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Month: October 2014

Manchester scientists synthesise “Star of David” molecule

Written by Edward Bains on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

In the culmination of over a quarter of a century’s work, a Ph.D. student at the University of Manchester’s School of Chemistry has successfully created a molecule whose atomic structure perfectly matches the shape of the ‘Star of David’ symbol.

This unique particle, the most complex of its kind ever produced, is built from two interweaving triangular molecules, each containing just 114 atoms. The triangles are entwined about each other three times, forming a hexagram. The process by which the triangles were weaved around each other at the same time as their formation, called self-assembly, is not too dissimilar to how the double helix is formed in DNA molecules.

The molecule was created by Ph.D. student Alex Stephens and details of the synthesis were published in the journal Nature Chemistry.

Professor David Leigh of the School of Chemistry said: “It was a great day when Alex finally got it in the lab.

“In nature, biology already uses molecular chainmail to make the tough, light shells of certain viruses and now we are on the path towards being able to reproduce its remarkable properties.”

The research team are not stopping here though, and hope to go on to synthesise even larger and more elaborate molecules in the future. Professor Leigh expressed his belief that this is just further progress towards creating materials with exciting new properties that could have some very interesting applications.

“It’s the next step on the road to man-made molecular chainmail, which could lead to the development of new materials which are light, flexible and very strong. Just as chainmail was a breakthrough over heavy suits of armour in medieval times, this could be a big step towards materials created using nanotechnology. I hope this will lead to many exciting developments in the future.”

Career Corner: Manchester Graduates at idealo Berlin

Written by Robert Firth on . Posted in Lifestyle.

University of Manchester students are frequently told that they are desirable to companies all over the world. Four Manchester graduates making waves in the Berlin tech scene share their experiences of working at idealo—Germany’s largest price comparison portal.

 

Manchester alumni at idealo:

 

Steven Geddis – Computer Science

Katy Phillips – French and German

Stuart Russell – French and German

Oliver Wynn – German Studies

 

How did you find out about idealo and your current job?

KP: I was already living in Berlin and had just finished an internship in online marketing for another e-commerce portal. A friend whom I knew from my year abroad in Vienna was working for idealo already and told me I should apply because they give you free breakfast and flexitime—that was enough to tempt me.

SR: After moving to Berlin, a friend who also happens to be ex-Manchester University started working at idealo and after she mentioned that they were looking for new recruits, I applied via the job advert on meinestadt.de

 

Tell us a bit about your present role and responsibilities.

SG: My present role is a software development role within the idealo Reise [travel] department, working solely on the Hotel price comparison engine product in a small and close-knit team. So far, in my first three months I’ve already contributed to a responsive design rebuild project, geospatial data/mapping and product search systems.

KP: My role is within both the Marketing & Editorial departments and focuses on researching and writing market analysis studies for our e-commerce blog. I am also the PR/social media contact for the UK site and liaise with journalists and other sites.

SR: My main role over the three years I have been at idealo has involved processing and correcting the data that appears on the website. I am also responsible for replying to customer issues via email and translating new, soon-to-be-incorporated developments from German to English.

 

How has your Manchester degree helped you in getting where you are today?

SR: My degree in German and French at Manchester University developed the language skills that I had already acquired at secondary school, thus giving me a huge advantage in job markets within German and French speaking countries. In particular my year abroad which saw me living in both Bavaria and Quebec prepared me for a career outside of the UK, meaning moving abroad was not as much as a big deal to me as it would be to your average UK citizen.

OW: The language skills from my degree have certainly opened a lot of doors for finding work and living abroad. In addition the analytical method learnt in Manchester and during my master’s degree has helped in problem solving on the job.

 

Why did you take the decision to leave the U.K. after graduation?

SG: I continued to work in Manchester for six years after graduating before taking the plunge to leave. Primarily, a better quality of life. Occasionally nostalgic flashbacks remind me of the good times ‘oop norf’ (and the road cycling in the Peak district).

KP: Having studied languages, I knew that I was keen to get some more experience working abroad, and initially thought that I would spend a year here for my internship. After that year, I realised that Berlin’s tech scene still had a lot more to offer me, so I decided to stay.

 

How did you manage adapting to life in a different country and city?

SG: Ask that question in one year’s time! I’ve only been in Berlin for three months so I’m still adapting. Without a decent level of spoken German one will forever feel like an outsider in German society. For me, this is the first experience living permanently in another country. Undoubtedly, the first six to nine months are the most difficult (if you cannot speak German) so persistence and a good sense of humour really help.

SR: I soon began to feel at home. It helped that I already had friends in Berlin (again many of whom were ex-Manchester University students—at one point there were eight students from my degree course all living in Berlin), although the main reasons for experiencing such an easy transition were the ease of finding a job, my previous experiences during my year abroad and my ability to speak German.

 

What was your level of spoken German like before you moved to Berlin?

SG: Rudimentary. I took a three-month, one class per week introductory German course (A1.1) at the Goethe Institute at Manchester University last year, where I learned the fundamentals of the German language. When I arrived in Berlin I could only introduce myself, say my age and tell people where I came from, and comprehend some written and spoken words, which, in truth, is fairly useless. Now I can speak and write German at a basic level. You learn quickly.

SR: The time I had spent in the UK learning French and German meant that I was able to communicate and get by without any major problems. If you have the solid foundations that a language degree provides you though, you quickly improve when immersed in a German-speaking environment.

 

Would you ever consider moving back to the UK?

SG: Not unless there is major political and cultural shift to affect the quality of life. Or, at least, not for a few years. I need a break from England.

KP: I definitely wouldn’t rule it out, as there are many things the UK has to offer that Germany doesn’t but at the moment working here is much more interesting for me.

SR: After almost four years in Berlin, I still enjoy everything it has to offer. Things such as the ease of getting around and living costs are more advantageous in Germany than the UK. That said, I still haven’t ruled out moving back to the UK at some point in the future, but in the short term, I have no motivation to leave Germany.

 

What advice would you give students who are in their final year and unsure about what they’re going to do next?

SG: Don’t believe that you must migrate/return to London for a career.

KP: Don’t restrict yourself to jobs and further study in the UK. There are lots of training schemes, internships and entry-level roles as well as post-graduate study options further afield in Europe and beyond. I’m glad I chose to move somewhere new straight after graduation, because its a time when you have fewer ties and you’re completely free to try something new.

SR: If you have the flexibility, moving abroad, even if only temporarily for the experience, can be very rewarding. In most major cities there are plenty of expats too, which makes it easier to make friends, especially if you don’t speak the language, although of course, making the effort to learn at least the basics will be of huge benefit.

OW: Very few people have a clear plan about exactly how they want their career to pan out when leaving university. Look for the kind of work that you think will interest you for years to come. This way you will enjoy your work every day and come out with a skill set that allows you to progress in the industry.

 

For information about working at idealo check out: http://jobs.idealo.co.uk/

For careers advice, visit careers.manchester.ac.uk.

Teetotallers have it harder at university.

Written by Robert Firth on . Posted in Lifestyle.

In 2013, the Oak House Welcome Week was advertised with the slogan “One Chance, Unlimited Memories.” For the majority of students their memory of freshers’ week is that they don’t have many memories of it. Not surprising when the entire week revolves around attending late night venues with effective strangers whilst consuming so much alcohol that you start to confuse feeling sober with being only tipsy. Yet for some people who you probably can’t remember, freshers’ was a lot more memorable because these people don’t drink.

Not drinking is still something that many students seem to find strange. One female student I talked to said that “most people were a little surprised… although a couple of people have given me funny looks but not said anything.” More worryingly she commented that “there are a few times where I have felt a little bit pressured into drinking or excluded because I don’t drink.” Although compared to other peoples’ experiences this seems to have been pretty mild, in an article for The Epinal, Loughborough University’s student newspaper, a contributor talks about “the constant pressure and questioning around you, with the majority of young people finding [not drinking] a difficult concept to grasp.”

These responses to non-drinkers by students are echoed in research done by The University of Sussex which found that students considered teetotallers as “something strange, requiring explanation.” However, not all is bad for non-drinkers: in social situations they were found to be perceived as more socially competent by their peers than those who drank. Likewise the student I spoke to said she didn’t feel socially disadvantaged by not drinking: “I don’t feel like my socializing was affected as I only tend to go out with my friends who don’t care about me not drinking which stops any awkwardness or pressure.”

Whilst most non-drinkers seem to navigate the lager-scented course of university well enough, it is surprising that Students’ Unions don’t do more. They may point to the many societies available to join at universities across the country but in the words of another contributor to The Epinal, “many of the societies’ socials are just an excuse to get drunk.”

One university which has looked at ways of accommodating non-drinkers is London Metropolitan University which in 2012 considered banning the sale of alcohol in certain areas of the campus. However, it is difficult to justify banning the sale of alcohol around campus on the grounds of fairness when you can still already simply order a soft drink in a bar.

Whilst alcohol remains the foundation of much of our social lives, little is probably going to change for non-drinkers. Alcohol Aware Manchester is a group set up by second year biology students who aim to provide events to show students that alcohol is not needed for students to socialise. For the Salford student I spoke to, more needs to be done by individual universities, perhaps through working with student groups such as Alcohol Aware, to challenge and change attitudes about alcohol: “I think that the university could put less emphasis on the preconceived idea that all university students want to do is drink all the time and put more focus on the activities that don’t have to involve alcohol.”

English and money problems as an international student

Written by Robert Firth on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Starting at university is hardly the simplest or easiest thing you’ll ever do in your life. Now imagine being one of the over ten thousand international students who have left their home country behind to study at The University of Manchester. Forget your difficulty in understanding accents, and think about the difficulty of understanding accents in Britain, in a language which likely isn’t your first, as well as having qualms about your home and family being thousands of miles away. I spoke to two international students, Fride, a second year business student from Norway, and Asha, a second year geography student from Bermuda, to see how they managed.

For Fride, the information she received before arrival was excellent: “I got so much… saying all sorts of things like what types of banks we can choose… anything about the city.” However, Asha said that the university fell short on information about practical aspects of everyday life: “There was nothing… [about] how much groceries would actually be… and how some shops are way more expensive than other places you can go to.”  She adds, nonetheless, that she joined a focus group last year in which she voiced her concerns about the lack of finance related information provided to international students, and that this has been taken into account in 2014’s International Orientation.

One problem that seems to plague nearly all international students is understanding English in an academic setting. Although all international students have to prove they have a high level of English before coming to a British university, Fride admits that she still spends “more time doing essays than those with English as a first language.” Asha also tells me she knows students who have had to translate their lecture notes into their native language, because they struggled with them. I ask her if there is support available: “There is an International Office but all they do is say things like ‘keep trying’, ‘don’t give up yet.'”  Fride tells me there are many places you can seek help but doesn’t specify where. If there is support available to help students with their English then it seems these sources need publicising better to international students.

Aside from the university, support is available from the International Society which has an office opposite the Students’ Union  (next to Kro Bar on Oxford Road). They run English Language classes at a range of levels, day trips to places in the UK, and myriad other projects and opportunities. As for home students, being in good halls also seemed to be the most important factor in helping the international students who I spoke to settle in. Fride says she felt at home because she could “always ask for help” in halls whilst Asha says that university life would have “been very different… if I had not had my foundation of halls friends I’d probably be alone.”

Asha and Fride’s experiences studying in a foreign country seem to have been successful because of a combination of their attitude, flat mates and good knowledge of English upon arrival. Obviously, not everyone’s experience is quite so positive. One aspect which is concerning was the lack of information that Fride and Asha felt they received once they arrived. Although Fride acknowledges that she “didn’t really need that much” after arriving, this might not be the same for foreign students who struggle in adapting to study in the UK.

Students join in Hong Kong Solidarity

Written by Marina Garvey Birch on . Posted in News.

Over 300 students joined together in Piccadilly Gardens on Wednesday evening in solidarity with the Occupy Central Movement in Hong Kong. The event was organised by Louis Yuen and five other second year students at the University of Manchester and UoM Business School.

The aim of the protests in Hong Kong is for China to withdraw plans to decide on candidates for the next Hong Kong leadership election in 2017. Beijing opted last month that Hong Kong people could elect their next leader with the compromise that the candidates would be screened by a pro-Beijing committee based in China.

Beijing does not want to escalate the protests in Hong Kong with a strong response, worrying what the effect could be on Mainland China. In Hong Kong, however, police responded to the protests on the weekend with tear gas and pepper spray, although since Monday the police have stopped using forceful action and the protests remain peaceful.

The Occupy Central Movement aims to achieve universal suffrage: genuine political rights with no unreasonable limitations. It has been argued that back door diplomacy may have been a better option but the students have taken to the streets to express their views.

The UoM students orchestrated the event in Piccadilly Gardens as an evening of speeches and singing, including Les Miserables’ Do You Hear The People Sing?, and they provided yellow ribbons and banners to all attendees.

Yuen has not told her family in Hong Kong about this event because they are pro-Beijing, but this did not distract her focus for the evening:

“The people in Hong Kong are suffering from the pepper spray and tear gas… so we wanted to get all the people together to speak out and show support for Hong Kong democracy.

“I think the government have to listen, because we are not going to give up this time, because for Hong Kong people we all think it’s the last time to strive for democracy.”

University and Colleges Union threatens further boycott

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

Lecturers from a total of 67 universities across the country, including all 24 members of the Russell Group, are threatening industrial action in response to a proposed pension cut.

Academics may boycott the marking of students’ courseworks and exams, causing a large amount of disruption, after proposals by universities which would affect the Universities Superannuation Scheme.

This proposal involves forcing lecturers to pay more into a pension fund, a £40000 salary cap on benefit entitlements, and an end to final salary pension schemes.

Models show that the proposed pension shakeup would cause up to £20000 per year knocked off academics’ pensions.

The union estimates the changes would affect a 40-year-old professor on £75000 per year to lose out on £230000—the worst affected individual, facing a total of a 27 per cent cut.

The University and College Union is now asking members to support a marking boycott in response to this. The ballot opened on the 1st October and runs until the 20th.

According to the UCU, “the action would stop students being set coursework or receiving formal marks and feedback, as well as halting exams.”

However, universities see this move as rash, since talks about the changes have not yet started.

Similar industrial action was proposed earlier in 2014 in response to a level of pay that had, in fact, seen a 13 per cent fall in real income since 2009. This failed to materialise after successful talks between universities and academics.

However, lecturers staged six one-day walkouts over the dispute earlier in the year and in 2013. The UCU has not ruled out further strikes and boycotts in the future in response to unfair pay.

General secretary of the union, Sally Hunt, said, “if members back industrial action, and there is no negotiated solution, we will be looking to quickly move to an assessment and exam boycott.

“Staff see their pension as deferred pay and are understandably angry.”

Students battle myth that Arts degrees are an unaffordable luxury

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in News.

A Student-led branch of the Arts Emergency Service aims to encourage arts and humanities subjects as degree options for Manchester students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.

The Arts Emergency Service, co-founded by the comedian Josie Long and campaigner Neil Griffiths, is a charity set up in response to increasing tuition fees and the abolition of public funding of arts subjects in British universities.

Stewart Lee, comedian and writer says of the charity, “Arts Emergency are highlighting the reversal of decades’ of social access to the arts, and by association the possible disappearance of whole strands of discourse and the loss of educational enfranchisement to future generations. Save the thinker!”

Arts Emergency Manchester is a student branch of the Arts Emergency charity, working to encourage arts and humanities subjects as future options for pupils from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, through mentoring in schools.

The Manchester branch is in the process of creating a ten-week volunteering program which will begin in schools early next year.

They are looking for mentors in many different subject areas such as; Sociology, Criminology, American Studies, Journalism, Politics, Economics, Philosophy, Social Anthropology and History of Art.

The student volunteers plan to teach and encourage interest and excitement around subjects like criminology and philosophy which the students probably haven’t encountered before.

Joanna Harris, co-founder of the Manchester student branch said of the project “Arts Emergency Manchester came about as a reaction to the increasing marketisation of higher education. Education should be a right for all, not a preserve of the privileged.

“We want to show that the arts should not be viewed as luxuries that only few can afford to study. These subjects are intrinsically important in their encouragement of critical and analytical thinking, and allow students invaluable insight into society and the world. The idea that arts and humanities subjects do not lead to jobs is a myth.”

Earlier this year Arthur Baker, founder of the society, wrote an article in The Mancunion explaining why he believed in the importance of promoting arts and humanities subjects.

Baker wrote “more and more, a university education is seen as a commodity to be bought and sold. The government has axed teaching grants and trebled fees, imposing a free market system on our universities. Students from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to choose a degree based simply on how clear the career path from it is, and to see Arts and Humanities degrees as a luxury they cannot afford.”

Baker added that a university education “should be about widening your horizons, developing as a person, and studying something you love. We chose our degrees largely because they interested us, and we think everybody should be able to do that. Education for its own sake shouldn’t simply be the preserve of the rich.”

If you would like to help with the project, get in touch or come along to the next meeting. You can also visit their Facebook group, Arts Emergency Manchester, for more information.

For more information on the Arts Emergency Charity see their website http://www.arts-emergency.org/.

Preview: TEDx Salford

Written by Andy van den Bent-Kelly on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

TED conferences are well-known to many students. Many of us will have watched a video of a certain speaker from one of these events, which attract crowds of thousands every year. Here in Greater Manchester, we are fortunate enough to have one of these events on our doorstep.

TEDx Salford returns to The Lowry on Sunday 5th October, two years after the first event took place in the complex, which sits across the road from MediaCityUK in Salford Quays. Now in its fourth incarnation, this year’s event will see a whole host of prominent figures from the worlds of science, technology, art, media and business take to the stage to deliver talks to what is sure to be a sell-out crowd at the Lyric Theatre.

The event will start at 10:00 and finish at 20:30. Each speaker will be allocated an 18-minute slot in which to present their ideas to the audience. The programme will be split into a morning and afternoon session, with tickets available for both right up until the day of the event.

TEDx first arrived in Salford in January 2012 and has since grown into the largest TEDx event in the country. Almost 2000 people attended last year’s conference. TEDx Salford is a non-profit, voluntary iniative, which gives the local community the opportunity to hear the thoughts of experts from many different fields.

Photo: TEDx Salford

Although each speaker will bring something unique and interesting to the table, there will be some particularly notable figures gracing the stage. The Italian mathematician and computer scientist Professor Massimo Marchiori will be one of the first speakers of the day. Marchiori is perhaps best known for inventing the HyperSearch algorithm, a technique that later inspired Google’s PageRank system.

Regular viewers of the BBC technology programme Click may be interested to hear that Kate Russell will be speaking during the morning session as well. The journalist, who has been reporting on and writing about technology for the best part of 20 years, is set to make her first appearance at the event.

Tawakkol Karman, the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, will also be on stage at The Lowry. Karman, who became a Nobel laureate at the age of just 32 following her tireless efforts to secure rights for women in her native Yemen, is a prominent human rights activist and journalist. Her talk promises to be hugely inspiring and motivational.

Many other icons, including two teenage scientists, the founder of the World Toilet Organisation, and a global leader in hacking and information security, will be presenting their ideas as well.

Tickets are available from the event’s website, for which there is a link at the bottom of this page. It is worth noting that students qualify for concessionary tickets, meaning you can save up to £20 for a whole day pass.

For more information about the event, or to buy tickets, visit www.tedxsalford.com/

Chanje Kunda – the Renaissance Woman

Written by Nicole Tamer on . Posted in Theatre.

I met up with Chanje on a chilly morning and it was really exciting as well as intimidating to meet her since she seems to do everything an artist could do. She is originally from Zambia and moved to Manchester when she was seven, where she was the only black child in her class. She later studied in Canada and spent one year in Amsterdam which inspired her to write a poetry collection published by Crocus Books. Her upcoming innovative show Amsterdam is a mix of various different performance styles. We talked about the city of Amsterdam, poetry and society pressure.

She lived in Amsterdam for a year and loved the proximity to the water. “I got to live on a house boat and through those circular windows, I could see the light reflecting on the water and a duck gliding by. Sitting on a deck on a canal surrounded by all those bridges was gorgeous.

“Amsterdam is a story of love, I met a man there and he became my lover. Before I went to Amsterdam, I owned a car and a house. I left my house and everything and moved there. It’s about abandoning your responsibilities and chasing your dreams.”

When I asked her if her dreams ever turned out to be nightmares, she laughed and meant that I have to see her play to find out. “I don’t want to spoil it for you. It’s an adventure.”

“When I decided I want to be a poet, people said to me ‘you can’t be a poet because it is not a job’. When anyone tells me I can’t do anything, it annoys me. I make a living with being a poet. But a careers advisor would never suggest that.”

She then tells more about her past: “I was just a bit wild anyway and left home when I was 16. I was partying and later went to college and university in Canada and studied theatre and music. I never wanted to do anything else than performing and did it regardless of what other people thought. I’ve been self-employed as an artist for over ten years—I’ve never had a proper job.”

In her poetry and website, she talks about how women should be free to explore their sexuality and not to be objectified and I wondered if she targets especially women when she teaches at schools through the Global Link programme. “When I do my performances for young people, I don’t do anything related to gender. But because I’m a woman and I’m doing performances and not being at home in the kitchen or a pop star wearing revealing clothes, as often represented in the media. When they see a woman who is passionate, creative, thought provoking and inspiring it already shows a different way of representation.

“Crocus books first didn’t like the manuscript I’ve sent them and I wrote a journal in Amsterdam and he found it really interesting. It is like a part of my life, it is autobiographical and about my experience in Amsterdam. It was quite scary because there are very intimate parts in my journal. I then dramatised it and made it into a play.

“I was working with Juliette Ellis and she comes from a life art background and her directorial style is very pictorial and abstract and the language of my poetry is also very abstract and we used to really marry together. And by working with her, I became more interested in life art and received life art training. It’s quite unusual because you don’t normally see poetry combined with dancing.

“She is amazing and incredible, especially because she worked in film, she has a strong visual style. In poetry it’s all about the meaning of words, with her it’s more about visual poetry and creating pictures with your body. It’s like creating a world on stage, a visual world. which is really exciting. I also have a set and costume designer and I can put a more visual aspect to it and also with a choreographer, it’s very physically intensive.”

I asked her if it was difficult to talk about intimate topics on stage and she said that the abstract style makes it more beautiful and gives people a different perspective on intimacy. It is a contrast to media, where it is more superficial and clumsy and she hopes to establish an emotional connection with the audience. From the videos I’ve watched, her interaction with the audience seems very refreshing and I wondered if she’s got a stage persona, but because of her autobiographical story, she performs her ‘past self’ instead of someone different.

“When you do a performance, it’s about your imagination, you’re imagining you’re Romeo or Juliet or Macbeth. When I’m performing a piece, I’m there in Amsterdam and I can see how it was. I’m in my imagination, I’m having an experience and going on an emotional journey.

“I feel a lot of gratitude because I’m living my dream, but it takes a lot of stamina. It’s good because I’m building towards something.” She doesn’t feel it is very straining because she sees it as an adventure—like climbing a mountain, about to reach the summit, having a goal to get there and she will probably feel tired after reaching the top, but she never feels empty afterwards. She is momentarily focussing on her national tour and putting a lot of work into it, but she’s hoping to do an international tour in the future.

To wrap up, I asked her why students should see her play: “The play is something very innovative. This style of performance is very progressive by putting different art styles together. You’re going on an emotional journey, the sound design is amazing and with the theme, it will really stay in the memory. It is relatable because everyone has probably been in love before and it’s about following your dreams and going on an adventure. And the closeness to Contact Theatre of course!”

 

See the play at Contact Theatre on Friday, 3 or Saturday, 4 October at 7:30pm

Preview: Hairbrain presents Optimo

Written by Sam Bartram on . Posted in Music.

Events from promoters Hairbrain are few and far between, but when they come they’re always special: Hudson Mohawke’s Manchester debut back in 2008 for example.

Each Hairbrain night should therefore be afforded attention – especially when it features Glasgow’s dance music helmsmen JD Twitch and JG Wilkes. Collectively known as ‘Optimo’, an alias derived from their now defunct Sub Club night, the duo have become credited for not only running a well regarded record label, but also their ability to amalgamate genres, tempos and eras throughout journey-like DJ sets.

With Optimo due to play for four hours in the Northern Quarter’s Roadhouse on Saturday 4th, expect to hear the full range of the pair’s record bag. To whet your appetite, check out their boundary pushing Boiler Room appearances.

Tickets are on sale at Skiddle now, priced at £10.

See the Facebook event for further details.

Club: Warehouse Project presents Welcome to the Warehouse

Written by Patrick Hinton on . Posted in Music.

27th September

Store Street

8/10

“Welcome Home” is the message emblazoned in light across the wall of Store Street upon entry. The smaller venue is a marked improvement on Victoria: the queue lasted a matter of seconds; there’s no one way system making you feel like herded cattle; and, considering the top to bottom strength of all WHP bills, only having to choose between two rooms is almost a saving grace.

Jackmaster is tasked with opening the night and season, commitments in London forcing the often peak-time party DJ into an unusually early slot. The Glaswegian does a fine warm up job as the room gradually fills. Selections such as Ricardo Villalobos’s ‘Enfants (Chants)’ set a euphoric tone for the night, and the airing of a rare James Brown white label edit – ‘Tell Me (Blue Boy Edit)’ – is a particular treat. By the time he closes on Prince’s ‘Controversy’ there’s a sizable crowd in attendance and the party atmosphere is in full swing.

Leon Vynehall steps up next and spins a set of soulful house – aurally delighting, whilst retaining a strong sense of danceability. Opting to play Four Tet’s ‘KHLHI’, with its chopping between thumping percussion and rich vocal samples, being a prime example. It’s a style that Vynehall has honed well in his own productions, a number of which he seamlessly blends into the mix. The lush orchestration of ‘Butterflies’ and swelling synths of ‘It’s Just (House of Dupree)’ provide set high points.

As the doors close at 10:30pm and the room hits full capacity, Vynehall really pulls it out of the bag. In the final half hour he drops one of my all-time favourite tracks ‘OAR003-B’, before closing triumphantly on Floating Points’s future classic ‘Vacuum Boogie’.

Carl Craig ups the intensity considerably as he takes to the booth. His set is characterised by moments of clarity emerging from a wall of ferocious percussion. Whoops ring out and fists pump as the Detroit techno is pounded out forcefully: Jeff Mills’ ‘The Bells’, Craig’s own remix of ‘Use Me Again’ and Floorplan’s ‘Never Grow Old (Re-plant)’ all cause chaos in the main room.

Next up, Tale Of Us provide the only disappointment of the night. Their formulaic set of intricate melodies layered over repetitive build and release basslines quickly grows wearisome, feeling particularly insubstantial after the vigour of Carl Craig. Fortunately, respite is readily available in Room 2 where Harri & Domenic are throwing down house classic such as Inner City’s ‘Good Life’.

It’s there that Ben UFO b2b Pearson Sound close the night. The Hessle Audio honchos share the decks expertly, kicking the room into action early on with two Barnt tracks – the siren-esque synths of ‘Under His Name But Also As Sir’ act like a warning to strap yourself in before the hammering percussion of ‘Chapell’ is unleashed. The pair then plot a course through unrivalled cuts of house, techno, garage and bass; things even got ghetto with Bok Bok & Tom Trago collaboration ‘Pussy Trak’ and Marquis Hawkes’s ‘Outta This Hood’  providing stand out highlights.

The Warehouse Project certainly does feel right at home at Store Street, and they deserve credit for returning to the smaller, undoubtedly less profitable venue. Don’t miss out on this one season event.