Brink Magazine by David Barnicle

THE BRINK magazine A Valentine visit from PRINCESS KATE

Also... INTERVIEWS Damien Tom (head chef) PJ

FEATURES Opening Night Lhama Lhapka Yeshe and more..

FOOD Take a look at our menu...

MUSIC

ArtLoveLocal

FILM

La Haine Dark Days Ratcatcher and more..

Editorial What’s happening at The Brink? The short answer to this question is ‘lots.’ Almost every night there is an occasion for a gathering of some kind, hopefully encapsulated in this issue of the magazine. As events in themselves they have genuine merit, but running through this eclectic and fantastic mix is a thread of even greater purpose. This is a venue where concerns in the Recovery sector can be married with the interests of the main stream. Until now, these two elements of society have perhaps found it difficult to coexist comfortably. In spite of this, there definitely exists a desire to pull down the drawbridge and attempt connection. The Brink is the manifestation of this desire, a conscious attempt at integration. At times it appears that a moat surrounds the Recovery Castle, not only acting as an unnecessary barrier from the outer fields of mainstream culture, but it also provides conditions for siege mentality to set in, with the drawbridge fully up. The Brink is also about individuals. We will encounter such people in this issue, but many others have also taken the journey of recovery, arrived at a place of safety, and are ready to proclaim the good news to those in both fear and doubt that all is not lost, even when at the greatest depths of despair. The success stories generate a momentum within the recovery community, but the community as a whole has recognised there is ground as of yet not touched, a final step not yet taken. In taking this step, a more complete catharsis can be achieved. The last port of call is the step into mainstream society. Defined by such terms as ‘integration’ and ‘acceptance,’ it has up to now been the most difficult to reach. However, any interaction between two separate entities requires energy from each for successful partnership. Therefore it is vital that those who permeate the space tentatively labelled ‘the mainstream,’ who may have been lucky enough to avoid the challenge of addiction, take an interest in the recovery community – an equally relevant part of our society – and contribute to the integration. We must be part of this last step. Furthermore, while a mainstream society with a willingness to understand would certainly help sufferers make the final step, it would also receive in return the skills and the methods which have been expertly honed by practitioners for years. Substance mis-use is not a prerequisite for problems of the self. The rest of society shares the fundamental problems of which addiction is just a symptom, and there are by no means any certainties in treating them. Mainstream society is almost at a loss when it comes to answers. The Recovery Sector has however been quietly carving out an ethos which appears ready for use. Anxiety and depression, a result of early trauma or even genetic makeup, are as inextricably linked to symptoms of addiction as the recovery community is to mainstream society. Both of these groups share the common causes for their problems, which undeniably overlap into each other in terms of consequences. Whole communities are affected by addiction, and therefore the whole community has a responsibility to address it, not just those with the obvious problem. Even as an outsider to the recovery community, it is difficult

CONTENTS Welcome to The Brink!

Interview: Damien JohnKelly

12 20 26 32

Special Feature: Tibetan monk Lama Lhapka Yeshe

16 23 30 34

Interview: ‘PJ’ Smith

Special Feature: Princess Kate in pics

What is Recovery?

Interview: Head Chef Tom Gill

FOOD! The Brink’s menu MUSIC! With ArtLoveLocal FILMCLUB!

not to get excited by the sheer number of possibilities generated by The Brink simply being there. It is also diﬃcult not to be aﬀected by the abundance of infectious enthusiasm possessed by all those directly involved in the project, hopefully encapsulated by this issue of the magazine. “It’s very important that we’re not just for recovery. We want people in recovery to step outside that bubble and go into mainstream society. We also want to direct awareness from mainstream society towards the recovery agenda, which will also reduce stigma about recovery.” Damien John-Kelly, Community Engagement Worker at The Brink

David Barnicle - Editor

feature

Welcome

BRINK magazine 5

to THE BRINK Opening Night The last day of September in 2011 marked a very special occasion for the recovery community. With great expectancy, nationally and within Merseyside, the UK’s ﬁrst ever multipurpose dry-bar, was oﬃcially welcomed into existence. I attended its opening night, read on for a report.....

FEATURE

THE BRINK: OPENING NIGHT!

his was the perfect way for The Brink to announce a statement of intent. The inspirational welcoming speeches from founders and beneficiaries, about how The Brink came to be, from what seemed an impossible beginning both logistically and financially, were received with as much heart-warming enthusiasm as that in which they were given. The whole room however shared an eagerness to give as much of the spotlight to the future, and what, as a singular entity, The Brink hopes to achieve. The rapturous applause was shared equally amongst the speakers, and reserved also for the evenings entertainment, as the night was interspersed with live music from Liverpool’s local gig scene. DJ and well known local music mogul Bernie Connor was at the decks for the evening, while acoustic singer songwriter Matt Swift, and the fantastic Raucous Caucous recovery choir provided the live sound. In attendance was The Brink’s very own and first ‘celeb,’ Peter Spanton, husband of Janet Street Porter, who having made his own way through recovery some years ago, enthusiastically agreed to cutting the ribbon, and to providing the bar with a range of the soft drinks he created when faced with the dull prospect of coke or orange juice for life, following his decision to quit alcohol. Also in attendance was the much coveted designer Benjy Holroyd, who is responsible for the logos, colour scheme and artwork associated with Brand Brink. Both he and architect Richard Eastwood were singled out for special praise in a speech by Jacquie JohnstonLynch, without whom the whole project would not have materialised, having conceived of and procured the funding for the whole project. Eastwood was given rightful acclaim for immersing himself in recovery meetings at Sharp (The Liverpool Addiction Treatment Centre) and attending special focus groups, which aided him in his architecturally creative decision making. Great Expectations

Jacquie Johnston-Lynch; Head of Service at Action on Addiction in Liverpool, who conceived of The Brink Some would argue the importance of the occasion extends further than the recovery perimeter. I spoke to Jacquie Johnston-Lynch and Damien John-Kelly, both integral to the running of The Bri, and asked them how they viewed the future. Damien, this place is the ﬁrst of its kind, what do you hope it can do? “Even though tonight is the opening night, I’ve been in post now for about a month, and the amount of meetings with people from outside the recovery sector....well, I always knew that people

in recovery would always come down here, but this place is not going to survive on the strength of the ‘recovery pound’ alone. As we were building the place, it quickly became apparent that it’s so so much more than that, and that there’s a need in society for it. So, all these meetings I’ve had in the last month or so, I’ve experienced real enthusiasm from people who are nothing to do with recovery, who do drink on other nights, but perhaps don’t want to drink on others. So they can come down with their partner to a city centre location in good

BRINK magazine 7 the moment is apt, and Damien draws positivity from a member of the public recognising the mission statement of The Brink.]

Damien John Kelly; Community Engagment Officer surroundings, where there’s great food served by the illustrious ‘Tom’ from The Everyman, so great food and great surroundings without the hostility that you can sometimes experience in the city centre on a Friday or Saturday night. Also, if you look at the proliferation of coffee shops in high streets, from 10 years ago, I mean I’ll add that I used to drink myself, I’m in recovery myself, from alcohol, I’ll say that freely, I used to drink in areas where it was like an elephants graveyard, people would go there to expire! But in this local area now, we have three coffee shops, if you would have told me that even five years ago I’d have laughed. So society is changing, however subtle that is. Other factors are that Liverpool is the recovery capital of Britain, we have more people in recovery here than anywhere else, we’ve also got a large, multicultural community with people from very different backgrounds, and a large student community. Now, there’s evidence to suggest that large parts of these different sectors are not ‘drinkers,’ that definitely goes for the student population and young people, many of whom are teetotal. So, all these things combined, makes me really really....”[Damien is then interrupted by a curious passerby, who wanders up and proclaims ‘this is the bar where you don’t drink isn’t it!’ before entering, to see what all the fuss is about. While this hijacks the interview somewhat, Damien then losing his train of thought,

Jacquie, now that The Brink is finally open, what are your expectations? “My expectations are that its self sustainable, but I’m really hoping that people take up the challenge of coming out to a fantastic venue which doesn’t serve alcohol, but has got everything else.” This is the first of its kind, why is that? What is it offering that’s so unique? “Well, we’ve aimed it at the recovery community, but the recovery community isn’t big enough to keep something like this going, so we’ve aimed for a dovetailing of the recovery community and the mainstream community. In order to do that we’ve created a fantastic vibe in there, it’s a fantastic place. We don’t believe that just because people don’t drink, they should have less than others, that they are less equal to other people when it comes to places of leisure, we believe they should have high quality venues, high quality food, high quality drinks, you know, not just Coca Cola all the time! We really believe that people in recovery should be treated with the respect they deserve.” So is this the first place like this in the UK? “There’s been other things over the years like temperance bars or little cafes and of course most cafes don’t serve alcohol anyway, you know they have a nice chilled out vibe about them. But this is really the first ever big venue that’s designed as a bar and not some little backstreet recovery cafe.” So why has it taken until 2011 for that to happen? “I think people haven’t really taken it seriously as it’s not thought to be profitable, and by the way we are a recovery social enterprise so we need to

be make a profit so we can put that money back into drug and alcohol treatment. I think a lot of people think that they would only make profit by having alcohol there. We think that we can do this without alcohol, with the food and quality drinks menu.” Damien do you think there is a link then, between the fact that more people in Liverpool are in recovery than any other UK city, and that the first dry bar opened here? “Well, this place, in its embryonic stage, as an idea came from...Liverpool is the recovery capital of Britain, that is widely known.” Is that because the infrastructure in Liverpool makes it easier to declare, and ask for help, or is it just because there are more sufferers here? “I don’t really know the answer to that, but what I can say is that the ‘Harm Reduction’ approach to addiction was started in Liverpool 25 years ago. That has now gone worldwide, to over 100 countries, to the World Health Organisation, and The United Nations. To them kind of levels is being used to help developing countries in Africa, its huge.” What was that called? ‘The Mersey Method.’ It was about syringe exchange, substituting heroin for methadone. That approach has been employed worldwide for the last 25 years. It’s only in the last four or five years has it become about total abstinence from all substances, along with 12 step fellowships.” With this is mind, we can see why Liverpool is home to the first dry bar. Not only are the conditions favourable, there is a momentum being generated by the sheer will of those involved . The energy of the opening night has thus far been infused in everything else that has taken place, and shows no signs of letting up. The future is bright. The future is Brink.

The Brink would like to thank all those who have gone above and beyond in support of its development: THE MORGAN FOUNDATION. RAPID HARDWARE. WOOLTON CARPETS. EVERSHEDS. EVERTON FOOTBALL CLUB. NATALIE HAYWOOD. BENJI HOLROYD. RICHARD EASTWOOD. SB STUDIO. R2 ARCHITECTURE. XL DRYER LTD. SCHOOL OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS. JOHN BROWN PUBLISHING. SIMEON BARNES. STRANGE CASE COLLECTIVE. GUY WALLIS. WIBKE HOTT. ART LOVE LOCAL. PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS. DUTCH FLOWER SHOP. CUPCAKE REVOLUTION. MARTIN TROEDEL. DAVID BROTHERIDGE. BRAKES. ROBBIE DORAN. REST AND RELAX

INTERVIEW

INSIDE job Damien John-Kelly, the Community Engagement Worker at The Brink, charts his rise to this illustrious position at the top of the recovery tree, and the depths from which he has risen. three times in seven months because of my addictions, and not going to work. I’ll openly admit, it was not far oﬀ Life of Grime, no ‘leccy,’ [electricity] no gas, and when I did have ‘leccy’ I was just living out of the microwave, dishes would be in the sink for 3 months.” “So, eventually, I lost the house, I lost the partner I was with, and I was back in my mum’s who I didn’t get on with from when I was a child. I didn’t want to be there. Around Christmas 2008, I was curled up in a foetal position in bed. I was 36, and I was thinking, ‘what am I going to do with my life?’ Every avenue I went down, at the end seemed

I didn’t have a front door key for 18 months, I used to get in through the window, and I thought that was normal!

“

ssential to the prosperity of the recovery community are the success stories: the living examples who have been to the great spiralling depths of despair, but have managed to swing the momentum the opposite way and detach themselves from their demons. The identification is crucial. In times of need, people need the way shown to them. It must be mapped out. But how to make the turnaround? How to make that first step into the unknown? How to reach a satisfactory end? What exactly does one do to recover? Change is necessary. But what needs to change? Much of the help on offer, be it clinical, from the family, or from the self-help shelves in bookshops, addresses one’s external environment. For all its benefits, any suspicions that this approach may not be the whole deal are fortified when I speak to Damien JohnKelly, the current Community Engagement Worker at ‘The Brink’. Damien recalls the misleading nature of external appearances when suffering the effects of alcohol and drug abuse just over three years: “On the outside, you know on the tin, I was ‘Alright mate!’ But on the inside I was a mess, and my house reflected my state of mind.” Damien’s mind, just like the house, had not been looked after, due to a topsyturvy lifestyle. “I tried numerous professions, which I failed at every time, because of my use of drink and drugs. After a ten year period I had another nine years of battles, in vain, changing this drink for that drink and such things, being dishonest about myself, delving into crime, which was easy come, easy go. I then became a gas fitter, thinking if I worked, then it would be ‘hard come, hard go! That will solve it. I got sacked

the same answer: to end it all, just end it, just end it! It was a really viable proposition.” Surely no-one would consciously choose a path that led nowhere but suicide? When asked what he thinks were the reasons, it is clear Damien has identified where the trouble came from. “Well, I was a shy kid really, with parental issues in my childhood. Lots of stuff was going on, and lack of confidence was a major thing for me. When I found alcohol at 13, it gave me all that, the confidence. At seventeen I found cocaine, through my uncle, who

BRINK magazine 9

“It was three years ago now, actually on the 5th January 2009, that I said ‘I need help’ and from that moment I’ve never looked back”

committed suicide but was my father figure really. I lived with him from the age of eleven. I went off the rails when he died. At his funeral was the first time I had cocaine. I was drinking loads of alcohol - Southern Comfort - and was getting blotchy and going red, alcohol poisoning basically. One of the family said ‘give him a go of that’ [the cocaine] and, no two ways about it, it stopped the poisoning in its tracks. But, it also unleashed even more confidence.” Like so many sufferers, the seeds of the problems began in adolescence, where the notoriously difficult transition into adulthood takes place. Drugs or alcohol can be the boost required to propel one from the safety of youth to the grown up world, as Damien explains: “Well, for a teenager who was scared of his own shadow, it was brilliant! It gave me all that [confidence]. So I signed up wholeheartedly - ‘Here we go!’ you know? It was about ten years later, the contract that I’d signed so freely got ripped up in front of my eyes, and I had to then sign another contract with a gun to my head, basically, metaphorically speaking of course, the details of which were that you won’t be eating, you won’t have electricity, or gas, you won’t be able to love anyone, all your money’s gonna be gone.” Looking at and listening to Damien now, it is hard to imagine the former

self he describes. He is bristling with confidence from an entirely natural source. He is almost rapping, such is the extent of his prolific and quick fire release of meaningful word and sentence structure. It is no surprise to learn Damien has penned more than a few poems in recent years, and performed them at various ‘open mic’

“I was given a contract, I was going to be funnier, more charming, more handsome, more conﬁdent..” nights. He has recently been on National Television, promoting his story in the hope of encouraging others, and of course to spread awareness of The Brink, in light of its new patronage, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge. But where and how did this transformation begin? What strengths were found and capitalised on?

Damien making his appearance on ‘Daybreak’

INTERVIEW

“It was three years ago now, actually on the 5th January 2009, that I said ‘I need help’ and from that moment I’ve never looked back. I took the twelve weeks of treatment, part of which were structured group exercises, where some of my earlier ‘pub-philosopher’ qualities started to come through. My ability and aptitude with talk, especially with people, was remarked on by my peers. So when I came out of treatment, I hit the ground running really and started volunteering at three different places immediately - The Lighthouse Project, which later became AdAction, The Big Issue and Community Voice. So I got all the training, all the guidance, NVQ4 in information advice and guidance, NVQ3 Health and Social Care, NCFE level 2 Drink and Drugs awareness, and a long list of one day certificates. So, from fourteen months volunteering for The Lighthouse Project in Croxteth, I learnt a lot there. Then, a position came up with The Fixers, a social partnership, for people prevented from working, due to criminal behaviours of some kind in the past, or drink and drugs problems, for socially excluded people, basically. So, I got a wage off them, about £300 a week, and I got to pick my own placement while I worked there. I picked SHARP, a place that nurtured me, allowed me to recover, where I blossomed.”

So, SHARP – the addiction treatment centre on Rodney Street, Liverpool, where members of the community are oﬀered a 12-step abstinence-based treatment program with workshops, life skills, social activities, family support programmes and aftercare – was responsible for the change? While Damien is undeniably enthusiastic in his praise of SHARP, he is also keen to point at the true picture: “SHARP doesn’t do anything for you, it provides you with the environment to prosper if you’ve got the will to do it. If you want to change, you will, in that place.” And so, we get to the crux of the matter. The changes take place where the decisions are made – Inside. This is reﬂected in Damien’s current state of well-being when faced with problems. Damien’s daughter, Grace, born on August 2nd 2011, was diagnosed with the rare and life shortening condition

“The only way alcohol is going to kill me now is if I fall over and drown in it.” Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Type 1, where eighty per cent of sufferers do not see their first birthday. “The old ‘me’ would have used that as license to drink myself to death, sitting in the pub spitting bile and projecting anger at the world. People would have forgiven me, but that’s not where I am today. That’s the difference: positivity and how you look at things, that’s it for me. Drink and drugs were never my problem, it’s what led me to them things, the feeling which arose inside.” So it’s not the world outside that changes, but rather your perception of it, based on how you choose to feel? “Yes definitely, it’s an inside job. The only way alcohol is going to kill me now is if I fall over and drown in it. But it is an inside job, the things in my childhood which brought on the addiction, they still happened, nothing has changed, them experiences are still there, but how I look back on it, and how I look ahead, that’s changed.”

BRINK magazine 9 What Damien does Damien is Community Engagement Worker at The Brink. What does this mean? “I’m a link between outside services that are dealing with alcohol and drug dependency in Liverpool. We’ve got meeting rooms available as part of the structure of the place, for things like media presentations, consultancy, and counselling. They’re available to the public and to outside services in the city. In my remit is the responsibility to keep them rooms hired out, on a sliding scale of charges according to whatever’s in people’s pockets. As this is a business enterprise we need to be sustaining it the best we can, we do need to bring in revenue that way. I also have a hand in ‘Front of House’ programming the events diary, and I’m also a signposting service, for people who come in here who may have friends or family afflicted by drug or alcohol abuse, I’ll perhaps refer them on to the most appropriate and relevant service in the city.”

SHARP Liverpool is a therapeutic peaceful haven for addiction recovery based in a beautiful Georgian town house in Liverpool city centre. There, you can learn to live a full and satisfying life without drugs and alcohol with guidance from our professional team.

places for men and women. You are invited to attend the programme for 48 days of treatment over 11 full-time weeks of four and a half days. Clients can now choose to take the spiritual approach (12 step) or cognitive approach (ITEP) when starting the main programme.

We oﬀer a structured day treatment programme at our house based in Rodney Street. We have 22

http://www.12steptreatmentcentres.com/

INTERVIEW

T E G UR ! O Y K UP C A B

What happens when footballers don’t become footballers? Quite a lot, actually. ‘PJ’ Smith tells all

aul Smith, more commonly known by everyone as ‘PJ,’ is reluctant to see himself as an example. Whether he knows it or likes it, he has been an example in both the past and the present. His own recovery from alcoholism in recent years acts as a dividing line between a past, where his teenage years are emblematic of inner city youth lacking in opportunities, and a present, where his lifestyle has ‘Ace card’ qualities, as he goes about his day to day business, recruiting suﬀering addicts onto a path of recovery. Anyone with the slightest inkling of the diﬃculties involved recovery would agree it appears a tall order. So, how does he do this? What does he do? PJ explains in simple terms;

“My role at the Brink and at Sharp is to engage people in the community to let them know what’s on offer. I sit down and talk to people, but It could be something as simple as posting a message on Facebook, or making a phone call, or sending a text.” “Do you have to wait till they contact you, or do you actively seek them out?” I ask “I actively seek people out because, sometimes, people who have dropped out of the system or have relapsed and disappeared, I understand their feelings of shame and guilt and the longer it goes on they may turn to drinking again, so a phone call to say ‘why don’t you come in, have a cup of tea and we’ll find out what your options are?’ could make such a difference to someone. So I deal with a lot of people who are about to enter treatment but have got maybe a week or two of spare time and they’re on

shaky ground saying they might drink. So I try to engage them with people who’ve been where they are, so when they start treatment it’s built on something quite strong.” For PJ to be a success in work, his actions in and outside of it have to be in accordance with what he encourages in others, to begin and sustain a process of recovery. Only after repeated questioning on the qualities necessary for his job role – ‘Client Engagement Worker’ - does he end up acknowledging his current strengths, albeit uncomfortably. “What I’ve found with people in recovery, if I’m spending time with them, is that what helps them helps me. I try to pass on to them what helps me, it’s mutually beneﬁcial.” PJ squirms at my repeated attempts to highlight his valuable integrity and skills in people-engagement, indicating that he sees it as part of the

BRINK magazine 13

INTERVIEW job. The ﬂipside to this of course is that to do this job you must have the tools to begin with. In any case, PJ has too much genuine enthusiasm for what he does. Drawing on another musical great, PJ adds, in reference to his work, that “I think it was Bob Dylan, wasn’t it, who said that a man who goes to work and enjoys it every day, then it’s not really like working.” “And where exactly does the enjoyment come from?” I ask. PJ lights up. “It’s seeing people change, seeing people getting instilled with belief with what they’ve never had before in a matter of weeks, sometimes days, that they’re able to achieve what they’ve never done before, just through linking themselves into a community full of people who understand and have compassion and know where they’re coming from. It’s such a big thing to feel that other people get where you’re at.” And then there are the frustrations. But expression of this only proves the

heartfelt enthusiasm for success with people and their problems; “Not everybody, in fact, the majority of people don’t ‘get it’ first time round. It can take them a long time to get drug-free or become sober and it’s so frustrating seeing people suffer when you know there’s a way out totally looking them straight in the face and they can’t see it. But everyone’s recovery is their own individual process and you can’t force it on people.” So what of the past? Where does the story begin? Growing up in Walton, North Liverpool, literally a stone’s throw away from Goodison Park, PJ was blessed with a talent and a love for football. Today, he talks freely and candidly of this past, which, if you know him, you will know is a rarity, and thus a privilege. “Like most lads my age, I wanted to be a footballer, and I had no back-up plan whatsoever. [short laugh]. So, when that didn’t come off, I fell into

manual labour jobs, had long spells of unemployment, casual drug use and of course drinking.” This initial description conforms to a simple narrative of one replacing the other upon failure, but there is more to it as he adds: “They overlapped one another. I was introduced to substances while I was still playing football and I chose to focus on living life as full as I could and the football just got dropped, which I thought was the right decision at the time. But, obviously, time has shown that it wasn’t.” PJ represented the City at secondary school level, had trials for several professional football clubs but adds: “At that point in my life I didn’t have the desire to work hard. I wanted instant results. I got that with drugs and alcohol.” Like so many of Liverpool’s ‘potentials’ in this ﬁeld, a backup plan, should things not work out, is non-existent, considered irrelevant, even. Football seems the most obvious, certainly the most exciting,

“despite repeated warnings from the age of about 20 it took me to the age of 26 to realise I had to ask for help.”

BRINK magazine 15

“Like most lads my age, I wanted to be a footballer, and I had no back-up plan whatsoever.”

and often the only route to a prosperous adulthood. However, even those who are head and shoulders above the rest on the pitch – and there is evidence to prove PJ was – still have to face the onslaught of distractions that ironically come with the inner city culture, of which football is a part. Music, drink, drugs, parties, and err...football, they all go together in case you didn’t know. PJ would consider it the result of wrong decisions made. However his plight can be seen as a template for a society incapable of both harnessing talent, and providing alternatives. There is a refreshing honesty about PJ and, in hindsight, it is clear why this approach is taken. Again, his job role demands it. The people he engages with need it. It would be easy for someone on the right side of recovery to use rhetoric and propaganda about the pitfalls, but the honest approach appears to convey that anyway: “The years I spent drinking and using drugs - I think it’s important to point out that some of it was really good fun, I really enjoyed it, but until around the age of 20 I stopped enjoying it, but

continued to do it, thinking I would get the old ‘high’ back and quite the opposite happened: things got worse, they deteriorated. Inwardly, outwardly, every area of my life was affected by it: family life, financially, relationships, friendships and I think for the final two or three years of my drinking I was just resigned to the fact this was my life until, in 2007, despite repeated warnings from the age of about 20 it took me to the age of 26 to realise I had to ask for help.” Having absorbed all the help on offer and nourished himself in every possible aspect necessary for recovery, it is clear where his strengths now lie. Like so many who have recovered, they were always there, only now they are used ‘properly.’ It is fitting, poetic even, that PJ’s other early interests, music, indie culture, and foreign film, having served as some of the distractions in his former years, have remained strong but have been used to far greater purpose today. Should you ever cast your attention away from your daytime meal at The Brink, or if there happens to be a lull in your conversation, the music you’ll

hear is all from PJ’s carefully crafted ipod. The front of house entertainment is also now dependent mainly on his approval. His collection of world cinema DVD’s, having taken years to amass for personal use is now largely the subject matter for ‘Film Club’ every Sunday night. PJ has slowly but surely worked his way back into a footballing environment too. Following an arranged one-oﬀ match with the Newcastle Recovery Community some weeks ago (the pictures are from that day), where a party over thirty strong travelled down and were treated to The Brink’s facilities for the weekend and shown around the city, The Brink itself now has a team of its own. They play every other Thursday within the grounds of Blackburn’s Ewood Park, and have encouraged other recovery communities in the North West to do the same. The back up plan so sorely missed in previous years appears to have ﬁnally materialised in recent times . The wait seems undeniably worth it, having bore much more fruit, with the promise of more too.

FEATURE

An Evening with

Llama Lhapka Yeshe Spiritual Master from Tibet

BRINK magazine 17 “Buddhism does not reject material things, but material things do not necessarily bring happiness” “Buddhism is not a religion, Buddhism is working with the mind.. ...Practice patience”

mazingly, The Brink last night welcomed the first ever session on Buddhist philosophy, as taught by authentic Tibetan Master Lama Lhapka Yeshe, who also directed a beginners meditation for his attendees. Following my participation in the meditation itself, resulting in a subtle alteration of state, I spoke to his Student of three years, Phil Hynes who is from The Wirral. Even at first glance, the Lama appeared ‘normal’ and unassuming. Just what I or others were expecting is anyone’s guess. Perhaps somebody prostrating at every opportunity, repeating the word ‘ohmmmm’ over and over with palms outstretched? The artificial reverence we attach to such figures who hail from Tibet has much to do with outdated connotations of Buddhism we preserve in The West. So the chance to spend a couple of hours in his presence not only has potential to shatter this illusion but replace it with truth, both spiritual and of the matter. When Lama Yeshe arrived in London three years ago, one of the first Westerners of whom he made the acquaintance, was thirty-five year old Phil from Birkenhead, who, having been a practitioner for five years prior, was taken under the wing of Lama Yeshe. Phil has since been digesting the Lama’s teaching’s first hand and has made this session possible, along with any future ones because of his networks within the city. Incredulous at this information, I asked him: How did this come about?

“Well, I’ve been a Buddhist since about 2004, and I met the Lama about three years ago, through a mutual friend, who’d I’d met up with at a Buddhist centre up in Scotland. It’s a bit of a long and complex story but after I’d met him he phoned me up from London and told me he’d met a Tibetan Lama in London. So I went to meet him, we got to know

“Lama’s life is about spreading Buddhism, that’s his sole aim, and has been for thirty ﬁves years, it’s my life now too”

each other, started practicing together then I became his student. How it happened was that he had people sporadically visiting him for classes and teachings, but he wanted something more regular. So I said he’d be better moving up north with me and we could get the classes on regularly. I told him we could be proper monks and be free to go where we wanted to go, with a regular practice happening too.” So having both recently

moved back up to the North West, it comes as no surprise that The Brink, with its mission to help people recover, should embrace the Lama who offers a philosophy of enlightenment, which promises happiness, should it be adhered to. I wondered if their arrangement, with Phil under the Lama’s guidance, and the motivation to spread the message far and wide, led to a nomadic lifestyle for Phil. Again that proved to be all down to my own stereotypical connotations with spiritual practice, as Phil informed me; “No, I’ve got my own flat, and I work nine to five. So the Lama stays at home, practices, teaches students, and I just take him places, introduce him to prospective students.” While Phil is taking things one step at a time, the goal is clear. He added; “Hopefully, eventually, the more the teachings grow and the more people we get, maybe I can reduce my workload a bit and try and practice more. Lama’s life is about spreading Buddhism, that’s his sole aim, and has been for thirty five years up to now, it’s all about the Buddhist teachings so that’s his life, and that’s my life now too.” I found that listening to the Lama had a soothing efPhil Hynes fect. He dealt with weighty yet simple fundamentals. For e x a m p l e , harbouring desire, ignorance and anger causes one to suffer, and the path to peace was determined by aiming to rid

The Lama teaches from both the Kagyu and Nyingma traditions and has received teachings from mny teachers incuding His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Here he reduces things to mere basics, for a curious new crowd. oneself of these desires. Very basic – it was a beginner’s class – but I found that by having simple truths re-affirmed, they resonate deeper when in a more receptive state. Others I spoke to afterwards said similar things. John, 45, from Kensington said “it was all stuff that I know, very simple messages, but listening to him made me feel relaxed, and I’d like to come again.” Deborah, 38, from Anfield said “I was expecting a whirlwind of philosophy and spirituality but it wasn’t like that, it was very informal and common sense stuff, but that makes it easier. Meditation now doesn’t

Demche Holy Mountain, Tibet

seem daunting and I can see how I could get the beneﬁts.” That is not to deny there are higher echelons that can be attained through practice, where something akin to this ‘whirlwind of philosophy and spirituality’ may exist. The Lama gently added that we were babies when it came to Dharma (spiritual practice) and that the teachings were tailored to our limitations, but it can be taken as far as one wants – literally – an enlightened mind pervades the whole universe.

The Llama’s monastery, Zigar, in Kham, Eastern Tibet

Information on the Llama’s teachings in the North West: Regular teachings are held at venues in: •

• •

BIRKENHEAD LIVERPOOL WEST KIRBY

For more details and up to date information please visit

http://tibetanlama.org

Contact Information: Email: LamaLhapkaYeshe@gmail.com Facebook: Lama Lhapka Yeshe Twitter: @LamaLhapkaYeshe

Skype: LamaLhapkaYeshe Tel: 07875693330 (Contact: Phil Hynes)

FEATURE

A Royal Occas W

hile her husband, Prince William, continues a six-week tour of duty in the Falklands as an RAF search and rescue pilot, the Duchess is utilising her spare time by developing her ﬂedgling career as a working royal. Her visits to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and an Action on Addiction project, the non-alcoholic Brink bar in Liverpool, are her second major solo public appearance. Fans gathered outside to get a glimpse of the duchess and applauded when she arrived, braced against the cold in a long burgundy coat. Looking relaxed, she shook hands with staﬀ and met community leaders. She was serenaded by the resident choir at - the Raucous Caucus Recovery Chorus - singing a traditional native American Indian song titled, Wings Of A Dove. Michael Edwards, 32, from Kensington, Liverpool, and a member of the choir, said: "It's a song about hope and happiness. "I got involved in the choir because I'm

in recovery from drugs and alcohol. "Doing this, it's built my conﬁdence, it's risen up. I didn't have any before. "It's a bit scary with a royal audience but this is what the choir has done for me, to give me the conﬁdence to sing in front of people. "Everybody has been excited here for weeks because of the royal visit, that something this good is happening here." The Duchess was shown behind the bar at The Brink, where Paula Carey, 37, from Dovecote, Liverpool, served her a smoothie, named The Duchess in her honour. Miss Carey said: "I said, 'Can I just ask you one question? Did you get anything nice for Valentine's Day?' "She said, 'Yes I did thank you."' "Because I was making the smoothie I didn't hear what she said she got." Miss Carey mixed the almonds, skimmed milk, drop of honey, banana and a dash of cream in a blender, before presenting the drink in a cocktail glass with a slice of Orange to the Duchess. Kate took a sip of the drink and with a nod of approval said: "Amazing, well

Right: Discussing the menu with the kitchen staff. Kate opted for the posh fish finger sandwich! Above: The Princess looking elegant Above right: The Princess meets the kitchen staff

Left: A typical greeting left by wellwishers in Liverpool

sion

BRINK magazine 21

Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge drops into The Brink for a chat, and a smoothie!

Above: The Princess tries the smoothie made and named in her honour Above Right: The Royal Recipe how to make the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Duchess Smoothie Right: Kate admiring her numerous wellwishers outside The Brink

FEATURE

done." Miss Carey added: "She said it was delicious. I didn't think she would drink it. "She was asking me how long I had worked here and if I was enjoying it. "She made me feel relaxed and at ease because I was really nervous before." Grandmother Kathleen Cummins, 65, from Liverpool city centre, said of the visit: "It is a boost for the city and especially this bar here helping people. People look at drug addicts and people with drink problems and they just think they are nobodies, but they're all somebody's son and they need help. "It is one of the Princess's charities and I'm just really pleased that she is coming." Jacquie Johnston-Lynch, head of service for the charity Action on Addiction in Liverpool, was welcoming Kate. Her son Jaqson Johnston-Lynch, aged eight, was chosen to present the Duchess with a bouquet of red roses, a cupcake and a Valentine's Day card. Speaking shortly before the Royal's arrival, he said: "I have wrote in the card 'Dear Kate, Happy Valentine's Day, I love you, from Jaqson'. "I'm also giving her some ďŹ&#x201A;owers, red roses, and little cupcake. Jaqson, who attends St Vincent de Paul School in Liverpool, said he had a little speech prepared. "I'm going to say 'Happy Valentine's Day, your Royal Highness. I'm sorry Prince William can't be here'."

Above: The Princess meets city leaders Below: Eight year old Jaqson JohnstonLynch presenting Valentineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gifts

BRINK magazine 23

What is

RECOVERY ? •There are many pathways to recovery •Recovery is self-directed and empowering •Recovery involves a personal recognition of the need for change and transformation •Recovery is holistic •Recovery has cultural dimensions •Recovery exists on a continuum of improved health and wellness •Recovery is supported by peers and allies •Recovery emerges from hope and gratitude •Recovery involves a process of healing and self redefinition •Recovery involves addressing discrimination and transcending shame and stigma •Recovery involves (re)joining and (re)building a life in the community •Recovery is a reality. It can, will, and does happen

When addressing the train of thought that claims addiction is chronic, he says; “With this theory goes the idea that you can never be cured, and that it can only be managed. So then we start to move to a situation where we only manage addiction, as opposed to introducing recovery.” However the ROIS approach, of which Gilman is a fervent supporter, says that “a break from the hurly burly of going in and out of prison, committing crime, getting abscesses is not the end of it, that’s just the start. The end of it is recovery and going back to work, looking after your kids and coming back into society.” This argument then centres around whether some people recognise

“ For one

person, just getting up and getting a wash could be the start of their recovery

“

ven though beliefs about what recovery is have always been disparate, there are shared fundamentals about the subject. “There’s so many definitions of Recovery. For one person just getting up and getting a wash could be the start of their recovery, or using a clean needle to inject heroin. For a lot of people it’s making the decision to get help. I think my own recovery started the day I asked for help, although it was several days later that I stopped using drugs and alcohol and I know something started that day.” Paul Smith - Client Engagament Officer at The Brink and SHARP. The familiar theme in all the cases I have seen or read about, where there has been success, is that the process itself appears to draw out buried qualities in people and shove them to the forefront of their mind, enabling them to thrive in a new role, where the positives are utilised. Perhaps some romantics would say this is an external, guiding force. Realists would say it is dictated by the individual and their decisions. Whatever the case, when engaged with, the process works. It capitalises on positives. In a more clinical attempt at definition, The Uk Recovery Foundation, in a national conference in May 2010, outlined a some core principles (shown on Page 23). The recovery process can be defined with the aid of some characteristics of addiction, which is of course what people are trying to recover from. Indeed, Recovery and Addiction run alongside each other. One can simultaneously be recovering but still be an addict. Of addiction, Mark Gilman, propagator of ROIS – Recovery Oriented Integrated Systems says: “Drug addiction is characterised by relapse; relapse is the norm and not the exception.” This then explains further the dynamics of the relationship between recovery and addiction. It is more the case that there is differing emphasis on both at different stages of a person’s journey, and this is cyclical by nature. Gilman also alludes to the long term nature of recovery; “It takes a while for people to get into addiction, and for most, it takes a while to get out. It is characterised by trial and error, lapse and relapse.”

recovery at all. Prevention seems to be adequate for some, who believe there is no actual ‘recovered’ state attainable for addicts. Not only Mark Gilman disagrees with this. In Part 3 of “Creating a social environment to help people overcome substance use problems” on the ‘Wired I n ’ W e b s i t e (http://wiredintorecovery.org) there is much evidence to show that a person’s social environment plays a key role in addiction and recovery. The example they use is that of U.S. soldiers in the Vietnam war. Some

Mark Gilman; believes in Recovery Orientated Systems became addicted to heroin while they were at war (in Vietnam), but on their return to America many were able to rid themselves of the habit. Above all, the article highlights the need to “create a climate of belief that addiction can be overcome, that shows compassion and support to people with substance use problems and develop a support system that has at its heart a desire to help people get better and improve their lives.” Not only that, these societies do actually exist, in the form of ‘high quality treatment centres.’ A massive element of recovery is ‘belief.’ People need to be able to believe it’s possible to turn it around. In David Clark’s article ‘Factors influencing Recovery’ on the Wired In website (www.wiredintorecovery.org) it says “The first essential factors for a person to be able to recover are a sense of hope and belonging. Hope is based on a sense that life can hold more for one than it currently does, and it inspires a desire and commitment to pursue recovery. People in recovery describe the importance of having hope and believing in the possibility of a renewed sense of self and purpose in the process of recovery. Hope is created by seeing other people find recovery, and knowing that recovery is possible, not just for others but also for oneself.” Damien John-Kelly, who at The Brink has a huge role in trying to turn round the lives of sufferers adds weight to this thinking; “It’s lovely just seeing when they latch on to belief. That is huge. It’s knowing that it’s possible, knowing that its from a place of honesty. No-one’s trying to blag anyone, and they pick up on that, they know they’re not being ‘blagged,’ they know it’s real. That’s pivotal, that belief that it can

BRINK magazine 25

drugs, if I’m sitting round them..you know, if you’re sitting in the barber’s long enough you’re going to get a haircut. So it’s your life. It’s not a nineto-five job.” So, there is definitely a responsibility on the person/addict to make the decisions. The recovery process must start with the self, and work outward. And, they must be wholesale changes. Only then will their world start to reflect the environment needed for growth and true recovery. However, it is definitely not something which can be achieved alone. David Clark’s article is unequivocal about the necessity of surrounding support. In “Treatment and recovery-oriented integrated systems (ROIS)” a further piece by Clark, not only does he add weight to this train of thought, he also fleshes out the sentiments of Mark Gilman, with respect to ROIS. In conclusive manner, David says: “The recovery model recognises treatment as playing an important role in recovery initiation. However, for treatment to impact positively on long-term recovery, a continuum of care, or chronic care model, is needed

“there’s only one thing you’ve got to change, and that’s everything.. it’s a whole paradigm shift

“

happen.” Unfortunately, society promotes a view (largely through the press) that addiction is indeed chronic, and the only available option is that of crime reduction. It is no surprise then when I am informed by ex addicts, that the success in recovery happens in the places that have adopted the aforementioned values. The treatment centres that have regular membership and personal contact, as well as expert guidance from compassionate people, form the necessary social environment (a community) away from mainstream thinking. David Clark names ‘Acceptance’ and ‘being supported by others’ as further important components of recovery, and he says “ Recovery cannot be achieved in isolation. In fact, many people with serious substance problems have become isolated and alienated and this has a further debilitating effect on their already vulnerable psychological state. People who have had such problems need to belong and feel part of something. They need to feel the acceptance, care and love of other people, and to be considered a person of value and worth, not a ‘useless addict’.” With these factors present, amongst others, detailed brilliantly in David’s article, recovery can then happen. To overturn the thinking in the sufferer - that full on recovery is a distant hope - there must be an effort to amend the thinking in mainstream society, the source of their thoughts and beliefs. However, new societies and communities do not present themselves to people. They have to be sought. If one has the desire to overcome addiction, not only the physical addiction is to be overcome, but ways of thinking, which will then lead a person into the right environment, where those specific ways of thinking are shared and encouraged by peers. As Damien says: “You see, when you come out of detox, it’s just a physical thing, the symptoms, that’s been dealt with. There is still an alcoholic mind present. All the behaviours haven’t shifted. I got told when I came into recovery, there’s only one thing you’ve got to change, and that’s everything, and it’s true. It’s a whole paradigm shift, everything has to move, like a tectonic plate, the way you conduct yourself, the way you live your life, and your friends. My old friends used to drink and use

David Clark; Creator and Administrator of the Wired In website. His Bio reads on the site reads; “Developed Wired In over ten years ago as a way of empowering people to tackle substance use problems. I am an Emeritus Professor in Psychology and, one might add, just a little crazy to do this.” for people with serious substance use problems, similar to that used for other chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. ROIS focuses on the physical, mental, spiritual and social wellness of the individual and oﬀers person-centered, strength-based, individualised services and support to help the person meet changing needs as recovery unfolds. In the recovery model, treatment practitioners often act as a coach, collaborator and teacher to free up the client’s innate tendency to heal. Whilst the good practitioner brings a good deal of expertise to this relationship which helps ‘guide’ the person’s recovery, ultimately the person himself does the

hard work needed for a positive change and enhanced well-being. Recovery capital is the quantity and quality of internal (e.g. mental health, self-esteem, resilience), and external resources (e.g. family support, peer support network) that one can bring to bear on the initiation and maintenance of recovery. Lack of it plays a major role in facilitating recovery and in maintaining addiction. Facilitation of social inclusion, or community involvement, is key to helping a person ﬁnd recovery.” The concept of Recovery is still up for debate, but clearly we should pay attention to what works, and hopefully deﬁnitions can take a back seat.

INTERVIEW

In a venue driven by the success of its menu, Tom Gill needs his team

FULL OF BEANS!

BRINK magazine 27

hat strikes me most about Tom Gill is his sense of ethical purpose. I later discover this is what led him to The Brink, but it is apparent from the minute we meet. With his eighteen- month-old son

Daniel in tow, he has readily compromised his morning fatherly duties to keep his word on this interview. And, thanks to retrospect, it is now obvious that during this interview Tom was also displaying many of the >>

INTERVIEW

It just “immediately struck me that there was something more than ‘just cooking,’ here. You’re transforming people’s lives

“

and explore, gracefully stopping him short of any possible misdemeanour with the crockery stored in our interview room. Impressively, none of this detracts from our question and answer session. He is committed to digging deep for meaningful response.

Of those twenty five years, the last fifteen were spent at The Everyman, where he reigned as Head Chef before its closure. Currently he’s Head Chef here at The Brink, where a large portion of the venue’s success is dictated by the popularity of the food, having none of the traditional means of generating income (alcohol sales). Tom tells me that “finding work I’d be passionate about” after The Everyman’s closure was something he was not confident of. “It was like,’well, what am I going to do now?’ But it was funny because my wife said to me ‘your ideal job isn’t going to pop up in the Thursday job vacancies in The Echo, straight after The Everyman closes’, but then, bizarrely, the Thursday after The Everyman closed, the advert for this post appeared in The Echo! And it just immediately appealed to me.” When pushed on what exactly it was that appealed, Tom displays a modesty, before revealing the ethical nature of his decision making; “I think we Chefs have a habit of taking ourselves a bit too seriously at times, you know, when you see them on the telly, Gordon Ramsay swearing all over the place, he’s almost turned into a cartoon character of himself, an extremely talented chef but you know, pipe down man! We’re not paramedics, we’re not nurses. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s important that a city like this has got a vibrant food culture, and Chefs have an important role to play in that,

but we’re not saving lives. So when I seen this, it just immediately struck me that there was something more than ‘just cooking’ here, you’re involved in a bigger process, and there is something other than a plate of food at the end of

Chefs take “themselves too seriously. Gordon Ramsay swearing all over the place, pipe down man! We’re not paramedics, we’re not nurses

“

skills acquired during his illustrious twenty-ﬁve year career as a chef so far. Like the judgement used to diﬀerentiate between what may well be ‘well done,’ ‘al dente’ or indeed ‘overcooked’ pasta, Tom allows Daniel the freedom to play

it, its playing a part in transforming people’s lives and that just really, really appealed to me.” The interview stage proved crucial too, when Tom sat down to talk with Damien, Jacquie and Colin, the

BRINK magazine 29

best cook, you just have to have an enthusiastic attitude..ever yone’s up for it...

“

triumvirate at the head of The Brink. They spoke candidly of their experiences in recovery, and are now, of course, recovered. Tom says, “Weirdly, I had been oﬀered other jobs, other jobs that paid more. I had accepted one, and told them in the interview. I came here thinking: ‘yes, I feel passionate about it, I want to do it, but the other job pays more.’ Also, this other job was absolutely secure, no risk involved. Whereas this is obviously something where we’ve got to try and make it work, the other job was nailed on. So, what changed then? “Well when they talked of how this had

changed their lives, I made the decision there and then. They did give me the weekend to make the decision, and I did take the time, but I knew there and then. This job when I seen it, it was the one that made me sit up and take note, the other job didn’t.” None of the aspects in Tom’s immediate environment are being given less than 100%. Both me and Daniel receive equal measures of Tom’s focus, and it is easy to see how Tom can extend this to the multifaceted nature of being head chef - creating and producing such a well received menu on a daily basis, whilst also keeping staﬀ happy and motivated. So has the aspect of greater fulﬁlment

“

..in here, everyone’s behind it, everyone wants it to work

“

...you dont “have to be the

through cooking at The Brink been fulfilled? “Definitely. In my experience, and it is a fairly limited experience up to the present, I’ve just found that the people here are full of enthusiasm. And for a chef working in a busy kitchen, I’ve always said, you don’t have to be the best cook, I can work more with enthusiasm, and people here are full of that, they seem to have a bright outlook.” It sounds too good to be true. Here we have the UK’s first Dry bar, in its infancy, hoping and praying their food will keep people coming back. But all the time, they’re unknowingly sitting on the most important ingredient, which they have in abundance – enthusiasm, the importance of which Tom cannot express enough. He is at his most clinical and animated when we talk of it. So I take it enthusiasm helps in the kitchen? I ask. Tom re-affirms: “Oh big time, for me, it’s all about attitude, again you don’t have to be the best cook, you just have to have an enthusiastic attitude. It’s infectious as well, so if one person is, the next person will be and so on, and you get a team full of beans. That’s the one biggest thing, and the whole team are like that. Of course we get busy and we’re under pressure and we all have our little moments. But, generally, everyone’s up for it, and that struck me from the beginning when we were doing the training.” And that’s different to other places you’ve worked in, then? “Well with The Everyman, you would get a lot of young students in, and some of them were brilliant, while some were there just to pick up the money, and not particularly committed to The Everyman as a cause. whereas in here, everyone’s behind it, everyone wants it to work, and it genuinely is like ‘Team Brink’ and we say it quite a lot, sort of messing about, but it really is like that.”

food at THE BRINK

BRINK magazine 31

On any given day, this is the kind of delicious menu you can expect to ﬁnd at The Brink

Breakfast Smoked Salmon and scrambled egg Bacon Ciabatta Sandwich Full English Frittata Veggie Frittata Starters •Soup of th Day w’ wholemeal bread •Houmous with lamb and almonds or; roast peppers or; on its own – all served with ﬂatbread •Tapas Boards: meat or veg Mains •Scouse with homemade bread & Red Cabbage •The Brink Quarterpounder w’ cheese & chips •Omlette of your choice with chips and salad •Fish Chips n’ mushy peas •Rice ‘n’ two – Basmati, lemon dahl & veggie curry •Roasted Aubergine w’ sundried tomato & goats cheese with salad

Hot Sandwiches Posh Fishﬁnger Sandwich Steak and Onion Ciabatta 3 Cheese and Chive Toastie Cold Sandwich Tuna Crayﬁsh ‘n’ sweet chilli Chicken Salad Ham Houmous Cheese Desserts/Cakes •Pecan and maple syrup tart •Chocolate fudge cake with cream or ice cream •Selection of meringues •Fruit Tart

MUSIC

artlovelocal t a c i s u M e v i L THE

BRINK

Head liners ‘HIGHFIELDS’ strut their stuff on stage at ArtLoveLocal

he Students at LIPA (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts) have long since entertained the midweek crowd in Liverpool City Centre, not only with classified band and performer nights, but also with open mic for those willing to try their hand. Hannah’s Bar on Leece street, just round the corner from The Brink, has for a long time been the LIPA base.

However we now have a new group making use of the excellent facilities down at The Brink every Wednesday. ArtLoveLocAL is the night run by Moorea Masa, 19, and Allegra Whitehouse, 21, who are from Portland, Oregon USA, and are currently honing their own performance skills at whilst at LIPA. In light of the complete lack of alcohol on the premises, It is surprisingly busy. The Brink’s mere

existence appears to have unearthed a section of the student population at ease with, if not oblivious to the soft drink approach. Owing to this success, Moorea informs me that as from March, there will be a once monthly, multi media showcase and charity event from a larger collection of creative’s both from and outside LIPA. Several times she stresses to me the importance of ‘incorporating visual arts with sound,’ and that

BRINK magazine 33 ‘these showcases are the ideal platform for that stuff to come together, and for everyone to show what they can do.’ At a tactfully chosen moment, Moorea offers me a large and extravagantly decorated cartridge paper notepad, requesting I should add something of artistic value, if indeed I should like to contribute. This in itself speaks volumes not only of the night but of what she and Allegra hope achieve in future, revolving around such ethics as participation, contribution and collaboration, necessary for any communal project. As usual, tonight consists of three separate artists interspersed with open mic. First at the stage is Mark Helmson who contrasts a bookish, nerdy appearance with a soft voice both yearning and emotional. Just he and a guitar present perfectly well a collection of ballads befitting of a drama-inducing string section. It’s a perfect, easy on the ear introduction to the night. Displaying several of his LIPA honed skills tonight is James Whitehouse, who morphs from soundman at the mixer to singer

songwriter on stage, and back again. His rootsy blues style is successfully carried to the listener by a stage manner exuding confidence. Not short of power chords, his songs seem to be asking for bass, drums, and amps turned to ’11,’ instead of what appears an plucky but inadequate acoustic guitar. The headliners ‘Highfields’ offer a set full of Americanised sub pop. Folk rhythms and beats shifts in and out of a rock ‘n’ roll feel. Complete with cello and faux piano, at all times the music is interesting and multi layered. Stand out track ‘Waste of Space’ is emblematic of the band’s feel, energetic, without being in your face, and is also the subject of their first internet video release, amidst a session recorded at Liverpool’s Parr Street Studio’s. You can check them online at:

MARK HELMSON

www.facebook.com/highfieldsband http://twitter.com/highfieldsband

Below: The notepads that go everywhere with ArtLoveLocal. Upon the girls’ request, they are filled with musings from the gig-going public.

JAMES WHITE

FILM

m l fi ub l c at THE BRINK

very Sunday night down at H.Q. the screen goes up, the lights go down, the music goes oﬀ, and anyone with an apettite for quality cinema, and free popcorn, is treated to a choice movie - at no cost! Generally between the hours of 7pm and 9pm, the evening is excellently timed. With Sunday Roast dishes by now in the sink, (maybe even the cupboard) two hours or so of excellent artistic entertainment are served up. However If you’re expecting Hollywood Blockbusters, well, those hopes may have to remain on the backburner for a while because since Film Club started, it’s been a non-stop diet of either foreign classics, underground or alternative

cinema, and even rare and gripping documentaries. Film Club also provides the perfect opportunity to squeeze the last of the fun out of the weekend, in a two hour dose of artistic excellence, without risk of over exertion before the onset of the working week. So, take a look at these titles and their reviews. They are ﬁne examples of what is regularly on oﬀer.

Ratcatcher (1999)-Drama Ratcatcher is the debut feature ﬁlm from Scottish director Lynne Ramsay. Set in a Glasgow tenement block in the 1970s, against a backdrop of rubbish accumulating during a dustbinmen's strike, the ﬁlm

e e r f ! n r o c pop

BRINK magazine 35 wrote a memoir of what it is like to suﬀer "locked-in syndrome." Director Julian Schnabel has brought Bauby's work to life in a most vibrant manner – cinematically of course with his brilliantly evocative depiction of events since the disease took full control of Bauby’s life. Throughout the movie, Bauby sees himself in a deep-sea diving bell sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss. But he escapes through the gift of his imagination, a point of view he calls the butterﬂy.

follows a young boy, James, through a series of more or less connected episodes. The film is not shot from a child's point of view, but it is suffused with a child's vision of the world. The film introduces us to James's small circle of acquaintances, and we see him trying to establish contact with them. What we experience, thanks in great part to an absolutely stunning performance by William Eadie as James, is a portrayal of a child in a world set adrift, a child who is forced by circumstances to be more adult than he

In America (2002) – Romance/Drama sometimes caught up in frequent skirmishes between the police and other disaffected youth. After one such a skirmish, the film is poised for tragedy in its final outcome, as Vinz attempts a retributory act.

Jim Sheridan's drama "In America" about a family of Irish immigrants making a life for themselves in New

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) -Biography/Drama really is. Ramsay draws attention to prevailing social conditions being in some way the determinant of people's behaviour, and her image making is striking and powerful.

In 1995 Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French Elle and the 43-year-old father of two small children, was paralyzed from head to toe by a stroke to his brain stem. After 20 days in a coma, he awoke able to communicate only by blinking his left

La Haine (1995) - Drama This powerful drama from ﬁlmmaker Mathieu Kassovitz takes an unblinking look at a racially diverse group of young people trapped in the Parisian economic and social underclass. Vinz (Vincent Cassel), who is Jewish, Hubert (Hubert Kounde), who is Black, and Said (Said Taghmaoui), who is Arabic, are young men from the lower rungs of the French economic ladder; they have no jobs, few prospects, and no productive way to spend their time. They hang out and wander the streets as a way of ﬁlling their days and are

eyelid. With tremendous determination and creativity, Bauby

York is a sentimental tear-jerker. Samantha Morton and Paddy Considine star as parents Sarah and Johnny, who have two young girls, the real life sisters Sarah and Emma Bolger. They live in a run down crack house, a crazy, mansion-like building with wide halls, enormous banisters, and peeling paint that's ﬁlled with mysterious neighbors, including Mateo (Djimon Hounsou), a majestic black man and artist wasting away of a then-unknown disease, AIDS. Money is scarce, the summer heat is sweltering, and the family has yet to recover from the loss of their son Frankie. This is their plight, and it may seem like there are more downs than there are ups, but it is both compelling and heartwarming nonetheless.

RECOVERY SERVICES in merseyside

Action on Addiction is the only UK charity working across the addiction field in research, prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, professional workforce development, professional education and support for families and children. Action on Addiction has been helping people with addiction problems for 25 years. In January 2012, HRH the Duchess of Cambridge became the charityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s patron. SHARP Liverpool is one of Action on Addictionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s treatment centres for addiction recovery. It offers people from the local community a 12-Step abstinence-based treatment programme, which includes one-to-one workshops, life skills groups and social activities, family support programmes and aftercare. www.actiononaddiction.org

The UK's leading specialist drug and alcohol treatment charity. Our addiction services are free and confidential.

http://www.addaction.org.uk/

Genie In The Gutter is a non profit organization offering creative opportunities and training to active substance misusers. Established in 2008, we are a fast growing organization, rapidly responding to the needs of our clients. We provide two types of classes: artistic and recovery. http://www.genieinthegutter.co.uk/

BRINK magazine 37 About Addiction One in three people suffer from an addiction. It breaks up families, damages communities and destroys lives. In some way it touches us all. Despite this, there is a great deal of misunderstanding about addiction - what it is, who it effects and how to get help and support. This section of the website will enable you to understand addiction better. We want to help you to find the information that you are looking for as quickly as possible. It can be difficult to identify an addiction problem. Our sections on alcohol, drugs, smoking and other addictions will help you to do this. Addiction Addiction is characterised by a consuming relationship with a substance or behaviour that is driven by a conscious or unconscious desire to feel something different, which results in a range of harmful consequences. Addiction is a treatable condition. Action on Addiction provides a variety of treatment options to suit individual needs. If you are a parent, you may also want to read our 'Let's Talk Drugs' booklet which will give you advice on talking to your children about alcohol and substance use. Signs of addiction Physical dependency This is caused when repeated use of a substance changes your body's chemistry and you become physically dependent. Psychological dependency This is caused when you repeat certain behaviour, such as drug and alcohol use, until your mind is hooked on that pattern of behaviour, causing mental cravings. Identifying an addiction problem Have a look at our sections on drugs, alcohol, smoking, and other addictions. For further information, please call us on: 0300 330 0659 or email us on: action@actiononaddiction.org.uk

Wired In was developed as a way of empowering people to tackle drug and alcohol use problems. With this online community, Wired In aims to provide an environment of opportunity, choice and hope, to enable individuals and families to find their path to recovery from substance use problems.We want to bring people together with the common purpose of helping themselves and others, and making sure that society is more understanding of and helpful towards people affected by substance use problems.

Professor David Clark, Director of Wired In

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