editorial team work with university and research institute experts to unlock their knowledge for use by the wider public. It is proving to be a powerful way for colleagues to talk about their area of expertise to a mass audience.”

Recent contributors from the University of Manchester include cultural anthropology specialist Heather Cockayne, reader in environmental politics Sherilyn MacGregor, and research fellow Nicholas Chilton.

The site praises their sponsors for recognising the “value of helping us develop a new independent information channel that would also showcase the talent and knowledge of the university and research sector.”

Fallowfield Freshers: your local guide to the best restaurants to visit with a hangover

The Friendship Inn £

This pub is based in the heart of Fallowfield and is perfect for providing a ‘hair of the dog’ remedy for your hangover. Whilst it is better known for selling cheap pints, the Friendship Inn also serves a wide and affordable range of food. Dishes include hot wings, burgers and classic pub grub. However it is their range of pizzas and calzones which really make the visit worthwhile!

Recommendation: ‘The American’ Stone-Baked Pizza £6.95 / Veg: ‘The Veggie Mighty’ Stone-Baked Pizza £5.95

Photo: Adam Bruderer @ Flikr

Dosa Xpress £

Although it is situated just outside of Fallowfield, Dosa Xpress is well worth the five minute bus ride into neighbouring Withington. Whilst this intimately understated restaurant specialises in dosas — essentially a south Indian ‘crepe’ — it also serves a wide array of vegetarian curries and other traditional dishes. Expect to enjoy a main and sides for less than ten pounds.

Recommendation: Chicken Masala Dosa £5.99 / Veg: Spring Dosa £4.99

Photo: ironypoisoning @ Flikr

Revolution £

Who says the weekend has to end on a Sunday? For those of you starting the week as you intend to go on, a meal at ‘revs’ is a good solution for that Monday hangover – with 50 per cent off selected food all day. This offer includes their range of burgers, pizzas and sandwiches, which you can pair with a drink from their vast cocktail list.

Recommendation: Brooklyn Chicken Burger £ 4.80 (with deal) / Veg: Halloumi Fish and Chips £4.90 (with deal).

The Fallow ££

This restaurant serves food every day from 9:00 a.m.- 9:00 p.m., which makes it the perfect spot to cure that delayed hangover. The menu changes seasonally and includes brunches, burgers and sharing platters, to name just a few. Whilst the portions are a little on the small side, the prices won’t break the bank!

Recommendation: Philly Cheese Steak Ciabatta £9 / Veg: Middle Eastern Sharing Platter (feeds two) £12.50

The Font ££

Positioned directly opposite the Fallowfield campus and with prices well-situated in a student’s budget, you cannot go wrong with this restaurant/cocktail bar. Serving a variety of dishes from big burgers to even bigger fry ups, the Font never fails to be generous with its portion sizes.

Recommendation: Full Fry up £7 / Veg: Harissa Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Flatbread £6.50

 

Super quick and healthy salmon supper

Ingredients:

1 Salmon fillet (fresh or frozen)

2 Spring onions

1 Clove of garlic

6 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

4-5 Mushrooms

Handful spinach leaves

Handful green beans

1 Pak choi

Substitute any veg you like

 

Method:

  1. Finely chop spring onions and garlic.
  2. In a measuring jug, mix soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce and add the chopped garlic and spring onions.
  3. Chop the pak choi and mushrooms and take the ends of the green beans.
  4. Take a large piece of foil and place the fillet in the middle, on top of the salmon place the chopped vegetables.
  5. Make a bowl shape around the salmon with the foil.
  6. Pour the soy sauce marinade into the foil bowl then seal the foil around the fillet in a Cornish pasty shaped parcel.
  7. Place on a baking tray and cook at gas mark 6 for around 20 minutes or 30 mins if salmon is frozen.
  8. Remove from oven, open the parcel and serve with rice.
    Tip: This dish is easy to meal prep; make extra parcels which you can pop in the fridge, ready to put in the oven.
Photo: Anokhi Shah

NB: Feel free to substitute the salmon for any firm fillet of fish or a chicken breast.

Andy Burnham to crack down on private landlords

Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, is planning to implement a ‘Good Landlords’ scheme in Greater Manchester to protect students from dodgy contracts.

The scheme will “set basic standards for what is good practice in terms of being fair to tenants, in terms of rent prices, but also in terms of the safety of the accommodation, and also its energy efficiency.”

Speaking to The Mancunion, Burnham disclosed frustration with private landlords and the government for not taking care of student tenants.

“We’ve got a private renting sector in the UK that isn’t regulated in any meaningful way, so what we’ve got to try and do at the [Greater Manchester] level is to introduce a scheme that puts pressure on them.”

Manchester City Council does not currently operate any landlord accreditation scheme. Manchester Student Homes, an organisation co-owned by the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, runs an independent landlord accreditation scheme, but the mayor is unsatisfied with its current standards.

He continued: “I have real concerns that a lot of the student housing in the city is way below the standard it should be — from a simple living point of view, but also from an environmental point of view… that is, I think, quite a big issue that we need to confront that we probably haven’t done.”

Burnham hopes that accrediting quality landlords in the scheme will help students determine which landlords to avoid, and motivate sub-standard landlords to make significant changes to the housing they let to students.

Burnham called on the city’s universities to work together with him to make the ‘Good Landlords’ scheme a success. “One specific that I think the university could help with is challenging private landlords who provide accommodation to the university students.”

“If all four universities within Greater Manchester were to work with us on the Good Landlords scheme, I think it would deliver significant benefits to the students.”

Many students at the University of Manchester have alleged that they’ve been exploited by private landlords in the past.

A PhD student who occupied what he called a sub-standard house-share from a local estate agent in Manchester told The Mancunion: “My room last year got black mould and damp, and even my clothes in my wardrobe which were clean got mould on them even though they were clean. I had to throw them out. All through this, the agency kept implying it was my fault.”

Representatives of the company were allegedly “patronising” and then claimed that a surveyor came and reported that there was no damp. Eventually, the student “threatened to report them to the council for letting out accommodation not fit for human habitation,” after which “they paid for having a dryer installed downstairs as a compromise.”

Another student came forward to The Mancunion after renting a house-share from an independent landlord. “She was very shady concerning her identity: she never signed off her e-mail and never told us her real name.

“Our contracts were all wrong for many reasons: she was saying we were lodgers but she wasn’t living with us; plus on some contracts she said that the bills were included in the rent, on others she said they were not included. She also changed the price of the rooms during the year and forced some people to sign new contracts. Some people also never had a contract. She was literally treating everyone very differently.

“She promised us at the start of the year that she would show us the bills if we required it. We asked her several times, and I even confronted her, but she never showed them, obviously because she was charging us way too much.”

Burnham affirmed that he was familiar with such cases: “Yes. I’ve heard that call when I’ve been at the university, and I think people are right to say they deserve better.”

While the ‘Good Landlords’ scheme is still being discussed, Burnham stresses that the University of Manchester will be “a very, very important partner for us in making that happen.”

UoM study paves way for treating form of dwarfism

A study carried out in mice at the University of Manchester — in collaboration with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Australia, and the Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University — has led researchers to believe the drug carbamazepine, used commonly to treat epilepsy and bi-polar disorder, could also be useful in promoting bone growth for people with metaphyseal chondrodysplasia type Schmid (MCDS) (commonly referred to as ‘dwarfism’).

This disorder causes skeletal dysplasia, which impedes bone growth and leads to disproportionately short limbs. Administering mice with carbamazepine was shown to mitigate the effects of the MCDS, leading to a potential treatment for people with dwarfism.

Human trials are said to be taking place at the end of the year.

University of Manchester biochemist Professor Ray Boot-Handford who led the study, said: “The indication from this study is that carbamazepine might work in a number of other conditions, where the same process involving mutant protein accumulation takes place.

“But clearly, the next stage is to test it in humans.”

Another researcher, Professor Michael Briggs, from Newcastle University said: “It exemplifies the power of drug re-purposing for rare diseases: there has been no involvement of big pharma and this inexpensive drug has had a great safety record since the 1950s.”

MCDS is caused by a mutation in ‘collagen X’, a protein responsible for cell differentiation and bone growth. It is believed that the introduction of carbamazepine degrades the mutant form of collagen X, allowing the cells to differentiate and grow properly.

In the mice studied, three weeks of drug administration showed a marked reduction of hip dysplasia and misallignment. The results are published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation.

This is not the first time that drugs used for one disorder have been found to treat or cure other, seemingly unrelated disorders; Sildenafil (or ‘Viagra’) was originally developed as a drug to treat pulmonary hypertension, but was also accidentally found to treat erectile dysfunction.

Album: Foo Fighters – Concrete And Gold

Foo Fighters are over 20 years old now. Let that sink in.

It’s impressive that they’ve maintained such a dedicated consistency in material and delivery over the course of their career, in no small part due to the vividness of David Grohl’s vision.  His dedication to hard rock-and-roll combined with glitzy accessible pop staples is like… well, Concrete And Gold, actually.

You certainly can’t fault the Foo Fighters’s resolve, and although it’s still difficult to actively dislike the group themselves, the material on this, their ninth studio album, doesn’t get let off quite so easy.

To cut right to the chase, Concrete and Gold’s tracks are hit and miss; not to the extent that they’re dreadful songs, but in that they consistently underwhelm after the initial impact of their first few minutes. There are a few crucial symptoms to the illness.

First and foremost is the predictability of the album. Nearly every track follows the same structure. Like the beats in a Marvel movie, it recycles the same plot points over and over and expects you to feel just as elated as the first time you hear them.

For example, there are at least 2 occasions where the band tries to pull off a folky misdirect, starting gentle then ambushing you with a wall of amp-bursting guitars. They do it on ‘T-Shirt’, then again on ‘Dirty Water’, and are clearly tempted to do it thrice on ‘Happy Ever After’.

Although this structural shift works on the tracks individually (‘Dirty Water’ is by far the most interesting track on the album), as a whole, it makes the album predictable. We’ve heard the punchline to this joke already: you can’t tell it twice and still expect a laugh.

And speaking of oral delivery, Grohl’s lyrics are another drawback to this album. Increasingly, the once fiery teen who led a revolution in 90s rock is relying more and more on tried and true clichés when it comes to his poetics, and it just edges the material that much closer to becoming really corny dad rock.

There are highlights of course: ‘Run’ is fun, and the lyrics for ‘The Sky Is A Neighborhood’ and ‘Dirty Water’ feature some nice extended metaphors about storms and communal strife, but for every high there’s a low.

The half-arsed attempt at a political statement in ‘La Dee Da’ is the most dire: “Turn up the American ruse…white house, death in June”. Really?

It’s not so much the fact Grohl tries to address the turmoil in American politics, it’s that he has nothing meaningful to say. It’s akin to throwing in a funny meme reference in a conversation, you’re not really saying or inventing or contributing anything, you’re just perpetuating an idea someone else has had without engaging with it on any meaningful, creative level.

The final problem is the production. Yes, it’s glossy and full, all the instruments sound great, indeed this might be the best sounding Foo Fighters record since Echoes, Silence Patience and Grace. However, the album is so oppressively loud most of the time, with little to no dynamic shift between the verses and choruses, that unless you were off your face AT a Foo Fighters show, or had an allergy to music under a certain decibel level, you’d find this album very hard to listen to continuously.

As talented a producer as Greg Kurstin is, I can’t help but wonder if it’s his pop-flex muscling in on the quality of Concrete and Gold. In truth, the aforementioned ‘folky-misdirect’ tracks on the album are the most listenable only because they have some semblance of sonic variety.

The tracks are so thickly stacked with instruments for so much of the time that they have nowhere to go. They start on 11 rather than starting on 10, leaving no headroom for the tracks to grow. Old Foo Fighters tracks had light and shade, peaks and troughs. Concrete And Gold is like Salar de Uyni in Bolivia: really fucking high, and really fucking flat.

Despite these drawbacks, I wouldn’t say this album is hateful. As I said earlier, the performances are still phenomenal, and the band do take some risks and bring in some new elements that pay off.

Although it somewhat contributes to the flatness problem, the chunky synths interspersed throughout are a welcome addition to the band’s palette, and it’s nice to hear Taylor Hawkins’ vocals again on ‘Sunday Rain’.

What’s more, the features this album boasts all mesh superbly with the texture of the album; I genuinely didn’t imagine adding Boyz II Men’s Shawn Stockman to proceedings would work, but lo and behold it sounds great. And of course there’s some rock royalty in there to in the form of The Kills’ Alison Mossheart. All these additions make things more fun, basically.

Concrete And Gold is an album that will certainly please die-hard Foo fans, but holds little of interest to anyone outside of that sphere who’s looking for music with a little more invention or depth. The playing is excellent, the production, whilst squashed and compressed, sounds huge and rich, and the featured artists, generally, are exciting editions to the band’s canon.

That being said, why they decided to include Paul McCartney playing drums is beyond me. Paul McCartney sucks at drums. Shout it from the rooftops. His playing on the album is one of the worst bits about it.

Overall, this is a largely accessible, Concrete and Gold shows underwhelming effort from the Foo Fighters. They take some admirable risks, some pay off and some don’t, and even if you don’t enjoy the album, it’s reassuring to see that people still love a good old fashioned blast up with some nice blokes who can still kick some amount of ass this late into their career.

5/10

Guardiola can not afford to repeat last season’s mistakes

With Pep Guardiola’s arrival to English shores, many sat eagerly in anticipation at the effect the most talked about coach in world football would have on the Premier League. The Catalan’s arrival coincided with José Mourinho’s at Manchester United and the build-up to the new campaign focused on the locking of horns between these two managers.

City started last season superbly under Guardiola, winning the first six league games. This early season form had some already writing City’s name on the trophy, but a tumultuous October saw the Manchester club pick up five points out of a possible 12. The month began with an embarrassing away defeat at Tottenham in which the London club proceeded to pick apart City.

The end of October saw City still top of the league, but this was to be the last time, as a November draw at home to Middlesbrough saw them slip to second. It is always tough to succeed in your first season and managers such as Antonio Conte should be applauded as an exception to the rule rather than the standard.

For Guardiola, his task at City was an especially tough one given the contrast in his style to Manuel Pellegrini’s as well as the average age of his players. The summer of 2017 required a clear out and Guardiola strengthened well. City are no longer a team managed by Guardiola, instead, they are a team forged by him.

In the same vein as last season, the team have again started strongly in 2017/18. A 1-1 draw at home to Everton when the side was down to ten men is City’s only black mark so far and most pleasing for Guardiola will be the fluidity in which his team play.

Unlike last season where it was glimpses of Guardiola, this term it is more of the complete package. The Catalan has the players, has had the time to drill the training in and the benefits are being shown on the pitch.

After the 6-0 dismantling of Watford, Guardiola spoke of his happiness and how he believes this season’s opening good form is more substantial than last season’s. “There are many things we are doing now that we didn’t do last season.” the manager said in his post-match press conference. “Last season there was new enthusiasm with a new manager and new players and everybody expecting. Now we are more stable, we know each other better.”

One of City’s biggest problems last season was that they were not clinical enough. The style that Guardiola brings is one that produces many goal opportunities and in the 16/17 campaign, City produced an average of 12.68 chances per game, but only scored an average of 2.11. Fast forward to this season and while City create marginally more chances at 13.80, they score an average of 3.20.

This increase in goals has seen City steamroller many teams already this season. Between the 9th and 16th of September, the Manchester side scored 15 goals, with none conceded.

Perhaps the most pleasing part of that stat for Guardiola will be the zero conceded. City’s expensive search for a partner or even a replacement to Vincent Kompany has proved fruitless season after season but with a tactical switch to a back three, the team can rely on the sum of its parts rather than individuals.

John Stones has excelled in his central position. And while Nicolás Otamendi has looked vulnerable, with the help of the full backs, his weaknesses have not been fully exposed.

For Guardiola, maintaining this early season form is his biggest challenge. The manager is in the middle season of his three-year contract and for his time in England to be deemed a success, Guardiola knows he must avoid another embarrassing collapse this time around.

Cassini’s grand finale

On Friday the 15th of September, the Cassini probe was purposefully directed into Saturn, burning up in its atmosphere almost instantly and bringing to an end an almost 20-year mission to study the gas giant.

Launched on the 15th of October 1997 as a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency, the Mariner Mark II spacecraft entered Saturn’s orbit on the 1st of July 2004, and spent the following 13 years studying the planet’s famous rings and natural satellites.

Throughout its 13-year orbit of Saturn, Cassini discovered seven previously unknown Saturnian moons, whilst making detailed observations of Saturn’s rings, and largest its moon, Titan.

The rings were discovered to be composed of mostly water ice, and whilst extending a phenomenal 80,000 km away from Saturn’s equator, were found to be on average only a few metres thick, and even as little as one metre in some areas. Their icy composition explains why they are so visible, and can be seen from Earth with only the aid of amateur telescopes, as the ice reflects the sun’s light.

Another major component of this groundbreaking mission was the sending of another probe — Huygens, named after the Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens, who discovered Saturn in 1655 — onto the surface of Titan. Huygens successfully landed on Titan’s surface on the 14th January of 2005, and from this made important discoveries such as the composition of Titan’s atmosphere, and the presence of liquid lakes of methane and ethane in the polar regions of the moon.

Perhaps one of Cassini’s most famous and recent events was in 2015, when it flew through a vapour plume erupting from the surface of another of Saturn’s moons, Enceladus. These plumes were first discovered a few years previously, and various analyses and data from Cassini’s fly-through confirmed that these clouds contained mostly water vapour, as well as traces of nitrogen, methane and carbon dioxide. The plumes are from liquid repositories under the surface of Enceladus which erupt when they reach the surface of the moon, in much the same way that geysers behave on Earth.

Of course, what goes up, must come down — even if not necessarily back down to Earth — and Cassini made its preparations for its ‘death plunge’ into Saturn’s atmosphere a few weeks ago. In preparation for this final act, the probe became the first man-made object to orbit between Saturn and its rings, making several orbits in this region and continuing to make scientific observations. The decision to destroy Cassini in this manner came from worries that biological contamination from the spacecraft could affect any one of Saturn’s moons — particularly Titan and Enceladus — if these worlds harbour any form of extraterrestrial life.

Finally, Cassini took one last picture of Saturn’s atmosphere before entering it; signal was lost at 7:56 AM EDT on the 15th of September 2017.

Few missions to explore the outer reaches of our solar system have given us so much information about the worlds orbiting our star, as well as prompting such marvel and wonder about outer-space and beyond.

Thanks to Cassini, further missions to the Saturnian system are being proposed, including the suggestion of sending a probe to Enceladus and its geysers, with the explicit goal of finding life elsewhere in the solar system.

Manchester University to mark NHS’s 70th birthday with exhibition and films

Marking the institution’s 70th anniversary in 2018, The University of Manchester will create the first shared social history of the National Health Service (NHS), thanks to £785,000 of National Lottery Funding.

The Centre for the History of Science, Technology & Medicine (CHSTM), part of the university’s Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, has received initial support from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the ‘From Cradle to Grave: The NHS at 70’ project.

The grant will allow the multi-partner project to train volunteers to gather stories from the NHS’s patients and workers, as well as politicians and the general public, recording its unique place in everyday, post-war British life.

Commenting on the award, Project Director, Stephanie Snow said: “We are thrilled to have received National Lottery funding. The project has huge potential to transform engagement with the NHS’s history across the UK and beyond through digital tools, and through the contributions of volunteers and communities.”

A major component of the project will be the creation of an innovative new website which will allow the public to submit their stories of the NHS by uploading recordings, photos, and documents. The website will act as a hub for existing and previous histories of the NHS.

The project will also create a touring exhibition, a programme of events, and 40-minute feature film.

“We urgently need to capture the memories of the first generations who worked and were cared for by this unique institution, as they are now in their 80s and 90s”, Stephanie Snow said.

160 people will be trained to gather stories and artefacts from the NHS’s 70-year history, while 70 young people aged 14-25 will act as Community Reporters, filming stories in their local area.

These testimonies, from everyday users and workers in the health service to key policymakers, MPs, and trade union officials, will contribute to a multimedia, publicly accessible record of the NHS, filling existing gaps in its history, and recording the personal stories that make the service so unique.

“The funding is a mark of the high regard with which Manchester is viewed in healthcare”, suggested Niall Dickson, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents health organisations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Frances O’Grady, General Secretary of the British Trades Union Congress said: “The NHS is the people’s health service. It is a bond between all of us — patients, staff and communities. Everyone has a story about how the NHS changed their lives. Those stories need to be told, need to be captured and celebrated. We’re delighted to be involved with this project and can think of no better way of celebrating the 70th anniversary of the NHS than bearing testimony to the millions of people that have contributed to this wonderful national institution.”