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Month: October 2019

Review: Avenue Q

I’m not going lie, when I heard that Avenue Q was going to embark on a UK tour, I thought it was an (Avenue) Q-uestionable decision. A Sesame Street, Muppet-style puppet musical was not – emphasis on the past-tense – a show I thought was going to appeal to me or I would enjoy. After all, I didn’t need to add “fan of a musical with puppets” to my already dubious list of likings for a normal 21-year-old university student.

But, as they say, there is power in duality, so who is to say that I can’t seriously discuss my home country Ecuador’s current situation and, at the same time, enjoy foul-mouthed puppets singing extremely catchy songs? Literally no one, so I thought I might as well indulge in this whimsical experience of a show.

Avenue Q is a musical comedy featuring 11 puppets and 3 human characters that interact with each other Sesame Street-style. The puppets are controlled by puppeteers who go completely unnoticed by both the cast and the audience, surprisingly. They wear dark, unremarkable clothing, which is contrasted to the brightly coloured puppets made by Paul Jomain, with their colourful and obnoxious clothing, big googly eyes, and giant mouths.

The story is set on a fictional street (the infamous ‘Avenue Q’, of course) in an “outer-outer borough” of New York City, and it starts with Princeton, a recent university graduate who feels anxious about the uselessness of his English degree (“What Do You Do with a BA in English?”). He struggles with the harshness of adulthood and the fact that he is penniless, jobless and purposeless. He eventually finds an affordable apartment on Avenue Q where he meets his neighbours: Kate Monster, a kindergarten assistant teacher and the girl-next-door; Rod, a closeted gay man who also happens to be a Republican banker; Nicky, Rod’s messy roommate; Brian, an aspiring comedian; Christmas Eve, Brian’s Japanese fiancée and a client-less therapist; Trekkie Monster, a grumpy recluse who is addicted to online porn; and Gary Coleman (yes, that one), an ex-celebrity and the building’s superintendent.

After debating whose life sucks the most (“It Sucks to Be Me”), Princeton realises that these people who he thought led simple, unproblematic lives actually had, much like us, daily struggles. And so, the story unravels. The music and lyrics by Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (The Book of Mormon, Frozen and Coco) bring the narrative to life with catchy, hilarious, witty and, at times, a little bit politically incorrect, tunes (that because they’re mostly sung by cuddly-looking puppets, they can get away with), like ‘Everybody’s A Little Bit Racist’ and ‘The Internet is for Porn’.

However, besides the gut-busting humor, this musical is aggressively relevant and important. It touches on topics like acts of micro-racism, coming out, unemployment, homelessness, one-night stands, and, primarily, growing-up without fully knowing the harshness of adulthood.

As I always say, a musical is good when it is reactionary. When people cringe, laugh, gasp, or just generally feel whatever the characters are feeling because their story has become ours.

Whether human or monster, these characters reflect real-life people: the dreamer, the hopeless romantic, the porn-addict, the one with an identity crisis, the girl-next-door, the weird neighbour, the one with a useless degree. So, at the end of the day, you realise that we’re all part of Avenue Q. We have our struggles, our aspirations, and we all have that all-too-common feeling that we might be thrown into adulthood with a piece of paper, a gown, and no preparation whatsoever. By creating relatable characters, with an almost biographical narrative and insanely good songs, Lopez and Marx made it impossible not to react. And people did.

Throughout both acts, people have great fun, bopping their heads to the tunes and cringing when we had to witness – get ready – a puppet sex scene.

While the music, lyrics and story are brilliant in themselves, the show could not be what it is without its cast. Their versatility, creativity and talent are astonishing. All of the puppeteers play more than one role, but they do so in such a genuine and distinctive way that even when both of their characters interacted, you can easily recognise who was who. It is truly mind-blowing as an audience-member because it just makes sense.

I must give a massive shoutout to Cecily Redman, who plays Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut (yes, that’s the name of an actual character), for her amazing characterisations and delivering one of the most heartfelt moments of the show with her rendition of “There’s a Fine, Fine Line.”

Avenue Q is a relatable, funny-as-heck, whimsical musical, with annoyingly catchy tunes, witted lyrics, extremely talented performers, and a constant disorganised orchestra of laughter as a background. It’s a must see! It continues its UK tour into November.

Review: Dada Masilo – Giselle

An exciting ballet of rhythm and passion, infused with traditional Tswana dance, South African dancer and choreographer, Dada Masilo showed us that contemporary African dance and ballet can co-exist in her radical reimagining of the classic ballet, Giselle.

Dada Masilo played the titular Giselle. A bold, black, African woman who moved fiercely around the stage, Masilo showed no intentions of being a stereotypical ballet dancer.

This reimagining of Giselle is set in a South African village and sees a peasant girl, Giselle, fall madly in love with Albrecht (Lwando Dutyulwa). However, she is rejected and betrayed by her lover, leading her to die of heartbreak. On the other side of death, she is acquainted with a group of supernatural women, the Willis, who curse men, leading them to dance until they die.

The stunningly simplistic set of a bare stage with a screen at the back was the perfect canvas to begin to layer this visual poetry.

Ballets have a reputation for being difficult to follow, but Dada Masilo’s reimagining of Giselle allows you to unpick the narrative with great ease. The sheer ingenuity of the choreography conveyed a multitude of emotions ranging from ecstasy and love to the hurt and trauma of being betrayed.

The first of the dances was when the lovers meet. This fast-paced sequence effortlessly communicated playfulness and the excitement of falling in love. The couple danced together to the traditional sounds of the beating drum; their fluidity and synchronisation were truly captivating.

As the performance continued, we met Giselle’s mother (Sinazo Bokolo), a drunk whose skewed perception of love became increasingly uncomfortable. She forbade Giselle to see Albrecht and proceeded to strip her, beating her breast with a broom, whilst exclaiming: “I do this because I love you.” Bokolo played ‘cruel to be kind’ fantastically, with her hysterical sobbing at the side of her daughter’s corpse silencing and touching the whole audience.

Yet, she was also the comedic relief of the ballet. Her impassioned rant of how beer was her best friend evoked laughter, and seemingly some agreement, from the audience.

Later on, at a function, Giselle saw Albrecht dancing with another woman. He was no longer in the attire of the peasants; he wore a rich blue, silk outfit, denoting he belonged to the upper-class. Giselle’s feeling of betrayal was communicated exquisitely through a solitary dance until she finally perished on the ground. It was beautifully sombre and macabre.

As the piece ran for only 70 minutes, there was no intermission, but, rather, a few minutes break at the end of “Act 1”. After it, we entered the ‘Land of the Wilis,’ a supernatural world inhabited by fierce women dressed in dark red dresses, who prey on men and force them into a dance of death, in real “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” fashion. This idea of a spurned woman dying of heartbreak and returning to punish men is a little sexist, but this production seemed to showcase a feminist revolution of sorts. It was like a visual representation of Slyvia Plath’s Lady Lazarus: “Out of the ash, I rise with my red hair, and I eat men like air…”

Myrtha (Llewellyn Mnguni), Queen of Willis, summoned Giselle through her spellbinding and darkly ritualistic movements. Mnguni was captivating, mesmerising and awe-inspiring; she could lure the purest of souls to the dark side with her rich, bold and formidable performance.

Dada Masilo has solidified her place amongst the best contemporary ballet choreographers and dancers with this production. It challenged the notion that ballet is a European art, and also the unfortunate opinion held by many people – including some avid theatregoers – that ballet is boring and/or difficult to watch.

Dada Masilo has not just modernised a classic ballet in terms of adding a beat and an increased pace, but she’s also called into question the politics of ballet.

UCU members back industrial action

Academics and university workers across the country have voted in favour of strike action over an ongoing dispute about pensions, pay, and working conditions.

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) voted in favour of strikes in two separate ballots, one over planned changed to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), which 79% of voters backed, and the other over working conditions and pay, which 74% of voters backed.

UCU’s general secretary Jo Grady said the ballots reflected “just how unhappy and angry staff are at the state of higher education in the UK,” and called on universities to work “seriously” to address the problems, stating that if they failed to do so, “strike action looks inevitable”.

The union’s higher education committee will meet tomorrow (Friday) to discuss their next steps. Stike action could be possible from mid-November.

Speaking to The Mancunion earlier in the week, a University of Manchester spokesperson said the University “recognise the rights of staff members to take industrial action” but “hope it will be a very last resort”.

The potential strikes are part of a long-standing dispute over changes to lecturer’s pensions that saw extended industrial action over several months in 2018 after a series of unsuccessful negotiations with Universities UK (UUK).

Several ballots have been held before over future strikes, most recently last February, but have consistently failed to reach the 50% turnout threshold. However, historically strike action has been favoured amongst those who have voted, with 70% of voters supporting a strike last February.

Students appeared to broadly support the lecturers, although they did share some concerns about what strikes could mean for missed contact hours.

Second-year PPE student Sam Cox Griffiths told The Mancunion: “If it impacts on us it’s because the University are treating the staff unfairly. These people want to work and if they’re striking it’s the University’s responsibility to treat their staff fairly to avoid interruptions to our study.

“It benefits us as students to have lecturers who have a higher level of financial security. It will also mean the university is more attractive to potential lecturers in the future so the standard of teaching will most likely improve.”

Chris Waugh, a teaching assistant at the University who voted in favour of industrial action called the proposed pension changes “ludicrous”, but cited them as only one of a number of factors that motivated his decision.

“I would hope that it [a strike] will bring universities back to the table. I hope it will be a chance to draw attention to the issue around pensions, pay, and most importantly mental health. Regardless of the outcome of the strike, I for one know I won’t stop talking about it.”

The potential industrial action was also supported by Manchester Labour Students, who told The Mancunion: “Manchester Labour Students will be firmly supporting industrial action from the upcoming UCU ballot. This is the second time in as many years that higher education workers have had to threaten industrial action over pensions and MLS will be making it clear that our student community will not stand by while employers threaten our right to education and fair employment, for their own corporate greed.”

Grady’s full statement read: “The results can only be interpreted as clear support for strike action over pensions, pay and working conditions. The ballots reflect just how unhappy and angry staff are at the state of higher education in the UK.

“It is incredibly frustrating that we had to ballot members again, but universities only have themselves to blame after failing to address falling real-terms pay and for refusing to deal with casualisation, workloads and the rising cost of USS pensions.

“Universities now have to come back to us prepared to work seriously to address these problems. If they choose to ignore this message from their staff then strike action looks inevitable.”

Earlier this week a spokesperson from the University of Manchester said: “Alongside Universities UK (UUK) and the Universities and Colleges Employers Association (UCEA), the bodies representing employers in the pension and pay negotiations respectively*, we are hopeful that any industrial action can be avoided as such action is always highly regrettable.

“As an institution with social responsibility at its core and as a living-wage employer, we pride ourselves on providing generous pay and benefits packages to reward and retain our excellent staff.

“So, whilst we recognise the rights of staff members to take industrial action, we hope it will be a very last resort only taken once all other avenues of dialogue have been exhausted.

“At present, these talks are ongoing, but if such measures were voted for the University will endeavour to maintain normal operations and ensure students are regularly updated should this be necessary.”

Spice up your study breaks with our podcast recommendations

As sacred as brushing my teeth, podcasts are an integral part of my daily routine. Without them, I would be constantly over-worrying about my fast-approaching deadlines and graduation. Luckily, I can escape the dread of university work by listening to podcasts that are worlds away from my degree.

Podcasts are the godsend we’ve all been waiting for. Want to spice up your study breaks? Need a bit of a pick-me-up on your way to and from university? Or just want a good laugh? Here are a few podcasts that get me through the seemingly endless daily slog:

Sh**ged, Married, Annoyed

Hosted by Rosie and Chris Ramsey, the Sh**ged, Married, Annoyed podcast concerns a married couple slating each other’s living habits on a weekly basis. They also read confessional stories from listeners about everyday ludicrous occurrences – like accidentally eating someone else’s KitKat in a café – and answer random and humorous questions from the public, as well as celebrities.

Their Geordie accents are lush, and their anecdotes are gut-wrenchingly hilarious – speaking from experience, it is likely that you will laugh-out-loud on public transport. An absolute must-listen if you want to brighten your day.

My Dad Wrote a Porno

My Dad Wrote a Porno is the holy grail of all podcasts and a cult classic. The podcast that started before podcasts became popular. It is what it says on the tin: co-host Jamie Morton reads out his dad’s erotic literature, as James Cooper and Alice Levine rip it to shreds.

The self-published book is titled Belinda Blinked where Belinda, the main protagonist, unconventionally navigates her way through the ‘pots and pans’ industry. Jamie’s dad writes under the pseudonym of Rocky Flintstone and takes us on an unassuming and eccentric journey that is met with the draconian reception of Alice, James, and Jamie.

The podcast is revered and guested by celebrities across the globe, and Rocky’s writing has been likened to Shakespeare. What more could you want?

No Country for Young Women

In No Country for Young Women, Sadia Azmat and Monty Onanuga take a serious, yet humorous approach to discussing experiences of BAME women in the UK. Set in the same atmospheric café in London, each episode covers varied and important topics related to love, life, and working in a white patriarchal society.

Guests range from Ready, Steady, Cook host, Ainsley Harriott, to Desiree, an ex-dominatrix. Whatever your ethnic background, the pair’s honesty, intellect, and comedic talent make this podcast a highly enjoyable and valuable listen.

The High Low

The High Low is hosted by Pandora Sykes and Dolly Alderton; another engaging female double-act who discuss pop-culture and current affairs together.

The self-confessed ‘posh’ journalists form an opinion on just about anything, whether it be Meghan Markle’s treatment in the tabloid papers to the music tastes of famous politicians. Their reading, watching and listening recommendations come in coveted abundance as well.

If you’d like to discover new podcasts, Manchester Podcast Festival takes place from the 1st of November till the 27th of November and will host a number of podcasts live across the city.

If you are interested in hosting or producing your own podcast, get involved with Fuse FM and join the Facebook group to find out more.

Review: By the Grace of God

Francois Ozon’s By the Grace of God wastes no time striking at the wound of its tough subject matter. After brief credits, we’re introduced to Alexandre, a successful banker and family man, writing a letter to Cardinal Barbarin, opening up about sexual abuse he suffered as a child at the hands of Father Preynat.

A few scenes later, we see Alexandre delivering graphic testimony to the Church. This opening pretty much sets the tone for the film. It tackles harrowing subject matters in a direct manner.

The film goes on to explore the abuse stories of two other characters, vocal anti-theist Francois and the emotionally unstable Emmanuel. We see the film move from one of these characters as its primary focus to another in a straight-forward matter of fact manner.

This, combined with its heavy reliance on voiceover narration of e-mails between characters, gives By the Grace of God an almost a documentary-like feel, complementing the overall harrowing atmosphere as it explores not only the roots of abuse but also the powerful institutions who allowed it to happen.

By the Grace of God works largely as a clinical examination of the differing effects of trauma. We examine how Emmanuel has become paranoid and trapped in a toxic relationship, as well as potentially physically deformed as a result of his experience.

Meanwhile, Francois has developed an aggressive and sardonic sense of humour (jokingly referring to his abuser as “the Preynator” at some points), but the film clings to Alexandre as its moral filter, as a man who has kept his faith and managed a comfortable living.

With all that to deliver in its two hour and twenty minute run time, the film runs the risk of losing some audience members. I can’t imagine many people clamouring to see a direct account of abuse, corrupt institutions, and the impact of trauma clocking in at just under a hundred and forty minutes. Even for me, as someone who admired the film and usually likes long movies, its length feels unnecessary.

Personally, I liked the film. It is a story which should be more widely known and, as any piece of media in this day and age with the overall message of supporting victims, it is one I will always get behind. It has an important message and its form suited it perfectly.

3/5

Bring Back Les Dawson

Mancunian comedian, actor, and presenter Les Dawson stands out from other 1970s ‘working man’s club’ comedians for the simple reason that, even today, his work is still laugh out loud funny. His routines rarely (if ever) negatively referenced taboo subjects such as race, sexuality and gender.  His material is still acceptable, even by today’s standards, which is no mean feat considering his contemporaries.

The obvious comparison to draw is between Dawson and fellow comedian Bernard Manning. There are some superficial similarities between the two in the area of fashion and delivery, but the likeness stops about there. Les Dawson’s humour was at once innocent and knowing, squeaky clean and joyously filthy. Manning on the other hand is best summed up by a reference by Steve Coogan in his 2014 autobiography: “an unfunny racist bigot”.

Manning’s style was hilariously parodied by Coogan and John Thompson in their post-modern character, Bernard Righton; ‘the northern stand-up comedian, reformed to political correctness’. They start off with a tension building, politically incorrect set up, only to juxtapose it with a totally correct and logical punch line which, more often than not, defeats the object of conventional joke telling. Thompson, dressed in a red velvet suite with a beer belly, pint and cigarette delivers the material in a gruff northern lilt:

“A Black man, a white man, a Pakistani and a Jew are in a bar… What a fine example of an integrated community.

“A lesbian, a Bisexual and a Homosexual are in a club… They had a great night.”

Dawson on the other hand focused his attention on a far more palatable end of comedy. His talent for storytelling was put to good use in his sets. He would regularly take the audience on a rambling anecdote, peppered with one liners and ending with one or two big punchlines. His subject matter revolved around family life. His wife, children and especially mother in law all featured heavily in material. His tales were accessible and relatable across the class divide, much like Peter Kay is now, and led to him becoming a firm family favourite.

He is remembered best for his piano playing. Dawson would play a piece badly, whilst all the time remaining completely deadpan. The humour comes from the same place as Alan Partridge and David Brent — never acknowledging your flaws, no matter how prevalent. Despite his committed performance when playing, the audience always felt as if they were sharing the joke. Dawson was brave enough to invite the audience to laugh at his mother in law and other figures from his life, but also to laugh at him. This attitude ultimately endears the comic to his audience and this was certainly the case for Les Dawson.

He is also famed for the ‘Cissie and Ada’ sketches which he performed in alongside Roy Barraclough. Two middle aged northern women, one slightly posher than the other. The sketches dealt in razor sharp observation, Paisley dresses and a generous dash of innuendo — a perfect combination!

Some of Les Dawson’s other comic collaborators included a post-Python John Cleese, legendary comedy writer Barry Cryer and “Five ladies who used to be decoys for a waling fleet,” The Roly Polies; Dawson’s plus-sized, middle aged dance troupe that must be seen to be believed!

Les Dawson has a blue plaque on the front of the Palace Theatre on Oxford Road. As you pass, please spare a thought for a still genuinely funny stalwart of British humour. His is a world of ‘no strings attached’ comedy in which good simple fun prevails. There are plenty of his finest moments of YouTube, but the best starting place for a newcomer, is his 1987 Royal Variety performance, featuring anecdotes, the legendary piano routine and the Roly Polies. Dawson died in 1993 at the age of 59. His laughs have been quiet for over 25 years. Lets bring them back.

Review: Countdown

Now that VHS tapes are a bit out of date, it wasn’t going to be an eternity until we got The Ring for the digital age. In the case of Countdown, it comes in the form of an app that displays a countdown telling you when you’re going to die. A young nurse downloads it and discovers she only has two days left to live. However, while the film has some very good practical effects work; namely, a wince-inducing dislocated neck, and one decent chill involving a corpse in a morgue, the rest is pretty bad.

It’s not as if this concept couldn’t work. Many urban legend-based horror films have done so before, i.e. Candyman. The problem with Countdown is that it shows no interest in this concept beyond the surface level. While Candyman and both Ring movies delved into rich lore, this just spends ninety minutes floundering in the territory of “Ooooohhhhhh! Spooky phones!”

Countdown suffers from two major problems: one is that the story and characters aren’t very interesting, the other is that it’s not that scary. Most of the horror in the film can be coded down to a simple “quiet, quiet, quiet… BANG!” formula that is repeated again and again. It also can’t decide whether it wants to be the kind of horror film where the mystery behind the scares fuels the tension, or the kind where we investigate and understand the terror. Instead, we get a brief explanation of a few sentences delivered by a priest, whose character provides somewhat of a comic relief, and the film does nothing else to try and make the supernatural force behind the app any creepier or more interesting.

There’s also the mess of a poorly handled MeToo subplot. Our nurse protagonist finds herself the victim of a creepy Doctor at her hospital, exacerbated when he accuses her of being the perpetrator to H.R. This plot point serves nothing to the rest of the film other than to come up later when she needs somebody to feed to the app demon in her place. It is a subplot that’s dealt with in a way so devoid of care and taste that simply watching it made me feel as if slugs were seeping up and down beneath my skin.

Perhaps the worst thing about Countdown is that, despite how hideously badly plotted, unscary and wretchedly tasteless it is, it’s still not bad enough to be one of the worst films I’ve seen this year. Despite how its mistakes should give me the need to tear it apart, the film is just not interesting enough to put into that league. It’s a film that somehow manages to be too painstakingly dull to allow you the simple pleasure of angrily despising the absolute worst of it. And that is a new kind of horrendous.

2/5.

In Conversation with Flume

Three years after the release of his Grammy award-winning album Skin, Flume is back in style with his captivating new mixtape Hi, This is Flume

The Australian record producer, DJ, and musician has also released several new songs in addition to the mixtape, all of which have received huge amounts of praise and success: his latest single ‘Rushing back’, in collaboration with Vera Blue, has been streamed over 15 million times.

Talking about Hi This is Flume, Flume explained that he decided to make mixtape rather than an album because it was much less formal, and put less pressure on him as an artist. In his classic cool and carefree tone, he told me that he just wanted “to put music out into the world and chill.”  

The 38minute mixtape is accompanied by a visualiser, instead of separate music videos for each song. When explaining the decision to add a visual aspect to the project, Flume suggested that in this day and age album covers aren’t as important as videos and that he wanted to do something different. The visualiser was filmed over a week in Western Australia, the homeland of the artist, and further adds to the creativity and energy of the mixtape. 

Describing the shift from pop-based and mainstream songs in Skin to the much more aggressive and experimental sounds of his latest project, Flume suggested that his music was like a “pendulum.” He expressed the way that he loves to swing back and forth between pop and experimental, electronic music so that he never gets bored. When I asked about his own personal music taste, he revealed that he enjoys “broad range of music,” and takes inspiration in particular from artists such as Sophie, Eprom and SlowthaiThis variety of music styles is clearly expressed in his music, and much of his work combines aspects from a range of different genres. 

Many of Flume’s songs are in collaboration with other prominent artists, such as his new songs with London Grammar, Vera Blue, and Reo Cragun. Talking about such collaborations, Flume expressed that he loves touring with other artists as it makes him feel as if he was part of a “band” and that being with friends is much more fun than travelling solo. He also spoke of the songwriting process, telling me that he prefers working one-on-one with artists in the studio. He produces his songs quickly rather than spending a long time overthinking about particular sounds and features, preferring to just trust his own creativity. When I asked about a collaboration that he would love to do in the future, I was thrilled to hear that he has always dreamed of working with Frank Ocean.  

Flume is coming to Manchester on the 13th November for his much-anticipated headline show at The Warehouse Project. Having already performed at huge festivals across the globe this summer such as Lollapalooza and Summer Sonic, he admitted that he actually prefers playing at indoor venues in his own headline shows. He explained that it is easier to control production aspects such as smoke and lasers inside and get a “true representation” of his performance. He also gushed about how much he enjoys touring and visiting new places, and expressed his excitement to perform at Manchester’s new Warehouse Project venue, Depot at Mayfield. In his own words, it should be “a great party.” 

In the past, Flume has disappeared for a few years after releasing his award-winning albums and completing the consequent sell-out tours. But things are about to change, he promises, saying that he now wants to “stay in the limelight” and release much more regularly. He added that releasing new music feels amazing, and that he loves the response he gets. 

When I asked if he was working on anything at the moment, he simply replied with “always.” This is good news for fans, who have many more albums, EPs and singles to look forward to very soon. 

Opinion: racism in football goes beyond the stands

Over the past few months, football headlines have been dominated by reports of racist abuse from the stands.

The issue is slowly being taken more seriously by clubs and the sport’s governing bodies. Just recently we have seen FIFA use their ‘three strike’ protocol for the very first time. Haringey Borough walked off the pitch against Yeovil following racist abuse being directed towards their team and Manchester United gave out a lifetime ban to a fan who was heard directing racist abuse towards Trent Alexander-Arnold in their game against Liverpool.

These are all important steps that must be taken, but instances of racial abuse are not random or infrequent. A poll conducted by Sky Sports News of 1000 football fans found that 93% of BAME fans, and 86% of fans overall, have witnessed racism take place at matches.

Ejecting these fans, giving them lifetime bans or, in larger scale cases, have governing bodies impose punishments on clubs will no doubt make a difference to the sport.

However, while cases of racial abuse, derogatory comments and online trolling will continue to dominate the headlines, racial discrimination in the sport will not be eradicated if we are only tackling the ‘obvious’ forms of racism.

Beyond tackling the racism being perpetuated by fans, clubs also need to hold themselves accountable for acts of racial discrimination or bias. Condemning or punishing their own fans means nothing if clubs don’t recognise how they are also allowing racism to fester in the sport.

While it is admirable, for example, that Jamie Carragher apologised for defending Luis Suarez after he racially abused Patrice Evra, this apology is not enough. Before a match in 2011, Liverpool players wore t-shirts to show their support for Suarez after he was found guilty of racially abusing Evra.

It was a woeful choice from both the players and the club and it is quite remarkable that it has taken eight years for anyone at the club to apologise.

It does not matter if the incident occurred almost a decade ago, the club needs to acknowledge and explain their disastrous decision to maintain Suarez’s innocence rather than condemn his actions. Carragher’s apology alone pales in the absence of Liverpool FC’s.

The decision has been a stain on the club’s image since the incident, and is one of the reasons some fans have adopted a ‘fake news’ attitude to the verdict. Acknowledging and apologising for decisions like this is not as ‘easy’ as banning racist fans from attending matches, but it is just as important, if not more, if we want to achieve racial equality in the sport.

These issues are not insignificant or ‘less’ important just because footballers are in financially privileged positions. We need to be listening to players who have suffered abuse, rather than debate whether or not it is justified for black footballers to say they are getting sick of the game simply because they are earning a lot of money.

It is easy to see and hear the overtly racist language, abuse and acts coming from our football stands and therefore it is easy for that to become the focus of a racism campaign.

While it is extremely important to tackle this form of discrimination, you only need to see how few people from BAME backgrounds are in positions of authority in the sport (from managers to club executives) to know that the problem goes much deeper than abuse from the stands.

Removing racist people from the sport does not get rid the sport of racism – a sentiment that must be at the forefront of any campaign which takes on the issue.

Preview: Louder Than Words Festival

Louder Than Words Festival is returning to Manchester for its seventh year.

Acknowledged as the UK’s biggest and best music writing festival, Louder Than Words is essential for anyone interested in music journalism and understanding the industry. Taking place at the impressive Principle Hotel, the music literary and oral festival will run across the 8th, 9th and 10th November.

Co-curated by Jill Adam and John Robb, the festival will hold talks from professionals across all aspects of the industry, including radio, music and literature. Previous guests include Mary Anne Hobbs, Viv Albertine, Wolfgang Flur (Kraftwerk), and Rick Buckler (The Jam).

Notable musician guests on this year’s line-up include Wayne Hussey of The Sisters of Mercy and The Mission, as well as Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, who will also play a gig in Manchester.

The festival is also dipping its feet into radio, with BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq and Matt Everitt both appearing on the lineup. Louder Than Words Festival will also host talks from music authors, including the Music Book of the Year winner Daniel Rachel, who will be discussing his new book, Rankin’ Roger.

Distinguished music academics will also appear at the festival, including Lucy O’Brien, Simon Philo, and Simon Warner. Furthermore, Eamonn Forde will make an appearance over the weekend to chat about his time at the label EMI.

Louder Than Words Festival is also celebrating future voices in music writing throughout the weekend by placing a strong emphasis on the role of education in music and journalism. As a result, the festival will be involving students as volunteers and panellists across the weekend and arranging a variety of workshops on everything from writing, making music, music law and DJing.

Tickets are available via the Louder Than Words Festival website and are available as weekend passes, day passes, or event tickets, ranging from £6 for an event to £70.66 for a pass to all three days.

Tiger Woods equals historic record

Tiger Woods’ three-stroke victory at the Zozo Championship in Japan means that he has moved on to a total of 82 PGA Tour titles, equalling Sam Snead’s all-time record for Tour wins, and putting Woods just one title away from making history.

Woods had not even started a PGA Tour after undergoing surgery on his knee back in August, making the victory especially impressive.

The championship itself was one shaped by the Japanese weather, with the last seven holes of Woods’ final round having to be delayed until Monday morning. However, the break in play could do nothing to halt the biggest name in golf, who held off the challenge from Hideki Matsuyama with a showcase of true experience.

After a fluctuating final round, consisting of 30-foot birdie puts sunk with ease but four-footers proving too difficult, Matsuyama entered the clubhouse on 16-under.

Entering the final three holes at 18-under, one would have been excused for becoming a little nervy. Yet, with the conviction of a world-class golfer, Woods slotted home two pars before casually ending the championship on a birdie, proving that he truly deserved his 82nd title.

The win comes six months after Woods’ memorably claimed his fifth Green Jacket at the Masters and shows that he is back for good, not for just the occasional nostalgic weekend.

Also moving up to number six in the world rankings, it seems to have been an enjoyable weekend for Woods. However, he will already undoubtedly be looking forward to his next scheduled PGA appearance which is at the Hero World Challenge in November.

Could it be possible that the golfing legend will create a space at the top on his own by claiming an 83rd PGA title? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure and that is that Tiger Woods is back and in many ways looking better than ever.

Interrail Italy: The Food Edit

Summer might be over, but your wanderlust doesn’t have to be. Bookmark this for next year or take advantage of cheap off-season flights this Christmas time – you’ll have earned it. I rounded up the best eats from a holiday train-ing around Italy.

Hosteria Toledo, Naples:

Although world-renowned for its pizza (don’t leave without sampling it), Naples is also a port city, with an abundance of fresh fish. My favourite restaurant on this leg of the trip combined classic Italian cuisine with delicious seafood. Hosteria Toledo is a cosy, charming restaurant complete with gingham table cloths and walls adorned with photographs and personal touches. The restaurant might resemble your grandma’s dining room, but, rest assured, the food doesn’t. Quality cured meats and cheeses to start, accompanied by delicious and very reasonably priced wine. I followed this up with a shellfish Paccheri, impeccably cooked in a delicious tomato and mixed herb sauce. A must visit for some fine dining in Naples without having to dress up.

Ai Tre Scalini, Rome:

Ai Tre Scalini is notorious in Rome, and it’s not hard to see why. This is a restaurant championed by locals as well as tourists. The atmosphere is bustling, and you might struggle to get a table but we were offered drinks and delicious aperitif whilst we waited. The food here was potentially my favourite of the trip. We began with buffalo ricotta cheese and truffle honey which was exceptionally fresh and creamy. We then moved onto pasta, where I opted for a classic cheese and tomato ravioli: simple but perfectly executed. Finally, approaching bursting point, we shared a North Italian special of beef meatballs in a rich tomato sauce. Each dish seemed to top the last and complete with friendly staff and good wine, I now feel no trip to Rome would be complete without a stop at Ai Tre Scalini.

Photo: Anneliese Murray

 

Piccolo Buco, Rome:

I couldn’t visit Italy’s capital without uncovering multiple foodie havens. Piccolo Buco is a pizzeria serving modern innovations on classic Neapolitan bases. My choice? A yellow tomato base with chorizo, buffalo ricotta cream, and mint. This one is really not to be missed. The restaurant itself is on the pricier side and lacks much in the way of atmosphere, but the pizza is good enough to make up for this.

Photo: Anneliese Murray

Hosteria Il Punto Rosa, Verona: 

So nice that we did it twice; arguably repeating restaurants on a trip away is a little criminal, but we couldn’t resist returning to Hosteria Il Punto Rosa. Tucked down a little side street and conveniently situated near the arena if you happen to have tickets for the infamous Verona opera, this restaurant and wine bar is a delight. If you’re sick of typical Italian food by this point, opt for the tuna steak with poppy seeds and seasonal roasted veg. Seriously the best tuna steak I’ve had. Equally, if you’re still all for the carbs I highly recommend the lobster and scallop pasta, which was one of the best pasta dishes I ate over 11 nights in Italy. The woman serving us was so friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, and even gave us complimentary oyster shooters before our meal. Finally, a shout out to the wine once again- here you’ll find delicious wines that would set you back considerably more at home.

DNAFit brings personalised biohacking to the people

Like most people nowadays, I’ve at least heard and at times worried about the growing trend of selling your DNA to companies in return for some great personal insight, be that ancestry, genetics or health.

This vague bogeyman-like ideal of genetics companies selling your intimate personal information to those who would do wrong with it (what wrong, exactly, is usually quite unclear) is somewhat warranted given the data-hoarding of Facebook, Google and co., but it can go too far.

We shouldn’t let these bogeymen stop genuine innovation, especially in the case of DNAFit, a company that could help many people understand their bodies in an unprecedented manner through specific genetic analysis.

Health-addict or sofa fiend, cabbage smoothie guzzler or Turkiss loyalist, no matter the state of your body or your health goals there are tangible benefits to knowing what your body responds best or worst to, and how you can change your habits, at any scale, for the better.

The DNAFit process was interesting to say the least and definitely felt like some sort of futuristic insight into the health industry. Following from the article on ‘Nourished’ in the last edition of The Mancunion, it seems that more personalised forms of medicine and health will make up the approach of the future.

After sending a swab of my cheek in a neat glass tube back to the company, I eagerly awaited my results, intrigued as to what would be made of my body: maybe I should cycle more, maybe if I eat too many tangerines I’ll die at 40. I had no idea what was awaiting me, but I was optimistic.

The results I received were not as revolutionary as I expected, or maybe just hoped, but thankfully my tangerine consumption can continue uninterrupted.

I was taken on a whirlwind ride through nutrition, fitness and stress & sleep with levels of detail available to me as I so chose, even breaking it down to specific gene-by-gene analysis. This was interesting to browse from a position of curiosity, but hard to get much use out of unless like my friend, a third year Biochem student, the specifics of genetic variation particularly excite you.

However, browsing through statistics like my VO2 Max (to do with how much oxygen I can take on), my injury predisposition and my sensitivity to myriad nutrients (I have a slightly above average sensitivity to gluten – fun!) is undeniably fascinating, and anyone who uses DNAFit would learn a vast amount about how they can live their healthiest lives.

While it’s obviously less glamorous, some parts of the report can be quite standard. Approaching DNAFit from a perspective of curiosity, it was less fun to hear I had a normal response to many food groups, or needed equal intensity and endurance training, but for someone attempting to craft a lifestyle plan, this is still obviously valuable information.

It makes a lot of sense that those who would gain the most from a process such as this are either those with sub-par diets or health in general (and as a result wanting some guidance), or those on the more obsessive side of health, looking to squeeze every inch of performance from their body as they can. Still, everyone in between can gain a deep insight into the workings of their body and adjust their lifestyle as much or as little as they see fit.

Those looking for even more personalisation can make use of a dietician/sports scientist consultation that comes with DNAFit. A comprehensive 45 minute run-through of your results is available to all users, which was helpful in answering any questions I had about my report or how to incorporate the findings into my day-to-day life. Some might not find this useful, but having a human touch to the process can help the understanding and implementation of your results.

Amongst any assessment of innovation should be a consideration of accessibility, and this is where DNAFit falls flat. With its cheapest option starting at £89 for a solely diet focused report, going up to £145 for a report including diet, fitness and stress & sleep, it is hardly a product of the mass market just yet, confined to those who might be enthusiastically purchasing the latest wearable tech or fitness gear already.

Improvements to accessibility through a lower price point would greatly help those who DNAFit could do a lot for, specifically people with intense dietary requirements who may need help understanding the minutiae of a beneficial diet.

DNAFit offers a great, enlightening service to its users and can undoubtedly help improve the general health of anyone who wishes to. Understanding our own bodies is an important part of life, and rarely do we have an opportunity to do so in such an intimate, scientific fashion.

I would hope that such a service becomes more accessible in the future so that the health industry, as it sadly does so rarely, can look out for those with the greatest needs, not the largest wallets.

Review: ‘The Testaments’ by Margaret Atwood

Margaret Atwood’s highly anticipated sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments, was published in September 2019 by Penguin. Atwood announced the release of the book last December, 33 years after the publication of the original novel.

As a long-time Atwood fan, I wanted to love this book, but having read some of her weaker works, I was sceptical of it – especially since The Handmaid’s Tale, which has been so important politically and socially, has been continually commercialised over the past few years.

Unfortunately, The Testaments succumbed to this commercialisation, with a predictable plot that left me with a nagging thought at the back of my head while I was reading it, asking: ‘What is the point in this book?’

Atwood’s 1985 novel famously ends on a cliffhanger of sorts and many were excited for The Testaments to resolve the questions that were left unanswered by The Handmaid’s Tale. Rather than simply picking up where she left off 36 years ago though, Atwood took a different approach with The Testaments, telling three individual stories from different points of view.

The most enjoyable sections of the novel were the parts written from Aunt Lydia’s perspective, a character we met in the original novel. The text follows her journey of how she went from a well-to-do lawyer living in Canada, championing the rights of women, to a prestigious Aunt in Gilead, teaching the values of the totalitarian state to the girls and women living there. The character was recognisable and her story arc was a well-developed one, if slightly predictable.

The remaining two thirds of the novel were from the points of view of two teenage girls, one growing up in Gilead and one growing up in Canada. The writing in these parts of the book was what really let it down. The characterisation was poor; it felt completely out of touch with how teenage girls would really be feeling, as well as what they would be saying and doing, which making it cringe-worthy, at best, painful, at worst, to read.

The most frustrating part of this novel, for me, was that it was littered with shocking moments that were supposed to keep the momentum of the plot going, but I had guessed every single one of these plot lines at least a few chapters before they happened.

Atwood has always created interesting and unique plots, so why this one was so generic, I don’t know. Perhaps, because of the time restraints related to getting the novel published whilst its popularity was still intact? More likely, I think that this simple plot was intentional, in order to make the novel as commercially appropriate as possible, in line with the TV series.

Although I found this novel extremely disappointing, I did nevertheless appreciate being re-immersed into the world of Gilead. On top of this, in The Handmaid’s Tale and its sequel, Atwood only writes about events that have actually taken place in American history, making the descriptions of what takes place in Gilead particularly shocking and effective.

Some of the questions readers had after finishing the 1985 novel were answered, but they were mostly tied up in neat, unconvincing bows. They would have been far more impactful and interesting if left unanswered.

If you enjoyed Naomi Alderman’s The Power, you’ll probably enjoy this. Atwood was actually Alderman’s mentor in writing that novel, and I had the same problems with it as I did with The Testaments. I felt as though Atwood tried to mirror Alderman’s extremely successful 2016 plot-driven novel, but it just didn’t work for a franchise as important as The Handmaid’s Tale and for an esteemed writer like Atwood.

The nagging at the back of my head definitely got the better of me whilst I read this book. I just couldn’t stop questioning why the book was written, I wanted to find a reason for its existence, but none materialised. If you can, unlike me, appreciate this book for what it is – an easy read that is set in an interesting world but doesn’t necessarily carry much political weight – you’ll probably enjoy it. But I wouldn’t put it at the top of your reading list, especially if you find the commercialisation of The Handmaid’s Tale as frustrating as I do, because this will send you over the edge.

‘Mighty Mike’ comes back from the brink to seal victory in Darts Champions League

Michael van Gerwen became only the second man to win every major Professional Darts Corporation title after defeating Peter Wright in a thrilling Champions League final.

The Dutchman equalled the feat of the legendary Phil Taylor on the 20th of October in Leicester as he continued to assert his dominance ahead of a stacked winter schedule.

Following his victories at the World Grand Prix, the PDC World Championship, the Masters and in retaining the Premier League title, van Gerwen rode his luck to maintain his unstoppable form.

After beating the controversial Gerwyn Price in a nail-biting semi-final, ‘Mighty Mike’ provided a spectacular comeback to beat the world number seven and perennial runner-up Peter Wright.

Van Gerwen has the superior record in the pair’s previous battles, but this was far from the proverbial walk in the park which many anticipated.

 It was clear from the off that the Morningside Arena crowd would witness a classic, with a brilliant early 156 checkout by ‘Snakebite’ immediately followed by an assured 154 combination by van Gerwen.

The Dutchman’s draining semi-final fixture then looked to have caught up with him as Wright raced into a seemingly unassailable 10-7 lead. The momentum of the contest, however, would swing dramatically with Wright needing a double 12 to claim the belt.

Whilst van Gerwen showed the grit and determination of a champion, he was aided significantly by his Scottish opponent’s failure to take a series of guilt-edged opportunities.

Wright, sporting a yellow and green variant of his iconic Mohawk hairstyle, missed three match winning darts whilst 10-7 up. He fired two darts outside the wire and one agonisingly onto single 12.

The world number one was in no mood to offer his opponent any more chances to kill the game. He went on to win 4 consecutive legs to leave ‘Snakebite’ to rue what could have been.

After the match, the champion claimed he saw a “really nervous” figure up on stage with him and he knew from that moment onwards that he was back in control of the tie. The final would be won with a comfortable 50 finish, as van Gerwen joined Taylor in an elite club of two.

Cold War Steve: Art for the Brexit Age

“Get ready for Brexit on the 31stOctober”, vague adverts warned, as if any of us truly knew what a Brexit would entail, let alone how to get ready for it. Unsurprisingly, however, the deadline has been pushed back again, a general election is on the table, and we are even further from knowing what hell lies in wait for us.

Artist Christopher Spencer, better known as Cold War Steve, has become known on Twitter for his satirical collages of apocalyptic post-Brexit scenes. He explores these horrors through the eyes of Steve McFadden (better known to us as Eastenders), who watches bewildered as the scenes of Brexit chaos ensues around him.

A key example of his work is an untitled piece from September. It sees Bruce Forsyth standing on the set the 70’s classic The Generation Game, in front of contemporary political figures, observed by a worse-for-wear Steve McFadden. It evokes a sense of economic deprivation that Brexit appears to promise; a Britain whose culture resembles Challenge repeats. Among a series of prizes is the iconic asymmetric Cristiano Ronaldo bust, and a Vesta Beef Curry; perhaps a sign of the extent of exoticism we can expect in food-shortage Britain.

Spencer also parodies classic images of art. Spinning Edward Hopper’s 1942 work Nighthawkes into Shitehawkes he produces the an equally solemn scene in a Patisserie Valerie, the chain patisserie shop that went into administration earlier this year. A jovial Kim Jong-un serves a worse-for-wear Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, Theresa May and Donald Trump. While surprisingly minimal compared to his other scenes, Shitehawkes demonstrates the loneliness and economic depression that awaits us.

If Cold War Steve’s images feel a bit like Where’s Wally, it’s intentional. While McFadden appears in all the scenes, the late Cilla Black can be seen hiding amongst all the chaos. Spencer often uses an image of Black tweeted in 2014; taken from when she allegedly refused to move from someone’s reserved table. Black’s face reflects the bewilderment many of us have faced in some stage of the Brexit process.

An archetypal Cold War Steve image was the one he produced for a Glastonbury, that shows the hell-hole that chaos that Brexit will ensue. Ironically, Boris Johnson’s tweet “There is no plan for no deal, because we’re going to get a great deal” is put on a billboard in the background. While the Cold War Steve images are always politically pertinent, some gain more irony with age. In his typical humour, Cold War Steve proceeded to edit an image of the Billboard to include Cliff Richard, Donald Trump, Kim Jong-Un, and Jeremy Corbyn.

What Brexit horrors will or will not bring is unpredictable. But, in a time of fast-paced politics and uncertainty, Cold War Steve’s images bring humour to the timeline. You can follow him @Coldwar_Steve.

Is it art?: MyManchester

University is hard. Dealing with deadlines, passive-aggressive flat mates, hangovers, and generally attempting to stay alive? Hard, hard, hard, hard.

In my third year of University, I thought I’d mastered every challenge the University could throw at me, like staying well hydrated and having a well-organised diary.

That’s until the University of Manchester through a curve-ball. Updating the MyManchester website.

I was born with the struggle of having a name that indicated a class status I could simply never live up to. The sheer amount of syllables suggesting that I’ve never been on a Butlins holiday, nor that I speak with a regional accent. But on I struggled, soldiering on.

This is where I’m prejudiced against MyManchester. Once, all I had to do was type in a 8-letter IT code. Now, I have to write my full name, followed by an email address? Ludicrous.

Look, I’m not stupid either. There are people who have greater struggles than I. Those who have double-barrelled names? I don’t know how you do it.

Once you enter the new MyManchester, I’ll admit it: it’s aesthetically pleasing. But hidden away are the three key uses of MyManchester: access to emails, access to blackboard, access to the library.

I used MyManchester for a few purposes. 1) To see whether I am going to be fined anytime soon for forgetting for the many books I have taken out of the library. 2) To look at my timetable, because somehow in week 7 I have managed to forget where my seminar, that starts in 5 minutes, is. 3) To quickly get onto Blackboard to hand-in those pressing assignments.

So, an extra log-in means an extra few seconds I could have on an assignment, or watching Netflix.

If you’ve got to this point of the article, first of all, congrats. But you must be thinking:

“Isn’t this section called “Is it art?” Not “Is it good design?” Isn’t there a distinction between design and art?”

You would be raising valid questions. However, I would suggest that we’ve established that this website is not practical design, but is it art?

Maybe there is a wider symbolism to the website. Perhaps, there is something to take away here. University isn’t easy, and we can’t expect everything in life to be as simple as it should be. What better way could the University of Manchester prepare us, than by complicating the easiest of tasks.

Verdict: Maybe it’s art, but it’s certainly not good design.

Uni Sport – Early season break

With reading week providing an early opportunity for both reflection on the start of the season and preparation for what is to come, the action of university sports is set back for a week. This said, there is still plenty of sport straddling either side of reading week to both look back on and preview.

For the Manchester men’s badminton firsts, they went into the break off the back of an impressive 6-2 home win against Sheffield. With that making it two wins out of three for the in-form side, they will be hoping to continue their solid form against Lancaster, where a win could put them back towards the top of the table.

As for our badminton women’s firsts they face a tough trip to Sheffield Hallam when the season picks up again. They will be hoping to bounce back from the tough 6-2 defeat they suffered at the hands of the Leeds first team before reading week.

Moving on towards fencing and our women’s side could not have hoped for a better start to the season, beating Lancaster on what turned out to be a successful away day. They could continue their prolific start against Hull in two weeks’ time.

However, two losses in a row for the fencing men will mean their match against Liverpool is already looking crucial for the outlook of the Northern Tier 1 division.

As for one of the most physically enduring sports, a 4-1 victory against Newcastle got the men’s squash firsts’ season back on track. Their next Northern Tier 1 clash comes against Sheffield Hallam in a match that could dictate the direction of their year.

The women’s squash firsts are in a similar position. A win against Newcastle just before the break could propel their season, which had an admittedly shaky start that included losses to both Edinburgh and Northumbria.

With many of our university’s sports teams entering reading week in healthy positions and ready to kick on, this period up until Christmas will prove to be instrumental in shaping the rest of their seasons.

‘Clean Air for Schools’ programme launched to tackle air pollution in Greater Manchester

A first ‘Clean Air for Schools’ programme has launched in Greater Manchester. The programme aims to improve air quality in schools and determine how air pollution affects school children.

The ‘Clean Air for Schools’ programme is a partnership between the University of Manchester, The Phillips Foundation and Global Action Plan (GAP). The hope is that the findings of the multidisciplinary collaboration between industry, charity, public sector and academia will be central in informing a ground-breaking framework for clean air plans in schools across the UK.

Greater Manchester was chosen for the study due to the proliferation of schools close to busy roads. As part of the programme, air monitoring equipment will be installed in classrooms across 20 inner-city schools. This includes air purifiers to remove toxins, viruses and pollutants from classrooms. Tailor-made teaching resources about reducing air pollution that support the national curriculum will also be introduced.

The University of Manchester team will look at the existing levels and impacts of air pollution in schools – specifically pollutants such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, particulate matter (PM) and Ozone. The team will also monitor how cleaner air alters the health, behaviour and educational attainment of pupils. Improvements that arise from behavioural changes in children, parents and teachers after engaging with the new teaching resources will also be tracked. Findings are due to be published next spring.

Air pollution is one of the leading causes of death and disease worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), air pollution can be linked to an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths globally, particularly from heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cancer. Exposure to high levels of air pollution during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight, pre-term birth and small gestational age births. Children exposed to high levels of air pollutants have especially heightened risks of acute respiratory infections, diabetes and neurological development issues.

According to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, approximately 1,200 deaths a year in Greater Manchester can be linked to the common vehicle exhaust pollutant, nitrogen dioxide. With children and older people particularly susceptible, nitrogen dioxide pollution is a major cause of bronchitis, asthma, heart problems and cancer. Manchester has 152 roads cross the city, including Oxford Road, on track to breach legal limits of nitrogen dioxide pollution by 2020, so the issue of air pollution has become a city-wide health crisis.

“Greater Manchester’s ambition is to become one of the greenest city-regions in Europe. To achieve that, we’ve produced proposals to introduce the biggest Clean Air Zone outside London, to tackle the menace of roadside pollution” said Mayor Andy Burnham, after he called on the government for support in tackling air pollution across Greater Manchester.

UoM study finds possible link between higher pain levels and humid weather

A new study at the University of Manchester suggests that people suffering from long-term health conditions are 20 per cent more likely to be influenced by pain on humid days with windy weather and low atmospheric pressure.

‘Cloudy with a Chance of Pain’ published in Nature, and funded by Versus Arthritis, illustrates that the key factor leading to an increased level of pain is high relative to humidity.

The research project which trialled throughout 2017, recruited over 13,000 people over the UK who suffer from conditions such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, migraine and neuropathic pain. The participates were asked to record their daily symptoms using a smartphone app developed by uMotif, a healthcare software company, while the local weather was provided by the smartphone’s GPS location data. The researchers then analysed the data from 2,658 participants with various health issues, but mainly arthritis, who provided daily data for approximately six months.

Based on the findings of this study, humid days were the most painful, whilst dry days were the least likely to be painful. Low atmospheric pressure and higher wind speed, although less influential than humidity, were also two key factors associated with high pain levels.

In addition to this, the results indicated that despite many people’s belief, there is no noticeable correlation between the temperature and pain levels when it comes to average levels across the whole population. However, cold days that were humid and windy were suggested to still be more painful. Also, no association was found between rainfall and pain.

On a separate note, although weather is known to influence the pain by affecting the mood of individuals, this pathway is not what explains the findings. What is emphasised by this study is the link between the weather and pain level.

Professor Will Dixon, the lead researcher and author of the study, stated: “Around three quarters of people living with arthritis believe their pain is affected by the weather. Yet despite much research examining the existence and nature of this relationship, there remains no scientific consensus.

“The analysis showed that on damp and windy days with low pressure the chances of experiencing more pain, compared to an average day, was around 20%. This would mean that, if your chances of a painful day on an average weather day were 5 in 100, they would increase to 6 in 100 on a damp and windy day.

“The results of this study could be important for patients in the future for two reasons. Given we can forecast the weather, it may be possible to develop a pain forecast knowing the relationship between weather and pain. This would allow people who suffer from chronic pain to plan their activities, completing harder tasks on days predicted to have lower levels of pain. The dataset will also provide information to scientists interested in understanding the mechanisms of pain, which could ultimately open the door to new treatments.”

One of the participants of this study, Carolyn Gamble, suffering from a specific form of arthritis called ankylosing spondylitis, said: “So many people live with chronic pain, affecting their work, family life and their mental health. Even when we’ve followed the best pain management advice, we often still experience daily pain.

“Knowing how the weather impacts on our pain can enable us to accept that the pain is out of our control, it is not something we have done, or could have done differently in our own self-management.”

Regarding this study, Dr Stephen Simpson, Director of Research at Versus Arthritis, also added:” We know that of the 10 million people in the UK with arthritis, over half experience life-altering pain every day. But our healthcare system is simply not geared up to effectively help people with arthritis with their number one concern.

“Will Dixon, his team and their collaborators have shown a remarkable spirit of innovation, pushing new boundaries to bring people with arthritis into research. This research will help us understand the bigger picture of the complexity of pain caused by arthritis and how people with the condition can take control of it.”