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Day: 15 February 2016

Shopping in Manchester

Written by Sarah Kilcourse on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

In recent years. Manchester city centre has undergone a number of changes, all of which stem from a bombing in 1996. For those who don’t know what happened, in 1996 the IRA (Provisional Irish Republican Army) planted a bomb in a van on Corporation Street, damaging the heart of the city including shopping centre Manchester Arndale. As a result of this catastrophe, a series of investments were made in order to reconstruct and better Manchester as a shopping destination.

Fortunately, the council and government quickly set about making some adjustments to the city centre. Preventing the unpleasant attack from leaving a visible scar on Manchester’s infrastructure—hence the rebuilding of Marks and Spencer’s, the development of New Cathedral Street and the new Selfridges. All was well in Manchester throughout the boom years leading up to the recession but in the years since, it has been not as great. I am no economist, so I am not going to venture into discussions on the causes and after-effects of the 2008 recession, but I will say that it has had an impact on shops in Manchester.

All through the 90’s and early 2000’s, King Street was the self-proclaimed ‘Regent Street of the North’—home to designer names like Pied a Terre, Armani, Diesel, DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger as well as a few others. But when Selfridges emerged in 2002 and Harvey Nichols was finally built, there was a shift in the kind of location for more expensive brands to set up shop. Post-recession, there was not enough cash to support so many luxury shops, which led to King Street becoming ever more overrun with restaurants. Don’t get me wrong, there are still some of the older stores and restaurants aimed at a high-end clientele, but with the redevelopment of the Corn Exchange into The Triangle, it seems like customers are being dragged further away from King Street.

Restaurants are seemingly becoming a bigger and bigger business venture in Manchester. Whenever an empty space opens up, there seems to be a Pizza Express, Zizzi’s or Nando’s replacing it. Manchester has the highest restaurant-inhabitant density for Nando’s in the UK! Surely they won’t find room for anymore.

We are so fortunate here in Manchester with the diverse array of restaurants and shops available, but it is sad to watch the high street falling. No longer is it just the luxury brands suffering in Manchester, Market Street has had a succession of closures recently: Miss Selfridge, Nike, American Apparel, and as of January—French Connection, too. These are all some of the fairly big name brands that should exist in any major city, so why are they not surviving in Manchester?

It’s easy to theorise why shops are struggling (high rent, the internet, etcetera) but that doesn’t help to improve the shopping experience in Manchester. I for one have always loved the shopping in Manchester; I’m fairly local, so I would be devastated to witness the high street here suffer. All we can do is remain ever faithful that more fantastic shops will come along and breathe new life into the city—especially now that there is a giant space where French Connection was; I’m excited to see what will fill it!

Noughties Nostalgia

Written by Rebecca Thomas on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Although seemingly very recent, the style of the early noughties has already become as recognisable as the iconic trends of the 80s and 90s. Here are a few of the greatest and most questionable fashion and beauty trends that were hot at the turn of the millennium:

1.       Velour Tracksuits

The peak of cool in the early 2000’s was the matching velour tracksuit from Juicy Couture. The matching coloured separates and ‘juicy’ printed on the butt was the mark of fame, and had an army of celebrity worshippers, too. The ultimate Juicy Couture moment came when Britney got married to Kevin Federline; with the bridal party and groomsmen sporting pink ‘Maids’ and white ‘Pimps’ tracksuits respectively.

2.       Halternecks

With ‘less is more’ being the mantra of ’00s stars like Christina Aguilera, halternecks were miniature and had a DIY chic look going on due to their appearance in metallic and bandana materials.

3.       Highlights

Blended and subtle were the antithesis of this hair trend that saw a confusion of zebra highlights in contrasting bleach blonde and dark stripes. Atomic Kitten taught the world how to work tri-colour highlights on linear straight hair. Men reached for the bleach and transformed into porcupines; hair was spiked into alternating monochrome tufts.

Photo: AmaliaAdina@Flickr

 4.       Cargo Pants

Cargo pants were featured heavily on the red carpet—the most elite were those made in a shiny material or camouflage, and worn with heels. The most exciting qualities of the cargos was their ability to unzip into shorts and their many useful pockets. Versatile. If worn in a crowd, the cargo pants frequently referenced the top of another bandmate, creating a sense of cohesive cool.

5.       Glossy makeup

The reflective material in fashion translated into the makeup of the early ’00s, with copious amounts of lipgloss being the biggest craze. Eyeshadow was also favoured, with the smokey eye being truly discovered in the early ’00s. High-shine was matched with fake tans that were considered better for being evidently orange, with the desired aesthetic of channeling Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie during their time on The Simple Life.

6.       WAG style

Possibly the best way of immersing in early ’00s memories is a look back at the huge cultural moment of the WAG (abbreviated from wives and girlfriends), and media representation of the jostle for style queendom at the sidelines of sporting events. The mixture of designer handbags and cliquey vibes made the WAG image a noughties answer to Mean Girls, with Posh: the Regina George of the crowd.

7.       Baker boy hats

The baker boy or newsboy cap resurged from its 1920s origins into the millenium. An example of a more erroneous trend that had emerged, the baker boy hat was often worn over pigtails, and worn by Keira Knightley in Love Actually was where it was at its most iconic.

Photo: faveforafact@Flickr

8.       Crop tops and low-rise jeans

Following on from the ’90s trend for cropped tops, the noughties made it more extreme, with tops becoming even more miniature and trousers ending lower, expanding midriff visibility.

9.       Thin eyebrows

The full brow of recent years has been an answer to its noughties predecessor, eyebrows were thinned and shaped into manicured arches.

10.   Decorative belts

Oversized belts made of circular, studded brown leather (or pleather) segments were characteristically slung over gypsy skirts, making them ornamental accessory items rather than functioning as true belts.

TV Binge: Deutschland ’83

Written by Jane Simmons on . Posted in Film.

Channel 4’s new Walter Presents season has brought many gems from around the globe to our TV screens, but it’s most entertaining new programme Deutschland ’83, is an absolute must-see. It follows up-and-coming German actor Jonas Nay as Martin, a Stasi officer from Soviet East Germany who is forced to go undercover as a spy in liberal West Germany to obtain secret Cold War information for his East German colleagues. Although it may sound like an average spy drama, Deutschland ’83 is tense, humorous, and endlessly entertaining.

The first striking quality of this programme is the soundtrack. When asked by NME why she chose the year 1983, creator Anna Winger commented, “because it’s the only year I remember listening to any German music”. It’s true that the music is a very big part of Deutschland ’83—the soundtrack features a brilliantly eclectic mix of well-known classics that really builds the essence of (West) Germany in the 1980s—from New Order to Tears for Fears. As for German music, the opening theme sports a dreamy, synth-laden tune by artist Peter Schilling (the title of the track interestingly named ‘Major Tom’).

What is more, the acting in this series is fantastic—Nay as the protagonist, Martin, gives an incredibly versatile performance; his talents ranging from absolute terror at some of the situations that he is forced into, to humorous bemusement. There is a particularly witty scene in one of the episodes where he, as a resident of East Germany, is flummoxed at the idea of the new technological invention, the Walkman. The cast are unknown to UK viewers, but each of them work wonderfully well together and as a result should be earning more recognition further afoot from Germany. Maria Schrader is menacing and sinister as Martin’s stylish but overbearing aunt, Lenora, and co-star Ludwig Trepte is equally as praise-worthy for his performance as the General’s rebellious and confused son Alex.

Another quality of Deutschland ’83 is that it shows a side of the Cold War that is often overlooked—the extent to which normal people were mercilessly used like pawns in the game of the Cold War. Like most creative programmes, there is no black and white predictability of binary oppositions. Instead, there are only characters whom each have different motives—each one is a different cog turning in the political machine, and it is totally possible to empathise with each of them. And it is not only the Cold War as the catalyst to these problems, as another impending issue of the 1980s raises its head in later episodes.

All in all, Deutschland ’83 makes for a fantastic Sunday night watch. Far from a dry Cold War drama, its apt soundtrack, stylish structure and outstanding acting makes for a hugely entertaining programme to get into. Nearing the end of its series as it comes to a close in next week’s finale, catch this spark of a show while you can.

The Coffee Column: Java

Written by Andrew Wells on . Posted in News.

Established in 1996, Java claims to be Manchester’s oldest independent, though this does seem a dubious claim as its independent status is questionable; with four branches dotted around Greater Manchester. There are two small branches at Victoria Station and Rochdale Interchange, one on Station Approach just off of Oxford Road (opposite the rail station) and, contrasting to the polluted station environment, a larger branch in the quaint rural village of Uppermill, Saddleworth (a 30 minute train ride to Greenfield and a 10 minute walk). I realised that purists may not consider this an independent—but the fact that it is local and it is not a multi-national corporation is good enough for me.

Whilst the situation of three of their premises is hardly prepossessing, the interior is inviting and a welcome break from the commuter rat race. The owner spent years travelling around Europe, sampling the finest coffees that the continent had to offer. But upon his return to the UK, he could not find anywhere that rivalled the taste of the freshly ground coffee of France, Italy and even the former Soviet states. This inspired him to create a coffee shop to echo the ambience and quality of coffee found around Europe. The cafés branches are furnished with granite tables, comfortable sofas and walls plastered with mirrors, vintage Italian posters and chalkboards presenting the day’s specials.

The coffee offered was a rich blend of beans that provided the classic coffee aroma but with a fuller flavour and a smoky twist. For those of you who aren’t morning people, the caffeine hit from their coffee is the perfect pick-me-up before any snooze-inducing lecture. This is probably the reason why Java provide one of my favourite coffees in Manchester. The downside is, if you’re looking for a unique coffee with a bit of character, then you probably would be better off looking elsewhere (Takk and Idle Hands come in mind). Essentially, Java does the classic strong coffee to near-perfection.

Alongside the cakes, scones and waffles found in any café at home or on the continent, Java offer a fine range of artisan pies and sandwiches beautifully presented with fresh salad. It’s a great place for lunch or a light bite. Their very own deli counter means that pies can also be taken home if you like the look of what’s on offer but haven’t got the space in your stomach. The price for food and coffee is not going to break the bank either, and what’s better is that the food is locally sourced from bakers, butchers, delicatessens and farmers in Greater Manchester.

Perhaps if you wanted something stronger, or to wash down the pâté and toast with something different, Java have a comprehensive list of good wines—from the ones I’ve tried at least. The better known brands of continental beers—Peroni, Birra Moretti and Stella Artois—are also available.

A while ago, I read an article in The Guardian on the dismal state of catering at train stations. Java break this trend with high standards and a broad range to cater for any traveller’s foodie desires. When you’re making the journey back home, I can only recommend picking up your travel snack or coffee from Java one of their branches in Manchester rather than the usual corporate chain. It’s reasonably priced, great quality and convenient.

Price £

1-3 Station Approach / 4 Cigar Alley, Todd St