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Month: February 2018

Interview: Tom Grennan

Written by Yasmin Duggal on . Posted in Music.

Getting its first play as Annie Mac’s Hottest Record in the World on Radio 1, ‘Sober’ is the new single from Tom Grennan. It’s the follow-up to the huge single ‘Royal Highness’ which featured on the Radio 1 B List and Virgin playlists and saw him record a Maida Vale Session for Annie Mac.

‘Sober’ is another taste of Tom’s forthcoming debut album Lighting Matches, set to be released on Insanity Records in May. The album sees Tom working with Grammy award-winning producers Fraser T Smith (Stormzy/Adele/Kano/Plan B) and Dan Grech (Liam Gallagher/Killers/Radiohead) and is set to be one of the most important albums of 2018.

We caught up with Tom after a crazy night at the 2018 NME Awards…

Hi Tom, I actually saw you at the NME Awards last night — did you have fun?

Did you?! You should have come and said ‘Hi’. Yeah, it was wicked, though I’ve got a bit of a sore head now. Liam Gallagher was amazing. Are you back in Manchester now then?

Yeah, I’ve literally just got back! What was your favourite bit last night?

Yeah, I reckon it was Liam. I love his album from last year, and he did some Oasis stuff and it just got everyone up and lively. Also, BBK winning the Innovation Award was amazing. I’ve been a massive fan of them since I was about 12 so to see them win that award… that woman as well — Shirley Manson — who did that speech. That was inspirational too.

How has the last year been for you? Pretty crazy I guess? Any particular highlights?

Yeah, the last year has been crazy. Exciting though. Oh… they’re all highlights. This world is just crazy. Selling out my tour last year, touring Europe, doing festivals, writing my album… it’s all been one big highlight.

Are you excited for the tour to begin in March?

So excited. My home is on the road. At heart, I’m a performer, and I just love the energy you get from performing live. 100 per cent my favourite thing to be doing is performing on stage. I love the excitement of the whole thing. I’m buzzing, my band are buzzing, then you head to venues and the crowd are buzzing.

Are you looking forward to getting out to some festivals this summer?

Yeah I’m doing loads. Last year was my first year doing festivals, and now I think I’m headlining the Republic Stage at Reading and Leeds!

Your debut album Lighting Matches is out 18th May. It feels well overdue!

Does it? Well originally it was supposed to come out in March, but I pushed it back to May. But yeah, it definitely feels like the right time for the album and I’m so ready for people to hear it.

Will your album feature more of the same?

There’s some surprises. There’s a lot of orchestra and brass. I’d say it goes from the more upbeat stuff like ‘Found What I’m Looking For’ on a journey to more mature stuff…yeah, it feels like growing up.

We love the new track ‘Sober’ – was it an easy one to write?

Erm… no. Well, I’ll tell you why I wrote it. You know those hungover mornings when you just wake up and you think you never want to drink again? Like you don’t want to smell it, see it, taste it? I thought I’d write a song about it. I wrote Sober when I was hungover, which I think makes it better. More real.

Who would you say is the biggest influence on your music?

Biggest influence on my music would have to be… anyone like Adele, Robert Johnson, Ray Charles. But I’m also a massive grime and hip-hop fan, so I guess I’m taking elements from everywhere.

If you could recommend one artist/album/song to our readers right now, what would it be?

Can it be a known artist? I would have to say J Hus’ album [Common Sense] from last year.

Brilliant! Thanks for the chat Tom, and we hope that hangover clears up…

 

Photo: Phil Grant

Stand for freedom: the modern day fight against slavery

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in Features.

Perhaps slavery is not an issue that many of us consider to be ‘current’, and many are probably unaware of the extent of the problem. At this moment, however, there are more than 40 million people trapped in slavery.

A group of University of Manchester students stood for 24 hours to raise awareness for modern slavery — an invisible problem that organisers feel we need to make visible again. The event took place from 12am on Friday the 9th to 12 am on Saturday the 10th of February outside St. Peter’s Chaplaincy on Oxford Road.

I went along to the event to talk to the students and organisers there about what the event was and why they were doing it. Elisha Bates, one of the key organisers, explained what drove her to get involved.

She explained: “I am really passionate about anti-human trafficking, we wanted to do something that lots of different people could do lots of different things to be involved and not just one event. We decided to do an event that was in public so we could get as many people involved as possible.”

Photo: Phil Grant
Photo: Phil Grant

We then went on to discuss why, as students, we should be concerned with modern-day slavery. She explained the extent of the problem. There are 40.3 million people still in slavery, that’s 16 times the population of Manchester. Hearing it like that makes you realise just how many people are suffering and that it seems like you are not able to do anything about it.

But many of our actions have an impact, such as not buying Fairtrade chocolate, or buying from clothing brands that have unethical sourcing of their workers.

Elisha’s advice to students for how they can shop more ethically to address the issue of modern slavery is: “Where possible, buy clothes from charity shops or use second-hand clothing, there are also some great ethical clothing brands, secondly do the research and know which brands are more ethical than others. You should just do the best you can and make decisions that even if can’t be perfectly ethical but still choosing brands that are making movements that way.”

Elisha explained to me how the Stand For Freedom event came out of an organisation called Just Love Manchester, a Christian student society empowering people to pursue social justice.

Abi Alsop, who started Just Love Manchester, explains that she felt moved to act because of the gap she saw that exists between what, as a Christian, her faith tells her to do, in terms of loving our neighbour and what people are doing.

At this point, the girls had been standing for 9 and a half hours. I wanted to know how they felt it was going so far. They both explained that they have had over 50 students pledge to change something about their lifestyle to make it more ethical and that the footfall interest had been amazing. At this point, everyone was very cold and even I was losing feeling in my toes.

As well as the organisers, there was a range of different students standing at the event. I was really touched by the warm sense of community and compassion at this event.

Amy Lockhett, a first year PPE student, explained why she felt she had to attend: “Modern slavery impacts us all and we have a duty to stand against it.”

Photo: Phil Grant
Photo: Phil Grant

Paul Treddaway, a first-year history and politics students, also felt compelled to act, saying, “we have such power as a consumer in the modern world and therefore a chance to make a difference.”

The team completed the 24 hours despite the freezing cold Manchester weather. The event, however, is just the start of tackling this problem.

If this is something you think you might want to contribute to, here are some top tips from the Stand For Freedom team to live a more ethically conscious life:

Research what you buy and know your brands: so many people are just unaware of the ethical status of the brand they are using and it only takes a few easy changes to have a big impact.

Evaluate the things you really need and work out what you don’t.

Buy Fairtrade products. Items such as chocolate and coffee can easily be brought Fairtrade.

One of the biggest contributors to modern slavery is fast fashion, so the next tip is avoiding this.

Lastly, challenge yourself! Push yourself to make a change in your lifestyle in the ways described above.

Photo: European Southern Observatory @ Flickr

Science around the world

Written by Jacklin Kwan on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

European scientists one step closer to predicting solar flares

Researchers from CNRS, École Polytechnique, CEA, and INRIA have identified the presence of a ‘magnetic cage’ that confines plasma structures. Their work has featured on the cover of the February 8 issue of Nature magazine, and their article argues that just one phenomenon may underpin all solar flares. Their model tracks the evolution of twisted flux ‘ropes’ in plasma that lash out against a confining magnetic cage, the resistance of which determines the energy of the solar eruption. The research has profound implications in not just astronomy but also nuclear fusion research, which has faced the challenge of containing unstable plasma regimes.

360 million year old fossils in South Africa unveil the first pages of terrestrial life in Gondwana

Scientists operating along the Eastern Cape of South Africa have uncovered large quantities of fossils, one of which is a 360 million year old scorpion. This fossil is believed to be the oldest record of Gondwana, an ancient continent made up of the land masses that we now know as South America, Australia, Antarctica, India, and Madagascar. Along with the scorpion, a number of new invertebrates and well-preserved plant fossils have also been discovered and excavated. People hope that these undocumented life forms will help researchers better understand the development of life in marine coastline environments during the Devonian era (roughly 416 million to 354 million years ago).

3D printing method developed in Tsinghua University is capable of producing embryonic stem cells

Scientists based in Tsinghua University believe they have produced a 3D microenvironment which closely resembles that found in vivo for a growing embryoid body. By creating a grid-like 3D structure in which to grow stem cells, researchers have achieved high degrees of cell uniformity and proliferation. Embryonic stem cells (EMCs) have the ability to differentiate into any specialised cell type within an animal body; they are the “building blocks” of large tissue constructs. Significant advancements made in the high quality and uniform production of EMCs could possibly bring us one step closer to being able to produce and grow 3D printed implants and micro-organs.

Researchers make a breakthrough in water filtration in Monash University

Research taking place in Monash University has made significant advances in the development of new metal organic frameworks (MOFs). With unique transport properties, these MOFs have the largest internal surface area of any known substance and are capable of capturing, storing, and releasing chemical impurities in drinking water. Currently, 2 billion people live without access to clean drinking water. Reverse osmosis membranes are responsible for the majority of late-stage water treatment but need large quantities of energy to maintain. With this breakthrough, researchers hope that the ultrafast selective transport properties of MOFs can open up new avenues in water filtration.

Scientists lobby the UN to protect Chile’s night skies as a World Heritage Site

Scientists from the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) have attempted to lobby the UN to protect Chile’s skies from threats such as light pollution by classifying important observatories as World Heritage Sites. Chile currently has 50% of the world’s observational capacity, and by 2020, it is projected to have 70%. The uniquely dry and clean atmospheres of its more rural, high-altitude areas give unparalleled image quality. Currently, over 15 international telescopes are located in Chile including the E-ELT, Very Large Telescope, and the APEX Observatory. Astronomy not only forms an integral part of Chile’s scientific landscape, but also has deep and profound roots in its culture and history.

Photo: Pexels

Manchester researchers find Twitter helps understanding of side-effects

Written by Sophie Boyd on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

A University of Manchester team, led by Professor William Dixon, identified 159,297 tweets mentioning prednisolone, a commonly prescribed steroid used to treat allergies, blood disorders, and skin conditions.

The team used a computer system to identify tweets with the drug name, as well as common side-effects. The computer software also changed lay terms such as “can’t sleep” to the medical term; insomnia. The 159,297 tweets were harvested over a period of 3 years.

20,000 of these tweets mentioned a side-effect that is attributed to the steroid; with 1,656 stating weight gain, 1,737 about insomnia, and 1,515 reported a bigger appetite. These are side-effects that are commonly recognised and associated with the steroid but are rarely explained to patients when prescribed. Instead, clinicians focus on more serious side-effects such as osteoporosis and fractures.

Despite little attention to these ‘less serious’ side-effects by clinicians, this study suggests that users tend to worry about these side effects more. Therefore social media, such as Twitter, could provide experts with valuable insight into patient concerns with regard to less-discussed medicine side effects. In turn, helping to better doctor and patient discussion of prescriptions.

“Though Insomnia and weight gain were the two most commonly discussed side-effects, they are not usually highlighted by clinicians when prescribing prednisolone. We believe social media such as Twitter can be used to broaden knowledge about drugs and potential side-effects that patients themselves find troublesome,” says Dr Rikesh Patel, a researcher on the team.

Project lead, Professor Will Dixon, adds: “Our view is that social media sources such as Twitter can be useful because they can illustrate which drug side-effects patients discuss most commonly, even if they are not necessarily the most serious. Social media posts may also give us a future view of how side effects impact on patients’ quality of life.”

This research was recently published in Nature Partner Journals (npj) – Digital Medicine.

Photo: wallpaperscraft.com

Football and ‘authentocracy’

Written by Arthur Salisbury on . Posted in Sport.

I first became aware of the term ‘authentocracy’ about three years ago, although the concept had been doing the rounds on Left Twitter for a few years prior to that. Before looking at the ideology of authentocracy and its relation to football, it’s worth skimming over the historical context that produced it.

In the early second half of the 20th century (David Harvey puts the symbolic date as the Oil Crisis of 1973), the Fordist mode of production that had dominated since the interwar period began to break down as we entered a third, multinational phase of capitalism. In Britain, as elsewhere, this took the form of rapid and destructive deindustrialisation, while concomitant technological advances radically altered our perceptions of space and time.

The resulting cultural phenomenon that emerged was postmodernism, which defined itself in opposition to modernism, and in particular that movement’s belief in a meta-narrative of history — postmodernists rather prefer to highlight a multitude of conflicting perspectives and the difficulty or impossibility of finding objective truth in any of them. One of the positive achievements of the postmodernist movement was to emphasise the voices of previously marginalised groups of people — women, ethnic minorities, the LGBT community, and the rest of the list that we are by now all familiar with. The corollary to this was that the male, white manual worker, who had carved out a good standard of living under the Fordism, began to feel his relative loss of privilege.

Football, suspiciously coterminous with the rise of industrial capitalism, has traditionally been the domain of the white, male, manual working-class — the three o’clock kick-off time on a Saturday was the result of weekend concessions won by industrial trade unions in the nineteenth century. Nowhere else was a sense of unease over the new circumstances more keenly felt.

Football, of course, is a microcosm of society at large, and has been no more nor less prone to the financialisation, commercialisation, and commodification we can observe all around us. From 2019-20, Premier League matches will kick-off in any of eleven different time slots, excluding Bank holidays. In the early 21st century, much of the inevitable backlash to this congealed into the archetypal authentocratic movement — Against Modern Football.

While Against Modern Football contains many well-intentioned people concerned primarily with safe standing and lower ticket prices, it also contains a more politically dubious element. These are people with an understandable yearning for The Good Old Days – but these Old Days were, remember, Good only for the demographic outlined above. Anyone who has scrolled through the #AMF hashtag on Twitter or stood near a flat-capped man buying a Bovril will be aware of the movement’s tricky relationship with race, sexuality and gender. These are the authentocrats, and it’s entirely correct that the first use of the term in the national press was in relation to the (now ex-) UKIP leader Paul Nuttall.

The article by Phil McDuff, which appeared in The Guardian in February of last year, defined the term as “[invoking] the spirit of the regular working classes through the use of props, costumes and rituals, like a cargo cult of the common man”. I would quibble here only with the phrase “regular working classes”, which I hope McDuff has deployed with a touch of self-awareness, because it is not Deliveroo workers or single mothers that the authentocrats seek to imitate, but the miners and steelworkers of mid-20th century. Frederic Jameson famously argued that postmodernism — as he called it ‘the cultural logic of late capitalism’ — would inevitably collapse into pastiche and revivalism. The aesthetic trend for vintage replica shirts and the nostalgia industry that has grown around hooliganism would seem to bear out his point.

This article constitutes just a few preliminary notes on the subject. The point of writing it is to remind people that we cannot divorce football from the society it sits in. The tragic nerds behind the intensely tactics-focused football blogs like Zonal Marking are attempting, however consciously, to reduce football to simply what happens on the pitch, and to strip it of its entire social context. This trend is at least as worrying as the phenomenon of authentocracy and must be ruthlessly disparaged. I still believe that football has radical potential but we cannot limit our fight to football alone. Against Modern Capitalism. For Future Football.

Terry Robinson @geograph.org

Carillion’s dirty papers

Written by Sophie Marriott on . Posted in Opinion.

The recently published documents detailing the financial history of the construction firm Carillion are a stark reminder of the danger of political hebetude. The evidence is conclusively damning; Carillion was teetering on the edge of financial disaster, but politicians and regulatory bodies blindly continued to follow the well-trodden path. They were awarded public service contracts rather than upset a precarious status quo.

Carillion had one of the largest pension schemes in the FTSE top 350 companies, and were responsible for countless government projects, including part of the HS2 construction, the provision of meals in schools and hospitals, and the maintenance 50 prisons. Not to mention the number of other private ventures they were involved in, including the development of Manchester University’s Fallowfield Campus. Their collapse has put thousands of jobs and retirement plans in the lurch, but in the bubble of neo-liberal government, private finance initiatives and outsourcing continue to be the frontmen of a risk-free economy.

Now that this illusion is crumbling, predictably everyone is looking for someone to blame: some individual to take the wrap for this mess so that it was a failure of one cog in an otherwise perfect system rather than an inevitable breakdown of a rusty engine. MPs have accused the Carillion directors of being “delusional” and “asleep at the wheel”, accusations that are not to be denied, but whilst their behaviour was irresponsible, it is beyond rich for those who continued to put their faith in this confused company to criticise them for lethargy.

Meanwhile, Carillion has blamed delayed payments from Qatari contracts as contributing to their financial strife — claims which have been strongly refuted by those they have been levied against. This leaves a slightly sour taste in the mouth when the supposedly strangled company continued to pay their Chief Executive a £660,000 salary, leaving the pensions of the most junior employees in the danger zone.

Carillion’s behaviour is strongly reminiscent of a teenager attempting to budget their first pay check in the face of a weekend home alone, and it’s an established fact that shifting the blame for an illicit house party doesn’t tend to sit well with the homeowners.

The Tories tried to dodge the blame from the beginning, originally protesting the release of the Carillion papers, feigning complete innocence as just one of many Carillion customers. And it is no wonder that they didn’t want the evidence in public hands, their negligence is obvious. For instance, the HS2 contracts were awarded to Carillion without so much as a face-to-face meeting between representatives from the company and anyone from government. It was taken for granted that the Carillion mammoth would keep lumbering on.

When people’s futures are at risk, this blame game is childish, and so beyond this point it’s almost laughable. Carillion messed up, companies do all the time, but that they remained even in consideration for government contracts is shocking and betrays the true lack of care for ordinary jobs within high politics.

It displays the complete rejection of accountability that persists in this government. They would much rather hide their dodgy behaviour behind the public’s ignorance no matter the consequences for the majority population who may have lost their pensions, or whose local public services will now be struggling to continue to operate. Whilst they are busy battling with semantics, they open the window for the public to see just how unconcerned the right is with reality.

There’s also potentially going to be damage done to a number of smaller business and subcontractors which interacted with Carillion, as well as the individuals they directly employed. The process of contracting out gives giant companies the opportunity of accepting responsibility for a massive variety projects, most of which they have no real expertise for. So, they outsource them to smaller firms and make a tidy profit along the way.

These businesses have now been left in the lurch, because they put their trust in the sheer titanic-like (all connotations intended) size and scale of Carillion. Big business, big revenue streams, and big men in big office blocks have become the trusted stalwarts of our society.

This is at the heart of the problem, privatisation is intended to mitigate risk by putting it in the laps of private companies which can cope with it. The big secret is though, that despite all the capitalist bravado about entrepreneurship and business bravery, nobody actually wants to accept this uncertainty. The leap of faith is all very starry-eyed on paper until it’s your own name on the loan. So, liability gets parcelled up and passed around until it can be left on the doorstep of someone completely unaware of what they’re taking on. In this case, it was the workers whose pensions are floating in the ether of the bailout. Carillion is the cautionary tale of the hubris of an economy with its roots in fairy-tale ideas of big business.

Photo: Plashing Vole @ Flickr

University refuses to compensate students for strikes

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

In response to growing pressure from students, The University of Manchester has declined to revise its position in regards to refunding students for the loss of contact time as a result of UCU strike action.

The strike, which is scheduled to commence from the 22nd of February to the 16th of March, has been met with severe criticism from University of Manchester students, who have called for “the University to negotiate with the UCU”, or “pay each student a full refund for the contact time missed.”

Last month, a failure to resolve rows over pension cuts, which could see the average lecturer loose £200,000 over the course of their retirement, culminated in the announcement of strike action across 61 British universities.

Speaking to The Mancunion, a spokesperson from the University of Manchester advised that the university “won’t be adding to our previous statement”, which stated that “since we charge a composite fee for our courses, we cannot reimburse for specific elements of missed teaching and assessment.”

This is despite the growing support for two petitions listed on Change.org and iPetitions, launched to “complain about the ludicrous situation that we as students find ourselves in”. The petitions have received 2,700 and 616 signatures respectively.

Hana Jafar, co-founder of ‘Pay UoM Staff Pensions – Stop The Strikes!’ petition, has told the Mancunion that: “Our demands for refunds are more emblematic than suggesting that all we want is our money back. The petitions show that the demand is there to show universities that if they operate like a business, we will behave like wronged customers.

“What we really want is our education – we want staff to get their pensions, and if we make enough noise, I believe we can draw attention to the bureaucratic nature of the drastic decisions that affect everyone.”

In an open letter to the university, she framed the “gross misconduct of university management” as “absolutely unacceptable”.

Hana also insisted that: “I’m also hoping that the Students’ Union decision to back the strikes and pressure the University to negotiate with the UCU will work.”

This is following a joint-statement released on the 30th January by the National Union of Students and UCU, of which proclaimed a declaration of support for the UCU’s right to strike.

Whilst UCU General Secretary, Sally Hunt, advised that “students could still play a vital role in stopping strikes”, in a statement released on the 13th of February, she delegated that “responsibility ultimately lies with university representatives.”

Hunt described the situation between the UCU and Universities UK (who represent universities), as “taking a turn for the worse” on Monday, as a result of the UKK’s chief executive’s “bizarre piece” that “also ignored the other huge scandal that universities have failed to deal with – excessive salaries for vice-chancellors.

“UUK chose not to acknowledge the strikes, or respond to the many voices demanding they do something to avert them. Frankly, it is insulting to students that our leaders have come up so short.”

Speaking directly to students, Hunt stated: “Thank you for support so far. Thank you for the messages on social media and those to your individual staff – they really do mean so much. And please, keep up the pressure on your vice-chancellor or principal to do all they can to get UUK back to the table with us.”

Photo: Lauren Gibbins

Review: Friska

Written by Daisy Tolcher on . Posted in Food & Drink.

Let’s admit it, lunches at uni predominantly consist of a basic meal deal or a quick bite from one of the many university cafes dotted around campus. I have therefore been on a mission to discover somewhere where I can eat something new, in nice surroundings and for a reasonable price. Friska delivers just this and although you may not have heard of it, it can be found only a few feet from the University of Manchester Main Library!

Situated in the Science Park, which is just behind the library, Friska is a treat for the eyes as much as the tastebuds. It is an open plan area with big windows, Scandinavian-style decor, and a multitude of seating arrangements. This makes it an ideal place to chill out with friends during a lunch break or even to study, as it is a fairly peaceful and quiet environment.

Photo: Daisy Tolcher
Photo: Daisy Tolcher

The menu offers a range of sandwiches, salads, and phos as well as a delectable selection of ‘hot-boxes’ and ‘hotpots’. These hot offerings include options such as Lebanese Meatballs, Chicken and Chorizo Gumbo, and Butternut and Blackbean Dopiaza, all of which are around £5 in price. A more recent addition to the menu has been traditional Asian bao’s, which are steamed buns filled with either Sriracha chicken, pulled pork, or vegan sweet potato. These buns are currently being individually sold for £3.50, or you can purchase two for £6.50.

Photo: Flikr @ Lauren Topor
Photo: Flikr @ Lauren Topor

On my most recent visit I tried the Halloumi and Roasted Pepper Wrap as well as a Sriracha Chicken Bao, both of which were delicious. The bao was light yet filling so two will definitely be enough for lunch. The wrap tasted really fresh and was filled with veg and a generous portion of halloumi. When I have previously visited I have often gone for the Lebanese Meatball Hotbox, which I highly recommend as it comes with salad, rice, saucy meatballs, and nacho style chips.

Overall, I predict that Friska will soon become a hot spot for students, especially as they are currently offering a free meal on their app. If you refer a friend to the app you get a voucher for a whole free lunch, which definitely makes this spot worth the visit. Furthermore, you can pre-order your lunch for collection on the app if you are on a tight schedule, which makes eating here a really flexible experience.

Friska can be found in: The Bright Building, Manchester Science Park, Pencroft Way, M15 6JJ

 

Photo: Reclaim the Night

Reclaim the Night comes back to Manchester

Written by Shivani Kaura on . Posted in News.

‘Reclaim the Night’, a yearly women’s march in Manchester, is returning on the 22nd February to allow women to “raise their voices and unite their energies to stand up to street harassment, sexual violence and victim blaming.”

A survey conducted in 2011 suggested that there are an estimated 47,000 rapes a year in Britain, 40,000 attempted rapes and 300,000 sexual assaults, with figures rising to this day.

However, only 5.3 per cent of those accused are convicted, with the rest not reported or not taken to court.

In 2005, More conducted a survey that found that 95 per cent of women in the UK do not feel safe walking on the streets at night, with 73 per cent worried about being raped.

‘Reclaim the Night’, which has been held in Manchester since 1977, will start at Owen’s Park at seven P.M. and will proceed along Oxford Road until nine P.M., with an after-party in the Students’ Union in Manchester Academy. The event started due to a spate of attacks in Fallowfield in previous years.

Last year, there was a new addition to the campaign with a ‘Muslim Block’. Saffa Mir, the Students’ Union Community Officer in 2016 has inspired Hana Jafar to carry on the additional section once again.

Speaking to The Mancunion, Hana Jafar said: “I decided to lead it this year because being part of it as a Muslim woman was incredibly empowering.

“Minority groups and marginalised women in particular need safe and inclusive spaces to have our voices heard. With the state of gender based violence and Islamophobia affecting visibly Muslim women, we need these spaces more than ever.”

A new addition to the march this year will include a ‘pro-choice block’, which follows after the abortion rights campaign which took place in Manchester last year. Manchester City Council have also placed a ban on anti-abortion protests in Fallowfield after deeming them “more aggressive and militant that before.”

Women who choose to participate in the ‘pro-choice block’ at the event will aim to call out on misogynistic oppression and suppress the abuse, sexual harassment and unwanted attention from men. Men are welcome at the event but asked to remain separated from women in order to respect the nature of their protest.

Seven audiobooks worth a listen

Written by James Gill on . Posted in Books.

Harry Potter: The Complete Collection – JK Rowling (Audio by Stephen Fry)
127 hours 39 mins

Stephen Fry’s masterful narration of all seven Harry Potter books is arguably the greatest audiobook series ever recorded. The beloved polymath adds an extra dimension to J.K Rowling’s work, knowing when to change the tempo of the reading, as well as adopting various voices for the different characters. Recommended for fans of the wizarding world or fantasy in general.

Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection – Arthur Conan Doyle (Audio by Stephen Fry)
71 hours and 58 minutes

Another magnificent Stephen Fry audiobook, this time the definitive works of Sherlock Holmes. Perhaps the world’s best-known detective, Holmes has entertained millions in books, tv shows, and films. Stephen Fry narrates all four novels and five short story collections as well as personal introductions for each one. A must-listen for fans of crime, mystery, or thrillers.

A Short History of Nearly Everything – Bill Bryson (Audio by William Roberts)
19 hours and 2 minutes

Bill Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything is a humorous and interesting trip from the Big Bang to present day. He takes topics that normally make people fall asleep like geology and physics and makes them fun and engaging. William Roberts does a fine job as the narrator, especially with his comedic timing. Recommended for fans of humorous or educational books.

The Girl on the Train – Paula Hawkins (Audio by ensemble)
10 hours 57 minutes

Paula Hawkins’ explosive hit follows Rachel Watson, a woman who catches the same train every day, passing the same houses and seeing the same people. One day she sees something shocking that will change her whole life if she so chooses. The ensemble of narrators for this audiobook help to differentiate the characters, allowing them to develop independently. Recommended for fans of mystery.

Ready Player One – Ernest Cline (Audio by Wil Wheaton)
15 hours 40 minutes

In the year 2044, the world has become almost uninhabitable, the environment is ruined, and famine is widespread. To escape this painful reality humanity goes into the OASIS, a virtual world where the possibilities for life are limitless. When the founder of the OASIS, James Halliday, dies with no heir to take over, he leaves a series of riddles and puzzles behind with his fortune going to whoever solves them all first. Actor Wil Wheaton is fantastic in the role of narrator. Recommended for fans of science fiction.

The Spire – William Golding (Audio by Benedict Cumberbatch)
6 hours 49 minutes

Written by Lord of the Flies author William Golding, The Spire is a dark tale of one man’s journey to build, on the supposed authority of God, a grand spire on his cathedral. Benedict Cumberbatch’s versatile voice work as the narrator truly brings this fantastic novel to life. Recommended for fans of historical fiction.

Matilda – Roald Dahl (Audio by Kate Winslet)
Length – 4 hours 18 minutes

Whether it’s Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Twits, or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl was a major part of most children’s early literary education. Here we have Matilda, a child genius with horrible parents. Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet employs various voices for each character in a wonderful rendition of the book. Recommended for a little dose of nostalgia.

The latest beauty dupes

Written by Jennifer Knowles on . Posted in Fashion & Beauty.

If you procrastinate away countless hours that should be dedicated to university work watching makeup tutorial videos on YouTube, you will be aware that there are some amazing dupes on the market at the moment. The message has been delivered that we no longer need to make that crippling investment of our student loans into purchasing expensive brands to obtain the quality factor.

YouTube sensations such as Rachel Leary and Hannah Renée, often film videos giving us reviews of these ‘dupes’ in a sort of try-before-you-buy way making this an excellent way to find out how a product applies before going out and actually buying it, because, as we all know makeup isn’t like clothing, you can’t just take it back expecting a full refund if you don’t like it on.

I want to talk about a few game-changing products and brands on the market currently that deliver the high standard of quality without the high price tag.

Firstly, Revolution is a cruelty free non-animal testing brand such as all the makeup brands at Superdrug. Personally, I find their products amazing quality for their prices. But their latest ground-breaking product is what has got beauty bloggers and youtubers all over the country talking. This is their brand new ‘Conceal and Define Concealer’. Shelves have been stripped bare by makeup-fanatics eager to get their hands on this £4 revelation.

It has been compared by beauty youtubers such as Stephanie Toms to the Tarte Shape Tape (£22) and has said to be the closest dupe to this raved-about product that beauty bloggers have seen to date! It is full coverage (an essential for covering those dark night-out-induced under eye circles), comes in a vast variety of shades and has even been described as feeling lighter on the skin that the Shape Tape. If you have only just discovered this product and  it’s sold out in your local retailer, you can order it directly from TAM Beauty online.

Another innovation from Revolution is their liquid highlighter retailing at a mere £6.

Photo Credit: www.superdrug.co.uk
Photo Credit: www.superdrug.co.uk

This product has a dual effect, doubling also as a liquid eye shimmer. A paralleled pocket-friendly product to this is the Barry M Liquid Chrome Highlighter Drops (also £6) which can be blended in with your fingers or a sponge to create a flawless and blinding glow. These products are amazing dupes for the infamously hyped Iconic London (£30) and the Cover FX Liquid Highlighters (£34).

e.l.f Cosmetics is an American cosmetic brand that has recently been launched into 250 Superdrug stores nationwide.  Encouraging artistry creativity and innovation on a budget is the message embodied by their range and having used their products on several occasions, it is wonderful to see it sold on home soil!

Previously an e-commerce business, the  global enterprise has built its custom on their renowned affordable products; starting from just £3. Their collection has also grown to incorporate skincare, make- up and an array of beauty tools brushes.

Other suggestions that wont break your bank include Freedom, MUA and Collection which can all be found at your local Superdrug.

Dedicating time to some hard-core beauty research, will enable you to increase your savings and get your hands on some amazing products for a fraction price freeing up your cash flow for more important things i.e. guilt free cocktails!

Photo: Daivd Flores @flickr

City stroll to Basel victory

Written by Sam Cooper on . Posted in Sport.

Manchester City took a commanding lead in their Round of 16 knockout tie against FC Basel thanks to a 4-0 win in Switzerland.

A period of three goals in nine minutes from Gündoğan, Bernardo Silva and Sergio Agüero put Basel out of sight before Gündoğan doubled his tally in the 53rd minute.

Wary of Manchester United’s struggles here earlier in the season, Pep Guardiola named a very strong eleven despite being overwhelming favourites. Vincent Kompany made his first Champions League start since May 2016 while Leroy Sané returned to the bench.

Despite City’s perceived superiority, it was the home side who had the first chance of the game just after the five-minute mark. Blás Riveros sent a searching ball upfield and Dimitri Oberlin was the quickest to react.

City defender Niciolás Otamendi could not handle the pace of the Basel striker and Ederson struggled to make up the ground in time. In the end, Oberlin hit a tame effort round Ederson but it was swept up by Otamendi.

Shortly after, Basel were punished for their failure to take their chance. An in-swinging corner from Kevin De Bruyne was met by Gündoğan whose clever run had given him a few yards of space from the defender.

The German powered his header into the net to give City the first goal of the tie in the 16th minute.

Minutes later and the ruthlessness nature of this City team was there for all to see. De Bruyne was again involved as he played Raheem Sterling in behind the Basel defence.

The Englishman crossed the ball but a Basel defender managed to get a head to it. The attempted clearance could only find Silva though who fired a volley goalwards.

Basel keeper Tomás Vaclik did manage to get a hand to it but was not strong enough and palmed it into the net to double City’s advantage.

A visibly shellshocked Basel only found their evening getting worse in the 23rd minute. In-form Agüero collected a loose ball and without any hesitation shot from range towards the bottom left corner.

Vaclik could only stand and watch as the pinpoint strike found the net and put this tie beyond Basel.

The pick of the goals was City’s fourth. After the half time break, it was much the same story with City continuing to press home their advantage.

In the 54th minute, Gündoğan moved the ball past the defender before curling an effort into the top right corner. This time the keeper did dive but he was just as helpless as the Agüero effort and Gündoğan got a deserved second.

The final half hour of the game was more about energy conservation. With the game won and presumably the tie as a whole with it, Guardiola had the luxury of resting some key players.

De Bruyne and Sterling left the field while there was a welcome return for Leroy Sané just 16 days after suffering damage to his ankle ligaments against Cardiff City.

The game finished 4-0 to the visitors and barring a Basel miracle at the Etihad in three weeks time, City’s place in the quarter-finals is all but ensured.

Photo: Robyn Lee @ Flickr

Norway: where’s my (oil) money?

Written by Sahib Patel on . Posted in Opinion.

23rd December 1963, this is an important date in Norway’s economic history. Norway struck gold of the hydrocarbon kind; Philips Petroleum discovered one of the largest offshore oil fields in history. This was the date that  Norway’s success story started in earnest.

In 1996, the Norwegian government decided to launch a sovereign wealth fund, which was mainly funded by oil taxes and state control of the oil revenues. Norway’s sovereign wealth fund is currently valued at over $1T, a 13-fold increase since 2002.

But why would any government want to have its own fund and invest taxpayers’ money in the stock market and in bonds and real estate? The answer is less complex than one might think: to ensure Norway’s massive oil resources — expected to last another 50 years — guarantee the prosperity of future generations. The returns from the wealth fund to pay for pensions and other public services.

Norway is not the only nation with a sovereign wealth fund. The UAE, Kuwait, Singapore, have their own large sovereign wealth funds to protect, invest, and grow their national investments — China has two! Question is, where is the UK in this sovereign wealth league? Surely, we have a few oil resources in Nicola Sturgeon’s backyard. Last I checked, since 1968, the UK has netted over £250B in oil and gas revenues.

In the age of rising council taxes, NHS struggles, housing challenges, and other public service cuts, surely the bright minds on both sides of the political spectrum have thought of economic policies that go beyond taxing corporates and the rich. Surely, both Labour and the Tories have looked at the Norwegians’ success and thought of leveraging London city’s collective financial acumen to invest the 2017-18 oil and gas revenues of £700M — with some more to come — with a view to the long term.

Looking to the rankings, however, Team GB is nowhere to be seen.

We have had £250B of oil revenues, some additional £70B of revenues from privatisation proceeds since 1979, and the £22B cash cow that was 3G mobile phone licensing auction under Gordon Brown – some £342B in total. So, next time you hear about austerity, the widening deficit, NHS problems, and council tax hikes, ask yourself two questions. Firstly, where has over £342B worth of UK revenue gone? And secondly, is it too late for the UK to launch a sovereign wealth fund that addresses the nation’s long-term problems such as pension and NHS funding?

So, where did all this money actually go? Effectively, UK’s £342B was distributed to taxpayers to spend and save the way they want. Having said that, the public sector’s net investment is lower as a percentage of GDP today than it was in 1978-79. Both the Labour and Tory governments used this cash extra cash to keep non-oil taxes “lower than would otherwise have been possible without rising debt levels or sharp cuts in public spending relative to GDP”.

This is the frustrating part. The UK government could have used £342B in the 80s to start a long-term sovereign wealth fund. If managed well (like Norway), this fund would be valued similar to Norway’s at about $1T in today’s money. Norway draws about 3 to 4% of its fund to pay for public services every year in the budget, about $26B – what would Theresa May give for this luxury?

Is it too late for the UK to jump in the sovereign wealth management? The short answer, in my view, is no. The UK has some of the finest investment experts and civil servants, that would doubtlessly be capable of managing a Great British Sovereign Fund that is transparent, responsible, and driven to deliver for the next 100 years of public services in the UK.

In a backdrop of Brexit, mounting pension bills, a housing crisis, and a paralyzed NHS, British politicians are often blamed for not having ‘enough imagination’ to drive the UK economy forward.

Moreover, with North Sea oil resources depleting faster than ever, and the post-Brexit outlook looking uncertain at best, Britain requires bold leadership with new ideas. A sovereign wealth fund may just be the answer.

 

Image: Holly Ledger

Fallowfield fights back

Written by Max Brimelow on . Posted in News.

Holly Ledger, a second-year Events Management student, is taking steps to combat crime in student areas such as Fallowfield and Withington.

On Wednesday the 14th of March, from 1 to 4 p.m., Sugar Rush Events, which she leads, is hosting ‘Fallow Fights Back’. At this event, University of Manchester security, the councillors of Fallowfield and Withington, and self-defence experts Smart Combat, will come together to educate people about the dangers in these areas and how to tackle them.

Local DJs, face painting, freebies, and copious glitter will also feature during the course of the evening. Holly hopes students will come together in solidarity over this issue and react in unison to what is meant to be an event inspiring positivity, in the face of fear.

Home Office statistics released last October suggested that crime in Greater Manchester in the year July 2016-June 2017 rose by 31 per cent. In particular, violence against a person rose 46 per cent, sexual offences climbed 31 per cent, burglary increased by 14 per cent, and robbery was up 53 per cent on the year before.

The fact that students are one of the most vulnerable groups is no secret. Crime in Fallowfield has been the focus of particular attention. One student told The Mancunion of his encounter with an assailant armed with a gun. Countless burglaries have been reported, as well as regular muggings, stalking, and violent crime.

The rising popularity of the ‘Fallowfield Student Group’ on Facebook has brought the sheer volume of these issues to light. Students have banded together to warn each other of suspicious people, areas to avoid, and raised awareness of crime events.

“It’s an important topic and I just feel there isn’t enough being done,” Holly told The Mancunion.

“We felt that there hasn’t been anything solidly put into place, especially for the mental health effects of it. The effect on mental health of these crimes is being overlooked. We have friends who have been targets of crime – including one friend who was violently beaten up at 6 a.m. and had his nose broken.

“It was hard seeing how it’s really shaken him up and knowing he now has anxiety when having to go outside alone, even in the middle of the day. Uni is supposed to be a safe place. There are so many halls of residence in Fallowfield so it’s such a shame so many people feel so anxious.”

There will be stalls all around University place, with local Labour Councillor Grace Fletcher-Hackwood invited along and others to be confirmed.

“We are in discussion with the Owens Park security team and hoping to have them present on the day, along with some talks about current security in Fallowfield. We also are going to have information about insurance for students and related freebies such as rape whistles.

“Smart Combat is also going to be putting on free self-defence sessions for students who can learn basic skills to help them protect themselves and feel confident. There will be local DJs from different societies throughout the day along with glitter and face painting. Despite the serious message we wanted this event to be fun and uplifting.”

“The event should be an important and empowering step towards helping students in South Manchester build towards a safer future,” says Holly. “One of the biggest things we have learnt from this is the importance of bringing the community together and working together — so many people are doing some really great things.”

The event will take place March the 14th, from 1 to 4 p.m. in University Place.

Students can get tickets for free from the event’s Facebook page.

 

Photo: soccer.ru @wikimediacommons

Why Tottenham can’t be trusted

Written by Will Baldwin-Pask on . Posted in Sport.

Someone needs to talk about Spurs. And by talking, I don’t mean chanting “we hate Tottenham, we hate Tottenham” over and over. Most people do that every day whilst they brush their teeth. What is needed is a decent discussion of the problems facing a team with so much promise and why it is so hard to trust them.

There are very few on the landscape of footballing commentary that can be arsed to talk about this team at the moment. Paul Merson certainly won’t do it. Harry Rednapp will occasionally step up if he can recharge his kneecaps for long enough and leave the local. So it falls to a frank fan like me to get something said on the matter.

The lack of enthusiasm to talk about Tottenham and their problems is indicative of their not-quite-the-same status. Years spent begging for a possible Champions League place and averaging just outside the bracket have given Spurs as much reputability as an Ironborn or a three times divorced dad. Now, after two great seasons and some teasing of trophy wins, it appears the mud-brawl of mediocrity is calling us back.

It’s been an interesting run of results. After scraping a point at Newport a few weekends ago, Spurs somehow belittled Man United in the same fashion that United have done to Spurs for decades. They then went to Anfield for a draw, which could prove valuable in the fight for fourth. And of course, beating Arsenal, who are now seven points slower than Spurs, is always nice.

But should a team that tops a Champions League group with Madrid and Dortmund be quite as uncertain of returning to the tournament next year? How do you manage to draw with West Ham and Newport when you’re defeating European chamions?

What has characterised the whole season is what one could call unprovoked bottling. And it is this bottling nature that worries me most about Spurs. The fact is that Tottenham lacks the legacy of teams like Arsenal, Liverpool and United. The histories of success that these teams bear put them under more pressure to perform than anyone else. If any of the traditional big four fail for long enough, they buy superlative players, bring in fresh managers and get distraught fans attempting to start hashtags, petitions and lynch mobs.

Not having this pressure has been to Tottenham’s advantage in recent years, having married a prodigious manager with a cheap yet talented squad, allowing them to play the way they like and to the frustration of their adversaries. Pochettino’s players have looked completely comfortable with the style they cultivated and the fans have never been so satisfied.

However, that lack of pressure — that added weight of history and legacy — felt by the other clubs, is contributing to their failure to convert anything into a trophy. They have not experienced winning a league or a cup in modern times, which stands them out from their rivals. That winning grit is not something they’ve inherited. And until they do so, their tendency to bottle might keep haunting them.

There is one thing about Tottenham that gets brought up in conversations everywhere all the time. You’re probably wondering why I’m only just mentioning him.

Kane might well be Tottenham’s very own Sword of Damocles. If Spurs were to sell Harry Kane, they would make a lot of money, but not enough to buy someone of equivalent quality. After the move of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid, Spurs decided to spaff their winnings on a bunch of players ranging from decent to disastrous. Meanwhile, Daniel Levy will not dig into his pocket as deeply as owners of City, United or Chelsea, simply because the pocket ain’t that big. The better Kane gets, the greater the interest in him and the harder it will be tether him without dramatic wage increases or silverware. Holding on to him is the best hope.

It is said that Kane’s not the sort of player to leave Tottenham, that he’s loyal. Sure, Kane seems a smiley chap in that white shirt, and his heroic, home-grown status within the club is great for his image. But as Wayne Rooney pointed out, he can’t keep scoring like he does and receive so many accolades without feeling like he should be playing with the absolute best. Alli and Erikson aren’t far behind him either. It’s hard to imagine the current line-up losing none of these individuals if they sustain their quality for the next few years.

Regardless of how well they’ve proved they can play, Tottenham still can’t convert it into substantial reward. The tectonic plates of Premier League power are shifting back to Manchester and it’s hard to see Spurs lifting the trophy any time soon. The thrill of the chase will be the greatest allure to staying at the club for some of these players, especially when the fat Spanish cats come calling.

As the status quo revives and the elite reclaim their thrones, the Premier League from 2014 — 2016 may in future be regarded as a continuity blip; a bizarre counter-moment, when Leicester City could win the title and Tottenham Hotspur finished in the top 3 twice in a row. What could have been the maturation moment for one of the most improved clubs of recent years could go down as another temporary spike in a largely disappointing history. If this season ends on another underwhelming note, Tottenham fans might have a lot more to worry about than higher parking fees at the redeveloped White Hart Lane.

Photo: Ilovetheeu @ Wikimedia Commons

Brexit: not my vote

Written by Francesca McClimont on . Posted in Opinion.

The referendum result for Brexit may have taken place over a year and a half ago, but remainers still feel the bitter pang of rejection as if it were yesterday. This is true for students in particular where the remain-to-leave ratio was found to be six-to-one.

Leaving the EU will massively affect educational institutions, which fear they will lose the 15 per cent of the funding they receive from the EU as well as academics being less inclined to come to the UK due to visa issues.

These consequences were felt closer to home when the University of Manchester announced in 2017 that it would be making 171 members of staff redundant across all disciplines.

Yet it was the School of Arts, Languages, and Cultures (SALC) that was being hit the hardest — this was definitely the impression I got when speaking to both my French and English lecturers.

The anger with this decision prompted a strike on the 23rd and 24th of October. Staff dissatisfaction was only intensified by the financial stability and prosperity of the University at the time.

Consequently, management seemed to be using Brexit as an excuse to make cuts that would inevitably cause long-term damage to many departments.

SALC needs protection from the Brexit storm and the only umbrella that can protect it — the University — is refusing to open itself to them.

Speaking to a Manchester University Business Management student from France regarding her Brexit concerns, she explained that “prices and the employment sector will suffer as a result of a growing number of international companies leaving the UK due to new employment regulations.

“They fear these new Brexit-friendly rules will damage their business and their image.”

This will leave many Brits without jobs.  Such unemployment will be particularly damaging when coupled with prices of imported goods rising due to Brexit.

The effects of this surge in prices will be felt the most by low-income households and those who consider themselves working class of which 70 per cent of the former and 59 per cent of the latter voted leave according to a NatCen social research paper.

Brexit seems all the more astonishing when taking a look back at what a lack of European unity resulted in the twentieth century.

Two world wars, millions of people killed, and years of economic and infrastructural damage are within the memory of our grandparents.  Yet 64 per cent of over-65s voted leave even though they will not live to see the consequences of their vote.

Pro-EU students and young people are left with years of instability lying ahead of them and will suffer the consequences educationally and financially as they seek jobs after graduation.

Our best hope is to put pressure on the government — to the best of our ability — to implement post-EU legislations that will benefit future generations and not merely their own political agenda.

Image: DPOrman @ Commons Wikimedia

Manchester University students fined £29k by library last year

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News.

Students at the University of Manchester (UoM) were issued £29, 557 in library fines during the academic year 2016-2017, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

A series of Freedom of Information requests indicated that 130 Universities and University colleges collected more than £3.5 million-worth of library fines between September 2016 to August 2017.

The University of Oxford had the highest books fines’ income over the past year, issuing £167,689 of fines, followed by King’s College London (£113,726) and the University of Cambridge (£98,487).

A University of Manchester library spokesperson said: “Fines are currently the most effective way to ensure books are returned promptly to the library and made available for other students. The library only issues fines on overdue books when they are needed — ie another student has reserved the book triggering a recall at the end of the current loan — or the book is part of the High Demand collection (items recommended as essential texts on reading lists by teaching staff).

“The vast majority of our students support the current fines policy, as it works to ensure books that are in demand are returned promptly and available to those who need them. Fines are not a financial consideration — they are an incentive to return books on time and ensure other students who need the texts are not left frustrated.”

Books can be borrowed from the main collections of the various University of Manchester libraries across campus for a full semester, while items in the High Demand collections may be borrowed for one night.

Items borrowed from the main collections of the library may be subject to early recall, if another customer wishes to borrow the item during its lease. If a standard loan is recalled, students will be notified by email and have seven days in which to return the item, unless the due date is already within 7 days.

Failure to return any books by the return date results in a temporary blocking of customers’ library accounts and a overdue fine of £2 per day, while the daily fine rate for items borrowed from the High Demand section is 50p per hour or part of an hour, not including weekends. Maximum charges per book from any section is £20.

Some institutions do not collect library fines, including the University of Bath and the University of Chichester, while others have an auto-book renewal in order to reduce students’ costs.

The UoM library spokesperson commented: “An auto-renewal policy would have no impact on fines – such a policy would not apply to recalled or high demand books, and it is only when these texts are not returned that a fine is issued. If a book is not required by another student, it can be renewed for up to 10 years – the library will issue an email reminder, and the renewal process can be completed quickly and easily on our website.”

Commenting on the revelation, Alex Tayler, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, said: “Whilst I wouldn’t want to encourage the University to take any more money off students than it already does, I think that library fines are a good way of ensuring that students share resources fairly. If you don’t give your book back in time or lose it then you are preventing another student from accessing the resource.

“Fines encourage people to look after the books properly and return them promptly. I would want to speak with the library to discuss how it fines people and how effective they think it is but I don’t have anything against the fines in principle.”

University of Manchester undergraduate and taught postgraduate students have a loan quota of up to 25 books per semester, while research postgraduate students can borrow up to 40 books per semester.

Full details on the University library’s policies regarding borrowing and returning books can be found on the library’s website.

Review: La Vina Deansgate

Written by Anokhi Shah on . Posted in Food & Drink.

This is a split review between the carnivores and a herbivore. Why would you take a vegetarian to a traditional tapas restaurant?

However, La Vina seemed to have a decent veggie selection. Unfortunately this did not live up to expectations.

Upon entry, I thought “It could do with a touch of illumination and some charming Spanish tunes.” I changed my mind after a generous helping of delightful tapas. The décor was lovely and traditional, even if the four of us were sat at a very high table with very uncomfortable chairs, not what you want when you’re about to indulge. We had a quick scan around the room to try move however all the chairs seemed very similar, a small but important grievance.

We choose to dine during their 50 per cent off food deal so went a little crazy ordering nearly everything on the menu. They suggest around three or four plates per person.

Here’s what we ordered: Gambas Pil Pil, Chorizo sautéed in garlic thyme and honey, Pollo Envuelto — chicken breast stuffed with piquilo and wrapped in serrano ham, Goats cheese, and Spinach Croquetas (On the specials board), Patatas Bravas, Berenjenas con miel y trufa — Crisp lightly battered aubergine slices stacked and drizzled with honey and truffle oil, Mushrooms in a cream sauce (On the specials board), Brocoli a la brasa — tenderstem broccoli chargrilled with garlic and chilli and a Paella Mixta.

The portion size was huge for tapas, there were at least ten prawns in the gambas pil pil, amazing value for money. The paella, chorizo, and chicken were all an absolute dream and cooked to perfection. Unfortunately there is little praise for the vegetarian selection apart from the fact that they had a substantial one.

The only thing my vegetarian friend enjoyed was the patatas bravas, fried potatoes, and garlic sauce which is quite frankly very difficult to get wrong. The aubergine was watery, the mushrooms seemed to be from a tin in the most uncreamy sauce and the broccoli was far too hard and crunchy.

Whilst we were all gorging on the wonderful meat selection my friend looked increasingly disappointed, it’s fair to say veggies should stay away from La Vina.

Photo: Hannah Suraya
Photo: Hannah Suraya
Photo: Hannah Suraya
Photo: Hannah Suraya

In terms of wine, we ordered a glass of the house rose priced at £6 per glass. Complete rip off, tasted like the £3 bottle from New Zealand wines. The food was great value under the 50 per cent off deal however I’m not sure I would pay full price.

La Vina does seem to have frequent offers so I would suggest going only when there is a deal on.

Photo: Album Artwork

Review: The Wombats – Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life

Written by Jake Oliver on . Posted in Music.

Liverpudlian rock trio The Wombats’ latest release Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life is a collection of songs that seem relatively unambitious.

The Wombats are one of those indie bands from the good old days that have managed to stick around through thick and thin. From their post-punk revival on their debut, to the synth-heavy tricky third album “Glitterbug”, they’re a band that have consistently demonstrated their ability to change with the times.

But now on Beautiful People… what made the band so innovative and exciting has been watered down to something that, although professional and polished, just isn’t that interesting.

It comes as no surprise that ‘Turn’, ‘Cheetah Tongue’, and ‘Lemon to a Knife Fight’ were the first three singles to be released from the album as they’re arguably the only songs that make any attempt to be — for lack of a better word — fun.

‘Black Flamingo’ released just days before the album dropped, runs in a similar vein to the other singles. “I wanna love you but it hurts, hurts, hurts” is a particularly potent lyric from the song that pretty much captures my feelings towards this album.

The main concern here is that for me, these singles were ‘growers’. I had to listen to them several times over before I could conclude that they weren’t that bad an ominous foreshadowing for the rest of the album.

Therein lies the issue with Beautiful People…. Nothing picks me up and shakes me about in the way that songs on their earlier projects did. There’s no ‘Moving To New York’ moment, no euphoric ‘Tokyo’ anthem, and no reflective, heart breaking ‘Greek Tragedy’.

On the first listen I didn’t find myself being wrapped up in any sort of feeling other than just “meh”. In fact, only on my third attempt braving the album could I identify a few decent non-single tracks.

‘Ice Cream’, which appears almost at the end of the album is probably the most reminiscent of what I like to call classic Wombats. With an abundance of strange metaphors and a bass line that sounds like the lovechild of The Cure and “AM” era Arctic Monkeys, it stands out effortlessly against an otherwise forgettable series of songs.

‘Black Flamingo’, with its fuzzy guitar riffs is also a redeeming feature that wouldn’t go amiss on previous projects. There’s a point in the song that seems to rediscover the soaring qualities that The Wombats are more than capable of producing but the rest of the album plateaus from there on out.

As a band with its members now in their thirties, it comes as no surprise that the once youthful frenzies have been replaced with more mature takes on themes of isolation and modern romance. This shines through, but not necessarily in a good way. What they’ve gained in maturity, they’ve seemingly lost in wit and charm that made their lyrics so interesting. Lead singer Matthew Murphy just seems tired and apathetic. Whilst band growth and maturity is unavoidable and frankly needed, it feels regressive rather than progressive.

To their credit, this isn’t a bad album. The production and overall performances are sharper than ever and there are moments that come close to rectifying the mixed bag that is the album in its entirety.

It just lacks a certain something that made the last three releases so iconic. There’s still everything that made them great, but this shift in direction may alienate some fans. I’m sure that this isn’t the last we’ll here from the trio but my goodness I hope this is the last underwhelming project they put out.

6/10

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Hylas and the Nymphs: more than meets the eye

Written by Florrie Badley on . Posted in Arts.

Manchester Art Gallery deliberately provoked discussion last week, by removing the painting Hylas and the Nymphs from their website and walls, leaving a blank space for audience debate.

The painting by Victorian Romantic John William Waterhouse was targeted for its enticing antagonists: seven naked nymphs who are seducing Hylas with their topless — yet adolescent — beauty.

The public gallery claims to have been conducting an experiment by challenging the male gaze in Victorian fantasy and the modern-day attitude towards the female nude, in light of the #metoo campaign and recent sexual harassment revelations which have shaken the culture industry and the world of politics. The painting was down for a total of seven days — one for every nymph — before it was re-hung thanks to public demand.

The youthful appearance of the mythological females depicted was the main point of contention. The general consensus so far, however, seems to be that the painting wasn’t offending anyone. In most cases, a greater contempt has been expressed towards the removal itself, branded as conservative censorship by many.

As a matter of opinion, I quite like the painting. I have seen Hylas and the Nymphs numerous times and it has never stood out to me as being offensive.

I don’t believe that it is remarkable enough to be controversial, and I don’t believe therefore that this painting would influence an audience to think differently about sexual entitlement.

What did offend me about the event is Manchester Art Gallery’s disingenuous and opportunistic co-option of a pressing social and political issue, exploited to ignite a media stunt. It saddens me to criticise one of my favourite UK galleries, but there are numerous reasons why we shouldn’t buy into this public performance.

Firstly, the project was announced “in anticipation” of the gallery’s upcoming Sonia Boyce exhibition. Manchester Art Gallery has harnessed this debate as a tool to promote the artist’s work, a fact that they have been relatively transparent about.

It is also not unreasonable to imagine how the re-opening of the Whitworth Art Galley has cast a shadow over Manchester’s trusty city gallery throughout the past three years. Without any sort of permanent collection, the Whitworth’s flexible blank-canvas layout has been able to attract increasingly impressive names such as Andy Warhol and Steve McQueen, leaving the lesser-known names and more localised narratives to its public companion.

Manchester Art Gallery’s intended display of integrity in this instance, purporting an interest in contemporary public opinions, is clearly an attempt to update itself, by engaging with current cultural affairs.

A similar event took place in the press a few months ago. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York declined to remove Therese Dreaming by Balthus from public view, despite a large petition demanding that it be taken down. The curator of the Hylas’ media circus, Clare Gannaway, likely took inspiration from the Met’s negative press, which was publicity nonetheless.

It’s not hard to sympathise with the Met’s critics, who argue that Balthus’ depiction Therese, as a highly sexualised young girl, actively promotes paedophilia.

When considered within these wider walls, the connection between Hylas and #metoo seems a little more contrived.

I would also argue that the Manchester Art Gallery never intended to permanently remove a key piece of their collection, if this had been the persuasion of the public’s verdict.

You might be interested to visit the gallery (now that they’ve swiftly re-hung Hylas) to view some of the other larger treasures they have on display. Less than a thirty-second walk from Hylas you can see Sappho, the ancient female poet, portrayed by Charles-August Mengin as stormy embodiment of busty sexual energy.

Sappho - Charles Mengin Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Sappho by Charles Mengin Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Or, you could see The Sirens and Ulysses by William Etty, a painter who’s academic obsession with the female form has long been called into question.

If you look closely at this painting, which takes up nearly an entire wall, you can see that Etty spent a vast amount of time painting the naked women. So long in fact that he ran out of time to finish the ropey background, that poorly contextualises their generous nudity within a loose mythological theme.

The Sirens and the Ulysses by William Etty Photo: The Public Catalogue Foundation
The Sirens and the Ulysses by William Etty Photo: The Public Catalogue Foundation

I don’t believe that any of these artworks should be taken down, but it seems that Manchester Art Gallery doesn’t think so either. There is a definite irony in this marketing campaign’s success. The attention Waterhouse’s painting has attracted has led to its image being circulated more than ever before. It has developed a fresh infamy.

Hylas and the Nymphs is nothing but a throw-away manifestation of an outdated Victorian imagination, a specific form of misogyny which has been regarded as problematic ever since it began. Whether or not we do continue to revise the art on display in our public collections is to be seen. This tired debate has resurfaced in the Western art world time and time again.

As a matter of urgency however, I think it should be asked “is it really fair to equate a Victorian mythological fantasy, with the living instances of sexual assault and abuse that we face today?”