Tside Spring 2013

tside Spring 2013

Centre Pages

tside.co.uk

Ffree REE

Animex comes to town

 Uni gives  Campus Boro a plans get ‘sparkle’ backing

By Joe Hudson MIDDLESBROUGH Mayor Ray Mallon has hailed the “fantastic reputation” Teesside University has earned over his years in office.

He said graduates starting businesses in the

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW - Page 12

The world at his feet Inside S port

E V I S U L C EX EXCLUSIVE

It’s a fishy business

area are earning the town a reputation as a digital media centre.

Mr Mallon also spoke about the plans to redevelop Southfield Road stating the road in its current state is a “complete mess”.

FULL STORY: Page 3

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index news

Bringing all the news to the locals

By PAM KEENAN

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IT has been little over two and a half years since Incidents on Teesside was first established as a page on Facebook.

Off to EA Exclusive: Ray Mallon on university We’re Parmo-crazy Mum-of-two’s tragic story Student housing

issues

Now more than 33,000 followers rely on the site to bring them all the latest news from their local area.

The founder, freelance photographer Andrew Rasmussen, spoke to Tside about the success of the page.

He said: “Incidents on Teesside was started after we attended an RTA (road traffic accident), not knowing what was going on.

“We decided there should be an opportunity for people to know what was going on and to be able to comment on what was happening.

“People could find out what was happening, without having to wait till the next day to see it in the paper.’’

The page gives followers access to incidents around Teesside as they happen, allowing followers to also participate by commenting on incidents that have been posted.

The page now holds five administrators, who regularly report and investigate on news around the Teesside area as they happen, watch for reports of incidents and go out to investigate.

Andrew said: “When we first made it we never expected it to take off to such an extent.

“We started off with around 50 likes and with every incident we gained more followers.’’

The page often hears about incidents in the area from followers of the Facebook page.

Despite its popularity there has been some scrutiny of the accuracy of the information on the page.

Andrew said: “Sometimes it can be difficult if we are not too sure we’ll just put ‘reports’ of an incident.

“If something big has happened like assault or murder then usually we have contacts to ring, even late at night, and we can talk to the duty inspector to get things verified.’’

The comments are moderated by the administrators, and with the volume of followers they hold it’s inevitable that they will receive offensive comments.

Administrator Stuart Hincks said: “You do get members of the public who ask us to take down certain comments because they are offensive.

“Because we are closely linked with Cleveland Police, we do get emails from time to time asking us to take down certain comments but apart from that we don’t get in too much trouble for things posted, because we moderate.’’

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Facebook career threat Bedroom tax stress Gay marriage

entertainment

12

Animex festival Exclusive: Reel Big Fish interview Review: Cirque Du Hilarious Top Tips for aspiring bands Beatles exhibition comes to Boro

lifestyle

15

Getting Rihanna’s attention Cupid Click Review: Yates’s Denimspiration

sport

18

Record attempt for freestyler Six Nations success Karting comp given the green light Boro striker on Chelsea loss

contacts @tsideuk

tsideuk

tsideuk@gmail.com editor jamie burton

news editor rebecca greener

chief reporters adam hudson & joe hudson

chief sub-editor phill walker

issues editors jordan brough & junique aujla

lifestyle editors olivia thornton & jessica burt

entertainment editors sam leader & jake gauntley

sports editors tom etherington & matthew turner

Tside is produced by students for students.

The paper is printed by Barton Road, Riverside Park, Middlesbrough, TS2 1UT. The design, text, photographs and graphics are copyright of Tside and its individual contributors. No parts of this newspaper may be reproduced without the prior permission of the Editor. Any views expressed are those of the individual writing and not of Tside or Teesside University. Staff Contact Neil Macfarlane, email: n.macfarlane@tees.ac.uk

Student set for trip to America after video game giant’s invite

The U.S. of EA

By GEORGIA PICKARD

A

TALENTED student has been offered the chance of a lifetime –to travel to Virginia, USA, and visit EA Games after they spotted his blog.

Sam Howitt, a second year Multimedia Journalism student, was messaged by Mythic Entertainment, a division of Electronic Arts (EA), after they followed him on Twitter.

The 19-year-old, from Swindon, said: “I was so shocked.

The General Manager mes-

saged me his email address and asked where I live.

“He said that if I lived closer he would have offered me some work in Virginia.

“After emailing each other for a while he offered to buy me a ticket to visit their team for two weeks so I could blog about the team while I’m there.”

Sam, who started his gaming blog Pixpen in 2012, posts regularly

about events and games he plays, as well as interviewing people who make their own games.

Paul Barnett, General Manager of Mythic Entertainment, told Sam that they were looking for a ‘British perspective on game development’.

Sam added: “I try to keep my posts as varied as possible. I even got to

cover a fighting games tournament that went on recently in the Tees Valley Chinese community centre.”

Although Sam’s blog is relatively new, Pixpen has already attracted 86 likes on Facebook and the posts on the site are being shared by fellow bloggers and social networkers.

Mythic Entertainment has been a prolific creator of online multiplayer games since it formed in the mid-90s, most widely recognised for its development of the 2001 online role-playing game, Dark Age of Camelot.

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Mayor talks about Teesside’s fantastic reputation

Ray praises uni for boosting Boro M

ayor Ray Mallon has spoken of the boost Teesside University gives to the area and the impact our graduates have on the economy.

The Mayor said that over his time in office he can see how the university brings a “sparkle” to the area He continued: “The university is vital to the town and this particular university has a fantastic reputation.

“Economically, the university contributes significantly to Middlesbrough and the Tees area in general.”

In recent years Teesside media graduates have been developing their businesses in the newly founded BoHo Zone.

Mr Mallon said: “I was there a few weeks ago and it is filled to capacity with digital sector businesses.

“One of the nice things about this particular sector is that lots of people are taking an interest in it now because they can see it is an area that is moving forward.”

The Mayor also backed Teesside University’s plan to improve Southfield Road where it runs through the campus.

The plans all focus on pedestrianising the road which could come as a full closure, a weekday closure or a day-time closure.

Middlesbrough Council say the ultimate aim of the scheme is to create a central plaza in the campus.

The Mayor said: “Something has to be done about Southfield Road because when you look at it it’s a complete mess, with all the traffic calming measures currently on the road.

“So for me at first glance full closure or part closure would be the best course of action to take.” The plans are currently up for consultation with a final decision

EXCLUSIVE

By Joe Hudson

being made in late March or early April.

Mr Mallon stated: “With nearly 30,000 full and part-time students, it is one of the town’s biggest employers, bringing huge economic, social and cultural benefits.

“That’s why it’s important that we work in partnership to ensure it has the best possible campus and facilities.”

The opinion of university students on the scheme has been mixed, Business Management student Philip Richards said that the plans could be good if they get it right.

However, Crime and Investigation student, Max Wheatley, said: “I think it might be good but the traffic could end up being awful. Trying to find a parking space is bad enough now, how bad will it be when the road gets closed?”

University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Graham Henderson, said: “We are committed to both providing a top quality experience for our students and all visitors to our campus, and to building on the accolade of being named the UK’s top modern university for student experience.

“Further development of this space to make a central plaza will create a connected, dynamic and safe environment for students, the community and visitors.”

The Vice-Chancellor’s Office has emailed the plans to all current university students asking for their feedback with the hope that students will be able to stamp their own mark on the development.

To view the current plans go to: www.middlesbrough.gov.uk

Teesside treat spreads parmo-ver the world FOR years, Teesside’s identity has been tightly wrapped inside the cardboard box that holds the coveted parmo.

PARMO: The Teesside dish

Smoggies crave the cheesy wonder when they leave Middlesbrough and yearn for its mouth-watering breaded cutlet, shrouded in béchamel sauce upon arrival.

Now, for better or worse, the parmo has been adopted by several locations across the world.

The Teesside delicacy is so popular it even has several Twitter fan accounts. @Loveparmo was set up by locals in Teesside and has a strong following on Twitter.

The account creators are excited at the prospect of spreading the cuisine internationally. Steven, from

By JAMIE BURTON Middlesbrough, said: “It’s spread and popularity can only be a good thing for the parmo as it will mean people who already love it will have a more chance of enjoying it when not in Teesside.

“Also it’s fun trying to recreate the parmo in its correct form and taste. So far nowhere has manged to recreate the same taste that the takeaways and restaurants of Teesside produce.”

As well as various locations across the UK, the parmo has been spotted in such places as Jameson’s Pattaya Pub in Pattaya, Thailand and the Pig N Whistle Pub in Brisbane, Australia. The people of

Teesside are quick to brag about the parmo when celebrity guests visit the area. Nicole Scherzinger, Josh McEachran and Kelly Rowland have all been coerced into tasting the savoury treat upon arrival; all of them leaving with positive reviews of the meal.

Surely it is only a matter of time before the Teesside born dish is a regular feature on dinner plates across the globe. @Loveparmo believes that the attention will be positive for the area. He said: “I could see that one day in the future a non-Teesside venue could host an annual Parmo World Championships, though that is a number of years away.”

The creators of Loveparmo encourage all twitter users to take a picture of their parmos and send them a review of it.

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tside says:

Student elections

It is that time of year when our Facebooks get spammed, we can’t walk into the SU without a leaflet in our hand and the walls of the Terrace Bar are covered in campaign posters.

The ordinary student suffers as through these inevitabilities as candidates compete to win a place as an Executive Officer.

We encourage all students to vote in the Student Union elections.

The elected representative will have a strong influence over how the SU and its night events will be run in the next academic year.

If you want to see a global superstar performing at next year’s Fresher’s Week make sure you vote for the right candidate, or risk ending up with a reality star reject headlining your homecoming.

Southfield changes Plans have been put forward

by Middlesbrough council to pedestrianise the campus area on Southfield Road.

While speaking exclusively to Tside, Ray Mallon backs the discussed plans to close the road leading through the heart of Teesside University’s campus.

All students should support the decision as it is likely to make all of our lives easier.

Getting from Middlesbrough Tower to the Library should not feel like playing a life size game of Frogger.

Potential plans suggest that the road should be closed on a weekday from 9am-5pm; making the central campus of Teesside University a vehicle free zone for students to walk around freely.

LGBT law

Archaic traditionalists may grumble but the UK Government has backed a bill which will legalise gay marriage.

It is only a matter of time before it becomes law and enhances Britain’s growing reputation as a liberal country.

One hundred years ago, women couldn’t vote. 50 years ago, it was illegal to be gay. In the years to come we will look back on this moment incredulously to think that at one point in time, two people who loved each other were not allowed to get married.

Now that a country such as ours has stood up for equal rights for the LGBT community, hopefully other nations will take notice and adopt similar laws.

Carer tells Tside of her nightmarish

‘I thought drugs were the cure for my pain’ V

ERONICA Robinson has struggled for years with her fight with drugs, risk of prostitution and incidents of gang rape.

The mother-of-two has struggled with balancing addiction and motherhood for over twenty years.

The 47-year-old has now turned her life around, but her decline into drugs hell began when she started taking cannabis recreationally from the age of 19.

She said: “It made me laugh. I got paranoia straight away but it was just part of the fun of it.”

By the age of 26 she was dealing with juggling what had become a daily cannabis addiction and looking after two children.

By RICKY THOMPSON Taking up to 20 joints a day of the class B drug had taken over her life.

However things started to look up in 1991 when she married.

But the relationship broke down, and soon Veronica was living on benefits with no qualifications. She decided to educate herself by studying Sociology at Teesside University.

“I started my third year in 1996 and didn’t feel good enough. I felt like a failure, but I knew I wasn’t.

“I could come out with a 2:2 but it wasn’t good enough for me.”

While trying to focus on her education she found herself surrounded by drug users on her estate.

She added: “Now that I was studying and receiving a student loan the security of benefits was gone.”

At the age of 11 her eldest daugter had gotten in with the wrong crowd and Veronica discovered that she had been taking LSD, also known as acid.

This forced Veronica to put her studies on hold so that she could focus on her children and do some voluntary work.

By 1996 Veronica’s life had taken another turn for the worse. She gathered the strength to go to the doctor’s to ask for help, but was provided with tablets which made things worse.

Veronica said: “I started to ask myself, what’s happened to me? Nobody’s bothered. My mother was dead and life had lost all meaning.”

Veronica had then moved onto injecting heroin and gave her son away to his dad.

She added: “No one wanted to know.

I gave my kids away and took the needle and four months later, the needle hadn’t worked.

“I had my home trashed and I was in a homeless hostel. I saw my kids every day but I gave them back.

“Even when they were with me, I was in the toilet with my man at the time, who was a 10-year user.

“We’d throw our guts up because doing that would be good. He knew how pure the gear was by how much I was sick. I was in this trance, it was awful.”

Not wanting to reveal the man’s name, Veronica said their relationship

‘Raise the age of criminality’

A TEESSIDE University academic is campaigning for the age of criminal responsibility to be raised.

According to UK law, a child over the age of 10 can be arrested and taken to court if they commit a crime.

But Dr Ray Arthur, a reader at the university, believes this is too young and should now be raised to 12 in line with other European countries.

Dr Arthur said: “The UK is the only country left in Europe where the age of criminal responsibility is 10. It needs to be reviewed as it’s just been ignored over a long period of time.”

Dr Arthur has written to Jeremy Wright, the Parliamentary Under-

By FRANCESCA SAMMUT Secretary of State for Justice, aiming to change the law, claiming it is a breach of human rights.

In a recent study the Home Office found that around a fifth of violent, sex, and shoplifting crimes were committed by young offenders.

But Dr Arthur argues that age is only part of the issue.

He said: “We currently use a criminal justice court - this needs to be changed.”

“We need to start viewing offending children as a social issue rather than a criminal issue. Ten years old is too

young for children to understand the justice system.”

The United Nations’ Committee on the Rights of the Child has been warning Britain since 1995 that the UK’s age of criminal responsibility of 10, which was set in 1963, is not compatible with the UN’s convention on children’s rights.

The infamous Jamie Bulger case, where two 10-year old boys abducted and killed a toddler, led to speculation as to whether the age of criminal responsibility should be lowered.

However, Dr Arthur compares this to a similar case which occurred in Norway, where two six-year-old boys murdered a five-year-old girl.

He said: “The case was treated by social workers and psychiatrists, the police barely had a look in, nor did the media.”

“The children were studied as to why they committed the crime, such as their upbringing and how they were parented.

“Yes, I do think Jamie Bulgers killers were too young to be prosecuted the way they were.”

Dr Arthur says the media and public reaction to a child committing a crime only make matters worse.

He said: ““The Bulger case was a rare incident and the age of criminal responsibility should not be based around one single case.”

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past of drugs, paranoia and rape

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Offered the full position

CLEVELAND’S Police and Crime Commissioner has confirmed that Jacqui Cheer will be kept on as the new Chief Constable.

She temporarily took the place of Chief Constable after Sean Price was suspended in 2011, and later sacked for misconduct.

While on the job she has helped catch Suffolk prostitute murderer, Steve Wright.

Speaking to BBC News, Police Commissioner, Barry Coppinger said she was the ‘right person’ to get the police through ‘challenging times’.

He said: “This really does mark an important step forward in putting the force on the firm footing we need to move forward. Mrs Cheer understands that her key task has to be continuing to drive down crime.”

Cheaper car parks

was just plutonic and that years of drug taking had left her with no sex drive; she felt like a piece of flesh.

“He wanted to prostitute me but that didn’t scare me, because once you’ve got the heroin in you nothing matters,” she said.

“Your emotions are turned off, but when they do come back, the guilt, the shame and remorse comes with them.

“Heroin was the answer to all my prayers, I was in this peace. It was like I’d died without the physical death but you could see my bones by the end of it.

“My eyes were grey and sunken in and I didn’t look or feel attractive.”

She then went through an 18-month period using so-called “sleepers” such as Diazepam and Valium which were cheap on the street corner.

‘Heroin was the answer to all my prayers’

She began combining the drugs with alcohol and said that this was the worst period of her life.

“I had drugs in one hand, rum in the other. I thought that was the cure for my pain, but I’d wake up and find that I had been raped,” she said.

“I had no clothes on and there would be two or three men there so I was probably gang raped. I had no recollection of it, thank goodness.

“I get flashbacks and that’s the only way I remember some things. If I didn’t

have flashbacks, I wouldn’t know those things had happened to me.”

Veronica started to see pictures in her head of her children finding her dead and reached a point where she decided she would change her life.

She went to a local help centre who introduced her to a 12-step programme for alcohol and narcotics.

On September 5, 2007, Veronica had her last drink and drug and began working with troubled teenagers.

However, due to health problems she had to give it up as she was weak and was also a carer for an ill relative.

This then allowed Veronica to become involved with a local drug recovery service, the Cyrenians.

While working among other recovered addicts at the service, Veronica has

helped hundreds of people overcome and reduce their addictions in Middlesbrough.

However it looks like the service will no longer be available as of April this year, as the group missed out on the funding needed to continue. They now need £170,000 to stay open.

Veronica, along with many other carers, will be sad to see the service go, but they will continue to meet up at separate locations, becoming more independant.

Veronica added: “Recently, he (her relative) was in a state and I wanted to go out and have a drink. I thought of the rosy tint again as he was being sick in his sleep.

She added: “It’s good that I can help others through talking and women tell me that I’m hope for them.”

It’s another year for John

TEESSIDE University Students’ Union President John Pinkney will run unchallenged in this year’s election.

STILL AT THE HELM: John Pinkney and Hannah Graham

John and current Education Officer Hannah Graham will stand for their current positions with no competition.

Student Activities Officer Hannah Parratt and Campaigns and Welfare Officer Natalie Davison will be step down.

The Students’ Union does offer the option to nominate other candidates.

Students can nominate new people to run and the current nominees do not have to run unopposed. Students can still change who goes in for the vote.

Hannah Parratt said: “A lot of people will

By LIKHWA MAKHONJWA be put off from running against re-standing officers.

“People don’t seem to fancy their chances against someone already in office. I’m sure if Nat or I were running again, there would be fewer people putting themselves up” Students have until March 8 to cast votes on the three available positions, with election results announced in the evening.

The positions available are Student Activities Officer, Campaigns and Welfare Officer and NUS Conference Delegate Hannah added: “Elections week is indescribable as a candidate, with about

every emotion going through you.

“It is a very long week, but as a candidate you push yourself because you want to do everything that is possible to get that job.”

The role of President is the most prestigious as you will be responsible for overseeing the other officer teams and speaking up for students in senior management meetings and NUS annual conferences.

The roles are full-time and pay over £16,000.

Seven candidates are in the running for the Student Activities Officer, five for the Campaigns and Welfare Officer and five for the NUS Conference Delegate.

Candidates can be looked up on the Teesside University Students’ Union website.

CAR PARKING fees in the town centre have been reduced, as of February 18, to try and encourage more people to visit the area.

Parking will now be free for the first two hours and £1 for each hour after that at the majority of car parks within the centre.

Mayor Ray Mallon, said: “In the past shoppers and visitors have turned their backs on the town and gone elsewhere because the price of parking has become too high.

“In Middlesbrough we have an exceptionally large shopping area on offer and it’s vital that we do everything we can to attract visitors.”

These new prices have been implemented at various car parks around town, including Captain Cook Square, Buxton Street, Mima, Zetland and Station Street.

Teams to compete

TEAMS will be taking to the park to compete in a series of challenges made around team building.

This is the second time the event has been held, in hopes of promoting National Apprenticeship Week, which runs between March 11 - 15.

The events, held in Stewart Park, will be hosted by Middlesbrough Council, and will see teams from councils including Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland.

Councillor Brenda Thompson, said: “Working as part of a team are essential skills for apprentices to succeed in their chosen job, so taking part in the team challenge will allow individuals to put these skills into practice.”

All challenges are designed to help improve each team members communication skills, teamwork and problem-solving abilities - all key skills sought by employers.

The day will end with lunch and an awards ceremony with photograph opportunities.

Find out more information by calling 01642 304218.

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news

Students begin housing March

By ALEX LARKIN

W

ITH more students leaving it too late to find accommodation for the following year, it is becoming a growing problem on Teesside for those left with nowhere to go.

But a housing company has told Tside there are still plenty of houses left for those who have not yet settled on a place.

Kexgill is one of the biggest student housing companies on Teesside.

Nine more offices around the country provide students with a home.

Richard Stott, Director of Kexgill Group, said: “Larger groups of five to six students are usually made up of first years that have made their friendship groups.

“They tend to look for housing earlier in the year around December time so it’s easier to find for all of them to get in.

“We find smaller groups of students come to us much later in February or March, but it’s not usually a problem finding somewhere for anyone.”

Although bigger groups of students who apply for accommodation earlier can find it easy to find housing, some on Teesside who look in smaller groups can find it more of a struggle.

Likhwa Makhonjwa, 20, a student at Teesside University, said: “It’s more about finding a house that you and everyone you live with are happy with.

“Places have to be reasonably priced and close enough to campus which is sometimes difficult to find.

“I left it until the last minute and houses go quite quickly. All that’s left is scraps in terms of location and I could be forced to live with people who I don’t know which is not what I want going into my third year.”

Due to standards for student accommodation rising, more universities are now beginning to insist

DON’T PANIC: There are still plenty of houses to choose from landlords are Unipol credited to ensure their students are not mislead when signing contracts.

Unipol is a charity working to improve professionalism in student housing by setting a benchmark which checks on fair rental prices on essentials

such as gas and electricity, plus the reliability and reputation of a landlord.

Mr Stott said: “Students yet to find accommodation for next year shouldn’t panic. Do not sign up to something you’re not happy with. If necessary ring up the university accommodation

WHAT’S ON OFFER Available three bedroom houses with weekly rental costs include properties in Asked Road (£59), Bow Street (£53), Cadogan Street (£57), Enfield Street (£63), Kildare Street (£54), Percy Street (£57) and Union Street (£49).

All remaining four bedroom houses also with weekly rental costs are available in Abingdon Road (£59), Athol Street (£59), Egerton Street (£57), Garnet Street (£58), Lonsdale Street (£54), and two properties on Glebe Road (one £56 the other £59).

Kexgill contracts are for 46 weeks and deposits, bonds, administration fees or guarantors are not taken. Tenants must provide ID and proof of a UK home address to be verified.

office and ask them for advice.

“I’ve been very impressed with Teesside University’s handling of their helping students finding accommodation, and I believe out of our nine cities we cater for they have been the best.”

M’boro store set to close

By FRANKIE SAMMUT THE BORO branch of HMV is one of many set to close due to the company recently going into administration.

After the initial closure of 66 stores across the country, a further 37 are set to close.

The once-loved store called in administrators, Deloitte, after a loss of sales in January.

Georgia Pickard, a student at Teesside University, who is among those unfortunate set to lose their jobs, said: “I’m gutted to be honest, as I relied on HMV as an extra income source.

“It’s a shame to see a music giant die.

There are very few places to browse and buy music or DVDs besides shopping online.”

Retail restructure group Hilco took over the company’s debts of around £176m, giving them control of the company but not ownership.

Nick Edwards, joint administrator, said: “As part of our on-going review of HMV’s financial position, we have undertaken a further review of the store portfolio and have identified an additional 37 stores for closure.”

Closures are expected to take place over the next four to six weeks.

Other major stores across the UK to close include five in Edinburgh and four in London.

However, those who were sacked from HMV didn’t shy away from voicing their anger on Twitter.

Poppy Rose Cleere, HMV’s former Social Media Planner, used the company’s account to give a live account of the London Head Office plans to make redundancies.

The incident caused panic among HMV executives, as they attempted to shut down the account, but the tweets had already spread across the Internet.

During the incident, Poppy tweeted: “Just to set something straight, I did not ‘hijack’ the HMV Twitter account.

I actually assumed sole responsibility of Twitter and Facebook over two-yearsago as an intern, when asked; I gladly provided the password to Head Office.”

It has been reported that she has since received many job offers following the media stunt.

Get your pics in KEEN photographers are invited to get their flash out and take part in the 2013 Friends of Stewart Park Competition.

Whether landscapes are your thing, wildlife, nature, or people and atmosphere, as long as your picture has been taken within the last 12 months at the park you can enter.

There is £50, £30, and £20 up for grabs for first, second and third prize, as well as a copy of the book ‘Memories of Stewart Park’.

Your photograph will also be displayed in the new Bolckow Visitor Centre and Cafe.

Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges, including Saltburn professional photographer, Charles Twist.

All entries must be received by March 31 by emailing a JPEG attachment to fosp01@yahoo.co.uk, with the following in the subject line: ‘(surname) Stewart Park Photo Competition Entry’.

issues 7

Could FB ruin your career?

How social media can affect your chances of landing the dream job

By ADAM HUDSON CHIEF REPORTER

W

ITH a billion people using Facebook and over 500 million using Twitter, the chances that someone will snoop your profile is very high.

Top of that list could be future employers; do they really want to see Corfu 2012 where you got a drunken tattoo or posed naked for a laugh?

There is a chance it could affect your job prospects, but don't jump to the delete button on your profile just yet.

Social media is at the forefront of students' daily lives as it creates easy access to the online world of friends and status updates.

Fiona Birkbeck, founder of Multiminded, a digital creative agency, warns of what you post on social media: "The odd drunken photo wouldn't worry me but offensive statuses would.

"I've unfriended people I knew through work when they've made offensive statements or joined controversial groups."

Fiona feels that social photos are good but should be kept under control: "It's fine to be seen as a social person with lots of friends and having a laugh, as people want their employees to have good social skills," she said.

"However, I think many employers are surprised to see girls with sexually explicit photos on their profiles; you never know who will be looking at them."

"Put stuff you like on there and

delete anything you don't. This stuff is on the internet FOREVER." But if used wisely, social media can bag you that dream opportunity.

Sam Howitt, a second year journalism student, is jetting to sunny Virginia, USA, after he was spotted

by Electronic Arts (EA).

Sam runs a gaming blog and uses Twitter to promote his stories.

Mythic Entertainment’s General Manager, Paul Barnett, messaged Sam and offered him to visit the studios after reading one of his tweets.

However, social media can have the opposite effect.

One incident in America dubbed ‘Cisco Fatty’ saw Connor Riley tweet: “Cisco just offered me a job!

Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty pay check against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”

A Cisco associate read the 22-yearold’s tweet and passed the sentiments onto the hiring manager of Cisco.

Connor was swiftly removed from the position before it had even begun.

More recently, a Teesside student ended up in hot water after a potential work experience employer spotted a rogue tweet, and threatened to withdraw the offer of a placement with the company.

So which option sounds more appealing? Sunning yourself in Virginia carving a career into your ideal job or losing a job before its even begun?

It sounds like a no brainer but your choices on social media could make this decision for you if you’re not careful.

With the never ending status updates on Twitter and the

continuous Facebook photo uploads, students tend to forget about the most important social media that employers will look at - LinkedIn. LinkedIn has over 200 million members which is populated by employers and employees alike, and is the perfect platform to show off your professional side.

A far cry from the things you post on Facebook.

Carl McLennon-Cummings, Chief Executive of Cleveland Care, said: "LinkedIn is a fantastic tool if used in the right way, but you still have to watch what you're attaching to it.

"If you represent a company you have to be clean cut.

"Also, get people on there to recommend you to make your profile really stand out."

Kirsty Thorpe, 21, a recent graduate from Teesside University on Broadcast Media Production, agrees that LinkedIn should be favoured over Facebook or Twitter.

She said: "It's been mentioned at a few of my interviews. They ask why I have certain things on there which aren't on my CV. "I try to keep my Facebook profile and cover photo decent as it's all about making a good first impression."

David Smith, also 21, a final year Multimedia Journalism student who will be looking for a job after graduation, prefers to keep his settings private.

"I like to keep my Facebook profile professional because despite the privacy settings, I know an employer could potentially view it and form an impression from that," he said.

"This could potentially change the way they perceive you if selected for an interview."

SOCIAL MEDIA: Students fear that Facebook and Twitter will jeopardise career prospects

Protect your technology from hackers “I DON’T know how they managed to get access to my computer or mobile phone. I thought they were 100% protected and there would be no chance of them being hacked into by someone.”

SPAM: Hacking is becoming a regular occurrence around the world

These are the alarming words of an unfortunate victim of hacking and identity theft.

Being told by a friend that their computer or mobile phone has been hacked into is no longer an unusual occurrence. This is due to the increasing level of hacking that has been happening all over the world in recent years.

Research has shown that an estimated 30,000 websites are hacked in to on a daily basis through the use of malware - a contraction of the phrase ‘malicious software.’ In addition to this, statistics have predicted that 77% of the American population are expected to be hacked at least once in their life.

It is clear that something needs to done to fix this major issue, as it could be well on the way of becoming a worldwide epidemic for technology.

So, what exactly is a hacker and how do they do it?

A hacker is described as someone who seeks and exploits weaknesses in a computer system or computer network; sometimes with criminal intentions.

The techniques that hackers attempt to use when attacking machines or networks are varied, but also all fairly simple. They hack by searching for

By REBECCA LAWRENCE

known system vulnerabilities, guessing or cracking of passwords and social engineering.

Once a hacker has access to a system, they will then use their special knowledge to compromise the system, whether it is through stealing credit cards details, deleting important files or to proxy internet traffic through the compromised system.

They attempt to hide their tracks through encryption and other techniques to reduce the chances of their presence being detected.

Jordan Brough, a 20-year-old Journalism student studying at Teesside University, had his own recent personal experience with hacking when he discovered strange happenings going on with his mobile phone.

He said: “I had given my phone to a repair guy and it was returned a week later in a significantly worse state than it was when I gave it to him.

“I complained and returned the phone for further repair. Weeks later I noticed bizarre Facebook statuses appearing on my account and I received a text from my bank to say that they had suspended my account as it had been logged into from Brazil.

I then looked at my recent logins and it showed my emails had been accessed from India and China too.”

However, it did not take Jordan very long to realise what had happened.

“Ultimately it was my own fault for keeping all

my passwords on my phone’s notepad. I am aware that selling stolen passwords is big business but I always thought it was something that happened to other people.”

Jordan’s advice to others who wish to avoid finding themselves in the same situation?

“Keep any passwords hidden at home and definitely not on your mobile phone for anyone to see.

“Don’t assume you won’t be targeted because you’re a student with no money. These guys don’t discriminate and would gladly swipe that 20p you have left on your overdraft.”

If you want to avoid getting into a situation like this in the future, here are eight simple tips to protect your devices from any would-be hackers:  Be wary of online downloads;  Do not leave your devices unattended in public;  Choose a difficult password and update it once every few months;  Do not lend your phone to strangers;  Install online anti-virus software - Avast Antivirus is free and has the same functionality of expensive rivals;  Backup your personal data and wipe devices before handing them in for repair;  Destroy bank statements and other letters containing personal data by tearing into small pieces or using a shredder;  Always switch your computer off when not in use for more than half an hour.

8

issues

Gay marriage: Does it matter what we call it?

A

S A gay person in a long-term relationship, my opinion on the rights of same-sex couples to form legally-recognised unions will not surprise you.

What may surprise you, however, is that

my position on gay marriage forms a counterintuitive dichotomy that I find at best awkward and at worst downright embarrassing to explain to unabashed supporters of a gay marriage bill.

When gay couples won the right to form legally recognised partnerships almost a decade ago, they won largely the same rights as their straight counterparts bar a few minor exceptions, namely that those aged 40 or over who work in the private sector are entitled to a slightly smaller pension share should their partner die (a legal pitfall made during the drafting of the Civil Partnership Act rather than a crafty monkey wrench tossed in by the Lords), and the fact that civil partnerships are not recognised in nations such as Portugal and Sweden where gay marriage is legal.

Other reasons cited by advocates of gay marriage, for example that it allows gay couples to join an institution universally recognised as being respectable and that calling it ‘marriage’ would prevent gay people in civil partnerships being forced to ‘out’ themselves on official documents seem somewhat redundant – even conceited – to me and suggest a generalised

By JORDAN BROUGH ISSUES EDITOR shortcoming in gay pride than cause for largescale bureaucratic upheaval.

Some might argue that religious gay couples should have the right to marry in a religious ceremony and have a real “marriage” in the religious sense, a practice not provided for by current legislation.

Marriage is by definition, however, a non-religious affair. In the eyes of the state, marriage is a consolidation of tax affairs and legal arrangements regarding guardianship of children, inheritance tax bands and the like.

Editorial constraints forbid me from digressing into an archaic (and totally boring) church-state demarcation debate, but the plain fact is that people were getting hitched long before the church wrote itself a role in marriage.

This came around the time Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire and the Theodosian Code expressly forbade same-sex marriage for the first time in western civilisation.

To me, the Civil Partnership Act was a proud and progressive step forward for the UK. So far the majority of complaints from the gay lobby are ones based on marital terminology rather than religious freedom, and yet there is no law to forbid those in civil partnerships using traditional terminology to describe their union.

Indeed, most religious gay couples find a religious blessing following their ceremony to be sufficient.

By virtue of their principles and convictions, many churches are deeply opposed to gay marriage anyway and would readily exercise their right (one that will be enshrined in law should the bill be passed) to turn down gay couples wishing to commit in their place of worship.

Juxtaposing the Civil Partnership Act with one that carries nominal benefits for a minority of religious gay people – many whom will face disappointment and disillusionment as a result of the act’s provisions for churches – is not only inordinate and farcical but even, dare I say it, slightly regressive.

Please don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I have any objection to the notion of gay marriage; naturally, I feel the total opposite.

If I were to form a civil partnership, I would (like the vast majority of those already in civil partnerships) refer to the ceremony and my partner as my marriage and spouse respectively.

What I find embarrassing is the way in which the gay marriage debate rolls on and on – the “we’re here, we’re queer” brigade, an entitled sea of shrieking harpies, screaming for an equality that they already have while the contented and self-assured members of the gay community writhe to disassociate themselves.

There is no conceivable obstruction to legally

renaming civil partnerships “marriages” if terminology is the only issue at hand – so why not just do that and stitch up the pension loophole while they’re at it?

How about focusing on real issues in gay equality, like the fact that we’re banned from giving blood unless we’re celibate or the fact that pension trustees can freely discriminate against same-sex couples?

If it were as easy as pressing a button for a gay marriage act, then I would be among the first to stand up in support.

It isn’t that easy, however, and the benefits of a gay marriage act would, as the proposed bill currently stands, be insufficient when weighed up against the arduous process of re-writing existing statute; not to mention the inevitable fallout whereby gay couples turned down by their church will seek costly, time-consuming and futile judicial review.

There are approximately 725,000 gay, lesbian and bisexual people in the UK and an average of 11,000 civil partnerships formed each year since the act came into force.

Everyone calls it marriage and the low dissolution rates for civil partnerships show it is demonstrably as effective as marriage, if not more so (Elizabeth Taylor anyone?

How about some Britney or Kim Kardashian to go with that all-important sanctity?)

The figures speak for themselves: most of us are already having our cake and eating it.

Tax claims OAP victim Redcar pensioner unprepared for ‘bedroom tax’

By REBECCA LAWRENCE A VICTIM of the Government’s controversial new “bedroom tax” has spoken of the devastating effect that the plans could have on her life.

Under the recent Welfare Reform Act, the Government plans to introduce a scheme - officially called the “under occupancy tax” - which will cut the amount of benefits that people can get if they are considered to have a spare bedroom in their council house.

The plans will charge social housing tenants for spare rooms, cutting benefits by £14.00 a week for people with one extra bedroom or £16.00 a week where there are two spare rooms.

Peggy Wells, a 92-year-old pensioner from Redcar, has lived in her council house for over 40 years.

She now has to sleep downstairs of her house due to several medical conditions, which is why she has an unoccupied bedroom on the second floor of her house.

Peggy said: “This has been my home for nearly half of my life. I don’t know if I’ll be able to continue to afford living here if they introduce these new rules where I would have to pay £14.00 per week. I just don’t have that kind of money.”

The proposal, which is expected to come into effect in April, will affect approximately 660,000 of the poorest citizens living in the United Kingdom.

The groups hit hardest from the bedroom tax are expected to be the disabled, single parents and the elderly.

If plans are to continue as intended, Peggy could be forced to pay an extra £700 a year to cover the expenses of her upstairs bedroom.

The pensioner said: “I just hope the Government starts to realise that their plans are going to do more harm than good for the people of this country.”

According to government figures, 420,000 of those affected have a disability of some kind.

The rules state that couples and children of the same sex must share a room.

This means that thousands of families may have to squash their children into one bedroom - even when several are available - and will still have to pay the weekly tax.

The rule applies even in cases where one of the children is severely disabled and may disrupt the other child(ren) during the night.

The Bedroom Tax proposal has already come under local scrutiny after the Prime Minister was confronted with the case of two teenage North East soldiers who could be left without a place to sleep if their families’ benefits were cut.

CONTROVERSIAL: The ‘bedroom tax’ will affect some of society’s most vulnerable members

Gay marriage divides Tees MPs

By DAVID SMITH ISSUES REPORTER

F

EBRUARY’S gay marriage Bill has divided Teesside’s MPs.

The bill looks to be a “big step” for gay rights in the UK. The Bill was voted through the Commons with a majority of 390 to 170 but, despite the huge majority, gay marriage was a closely fought issue on Teesside, receiving a yay, a nay and an abstention from Stockton and Middlesbrough MPs. Alex Cunningham of Stockton North abstained from the vote while Andy Mcdonald of Middlesbrough and James Wharton of Stockton South voted yes and no respectively.

Mr Cunningham, Labour MP of Stockton North, was on a trip with a Commons select committee on the day of the vote but has said that if he had been able to vote he would have abstained due to his own personal beliefs about the issue.

Labour MP for Middlesbrough Andy McDonald said: “I firmly believe in marriage.

“Marriage is an important statement of love and long term commitment, and has long been the main way that the state recognises and shows support for loving relationships.

“I believe that couples who love each other and want to make that long-term commitment to each other should be able to marry, regardless of their gender or their sexuality.”

James Wharton was much more pessimistic about the issue.

The Conservative MP for Stockton North said: “I do not think our churches are yet ready for this change.

“For many people marriage has a unique religious significance and meaning, and the proposed changes require us to strike a balance between the equal rights of people in love of whatever gender to marry, and the right to religious freedom to worship in accordance with belief.

“This [bill] is not about those basic rights; it is about the right to have a religious ceremony which is opposed by the majority of those who follow religion.”

The bill will allow for same sex couples to partake in a religious marriage ceremony or to upgrade civil partnerships to marriages.

Although no institution will be compelled to allow for same sex marriages Anglican churches will be exempt to protect from legal claims that as the nation’s established church it is bound to marry anyone who requests it.

Jacob Smith, Chair of Teesside University’s LGBT Society (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) said: “I don’t see why it would be a problem, obviously there’s still a couple of hoops to jump through but it’s a big step.

“Gay marriage was the big wall. We had civil partnerships but from my point of view, and that of the people I’ve spoken to, it wasn’t equal.”

Alex Campion, 22, is very optimistic about the new bill.

‘

Gay marriage is the big wall. Civil partnerships are not equal ...

The Leeds-based Mortgage Underwriter has been with his partner for three years now and disagrees with the stance taken by many of those against the bill, including MP James Wharton saying that “religious gay people should be allowed the same opportunity to marry in a religious setting if they so wish.

“Marriage isn’t about the state ‘approving’ of your relationship’s purity and childrearing potential - if so, adulterers, over50s, divorcees, infertile couples and people who look at porn would be banned from ever getting married.

“Same-sex married couples can provide homes as conducive to good child-rearing as those of their heterosexual counterparts.

“If they couldn’t then the fight for mar-

’

EQUALITY ADVOCATE: Alex Campion

LGBT SOCIETY: Chair Jacob Smith

issues

Primary school’s language plea: ‘You’ not ‘youse’

By JUNIQUE AUJLA ISSUES EDITOR PARENTS of Sacred Heart Primary School pupils have been sent letters asking them to encourage correct grammar in their children’s work.

Carol Walker, head teacher of the school, noticed that pupils were spelling words phonetically and decided to take action.

The letter lists several incorrect phrases alongside the accurate spelling as an easy way for children to understand the difference.

Carol Walker, who has been head teacher at Sacred heart School for 12 years, said: “I am not asking children to deny where they come from. I am saying to them there are certain situations where they need to be able to use standard English.”

Ms Walker stressed that the idea was not to remove the Teesside accent, but to help pupils pronounce phrases that were being incorrectly used.

The note to parents explained that students were using expressions such as ‘gizit ere’ instead of ‘please give me it’ and ‘it’s nowt’ rather than ‘it’s nothing’.

Other words commonly mistaken are the difference between ‘your’ and ‘you’re’, in addition to ‘werk’ and ‘shert’ instead of ‘work’ and ‘shirt’.

The National Literary Trust has been working with local partners, schools and services in Middlesbrough to bring literary skills to the forefront of the community and give children and families the reading, speaking and listening skills they need.

Allison Potter, from the National Literacy Trust is currently running the Middlesbrough Reading Campaign to raise the profile of literacy across the town.

She said: “We are delighted that Middlesbrough head teacher Carol Walker is emphasising the importance of children being able to communicate effectively.

“Children need to develop good language skills from an early age to be able to succeed at school and when they enter the workplace. This is not about your accent, but rather your ability to speak articulately and confidently.”

The National Literary Trust is keen on getting parents involved to make this campaign a success. Middlesbrough parents can do this by visiting www.turningpages.co.uk where they can find practical tips on supporting their child’s language and literacy skills.

SPELLING IT OUT: Headmistress Carol Walker has sent out letters to parents of Sacred Heart pupils

9

10

Teesside hosts Anim-azing event

entertainment

T

11

KAPOW: Image displayed in art gallery

DISPLAYING: Will Becher shows off The Pirates! model

By SAM HOWITT

entertainment

HE LARGEST festival dedicated to animation and computer games in the UK brought big names such as Disney, Epic Games and Marvel Comics onto Teesside University grounds.

February 18-22 saw the return of Animex, where crowds of students scurried to both the Europa and Stephenson buildings to spectate talks and workshops from people such as comic book legend Marv Wolfman.

Former Creative Digital Media student, Shaun Spalding, who now works with Ubisoft, described the event as a place to learn ‘more about the industry than anywhere else’.

He added: “It’s a great place in general for the talks with industry veterans and experts, a good way to get better at whatever it is that we do.”

This year marked the 14th anniversary of Animex and 10th year of Animex Game, a small one-day event which gained so much popularity it was extended an extra day and incorporated into the Animex festival.

Students were especially entertained by video game composer, Austin Wintory, who produced the video game, Journey, and was also the first Grammy nominated video game composer.

He had the crowd in echoes of laughter by showing the audience how music can transform the mood of a film. He played a sweet and innocent melody along with a scene and then comparing it to a soundtrack from The Dark Knight.

One speaker, Ken Wong, explained how he drew his own fan art for the game American McGee’s Alice while still at University.

He got his first freelance job when a game designer came across it on the internet, which led to a full time job, and then he was able to develop his own game, HackyCat, for the iPhone.

He said: “I think for me what I wanted to achieve with this game was to complete a project, to make a game by myself and put it out.

“I’ve done that and I’m really happy about it, so the next thing is just to see how well it does financially.”

Wyeth Johnson, of Epic Games, gave career advice in his talk; telling students to only show their best work and not be afraid to get rid of something bad, no matter how much they like it.

He said: “Animex provides that direct link right from a student who might never of had a job before to someone with fifteen years of experience.

“That connection is actually very rare and there aren’t too many conferences or even places where that is even guaranteed to happen if you’re going to seek it out for yourself.”

Rhianna Pratchett, freelance games writer, who worked on the story of the recently released Tomb Raider reboot, talked about what makes a good video game narrative, empathising good communication with the teams working on the games.

She said: “They’re always a great bunch at Animex.

It’s lovely to be able to impart knowledge.

“I’ve been in the games industry for a long time, and I’ve been a gamer since I was six. It is good to share what I know.”

The festival also inspired current students interested in joining the industry, as talks were held by former graduates who had made it with big name companies

SPECTATING: Sam Howitt looks at the art exhibition

POSING: Wyeth Johnson in front of graphic display

PICTURES

By SAM HOWITT, JOE HUDSON and ADAM HUDSON EXPRESSING: Doug Braithwaite explaining illustrations

CHARITY: David Au and Alex Trowers with art for sale

SHOWCASING: Ethan Nicolle displaying illustrations

such as Ubisoft and IO Interactive.

Janus Kirkegaard, a former Creative Digital Media student, talked about the path he took from Teesside University up to working on the Hitman games at IO Interactive, stating he got the job by just ‘having a good application’.

He said: “I feel I got the job because a lot of the stuff in my portfolio reflected the kind of work that IO prides themselves in.

“They like something realistic with a twist, something that tells a story, something that has character.”

Other than games, Animex brought along people who worked on movies such as Wreck-It Ralph, Skyfall, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Life of Pi, Prometheus, Pirates! In

an Adventure with Scientists.

This was also the first year that Animex had a day of talks devoted to comics.

Ethan Nicolle, who draws the comic Axe Cop, which is written by his eight year old brother, Malachai, demonstrated his illustrations to onlookers.

When talking about the comic, he said: “The response has been 99.9 per cent, extremely positive, although there are a few crazy people that have had a problem.

“I seemed to have struck a chord that I never have intended to, I never realised that my brother was so universally charming. I just thought we loved him.”

Marv Wolfman gave a retrospective of his entire career, talking about working on big name comic books like Teen

Titans, Spiderman, Tomb of Dracula, and that it’s not just comic books he has written, but videogames, books and more.

One point he made, is that if you can tell a good story in two pages, you’ll be good at telling much larger stories.

Two charity auctions were held for the Alzheimer’s Society. Items up for auction included a Monsters University sketch book and a Futurama and Star Wars crossover character art was sold. The event raised a total of £3000.

Most presentations were in the style of a PowerPoint, however the speakers made it informative and entertaining, telling their various tales from the industry.

Non-Disclosure Agreements were mentioned on

several occasions, as Animex is not a place to find out about industry secrets, but it still offered plenty of information to those wanting to break into the industry.

Austin Wintory and Bay Raitt seemed to eschew the use of PowerPoint and just relied on having a folder opened up on the screen with all of their important files contained within.

It came across as rather natural and spontaneous, both encouraging the people sat watching to ask questions during the talks as opposed to after.

Thomas York, a 19-year-old Games Programming student, said: “It was really fun and really entertaining.

“I found out a lot about the industry and even when it was not relevant to my studies I still enjoyed myself.”

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entertainment

Tside ‘reels’ them in

By JAKE GAUNTLEY ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

C

ALIFORNIAN ska punk legends, Reel Big Fish, have been making the world dance for over 20 years and show no signs of stopping with album number eight, ‘Candy Coated Fury’.

Famous for hits such as ‘Sell Out’, ‘Beer’ and their cover of A Ha’s ‘Take On Me’ the band have developed a strong fan-base around the world, allowing them to have a constant schedule of touring and recording.

While touring Europe to promote their latest release, the band rolled into town to play Middlesbrough Empire where drummer Ryland Steel took some time out to chat to Tside about touring, life in the UK and the horsemeat scandal.

“The tour has been great so far, there has been a lot of sweaty shows and the fans are great. We do our best to try and bring the circus to town and so far it has been a lot of fun.

“Last night in Manchester was great. We played at The Ritz for the first time.

“It’s cool to play a new venue. As the years go on it feels like we do the same old tours every time, so it is nice to throw in a new venue every now and again.”

“We love coming over to England, the fans have always been so great to us here and you guys also have kebabs. We can’t get them in America.”

With the conversation naturally moving from kebab meat to horse meat, Ryland offered no sympathy to the UK victims of the horsegate saga: “People over here are just getting freaked out thinking horses are majestic animals and they’re not for consumption.

“I grew up in a state surrounded by farms. You look at a cow and they’re nice, they just sit there and hang out, yet we eat them on a daily basis.

“I love it here though. Sometimes it feels like a second home”.

The band’s latest stint in the UK stretched over 16 nights, with more than 20 other shows following on the continent, leading them all the way to countries such as Poland, Finland and Russia.

By SARAH THOMPSON

A

Teesside University Media Studies lecturer and her husband have marked the end of their Beatles exhibition by learning their work is to be published.

Beatles fanatic Dr Stephanie Fremaux and husband Mark hosted the exhibition in the Constantine Gallery looking at The Beatles’ legacy and related tourism in Liverpool and Hamburg where the group spent a number of their early years.

The project, 53 Degrees North – which refers to the longitude of both cities - came to end on February 13 with a lecture from Stephanie in Middlesbrough Tower summarising the pair’s

“We are so lucky to have a great fan base.

“The band could go and play in Moscow and if you took that crowd and put them here in Middlesbrough you wouldn’t know the difference.

“The music of Reel Big Fish seems to have that universal quality that makes people want to get up and go crazy which is great for us.”

However, long tours can be hard on any band, but Ryland feels Reel Big Fish have conditioned themselves to withstand the harshest of touring schedules.

“As you get older it can get harder.

“What happens is you make the band your life for a while, eventually it may hit that wall where it starts to get a little harder.

“You have to decide if it’s like ‘alright we’ll keep this thing going’ or if it is best to take a break. I think all of us have been able to keep the perspective that, we are all lucky to do what we do“.

But life hasn’t always been so peachy for Reel Big Fish. In 2005, they released their fifth studio album ‘We’re Not Happy ‘til You’re Not Happy’ featuring titles such as ‘Last Show’, ‘Turn The Radio Off’ and the bluntly put ‘Don’t Start a Band’.

This signalled to many that the band was on its last legs, but the ‘jaded stand against major record labels’, as Ryland described it, didn’t last for long.

After a few member changes and a break from touring, the band were back and raring to go.

“One thing that has helped in our case is having someone like Aaron Barrett (front man and founding member of the band) who is the musical mastermind behind Reel Big Fish.

“He is the one steering the ship.

“When you have someone that writes the mission statement for a band it tends to work a lot better than being totally democratic. That is when things can get totally out of hand so having someone to guide the ship is always a good thing.”

A timescale on a follow up to 2012’s’ ‘Candy Coated Fury’ is yet to be known, as Ryland explained it wasn’t that easy to get captain of the ship, Aaron, to unleash his latest catch of tunes out so quickly.

“Generally when we put a new album out we seem to just tour on that for a few years.

“It definitely taken a while and some poking and prodding to finally get Aaron to reveal his newest batch of songs for this record.

“As far as the next recording project, it is pretty much up in the air, I don’t think any of us really know yet.”

Following their European tour the band will spend their summer on the Van’s Warped Tour in America, which spans over three months.

Who knows, maybe then we might be able to find out when album number nine will be bouncing off our ear drums.

Until then, you can read a review of Reel Big Fish’s Middlesbrough show at tside.co.uk or go to reel-big-fish.com for music and videos.

How Beatlemania hit Teesside work.

Stephanie, who hopes this work will help to remove the stigma that researching and writing about popular culture has carried on for so long, said: “I think it is such a great validation of the work I’ve done on the Beatles over the past 10 years first as a PhD candidate and now as a professional academic.

“This research has taken me to new areas - I’ve researched tourism, city planning strategies, and urban regenerations schemes for the first time.

“It was a challenge to go out of my comfort

zone, but it has really opened up new questions about the Beatles’ legacy and their impact today.”

Dr Mark Fremaux, a professional photographer and senior lecturer in film and TV at Edge Hill University, captured the images for the project while Stephanie researched and wrote the captions, analysing the key differences between Liverpool and Hamburg’s claim on the Beatles’ legacy.

It found Beatles tourism in Hamburg has taken a different direction than Liverpool.

The Beatles museum in Hamburg was closed in 2012 after not receiving any money from the

council which left very little information about the Fab Four and their music in the city.

However, Liverpool’s music and Beatles heritage has thrived since the 80s and 90s and continues to be a popular facet of the city’s tourism industry today.

In October 2012 Stephanie also completed research on the personas of David Bowie with Teesside University journalism lecturer Bethany Usher, which was to be presented at a conference marking the 40th anniversary of the release of the singer’s hit single, “Changes”.

entertainment

13

Hilarious by name, hilarious by nature S

uperstars of slapstick! A big name to live up to even for the big top, however this Comedy Award-winning, father and son duo certainly know how to get an audience howling with laughter.

For over the past five years, Clive Webb and Danny Adams have been wowing Newcastle panto audiences with their show, Daredevils and Clowns, which they brought to Middlesbrough Town Hall for the very first time.

Cirque Du Hilarious has it all, music, singing, dancing and acrobatics, along with the clowning around slapstick panto-goers would expect. The show, full of cheesy puns, witty comments and excessive daftness, does it for me every time.

Sunderland-born Clive Webb, stars as ringmaster and goes through more wardrobe changes than Alan Carr in a series of Chatty Man. “My job is to make people laugh” he says. But the real star of the show is Danny Adams; complete with the red clown nose, white lips and equally colourful costumes.

His enthusiastic limber attitude and trademark laugh create an atmosphere like no other, keeping the audience laughing from gag to gag.

Many a groan is guaranteed thanks to the constant flow of puns and old jokes - with appropriate props to aid laughter.

The conversation is quick and spontaneous, making audience participation a unique experience with unplanned acts and situations throughout the show.

The mix of tomfoolery, magic tricks, water and cream pies, plus quick-fire one liners ensures plenty of laughs for the whole family. The show caters for

By

OLIVER HUDSON

a family audience and contains jokes for the young ones as well as clever innuendoes for the rest of the crowd.

Watching the full act was a pleasure, however one scene was almost too tense to watch.

As the balancing acts came to a finish, one act featured an acrobat surfing a balance-board 20 foot off the floor, on top of various stacked objects - imagine Jenga - while strumming out the solo for ACDC’s “Back in Black”. Now that’s talent.

The second half kicked off strongly with Danny performing Houdini’s milk churn escape which has to been seen to be believed, but then lightened up by blowing up the world’s biggest balloon on stage; so big that Danny himself was inside it.

The crème de la crème of the show was the slapstick comedy from which it gets its name. Hilarious gags flow throughout the show, linking the stage changes and keeping the audience in howls of laughter.

Expect two hours of mind-blowing entertainment, packed with magic, madness, mayhem, comedy, dancing girls, slapstick and the mysterious Dangerous Alan.

The circus is back at Middlesbrough Town Hall next year, but if you can’t wait until then you can visit their website at cirquedehilarious.co.uk or search ‘Cirque Du Hilarious’ on Facebook for more information.

Middlesbrough Town Hall events and listings can be found at middlesbroughtownhallonline.co.uk or via telephone on 01642 729 729 or 01642 81 51 81.

MUSICAL JENGA: Guitarist plays on a platform

PUTTING ON A SHOW: Cabaret act take to the stage

CIRQUE DU HILARIOUS: Daredevils & Clowns Tour

PS4: Has gaming gone mobile?

ebruary saw the unveiling F of Sony’s newest boredom curer, the Playstation 4, which

grabbed the attention of millions of gamers worldwide.

The technology giants said this console will be “the most powerful platform ever” and will boast a plethora of new features including touchscreen pads on the new improved DualShock 4 controller, more social features so you can share the gaming experience with friends and “1.84 Teraflops of processing power” (yep we’re lost on that one too.)

However, the reality is games console sales are on the decline. Sales in 2012 had dropped by a third from 2011 with many people suggesting that the soaring smartphone and tablet games industry has something to do with it.

Tside spoke to students around campus to find out what they think about the latest gaming gizmo.

Greg Ridley, MSc Law student:

“I don’t really play games but if I

do I play iPhone games because they are much simpler to use and less time consuming.

”

Ahmed Baabond, International student:

Sarah Thompson, MA Journalism student:

Kin Ho, Chemistry student:

not really that excited about I’m quite excited about PS4, I I don’t really know about games “theI’mPS4. “think “consoles, I enjoy playing games it will be successful and more it is rare that I play them. on my iPhone and PC rather than enjoyable than iPhone gaming.

I’ve seen PS4 though and it looks ” like it’ll be really popular. games on consoles. ” ”

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entertainment

Top tips for aspiring bands B

ANDS dream of touring the world, playing their music to adoring fans and giving their livers a battering along the way.

By ADAM HUDSON

“Hi .....

We’re a band from Teesside called .....

You can listen to our songs on Soundcloud, Facebook or at our website.....

If you’ve got any gigs that we could play, that would be great.

Thanks.”

2 3

Don’t make it obvious that you’re sending material to multiple promoters at the same time (even if you are).

Don’t include any irrelevant detail such as your band’s history. Promoters simply want to hear a great song.

Tuesday 5 March – The Crooked Beats – Mixtape @ The Keys Friday 8 March – Shooting from the Lip: Patrick Monahan Live stand up – Middlesbrough Town Hall Crypt – £14 Friday 8 March – The Hostiles, Too Spicy & Kildare – The Princess Alice - Free

Saturday 9 March - Athletes in Paris - Empire - £6

CHIEF REPORTER

When contacting booking agents, keep it brief, simply say:

F

rom tribute acts, to live comedy and world renowned DJs, it is all going down in Teesside this March. So as the leaves start to grow back on the trees and the sun teases you with the odd shine, why not start Spring with some live entertainment:

Saturday 9 March – The Bootleg Beatles – Middlesbrough Town Hall Crypt - £26.50

ganised and promoted our own gigs.

TRACKS: Chay on into the the desk The reality for newMIXING bands is playing “That’sHobson how I got whole to small rooms of family and friends band booking thing.”

– a far cry from the Rock & Roll lifeHenry has previously booked bands style. like Pulled Apart by Horses, Alt-J and But help is at hand. Are you a new Frank Turner, and each have gone on band looking for that first gig? Then to play major gigs and festivals. look no further.

Alt-J even won the Barclaycard Tside spoke to freelance promoter Mercury Prize for their debut Album, Henry Carden who books bands for a An Awesome Wave, in 2012. host of local venues.

On a more local level, Henry has Henry toured all over Europer with worked with Middlesbrough’s ColDARTZ! and recorded a full length lectors Club and Thornaby’s Cattle & album with Xtra Mile Recordings, but Cane. the band broke up in 2009.

On a weekly basis, he receives Henry said: “Getting gigs at the start around 30 requests for gig and he wasn’t easy, so we put our first gigs on chooses only a select few to actually by ourselves. It was very much a DIY book. So why should he choose you? ethos.

Here are his seven tips for gig “Nobody would book us, so we or- success:

1

What’s on

Tuesday 12 March – Jacques and The Giants – Mixtape @ The Keys Friday 15 March – Dead Sons + Sister Rose – Ku Bar, Stockton Friday 15 March – Nu:Underground Live Launch – The Crown Saturday 16 March – Ruts DC (ex The Ruts) – The Georgian Theatre, Stockton £10 Tuesday 19 March – Mondays Company – Mixtape @ The Keys Sunday 24 March – Palma Violets – Empire £9

4 5 6 7

Send recorded material. As a band you should always have material ready to showcase the songs that make your set list.

Promote your gigs as much as you can, especially using social networks.

Create event pages on Facebook for people to share.

Don’t play too many gigs, if you are playing for the same crowds too often, they may get bored.

Make every gig an event by showcasing new songs or new merchandise at each one to keep your fans interested.

Henry’s final words: “Rather than having lots of gigs, knuckle down in the practice room and make sure your next gig is better than the last. It will pay off.”

Tuesday 26 March – Blank Maps – Mixtape @ The Keys Thursday 28 March – Overdrive Rock Club: Knotslip (Slipknot tribute band) – The Crown Friday 29 March – Live Comedy: Chris McCausland, Chris Martin & Ray Peacock (MC) – Stockton ARC - £10 Saturday 30 March – Stockton Calling Festival 2013 Sunday 31 March – Paul Oakenfold – Empire £15

The Panoramic come out on top in 4PLAY-Offs final

By SAMUEL LEADER

Entertainment Editor

WINNERS: The Panoramic beat 15 other bands to the prize

T

EESSIDE indie-rockers The Panoramic have won an opening slot at Stockton Calling after battling it out in this year’s 4PLAY-Offs competition.

The band, who describes themselves as “the funk of Teesside”, competed against 15 other bands to win the top prize.

4PLAY-Offs, which took place at Dr Brown’s, Middlesbrough, reached its climax last week, after an entertaining seven weeks saw the area’s top bands competing for the appetising prize.

Stefan Atkinson, the lead singer of The Panoramic, said: “We played Stockton Calling last year and it was definitely one of our favourite gigs that we have ever done.

“To get the chance to play the festival again is such an exciting opportunity for us.

“In the next year or so we are looking to move forward as a band onto bigger things, so gigs of this stature are a big help to us.”

The competition, which was organised by Grass Route, also includes top prizes such as a video and photo shoot, TV airtime for the video and a single

release through Satellite Records.

Last year, 4PLAY-Offs saw over 800 people attend the gigs in seven weeks.

Leon Pape, 30, the founder of Grass Route, said: “4PLAY-Offs is a great way for up and coming bands to get themselves on the right track.

“The Panoramic are such a great band and the prizes can really set them up for the rest of the year.

“We saw a wealth of talent in this year’s competition and I can promise that next year’s is going to be bigger and better.”

Grass Route was founded 14 months ago after Leon quit his job as a prison officer.

The Panoramic praised the impact Grass Route has on the local scene in Teesside.

Stefan said: “We are so lucky in Teesside to have Grass Route organising gigs left, right and centre out of the love for music.

“Leon has been with us through thick and thin and he’s even been criticised for putting us on before, but we ended up coming out on top.

“We would love to repay him for all his efforts in the future.”

Stockton Calling takes place on Saturday 30 March with over 50 bands playing. To find out more visit http://www.stocktoncalling.co.uk.

lifestyle

Rising designer wins over Rihanna

By KATHRYN HEWARD

T

By KATHRYN HEWARD IN need of a show stopping little black dress on a tight budget? Do not fear, TSIDE are here to fulfil your fashion cravings with a range of dresses available on the high street.

Finding that perfect dress can sometimes be difficult and with so many styles swarming the high street it’s hard to find one that suits your body shape, while still looking fabulous.

The little black dress is never out of season and is one that fits every occasion. Bodycon and skater style dresses are hot off the catwalk and are available in a range of colours across the High Street.

So look no further, here’s a range of LBDs to see you through the summer.

ASOS £20

TALK THAT TALK: Rihanna wears a Claire Barrow designer jacket on the cover of her latest album

RISING DESIGNER: Claire Barrow shows the complete collection at her store

New Look £25

The 22-year-old has created jackets which have graced the catwalks of major fashion weeks in London, Paris and New York.

Claire knew it would be extremely challenging to break in to the fashion industry, but with a foot in the door with an internship at leading fashion designer Alexander McQueen, she was given the experience and contacts to make it in such a competitive market.

She said: "I started painting jackets in my bedroom from my second floor flat on a busy road of east London while out on my sandwich year of university.

“The purpose of the year out was to gain experience, preferably in the fashion industry, but really to gain any kind of life experience.”

“Some classmates travelled, some got jobs to pay the bills, others used that money to get drunk all year and the rest got internships with fashion designers.”

Claire was given a once in a lifetime opportunity to work with world renowned fashion designer, Alexander McQueen where she helped finish his ‘diffusion line’.

She said: "I decided to try to make some cash from an idea I had of selling custom painted leather jackets.

“I drew inspiration from gang culture and really enjoyed creating unique designs. In time, industry experts had heard the hype surrounding my designs and credited them as being good, this is when my brand started to accumulate a significant following.

“Once I was back at university following my year out, I had already registered my business, selling customised leather jackets.”

“I juggled university work and orders for painting on the side."

After being contacted by the popstar and fashion icon, Rihanna, through her tumblr website, Claire designed leather jackets for the star to be worn on her Loud tour. as well as being featured on the back cover of her Talk that Talk album.

The rising fashion designer also embarked on collaborations with Underground England and Joseph and is currently designing a range of garments for the new season.

Examples of Claire’s work can also be found in elite fashion magazines such as Vogue, Vogue Paris, Elle UK, Grazia and ID magazine, all of which showcase her work worn by well known celebrities such as Agyness Deyn and Kristen Stewart.

"I learnt all I needed to learn from Westminster Fashion,” said Claire.

“I took the opportunity to show a six piece collection on the catwalk at the end of the year as a big chance to show my creative range and ideas to a crowd of important fashionistas.

"The fashion industry isn’t about grades; it is about clothes and contacts."

For more info visit: www.clairebarrow.com

Designer Vs High Street

Primark £10

eesside designer Claire Barrow has attracted the attention of A-listers like Rihanna and Kristen Stewart with her one-off catwalk designs.

15

16

lifestyle

Single man reveal yourself!

VALENTINE’S day can either be the best or the worst day of the year for you students out there.

Loved up couples walk the streets hand in hand on the most romantic day of the year, but for those of you students that found yourself single, Click radio station had the solution.

In conjunction with Would Love 2, the new free app for Apple and

By OLIVIA THORNTON LIFESTYLE EDITOR Android ‘that takes the rejection out of dating’, Cupid Click gave students the chance to find their ideal partner for Valentine’s day, ‘Take Me Out’ style.

Seven lucky boys lined up for blonde babe Jenny Snow, in the fight to win a date with her. One unlucky

guy was given the boot after each round, in the bid for her attention until only one remained.

Then it was the girls’ turn, with seven gorgeous girls queuing up for self confessed ladies man Nick Holmes letting him choose his perfect date.

The winning couples received vouchers for a restaurant in Middlesbrough.

Take your mates to Yates’s for a slap-up meal

By SASHA JAMES EXAM season is approaching and revision stress has cast a gloomy shadow across campus.

The deadweight of work can sometimes prove a chore to escape from in the town centre, so a trip for some local pub grub is often the perfect remedy to tranquilise the mind and take a break from that abyss of never-ending exam prep.

Yates’s, located right next to Middlesbrough’s town centre, fits the bill just right and its welcoming aura is ideal for a chilled out student atmosphere. Offers such as two meals for £6.45 make for an enticing opportunity to grab some food with a few friends after a long day at uni.

From lasagne to the classic burger, chips and a pint, Yates’s offers a variety of winter warmers which are deliciously cheap. If you’re feeling extra indulgent you could tuck into one of their 2 for 1 desserts which include mouth watering toffee apple crumble and double chocolate chip cookie

cheesecake, or, if you’re in more of a party mood, wash it down with one of Yates’s signature cocktails such as Purple Haze or Jelly Bean.

As well as food to please the taste buds and bank balance, Yates’s fast service and friendly staff make the ingredients of an alluring tea time treat. Being served just 10-15 minutes after ordering is an added perk to an already enjoyable pub experience to polish off a tedious week at university.

The chain caters for all appetites and if you’re fancying a bit of a feast their hearty Sunday roast could be calling your name.

If a healthier option is what you’re craving their sandwich and a drink meal deal is also pretty tricky to resist when longing for a decent but cheap meal.

All in all, Yates’s oozes an inviting ‘proper pub’ atmosphere with a glamorous edge. Prowling for a local restaurant which sells reasonably priced as well as tasty food can be a hassle, but Yates’s cancels out any lost hope any of us once had with its extravaganza of compelling deals.

Spring fresh

By JESSICA BURT Lifestyle Editor

WITH summer fast approaching it is important to make sure you have restocked your makeup bag with beauty essentials to prep you for the sunny months ahead. Here’s some hot products for under a tenner.

lifestyle

17

Denimspiration PREPARE for summer with the High street’s latest denim trends. From skirts to jackets, JESSICA BURT reveals four ways to revamp your wardrobe with denim this season.

Embrace your femininity with this skater style skirt. Paired with a cute tank top or sleeveless shirt this will come in handy for those summer days. Get yours from Miss Selfridge for £30.

Give yourself a salon professional manicure with this gel nail polish

by Barry M. Coming in a range of bright colours, this nail saviour is just what every girl needs! Get yours from your local Barry M stockist for a small price of £4.

Keep your summer glow all year round with a gradual tanner. L’Oreal Paris offer an intense moisturiser with a hint of self-tan for a sun kissed look. Buy yours for £7.50.

Denim jackets can come in all shapes and forms and Topshop have failed to disappoint with this American varsity bomber style number.

So follow in the footsteps of the leading designers and buy yours for £58.

The denim shirt is an all season style which can be tailored to your needs. These checked sleeves add a retro feel and go perfectly with a pair of black skinnies.

Available at Topshop, £36.

Denim shorts are a wardrobe staple and can be customised to suit your individuality. These denim shorts with Aztec detailing are perfect for a sunny day. Available at New Look for £22.99.

Sweep this hot pink blusher across your cheeks for an instant spring ready look. From the Topshop range, this blusher is available in a variety of colours to satisfy your makeup cravings, at an affordable price of £6.

To your left is Lee Stafford’s sunkissed lightening spray which gives your hair an instant beach makeover, turning even the darkest brunettes to a shade of blonde.

Have an Easter eggstravaganza CORNFLAKE nest cakes are a great way to spoil yourself after those hard days during lent, they’re a tasty treat to get in the mood for Easter and take minutes to make, not forgetting how fun it is to lick the melted chocolate from the spoon once you’re done!

You will need: 75g Cornflakes 225g of your favourite chocolate 36 mini eggs A pan, spoon, glass bowl and 12 cupcake cases Also the use of a hob The recipe: 1. Place your pan on the hob with it filled half way with water.

2. Break up your chocolate bar into chunks and place into the bowl then carefully place it into the pan.

3. Keep stirring the chocolate when the water has boiled until it has fully melted; turn the hob off and with oven gloves take the bowl out of the water.

4. Add in your cornflakes and stir, once they are all covered in the chocolate grab a cupcake case and spoon the cornflake mix into the case.

5. Once your 12 cases are filled place three mini eggs of each one on top and there you have your very own chocolate nest cakes.

6. Place in the fridge for an hour or until they are set and don’t forget to lick the spoon!

Freestyler targets record for charity

18

sport

A

AL JOHNSON: Preparing for a fivea-side marathon (Photo: Andy Rose)

TEESSIDE freestyle footballer is preparing to take part in a world record-breaking fivea-side charity game.

Al Johnson, 29, from Stock-

ton, currently boasts an astonishing personal best of 22,618 kick-ups, which took him three hours and 40 minutes.

The five-a-side match, which has been set up by charity Youth for Christ, is hoping to break the world record by playing an exhausting 48 hours on the pitch without stopping.

Al said: “I think if you want to attract people to something it needs to have a wow factor, and attempting to complete a 48hour five-a-side football game to break the Guinness World Record has that.

“No one has managed to play for that long before so it would be a pretty amazing feat if we were to do it. It will hopefully get people on board to support it financially and spread the word.”

After previously spending two years working as a football coach in schools and youth clubs with Youth for Christ, Al was contacted by the charity to take part in the match.

Two teams of eight will compete, with each team allowed a maximum of three substitutes to give players time to eat and sleep while they are not in action on the pitch.

Steve Bownds, West Midlands sports development officer for Youth for Christ, said: “The original idea was supposed to be a 24-hour cage football session, but when that

By ALEX LARKIN

was unable to happen, the conversation moved up several gears to 48 hours of five-a-side and trying to break this world record.

“The idea being it’s bigger, a better challenge and can hopefully raise more money for young people to relevantly find out about the good news we are trying to spread at Youth for Christ.”

Youth for Christ’s head office is based in Halesowen, near Birmingham.The organisation has 70 centres spread across the UK. The charity is hoping to raise a minimum of £50,000 from the fundraiser, with anything close to that being considered a huge success.

Al believes this to be a big responsibility for the guys involved, and not just a case of going for a kickabout due to the purpose and meaning behind the match.

He said: “I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in and getting people involved in terms of sponsorship and getting the word out.

“Obviously it’s something really exciting and a great opportunity to get involved in, but I’m not doing it for my profile.

“If more people see me then that’s fantastic and I see that as a bonus, but I’m not it for myself,” he added.

The world record attempt will start on April 30 and run through to the morning of May 2 at the Goals Soccer Centre in Blackheath, Birmingham.

Teesside graduate’s Six Nations success

EESSIDE University graduate T Sophie Spence is representing Ireland at the Women’s Six Nations rugby tournament.

Sophie, 25, scored the first try in Ireland’s tight 12-10 victory over Wales in their opening fixture.

She said: “Representing my country is the best feeling in the world. I was so proud to score the first try against Wales.”

Sophie then played a pivotal role in Ireland’s 25-0 hammering of favourites England and the 30-3 win against Scotland. But she said the Ireland team are taking it one game at a time.

Sophie added: “After winning the Triple Crown at the weekend it was amazing but we know the next job is France.

“We have things to work on to build our performance and we know that we have to work hard and focus. It’s hard to think about the chance of winning the Six Nations at the moment as we have to keep building for our next test.”

Sophie qualifies to play for the Ireland team due to her mother being from Northern Ireland.

By MATT TURNER

Deputy Sports Editor The graduate, who had never played rugby before coming to Teesside, studied BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise (Coaching Science) while at the university. She then stayed in Teesside to earn her Masters degree in Sports Psychology.

“I hadn’t played rugby before I came to Teesside University, but as well as the course, the social side of being a student was fantastic and I was able to try all kinds of different things,” said Sophie.

“Rugby is such an intense, physical sport, it’s something I enjoy so much and I am glad I was able to start this journey at Teesside University.

“Rugby just seemed to come naturally and I progressed very quickly. I started out playing for the university team and was asked to play at an Irish exiles training camp. From there I was chosen for the national team.”

After making the international squad at the beginning of January, Sophie also advised others to follow in her footsteps and take up the sport.

She said: “I’d say to any young female who is interested to give it a go at least once and hopefully with a ball in hand they will enjoy it.

“There’s so much to learn in the sport which makes it so exciting that you are continuously challenged and learning.”

Sophie also has aspirations for her own future.

“I’d love to be part of the squad for both 15s and 7s over the next few years and keep growing as a player,” she concluded.

The victory over England on February 9 was a significant one for the Ireland team as it was their first win in 18 attempts against their close rivals.

The win was even more special as it w as the first time England women haven’t scored a single point in a game since 2004, following an incredible 76-0 triumph over Scotland a week earlier.

Ireland have three wins out of three and will be looking to go all the way to lift the trophy with good results against France and Italy this month.

Sophie lives in South Shields and works as a sports tutor at Hartlepool Sixth Form College.

TRY SCORER: Sophie Spence

sport

19

Teesside karting T

EESSIDE University has launched its first ever karting championship for racing enthusiasts.

The recently-formed Teesside University Karting Club are responsible for starting the competition and hope that the initial three round University championship will lead to competing all over the country.

Club chairman Heini Weihe said: “Our first target is to get a good number of people going to the remaining events of this year.

“Once we have a solid base of people wanting to attend, then we can look at maybe starting in some of the championships focused at university teams.

“The British University Karting Championship is something I’m having a good look at, but unfortunately it costs quite a bit to enter so we might have to stick to our own for the time being.”

The Teesside championship started on January 30 at the Teesside Autodrome in Redcar, with two more events being scheduled for March and May. An end of season extravaganza is currently being discussed in the form of a “champion of champions” race.

Heini said: “We held a taster ses-

By JOE HUDSON sion just before Christmas and got quite a good turnout for that.

“Hopefully those people can bring friends along so we can get a very strong championship going.

“We haven’t finalised how the championship points are going to work at the moment but we understand that not everyone can participate in every round so we need to figure out how to make it fair for everyone.”

The club is the first of its kind at Teesside having taken inspiration from successful organisations at both York St John and Northumbria Universities.

Club treasurer Joshua Heaton said: “People will like karting because of the adrenaline rush you get when going as fast as you can into a corner and lining up a perfect overtake.

“I think that everyone should come and enjoy this experience.

“Karting provides a fun sociable environment, with fuel for plenty of competitive action.”

For more information on the championship, you can email teesunikarting@gmail.com or search ‘Teesside University Karting Club’ to find the group on Facebook.

RARING TO GO: Participants in Teesside Karting Club’s first-ever championship

Boro boss in plea for Riverside Run participants

IDDLESBROUGH manager Tony M Mowbray is urging Teessiders to sign up for this summer’s Riverside Run to get fit and help some worthy causes.

The event, comprising the Middlesbrough 5k road race and 2k fun run, will see participants taking part in an Olympic marathon-style lap around the Riverside Stadium pitch before reaching the finish line.

It promises to be one of the area’s biggest sporting events in 2013 and Mowbray is encouraging Teessiders of all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels to take part in either run.

He said: “The 5k and 2k have become very popular with runners of all abilities from Teesside and beyond, while last year was an even bigger

By TOM ETHERINGTON SPORTS EDITOR

success thanks to the new Riverside Stadium element.

“It’s important that a football club like Middlesbrough plays a big part in its local community, and encouraging local people to get fit and do their bit for charity is a very appropriate way for us to give something back.

“Running is a great way to lead a healthy lifestyle, so I’d urge as many people as possible to sign up for the run and get into training.

“Hopefully, the runners being cheered home by their family and friends sitting in the Riverside stands will have an extra bounce in their step after

seeing Middlesbrough promoted to the Premier League.”

The warm-up for the event will take place on Boro’s hallowed turf before runners set off on the 5k route, which will visit historic landmarks such as the iconic Transporter Bridge and the old Town Hall.

Middlesbrough Councillor Nicky Walker, Executive Member for Environment, is grateful for the football club’s continued support and predicts this year’s event to be bigger than ever.

She said: “This event has grown quickly in popularity over its first four years but we expect 2013 to be the most successful yet thanks to the inspiration of the London Olympics and Boro’s continued support in allowing us to utilise the Riverside Stadium.

“Taking part in the Riverside Run is an uplifting

experience. It’s really not about how fast you run it but taking part, doing your best, enjoying it and maybe doing your bit for a local charity.

Former Boro stars Gaizka Mendieta, Bernie Slaven, Mark Proctor and Colin Cooper have participated in previous years, with BBC Tees ‘Voice of the Boro’ Alastair Brownlee set to run in this year’s event.

Marie Curie Cancer Care is this year’s lead charity for both the 5k road and 2k fun run, which will take place on the morning of Sunday June 2, a slightly later date than normal to fit in with the possibility of Mowbray’s side playing in the promotion play-off final at Wembley Stadium a week earlier.

To sign up for the Riverside Run and find out about entry fees, visit www.runmiddlesbrough.com.

sport tside

Page 19

Teesside goes karting

Global freestyler takes on the world

TRICKSTER: Professional freestyle footballer Al Johnson (Photo: Andy Rose)

Teessider in charity effort A TEESSIDE freestyle footballer is preparing to take part in a world record attempt to raise money for a youth charity. Al Johnson will

By ALEX LARKIN

compete in an exhausting 48-hour long 5-a-side football match at the end of April. Full story on Page 18.

Main: Boro shouldn’t be too down about Chelsea loss MIDDLESBROUGH striker Curtis Main insists his side should not be too disappointed after their “difficult night” losing to Chelsea in the FA Cup last Wednesday.

The 20-year-old, who had scored three goals in his previous four league games, started up-front against the European Champions, who eventually beat Boro 2-0 courtesy of a curled effort from Brazilian midfielder Ramires and Victor Moses’ close range tap in.

However, Main doesn’t believe the Championship outfit should be too disappointed with the result as they put in a good performance against very strong opposition.

He told Tside: “It wasn’t a bad performance because it was a difficult night.

By TOM ETHERINGTON SPORTS EDITOR “It is a disappointing result but we shouldn’t be too disappointed with how we played.”

Main arrived at the Teesside club in 2011 after being released by lowly neighbours Darlington, who now play in the Northern League, where he made his debut as a schoolboy aged 15.

The in-form forward only had a handful of Boro starts to his name, having just broken into the first-team last year, but was given a huge challenge at the Riverside on Wednesday evening as he faced off against former England captain and veteran centreback John Terry.

Boro boss Tony Mowbray believes facing such an iconic defender will be a good lesson for the young South Shields striker.

He said: “Main played against an iconic Chelsea and England player tonight and found out how difficult it is to play against a footballer who knows what he is doing.

“Terry is an experienced, top player and knows where to stand, how to use his body, when to let the ball run and when to catch you offside.

“There were some good lessons for our players and hopefully they will take them on board.”

The cup exit gives Mowbray chance to refocus on his side’s faltering promotion charge, after Boro slipped out of the playoffs for the first time since October with a defeat to Millwall on February 23.

MAIN MAN: Curtis celebrates a goal for Boro (Evening Gazette)