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Month: November 2014

LGBT Choir stand united in the face of homophobic attacks

Written by Jennifer Sterne on . Posted in News.

Last Monday Manchester Lesbian and Gay chorus (MLGC) along with many other local groups showed solidarity with victims of a homophobic attack on the Metrolink.

The event was in response to the homophobic attack on Jean-Claude Manseau, 25 and Jake Heaton, 19 on 1 November last Monday an event entitled ‘Safe to Sing’, a mass sing-along was staged on Manchester’s tram network.

It started with 80 singers on board city centre trams bursting in songs such as “Somewhere”, from West Side Story, and a “Canal Street” version of Petula Clark’s “Downtown”.

Volunteers at the event handed out rainbow coloured cupcakes from a box marked “cake not hate” to the passengers of the tram.

The choir was then also joined by counterparts from the Hallé ensemble, as well as Manchester Community choir, Blackburn People’s choir, the Manchester Bach choir and other groups from the North West.

Several hundred people then filled Piccadilly Gardens with West End hits. The campaigners concluded their sing-along in Piccadilly Gardens with a rendition of Wicked’s theme song, “Defying Gravity”.

Manseau and Heaton had been on their way to Canal Street, the heart of Manchester’s gay village, before they were attacked at Piccadilly Gardens.

They say the attacks began after they had been singing tunes from the musical Wicked, which prompted homophobic taunts from a man aboard the tram.

After getting off the tram at Piccadilly Gardens the pair were pursued and attacked by a mob of 15 men shouting homophobic abuse at them.

Manseau was knocked unconscious and suffered a black eye, a split lip and broken nose.

Heaton told the Manchester Evening News (MEN) “It’s completely shocking. Nowadays you think people are mostly accepting of people’s sexuality, especially in a big city like Manchester. We did nothing to provoke it. We were just having a laugh and a sing on the tram.

“It was definitely homophobic. Throughout it all they were hurling abuse at us. I don’t feel safe now. You feel like you can’t be who you actually are when there are people like this walking the streets.”

Manseau again speaking to MEN said: “It has destroyed every bit of confidence I have. It will be a while before I go anywhere on my own. I don’t know when I’ll feel safe to go into Manchester again.”

Neither Manseau nor Heaton felt up to attending the event. But speaking to the Guardian Manseau’s mother was moved to tears “To think that all these people have come out tonight for my son. It’s just a pity the rest of the world isn’t so kind.”

Kath Fox, MLGC co-chair said in a statement to the Guardian that the event was “a way for us to reach out to Jo and Jake and to assure them we will defend the right to safe passage on public transport for all people, especially those from the LGBT community.

“Out of the ugliest circumstances, the most meaningful and powerful messages emerge and that is what we hope to achieve with Safe to Sing.”

The producers of Wicked also sent a message of support to the victims: “On behalf of the entire Wicked UK companies, our thoughts and best wishes go out to both  Jean-Claude Manseau and Jake Heaton, as well as their families, and we wish them a speedy recovery from the senseless and violent attack that took place in Manchester.”

Greater Manchester’s Police and Crime commissioner, Tony Lloyd said the event was “the real face of Manchester”, not the “disgraceful” attack.

He added: “The Manchester Lesbian and Gay Chorus have organised a fantastic, positive response to an awful incident. I hope it will give the confidence to Jo and Jake – and the wider communities of our region – that when we say we will take a stand against hate crime, we mean it. This is about reclaiming our streets, reclaiming our public transport, reclaiming our city centre and showing that when we act together we are stronger than those who would seek to drive us apart.”

Voting for the NUS Elections opens

Written by news on . Posted in News.

Voting for National Union of Students (NUS) delegates was opened online last Friday, November 21st, after a two-month period of application submissions.

Those who put their names forward will now dispute seats for eight different conferences. The National Conference, which is the highest decision-making body of the entire NUS structure, is the primary one, for which students are electing eleven delegates—to make a total of 12, as the Students’ Union General Secretary is elected automatically.

Besides the National Conference seats, there is an LGBT Conference with eight delegate positions available, a Women’s Conference with four, and Black Students, Disabled Students, International Students, Postgraduates, Mature & Part-Time conferences, which elect one delegate each.

All seats are being contested, although some conferences have a disappointing number of students standing, such as the Disabled Students Conference, with only two candidates. Ahead with the largest number of candidates is the National Conference, with 31 students disputing the seats, although this is still a 25 per cent drop in applications compared with last year, when over forty students were standing.

Charles Barry, Governance and Democracy Co-ordinator and Elections Administrator at the Students’ Union, does not expect that low application numbers will necessarily impact on the excellence of this year’s representation. Speaking to The Mancunion, he said:

“Quantity does not necessarily equal quality. You may find that this year the calibre of candidates has gone up. There are certainly a few different candidates who are running in teams too, so students should have a look at their manifestos and see what all the different candidates are doing.”

The Students’ Union believes it is important that students participate in the delegates’ election because of the significance of the NUS to student life. Talking to The Mancunion, Charlie Cook, General Secretary of the union, said:

“The NUS is very important. There’s loads of stuff which students don’t see that the NUS do for unions, in terms of the research that it does, the training that it offers, and the collaborations, partnerships and networks which it creates and which are really crucial. And then there is its campaigning side as well, in one way by mobilising unions to bring them together but in another way what that stands for, what it represents—that is the values of students, as it acts as our collective voice.”

After taking office on the 1st of December, elected delegates will go on to take part in nationwide conferences between February and May 2015. They will be setting the NUS policy in each of their areas, electing the NUS National Committee and Board of Trustees, and electing the national offices for fourteen full-time paid positions, which include the National President of the NUS.

All students in the university are eligible to vote for the National Conference delegates. Voting for LGBT, Women’s, Black, and Disabled conferences is open to every student that self-defines as belonging to the social group for which he or she is voting. Students may only vote for the Postgraduate, Mature & Part Time, and International conferences if their university registration shows that they belong to one of the categories.

Polls are open until next Friday, November 28th, at 12pm. Students can vote by accessing a link on the front page of the MyManchester portal.

Post-burglary Blues

Written by Robert Firth on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Trying to find someone who doesn’t know a student who has been burgled in Manchester is an almost impossible task. Since the beginning of September five of my friends alone have had items stolen from their houses and with every story you begin to count down each finger on your hands, until you become the next victim.

You’re not paranoid to do so either. 1 in 10 crimes in Manchester are against students, according to the police. Manchester has the worst student burglary rate in England according to figures published by The Complete University Guide: 12.77 burglaries per 1000 residents in May 2013 – April 2014, for residents living in three miles of the University of Manchester. It’s an unfortunate reality that for many of us at university, burglary is as much a part of everyday life as late buses and tiredness.

As expected, the targets of most burglaries are laptops and smartphones, something that was seized upon by GMP’s student safety initiative this year which claimed that the average student household has £5000 to £10000 worth of high-tech items. Whilst most will be in envy of the occupants of this average student household, it corresponds that without fail every person who’s burgled has had their own laptop taken.

Charlotte Mason, a second year languages student explained to me how four laptops were stolen when they were burgled on Halloween “through the smallest window imaginable,” which was shut but not locked. For most students, it’s not the loss of property or even the inconvenience that burglaries cause them which distresses them the most but the idea that a stranger has been in their home. Charlotte commented that being burgled has made her household “much more conscious of the area, we will never leave a window open again. I know that it [burglary] was an issue, but I’ve never considered that it would happen to me.”

According to Greater Manchester Police, 1 in 3 burglaries are the result of an open or unlocked door/window. As well as the student safety initiative, this year the police also launched Project Ark, which aims to reduce burglary in the student hotspots of Fallowfield, Withington, and Ladybarn.

Being a victim of burglary has made Charlotte much more aware of her house’s safety: “If you think a window is too small to get through, you are wrong—these people find ways. Be conscious of every window and door, making sure it’s locked.”

Whilst every little helps, it’s unlikely burglary is just going to vanish from the Fallowfield area because of a few extra police patrols and locked windows. Charlotte herself knew of four other people who had been burgled before the Halloween incident. As long as students have laptops and laptops cost so much, thieves will target them. It’s just a pity they don’t realise non students also have smartphones and laptops, but then again they probably have burglar alarms too.

 Advice on keeping your property safe:

www.facebook.com/mcrstudentsafer

www.gmp.police.uk/students

Profile: The Chronicles of C.S. Lewis

Written by Leonie Dunn on . Posted in Books.

This week marks the 116th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’ birth on the 29th November 1898. Clive Staples Lewis was born in Belfast, Ireland, where the account of his younger life reads like a list of books that are the foundations for his later work. He first drew inspiration for writing and illustration from Beatrix Potter’s stories with their focus on anthropomorphic animals.  Yet Lewis’ fascination with legends of the Icelandic sagas and Norse Mythology with its strong connection to the natural world are an evident factor in his notorious work The Chronicles of Narnia. His extensive knowledge of the literary world and keen readings of his youth sharpened his skills in debate and reasoning leading to a scholarship at University College Oxford. However, his scholarship arrived at a time of war and although Lewis was an Irishman living in Britain he wanted to serve his part and thus he signed up months after his arrival at university.

Not long into his subsequent conscription in the First World War, Lewis, now 20 years old, was wounded and two of his colleagues were killed on 15th April 1918 by a British shell falling short of its target. Upon his recovery he was demobilised and returned to Oxford for his studies. His time as an army officer affected him profoundly, as it did many soldiers; the horror of the events confirmed his already present atheism which is a feature in a lot of his work.

However, there was one friendship that changed his life. Edward Moore, a fellow Irishman, was one of the colleagues killed by the shelling. The two young men seem to have made an agreement that if either were to die in war the other would support their family. Thus, Lewis returned to Oxford, and true to his word, he lived with Mrs Moore until her death. It is not known whether the two were lovers but Mrs Moore was willing to be a paternal figure to Lewis who was struggling as an Irishman in Britain. For Lewis the move to Britain was a cultural shock and as he wrote in Surprised by Joy, “the strange English accents with which I was surrounded seemed like the voices of demons.” In this he developed a particular fondness for W.B. Yeats, the Irishman rewriting Ireland through the language of his oppressors. It is in and through Yeats that Lewis developed a somewhat tongue-in-cheek prejudice towards the Anglo-Saxon race, as he often referred to it.

Lewis is best known for his fictional works The Screwtape Letters, The Chronicles of Narnia and the Space Trilogy. Following his death, Lewis’ fictional works gathered much acclaim and the books that made up The Chronicles of Narnia have gone on to reach the highest sales figures after being polarised on stage, TV, radio and cinema. However, Lewis’ work was prolific and outstretches that of his renowned novels as he was equally a poet, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist. Lewis’ work in the academic field led on from his studies after obtaining three individual first class degrees from Oxford. He was eventually elected as a Fellow and tutor of English Literature at Oxford Universities Magdalene College, where he served for 29 years.

In Lewis’ later life he met Joy Gresham, an American writer, whom Lewis regarded as an agreeable intellectual companion and it is at this level that he agreed to enter into a civil marriage contract with Gresham in order for her to have a permanent home in the UK. However, after only a year of civil marriage Gresham was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer and at that point their relationship had developed to the point of them seeking a Christian marriage. After only four years of marriage Gresham passed away in 1960. In what is possibly one of Lewis’ most raw and personal works, A Grief Observed describes his experiences of bereavement and it gives an intimate and personal look into Lewis’ life.

Exactly a week before Lewis’ 65th birthday he collapsed in his bedroom and passed away just minutes later from renal failure. While the media coverage of his death was almost completely overshadowed by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which occurred on the same day, Lewis was and still is commemorated on the 22nd November in the Church calendar of the Episcopal Church. Furthermore, on the 50th anniversary of his death in 2013, Lewis was honoured with a memorial in Poets’ Corner in Westminster Abbey.

Strikes are the answer for powerless unions

Written by Lauren Wills on . Posted in Opinion.

Strikes are annoying because they inconvenience us when we’re the innocent party. For example, Londoners grieve on a constant basis because their travel is disrupted due to tube strikes. LBC reports that 2.5 million Londoners struggle to get to work on time because of strikes on an “all-too-regular basis” over issues such as safety, pay, and working hours. For those just wanting to get to work, many feel it’s unfair that they risk being penalised by their bosses for being late through no fault of their own.

Similarly, my initial reaction to the UCU nationwide university marking boycott was the standard student reaction: “I pay nine thousand pounds a year for this;” “I want my coursework to be marked;” “I want to graduate this year.” It’s difficult to stomach the fact that we, as third parties in this whole situation, are the ones affected by union decisions. In fact, there’s the potential to feel quite betrayed by being used as bait in order for lecturers to win their battle over changing pension schemes.

I then began to question my arguably selfish reaction to the issue. Because we’re still in the world of education and it seems so far away, it’s easy to detach ourselves from issues such as pension schemes.

What’s actually happening is that the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) and the pension scheme for academics and administrative staff at pre-1992 institutions have been deemed unsustainable by Universities UK. The proposals for reform will affect employers in a range of ways, one main proposal being to end final salary arrangements and replace them with a pension based on average earnings, up to £50000.

UCU claims these figures are misleading and are concerned with the lack of fairness in the reforms. Further meetings have been proposed and the strike has now been postponed. The Joint negotiating committee commented that: “The purpose of these meetings is to close the difference between the stakeholders’ negotiation positions with a view to reaching agreement.” This makes both positions clear, and it’s all about negotiation. There are two sides to the argument; employees want a stable and affordable pension scheme, whilst at the same time universities want to minimise the effects of such strikes.

Yes, it’s annoying. And yes, it seems unfair to bring students into a dispute that doesn’t concern them. However, on considering the options available to the union, there are no alternatives to ensure that individual voices are heard on such matters. This applies to all strikes, not just the marking boycott.

Being part of a union is about representation and strength in numbers. It’s difficult to think of alternative ways in which unions can get their way and make powerful bodies listen to their grievances without taking action, which stops us in our tracks and makes us consider their needs.

The media makes it worse, being so negative about striking workers, making out that they inconvenience people’s lives on purpose. If we are really honest, marking inconveniences are frustrating, but it would probably be worse to feel like the money for which we’ve worked extremely hard and put into a pension scheme is being tampered with. People want to defend their rights and conditions of their pay, and being part of a union is the ideal way to do this.

Without deliberately trying to sound patronising, perhaps when we enter the world of full-time work, we will understand the frustration of not being heard. A recent example last year occurred when 95 per cent of British Airways workers who voted in 2013 said they would strike because of their pay claims being rebuffed. Workers were outraged that Willie Walsh earned £5000000 that year whilst hundreds had lost their jobs and were working under inferior terms compared to other workers.

This really does emphasise the importance of being part of a union in which workers can exercise their rights and be heard collectively. It also emphasises the importance of holding those up in the food chain of workplaces accountable for their decisions and potential lack of integrity.

Strikes are effective. I hope the threat of a marking boycott doesn’t end up detrimentally affecting us as individuals who are paying for our education, and that it implements enough pressure in order that changes are made without affecting innocent individuals.

The marking boycott isn’t ideal for anyone. However, if the majority of a union feels that something is unfair and that change is needed, I feel we should try and stop our initial selfish reactions to strikes and put ourselves in workers’ shoes.

In a time of financial struggle for many companies, the balance is difficult. Nevertheless, working conditions, salaries and pensions must be something consistent and secure for employees, otherwise they are left with no other alternative but to take drastic measures and strike in the most inconvenient of ways.

My fashion fails: a brief history

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

The road to great style doesn’t always run smooth. At some point we’ve all been ensnared by a trend trap, some more than others. Read my personal fashion journey:

Year 5:
Gypsy Style

Photo: Rumpus PR

Fashion went through a frumpy phase in the early noughties with limp cotton skirts, weird crochet shrugs and circle belts in various shades of sludge flying off the shelves. That weird mum at school who fed her kids mung beans was suddenly so trendy. I briefly returned to the gypsy phase in year 9 with hoop earrings and my dressing gown belt tied around my head.

Year 6:
Taste the rainbow

Photo: Etsy

A huge, multicoloured, patterned fleece, multicoloured patterned rucksack, jeans and clogs. This was the outfit I chose for my induction day at secondary school—I was out to make friends that day! Everyone else had nice, neat uniforms in navy, red or blue and I looked like a rainbow hippy catastrophe blundering through the corridors.

Years 11 – 13:
Awkward overdressing

Photo: Pinterest

Underage drinking is pretty awkward. Underage drinking in small town pubs full of men three times your age is really awkward. The trick to getting served was to dress older, whilst still looking casual; it was important to blend in. I’d usually achieve this by starting with a base of a cardigan, a vest and a pencil skirt—in entirely clashing prints and colours. Next I’d add some obnoxiously big earrings, a quiff, black tights, red square-toed heels and a blue clutch with a giant corsage. I sometimes wonder if I got served simply because of the hypnotic effect of my dazzling colour and print combos.

Sixth Form:
Jeggings with baggy knees and a corset-style back

Photo: Amazon

Moulin Rouge from behind, Nora Batty from the front; I really thought I was the shiz in these raunchy little numbers. You think they’re normal trousers but then I bend over and give everyone a flash of glittery silver lacing. Plus their high waist was great for tucking in those thermal vests my Mum used to buy me. Nice.

First Year
Flat, open-toe sandals with flesh-coloured tights

Photo: Fashion My Legs

In my defence I committed this particular crime because I had sore heels and could barely walk in anything but flip flops. However, 10 minutes into my night out I realised that even flip flops or hobbling in agony would be preferable to webbed feet. I wanted to die with embarrassment or, failing that, plunge into the canal and swim away as fast as my frog feet would carry me.

Clarks Mid-Heels

Photo: Shu Crazy

Comfy, sturdy and well-made, these shoes had everything. Everything except style, that is. Super-conservative, with the sex appeal of a bag of rotting spuds (dressed in onesies and crocs), these horrors could have been sold as contraception, that’s how repellent they were! But still I loved them (so comfy, so practical) and wore them everywhere. I even wore them to Bassface but at least I could safely say no one else was dressed like me…

Special mentions also go to:
Footless tights worn with my massive PE trainers (Year 8)

Photo: Amazon

Dresses worn over trousers long after the trend had died (Year 9-10)

Photo: Tumblr

Large belts worn under the bust (Years 9-11)

Photo: Orion London

About the only time I am glad I wasn’t busty!

Over-plucked eyebrows (Years 9-13)

Photo: Caring In

We’ve all done it, but not all of us used a razor and shaved off half their eyebrow. Several times.

Live: She Keeps Bees

Written by Cordelia Milward on . Posted in Music.

13th November

Gullivers

6/10

Jessica Larrabee, frontwoman of She Keeps Bees, is the complete antithesis of her music.  She is all over the place, and it’s hilarious. Before they even begin, she’s apologising that she hasn’t had time to get changed. Already anticipation is brewing that this set is going to be as messy as their approach to it. Yet opening with ‘Feather Lighter’, from their most recent album Eight Houses, which excels in simplicity, they instantly demonstrate surprisingly serene control.  They take advantage of the minimal instrumentation used by maximising the volume. If ever it seemed like there was a lot going on, it only took a moment to realise this was not due to any complexities in the music, but rather the sheer level of noise. The naturally lethargic sound of the guitars and the swooning vocals are mellowing, but the way they are manipulated is anything but. For a three-piece band, they are undeniably bass-heavy, which is curious since none of the three play bass. ‘Gimmie’, is magnificent. Oozing with 90s grunge nostalgia, it’s no wonder the middle-aged men at the front go wild for it.

At times, She Keeps Bees are extremely dark, and ‘Owls’ is particularly ghostly with guitars imitating each other with shadowy effect. But elsewhere, since neither takes lead, it seems the additional guitar is just a bit unnecessary, only really doubling up to make the overall sound fuller. Most impressive is when all superfluous guitar is abandoned, and Jessica instead picks up her ‘Kenny Rogers Tambourine’ for a stripped back cover of their own song, ‘It Is What It Is’.

Peeling away the peripheries reveals the band’s core substance, which although basic, proves they don’t rely on the clutter of sound effects to engineer a banging catchy song. Never allowing their focus to fold, they end pretty abruptly and then wave an awkward farewell to their meticulous set.

Live: Luke Daniels

Written by Amy Forde on . Posted in Music.

15th November

The Castle Hotel

7/10

As part of the Hey! Manchester compilation, Luke Daniels and friends took to the intimate back room of the The Castle Hotel on Saturday night.

Having never ventured to this gem of a pub located at the top end of the Northern Quarter, I was pleasantly surprised at how well venue and act fit together. The room had the feeling of a converted barn; the small stage, adorned with shabby Persian rug, was sheltered by a shapely, wooden beamed high ceiling. This proved a perfect ambiance for the evening of folk music that followed.

Daniels took the stage with his accompanying female singer, who mesmerizingly led the performance of a few Scottish Gaelic songs, and his cellist who injected an energy into the set. They had all met in Glasgow and he explained his transition from backing musician, playing for many impressive scores including the soundtracks of both of Tolkien’s epics, to being an artist in his own right; he had things to say.

Before every song Daniels told us what had inspired him to write it, in many cases giving the pieces a sinister twist. He joked that he put all the badness into his songs so that hopefully goodness was left at the other side. This gave greater depth to the music that, due to the prettiness of folk, can sometimes be lost.

The true earthiness of the set was felt with the banjo that took the spotlight of the second half, taking the music back to its bluegrass roots. For me, the crescendo moment rightly occurred at the very end. Daniels has in many ways a subtle voice that lacks an intensity, however his performance of ‘Healing Stream’, a song inspired by a traditional Salvation Army hymn and a piece he described as “the greatest love song ever written,” was where he let his true, raw emotion ring out.

Recipe: Leek and Black Pudding Tart

Written by Josephine Harrington on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Tarts are a great summer recipe, easy to make (especially if you have bought the pastry!) and they look fabulous. Black pudding is a favorite of mine at the moment, some people think it is a bit gruesome but personally I love the taste, even more so mixed with the sweet gently cooked leeks. Winning combo!

Ingredients:

– Leeks

– Black pudding

– Eggs

– Milk

– Creme fraiche

– Oil

– Pepper

– Grated cheese

– Shortcrust pastry (or shop bought if you’d like to cheat – it works perfectly!)

Preparation time: One hour

Method:

Start by heating a generous glug of oil in a frying pan. Add two washed and sliced leeks and allow to stew gently for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes until the leeks are soft and sweet. While the leeks are cooking, line a tart dish which shortcrust pastry and turn the oven on to 190ºC. Make the filling by mixing two whole eggs, two egg yolks, 100ml of milk, 100ml of creme fraiche, 100g of cheese (which ever flavour takes your fancy but cheddar does work well) and season with a little salt and pepper. Once the leek mixture is cooked and cooled slightly mix with the egg and spoon into the pastry. Top with cut pieces of black pudding-in whichever pattern desired and cook for 45 minutes. Serve with salad leaves.

Recipe: Chorizo and Harissa Couscous

Written by Josephine Harrington on . Posted in Food & Drink.

This recipe for chorizo and harissa couscous is seriously quick food, the whole thing done in under 15 minutes. This dish would make a fantastic quick lunch between lectures or after a hard day of essay writing!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients: 

– Chorizo

– Onion

– Clove of crushed garlic

– Oil

– 1 tsp of harissa

– Couscous

– Frozen spinach (optional)

Method:

Start by peeling the skin off the chorizo and cut into half circles, cook in a heavy based sauce pan on a medium-high heat. Add a slice onion and a clove of crushed garlic and cook for a couple of minutes in all oil of the chorizo. Once soft, add a tsp of harissa and then add couscous and cover with water on a low heat. Also add frozen spinach, stir fairly frequently and couscous should take less than five minutes.

Recipe: Scandinavian Meatballs

Written by Adam Fearn on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Meatballs are really cheap, tasty, and easy to make. In just twenty minutes, it is simple to create a filling dish that uses products that are very often lying around in students’ fridges and cupboards! Here’s my recipe for creating meatballs, Scandinavian style!

Time to make: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

– 300g pork mince

– 1 egg

– 1 grated onion

– 100g breadcrumbs

– Dill (or any other desired herb)

– 1tbsp olive oil

– 1 tbsp butter

– 2 tbsp plain flour

– Beef stock (can be made from a stock cube)

Method:

Mix together the mince with the egg, grated onion, breadcrumbs and dill. Roll the mixture into meatball shapes of your desired size (from the quantities listed, I made around 15). Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and cook the meatballs until brown. Once they are browned, remove them, melt the butter, then sprinkle over the flour. Stir well. Cook the mixture for two minutes, then slowly whisk in the stock until thick gravy forms. Return the meatballs to the pan and cook them through. Once cooked, sprinkle them with dill (or your chosen herbs) and serve. Cranberry jelly, apple sauce, green vegetables and mash perfectly complement the dish. Berry sauce also makes a wonderful accompanying dip!

Live: Little Dragon

Written by Alyssa Vongapai on . Posted in Music.

22nd November

Albert Hall

7.5/10

Little Dragon have proven to be an eclectic electronic band that can mix dance music well with “Janet Jackson slow jams”. The high school friends Yukimi Nagano, Erik Bodin, Fred Wallin, and Håkan Wirenstrand finally released their fourth album Nabuma Rubberband last May via independent London based label Because Music (Justice, Erol Alkan, Daniel Avery), coming nearly three years since their breakthrough album Ritual Union. The band have shown everyone that they definitely aren’t a one hit wonder, and have real staying power. This is down to their constant evolution: mixing dance music with dreamy down tempo synth pop.

Their unique front woman, Yukimi, came on the stage, banging a cowbell dramatically. You can’t deny that Nagano is gorgeous, but the focus was not just on her beauty and cool outfit. She flirts with audience with her dreamlike voice and dancing, and her delivery was phenomenal. I couldn’t help but feel happy to know that there are still some sick bands out there that don’t use their image to sell their music. They are Swedish, and Yukimi is half Asian, so perhaps style is innate for them anyway.

They won over the crowd with their heart thumping songs, especially ‘klapp klapp’. Their energy as a band oozes out with the upright bass and mesmerizing synth. They made Albert Hall feel magical and exciting. I felt like I was in Hogwarts and Yukimi was singing a bunch of cool spells. I reckon Little Dragon’s patronus charm would be Prince riding a unicorn.

They have has a string of sold out shows; no doubt the future is bright for Little Dragon. They are one of the best things that have happened to current music – wrestling wonderful slow-burners and fun electronic music.

Student Action Manchester: Christmas shoebox appeal

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

There were 2,114 rough sleepers in England in 2013. These statistics show an increase of 5% from the previous year.
81,000 households in England were accepted as homeless last year, with 7,908 in the North West alone.

A household comprises one person or a group of people who share living accommodation.

Student Action Manchester is collecting shoeboxes to give to homeless people in Manchester this Christmas time.
The boxes will be delivered by Student Action’s Outreach and Street Support teams to people on the street, as well as to women and children’s shelters.

There will be a stall in the reception area of the Students’ Union from 1st – 5th of December, where you can leave your shoebox or any other individual items you’d like to donate.

Items you could include in your box: warm clothing (hats, gloves, scarves, socks, underwear, rain ponchos), toiletries (deodorant, moisturiser, wipes, toothbrushes, toothpaste, shower gel, shampoo, Vaseline, bars of soap, antiseptic cream), blankets, notebooks, pens and pencils, books to read, toys for children, food items, food vouchers, gift items. We are collecting boxes for men, women and children.

Student Actions Manchester suggests “wrapping your box and including a Christmas card would be lovely too. And if anyone can make a bag rather than a box that would be great – rucksacks will be particularly useful.”

Jo Harris, one of the organisers of the appeal said “Homelessness remains a huge and incredibly sad, frustrating issue – it is not going away

All of us students see the devastating effects of homelessness almost daily, when we walk down Oxford Road or through Piccadilly gardens and see people living on the street.

These are people like us who are going through a hugely difficult time.

This is why the shoebox appeal is so important – society is failing these people, therefore helping them this Christmas time will be make a huge difference.

Your shoebox, or bag, or anything you can give, could make someone happier this Christmas – and that is such a lovely thought. Please give what you can!

Student Action runs loads of different projects and we are always looking for new volunteers, drivers and project leaders.”

You can find more about the shoebox appeal on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1521963538057264/

For more information on Student Action and how to get involved look at their website: www.manchesterstudentsunion.com/studentaction or email:[email protected].

Charity shop challenge: the Altrincham edition

Written by Aimee Grant Cumberbatch on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

By now you’re hopefully all acquainted with the charity shops of Fallowfield, Withington and Didsbury. But if your thirst for style steals is still unsatisfied, or if you simply fancy a change of shopping scenery, why not try some of Manchester’s urban outskirts for size? Our intrepid editor Aimée Grant Cumberbatch headed to Altrincham to see if its second hand stores measured up to its city centre rivals. Here are the best buys she found for £10 and under.

Winter is making its frosty presence felt in Manchester at the moment, and there’s nothing sadder than having to hide an artfully arranged outfit under last year’s coat. However if you’re already well into your overdraft, forking out for a brand new model isn’t always an option. But charity shops are the perfect place to stock up on all things outerwear without hurting your bank balance. I spotted this gorgeous green suede number (pictured above) for exactly £10 in Altrincham’s branch of Cancer Research, not only is it real leather but its faux fur collar and cuffs make it extra toasty.

Also high up on anyone’s wish list at this time of year are cosy knits, and again charity shops are a gold mine for these kinds of garms, particularly if you’re a jazzy jumper fan. This colourful cardie came in at a saintly £3.50 from Headway.

Colourful cardie and velvet drawstring bag, Photo: Aimée Grant Cumberbatch

I also couldn’t resist this luxurious velvet drawstring bag, costing a bank-balance friendly £2. Perfect for party season.

DIY halterneck crop top

Written by Nikki Patel on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

What you will need:

-A large piece of fabric in your designed colour/pattern

-A sewing machine, and failing that a needle and thread in a colour that complements your fabric

-Pins

-Fabric scissors

-Ruler

Step 1:

Fold your fabric in half lengthways and draw the above shape onto it, leaving a seam allowance of about half an inch. This will be the front part of your crop top. I used the shown proportions and am a size 8/10 so adjust as desired.

Step 2:

Carefully cut out your shape, making sure the scissors don’t snag your fabric. Unfold, and there you have your front piece!

Step 3:

Repeat the same process for the back piece and neck strap using the shapes below, but this time with just one, unfolded layer of fabric.

Step 4:

Neaten up your raw edges with a zigzag stitch and then double fold them a couple of times, securing with pins. Now it’s time to sew!! Secure your neat edges with a short, straight stitch.

Step 5:

Join your front and back pieces by laying them on top of each other, right sides together and pinning them together, leaving the seam allowance as excess. Again, bang out a short straight stitch to connect your pieces.

Step 6:

Fold over the top or your front piece by about half an inch. The space in between will be where your neck strap lies. Finally attach a safety pin to the strap and snake it through the gap, pull it taut and your neckline should create a ruched effect.

And there you have it: a stylish halter neck crop to breathe new life into your Saturday night ensemble (plus you get to tell all your friends that you make your own clothes!)

Fashion finals

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

With coursework deadlines approaching and exams just around the corner the university campus is teeming with panic stricken students. Take this fashion and beauty quiz to find out if your studying, shopping and browsing has paid off this semester.

1. It’s getting chilly and you need a new coat. Would you:
a) Pick up a long, boyfriend-style pastel number

b) Root around in your local charity shop

c) Go for a black peplum coat

2. You’re having a hair mare. Do you:
a) Tie it in a topknot

b) Dye it ombre, loving those blonde ends

c) Brush it

3. Your favourite jeans are ripped in a rather unsightly location and need replacing:
a) You find a cool, more strategically ripped pair which might go nicely with your new crop top

b) Skinny jeans never fail me

c) Bell bottom flares

4. You have half an hour to kill in Superdrug. What do you buy?
a)Matte oxblood lipstick

b) Glitter nail polish

c) Blue mascara – so striking!

5. Which of these items are you most drawn to?
a) High neck, cropped jumper

b) Floral shorts

c) Denim gilet with fur lining

6. It is time to go to uni! What shoes do you opt for?
a) Probably my Nike Air Max trainers

b) Nude ballet flats à la Victoria Beckham

c) Ugg boots, it’s Winter – duh!

7. Which skirt length is a must have this year?
A) Midi

b) Maxi

c) Who cares? It’s just a skirt

8. What is your go-to colour scheme?
a) Cool pastels on luxe materials

b) Monochrome for life

c) Are jeans a colour scheme?

9. You’re in desperate need of some new garms.Where do you head to restock your wardrobe?
a) Your favourite vintage store in the Northern Quarter

b) Can’t go wrong with River Island

c) Primark, I’m on a budget and it’s right by the bus stop

How did you do?

Mainly A’s: You are fashion savvy! You know your bralets from your crop tops. There is no need to
worry about your style, you are 100% bang on trend.

Mainly B’s: You’re still kickin’ it 2012! You may need some extra study sessions browsing the Topshop website to bring your style up to scratch.

Mainly C’s: A little mentoring may be needed, time to step outside the library and into Style Central. Although when it comes to originality, you’re on your way to a first.

The semester may nearly be over but there is still a lot to learn, more for some than others perhaps…Luckily, the Fashion and Beauty team are on hand for style advice, fashion feedback and guidance. You’ll be top of the class in no time. Style Central.

Craving and Saving: Satchels

Written by Kassi Allcock on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Whoever had the wise idea to strategically place exams directly after Christmas had no compassion – how am I supposed to ding dong merrily on high whilst cramming endless revision notes down my throat? I would much rather turkey and stuffing… As torturous as they may be, January exams are never going to go away, no matter how many times we put their disappearance on our Christmas wish list. The only way that we can fight back is to be prepared – which is going to require a sturdy bag to transport our heavy books to the library.

Photo: Cambridge Satchel Company

When dreaming of the perfect satchel, you’d be lying if you denied stalking the Cambridge Satchel Company’s website for hours on end. Their collection of styles has grown extensively over the years, allowing you to stray from a stereotypical satchel, and pretty much make it your own. There’s a size for every need – have a 13″ laptop? There’s a bag for you. what about a 15″? There’s a bag for you. iPad owner? There’s a smaller bag for you! If  you needed to, you could squeeze your entire life into your bag, and it wouldn’t show a single sign of breaking. The practicalities of a Cambridge satchel are countless, but it’s also an amazing fashion accessory too. With a sleek and professional look, you really do get the best of both worlds. The price is a little hard to swallow though, with their workbag coming in at a whopping £195.

Photo: Accessorize

And so, I have found you all a high street alternative. The Kingston Satchel from Accessorize has a much more appealing price tag of £32 (or a grand total of £28.80 with our trusty friend student discount). Let’s be honest – Christmas presents are a real burden on our bank balance, and the next instalment of our student loan doesn’t appear on the horizon until mid-January. We need to be realistic, and this alternate book bag is a life (and money) saver! With an equally stylish vibe, this less expensive satchel will still add a little pizazz to your not so exciting trips to the library. Whether you need your laptop, your books, your lunch, or all of the above, your stylish little satchel has got you covered and you don’t even need to splash your cash! Maybe a Cambridge satchel will have to wait for graduation…

New computer games could lower risk of OAPs falling

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

An elderly person probably wouldn’t come to mind if you were asked to describe a typical computer games user.

However, a new series of interactive fitness games developed in Manchester is aimed specifically at OAPs, with the intention of preventing them from falling.

The team from Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT) and the University of Manchester designed the games in collaboration with MIRA Rehab Limited, which were tested by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust’s Falls Prevention Team and its patients.

The games, which are known as Exergames, use the Microsoft Kinect sensor to monitor body movements. They can be tailored to an individual’s needs and abilities by taking into account fatigue, pain and fear of falling.

The software includes activities such as squatting to control the movement of objects on a TV or computer screen. By logging statistics such as the duration of gameplay and how frequently it is used, it can provide clinicians with reports on how their patients are progressing.

Falls are notoriously common among OAPs. One third of people over the age of 65 will suffer one. This figure increases with age, rising to roughly 50 per cent for people over 85.

In many cases, the repercussions can be severe. Falls often result in severe injuries that can lead to hospitalisation and, in some tragic cases, even death. A serious fall is often used as justification for moving an elderly person into a care home.

Engaging in physical activity can reduce the risk of falling by 40 per cent, but unsurprisingly, many elderly people find it difficult to maintain sufficient activity levels.

This was the major motive behind the development of the games. Since so many OAPs lack the ability or desire to stay active, a more engaging method of encouraging exercise was required.

Dr Emma Stanmore, a Lecturer in Nursing at the University of Manchester, said, “We spoke to a lot of older people and physiotherapists before creating the games because it was really important that what we produced was easy to use and made keeping fit as fun as possible for the target audience.

“Many individuals over the age of 65 haven’t played computer games before, but those who have been helping us test the technology have given us very positive feedback.”

Currently, only patients under the care of Trafford Community Services are able to use Exergames, although it is hoped that they will eventually be introduced across the country.

Dr Jay Chillala, Consultant in Elderly Health at the Trafford Division of CMFT, said, “It’s a very cost-effective device for the NHS so we hope that if the Exergames are rolled out across the UK, patients will be able to take it home and play it with their grandchildren.”

The Exergames currently include three games and four exercises such as leg lifts and squats. They were developed with the help of healthcare professionals.

Debra Maloney, Trafford Intermediate Care Team Leader at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, said, “Physiotherapists from our outpatient rehabilitation team have been helping to develop Exergames by advising on the exercises included in the programme and some patients from one of our exercise groups have played a valuable role by giving feedback on demo versions of the games.

“It’s been fantastic to be part of a project that really is at the cutting edge of falls prevention and will make a huge difference to older people.”

French Men: Dispelling the Myth

Written by Molly Allen on . Posted in Lifestyle.

I really want to meet the idiot who gave French men the reputation of being these gorgeous, tall, Vespa-driving, romantic sex-machines. I’m not sure if it just stemmed from the French language’s reputation as fabulously romantic but wherever it came from, it’s entirely false.

I lived in the Alps last year and spent what felt like 99 per cent of my time being harassed. By the plumber, endless guys in bars, other students. I was told by my French male friends (who turned out to be pretty unpleasant anyway) that I needed to just put up with this barrage of abuse. My mum responded with: “You’re young and attractive, what do you expect? I’m sure this happens in the UK too, you’ve only just started to notice.”

30 year-olds date 16 year-olds and no one bats an eyelid. There are times when the harassment was laughable: the married man pushing a pram, the weird fourteen year old in the bakery, the plumber who came to repair the toilet.

However there were times when it got just plain frightening. My flatmate and I were chased out of a club by a group of guys who refused to leave us alone. I had to walk to the delivery office and on my way there a man asked for directions before asking me to get into his car. I was beeped at, whistled at, shouted at and treated like a piece of meat the rest of the journey. On the way back someone stopped their van and opened the door—thank god for rock, I missed what he’d said due to a guitar solo courtesy of Pink Floyd and responded with an angry “fuck off.”

The fact of the matter is, when it comes to romance, the French and the British are just too different. I never uncovered the reason as to why these men were so horrible to me and I’d be fascinated to find out why. You can’t win with any response: if you’re polite they don’t back down, if you’re rude you’re hit with a torrent of abuse. It may be “one of those things.” I doubt I’ll ever know.

I was in the audience of the most evil show on TV

Written by Robert Firth on . Posted in Lifestyle.

The Jeremy Kyle Show had always been great to watch at fleeting moments during breakfast when I had nothing better to do with my time. It existed to “titillate bored members of the public with nothing better to do” said District Judge Alan Berg whilst sentencing one of the show’s guests for head butting his love rival on the show.

Well I was bored and I didn’t care; besides they were offered counselling. One day I was even more bored than usual so I registered for tickets to be on the show and then two Fridays ago found myself there in the audience complicit in, with my cued applause and boos, potentially the most evil show on TV.

We were reminded before taking our seats that “These are real people, so please don’t laugh at them.” Yet this seemed only to be a disclaimer, as opposed to an attempt to preserve the dignity of the guests.

In one classic ‘Who’s the Dad?’ scenario, Kyle unremittingly mocked one of the potential fathers, calling him “exhibit A” and ironically asking if it was his “charm” which attracted the Mother to him in the first place. Kyle who believes the “only way to solve a problem is through honesty and openness” then proceeded to shout him down with bizarre recall to questions about “exhibit A’s” unemployment; if anyone could hear him underneath Kyle’s baiting of the audience, he was saying how he was at college.

The Jeremy Kyle show is a last chance saloon: “Do I look like I want to be on The Jeremy Kyle Show?” said one guest. With the show’s offer of DNA tests and lie detector tests it is easy to see why it can become such an attractive option to people: get a DNA test with the Child Support Agency and you’ll pay around £250.

In the most grotesque example that day of the show purporting to be an exemplar of moral virtuosity, a girl came to make an appeal to find her father who had disappeared after her mother died when she was thirteen.

When she ran off stage in tears, Jeremy Kyle put his arm round her, telling her “I like you” (note he has a bank of such morally affirmative phrases) and led her back on stage, explaining scrupulously that the only way the show could help her was for her to make the appeal direct into the camera.

The moment after she had spluttered her way through the appeal, he asked her to turn around and on the TV screen behind her appeared her Dad who they had already tracked down and was in the studio all along. “That’s what we can do” Jeremy Kyle reminded us all as we ogled this first meeting between the father and daughter.

I failed to see how the previous fifteen minutes or so of watching someone in distress had been necessary.

Kyle purports to be a respectable, fatherly man of the people: he’ll give guests a dressing down then sit next to them, look into their eyes talk to them like their best friend. It’s a joke. Kyle comes from a ridiculously privileged background: he attended an independent boys school, his father was accountant and personal secretary to the Queen Mother. Bear this in mind and there’s something nauseating about this man presenting a show which humiliates an overwhelmingly working class cast of guests.

The filming began at 10am and was over by 2pm. Despite the four hours of distraction, occasional entertainment and a free Freddo, it was doubtful upon leaving into the rainy Manchester afternoon whether it had been worth the effort of getting up at 6am for. Were the small graces of a daughter been reunited with her father and someone knowing he was a father enough to make up for all the distress and manipulation I had seen? Or a mother at her wit’s end, goaded by Kyle playing Jezza the bezza, into screaming vitriolic abuse at her daughter after she failed a drugs test?

Kyle, whether person or character, is nasty, arrogant and intelligent. He’s the dictator of the show. “Stand up! It’s my show: The Jeremy Kyle Show” he barked at one audience member who he mocked before filming began. Whilst he decides on whim who’s hero and villain, the real puppet master Jeremy Kyle is left entirely unaccountable.