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Year: 2017

Trump’s executive order: Impact on students

Written by Ollie Potter on . Posted in News.

Several foreign students have been unable to return to their studies in the United States following President Trump’s highly controversial executive order, which has banned immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Iranian student Nazanin Zinouri, who has lived in Greenville, South Carolina for seven years, remains stranded in Tehran after being forced off the plane in Dubai, where she had been due to take a connecting flight to Greenville. She wrote on Facebook: “No one warned me when I was leaving [to Tehran], no one cared what will happen to my dog or my job or my life there.”

In another similar incident, CBS News reported that an unnamed Sudanese Stanford University student returning from a research trip in Sudan was handcuffed and detained on Friday night and later released, as a Stanford spokesperson said he was a legal U.S. resident.

Dania Albaba, a 22-year old first-year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, has seen her family torn apart by the travel ban. The first generation of her Syrian family to be born in the US and an American citizen, she has had several family members prevented from flying back to their homes in Houston, Texas.

Her Syrian green-card holding grandparents are unable to return to Texas, their home for four years, after visiting Dania’s aunt and uncle in Jordan. Dania says she lives in an area that voted heavily for Trump and said she experiences intimidation from Houston residents because of her Muslim faith. She concluded an interview with Al Jazeera’s Barret Limoges saying: “With Trump’s statements on Muslims, Mexicans and his actions against women, I took him for his word. I think a lot of Muslims, many who even supported him, did not.” Many believed Trump’s call for a ban on Muslim immigration was merely campaign rhetoric, not actual presidential policy once he was in office.

The executive order covers the states of Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen. It has been condemned as “illegal under international human rights law” by the UN, declared unconstitutional by 16 US Attorney Generals and described as putting “American values at stake” by Barack Obama. Criticism also came from MSF, known as ‘Doctors Without Borders’, who called the refugee ban “an inhumane act against people fleeing war zones”.

CNN wrote that six of the seven countries except Iran have been the target of US military operations over the last two decades, and that a “few strokes of Trump’s pen” banned some 218 million people from the US. Syrian refugees are banned indefinitely, with the ban on the other six states lasting 90 days.

A UK petition to halt President Trump’s state visit to the UK, where he would be hosted by the Queen, has reached 1.6 million signatures. The visit has been widely condemned by a cross-party range of MPs.

Top 5: Films about food

Written by Myriam Raso on . Posted in Film.

1. Julie and Julia (Nora Ephron, 2009)
Based on a true story and a book written by Julie Powel. It focuses on one woman’s story (Julie Powel) in finding herself. With the help of food and Julia Child — a pioneering woman who ‘taught America how to cook’ —   Powel’s challenge is to work her way through Julia Child’s cookbook containing 500-ish recipes in 365 days. Not only will you delve into the life of Julie, but the director has explored the life of Julia Child during her time living in France with her husband Paul as she struggles to complete and publish her cookbook. It explores a whirlwind of emotions from both parties, including the traumatic event of killing a lobster, something magically made humorous; and Julia’s eye-watering scene of chopping kilos of onions as she tries to be taken seriously in an all-male cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu. Definitely a great watch for anyone who loves the beauty of food.

2. The hundred-foot Journey (Lasse Hallström, 2014)
A family’s tragic loss of their house and mother leads them to leave behind everything they know and their home country, India, and try to rebuild their life in Europe until they finally land in France. With the father’s fiery ambition to open a restaurant, a son with an intense passion for cooking, but, despite some of the children’s wishes, they decide to open a classic Indian restaurant, 100 feet away from a Michelin-star French restaurant. We are shown the beautiful home-style cooking of traditional Indian cuisine and the meticulous classical French cuisine. After a rough and competitive start, both restaurants learn to appreciate each other and come together to create a phenomenal Michelin-starred chef.

3. Chocolat (Lasse Hallström, 2000)
A beautiful, liberal, open-minded woman, Dianne Rocher played by the wonderful Juliette Binoche, and Dianne’s daughter Anouk, move into a small remote town to open a delicious chocolate shop. In this town the church reigns and because of this and the way she behaves they become rather unwelcome. However, through her kind desire to help others; including a woman abused by her husband, an elderly lady with family problems, a group of travellers referred to as ‘river rats’ — with Johnny Depp as the clan leader — and two lonely unmarried people who seek to have each other, she becomes welcomed into the community. This true passion for helping others is celebrated with a dinner party where everything — and I mean everything! — is covered in chocolate.

4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Tim Burton, 2005) & Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Mel Stuart, 1971)
“Come with me and you’ll be in a world of pure imagination”. In case you don’t already know, this film explores the story of a poor young boy, Charlie Bucket, who is lucky enough to win a golden ticket to enter Wonka’s chocolate factory. These films allow for one’s imagination to completely take over with the creation of chocolates and sweets. In the world of Willy Wonka, there is nothing he cannot create to eat. A magical garden where everything is edible and chewing gum can taste like a three-course meal. Although we must give credit to the original cinematic recreation of Roal Dahl’s book, personally I find Tim Burton’s version more mesmerising. The combination of bright colours and unimaginable confectionery, along with the brilliant actors cast in this film, is truly a feast for the eyes.

5. Chef (Jon Favreau, 2014)
Carl Casper played by Jon Favreau is a talented chef who doesn’t seem to be appreciated in his job: forced to cook traditional old recipes and unable to let his creativity flow. With his career on the line, a video going viral of his crazy rampage towards a food critic, and his family life breaking down, his wife gives him an eccentric idea to take up an old food van and transform it into a Cuban street food van. This film is not only about his passion for food, but his passion for life: do something that makes you happy and enjoy life, don’t just do something because it pays well. The film will not only open up your eyes to the glory of food but open your heart to the beauty of happiness.

Thousands march against Trump

Written by Barney Weston on . Posted in News.

On Monday, the 30th of January, an estimated 5,000 people gathered in Manchester’s Albert Square to demonstrate against President Trump’s executive order on immigration.

In the region of 1,000 students were at the demonstration, some opting to meet outside both the University of Manchester and the Manchester Metropolitan University Students’ Unions half an hour before the rally to attend the event together.

When asked, one said that it was important for students to get involved as they were “privileged to be educated”, and that Trump’s executive order dealt with “the moral issue of prejudice: xenophobia.” He had “had enough of sitting behind a keyboard typing”.

Photo: Lucy Fletcher

A British-Iranian citizen and Iranian History lecturer for the University of Manchester affected by the ban expressed concerns over the “barriers” that were being put up in regards to academic research and academic exchange, “destroying” the notions, and “depriving” everyone. “We should steer clear of these measures […] We have to stand up now.”

A range of speakers, including an NUS delegate and members from the University of Manchester Palestine Society spoke at the event. They said; “it is our duty to fight with everything we have […] In our spaces of learning and tolerance, we must do everything we can.” There were also calls for students to write motions to their student unions in solidarity with Muslims, using their “educational and outraged voice against injustice”. The NUS delegate told the crowd she was “unapologetically Muslim, Pakistani, Mancunian”.

Ron Senchank, President of the Manchester Stop the War Coalition was granted the greatest applause of the evening. “Donald Trump has come deep, deep, deep, from the very asshole of America. He’s bought with him every racist, every bigot, every anti-Semite, everybody we despise, has come out of that asshole.”

Both Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud, President of Somaliland, and Haider al-Abadi, Prime Minister of Iraq, are alumni of the University of Manchester, both serving countries affected by the ban.

Somaliland students have voiced their concerns about the ban. The Abaarso boarding school in Somaliland has become a feeder school of sorts for elite United States universities.

“I feel lucky that I’ve been accepted to an elite college in the U.S., but also sad that I might not be able to start my college education”, said Shukri Ali, a 19-year-old Abaarso student speaking to CNN, who was accepted last month to study at Wellesley College in September.

However, Ali accepted Trump’s explanation that the ban was intended to keep the United States safe. “I will not take this personally because I know I’m not a terrorist.”

Photo: Lucy Fletcher

A University of Manchester student from Kenya, speaking to The Mancunion, expressed a similar sentiment. He applauded Trump for being “selfish towards his own country.” Admitting the policy was a harsh way to deal with Islamic terrorism, he stated “do you think this sort of thing can be done politely?’

Although Trump was the rally’s main target (referred to as an “orange, backward-looking, thick-skinned narcissist”, “he who shall not be named”, as well as subject to chants such as “you can’t build a wall, your hands are too small”), May was also targeted. Signs featured a picture of Trump and May with the caption, “The Undateables”; another read “Shame on Theresa — the fascist appeaser”.

Theresa May has rejected calls to withdraw Trump’s state visit invitation. Andrew Gwynne, local Labour MP for Denton and Reddish has voiced concerns over whether Trump may be invited to the Conservative Party Conference, due to be held in Manchester in October.

MPs will discuss whether Trump should receive a state visit at a Westminster Hall debate on the 20th of February following an official petition receiving over 1,800,000 signatures at the time of writing. 100,000 signatures are required to merit a government response.

Watch Fuse TV’s video from the march here.

Review: Narvik

Written by Brogen Campbell on . Posted in Theatre.

Narvik is a play that features songs written by Lizzie Nunnery. The play revolves around the central character Jim Callaghan (played by Joe Shipman), a liverpudlian sailor who is reminiscing about his life during world war two, a man who sailed under the Royal Navy to liberate the Norwegian port of Narvik in April 1940.

The play begins with Jim as a 90 year old man clearly coming to the end of his life, who falls and struggles to get back up all alone. The physicality by Shipman to showcase the pain and weariness of the 90 year old version of Jim is outstanding.

Throughout the play the actors physicality was beautifully used to create haunting and memorable images.  The story reminisces about Jim’s Norwegian sweetheart Else Dahl (played by Nina Yndis), who he meet before the war but keeps in mind throughout.

The other major character is Kenny Atwood (played by Lucas Smith), who was Jim’s naval comrade and best friend during the war. All these memories are interwoven throughout the play along with recollections about his parents. All three actors and the three actor-musicians remain on stage at all times.

The 90 minute play certainly packs a punch and takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions as it revolves around love and war. The fact there is no interval means the audience are really drawn into the world of the characters, along with the exceptional acting of the three actors.

Shipman carries the show and his seemingly effortless switch between child to man to old age continuously throughout the play is a pleasure to behold. Shipman has to be commended for his physical encapsulation of his character as with a simple body shift the audience were quickly transported to a different memory in a different time period.

Smith was able to carry an easy charm and was the source of most laughs. This cheerful character clearly had a troubled past and Smith was able to showcase both aspects to keep the character from simply being one dimensional. Yndis had a mysterious nature, which resulted in a truly haunting end with the last physical pose leaving a truly unforgettable image.

Music is integral to this play.  The few songs, which I would classify as folk, are entwined into the play. They add to heighten the emotions that drive this play. Yet the music does not simply stop and start again. The musicians create a stream of music to accompany the acting, from creating the atmosphere of a naval boat wading across the sea to the upbeat nature of a drinking tavern.

Melodies mysteriously appear and disappear seamlessly it is a testament to both the incredible talents of Lizzie Nunnery and the band (Vidar Norheim, Maz O’Connor, Joe Hirons). The seemingly effortless use of music definitely sets this play apart from others.

The play explores the themes about what actions are acceptable during war and what can be forgiven and forgotten. Is the war real or is it simply an illusion before you get back to real life. The staging was simple yet extremely effective as the box shaped piping allowed for all cast members to weave around the set.

There was no set changes. Different locations and time periods were instead highlighted by a simple light change. Yet this was not a drawback of the play. Instead the simplicity aloud the audience to be truly engrossed and not distracted as the play seamlessly moved though time and different locations.

Director Hannah Tyrell-Pinder’s production for Box of Tricks is truly mesmerising. It is both chilling and haunting. There was more than a few tears flowing by the end of the performance. Narvik is at Home till the 4th of February as part of its national tour. Tickets can be found here.

Greater Manchester’s upcoming metro mayor election

Written by Tom Patterson on . Posted in News.

As part of the Government’s devolution agenda, Greater Manchester will be electing its first metro mayor on the 4th of May. In addition, six other combined-authority areas across England will also be holding mayoral elections this May.

The appointees will be responsible for growing the economy and managing things such as housing, transport and skills across the region. A lot of the powers that the new mayors will have are currently held by local authorities. Going forwards, the coordination of cross-boundary plans, such as new transport links and housing construction, will depend on agreements between the new office and the local authorities within the area.

The BBC recently reported that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has estimated that the creation of the office could cost up to £5.4m, with an annual expenditure of around £2m. But a council spokesman told the BBC that the costs will be covered by “existing reserves and additional business rates income”.

The Centre for Cities is an “independent, non-partisan think tank” that produces research on economic growth and change for “cities, business and Whitehall”. They found that 34 per cent of adults in Greater Manchester think that “health care provision should be the most important priority for local politicians” and 12 per cent think emergency services and housing should be the next two priorities.

Drawing on their research, the Centre lists their top three policy priorities for the new metro mayor as; building new offices and housing (a quick-win policy), making a case for a new congestion charge in the city centre (a strategic policy) and developing a sustainable social care budget (a long-term policy).

Manchester is traditionally seen as a Labour stronghold so the Centre for Cities is predicting a Labour win for Andy Burnham. Continuing in the order of party vote-share in the region from the 2015 General Election, also standing are; Sean Anstee (Conservative), Shneur Odze (UKIP), Jane Brophy (Liberal Democrat) and Will Patterson (Green Party). Will Patterson is representing the Green Party after the tragic and unexpected death of Hulme-based candidate Deyika Nzeribe earlier this year.

Former party leader Natalie Bennett told the BBC in January that “Deyika’s death is a huge loss for the Green Party, but also for the city of Manchester.” In addition to the more well-known parties, Peter Clifford will be standing for the Communist League and Stephen Morris for the right-wing English Democrats.

The BBC has called the upcoming mayoral elections the “biggest change to our local political landscape for 40 years”. Ushered in as part of the government’s Devolution Deal, the new metro mayors are expected to have a swift and direct effect, as well as a lasting one.

Manchester reveals world’s first graphene dress

Written by Serena Holloway on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

During January, shoppers at the Trafford Centre witnessed a fashion first; a little black dress containing the University of Manchester’s wonder material – graphene.

The dress, which was produced by a collaboration between the National Graphene Institute at the University of Manchester and Cute Circuit, a London fashion company that produces wearable technology, is being hailed as the world’s most ‘hi-tech’ dress. Graphene was used to power small LED lights within the dress whilst also acting as a sensor of the model’s breathing. The result: a dress that is able to change colour by adapting to the wearer’s breathing patterns.

A million times thinner than a human hair, graphene is thought to be the thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material in the world. It was discovered in Manchester in 2004 by university professors Kostya Novoselov and Andre Geim, who received the Nobel Prize in physics for their work with the material.

A form of carbon, graphene is thought to be 200 times stronger than steel, and the fastest, most efficient conductor of electricity out of all known materials. Just in case that does not impress you, despite being just a single atom thick, graphene absorbs 2.3 per cent of light, which makes it visible to the naked eye.

Photo: CORE-Materials@Flickr

With this in mind, Francesca Rosella, the chief creative director for Cute Circuit, who has also produced futuristic dresses for the likes of Katy Perry and Nicole Scherzinger, described it as a “real honour [to] showcase graphene’s amazing properties”. Meanwhile, Dr Paul Wiper from the National Graphene Institute said the dress is an example of what “creativity, imagination and a desire to innovate can create”.

Away from the catwalk, scientists at the Graphene Institute believe the Nobel-prize winning material holds an abundance of potential for future technologies including flexible mobile phones, lightweight planes and electric sports cars. The wonder material is also being researched for its role in water purification, by using graphene membranes to produce clean drinking water.

In June last year, advancements in graphene research came under threat following Britain’s decision to leave the EU. Manchester’s National Graphene Institute is an important part of the EU’s Graphene Flagship project, which is set to supply £830m worth of funding to graphene research. As a result of Brexit, there are worries that the University will lose over £1m in EU funding for the Institute.

Review : Pangaea – Land before time

Written by Hannah Brierley on . Posted in Music.

I can honestly say I have never missed a Pangaea. Whether you think that’s sad or impressive doesn’t really matter. My 9th Pangaea in and still going strong.

For the most part, things were as usual, but many things had changed and this was not necessarily for the better.  It must be said that the building work between the Student Union and the Ali G, literally put a dampener on the mood as the peculiar one way route between Academy 1 and the Union made it difficult to get anywhere in haste.

It wouldn’t have mattered so much if the tents outside had made an appearance as per, however due to the changes this wasn’t possible. Such a shame, because this is where the usual buzz and hub of people tend to gather, and without it the night lost an element of magic.

That long, sodden walk was cheered up, however, with the sight of Piggie Smalls and their huge cheesy chips and burgers — can’t go wrong really can you?

But I wasn’t going to let the rain get me down, no way no how. I pandered over to the Union with my food where I was met with amazing cheesy tunes with everyone singing and dancing along together. I feel we need more cheesy music to make for some variation — ultimate cheese room anyone? So hats off to you guys in the Union Bar, you were class.

As the night went on, the enchantment began to resurface as all the rooms began to fill up with glittery dinosaurs, questionable cave girls and other strange mystical creatures. 

Headliners, Wild Beasts were less than impressive. They fit the recurring theme of  EDM music and while they were good and I did enjoy their set, the room seemed pretty empty considering they were the headliners. A shame considering in the past we have had HUGE names headlining like Example, Everything Everything and even Sister Sledge — whether you openly like them or not is debatable but you can’t deny that they’re huge. I was more bothered about finding my cigarettes than listening to the rest of their music.

My highlights of the Night included Zak Abel who performed in Academy 1, despite the being dribs and drabs coming through the doors at the time, the music was hypnotically enticing and really grabbed the audience.

Horse Meat Disco who also played Academy 1 with their infamous disco revival, delivered an impressive mix of songs from the well known to the more obscure. Horse Meat Disco have the right ingredients for a good time and always keep it vibrant and fun. Go check them out if Disco is your thing, they will be right up your street.

Also quick shout-out to Gold Teeth too, again as upbeat and energetic as always.

There was a great vibe on the upper floors of the Union; music blared from every room and with such a range of different themes there was a array of places to choose from. This is where it was really going off — or at least it felt like it did, probably because of the size of the rooms and because this is where the majority  stayed as it meant avoiding the outdoors, which makes sense really.

I know the building work can’t be helped, but please can we have some kind of variation in music style? And where has the outside silent disco gone?!

But, despite this, I still love you Pangaea and I’ll see you in June — you must be doing something very right to bring us all back every time. And after living in Manchester for nearly 3 years, I really should be used to the weather by now…

Fuel cells could provide new green energy solutions

Written by Prabhuraj Balakrishnan on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Scientists from University of Manchester, in collaboration with National Graphene Institute, have obtained ground breaking results by utilising 2D crystals in fuel cells, solving a huge fuel permeation problem that remained a major obstacle for commercialisation. This key step is considered as a main route to opening doors for viable green energy systems, whilst also decreasing currently used ones.

Fuel cells are often perceived as the energy technology of the future, as they provide sustainable, clean energy by using alcohols as fuels by a simple reaction. Hence, they are used widely in chargers, military applications, or other scenarios where the access to electricity is difficult. However, their efficiency is greatly hindered by the fuel permeation phenomena occurring in their engine room, creating undesired reactions inhibiting their performance.

Several materials have been reported in literature to date that have seen a reduction in fuel permeation but also restrict the flow of protons, which is also desirable for activity of fuel cells.

Nobel Laureates Andre Geim and his co-workers discovered the process of proton transfer in 2014, through graphene and other 2D materials. One additional feature with these materials is that they also restrict the passage of chemical components, which is an attractive for fuel cell usage. Unfortunately, their actual application in fuel cell systems has not yet been realised.

Manchester chemical engineering researchers have used this selective permeation phenomenon of graphene and 2D materials in their system and obtained tremendous improvement in performance of system by up to 50 per cent. In their recently published paper in Advanced Energy Materials journal, they have shown that these 2D crystals have prevented the fuel permeation, decreasing undesirable reaction to a great extent with no restriction to the movement of protons observed. This is expected to create a new trend in the usage of barrier layer materials in fuel cells.

So far we have tested in methanol fuel cells systems. We predict that this if this material could be properly utilised, this would lead to fuel cells undergoing massive size reduction, since the thickness of these materials is in 10-10 meters. We also plan to extend this phenomenon to fuel cells operating on different fuels such as hydrogen, ethanol, propanol formic acid etc.

If you’d like to find out more, you can read the full paper here.

New Year, miserable you?

Written by Megan Byrne on . Posted in Lifestyle.

When the clock ticks over to midnight on the 1st of January each new year, we’re all programmed to start thinking about ‘fresh starts’ in which we can cast aside the excess and laziness of the Christmas season and remake ourselves into better people. However, this idea can be damaging and leave us with a feeling of failure, as 43% of people in the UK break their New Year resolutions within the first month. By putting huge amounts of pressure on ourselves, we end up unable to fulfil unattainable promises to ourselves. Surely it’s better to implement changes one at a time when you feel ready rather than waiting for one particular date or a new year to make a ton of resolutions you could never hope to keep?

Many of the most common New Year resolutions revolve around weight loss and fitness. While these resolutions are often made with the best of intentions, they are hard to keep and often encourage unhealthy behaviour, as we pressure ourselves to achieve too much too quickly.

January is one of the hardest times of the year for people recovering from eating disorders and many argue that the constant bombardment of messages about diet and exercise throughout the first month of the year can even encourage disordered eating. Some feel that the media chastise us for the amount we eat and drink during December and attempt to shame us into diets and intense exercise regimes.

Perhaps it would be better for everyone if we encouraged self-love and acceptance all year round and encouraged people to make changes to their lifestyles in order to make themselves feel healthier and more vibrant, rather than focussing so intently on appearance. The body positivity movement has really sky-rocketed in the last year, and online personalities such as bodyposipanda (Megan Jayne Crabb) use social media in order to spread messages about self-acceptance and recovery from eating disorders.

For people who want to lose weight for health reasons or just because they want to be more active and feel healthier, it can often be easier to make these changes throughout the year without all the pressure and shaming of the post-Christmas season.

Many of the changes that people cite as their New Year’s resolutions are small things which you needn’t wait for the 1st of January to try and implement. Reminding yourself daily to try and put your all into what you do, show kindness and respect to others, and even ring your mum more often are easy little things that you can change right now and see the benefit of almost immediately.

If you reprogramme your brain into seeing each day as the brand new slate that we think of as unique to January 1st, you achieve your goals far more efficiently rather than waiting a whole year for the one day where you feel you can challenge yourself… why can’t every day be that day?

Wayne Rooney: record-breaker

Written by Dane Massey on . Posted in Sport.

History was made at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday, as Wayne Rooney broke Sir Bobby Charlton’s goal scoring record for Manchester United, a record which stood for 44 years. As he has done so many times in the last decade or so, the England forward stepped up to the plate to deliver the all-important goal, which rescued a point for his team on a difficult afternoon in Stoke.

The goal also marked another landmark for Rooney, as he scored his 88th away goal in the Premier League, overtaking Alan Shearer, who had previously held the record. Just as he has scored the most goals for his club and country and the most for a single club in the Premier League era, it is yet another milestone held solely by the United and England captain.

It isn’t just in the goal scoring department where records are tumbling either, Rooney is the ultimate team player. The ex-Everton man has laid on 102 assists for his team-mates during his 14-year stint in English football. He has the second most assists in Premier League history, level with Frank Lampard. Rooney’s next assist will see him go outright second behind his former team-mate Ryan Giggs, who has the most Premier League assists with 162.

Over the past 10 years, Rooney has been and still is one of the biggest names in football, mainly because of what he does on the pitch. Off the pitch, he appears to be a calm man of few words, but he does most his talking on the pitch, and on Saturday he shown once again why he is one of the best players to ever grace the Premier League. He is a true figure of consistency.

Of course, it is fantastic when a player performs consistently for three seasons, as Rooney’s England team-mate Harry Kane has done for Spurs. But he has a long way to go if he wants to surpass what his England skipper has achieved in the game.

The same can be said for former-Liverpool star Luis Suárez, the Uruguayan striker dazzled for three and a half years in the red of Liverpool, scoring 69 goals in 110 Premier League appearances. In the same period Suárez was at Liverpool, Rooney netted 65 goals for United while providing 32 assists, nine more than Suárez managed.

Everyone knows that Suárez is one of the best strikers the Premier League has ever seen, and of his generation. Rooney, however, does not get the same amount credit amongst all football fans, despite more than matching Suárez’s goal involvement in the Premier League. Aside of this, Rooney won two Premier League titles between 2011 and 2014 as well as scoring in a UEFA Champions League final, something Suárez did not manage until he moved to FC Barcelona in the summer of 2014.

Since Suárez has moved to Catalonia, he has been sensational, but he has had to leave the Premier League to achieve the team medals Rooney has achieved, including a Champions League winners medal in 2015.

Another player who had to leave England to emerge victorious on the European stage was Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. Just as Suárez did, Henry moved from the Premier League to Barcelona to play with the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi. The Frenchman won a domestic treble in just his second season in Spain, something Suárez managed in his first.

When Match of the Day pundit Alan Hansen picked his all-time Premier League XI in 2014, just before he retired, he paired Henry and Suárez up front together. It was a selection not many might have argued with, but disregarding Rooney is something he may want to reconsider.

Henry was prolific in the Premier League in his eight years with Arsenal, scoring 174 goals in 254 appearances, while registering an impressive 75 assists. In comparison with Henry, Rooney has scored 195 goals in 451 appearances.

While he may not boast as good a goal ratio as Henry, it should be considered that the Frenchman played as an out-and-out striker during his time in North London. Rooney, on the other hand, has played in a variety of other positions as well, including as a number 10, winger, and even in a deep lying midfield role under Louis Van Gaal.

A further factor in Henry’s favour is the age. ‘Titi’ arrived in the Premier League when he was 22 and approaching the prime of his career, while Rooney started out as a 16-year-old. Consistently scoring goals from the age of 16 right through to 31 is something Henry may not have managed if his career followed a similar pattern to Rooney’s, in the world’s most physically demanding league.

Instead, just as Suárez did, Henry went to Spain to prolong and improve his career in a better team. The two Premier League icons also went on to be greats at Barcelona, and if Rooney took the same path as the duo, no doubt he would have been equally as successful in one of the greatest teams ever to have played the game.

It remains unclear, however, that Henry and Suárez would have thrived in the Premier League for 14 years and counting just as Rooney has done, winning honours year after year while breaking records for club and country.

Time and time again, Rooney has received unfair criticism where other players have had credit for achieving less than him. Henry and Suárez are two examples. Undoubtedly, both are wonderful strikers, but their achievements in English football don’t match up to Rooney’s.

Perhaps the Manchester United and England serial record-breaker does not get the credit that he deserves…

In other news, water is wet.

Poet of the week: Elizabeth Gibson

Written by Elizabeth Gibson on . Posted in Books.

Elizabeth Gibson is an IPML student at UoM and a Digital Reporter for Manchester Literature Festival. She is a member of The Writing Squad and has had work in Far Off Places, London Journal of Fiction, Octavius, Severine, Ink, Sweat & Tears and Gigantic Sequins. She tweets @Grizonne and blogs at http://elizabethgibsonwriter.blogspot.co.uk.

There are pigs everywhere, oinking at us.
We are drowning in pink. They are what
Segovia is known for, you tell me. Pork,
in all its guises: cured, pulled, spicy, raw.
The aqueduct is two storeys tall and rules
the airspace, made of square white stones.
They look too neat to be real. You tell me
there was a pact with a devil. I believe it.

We trek up the hill to the spiky house, La
Casa de los Picos. It does what it says on
the tin. I could fall back into it, the initial
pain subsiding into something therapeutic,
like a massage, or when they burn stuff on
your back. You know? We turn back for
a slice of view. Hillside. Pale sky, a sun
on its way to tyrant mode. Not there yet.

There are little mosaics on every corner,
telling us where we are meant to be. Here
is a chalice and host – Plaza del Corpus,
the Square of the Body. We approach the
cathedral, La Dama they call her, the Lady.
She is big and white, and kind of squat. In
my mind’s eye I rest my cheek against her
stone, discover whether the lime is hot like

the day or miraculously cool, her holy belly
pulsating ice. You just look at me. We stop
in a café and have crepes made from cheese
and – yes, ham. They are tiny and so rich my

tongue recoils. We gulp weird drinks, wipe
fat from our lips. Back down the hill we go,
pigs staring up at us accusingly from their
plates and postcards. I didn’t mean it, I tell
them in both languages. Es extraña, you say.
You are strange. I know, I know I am. It is
still not that hot. Time to go. I can taste fat,
and limestone, though I never did kiss that.

If you would like to have your work published in The Mancunion, as poet of the week, please email [email protected], with a selection of work and a short biography.

Review: A Minger’s Tale by R. B. N. Bookmark

Written by Ellie Welch on . Posted in Books.

A Minger’s Tale is an autobiographical story of R.B.N Bookmark growing up in Manchester as the son of Irish immigrants through the latter half of the twentieth century. Once you get past the odd title the book is an engaging reflection of the author’s youth in Manchester set against the social, economic and political unrest of the 70s and 80s. The book is an insight into everyday life in that era, whether that’s the stories of industrial strikes or the occasional offensive stereotype. A Minger’s Tale tells Ribban’s story from school to college to a variety of jobs including but not limited to waiting tables in a luxury hotel in Piccadilly, a kitchen porter in isolated, winter Cornwall, and fruit picking in a former prisoner of war camp.

The structure of the book with most short chapters boiling down to a single anecdote works well if you’re planning on picking the book up sporadically. However, reading it in a couple of sittings made it feel a little disjointed. The author’s humour and frankness meant I felt like I was listening to Rickon tell me these anecdotes after bumping into him in a pub in Hulme, which I enjoyed. From the beginning of the book, it is clear that this is a reflection on the author’s love for his recently deceased father, Manchester United, and the city itself.

The book truly shines when Ribban is talking about his life in various Manchester suburbs moving from Ardwick to Hulme to Moss Side through the 70s and 80s. His narration touches upon the economic decline of industrial areas like Manchester as we ricochet from unsuccessful job opportunities to the dole queue in Aytoun Street with our narrator. The chapter on the 1981 Moss Side riots is an obvious stand out. Ribban’s story of attempting to get to and from work whilst buildings are ablaze and the threatening presence of riot vans are on every corner is a fascinating insight to this piece of British history. Another highlight is Ribban’s story about his very short stint at signing up for the Army. His internal battle between unwillingness to follow through his sign-up and his refusal to disappoint his father was one of the few times in the book I felt genuine emotional investment in the author’s story.

Side characters appear fleetingly, apart from his parents and a couple of friends, and each chapter seems to introduce several co-workers, friends, or acquaintances made on public transport who disappear as quickly as they’re introduced. His younger siblings appear occasionally throughout the book but oddly not as much as you would imagine when living in a two bedroom house with three children.

If you’re curious about discovering local history through a series of authentic anecdotes then this book is a great insight to life in Manchester in the latter half of the twentieth century.

Race for Life in the New Year!

Written by Kevin Gunan Shang on . Posted in Lifestyle.

Each one of us wants the New Year to be bigger and better than ever before — and many of us make New Year’s resolutions. Improving our health, losing weight, or going to the gym more are always popular resolutions. The struggle is always to stick to them throughout the year.

January is a great time to embark upon a new challenge. Why not sign up to Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life and enter 5k, 10k or Pretty Muddy? In Manchester, Pretty Muddy takes place on Saturday 8th July and the 5k and 10k events are scheduled for Sunday 9th July. It might seem like a while off, but by signing up to Race for Life right now, female students in Manchester will be playing their part in beating cancer. Plus, it gives you a chance to train and get into shape! There’s no better time for you to lace your trainers, get a little more active, and join like-minded girls committed to the cause. Money raised will help Cancer Research UK scientists find new ways to treat cancer and save more lives.

Kirsti Thompson, Cancer Research UK’s Manchester Event Manager, said: “Signing up to take part in Race for Life is a great way for female students to set themselves a new and exciting challenge for 2017.

“Race for Life events are non-competitive and participants can choose to walk, jog or run around the course. What matters most is their participation. Whether they plan to amble with friends or sprint to the finish line, every step they take will help to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.”

“Every day, around 110 people are diagnosed with cancer in the North West,” added Kirsti. “That’s why we’re calling on women in Manchester to make 2017 a year to remember. Together, we can stop this devastating disease in its tracks.”

Cancer Research UK’s Race for Life is a series of fun and inspiring women-only events raising money for research into around 200 types of cancer affecting men, women and children. Whether you choose a 5k or a marathon, whether you do it in a tutu or just an old pink T-shirt, do your part to help research into cancer and stop this deadly disease.

Signing up to take part couldn’t be easier — simply visit raceforlife.org.

Sunderland in Crisis: The Myth of Positive Relegation

Written by Jack Ford on . Posted in Sport.

On 21st of January, Sunderland’s away fans once again sold out their allocation, this time at The Hawthorns, and witnessed yet another dire performance. Sunderland suffered their 15th defeat of the season. After recording the worst start to a season in Premier League history, David Moyes’ team are bottom of the table, ravaged by injuries, and seemingly helpless on-and-off the pitch. It is looking increasingly likely that this is the year the League’s great escapologists will finally fail to avoid relegation.

The financial devastation caused by relegation could prove particularly ruinous for Sunderland. A recent UEFA report found that Sunderland had the 11th highest level of debt in Europe and the 3rd highest in England, at around £182Million. A particularly worrying figure from 2014-15 is that the club spent 76 per cent of its turnover on wages, the 3rd highest proportion in the league. If Sunderland were to be relegated this season, they would lose a large chunk of the money they gain from TV and broadcasting deals – which currently makes up 68 per cent of the club’s revenue. The club would suffer greatly.

Sunderland should not be in this position. The club enjoys tremendous support, (the 6th highest average attendance in the Premier League) and the spend lots on transfers and players’ wages. With the 11th highest wage spend in the league, it is expected that Sunderland would be a comfortable mid-table side.

Ellis Short, owner and Chairman of Sunderland, cannot be accused of underspending, but should take the blame for overseeing a disgraceful level of misspending. Only three of 46 signings since 2009 have been sold for a profit (James McClean, Darren Bent and Simon Mignolet).

There is also little evidence of Short’s business acumen in his running of the club, with a meagre £4 million increase in non-TV earnings since his ownership began in 2008. This misspending has brought little quality to Wearside, yet has taken the club to the brink of Financial Fair Play breaches, meaning Moyes now finds himself near-powerless to bring in new faces this January.

Despite these dangers, there persists a myth among those around Sunderland that relegation may not be such a long-term setback for the Club, and could even be a benefit. Former manager Dick Advocaat has said that: “Maybe it’s better to go down, to build a new team like Newcastle, who have a great club, a great fan base, and a great stadium just like Sunderland”, but he fails to account for Sunderland’s relative lack of marketable players with which to fund a new team. Beyond this, an instant return to the Premiership is no guarantee, even for a big club like Sunderland — just ask Leeds United or Nottingham Forest.

Micky Gray, a Sunderland player for twelve years, has similarly stated that relegation would allow Moyes to “start building from the ground up, from the foundations to what he needs to get us back in the Premier League”. Not only does Gray fail to explain where the funds would come from to allow such “building”, but his belief that Moyes is the man capable of doing so should be questioned. Not only are Sunderland seemingly becoming worse as the season goes on, Moyes himself seems to not believe he can stop the rot, offering little in the way of hopeful or inspiring comments to the media and starting the season with predictions of a relegation battle.

After Sunderland’s 4-1 home defeat to Arsenal in October, Moyes explained that “Arsenal’s quality, and the strength they’ve got on the bench showed”. While this is of course true, it is worth noting that six of the seven players on Sunderland’s bench were signed by Moyes in the summer, with only one starting, Steven Pienaar. The roughly £27M summer spend by Moyes, not to mention the wages of his free signings, have clearly not been of the calibre to improve the team, or in many cases even get into the starting eleven.

Moyes seems to be shooting his own Life On Mars adaptation, awakening from the double car-crash of his Manchester United and Real Sociedad spells in the heady days of mid-noughties Everton, with Victor Anichebe, Steven Pienaar, and now Joleon Lescott answering his casting call: “Old Evertonians wanted: history of injuries required, fading abilities preferred.”

It is of little reassurance to Sunderland fans that at a time when relegation rivals Crystal Palace, Swansea, and Hull have all replaced managers and brought in new players to aid their survival fights, Sunderland’s only action this January has been to sign Joleon Lescott. The personification of Aston Villa’s on-and-off pitch horrors last season has come to work his magic on Wearside, comforting fan concerns of player salaries with tweets of £120,000 cars, and reminding his new teammates that relegation need not spell financial disaster, but can be a “weight off people’s shoulders”.

Fans can only hope that Lescott has learned from his mistakes, and is eager to repair the damage done to his legacy, or that the money earned from Patrick van Aanholt’s impending move to Crystal Palace is for once invested wisely.

Sunderland may only be three points off Swansea in 17th place, but there is little reason for fans to expect an upturn in fortune on or off the pitch. If Sunderland manage another late escape this season, it will undoubtedly be their most unlikely yet, and must be followed up with a bid to aim higher than merely surviving in the Premier League. If not, it seems they risk emulating Portsmouth’s decline and fall down the Football League and into financial collapse.

Is ‘relatable’ online content homogenising us?

Written by Elliott Mills on . Posted in Opinion.

After the ‘post-truth’ age — the entirely new phenomenon of propaganda informing belief systems — the world came to realise the insidious effect of lives being spent online. One such effect was the issue of people’s newsfeeds on social media creating echo chambers of opinion. This occurs because the ‘suggested content’ on one’s social media stream is informed by those sites and accounts you already follow — hence, reinforcing opinion. All that you see holds a mirror up to that which you already believe. It was quite right to bring this problem to light, but the issue we have now is that many have centred their critique of the internet around this single fact, despite a host of other problems.

So, now, in between my normal routine of scrolling through popular tweets that somehow always seem to understand exactly how I am feeling at any given moment, I am going to take a second to ponder whether our online lives are reducing our expressive and emotional capacity.

You might have guessed by the heavy stench of pretension emanating from my prose, but I am a literature student (and, yes, I did just categorise my own article as ‘prose’ to enact that level of pretension. Well done if you got it.) One of my concerns is that the effect of soundbite articles and churned-out retweetable lifestyle-based content intended to appeal to the masses is a generation of people who think the only way one can feel in a variety of situations is through the visual conduit of a frog. For, apparently, this is the most ‘accurate’ way of describing the whole gamut of human emotion.

I don’t want to harp on about books too much, especially as I have forgotten to bring in my harp today, but these kinds of glib, shallow and essentially meaningless turns of phrase make me wonder how the creative process of many of the literary greats could be reimagined through the prism of the relatable content machine.

I see Virginia Woolf. She is taking a seat in a room, a room of her own presumably. It has been a day of deep depression for the long-time sufferer. But, she thinks, putting pen to paper might prove cathartic, as has been the case many times before. She begins writing on a page she has marked, “accuracy af.” It might be noted that this title sits next to a crossed-out title of “it me” — well, she always was a perfectionist. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, reopens them, and, focusing intensely on exactly what it is she is experiencing, begins to write: “17 times life was less than chill”. She proceeds, in the form of a relatable listicle, to bare her soul. She closes her eyes once more and lets out a deep sigh. Tears fall slowly down her cheeks. She feels some type of way.

The narrowing of our emotional and expressive capacity is in some ways inverse to the problem caused by people’s newsfeeds being reduced to echo chambers of opinion. This issue relates to the content you turn towards when you have had enough of news and politics. Instead of appearing to be a narrow tunnel, this online content seems general, generic, universal even. The scope seems so wide that it can relate to everyone. Yet, once again, it actually has the effect of reducing a wide variety of people and their modes of self-expression into one person who dabs, says things are “lit”, and quite often “can’t cope” with various situations. They just can’t. “I just can’t”, they often reaffirm.

This may seem to be a banal issue. It may seem as though the way we express ourselves does not change how we are on the inside, how we process things, how we feel. But for better or for worse (hmm let’s have a think about that one) the influence of popular culture need no longer wait in line to offer its suggestion on how we should be acting, but is now with us on our phones even in the most private moments.

Populist media may have damaging effects regarding the inculcation of unfounded, inaccurate political convictions; but we should not overlook the ways in which the relatable meme industry, fun and funny as it can it can be, is similarly pernicious in that it shapes those parts of ourselves that we might think in our vain way transcend the reach of a picture of a man sprinkling some salt.

If we don’t step away from the tweets for at least a few seconds a day, perhaps all emotions will be rendered through meme-based content. This will make us feel sad. But when we try to break down how we are feeling there will just be a picture of a frowning frog imprinted deep within our soul.

Literary critic Harold Bloom said, “no one can bear to see his own inner struggle as being mere artifice.” This turmoil is doubled when mere artifice becomes meme artifice. In the midst of this struggle, I know I can relate to these words, and I am sure you can too. Like, share and subscribe, if so.

‘Clean Eating’ – A Food Fad Gone Wrong?

Written by Miriam Mizzi on . Posted in News.

Some of the biggest foodies of our time are turning their ethos’ on their head, but, how serious are the bad claims against ‘clean eating’?

Ella Mills (Deliciously Ella) is leading the wave by removing the mention of ‘clean eating’ from her blog. Previous to the controversy, her blog was covered in statements pledging her alliance to a “clean” and “healthy” life. However, in 2017, Ella has quickly denied these claims and said: “I’ve never described myself as ‘clean’ “.

So, what exactly is ‘clean eating’ and what are the reasons for this sudden backlash on what seemed to be an untouchable part of the modern food scene? ‘Clean eating’ can be described as eating food that avoids processed food, meat and dairy, and, instead, focuses on a fruit, vegetables, and other whole natural foods. To abide by this, Ella herself is a vegan and prides herself on her “clean” cookbooks, two London delis, and now her new energy ball snacks. Clean eating in this sense doesn’t sound all too bad. However, when BBC Horizon and Dr Giles Yeo took a closer look into the idea, all does not seem well.

Ella appears on the show and in discussion with Dr Giles she quickly explains that the idea of ‘clean eating’ has been misconstrued. People now dub “unclean” foods as “dirty”, which is a clear misconception, as for a large part of our society things such as dairy and gluten are beneficial to a balanced healthy diet and do not need to be wholly avoided. ‘Clean eating’ therefore supports an unnecessary restrictive diet.

In addition to this, Dr Giles delved into the inspirations behind ‘clean eating’ books such as Natasha Corrett’s book ‘Honestly Healthy’ and what he found was a surprise to all of those watching. ‘Honestly Healthy’ took ideas from Dr Robert O Young, one of the main believers in the alkaline diet. He strongly supported the idea that the diet could treat cancer due to bacteria coming from inside the body. However, it was later revealed he is facing jail time for practising medicine without a license and taking money from cancer suffers a time of vulnerability.

But, how much of the blame can we put on these so-called wellness gurus and how bad can ‘clean eating’ really be? No foodies in the public eye claim that diets can cure cancer, no-one describe foods as “dirty”, and most only strive to promote what they believe to be a healthy lifestyle. Fault must lie in social media for overwhelming viewers with the image that things such as gluten are bad and also in the professionals exaggerating research findings to show ‘clean eating’ is good for everyone.

Latin stereotypes are getting old

Written by Isidora Cortes-Monroy on . Posted in Opinion.

Do you know the cartel? Do you know how to dance? Do you get angry easily?

These are a few examples of some of the questions a Latinx may be asked whilst residing outside their country of origin. Like other stereotypes, there are numerous exceptions to the rules and norms of what it is to be Latino. Not all of us are illegal immigrants. Not all Latinas are sexy. And not all Latinos have an accent. Yet, the stereotypes persist, and Hollywood has a role to play in perpetuating these generalisations.

One typical Hollywood Latin character that comes to mind is Gloria Pritchett from Modern Family. Sofia Vergara is loved by many in her comic role as a loud and passionate Colombian, and it is always great to see Latin roles on screen. However, after her joke at the Golden Globes this year — in which she poked fun at her own accent, saying “anal” and “anus” instead of “annual” — it is becoming evident that the antics are getting old.

Latin roles have exploded in the past fifteen years, finally reaching roles that do not box them as the stereotypical maid/sex-symbol/macho-man/drug-lord. Examples of ‘unLatino’ roles include Gina Rodriguez’s Jane in Jane the Virgin, Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, or Oscar Isaac as Apocalypse in X-men: Apocalypse. The extent to which roles for Latinos have developed can be seen when compared to older films such as Once Upon A Time In Mexico, where each Latin actor is limited to Hollywood’s perception of what it is to be Latino. Although there is still a way to go, Latino actors and actresses are finally allowed to play roles that don’t even reference their heritage, instead focusing on actors’ raw talent.

It is because of this progress that Vergara’s joke at the Golden Globes comes as a disappointment. After seeing her emerge in the English-speaking world thanks to her role in Modern Family, it is sad to have to see her still rely on her accent and Latinness for a few laughs. Vergara is a talented actress and businesswoman who could easily develop her role in Hollywood without losing her popularity. Yet, she still limits herself to playing the role of the stereotypical Latina. Still, at least she’s not playing the role of the maid.

The problem is not so much the actors themselves, but rather the writers, directors, and producers. Of course, it is up to the actors and actresses to accept and decline roles, especially when you are as famous and influential to other Latinos as Vergara is. But there is a problem when the only roles available to Latinos are those that play on the stereotypes. And the more those stereotypical roles are played, the more they keep being produced. It’s a vicious cycle that is slowly being broken with the infiltration of Latinos behind the scenes. Recent examples include directors Alejandro G. Iñárritu (The Revenant) and Pablo Larrain (Jackie). Both have presented Oscar-worthy films not categorised in “Best Foreign-Language Film”.

By increasing the participation of Latinos behind the scenes, we are battling ignorance. For, at the end of the day, the lack of roles available to Latinos is because of writers’ and producers’ ignorance. If you have a room full of WASP writers who are told to write a film that includes minorities, it is likely that a few of these roles will adhere to stereotypes, as it is what is most recognizable to these writers.

If you grew up in an environment where the films you watched, and later participated in, only show Latinos as two-dimensional characters that follow Hollywood’s expectations of what a Latinx is, then you are bound to end up writing a film or two that exploit that stereotype. However, by getting not only Latinos, but all minorities in the USA involved in the process of writing, we may be able to grow the volume of films in which where a Latino is not either a gardener or a player, a black woman isn’t sassy, and a gay man isn’t feminised. Only then can we offer not only a variety of roles to minorities which won’t force them into playing a stereotype, but also an alternative view of minorities that won’t lead to the repetition of stereotypes.

This is not an article condemning Vergara for having an accent, being loud, or being good-looking. Everyone is free to create their own image. It may just be that Vergara is coincidentally everything Hollywood expects a Latina to be. But continuously playing on that stereotype does Latinos everywhere no favours. And being such a representative in an under-represented group, Vergara has a responsibility to show other aspects of what it is to be a Latino. Alone, it is almost impossible to break down Hollywood’s barriers. But by participating alongside other Latin actors in getting rid of stereotypes, Vergara would be opening more doors to future Latin actors/actresses, rather than keeping them shut.

Chilli Banana – Didsbury

Written by Miriam Mizzi on . Posted in Food & Drink.

After hearing there was a new Thai restaurant to open right on my doorstep, there was nothing else for it but to head down right away and see if it could compete with some of the already show-stopping Asian cuisine in Manchester.

After a dark and cold cycle-ride, we arrived outside Chilli Banana, which is situated on Lapwing Lane, just between East and West Didsbury, and I was impressed due to the warming light that shone through the large windows. Me and my housemate entered, and were welcomed genuinely by a colourfully dressed waitress. As we wandered through the restaurant to our designated table, I wondered about the practicality of the carpeted floor. Despite it maybe becoming stained within a few weeks, I wasn’t opposed to it as it did bring a cosy vibe to the large space.

We were sat down at the far end of the room, right by the semi-open kitchen, a centrepiece that seems to be becoming more and more prevalent in restaurants all over the country. We eagerly gazed in to see what the chefs were up to, and were met with smiles and clean surfaces that gleamed.

We ordered a glass of white wine each which we sipped upon whilst considering the extensive food menu. After some deliberation, we decided to share all of our options in order to taste as many dishes and flavours as possible. To start we ordered Thai prawn crackers and some spare ribs. When the ribs arrived, both of our eyes lit up at the crispy skinned, meaty-looking pork that was given to us. We dug in using our hands and dipped the succulent meat into the accompanying plum sauce. Overall, the dish was really impressive, especially to a self-confessed rib snob; the marinade of garlic, ginger and coriander came through perfectly and was well-balanced.

Despite nearly every item on the menu tempting us, we decided to opt for, some king prawns stir-fried in chilli, onion and sweet basil, a Massaman Nua curry, and, of course, some sticky Thai rice. I sometimes find ordering prawns slightly difficult due to my extreme fussiness of them being cooked faultlessly, however, due to them being a large feature to the menu, we decided it was worth a try. When the waitress brought them over, we were pleased by the amount of prawns and the combination of colours allowed for a vibrant looking dish. On tasting, we were met with a luxuriously sweet sauce, hints of spicy chilli, and, yes, perfectly cooked prawns, hallelujah! Although the flavours in this dish were truly inspiring, for the price on the dish, we think some rice or noodles should have been included rather than extras we had added.

Next, we moved onto our curry. Thai curries are some of my favourite things to eat when out, so, I was expecting big things from its tasty sounding description on the menu. After initially slowly slurping a small taste off a spoon, I couldn’t help but quickly dive in for another full spoonful. The sauce was a delicious mix of mild spice, peanut, and coconut, which surrounded huge chunks of potatoes and melt-in-the-mouth beef. We combined this hearty mix with our sticky rice to complete perfect mouthfuls.

After we had finished this last dish we were entirely full and sat back in our comfy chairs to enjoy the rest of our wine. I thought to myself, I can’t wait to come back and try the rest of the menu, but, actually, would I just order the same dishes again? It’s a nice predicament to be in at the end of a meal.

Preview: Manchester Film Festival

Written by Sarah Jane Thoms on . Posted in Film.

After attending the official press release for the festival a couple of weeks ago, I must say, I have big expectations for some of the films that are going to be screened. This year, all films that are part of the Manchester Film Festival will be shown across several screens in the Odeon situated within The Printworks and will be powered by Metrolink. Unlike previous years when films have been screened across various locations that were part of the festival, this choice to use one location will provide a more connected vibe and is something that the organisers and directors of the festival seem very excited about.

The three strands of films for this year’s festival are Rising Stars, Be Who You Are, Say What You Feel and Women in Film. The Rising Stars strand offers the upcoming and emerging talent for both in front of and behind the camera, including the anticipated film Katie Says Goodbye, starring Olivia Cooke whilst the Be Who You Are, Say What You Feel strand is a selection of films that centre around the themes of acceptance and freedom, including Ben Price’s Taubman starring Jack P Shephard and the Brazilian feature Public Intimacy.  This year’s Women in Film strand is interesting and inspirational. With over thirty pieces of work by female directors being screened at the festival, including the Hollywood great Karen Allen’s A Tree, A Rock, A Cloud, there are definitely films in there that are going to be talked about well after this year’s Manchester Film Festival is over with.

The final film line-up has been created from an incredible amount of submissions, meaning that the festival is showcasing amazing pieces of work from all around the world right here in Manchester. Appearances and Q&A’s from Timothy Spall, Karen Allen and Stef Dawson have also been confirmed and with the option for audiences to buy a pass that admits you to either all of the documentaries, all of the short films or all of the feature lengths, there really is something for everyone at the Manchester Film Festival. The festival runs from the 2nd-5th March, so put the dates into your diary because it is something that I promise you will not want to miss.

Head over heels for fashion in La La Land

Written by Talia Lee-Skudder on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

Damien Chazelle’s La La Land swept the Golden Globes earlier this month, with both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling taking home awards as well the film winning best motion picture for a musical or comedy. And now with fourteen Oscar nominations under its belt, La La Land looks set to take home more awards than any film in history. From its breathtaking cinematography to the electrifying chemistry between Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, La La Land is definitely not to be missed.

The film follows Mia and Sebastian on their quests to follow their dreams and is a brilliant compromise between the classic Hollywood musicals of the forties and fifties and modern day Los Angeles. In one particularly memorable scene where Mia and Sebastian are dancing against the idyllic backdrop of Los Angeles at dawn, for a moment the audience are transported back to the films from the Golden Age of Hollywood until Mia’s phone rings and you are brought back to 2017. The film is a classic story of hopes and dreams with an unforgettable modern twist.

In paying tribute to the Technicolor pictures of the 40s and 50s, the choice and influence of the clothing used in the film should not be underestimated. From the impressive opening sequence of a gridlocked Los Angeles freeway, the importance of colour is unmistakable. As the commuters break out into a spectacular musical number, the bright colours of their outifts are part of the choreography that brightens up the bumper-to-bumper traffic jam. This vivid primary colour inspired theme continues in to the early part of the film and most notably in a scene with Emma Stone and her three roommates. As they dance down the streetlight lit road, Stone’s royal blue dress stands out against the red, yellow and green dresses of her girlfriends. The bright dresses are just one example of Chazelle paying homage to the Technicolor cinema of days gone by.

One of the fourteen Oscars that La La Land is nominated for includes Best Costume Design, with Emma Stone’s canary yellow dress making the film a serious contender for securing the sought after gong. Mary Zophres, the costume designer for the film, perhaps looked for inspiration from the likes of Grace Kelly and Ingrid Bergman, the latter who just so happens to be a recurring theme throughout the film as one of Mia’s idols.  The retro style of Stone’s dresses throughout is a nod to the Golden Age of Hollywood; however, Zophres said that she wanted the costumes to be relatable, and believable that a struggling actress would be able to afford them. The canary yellow dress was inspired by one of Stone’s red carpet looks — the Atelier Versace gown she wore in 2014. The colour perfectly compliments Stone’s hair colour and skin tone whilst looking spectacular against the stunning backdrop of the Hollywood hills during her dance number with Gosling.

As the movie progresses, the bright colours that dominated the beginning of the film start to become relaxed until the final scene of the play when we see Stone wearing a classic cut black dress. The use of the colour of the outfits throughout the film, particularly Mia’s, seems to chart the changing trajectory of the characters and their pursuits to achieve their dreams in the City of Stars. La La Land is truly unmissable, and if musicals aren’t your thing at least go for the outfits… or Ryan Gosling.