Opening night of The Snuts headline tour in sold-out Manchester Academy did not disappoint. It’s no secret that I love The Snuts, I love how their music is politically charged and they don’t shy away from controversial topics, and I love their appreciation for their fans. Having interviewed the band a few weeks ago and being told: “I can guarantee you’re going to be blown away; we’ve put a lot of production into the show, so I think it will be one to remember”, I obviously had high expectations. Not only were these expectations met, but they were exceeded.
Supports for the evening were Lauran Hibberd and The Royston Club, who also both delivered. Unfortunately, in the indie rock genre/scene it’s rare to see women performing, so I have to highlight how nice it was to finally see women on stage. This is reflected in a typically male-heavy audience – I hardly saw any women in the crowd.
Lauran Hibberd
Serena Jemmett @ The Mancunion
Lauran started with full force, and despite a limited reaction from the crowd she owned the stage. She didn’t receive huge engagement from the audience, but she was very aware of this and joked about it every now and again. I really liked how she didn’t take herself too seriously, with comments such as “girls sweat too”. I was in awe of how she still gave a stellar performance with limited reciprocated energy amongst the crowd. It can be hard to stay motivated to perform to the fullest when this happens, however this just shows how skilled Lauran is. In one of her final songs she got the crowd to scream with her, I think everybody there needed this release… Lauran warmed us up, and by the end of her set the Academy was filling up quickly.
The Royston Club
Serena Jemmett @ The Mancunion
The second support was The Royston Club, who immediately received a cheer and crowds chanting “Wrexham” as soon as they walked on stage, fitting as the Welsh flag made an appearance too. Starting off with ‘Mrs Narcissistic’ and following on with ‘Believe It or Not’, it was clear The Royston Club have fans in Manchester who know every word. Treating us to two unreleased songs ‘The Deep End’ and ‘I’m a Liar’, the songs were well received and resulted in huge engagement and cheers.
This being the largest crowd these boys have played to; it was clear they were very appreciative for the support and fans, with comments including “make some noise for yourselves” and “it’s an absolute pleasure to be here with you”. They also fulfilled their role of a support successfully, continuously referring back to “who’s buzzing for The Snuts”. Again, this shows their appreciation to be one of the supports for the Snuts at such a huge venue. Slightly slowing the pace for the start of ‘Tangled Up’ they maintained the crowd’s attention, a risk but it worked.
Towards the end of their 30-minute set, the venue had almost completely filled – I would say they played to 2000 people. Leaving the stage, The Royston Club received a massive cheer and chants of “Wrexham” again. It’s clear to me since The Royston Club sound so great live, definitely as good as on the record (if not better), and have a huge stage presence, they soon will be headlining Manchester Academy themselves.
The Snuts
Serena Jemmett @ The Mancunion
Time for the headliners, The Snuts. The Scots clearly know how to put on a show, with excellent supports, and from the get-go of their set, the production with lights, strobes and the sound effects. From the first steps on stage all eyes were on The Snuts.
Kicking off their set with ‘Burn the Empire’, The Snuts set the tone for the night and reaffirmed their political standing (“f*ck the tories”, “the tories won the last election, f*ck those c*nts”) – something I will forever applaud them for. With the crowd chanting back “Burn the Empire” like a cult, it is obvious The Snuts are leading the revolution.
Jack Cochrane knows how to command, conduct, and control an audience.
They 100% deserved to sell out the Academy with a capacity of 2,600. The lighting and strobes throughout the set matched perfectly and did nothing but heighten the crowd’s energy.
Not only was the production visually appealing but The Snuts sounded incredible live, and they played differently arranged versions of their own songs, keeping us engaged, expecting more and giving us all a night to never forget.
The performance of one of their hit songs ‘Always’, even hooked the curiosity of the Radio-4 dads at the back. ‘Somebody Loves You’ and ‘Coffee and Cigarettes’ maintained crowd focus and attention, all the way from the moshes at the front to the bars at the back. Chatting to the crowd, Jack said that Manchester is “our favourite city in the world”. Living in Manchester I obviously love this comment, however I’m not sure how well this will go down in Glasgow when the Glaswegians find out they’ve been betrayed…
Their performance continued to be dramatic and performing ‘Zuckerpunch’ for the first time since its release, the reception was insane. With Jack taking authority on stage and leading a clapping beat throughout the crowd, the performance was everything I expected and more.
The version of ‘Elephants’ was phenomenal, also bringing on a rap guest feature Big Bemz. With light-hearted banter from Jack like “you still with us?” it was clear The Snuts knew they were killing it on stage, and from the beginning to end the crowd never left their trance. They were still extremely genuine and appreciative of their fans saying, “I can’t tell you how much it means to us that you’re spending your money to see us”.
Before the show The Snuts tweeted “What songs you wanna hear on the setlist this week?” – they received 140 comments including song requests of ‘Blur Beat’ and ‘Fatboy Slim’. These songs were played excellently and (understandably) well received on twitter after the gig.
Manchester, Newcastle & London… What songs you wanna hear on the setlist this week?
Somehow the Snuts kept the crowd captivated even when they walked off stage before their encore. I have never seen anything like it. There was the classic cheering, chanting, and clapping before The Snuts returned to the stage and joked “Satisfied so far?”. Jack told an anecdote back to their first show in Manchester, which was to 10 people all of whom were their friends – quite the contrast! Showing even more appreciation to their fans Jack said, “Love you more than life”. Finishing with ‘Glasgow’ to a massive reaction. The Snuts certainly left their mark in Manchester.
Without a doubt get yourself to a Snuts gig ASAP – these are performances not to be missed.
Manchester Opera House is bracing itself for rainy week – which is every week in Manchester, to be fair, but not every week sees the city graced by Singin’ in the Rain now, does it? What a glorious feeling!
A smash hit at Chichester Festival Theatre, in the West End, and most recently at London’s Sadler Wells, Jonathan Church’s critically acclaimed production of Singin’ in the Rain is touring the UK throughout 2022.
The stage musical premiered in the West End in 1983, before opening on Broadway in 1985. It returned to the West End in 1989 but did not tour the UK until 1994, before playing at the National Theatre in 2000 and Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 2004. In 2011, it played at Chichester Festival Theatre, before transferring to the West End in 2012 and touring the UK in 2013. A new production opened in Paris in 2015 – with plans to take it to Broadway, but these sadly did not come to fruition. The 2012 London production was revived at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 2021 and is now back on a UK tour – almost a decade after it last toured the nation!
The stage musical is based on the 1952 film of the same name, which offers a lighthearted depiction of Hollywood in the late 1920s, with the three stars portraying performers caught up in the transition from silent films to “talkies”. Directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, it starred Kelly as Don Lockwood, Donald O’Connor as Cosmo Brown, and Debbie Reynolds as Kathy Selden. Quite the cast, right?
The musical focuses on silent movie star Don Lockwood, who seemingly has it all: a string of hit films and a studio-engineered romance with the most beautiful actress in town. What Don doesn’t know is that the silver screen is about to find its voice, and a chance meeting with a talented young chorus girl set to steal his heart promises to change both Don, and Hollywood, forever.
7 decades later, Manchester Opera House welcomes you to travel back to the glamour of Hollywood during the roaring 20s – the 1920s, that is, for the 2020s are yet to roar…
Actor, choreographer, dancer, theatre director and Tony and Olivier nominee Adam Cooper will be playing the lead role in Manchester. On screen, Cooper is best-known for playing an adult Billy Elliot in – you guessed it – Billy Elliot. The female lead, Kathy Selden, is played by Charlotte Gooch. The main trio is rounded off with Ross McLaren (Doctors) as Cosmo Brown. Supporting character Lina Lamont, originally played by Jean Hagen, is played by Jenny Gaynor, best-known for her roles in musical theatre but also known for the TV film The Trial.
Cooper is one of the tour’s special guests – each playing one of the lead roles in select cities. Cooper is playing Lockwood in Woking, Manchester, Glasgow, Plymouth; Faye Tozer (Steps) plays Lina Lamont in Canterbury, Woking, Milton Keynes, Edinburgh, Newcastle; and Kevin Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing) plays Cosmo Brown in Bristol, Cardiff, Southampton, Liverpool, Glasgow.
Interestingly, Tozer is not playing the female lead but the musical’s second most notable female character. Fantastically talented as she is, I guess Tozer is used to playing second fiddle…
Singin’ in the Rain plays at Manchester Opera House from 9th until 14th May, before continuing its UK tour until August.
Such a staple of our culture. Something so frequently disappointing, fairly messy and almost guaranteed to leave you with a headache. No it’s not Boris Johnson’s latest misdoings, although you’re just as likely to question the rationale and hairstyles of everyone involved. It’s the good ol’ the One Night Stand: or “am goingg back w him !! see u spoon” as you’ll text your friend from about 2m away in a crowded Factory. Although as pulling hotspots go, in some student clubs even the walls are likely to be dripping with some undiagnosed STI.
As a reformed puller myself, I have some words of wisdom to offer on the subject of ONS. The words coming to mind mainly being ‘hassle’ and ‘not worth it’.
Let’s not completely disregard this great British tradition though. The ONS is always there for you, whether you’re at your lowest, most craving-any-human-touch-possible ebb, or riding high on the fact that you know you look amazing tonight.
The dizzy heights of the ONS experience for me has to be coming home with a gorgeous (tall) Irish pilot mere days after finishing Sally Rooney’s Normal People. After meeting his friends in the queue and convincing the lads on tour that 42s was in fact a reputable club and not the croaking toad of a night out, I knew it was kismet.
Not even the obstacle of an Uber driver insisting we wear masks when I had nothing but a (clean!) handkerchief in my bag to wrap over my mouth could stop us. Yes, as this Irish prince pulled down my makeshift handkerchief mask to kiss, I thought: ‘God Bless the one night stand’. And this was before we even made it to bed.
The humble night stand, Photo: @Lexi Rosenberry on Pinterest
To which I mean to say, not every ONS has to leave you with regret. We are in the age of female sex positivity, which means that women are encouraged to live free and unrestrained sex lives. Oh, and just hope they’re not assaulted in the process of course.
Women tend to experience higher levels of guilt or shame after a ONS, 35% of women feeling this way compared to – a still fairly high 20% of men. Since Eve bit into that crisp apple of temptation, women have taken on a lot of the shame for humankind, so its no wonder that this extends to sex, where women are shuffled into the staid virgin/whore binary.
Moralising aside, it is frustrating that the physical consequences for sex are also on women. Whether it’s being on the pill or having to take plan B after the condom comes off half inside you (who knew Love Rosie had such a foot in reality?), women bear the brunt of the sexual aftermath.
It’s a sorry state of affairs, and only lightened by the fact that you have a vaguely more exciting health worry to think about than the usual period cramps, thrush, or conjunctivitis from sleeping in mascara.
All this to say, it’s not exactly a women’s world. However, there are vital things that us women can do to make ONS more enjoyable, and dare I dream – emasculating. The bonus of a ONS is that they don’t know you which leaves room to construct hilarious lies such as trying to convince them that you in fact got an Uber to Liverpool not Fallowfield. I also like to keep myself amused by telling them “I’ve never done this before” whilst on top, just to compensate for any particularly poor performances.
Not knowing each other also means that those excruciating embarrassments – such as an Inbetweeners style floppy dick freak-out- can at least happen with someone you could well never see again. My only warning would be that in Fallowfield, everyone knows everyone, and you could well open the door for your ONS to be told that he only lives “in that house literally right over there”. Oh.
British stallions ripe for a ONS, Photo: The Inbetweeners @ Capitalfm.com
This article (which is already longer than most one night stands) would not be complete without a homage to some of the archetypes I have discovered in my time. The Virgin. The Tourist. The Friend’s Friend From Home (a risky undertaking). The One That Turns You Celibate.
For all the ONS out there – past and future – let’s raise a cheer. Where would we be without that post sex regret as you shame-facedly shove your sheets into the washing machine? Without that sinking feeling that you’ve wasted your only glow in the dark condom on a random? Lest we find out.
The end of the year is nigh and the end of our tenure as film editors is fast approaching! Nostalgia is in the air. As such, we decided to ask our writers to talk about their favourite nostalgic TV shows. Whether you were a CBBC fanatic or part of the (elitist) Disney community, we all have ‘that show’ which takes us back to the days before uni stress, household drama and the impending ‘adult world’. Sit back, relax and take a trip down memory lane.
Deadly 60 by Benjy Klauber-Griffiths
Deadly 60 aired at a time when social clout depended one your favourite dinosaur, whether you could do your seven times table and what snack you had in your packed lunch.
When life was spent colouring maps (Geography students may still relate) and staring enviously at the year 6’s sitting on the benches in assembly there was no better show to return home to after an arduous 15:30 finish.
Dubbed (by me) the Attenborough of CBBC, the show saw hunky animal enthusiast Steve Backshall travel the world searching for the deadliest creatures to pet, stroke and nuzzle. After seeking out some of the most endangered and ferocious animals in the world, Backshall would conclude by charismatically stating the obvious. “The (insert insanely dangerous animal here) is definitely deadly”. Iconic.
And that was the show. Kids saw parts of the world they’d never seen before, learnt about animals they’d maybe only see behind a glass panel, all the while creating a new generation of conservationists and eco-warriors. Pretty wholesome if you ask me.
Not to mention the cult status it then received among our generation. Mention Deadly 60 to ANYONE and they will respond with awe. One of CBBC’s flagship shows it’s easy to understand why, masking important education behind awesome facts and the suggestion of carnal violence means obsessives have still managed to retain some of the niche carnivorous facts to this day. Did you know the cheetah doesn’t have retractable claws, a sign that it isn’t in fact, a ‘big cat’?
At times my obsession went too far. A near complete collection of ‘Deadly 60 cards’, the shows Match Attax equivalent, is still one of my crowning achievements but also probably one of my more questionable childhood purchases. Still, if you need an unusual animal fact, you know who to come to.
Tracy Beaker by Ella Robinson
Tracy Beaker Returns was my childhood. I remember having friends over on a Friday night to watch the new episode when it aired. Four years after The Story of Tracy Beaker ended, Tracy was back at the Dumping Ground, this time to work. It had one of the most iconic opening comeback episodes – Joe McFadden would have won his age of industry argument instantly if he just included the line “I am like Tracy, we both got nicked”.
When lockdown hit, and we were in need of a bit of nostalgia, we decided to rewatch Tracy Beaker Returns as a house – but I don’t think any of us had realised quite how traumatic it is. We all remember Lily falling off the roof, there’s even TikToks recreating it, but do you remember Carmen falling through the bridge? The escaped prisoner eating their spaghetti hoops? The fire caused by chilli in their face masks? I don’t think I’ve looked at a chopping board the same way since.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nK3QJ-FlhU
One of my housemates isn’t from the UK so hadn’t grown up watching the show, so rewatching with her (and ten years on ourselves) really gave us a fresh perspective. I think we’ve all gone through a stage of realising Jacqueline Wilson novels were pretty dark – My Sister Jodie speaks for itself – but Tracy Beaker Returns alongside the ridiculous drama, actually tackled some pretty important issues.
Lily was on the roof because of the council cuts to care home funding. Whilst the issue was framed in a lighter way for children’s TV, with Liam selling the piano and curtains, and Tee cutting slippers “so we won’t miss the carpets”, in reality, funding per child has fallen from £571 in 2010/11 to £425 in 2018/19. Whilst Tracy Beaker certainly was more fun than the reality, focusing on these issues caused conversations in households up and down the country, about topics which may otherwise have been ignored.
Tracy Beaker Returns represented a range of issues and people on screen. Frank, one of the show’s main characters, had cerebral palsy. Gus has Asperger’s Syndrome. These conditions were shown in a way that enabled children and young people to understand them, without it defining their characters’. Homelessness, refugees, gangs, and loss were all also shown and discussed in a way that was humanising as well as educational.
But what I loved most about the show was the friendship and care they all had for each other – the family that had been created at Elmtree House. It was a really fun show, despite the heavy moments, with dancing, laughter and pranks, and rewatching it in lockdown, ten years after it aired – it felt like coming home.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars by Joe McFadden
When Benjy asked me to write about a TV show I loved growing up there was only one programme I could possibly write about. There was only one show that defined my formative years so much so that I can safely say I would be an entirely different person without it – and that show is Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
Following its August 2008 film debut, Star Wars: The Clone Wars premiered on the small screen on October 3rd of that year. What started out as a fun, light-hearted foray into a previously unexplored era of Star Wars would – 12 years, 7 seasons, and a fan campaign like none other later – eventually transform into one of the defining shows of the 2010s and one of the most beloved stories in Star Wars history.
I still remember when I first watched The Clone Wars. The date escapes me but it would have been sometime in late 2009 when I was 7 years old and me and my twin brother, Tom, rented the DvD ‘Clone Commandos’ from the library. The first episode we watched was Season 1 Episode 5 ‘Rookies’ and the memory is still imprinted in my mind over a decade later. Watching this show was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It was violent yes, but not scary, and it had a maturity to it that even as a kid I remember appreciating. The Clone Wars wasn’t a show that talked down to its audience, but instead taught them and encouraged them to grow up with it.
After watching this first episode, now a firm fan favourite, I was hooked. Not just on this show but the universe it inhabited. Interestingly, I had never actually watched the Star Wars saga before. Growing up I was never forced to sit down and let the magic of George Lucas’ space opera wash over me. Instead, I discovered it on my own – or rather fittingly, with my brother – and that is why I think The Clone Wars had such an effect on my formative years. It opened my eyes to the magic of Star Wars, a franchise that has had such a defining effect on my life, and most importantly, formed the centrepiece of mine and my brother’s relationship for much of our later childhood.
On May 4th 2020, The Clone Wars aired its series finale ‘Victory and Death’, the epic conclusion not just to the thrilling ‘Siege of Mandalore’, or the show itself, but to our childhoods. I remember waking up early and going downstairs to watch it together as if we were kids again. The Clone Wars was such a huge part of our childhood that when it ended 6 weeks after we turned 18 it only felt appropriate that our childhood should end with it.
For me, this is why Star Wars: The Clone Wars was the most important show of my childhood. Not only did it awaken my love for Star Wars and subsequently cinema, but it taught me about life, politics, and morality. However, most importantly, it was something I shared with my brother, and that is why I will always be grateful for this show.
It is hard to imagine my childhood without the constant presence of Doctor Who, whether that be in the show itself, its spin offs or its many collectable figurines, books and models.
Many of my prominent early memories revolve around it: gathering the family around to watch the Christmas special, playing Doctor Who themed top trumps in long car journeys or spending countless hours building my own TARDIS. I also distinctly remember waking up to the news that Elisabeth Saden or as I knew her, Sarah Jane, had died – I almost didn’t go to school that day.
It has become somewhat of a cliché to say this but these weren’t just characters on a screen, they were people who truly mattered to me. David Tennant’s Doctor was always my favourite but I also loved the zaniness of Matt Smith and the dark underbelly of Eccleston’s first series. Perhaps this is what was so appealing to me and so many others, Doctor Who seems like it has no boundaries. Like the bedtime stories you were told as a kid, with just a bit of imagination you could’ve been taken off to far flung futures, meet William Shakespeare or battle an alien invasion.
Moreover, it’s not just the setting that changes but also the genre, episodes such as Blink or The Empty Child were well rooted within the horror mould whereas something like Partners In Crime is a mix of comedy and pulp adventure. Nevertheless, it always had a certain unnameable charm that kept me coming back.
Overtime, my enthusiasm waned for the series. It wasn’t any one thing that made me stop but in the same way I no longer play football, I also no longer watch Doctor Who. Whilst I have watched an episode here and there and enjoyed what I’ve seen of Jodie Whittaker’s take on the character, no matter what I do, I can’t quite transpose my childhood wonder into the present.
Although I understand the impulse to reject change, it is built into the generational project that is Doctor Who. In this sense, I don’t long for a lost past but think of the new wave of fans that will be born out of this reimagining.
The cynic in me may want to reference the fact that this is all really just the culmination of corporate marketing but there is something to be said for a show like Doctor Who, a show that seems to rise above these pessimistic notions and finds the wonder in everyday life.
Somehow it is a show that embraces nostalgia and all the problems that come with doing that but also one that looks forward and envisions futures that hold messages of hope and togetherness, even amongst the chaos – or at least that’s how I remember it.
The Wombles by Florrie Evans
When looking back at all the TV shows I watched as a kid, one tv show kept coming back to me, The Wombles. I must have only been about five when I watched The Wombles for the first time, but the classic theme song was the soundtrack of my very young life. You might be asking, why were you watching The Wombles when you were born in the year 2000, a reasonable question considering the first episode came out in 1973.
I hate to break it to everyone but it wasn’t because I was a really cool kid who felt they were born in “the wrong era”, but because The Wombles was the only thing my grandma had on video tape, yes, you heard correctly, video tape. I look back on the days when I sat in my grandma’s front room, singing along to the very famous lyrics ‘Underground, Overground, wombling free, the wombles of Wimbledon Common are we’.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLCvqAZo5kQ
Now for anyone who didn’t know, The Wombles is based on a set of children’s novels by the author Elisabeth Beresford, released in 1968, and is a story like no other. The story centred around little pointy nosed creatures, who lived in burrows on Wimbledon common. Now these weren’t just ordinary creatures, they were activists.
You heard correctly, they would fit in perfectly with the Greta Thunberg’s of today. They were hard workers, and encouraged the art of upcycling, you would find them picking up the rubbish of the ‘everyday folk’ and using it in many creative ways.
The only episode I really remember (I was five okay) was called, ‘Peep, Peep, Peep’, in which Wellington invents a phone using two tin cans and a piece of string. After watching this, all I wanted to do was have my own homemade telephone. Who knew that this piece of nostalgia was actually feeding me the crucial message, REDUCE, RE-USE, RECYCLE.
Greater Manchester, like the rest of the country, went to the polls yesterday (May 5) to vote in the 2022 Local elections. 32 seats across the city were up for election out of a total 96 seats.
In this election, candidates are elected to the Manchester City Council – comprised of the following wards:
Charlestown, Cheetham, Crumpsall, Harpurhey, Higher Blackley, Anocats and Beswick, Ardwick, Clayton and Openshaw, Deansgate, Hulme, Miles Platting and Newton Heath, Moss Side, Moston, Piccadilly, Fallowfield, Gorton and Abbey Hey, Levenshulme, Longsight, Rusholme, Whalley Range, Burnage, Chorlton Park, Didsbury East, Didsbury West, Old Moat, Withington, Baguley, Brooklands, Northenden, Sharston, and Woodhouse Park.
The electorate was comprised of 380,735 voters, with turnout across the city varying from 44.61% in Didsbury East and Didsbury West to just 15.22% in Fallowfield.
Labour held 92 of their previous 93 seats in the Manchester council, losing one to the Green Party. This means that the overall makeup of the council is 92 seats held by Labour, 2 held by the Liberal Democrats and 2 held by the Green Party.
Here’s a breakdown of the results in the ten wards with the highest concentration of student residents:
Ardwick: Labour hold
Tarjuah Tina Hewitson has been elected the Councillor for Ardwick, representing the Labour Party.
Hewitson has held the seat since a by-election in 2012 following the death of former Lord Mayor Tom O’Callaghan, managing to gain re-election in 2018 with 72% of the vote.
2022 saw Hewiston re-elected with 1936 votes – a decrease from 2018’s 2012. Turnout was also down with only 18.99% of eligible voters casting a ballot compared to 20.3% last year.
Hewitson sits on multiple committees, including the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee and the Overview and Scrutiny Ofsted Subgroup.
Her ward of Ardwick is located one mile south-east of Manchester city centre.
The candidate closest to Hewistson was Callum Patrick Wood of the Conservative Party, who received 201 votes. The Green’s George Joshua Morris received 199 votes whilst the Liberal Democrat candidate Melvin Nii Adjei Sowah received 104 total votes.
Deansgate: Labour hold
Labour Councillor, Joan Davies, has managed to keep their seat for this ward. Davies kept the ward in a landslide victory.
Her closest competitor was John Richard Bridges of the Liberal Democrats. Bridges, however, only got 292 votes as compared to Davies’ 1033.
Davies had been first elected as the councillor of the city centre in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. Since the wards were changed in 2018 she has been the councillor of Deansgate.
She has been sitting on the Resources & Governance Scrutiny Committee and the Planning & Licensing Committee.
This ward is the western half of the city centre and includes student accommodations such as River Street Tower and Vita.
Here the voter turn-out was 20.05%. This was a huge fall in voter turnout as the previous elections saw 28.9% turnout.
Hulme: Labour hold
Lee-Ann Igbon has been re-elected Councillor for Hulme, receiving 1902 votes from a total electorate of 13,192.
The overall turnout in Hulme was 20.09%, a decrease from 2018’s turnout of 22.3% of the electorate.
Igbon’s seat was contested by the 3 other major parties with her closest rival being Green Party Candidate Chris Ogden, who received 401 votes. The Liberal Democrats and Conservative Party candidates, Gary McKenna and William Watermeyer, received 173 votes and 151 votes, respectively.
Interestingly, Watermeyer is the Chair of Manchester Young Conservatives.
Igbon also chairs the Environment and Climate Change Scrutiny Committee.
Hulme sits directly south of the city centre.
Fallowfield: Labour hold
Labour Councillor Ali Raza Ilyas has held his seat in a landslide victory as well. He won 1,157 votes, while his closest competitor Hannah Charter of the Green Party won just 245 votes.
Ilyas is the assistant executive member of skills at the Manchester City Council. He has been the councillor in Fallowfield since 2017.
Ilyas has also introduced key changes to Manchester, such as stopping Manchester Christmas markets from using single-use plastics.
This ward comprises of the Fallowfield Campus of the University as well as multiple private accommodations.
However, the turnout in this ward was very low. Out of more than 10,000 residents who could have voted, only 15.22% actually did. This is a 4% drop in turn-out from last year.
Longsight: Labour hold
Labour Councillor Abid Latif Chohan keeps his seat in Longsight. He received 83% of the votes in the ward. He won against the Conservatives’ Shanana Choudhury, who received a mere 6.3% of the vote.
Chohan, from May 15 2022, will be the new Lord Mayor of Manchester. He was born in Pakistan and has helped in founding many Pakistani heritage organisations in the city.
He has also sat on multiple committees in the council. This includes Children and Young People, Communities, Neighbourhoods, Environment, and the Planning and Highways Committee.
He has served as the Licensing and Appeals committee’s deputy chair.
This ward contains many student accommodations, as it lies in the Manchester neighbourhood of Victoria Park.
Voter turnout here was at 23.18%. Here too turn-out has fallen as compared to previous elections. The previous elections saw a turnout of 30.17% in this ward.
Moss Side: Labour hold
Erinma Bell has been elected for the first-time as a Labour Councillor. Bell was elected with 20.49% of the vote – a total of 2343 votes.
Bell was made an Honorary Professor at the University of Salford after her charity work and peace activism led her to receive an MBE. Partnering with her husband, Bell started the charityCARISMA (Community Alliance for Renewal, Inner South Manchester Area) to tackle gun violence in Moss Side.
Moss Side is located near to the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University, being home to many students from both universities.
Old Moat: Labour hold
Labour Councillor Suzannah Mary Reeves keeps her seat in Old Moat. She received 71.86% of the vote in the ward.
Her closest competitor was the Green Party candidate, Stace Wright. Wright received 12.2% of the vote.
Reeves serves as the Labour Party Whip in Manchester. By being the Whip, her job is to ensure that all elected members of the Labour vote a certain way. Along with this she is also the Associate Principal of the Oldham Sixth Form college.
Reeves has been the elected councillor from Old Moat since 2010. She has also been a part of the Constitutional and Nomination committee, as well as the Health Scrutiny committee.
Old Moat too saw a drop in voter turn-out. In 2021, the turn-out was at 29.99%, however on Thursday it fell to 24.19%.
Piccadilly: Labour Hold
Labour party candidate Adele Nicola Douglas, won the 2022 local election. Douglas pipped the Green Party candidate who came in a distant second, 622 votes behind. Turnout was down significantly, from 28.7% in 2021 to 21.47% this year.
The Liberal Democrat candidate Allison Jayne Harrison and Conservative candidate Alexander Braham, came in third and fourth respectively.
Douglas will balance becoming a councillor with her studies at MMU, studying Peterloo and collective memory.
She ran on a campaign to protect the city’s heritage, tackle litter and graffiti and make the city safer for women, among other policies.
In 2021, Labour’s Jon-Connor Lyons won the Piccadilly election, winning by a large margin of 957 over Green Party candidate Chris Perriam. Chris Northwood finished third and Siqi Lin finished fourth, running for the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives respectively.
Rusholme: Labour hold
Labour Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar has kept his seat in this election. He received 86.9% of the vote in Rusholme ward.
Akbar beat out the Liberal Democrats candidate Mohamed Belal Sabbagh. Sabbagh received 6.2% of the vote.
Akbar has been the Executive Member for Neighbourhoods at the Manchester City Council. However, in 2021 he was suspended for this role due to allegations of ‘public disorder.’
These allegations have been suspected to be due to an internal debate within Manchester Labour on who the leader of the council will be.
Akbar has been involved in the community of his ward, along with attending many Eid celebrations.
Like other wards, in Rusholme too the turnout has fallen. The turn-out this year was 22.33% which is a 4% drop from last year’s turn-out.
Withington: Labour Hold
Labour candidate Angela Gartside won the 2022 Withington local council election, narrowly beating Liberal democrat April Preston, by 246 votes.
Gartside’s key policies involve making Withington safer by looking to decrease anti-social behaviour and improving pavements. She is also looking to increase funding for Ladybarn Park.
There were two other candidates in the Withington local election: Sam Easterbury-Smith of the Green Party, Michael Charles Barnes of the Conservative party, who finished third and fourth respectively.
Turnout was 29.39%, meaning the number of those who voted was down from 34.08% in the previous election.
The Withington local council was previously headed by Labour Councillor Chris Willis. Willis won the 2021 election with 2146 votes, almost 900 votes more than the runner-up, Liberal Democrat April Preston.
Hi there and welcome back to another issue of From The Vault! Whilst being marred by unpredictable exams and a less than commendable attendance rate, this writer is finally ready to put in some graft and deliver reviews of songs you’ve probably never heard of. In this issue I’ll be introducing five seminal hardcore punk songs that I believe are worthy of your time and attention.
Whilst it is viable to see hardcore punk as sometimes descending into excessively caustic and sonically abrasive noise to the extent that the music and lyrics get overshadowed by its aggressive bravado, to me hardcore is so much more than that, to quote Fugazi frontman and hardcore gatekeeper Ian MacKaye “ Punk is tribe” that thrives on both inclusivity and rejection. These songs might even tell you something about yourself.
Black Flag – ‘Spray Paint’ Why not start this list of with arguably the most influential and well-known hardcore band Black Flag. Fronted by the manic imposing Henry Rollins, Black Flag burst onto the hardcore scene with their now legendary 1981 album Damaged to the detriment of both critics and legions of volatile punk fans. Decades later it is now regarded as a hardcore cornerstone (Rolling Stone magazine consistently rate it on their top 500 albums of all time, not like that means anything). It is fitting then that ‘Spray Paint’ is an encapsulation of that wild and disgruntled attitude that defined hardcore, a 33-second bulldozer that mocks the “Disgust in their eyes” of anyone who is antithetical to your being. If ever someone asked what hardcore punk is just show them this song.
Bad Brains – ‘Attitude’ What better way to demonstrate the far reaches of hardcore grasp when one of the most influential hardcore bands originally started out as a group of jazz fusion Rastafarians who converted to hardcore punk, inspiring and aggravating people in equal measure. At its best hardcore is often a declaration of the self and the proliferation of individualism and Bad Brains excelled at this wearing their outsider image on their sleeves. The simple refrain “Don’t care what they may say we got that attitude” is so beautifully succinct yet contemplative and existential when screamed by lead singer HR and backed by maniacal thrashing of guitars and crashing symbols. 40 years on, the song has not lost a sliver of its potency.
Born Against – ‘Witness to a Rape’ Music is often lauded for its concise yet critical examination of pressing issues whether it be social, economic, cultural or otherwise. Born Against were one of the most vocal propagators of this philosophy. Hailing from the burgeoning New York hardcore scene, born against made no bones about who deserved to be dismantled and held accountable. Tragically this song seems eerily prescient and prophetic even to this day in the midst of tragedies such as Sarah Everard. Frontman Sam McPheeters’ high voltage yelps of lines such as “Fed the lie for all my life that woman has her place / And it’s only skin-deep like as many flanks of meat up for inspection” are equally as distressing and necessary to understand that even 25 years on, little has really changed.
Minor Threat – ‘Straight Edge’ It is a rare accolade for a band to have coined an entire movement and philosophy in a song totalling 45 seconds, but let this be a testament for Minor Threat‘s brilliance. Aside from being my favourite album, I have listened to and arguably the progenitors of an entire genre, the song itself is an encapsulation of everything good about hardcore punk. Technical yet crude thrashing guitars, a potent social statement, and a DIY independent attitude. In the song legendary frontman and founder of revered DischordRecords, Ian MacKaye contemptuously spits his choice of lifestyle against self-destruction and nullification “I’ve got better things to do than / Hang out with the living dead / I’ve gone straight edge!” and proposes an alternative to what he saw destroying and reducing his comrades. With this he became the undisputed spirit of punk music.
Ultra Violent – ‘Crime For Revenge’ Whilst it is accurate and infallible to claim that hardcore music has its humble origins across the pond in America (specifically the East and West Coast), there was still many pre-eminent hardcore music to come from Blighty. One of the most notorious and celebrated songs from Britain came from a band who were together for a total of about one year and had around three vinyl releases (which retail second hand for around £100 each). They were a Brummy band called Ultra Violent and in their short lifespan produced ‘Crime For Revenge’, a foot-stomping anthem powered by a knackered kick drum and a vocal that is almost lost in feedback and yelped screams. Hardcore was not just confided to niche circles across America, it was for those who vested in its potent appeal.
I have wanted to see Britain’s Got Talent series 3 winner Diversity for years. They are, indisputably, the creme-de-la-creme of street dance. With Ashley Banjo, Jordan Banjo and Perri Kiely at the helm, the dance troupe is as dazzling as they were a decade ago, when they put the (instantly iconic) Susan Boyle in her (second) place.
The running theme of Connected is the internet. Each dance explores a different aspect of the internet – and technology, more broadly. The dance numbers were broken up with speeches from the troupe (mainly Ashley), video footage, and even the main trio creating a piece of music, with the help of the audience. It was a varied programme, threaded together with the theme of the internet.
Connected was brilliant right from the beginning, each dance more entertaining than the last, but I was not quite blown away until the final dance of the act. Whilst Singin’ in the Rain is coming to Manchester next week, Diversity were not prepared to wait. Artificial rain descended from the ceiling, drenching Diversity but never stunting their daring dancing. The dance became extra daring when the troupe ripped their tops off, revealing their threaded abs, much to the delight of the audience. They oozed so much sex appeal and power. It was a dazzling display of super strength and meticulous movement.
Ashley Banjo touched our hearts when he recounted his experiences in lockdown – especially the birth of his son. The video footage was very heart-warming, especially the recording of a video call with his mum, in which he sent her a video of his son. The documentation of the pandemic felt surreal; it’s hard to believe we went through that.
The show reached its emotional peak during the Black Lives Matter dance. Yes, Diversity recreated their controversial BLM dance (which received a staggering number of complaints on Britain’s Got Talent but later won a BAFTA) on the tour. The dance began with a recording of Ashley saying “Black Lives Matter”, before all the dancers took the knee – to the delight of the (majority White) audience, who clapped and whooped. Seeing the iconic dance in real-life was a dream come true. I cried throughout the whole performance.
It’s always a little uncomfortable when a performance addresses race/racism and you’re one of only a few brown splashes in a sea of White faces, but the entire audience gave this dance a standing ovation. It was beautiful to see, and it made me feel even more emotional. Heck, I’m holding back tears just writing this. It’s so rare for a number to get a standing ovation, but this dance was incredible – and incredibly important.
Another touching dance saw Ashley surrounded by mirrors, before the dancers behind the mirrors revealed themselves and joined Ashley for the rest of the simplistic but effective performance. Towards the end of the show, Ashley was joined by a number of drones, which he seemingly controlled with his every move – the power of dance.
I was not sure how well the show would handle its ambitious theme, but they did an exceptional job of tackling it. The show was not merely entertaining; it also got me thinking.
Diversity’s Connected plays at Manchester Opera House until 7th May (with a matinee on the last day,), before continuing their UK tour until June.
The world-renowned Emily Brontë novel, Wuthering Heights, has reached its 175th birthday. In celebration, Emma Rice (Romantics Anonymous, Wise Children, Brief Encounter) has reimagined the story for the stage. Does the novel still capture the hearts of its audiences after so long? Well, it’s a classic for a reason.
If you’ve never read Wuthering Heights, don’t worry about it – I haven’t either. Although there are a lot of characters, and it can be quite confusing at times and difficult to keep up with names, I had no issues following the narrative. At points, the actors even mocked how similar the names of characters were, so don’t worry if you know nothing about the Brontë novel beforehand (or the Kate Bush song).
Briefly, the plot revolves around love, revenge and redemption in the Yorkshire moors. Heathcliff is an orphan found at Liverpool docks and is kindly taken in by the Earnshaws. Despite his hardships, Heathcliff finds love in his foster-sister, Catherine, and they are torn apart by the conflict of following your heart versus social status. After all, it is the 1800s! Heathcliff goes through hell as he goes from tragedy to tragedy, and life isn’t much easier for Catherine either. Will the lovers ever be reunited?
This production had a stellar cast, with West End star Liam Tamne (The Prince go Egypt, Eurovision: You Decide, The Voice) as the brooding, revenge-driven Heathcliff and the incredible Lucy McCormick as Catherine. Both of these actors were perfectly cast, and the chemistry between them was palpable. Lucy McCormick, in particular, was a standout performer as she carried most of the show with her internal conflict as Catherine. Crazed with love and regret, every note she sang, every scream she echoed on stage was intoxicatingly painful, emotional to her core.
For Wuthering Heights to work, you have to believe in the conflict within Catherine to understand the pain that Heathcliff feels, and it worked so well in this adaptation. You have to understand why Heathcliff is infatuated with her and why Catherine becomes deranged by the life she has been driven to, at the expense of her true integrity and feelings. McCormick was incredible, and I’m amazed that she can carry that much emotion into every performance.
Liam Tamne’s version of Heathcliff had a broadly Indian accent, and it was quite perplexing at first. The accent was executed well, and Tamne himself identifies as African Indian. However, I now understand that it is widely debated as to whether Heathcliff was a Romani slave, as Liverpool was known as a world centre for the slave trade. By recognising this nuance, it adds depth to how Heathcliff was treated by his foster brother and how is reduced to being a servant. I thought that Tamne was fantastic, and I couldn’t imagine a better actor to portray such a complex character.
Another standout performer was definitely Katy Owen as Isabella Linton/Little Linton. Owen definitely drew the most laughs out of the audience, which was much-needed relief amongst the heaviness of the plot. Isabella’s naive infatuation with Heathcliff to the demise of her unhappy marriage was quite the transformation to see, and Little Linton’s mannerisms resembled his mother incredibly well. The intense facial expressions, nasally voices and exaggerated costuming made Katy Owen one of the most memorable and enjoyable performances of them all.
The sets themselves were quite simple, yet extremely effective at telling the story. Although there were fairly minimal props, there was a screen that was used as a backdrop, which created the mood for each scene, alongside a warm yellow light that came down. There were songs within this play, and most of them were quite folk-inspired, except at Catherine’s breaking point, where McCormick performed a rock piece where she had truly lost her mind. The folkish nature of the Yorkshire moors was a stark contrast to Catherine’s demise, and I thought that the storytelling through the songs was effective at enhancing the emotional drive within the powerful play.
Overall, I loved this performance. I thought that the cast was incredible, and they managed to maintain Wuthering Heights‘ relevancy and enticement. Although the performance was long (almost three hours!), I enjoyed every minute, and I would definitely recommend the tragedy romance, whether you’ve read the novel or not. Love, death, generational trauma and ghosts…what’s not to like?
Wuthering Heights plays at the Lowry (Lyric Theatre) from 3rd until 7th May, before continuing its UK tour until the end of May – though Wise Children’s website says that more dates are to be announced soon, so stay tuned!
Was it just me who was taught that the only animals which have sex for pleasure are humans and dolphins? Is this one of those useless facts that just every kid growing up tends to know, like if you eat too many carrots you’ll turn orange? Well in the last 8-10 years scientists have in fact been questioning this sexy fact (the sex one, not the carrot one).
From an evolution standpoint, it makes little sense for humans to be one of the few animals to find sex pleasurable. Where would this feeling have come from and why is it an advantage to us? Is it really that much of a disadvantage for other animals to enjoy intimacy and that is why it no longer occurs?
Of course, there are some big issues when researching this. You can’t just go up to a bear or a mouse and ask if they enjoyed that “intimate moment”. One way of looking into this would be to see if the female had an orgasm. The female orgasm has no biological relevance when it comes to reproduction, so could this be a good way of seeing if females found intercourse enjoyable?
One study looked into this using rats, using certain behavioural criteria such as positions or behaviours adopted by the female that suggest a reward state, to measure any orgasm-like responses.
Whilst this study couldn’t actually prove an orgasm had taken place, they concluded that the behaviours exhibited did indicate some pleasure in females. Another study on macaques stated that females open their mouths and tense their facial muscles, referring to it as a “climax face” (yes… you read that right). But we have to question whether these scientists are simply putting certain human characteristics onto non-human entities, a term known as anthropomorphism.
One way to maybe get around this would be to look at the number of times males and females copulate. It was observed that female lionesses copulate 100 times per day over a period of about a week. You might argue that this increases the female’s likelihood of becoming pregnant, which is true up to a certain point, but 100 times is actually totally unnecessary and doesn’t increase her chances from only copulating for example, 80 times a day. Therefore, would it be right to say that she chooses to do this because she gets some sort of gratification?
If we back away from the actual intercourse, there are plenty of other behaviours that scientists could look at to show this hypothesis. Oral sex has been observed in bears, goats and even bats, and masturbation has been observed in bonobos and African ground squirrels. For bats, it was observed that oral sex increases the length of the mating process and so this increases their likelihood of fertilisation.
Other hypotheses in bears have been that oral sex reminds them of being a cub suckling on their mother – perhaps this behaviour has remained pleasurable even in adulthood? Hypotheses for masturbation are that it perhaps increases pheromone production or facilitates sperm transfer.
Unfortunately, there is no direct proof in any of these studies and their validity is simply not strong enough. I think it’s fair to say that you can infer what you like from this research and that whilst I personally would say it makes sense for animals to feel sexual pleasure, you may disagree. Of course, historically speaking, nature has never been one to just “make sense”. I think that if this is to be researched further, scientists must strive to make sure that anthropomorphism is avoided at all costs.
Gurnaik Johal, University of Manchester and The Mancunion alumni, is now an award-winning short story writer. We Move, a collection of short stories, is Johal’s first book andwas released in April 2022.
We Move is set in Southall in West London, and maps the movement of multiple generations of immigrants. The stories show how our lives cross in surprising ways, revealing moments of human connection.
I spoke to Johal about his new book, his experience at UoM, and how it helped to shape his writing.
You studied at the University of Manchester – when and what did you study?
I did English Literature with Creative Writing as an undergrad and graduated in 2019. Some of the oldest stories in the book were written in my second year of uni. I think there are two or three that went through the workshops in the creative writing course. One of them changed a lot so it is almost unrecognisable from when I workshopped it, but yeah, three stories from my time as a student ended up in the final product.
So do you think that doing a creative writing degree and that ‘workshop’ experience was beneficial to your writing?
I think so. Being in a workshop allows you to meet other writers – I didn’t know anyone who wrote or was into short stories before joining the course. And that experience of having your work edited and read is really important. I think a lot of people think writing is a very solitary thing, but it’s quite collaborative, at least for me, and so that was helpful.
What was your favourite thing about being a student in Manchester? Do you think it helped shape your stories?
Yeah, I think Manchester has got a thriving literary scene. I remember there were lots of events and stuff that you could get into for free as a student. So that was helpful for me to find new material. But interestingly, when I did start writing in Manchester, everything I wrote was just naturally set in London. I don’t know if it’s just that distance made it easier to see London as material for fiction. With Manchester, maybe I didn’t know the city well enough to feel like I could properly do it justice.
The whole collection is set in London, though in the title story ‘We Move’ the protagonist Lata is doing a PhD in Manchester and is from London. Is the collection mostly set where you grew up?
Yeah in West London, so it’s kind of writing about home, it especially was when I was in Manchester. Then I had the weird experience of returning home and doing the second half of the book in West London. I think having those two different experiences helped.
Obviously, I do have to ask about your experience at The Mancunion! So you were the Books Editor of The Mancunion during your time as a student? Do you think reading and reviewing books was also something that was valuable or inspiring when writing?
Yes I was doing your role! So this is a nice full circle moment! I think it’s super helpful because you’re reading with a close critical eye. Obviously as a reviewer you’re trying to condense the key parts of the book for a reader, and I think doing that process makes you realise how books work in a different way. You’re kind of looking under the car bonnet and seeing how the machinery of it works, and seeing what stands out to you when you’ve got however many books you could review and you’re not going to review all of them. Asking ‘what makes a book stand out to you?’ can feed in the other way around when you’re thinking ‘how can I make my writing exciting and engaging?’. It’s definitely helpful.
It was at the end of second year, start of third year. It was fun! One of my creative writing teachers told me to enter it. We’d sort of workshopped the story in that term, and he said ‘this is actually, you know, good, you should consider sending it out to this thing’. So I thought that since he’s told me to, and it was free to enter, I might as well. I sent it out and didn’t think much of it and then a few months later, got that email back and was like ‘whattt!?’ It was super helpful not just in terms of the positive feedback but on a practical level, there was a ceremony at the end of it, which puts you in a room full of agents and editors and then slowly those doors start opening. It was where the writing career kind of started.
The first story in We Move, ‘Arrival’, recently won the Galley Beggar Short Story Prize – congratulations! Can you give a brief synopsis of that story? I read it this morning and I very much enjoyed it, but I’ll let you explain it in your own words.
Thank you! Ooh brief synopsis, okay, so it’s about a couple who’ve been together for long enough that their daily routine feels slightly like a rut. They live close to an airport, close to Heathrow airport, and often their front drive gets used by family and friends for parking when they go on holiday. But one day a distant family friend leaves the car but doesn’t return after her holiday, she disappears, and during the next few weeks the couple start using the car and they find that that slight change shifts something in their relationship. It’s quite a simple story, a sort of classic setup of a catalyst for change coming into their life and disrupting the rhythm ever so slightly. But I think it’s quite a good opening story for the collection I think, because what a lot of the stories are trying to get to is interpersonal relationships shifting. Yeah, and it’s a rare happy ending too, I think…
Has it always been short stories that you write? And why short stories in particular?
I’m actually writing a novel now, which is essentially a collection of novellas, almost. I think, for me, writing short stories allowed me a lot of breadth, rather than sticking to one idea for one narrative. I could do smaller ones and build up a kind of patchwork narrative of the community, so that’s what We Move is essentially. And I just think they’re more fun to write. You can hold a whole short story in your head at once, and you can tinker with it that way, whereas the novel feels like a long slog. But also they were the thing that I would love reading because you just instantly slip into someone else’s mind and then you can slip out so quickly at the end of it, and you can cover a lot more ground reading ten short stories than you would reading a whole novel. We Move is 17 stories and there’s a whole bunch of characters, it offers breadth. That’s what drew me to writing them.
So you like reading short stories – do you have any particular recommendations or a favourite collection or author?
One author I normally recommend is Yiyun Li, she does really brilliant short stories. She’s written a book called 1000 Years of Good Prayers, which is very good. I read her story ‘Extra’ when I was a student actually and that was a real eye opener for me. After that I just devoured different short stories. The great thing about short stories too is, especially coming from the perspective of a student, there’s so many available for free online, you don’t have to be buying book after book. You can just find them online and on different magazine websites and also on podcasts as well.
As a student I also especially love short stories when it’s the deadline and exam season, because I can finish one and put the book down again, and it makes the perfect study break. Whereas sometimes when reading a novel you just don’t want to stop reading!
Yeah, definitely. I’m bad at finishing short story collections just because I kind of dip in and out of different books at once, which I think is quite fun. It’s always the way I listen to music; with Spotify, you end up listening to playlists or random songs rather than a whole album all the way through. So I think short story collections suit that kind of consumption.
If you imagine people reading We Move, is that how you imagine them reading – dipping into one story and then coming back? Or do you think you’d like readers to sit and read it start to finish?
It’s interesting, I think it really is the reader’s object now. I do imagine people almost reading it on shuffle, you don’t have to read it in the order we’ve ended up putting it in. A lot of work went into finding an order that would have a nice rhythm and stuff but really, I wasn’t seeing it as a narrative with one big narrative arc, it’s more of a web. You can navigate it in your own way, in the same way you might walk around the neighbourhood. It’s the reader’s book to read however you like to read. If you are someone who likes to sit down for a few hours and completely finish a book, then I hope it works that way. I’ve read it from start to finish many times when editing it! But also, if you’re the type of reader who will dip in and out of stories or maybe you only have time for some of the stories for a while, and then the other ones at another point, I hope it can be enjoyed that way too. I think it should hold up to all different types of reading.
I’m glad you said that because I’ve already read it out of order! When did you begin writing?
When I was a teenager, I actually really wanted to do visual art. I thought that was going to be my creative outlet and I wanted to do Art at university, but I didn’t get good enough grades to get where I wanted to go. So I ended up applying to English with Creative Writing as a way to get that creative aspect in some way, and I was good at English at school. For the application to the University of Manchester you had to write a short story and a poem I think. So that was the first short story I wrote. I don’t remember anything about it apart from this one scene where it opens with someone watching someone dip a biscuit in a cup of tea and they’re hoping that it’s going to break and fall into the cup, I don’t know why. But that has ended up in the book. No bit of writing is wasted as far as I see it, it all gets recycled in some way.
Do you juggle your writing with working full time? What is your writing process like?
I’m an editor in children’s publishing, working with books for 7 to 9 year olds mainly. I work four days a week and then I write. Now I mainly write on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, but I’ve only recently gone part time, so before then I was doing a lot of evenings. I kind of fit my writing around my work, because you gotta pay the bills!
There’s so much more to children’s books than people necessarily expect, and they can be really refreshing to read. I wonder if reading work for children has influenced your writing too?
I’m sure it has in ways I don’t really know. With children’s writing you have to be so attentive to the reader, you have to keep short attention spans hooked in certain ways, especially when you think of the younger stuff like picture books. They are almost these crystalline perfect things in some cases where every word has to count. They’re in that sense short stories where the form is a kind of constraint. I think the way working in publishing has helped is also that I can see the practical processes. A book is only this many pages, it’s only this many words – you can break it down in ways that are helpful I think, rather than just sitting there thinking ‘I have to create this amazing work of genius’.
I imagine it helps with seeing writing a book as a process and not about a finished product. A book doesn’t leave an author finished, it’s still got so many steps to go through.
100%. I think I finished my first draft, well, not first draft, but a proper draft I was happy with, in the summer of 2020. Then it went through so many revisions all the way up to September 2021. So over a year worth of more revisions, to then come out in April 2022. It’s a long process.
Does the published version look similar to that year when you had finished your first completed draft or does it look completely unrecognisable?
It was a lot bigger. There were maybe 21 stories or something ridiculous. I do try and give the reader value for money! And at that point it stretched as far back in the past as it did into the future, so there was some almost speculative fiction as well as historical fiction and contemporary fiction. They were all still set in this one neighbourhood, but I had these grand visions. Thankfully my editor was like, ‘yeah, no. Why? Bring it into the present.’ So at the moment there’s historical and present day stuff.
And the future is another collection yet to come!
Maybe, when I can figure out how to write sci-fi!
You’re still very young – what is next for you?
I would love to write full time. That would be a dreamy scenario. Working towards it slowly I guess. I just want to keep writing books, that’s what I see for my future. I’m working on a novel now and I’m quite a long way through it and it’s really fun. I think trying not to lose sight of what a crazy privilege it is to kind of be able to do this kind of work and to carry on enjoying it. The book only came out two weeks ago, so especially right now I’m just trying to enjoy it. I feel very lucky.
I did have one more question. Do you see yourself staying in London and see London as where the fiction would stay?
Well, the novel I’m currently writing is actually set globally. A lot of the narrative happens in India, but there are characters from different Punjabi diasporas around the world. So there’s characters from Birmingham in the UK as well as Canada, Singapore, Kenya. So that feels like the kind of polar opposite to We Move, which is so locally focused. I can see myself swaying to and from those two extremes I think. In terms of where I live, I feel like London will be for the foreseeable future, and I’m sure I’ll be writing more about London, soon enough. Maybe one day about Manchester!
Across the globe, soil is dying. The United Nations says the world only has about 60 years of harvests left before cultivable soil becomes desert. The UN also estimated that by 2050, 90% of the world’s soil may be degraded. 95% of the world’s food comes from soil. If we do not prioritise soil, then we are soon facing a global food and security crisis.
Save Soil is an effort to address this degeneration of soil, by inspiring at least 3.5 billion people (60% of the world’s electorate), to support long-term government policies to revitalize soil. To activate and demonstrate the support of all our citizens, a 65 year old man with a huge heart is travelling 30,000km on a motorcycle through 26 nations, striving to bring vital policy changes into action by world leaders. This is a historic opportunity to be a part of a 100 day campaign in which we can all participate.
Celebrities such as WILL.I.AM and Sean Paul have supported the movement. In a promotional video, Sean Paul states “Let’s save soil together and create a better planet.”
“Save Soil is a global movement launched by Sadhguru, to address the soil crisis by bringing together people from around the world to stand up for Soil Health, and supporting leaders of all nations to institute national policies and actions toward increasing the organic content in cultivable Soil.”
Current Supporters include:
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama,WILL.I.AM, Sean Paul, SZA, Dr. Jane Goodall, Ibrahim Thiaw of the United Nations CCD, Jesse Williams, Jonny Wilkinson, Tony Robbins, Mark Wahlberg…plus many more @savesoil.org
How do I get involved?
Wednesday 4th May @12 Midday: Save Soil Walkathon
Start: Whitworth Park
End: Piccadilly Gardens
See you there! Contact Instagram @harrylmoss for any further information. 🌍
Do not forget to use #SaveSoil… a simple step to show your support. Awareness is the first step to change.
Consisting of progesterone, a hormone that prevents pregnancy, and oestrogen, which controls menstrual bleeding, the combined pill is usually taken every day for 21 days, at around the same time each day. It is also the most commonly prescribed pill.
Great! More and more women could delay motherhood to stay in school, join the workforce and do things differently from previous generations. Even relationship dynamics weren’t untouched. The pill gave women greater reproductive control, no longer relying on a man to wear a condom.
However, as the pill became more accessible, health scares sprouted left and right. Links to blood clots, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes and breast cancer were reported. Some of these were down to high hormone levels in older versions of the pill, which have lowered since.
Today, the pill remains the most popular contraceptive method in the UK and it’s easy to see why. Over 99% effective (when taken correctly), it usually makes periods lighter and less painful. It also reduces the risk of ovarian, womb and colon cancers, PMS symptoms, acne, fibroids and ovarian cysts. There is strong evidence that the combined pill reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by 27%.
Of course, whether you reap these benefits is dependent on the person. Some may experience temporary side effects such as nausea, mood swings and increased blood pressure. If taken inconsistently or incorrectly, there is a failure rate of 9%, and 9 out of 100 women become pregnant during their first year on the pill. There is also a link to a greater risk of some serious health conditions, like blood clots and breast cancer, which remains even 60 years later.
I don’t have much experience with the pill myself. Most of what I know is from personal research and my friends’ horror stories. I was prescribed Cilest at 15 years old for my acne. Not all women are on the pill to prevent pregnancy- 14% of women use the combined pill for non-contraceptive reasons. However, my acne worsened as did my mood swings. Life as a 15 year old girl was difficult enough already. I soon swore off hormonal contraception.
Personally, my copper IUD has been a godsend. A close friend of mine put me on to it about two years ago and I’m so glad she did. Inserted correctly by a GP or a nurse, the copper IUD is considered one of the most effective forms of birth control. It also comes without the human error of the pill – you can’t forget to take it! I got one that lasts for ten years, so I’ll have it removed or replaced when I’m 28. And because it’s hormone-free, my skin remains clear and my mood is relatively balanced.
Now, here’s the science. As a foreign object in the uterus, the immune system triggers a local inflammatory response that targets all foreign cells, including sperm. This prevents embryos from forming or implanting. In addition, copper ions have a spermicidal effect by altering cervical mucus to the point of preventing sperm passing through.
Long-term, reversible and non-hormonal, the copper IUD was an easy choice for me. I’m not planning to have children any time soon. That’s not to say I’d not still like the option in the future. Combined with my experience with hormonal contraception, and how it changed my skin and my mood, the IUD seemed like a much better option.
However, the copper IUD is no angel. Do I even need to mention the insertion process? Although the fitting, consisting of a pelvic exam, stabilising and measuring the uterus, takes no longer than five minutes, it is notoriously uncomfortable. I bet the medical student on observation that day wished she never offered to hold my hand.
For extra impact, there is a small risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PIV) in the first month after insertion, as well as a very slight risk of the IUD falling out of the uterus. This risk increases by 10% over 3 years. From personal experience, maybe avoid trialling a menstrual cup within the first few weeks of this contraceptive method – there might be some suction involved.
Female reproductive health is a neglected science. The processes surrounding contraception, obtaining and consuming it, are inconvenient at best, and painful at worst. Women living in the UK where we are lucky enough to have the NHS have access to around 15 methods of contraception, of which I’ve covered two.
Even though there is more choice than ever, there isn’t a simple, convenient or painless option. Perhaps the new contraceptive pill for men currently undergoing clinical trials will relieve the contraceptive burden. But for now, women have no choice but to remain celibate or accept health trade-offs in order to prevent pregnancy.
Just as it happens every year, I forget it is the 5th of May, as does everyone I know back at home in Mexico. Although some might think of it as a Mexican Independence Day (which actually falls in September) – or some sort of “Mexico day” – the truth is a bit more grizzly.
Cinco de Mayo commemorates the day that Mexican forces won a bloody battle against the French army (which was commanded by Napoleon III at the time) in the city of Puebla.
In fact, we Mexicans mostly refer to it as the day of “The Battle of Puebla”, and it is not even a bank holiday.
In 1862, Mexico was in debt to a few nations, including France who used this as an opportunity to send their army across the ocean and invade Mexico in an attempt to expand their empire.
However, the French forces were defeated in Puebla on the 5th of May after underestimating the Mexican army.
Unfortunately, they did come back a year after, this time taking control of the city, and the capital.
The French, along with the Mexican conservative party then extended an invitation to Maximilian of Habsburg to become Emperor of Mexico, which he obviously accepted. So after freeing ourselves from Spanish occupation, we ended up with an Austrian Emperor.
Personally, my only memories of Cinco de Mayo are all from school, which is pretty much the only place where the date is celebrated.
Activities might change from school to school, but it is common to hold early morning ceremonies where a summary of the history will be told and sometimes even a small dramatization of the events will be performed. I am pretty sure I dressed as a French soldier at some point in my childhood. Well at least that is how it was back in the 90’s.
So, how did Cinco de Mayo gain popularity, while we Mexicans barely talk about it?
It appears that the celebration owes its popularity mostly to the USA. Our northern neighbour chose this date as a way of celebrating Mexican heritage in the US, particularly in LA which has the country’s largest population of Mexican-born citizens (which is no surprise, since it used to be Mexican territory).
The date was chosen as it represented the victory of indigenous Mexicans over European invaders, and the popularity of Cinco de Mayo began to grow.
And so, although our views of the date might differ in both countries, I do think it is important to have a day where Latin-American roots are acknowledged and celebrated especially after the rough migration policies between both countries.
Ukrainian Student at Cambridge to take course while on the front line
A fresher at the University of Cambridge has decided to take up arms and fight in Ukraine, whilst simultaneously studying for his exams in the war-torn country. Nikolai Nizalov, a 19-year-old natural sciences undergraduate decided to bring his lectures with him to help study in his spare time.
Belfast University could have to cut 1,500 places by 2025
The Queen’s University Belfast vice-chancellor Ian Greer has said that the University may have to cut over 1,500 places at the University. The Department for the Economy required the University to make cuts of up to 15% in order to save money. Greer warned that undergraduate places would be the first to go, but that nothing is finalised.
Durham University embroiled in anti-racism training scandal
Durham University was forced to go back on its plans for mandatory, anti-racism training after receiving online backlash from students calling the move ‘anti-white indoctrination. The training aimed at ensuring a safer community for people of colour was then scrapped with a spokesperson saying the workshop was not mandatory and that the intention was to make the campus more inclusive, not divisive.
UCL faced 60 million malicious email attacks in first months of 2022
Data from a FOI suggests that UCL was subject to 60 million spam, phishing, malware and Edge Block attacks in the first three months of 2022. The news has led to concerns about cybersecurity on campus. Microsoft Office 365 was the most vulnerable software with a lack of Edge Block software blocking malicious attacks.
University society receives unlikely gift from Taylor Swift
The University of York SwiftSoc received a card and merchandise directly from signer Taylor Swift after the Easter Break, with her management thanking them for their support. The society is one of 40 Universities across the UK with a society dedicated to Taylor Swift.
For the longest time, my beauty routine consisted of washing my face in the shower with a bar of Dove soap.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Very unimpressive. However, on one random day in first year, I decided it was time for me to grow up and stop trying to be that pick me girl who says she doesn’t wear make-up. Starting to take care of my facial appearance further on in life made me very behind and inexperienced in the world of beauty.
I don’t really have a beauty routine, per say. However, most days I’ll whip out that good ol’ moisturiser, concealer and blush combo for that natural daily look. Then wash it off with a gentle toner at the end of the day.
What are your favourite skincare products?
I can’t lie, I definitely lack in the skincare department and old, wrinkly me will definitely hate me for it. I regularly use one singular skincare product and that is the Renergie Multi-Lift Ultra cream by Lancome. I got it for free a few months ago when my mum bought a foundation from the brand and it’s really good and light weight. I’ve been blessed with normal skin, so I don’t have the burden of searching up life changing skincare products.
On days where I’m in that fancy, self-care mood, I’ll pop on a face masks for the elite vibes. My go to product is the Rose Jelly Mask by Lancome. I never really believed in the face mask façade until I used this. You put a thin layer on and go to sleep and I swear to God, when I wake up, my skin is a glowing, dewy canvas of greatness.
What are your favourite makeup products?
Not to be dramatic, but I would simply pass away without Vaseline. I don’t know if you’d class it as a make up product, but the rose-tinted flavour is basically a lip gloss at this point. I occasionally dabble into Carmex but my heart will always long for that rose Vaseline magic.
Anything you’re guilty of doing (or not doing)?
I own one beauty blender that I’ve had for 3 years (please don’t judge me, I’m an on and off makeup wearer) and 0 make up brushes. I also never wear sun cream because I’m brown and think I’m immune to the effects of the sun even though I’m not.
Is there anything in particular you like to splurge on?
A good hair mask. I’ve bleached my hair about 5 times since the age of 16 (I’m the cliché for changing her hair at every minor inconvenience). My hair is not alive, so a good hair mask is the least it deserves after all I’ve put it through. Right now, I’m using Olaplex Number 3 and honestly, you really can’t go wrong with the Olaplex products.
What are your favourite hair products?
Hair products is where I shine. I have tried literally all of them throughout my hair journey. I never really repurchase the same product 2 times
Photo Credit: Zahra Mukadam
in a row. My hair becomes immune to hair products really quickly, so their effects wear off. If we’re talking drugstore products, I do like the Elvive
Photo Credit: Zahra Mukadam
Dream Lengths range. After my 5th bleach, I decided that drug store just wasn’t cutting it. I currently use the Joico reconstructor shampoo and conditioner and follow it up with some Argan Oil and Unique One spray once out of the shower. The combination of these products, plus my Olaplex mask is a solid 8 out of 10.
For all the fake blondes out there, I’m about to put you on the best product ever. It’s the purple shampoo by Bold Uniq and it is the best purple shampoo in all existence. I’ve tried, Fudge, Joico, Fanola, John Frieda, you name it. Nothing compares to this purple shampoo. I’m Indian so my hair has a lot of copper undertones – this product sorts me right out.
Any beauty secrets?
I wouldn’t exactly call this a secret but it’s something that really helps with split ends and that is snipping them off. Invest in a pair of hair scissors and every few days (or weeks, my hair is just super damaged), just chop a little bit of hair off at the ends. It’s quite fun, actually, as long as you don’t go overboard. It keeps your hair stronger, especially when it’s so damaged.
Is there a specific product that you are endlessly looking for and still haven’t found the perfect one?
This is so basic but I haven’t found the perfect concealer. I’ve tried good ones but none of them hit like I want them to. I currently use the FitMe concealer by Maybelline, it’s cheap and it does the job however when I come home after a long day, it’s like I’ve got no concealer on at all. I really want to try the Tarte Shape Tape concealer but the price is just so off putting to me.
Following on from the success of The Wiz – which bid farewell at the National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals (BBC One) – Hope Mill Theatre is back with another adaptation of an incredible musical. This time, it’s Passion – one of the late, great Stephen Sondheim’s lesser-known musicals.
A one-act musical, with music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by James Lapine, the story was adapted from Ettore Scola’s 1981 film Passione d’Amore, and its source material, Iginio Ugo Tarchetti’s 1969 novel ‘Fosca’. Central themes include love, sex, obsession, illness, passion, beauty, power and manipulation. Passion is notable for being one of the few projects that Sondheim himself conceived, along with Sweeney Todd and Road Show.
Set in Risorgimento-era Italy, the plot concerns a young soldier and the changes in him brought about by the obsessive love of Fosca, his Colonel’s homely, ailing cousin – a woman prone to severe melancholy and mania. Exploring the consequences of intense passion and obsessive adoration, Passion is a ravishing and thought-provoking look at the lengths people go to for desire.
The musical stars musical theatre icon Ruthie Henshall (Olivier winner and 5 x nominee) in the lead role. Henshall won the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Amalia Balash in the London revival of She Loves Me (1994). Her other Olivier nominated roles are Polly Baker in the original London production of Crazy for You (1993–1994), Roxie Hart in the revival of Chicago (1997–1998) and the title roles in the original productions of Peggy Sue Got Married (2001) and Marguerite (2008). She made her Broadway in 1999, once again starring in Chicago, but this time as Velma Kelly. In 2010, she returned to the Broadway production, once again playing Roxie Hart.
She gained more mainstream notoriety when she competed in I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2020, before playing Miranda Evans in long-running soap Doctors (2021). She also presented West End Live in 2021.
The male lead, Giorgio, is played by Dean John-Wilson, who is best-known for originating the role of Aladdin in Disney’s Aladdin on the West End. He also played Run Tha in the acclaimed West End revival of The King and I – a Broadway transfer. Those less familiar with musical theatre might recognise him from The Voice.
The musical is sure to be an intoxicating affair, so give in to the urge and buy yourself a ticket.
Not to flex, but I turn a down lot of interviews – or I pass them on to my writers. (That was definitely a flex). I simply do not have the time. It’s for that reason that I rarely reach out to people for interviews. Interviewing is one of my favourite things in the world, and I actually aspire to be an interviewer, but reviewing just about every show in Manchester, on top of my full-time TV job, prevents me from focusing on that. It is what it is…
So, if I agree to interview somebody (for instance, Scouting for Girls), it’s because I really want to talk to them. If I, myself, reach out to interview you – well, you must be really fricken cool!
Denis Coleman is so cool, he’s basically arctic.
An 18-year-old singer-songwriter and producer, Denis is one of Little Mix’s opening acts on their farewell (for now) tour. The other is, of course, Since September – which former University of Manchester student (and my mate) Patrick Ralphson is a member of. Since September won Little Mix The Search in November 2020. It was quite the exciting day: first, Joe Biden (finally) won the presidency, then Since September won The Search!
I always check out opening acts before going to concerts – and I always make sure to get there early enough to see them. I was a little late for Craig David, so I only caught the end of Nippa’s set, much to my frustration. Opening acts are an integral part of the show; they set the scene and warm you up. I checked Denis out shortly after it was announced that he’d be joining Little Mix and Since September on the tour. I was instantly excited by him – not only his dope ass music but also just him as an artist.
COVID-19 prevented us from doing the interview face-to-face (nobody’s allowed in the venue unnecessarily), but Denis agreed to sit down with me over Zoom – on Bank Holiday Monday morning, of all times! I’d been to see Blondie and Johnny Marr the night before (and went to bed very late), from which I was still recovering, but Denis quickly woke me up with his insightful commentary on music and mental health.
Photo: Cal Macintyre.
Denis the artist
Denis moved to London, UK from New Jersey, USA when he was just six years old (though he still has an awesome American accent). Whilst his parents do not have “much musical talent”, they have a lot of appreciation for music and have always encouraged him to explore his musical capabilities. He has been playing music since he was 6 and writing songs since he was 10! Initially, music was “more just a fun thing to do”, but by the time he was 13 or 14, it became the dream – and he has worked tirelessly to make that dream the reality that it is.
Denis’ music taste is very eclectic – which is obvious, just by listening to his music.
“My Spotify, which is all over the place and will take elements from The Police or Nirvana and sort of combine these different movements in rock but then tie it all together with the modern sounds that I like to use and the modern production… I co-produce or produce all the songs that I put out, so I always put my own little stamp on the sound that I’m trying to create. So, it is definitely a mix of various rock movements throughout history, with that sort of modern edge to it as well.”
In fact, he describes his music as a “Gen Z take on rock”. Whilst rock is not as popular with our generation, he loves it and thinks that it has a great energy to it (so do I – did I mention I just saw Blondie?!). Denis (who I’ve just realised shares a name with one of the only hits Blondie did not sing at the concert, and I’m still bitter) wants to capture that energy and remodel it to fit our generation and the world we live in today. He loves the “cinematic, graphic, larger-than-life, big vistas, big power chords” that we see in old rock. “[I’m] trying to capture a little bit of that super stardom and repackage it into a more accessible, modern type of track.”
That’s why I love rock – it’s so unashamedly theatrical.
I was very impressed by the revelation that Denis produces his own music. Even a lot of huge artists don’t produce their own music – at least not most of it. Denis thinks of a song as a complete package; it’s not just the lyrics and the vocals. When he approaches a song, he wants to be involved in every aspect of it to make it genuine to his vision and what he is saying – not only lyrically but also musically. He started producing pretty young but never really had the confidence to try it out in his own music, but, over time, he got more and more involved, and now he co-produces (or even sole produces) every track.
Songwriters approach songs differently. Some artists write about issues that they have not gone through – much like most authors – or even totally made-up scenarios. Denis, however, prefers to write about topics that are close and personal to him and channel his experiences into his music.
“The way that I write, it sort of meanders around these different ideas and images that I create on the spot in my mind, but the underlying emotion of the song, and the underlying thoughts, are things that stick with me for prolonged periods of time…
“A lot of the recent topics I’ve been writing about, like dopamine addiction and relationships on social media, and all these kinds of things, are the thoughts that have been sort of percolating in my mind over the past few months and just sort of circling around in there. So, when it gets to the point that I’m sat down with my notes app open, and I’m typing down those lyrics in the studio, I start thinking, ‘what are the things that have been really challenging me or making me think recently?’ And then that’s what I start writing about, and that’s what feels both the most natural thing to write about and also the most important thing.”
Denis thinks that his music will probably always be relatively serious. “When I look at why I write, there always has to be an exigence or a purpose to what I’m writing, a reason why I’m writing it. It’s fun sometimes to freestyle and riff and write about any sort of throwaway topic. I think, as a writer and a songwriter, I love being versatile and writing for other artists and matching to whatever style that they feel suits them. But when it comes to my music, there’s always got to be a purpose to me, it has to feel genuine to what I’m interested in and what I think is important to speak about, so I think that is always going to be a mainstay to my music.”
Denis’ upcoming single, ‘Narcissist’, “is not quite in the same vein as the others, but it also has some little deep elements to it”.
My favourite Denis song is, without a doubt, ‘pillowTHOUGHTS’. When I saw the title, I was immediately reminded of ‘Pillow Talk’ by Zayn – a super sexy song by a pretty, Pakistani papito – so that drew me in. Surprisingly, Denis wrote this song very quickly. The writing flowed naturally because he’d been thinking about the idea for quite some time. The song is, essentially, about the thoughts that keep you up at night – that period where suddenly your mind wakes up and thinks about the things you miss, things you can’t let go of, etc.
“I kind of wanted to capture that period of time and that turmoil in the track… I ended up writing the chorus in these, sort of, almost run-on sentences, where the last word of every line starts the next one, so that it tries to mirror that wishy-washiness and uncertainty of the thought process at that time of night.”
Photo: Cal Macintyre.
Denis on tour
It’s hard to believe that Denis is only 18 – his music is so musically mature and lyrically lavish. On top of this, he has achieved remarkable success at a really young age. However, only now is he appreciating that he did “some cool thing as a little kid”. At the time, he was loving it, but he is very ambitious and driven; he was always focused on what to do next. He always “kept one eye on the future”.
Denis’ breakthrough was when he went on tour with The Vamps. Before the tour, he was used to playing to crowds of around 50 people, at pubs and bars around the UK. The most he’d played for was 100-150. Going from that to playing to arenas was “absolutely nuts”.
The tour came about when Denis got involved with a collective of artists who toured with The Vamps and invited him to join them. Denis said it was “definitely one of the most affirming and crazy moments on the journey so far”.
Whilst the Vamps are uber successful, no modern group quite matches Little Mix’s success. They are the biggest girl group in the world right now – and one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, outselling the likes of Destiny’s Child. Denis touring with them – what’s more, on their farewell tour – has to be the highlight of his career so far.
This opportunity arose because Denis’ manager knows a lot of people on Little Mix’s team. They heard his music and thought he was a great choice to open the tour – for which he is very grateful and honoured.
He said the experience has been “so surreal” – it took him multiple shows to process that it is actually real and not just a dream. “Up until those last moments, it was still not sinking in… ‘I’m actually going to be on tour with Little Mix, this band that is so iconic, so incredible, who I listen to everyday on the radio wherever I was going, as a kid.’”
Whilst Denis is finally embarking on his own headline tour later this year, he is becoming something of a fixture as a support act on other people’s tours. As well as The Vamps and Little Mix, he’s toured with HRVY and New Rules. I told Denis about a tweet I saw which said, “A concert isn’t a concert unless Denis Coleman is the support act, I said what I said” – much to his amusement.
“It’s such a great way to spread the music out there, ‘cause, at the end of the day, music is, a lot of it anyway, is designed to be heard live and to be introduced in that sort of setting, in that live setting. So, being able to show people who I am as an artist in a live setting, make those connections with people on the night, is a great opportunity, and it’s also very, very fun ‘cause I love live music so much.”
This reminded me of all the artists who have complained about not being able to take their music on the road, thanks to the pandemic. As Denis said, lots of music is designed to be heard live. Indeed, music predates studio recordings – before that, you had to go to live events to hear music. Without live events, the music industry arguably lost its origin.
Photo: Cal Macintyre.
Denis the activist
Denis’ newest single, ‘Healing the Process’, is about how he related to social media and the effect it was having on him – the overwhelming sense of uncertainty, being unsure, and a lack of control in the way he was behaving on social media. He noticed that social media was having a negative effect on his mental health – especially because we became so reliant on social media during lockdown. Whilst he realised this was unhealthy, he did not have a strong will to change it.
“It’s kind of one of those parts of our lives you just have to accept and live with, whether it’s good for your mental health or not.” The song is about having some room to grow, to improve, but not being fully sure what that is, or how to do it – “and just trying to, kind of, voice these thoughts, which, I feel like, sometimes you don’t hear in songs. You hear a lot of songs about the challenges or about how to take care of yourself, but sometimes just wanting to take care of yourself and not fully knowing the best way to do that, I think is something that a lot of us go through.”
This is what I love about Denis’ music – he sings about issues that affect our (young people’s) lives. This, along with his aforementioned appropriation (of sorts) of rock music – in that he is making it more accessible – makes it clear that Denis’ target audience is, unashamedly, young people.
It’s unsurprising, then, that Denis is also committed to issues affecting young people outside of music – especially mental health and anti-bullying. This came about when he was around 15 – a close friend of his went through a period of struggling with his mental health, which kickstarted Denis’ commitment to tackling mental illness.
He soon started working with a charity called The Power of Musik, which would go into schools and talk about mental health. After working with them, he did a series of independent talks. He estimates he visited between 100 and 150 different schools over the course of that time.
Denis the dreamer
From touring schools to arenas, Denis is quite the busy man. His main focus, however, is on his first ever headlining tour, which he is embarking on this August.
Whilst Denis believes in spontaneity – letting the sound and music drive where he is heading – he does have long-term goals. The most important thing to him is that his future music is better than it is today. He thinks his music has improved over the years and hopes that he will continue to grow and evolve as an artist. He wants to “speak about even more relevant topics, make more of a difference, and get my music heard”.
From a metric standpoint, he obviously wants to grow his fanbase and hopes to continue performing at arenas – one day as the headliner, “with my support acts under me as well and helping to bring through the next wave of emerging artists.”
He hopes to nurture the next Denis Coleman.
You can catch Denis Coleman at Manchester’s AO Arena this Friday and Saturday evening, along with Since September, as part of Little Mix’s Confetti Tour. Denis will be on at 7PM, so don’t be late! The tour continues until mid-May, culminating with three evenings shows at London’s O2 Arena on 12th, 13th and 14th June. The final date will be live-streamed globally as The Last Show (for now…).
Sadly, he is not performing at any of the matinee performances – including the Saturday matinee in Manchester.
If you’re attending one of the matinees, or can’t make the tour at all, you can catch Denis on his first ever headlining tour from 1st until 13th August. He will be playing at the Deaf Institute in Manchester on 4th August.
The University of Manchester has, in a recent publication of its updated policy for Responsible Investment, confirmed that it has ended investments in coal, oil, and gas in order to respond to the climate crisis.
The University declared having stopped investments in fossil fuel companies, and companies producing tobacco, controversial weapons, or with poor environmental, social, and governance ratings. The University has also indicated that, towards its ‘Our Future’ strategy, it has reduced the carbon intensity of its investments by 37%.
The 2020 University’s Policy for Responsible Investments set the following targets:
Almost complete (99%) disinvestment in fossil fuel extraction companies, and 30% reduction in weighted average carbon intensity (amount of electricity produced per KW hour of electricity consumed) in the public equity allocation in the investment portfolio by 2022.
Reduction in weighted average carbon intensity of the remainder of the public equity allocation in the investment portfolio to a net zero target by 2038 or earlier.
In their 2021 Report, the University declared they have reached the first goal and are working towards attaining the second one. The 2021 Report confirmed that the University has exceeded its 30% reduction in weighted average carbon intensity target, by reaching a reduction of 37%. The University are still working towards the 2038 net zero target, which had been fixed in partnership with Greater Manchester Council.
Professor Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility, stated: “When we set out this policy we were clear that we wanted to be more radical than simply removing our investment from fossil fuel companies. We wanted to actively tilt our investment portfolio towards more carbon-efficient companies. While there is more to do, I’m really pleased that we’ve exceeded our target in our first year.”
The University’s investment portfolio, which is principally made up of endowment funds, such as gifts from donors, currently represents more than £200 million. The University invests these endowment funds across a myriad of asset classes (groups of investments that exhibit similar characteristics and are subject to the same laws and regulations) including public equities, private equity, property, cash, diversified growth funds and pooled funds. These investments’ income is supposed to support the university’s core services, and notably services including and concerning students.
The 2021 Report however also draws attention to more social-related issues. The University of Manchester is still investing in companies such as Microsoft, Barclays, Marks and Spencer, Nike and ArcelorMittal who have drawn controversy with previous records on business practices.
The policy is supposed to include the consideration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) questions relating to all investment choices. The University in the 2020 Policy for Responsible Investment said they are “particularly concerned about the key ESG issues”, and ready to “adopt investment strategies that seek to minimise or, ideally, eliminate investments in companies with corporate behaviour leading to human rights violations, racial or sexual discrimination, the exploitation of workers”.
The Policy for Socially Responsible Investment is set to be revised by the University’s Board of Governors once again this year, in 2022.
Easter Sunday is perhaps the most important occasion in the religious calendar. All Christians celebrate in accordance with their denomination’s own traditions and interpretation of the Bible however the Orthodox Church likes to do things slightly differently by celebrating Easter on an entirely different day!
In the Orthodox Church (which split from what we know as the Roman Catholic Church in 1054) Easter usually falls a week after the Catholic/ Protestant Easter. This is because the Orthodox Church follows the original Julian calendar, not the widely accepted Gregorian calendar, thus Easter falls on a different day due to the calendar’s differing interpretation of lunar events.
Orthodox Easter is celebrated across the globe but is particularly concentrated in Greece, Cyprus, and Eastern-Europe. Being part Greek-Cypriot, my family naturally celebrate the Holy week according to Greek traditions but the services and theology they are derived from are fairly universal.
Therefore, a Ukrainian, for example, could celebrate Easter in Greece and vice-versa. This is hugely important given current events like the war in Ukraine as it means refugees can practise their faith freely and safely even if there are no churches of their nationality nearby.
How do we celebrate the Holy Week?
The Orthodox Easter period begins similarly to other denominations as it follows traditions associated with Lent. In Greece, Lent begins with ‘Clean Monday’ (called ‘Green Monday’ in Cyprus), deriving from the belief that believers should begin the holiday with a “clean heart”.
Many devout Orthodox Christians undertake fasting in this period, called “νηστεία” in Greek (pronounced nésteia [nee-stee-ia]). Worshippers are expected to give up meat, eggs, and dairy throughout the 40 days of lent – although for health reasons many just give up meat.
There are multiple days devoted to prayer and worship throughout the Easter period. One of these is March 25, the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, where Mary was informed by the Archangel Gabriel that she was pregnant with the son of God.
March 25 is also Greece’s Independence Day as it was selected as the date to mark the beginning of the Greek 1821 Revolution, an uprising against the occupying Ottoman Empire that would spark the successful Greek War of Independence (1821-29).
Another important day is Palm Sunday as in the Gospels it is the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem. It’s also the beginning of the Holy Week in all Christian denominations. The occasion is marked by a special church service with multiple different services, predominantly Vespers, continuing throughout the Holy Week.
These services culminate with Good Friday, the day Jesus was crucified. In the Orthodox Church the service takes the form of a funeral, beginning at 8pm and ending around 10pm. Halfway through the ceremony the Priest and Chanters lead a procession carrying a large crucifix around the church as if it were indeed a funeral.
This also serves to spread the faith to the community and in the modern era often gets bemused looks from people just wanting to enjoy their Friday night out on the town! They then continue this outside with the entire congregation following respectfully.
An epitaph (ἐπιτάφιος in Greek, pronounced epitáphios [ep-ee-taff-eos]) adorned with flowers is also carried around during this part of the service. It is said to contain the body of Christ and is on display at the front of the church throughout the service. When the procession re-enters the building all members of the congregation go under the epitaph to enter the church.
An Epitaph said to contain the body of Jesus Christ as part of the Greek-Orthodox Good Friday service Photo: WikimediaCommons
Naturally, the biggest church service of the Holy Week is Easter Sunday (which actually takes place on Saturday night) because it is when Christ is resurrected. This year was actually my first time attending the Saturday service as usually I just go on Good Friday because the service properly ends at around 3/4am! However, because I am now a nocturnal student, I decided to attend on Saturday night which was an interesting experience in and of itself.
Saturday’s service begins with the usual praying and chanting but in the run-up to midnight things get interesting. Slowly, the lights are dimmed and candles are blown out until the church is bathed in darkness. At midnight the Holy Light arrives to signify the resurrection. The Priest then uses this Holy Light to light a candle which in turn he uses to light other worshippers’ candles.
One-by-one, the light is spread as each candle is lit until the Church is now bathed in the light and the Son of God now walks amongst us.
A Candle lit with the Holy Light to signify the resurrection of Christ Photo: Joe McFadden @The Mancunion
What happens on Easter Sunday?
Unsurprisingly, Easter Sunday is the best part of the religious holiday. It is the time when families come together, eat delicious food, and compete over who has the strongest hard-boiled egg (yes, you read that right!).
First and foremost: The food
To celebrate Easter, traditionally the Greek’s eat lamb with a plethora of sides as it is now time to break nésteia.
Now, my family’s traditions differ slightly from those of mainland Greece as we are actually Greek-Cypriot, so there are some deviations within our cuisine that may not be the case for the mainland and its islands.
Greek-Cypriots’ main meal is called Souvla (σούβλα [suv-la]). Similar to Barbecue, Souvla is chunks of meat cooked on a long skewer over a charcoal fire in a Foukou (φουκού [fu-gu]). The meat is seasoned and cooked for 90 minutes to 3 hours depending on family traditions.
Lamb is the most common meat used for Souvla at Easter but Pork and Chicken are cooked as well. The Souvla is paired with a Cypriot spiced sausage called Loukaniko (λουκάνικο [loo-kan-ee-gu]) and Sheftalia (σεφταλιά [sheft-al-ya]), a homemade sausage, served with Pitta bread and Tzatziki dip.
My cousin Christina shows off her Souvla as it cooks on the Foukou Photo: Christina Klerides-Maos
For dessert, a traditional Cypriot savoury pastry called Flaounes (φλαούνες [flow-ou-nes]) is served. These are filled with cheese and are very specific to Easter, being prepared earlier in the Holy Week.
After dinner, the family participates in a tradition called Tsougrisma (τσούγκρισμα, pronounced tsoo-grees-mah).
On Holy Thursday, eggs are hard-boiled and dyed red to symbolise the blood of Christ; on Easter Sunday each family member selects an egg at random and then smashes them together (top-to-top and bottom-to-bottom) to determine who has the strongest egg.
When cracking their eggs together the offensive player shouts “Christos Anesti! [Χριστός ἀνέστη]” meaning “Christ is risen” and the defending player replies with “Alithos Anesti [Αληθώς ανέστη]” which translates to “Truly, he is risen”. The winner is the player whose egg remains unscathed throughout all of the play. Following the game, the eggs are peeled and eaten.
Hard Boiled Eggs dyed Red, ready for cracking and eating! Photo: Christine McFadden
My thoughts:
To me, Easter is first and foremost a time for families to come together and celebrate their culture. Personally, my religious views would be described as sceptical at best but, despite my misgivings of organised religion, Greek-Orthodox traditions are still hugely important to me.
My Cross (or σταυρώνω in Greek) with my name carved into it. Despite my lack of religious views, I wear this whenever I go to Church as it connects me to my culture and also holds sentimental value because my Godmother christened me with it Photo: Joe McFadden @ The Mancunion
Growing up Greek-Orthodox, church-going was still an important formative experience. Subsequently, I’ve come to the conclusion that I feel more of an attachment to the cultural element and the community it encompasses rather than any overt religious reasoning. The Easter period is an incredibly busy period for those who are devout believers, such as my Grandmother γιαγιά (Grandmother) and Uncle, and it is their commitment and hard work that makes Easter Sunday so enjoyable for me, my brother, and our cousins.
(I would like to thank my Mother for her patience in assisting me with this article by answering all my questions as I do not know nearly enough about my own culture as my writing here may imply!)
I’m 21 years old and I’m a virgin. This is not perhaps considered shocking, but what tends to confuse people more is that I’m deliberately celibate. I’m also planning on remaining a virgin for quite some time, as I plan to stay a virgin until (and if) I get married.
Arriving at university at 18, I was expecting to feel a little out of place. I had not been raised in a cave, and knew that I would probably be in the minority amongst my friends and flatmates by not wanting to have sex. What I was not expecting was the level of discussion it would awake in strangers. I thought, perhaps naively, that given my sex life would be non-existent, there would be nothing to talk about!
This was not the case. This lifestyle choice was influenced by my Christian faith, which I don’t hide, and which I was expecting to evoke questioning. However, I expected the questions to be more philosophical, or scientific: Why do I believe in God? Do I believe Jesus was historical or mythical? Do I believe in evolution? (I do, by the way)
What I wasn’t expecting was the almost instantaneous question, often from complete strangers: “So, do you have sex?” I was shocked. Not in discussing sex – I don’t believe talking about it should be taboo, and I’m ok talking about why I don’t sleep with people at the moment. My friends and I chatted about relationships at school, and as some of them were having sex by Sixth Form, we’d started to talk about that too.
What confused me is that I’ve never heard my sexually active friends being asked such intimate questions by a stranger. Not necessarily the initial question “do you have sex?”, but more the follow-up conversation that inevitably ensues. Random people I get talking to outside nightclubs or in university bars asking me what my sex drive is like, if I masturbate and exactly how far I would go (it’s worth noting that these, quite genuinely, were not propositions).
I don’t really understand why people think those kinds of questions are appropriate. For people who have sex, I wonder how they’d feel about strangers asking after their complete sexual history, whether they’ve ever caught an STD, or even just why they have sex? If people want to talk about these aspects of their lives, they shouldn’t be shamed for it, but there’s a double standard that needs to be addressed.
This is why I’ve chosen to write this article anonymously. I’m not ashamed, and those who know me well will know these words are mine. However, I’ve decided it’s time for me to start reclaiming my right to privacy around my sex life. There is unfortunately no virginity equivalent to the so-called ‘confidentiality of the bedroom’.
There’s also a common assumption that I’m judging other people, even when I make no mention of their own sex life, and only reply to questions they’ve asked. Being unashamed of living my life differently is not the same as feeling superior about it.
I find that people who consider themselves incredibly liberal are still highly judgemental about my personal choice. Vegetarians are not assumed to judge meat eaters just because they don’t eat meat. Why am I assumed to judge sexually active people simply because I choose not to have sex?
Sexism and Virginity
The sexism surrounding sex has also not left the virginity narrative unaffected. As a female virgin, I’m fetishized. Fortunately, that’s yet to happen to my face, but I’m not so naïve to be ignorant about the creeps who, often online, fantasise about taking someone’s virginity. I’m fortunate to have grown up in an environment where at least virginity was not paraded as a woman’s defining feature.
Nonetheless, it makes me uncomfortable. Not just because it makes me feel vulnerable – I know I would often be seen as an easy target – but because it casts untrue aspersions on my sexually-active female friends. I am not better than them. My virginity doesn’t make me pure, and in contrast to sinful teachings by conservative churches, women who have had sex outside of marriage are not ‘spoilt’ or ‘lesser-than’.
On the other hand, my male friends who choose to stay celibate face an equally bad, but altogether different narrative. The historical, untrue assumption that women don’t want to have sex means that men are even more likely to be seen as weird. They’re also less likely to be believed when they tell people it’s by choice.
The representation of male virgins in the media mostly involves nerdy, incels, desperate for sex at any cost. It is interesting that male virgins are often seen as less masculine, whilst female virgins are often seen as more feminine. Both stereotypes are damaging.
In addition, I don’t deny that the church has contributed to sexist narratives about sex. As in wider society, women have often been held to a higher sexual standard than men. I was fortunate enough to grow up with Christian conversations about sex that were often less sexist than those I heard elsewhere, but I know that many did not share this experience. I also know that Christian teachings on virginity have often been – and still are – abused.
I can only beg to be believed when I say that the vast, vast majority of Christians I meet are horrified by religious contributions to hidden mother and baby homes, forced marriage after sex, and vicious hatred of those who engage in extra-marital sex, to name just a few examples. Power can often corrupt, and judgemental people often unfortunately seek to justify their behaviour by claiming a religious high ground.
Why do I wait?
My personal desire to abstain does not come from some fear of God, or of other Christians, despite widespread public opinion. I don’t deny that I first learnt about the idea of waiting until marriage at church, but my desire to wait goes beyond this.
In a doubting period during my mid-teenage years, I wasn’t sure if I even believed in God anymore, but I knew that, ideally, I’d still wait until the night of my wedding to have sex. My only worry was that it would be harder without the religious ‘excuse’.
So why am I waiting until marriage? Basically, I believe it will give me the best chance for joy. To me, it feels far more romantic than it does restrictive or difficult. I hope my marriage, if I choose one, will consist of two people growing to know each other more and more closely throughout their lifetime.
I will learn about sex with one person, will improve at it with them, and I won’t be distracted by comparisons with exes. It will be more than physical. A way to deepen my relationship with someone I’ve chosen to commit myself to. In addition, I know the person chose me because of who I am, not just because of any initial spark of sexual attraction, which any realist knows can often fizzle out with time. I don’t have to worry about being bad at sex!
My faith also means that I believe that as God created sex, he loves it and knows it better than me, and guides me to live in a way that means I get to enjoy it best. However, that doesn’t mean he loves those who choose a different path any less, and I don’t love them less either. It is difficult to get this across in an anonymous article, but I hope my friends would attest to this fact.
Am I missing out?
Waiting doesn’t mean, however, that I simply hang around, miserable and lonely, desperate to marry. I’ve hinted already that I’m not even sure I want to get married – I have plenty of time to decide. I hardly think this points towards someone unfulfilled and impatient.
I live a full life. I date interesting people, go clubbing with friends, and love the opportunity to dress up. These things don’t disappear without the motive of sex, which I think sometimes people forget. Sometimes I think the lack of pressure in that area improves them.
There are also practical benefits that my sexually active friends laughingly envy me for. I can wear the comfiest, ugliest underwear I want; my bedroom can be left in a complete state after I get ready for a night out; all decisions about my pubic hair are left completely uninfluenced by outside opinion (as they always should be, but rarely are)!
Joking aside, I find an inability to imagine a life without sex as strange as people find my lack of sex life. Sex sounds great, but I hope that if I start having it, it won’t become the most vital part of my life. I think most people would confirm that sex is not the most important thing they do, but you wouldn’t know it from my chats with strangers.
I’m a virgin. I don’t put myself on a pedestal, and I don’t demand that you change the way you live your life. I simply ask that you respect the way I choose to live mine.
