L Uncovered

20th February 2012

How now, Scousebrow?

Say hello to the city’s extreme beauty trend

Pancake Day: Flipped A history and recipes for this popular day

The Sun on Sunday

Liverpool’s opinion on the arrival of the new red top

10 minutes with Nook & Willow

Designers reveal why Liverpool is the city for their fashion accessories

s ’ r o t i Ed er t t e L Niamh Spence

Hi readers, So Valentine’s Day has been and gone but for some true love is still in the air including happily married couple Stan and Mabel. Here at L-Uncovered we all have our fingers crossed for Aigburth couple Donna and Paul who are hoping to win their dream wedding from Radio City.

Moving on from all the love in the air and we’re already loosening our belts in preparation for Pancake Day and eating as many as we can!

Get your chocolate sauce and maple syrup at the ready!

And for all you Desperate Scousewives fans and fashionable readers turn to our ‘Highbrow Eyebrow’ feature to discover our latest on the infamous Scousebrow.

On a serious note, we headed into the city to find out all of your views on Murdoch’s latest news venture of launching The Sun on Sunday. Asking many of you your opinion over what is no doubt a controversial topic for Liverpool we weren’t surprised to hear your thoughts…

Enjoy your read, and we’ll see you in a fortnight!

Christina Fusco

Dan Jackson

James Beard

Laura Normansell

Abbi Webster

Jessica Galley

Daisy Williams

Ryan Edwards

Tobias Orrells

Katie Upton

Sean Campbell

Dan Richardson

CONTENTS NEWS The Sun: Not forgiven not forgotten 4 True Love: 65 Years Married 5 Liverpool supports gay adoption 17

FEATURES

Excluive interview with ‘Kids We Used To Be’ Page 10

Highbrow Eyebrows 6-7 How to get the perfect Scouse Brow

Pancake day 12-13 History of the pancake Alternative pancake

Leap Year 14-15 The past four years Women propse to men

How to get a beach body without lifting a single weight page 16

SPOTLIGHT 10 minutes with...Nook and Willow 8-9

WHATS ON

Read our review of Daniel Radcliffes latest movie page 10

Previews and reviews 10-11

Everything you need to know to get the perfect Scouse brow page 6

Not Forgiven, Not Forgotten

The people of Liverpool expressed their disgust at the Sun’s announcement of a Sunday edition to replace the defunct News of the World.

The words of the Sun still provoke a bitter echo in the ears of many Liverpudlians following the Hillsborough Tragedy of April ’89, words for which the Sun has never apologised. The shock announcement of another edition in the wake of the phone hacking scandal has caused many to question the move.

The Sun is a much shunned and maligned newspaper in Liverpool, but the Mirror almost joined it. Barry Winstanley of Edge Lane News explained that the Mirror made an emergency last-minute retrieval of their papers in Liverpool the day after the Hillsborough tragedy as the then-editor George Humphreys feared the repercussions of the unsympathetic angle they had taken.

He said: “We’d already had the delivery and at 6am George Humphreys turned up and took all the Mirrors away and replaced them with ones with a different front. I think the Sun would’ve retracted theirs too if they were more local.”

Rupert Murdoch instigated the move in

an effort to re-establish the UK’s biggest selling daily paper as a successful and reliable source of news and make a move away from the corruption associated with News of the World. He will be staying in London for several weeks after he and his son have toured the newsroom to build staff morale.

Further to that he has also removed the suspensions on all previously arrested journalists in what is being described by staff as the Sun fight-back.

The new Sun weekly will debut next week, much sooner that the predicted April date.

Murdoch has insisted he is 100% behind his journalists and has vowed to eradicate wrongdoing at News International.

The people of Liverpool expressed their views on the new weekend edition of the Sun: Kathy Allen, 49, Bootle said: “It’s ridiculous, I’m sick to the back teeth of the Sun. After what that paper said about decent Liverpudlians they should have been shut down there and then.”

Terry Muirhouse, 31, St Helens said: “I did enjoy reading the News of the World but I’d sooner have nothing than

another Sun. Liverpool remembers.”

David Fenlon, 26, City Centre said: “You’d think with all these cuts there would be fewer papers. I can’t see it doing well in this city.”

Fiona Hammond, 20, City Centre said: “After their horrible actions following Hillsborough they’ve got a nerve. No one with half a brain cell reads it anyway. We want justice for the 96.”

Steve Callaghan, 59, Old Swan said: “Now there’s a joke. I haven’t bought one since 1989 and I never will again.”

Love Lawrence Road on V-Day Residents showed their love for Lawrence Road this Valentines Day by taking part in a treasure hunt aimed at promoting local business.

The area was affected after violence and disorder broke out there during last August’s riots. To help the area recover and get local businesses back on their feet, money was granted by Central Government.

A young Queen of Hearts

The ‘Love Lawrence Road’ event was organised in conjunction with Liverpool council and local organisations such as Riverside Housing and Picton Children’s Centre. The primary aim was to promote community spirit and to get local people involved with the development and success of their local area as well as showcasing what Lawrence Road has to offer.

Christina Williams, from Liverpool City Council, helped organise the event.

She said: “The treasure hunt will take people along Lawrence Road and make them take notice of the names of businesses and hopefully they will stick in people’s minds.

“We want to bring more people out of the city centre and into smaller areas, such as Lawrence Road. We are aiming to help the smaller team players and to give them the opportunities that the bigger players already have in the city centres.”

The hunted treasure was 17 love hearts placed in shop windows along the road.

Participants had to find 10 of these and if they completed the hunt they were placed in to a prize draw, giving 5 people the chance to win £100 each. The treasure hunt ended at WAM Friendship Centre on WellingtoAvenue.

Ruth Tweedale, Administrator at WAM, was thrilled with the number of people who took part, with the first person completing the route and arriving at the centre five minutes before the event was even due to start.

To find out about similar events in this area, visit www.liverpool1578. co.uk.

Annemarie Lawton, Ebony Wilson Pepper, Laura Curran, Danielle Rawlings, Sue Dwyer (Project CoOrdinator), Ruth Tweedale (Administrator) Kevin Daley on the front row Angela Platt and Nikki Austin

Couple celebrate 65 years on Valentines day

A

jet-setting couple from Mossley Hill celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary this week with a romantic meal on Valentine’s Day. Stan and Mabel Cull were treated to a complementary dinner at Red Hot World Buffet in Liverpool One to mark the occasion.

Mr Cull, a retired butcher, said: “The secret of our long marriage is to talk to one another and keep smiling.

Stan and Mable on their wedding day in 1946

We have a very happy and loving family and our four children have helped to keep us going throughout the years.”

Stan, 89, and Mabel, 87,

“The secret of our long marriage is to talk to one another and keep smiling.” met in Wrexham in 1943 when he was in the RAF and she was in the Army. The couple were unfortunately Still going strong 65 years later separated when Stan was sent to India to fight for Britain in World War II, but were reunited two have travelled much further afield and reguyears later and went on to marry. larly spend three months of the year in Thailand Mrs Cull, who is famous for her where their middle daughter and son-in-law live.

Mrs Cull said, “We have been invited chicken pies, said: “We got married in 1946 just after the war and had our re- back to Thailand, were not sure whether ception at home. At the time the coun- we will go back this year though.” But Mr try was on rations so we had to queue Cull was hopeful adding, “We will definiteup for vegetables for our wedding.” ly being go back this year, I’m sure of it.”

Mr and Mrs Cull briefly lived in Sussex after the The couple, who also have five grandchildren, were married in war before returning to Liverpool, the hometown Christ Church Kensington just after of Mrs Cull due to her being homesick, describing the war and went on to honeymoon herself as a ‘Liverpool girl through and through’. in Bray, Ireland. Since then the pair

Aigburth couple compete for fairytale wedding

A

couple from Hamlet primary school.

Aigburth “We’d just love to get are hoping married, we want it to be to raise really special and we want thousands of pounds to start a family soon too.” for a children’s This weekend, the charity in order to couple enlisted the help win themselves a of friends and family for fairytale wedding. a bag pack at Morrison’s Donna Fulton, 28, in Speke, and will be and Paul Mitchell, visiting Asda stores in 30, have made it into Smithdown and Hunts the final five couples Cross throughout the of Radio City’s ‘Five week for more bag Brides, One Wedding’ packs and fundraising. competition, and are The week of this week fundraising fundraising will end with across Liverpool a big party, to be held to raise money at Aigburth’s Peoples for Cash for Kids.

Hall, on Friday 24th: The pair, who got “We’re holding a engaged in November charity night, a race night 2011, are hoping to with a disco, waxing; raise over £5,000 for people can pay for their the charity which mate to be waxed, face helps local children, painting, games, all sorts. through bag packing And we’ve got loads of and a special event raffle prizes – a signed to be hosted at Everton ball, a signed Aigburth People’s Image: Photostock Liverpool shirt, restaurant Hall on Friday night. vouchers, experience days “We never and gym memberships,” thought we’d get to this stage of the said Donna. “Anyone can come along.” competition,” said Donna, a learning Tickets, costing £5, will be support assistant at St Michael in the available from the couple at

the bag packing fundraisers.

The couple beat hundreds of other applicants to a ‘bridal bootcamp’, where they were challenged to answer questions about what makes them special as a couple as well as perform their own ‘first dance’ and read out ‘wedding vows with a twist’.

“We had to say what made us different as a couple,” explains Donna. “We are just always up for a laugh and think life is worth living.”

Paul, originally from Bradford, and Donna, who grew up in Allerton, have been together for five years but Donna says it was a “complete surprise” when Paul, a project manager, proposed.

“I’m a majorette in the Larkettes, we were having an awards ceremony last year and at the end they said there was one more special announcement,” Donna tells. “As they were giving out the trophies Paul came out, he took the microphone, made a speech and got down on one knee!”

The couple, who must wear wedding gear – including a big white gown for the bride-to-be and a full formal suit for the groom-tobe – throughout the fundraising, have said they’re not afraid to make “a show” of themselves to win the prize.

“We just hope we come across as a really lovely couple,” said Donna.

“We’ll do all we can to raise the money.”

Highbrow How far would you go for the perfect eyebrows? A few extra minutes of make-up application of a morning?

Hair growth serum? Or surgery with a £4,000 price tag?

Katie Upton reports:

T

hey say the eyes have it all. Well, ‘they’ mustn’t have been to Liverpool lately. Here, it’s all about the eyebrows.

Or Scousebrows, to be precise.

Ever since ‘our Jody’ gave an unsuspecting customer what can only be described as two caterpillars across her forehead, on ‘dramality’ show Desperate Scousewives, the Liver birds haven’t been the only two crowning glories of the city.

But for many in Liverpool eyebrows have been a key feature for far longer than any reality TV shows have been around.

And now they are so much more technical than a bit of carefully applied make up pencil.

Dr Nilofer Farjo is a follicular surgeon, specialising in providing “ultra refined follicular unit hair transplantation” – that’s simply

BEFORE:

hair transplants to you and I. She and husband, Dr Bessam Farjo, operate two clinics in Manchester and London, offering reconstructive and cosmetic hair transplant surgery for both NHS and private patients.

The growing trend for big, bushy eyebrows has created a new wave of patients for the Farjo Clinics, based in Manchester city centre and on London’s Harley Street, often as reconstruction cases for eyebrow tattoos gone wrong.

“There are some very good techniques with semi-permanent make up but it always depends on the case,” says Dr Farjo.

“Tattoos always fade and can change colour, then you could be in a worse state than you were to begin with.”

Lynsey Sorsa, 35, knows this only too well. She underwent

Eyebrow make up. eyebrow transplant surgery after tattoos left her eyebrows looking blue and stretched.

“I had semi permanent makeup done in 1998,” she says. “It’s only meant to last 2 or 3 years but it was still there years later.

So they re-tattooed the area but that left me with blue eyebrows, where the ink had faded and stretched, and a really bad scar on my left eyebrow.”

Lynsey, an assistant manager at an engineering firm, explains she was already confident but since her transplant she has been more confident about things like going swimming or on holiday: “I wanted to be able to go on holiday and not have to draw them on, be able to go in the pool and not worry about them coming off.”

Dr Farjo agrees that for most hair transplant patients, the most notable change in them comes from within rather than as aesthetically: “The difference is in boosting confidence, it does make improvement.

“The thing about the eyes, it’s always noticeable, people always look at your eyes. If there’s something wrong with the eyes then you notice it and that part of your face helps for expression when you speak. The muscles do

eyebrows it but the eyebrows make these visual cues stand out.”

Lynsey certainly wants her eyebrows to stand out, and admits to still spending time preening them now: “Although they are bushier I do still draw them in, to define them but I’m really happy.”

This extra preening isn’t only to perfect shape, but to keep the length right. “The hair grows at a different speed,” explains Dr Farjo. “It is taken from the scalp so it has to be trimmed every so often.”

This is the only ‘side-effect’ for patients. Minor bruising and swelling, common from all types of minor surgery, subside after a few days. There’s no escaping that £4,000 price tag though.

Fortunately for Lynsey she was offered a discounted price in return for being a ‘case-study’ for the Farjo clinic. The usual cost would be enough to put most off.

But Dr Farjo explains that for most patients the benefit of regained confidence far outweighs the cost.

Expensive surgery isn’t an option for everyone. Katie Berry,

AFTER:

a beautician from Liverpool, had her eyebrows tattooed on two years ago: “They’re your main facial feature aren’t they, so I wanted a nice shape,” the 25 year old tells. “It was mainly a confidence thing, why I had them done.

Some people won’t go out without mascara on, I wouldn’t go out without my eyebrows on because my eyebrows are really fair.

While tattooing is also a fairly costly option, Katie, like Lynsey, got a discount so paid £90, rather than £190, for her pair. But though she says she might be “tempted” to have her own transplants, for now Katie is content that “you can’t tell” the difference of hers.

“Most people don’t notice that they’re not my own. People probably noticed my confidence more than they’ve noticed my new eyebrows.”

Perhaps the most famous Scouser to have had hair transplant surgery is Wayne Rooney, who had his hair line thickened at a London clinic in early 2011.

“We didn’t do Wayne Rooney’s transplant,” Dr Farjo con-

firms. “If he had come to us we would have dissuaded him from having it done. He is so young, you don’t know how much hair loss he is going to have, he may lose more and have none left to complete the job.”

Rooney apparently prompted many more men to enquire into hair transplant surgery, with facial hair being as popular to be implanted as head hair.

Those who go under the knife are often chastised for their vanity, not least earlier this year when it was exposed that thousands of women had been given faulty breast implants. Much of the blame was heaped on women’s obsession with looks and desire to improve themselves, rather than on the gross misconduct of the company supplying the implants, as though those who had had surgery had invited trouble.

But can anyone really bemoan a person who is confident or self assured?

“Some people do say ‘Your eyebrows are perfect’,” says Katie, obviously with pride.

“Not many people have perfect eyebrows.”

How it is done...

Dr Nilofer Farjo explains that an eyebrow transplant is “minor surgery”. Patients are given a local anaesthetic and are often offered a mild sedative too. Hair is taken from the scalp, from behind the ears so that scarring can be covered and where hair is similar to that of the eyebrows. A technician then separates this into individual ‘grafts’ – the hair and its root. The surgeon and patient will then decide on the shape to made. Tiny incisions are made in the skin, one for each hair, which are put in at differing angles to maintain a natural look. Surgery takes around three hours and patients are left with minor bruising and swelling around the area. The transplant doesn’t offer an immediate result; the transplanted hairs fall out after a month or so with new hairs growing from the root within six to eight weeks.

Nook & 10 minutes with...

Liverpool is well-known for it’s creative talent, Niamh Spence meets handcrafted leather accessories makers Nook & Willow...

H

idden away in a small studio on Seel Street, Nook & Willow have been handcrafting leather bags and accessories for just over eight years. Stating, “An accessory is a piece of iconography used to express individuality” as their slogan they have been featured everywhere including ASOS and Grazia; one of the country’s top weekly fashion magazines. And their business looks set to grow.

Friends since meeting on an art foundation course almost thirteen years ago, Clare and Nina are the humble creative duo behind the brand. After studying together they split up to further their careers working for big name brands such as Miss Sixty. They then joined forces when moving back to Liverpool in 2002 and in 2004 their brand Nook & Willow was born. Clare says: “When Nina came back to Liverpool we decided to work

Street Style

Our fashion photographer Tobias Orrells hit the streets of Liverpool to find the city’s most stylish individuals...

together making shoes and as I loved handbags thought it would be a good combination, making shoes is expensive so we just started with handbags first and set up Nook & Willow.”

Nina added: “We always wanted to do something creative and working for ourselves seemed like the most natural way to do it.”

But after education in textiles for Clare and a prestigious course in footwear design and manufacture at Cordwainers in London for Nina, it was moving back up north to settle down and have children that really brought them back together. The team pride themselves on being based Northern girls and returning to Liverpool. Clare said: “We stay in Liverpool as the creative community is very tight knit and supportive of each other which is quite a rare thing in other places. It’s a very inspiring place to be, and we are known for our

Imogen Free Riding Pants - American Apparel Blouse and headscarf - Both Vintage

Each piece is made and handsewn in their Seel St Studio resourcefulness in tough timessomething that if we were in London would have killed us off by now.”

Linked with other creative professionals in the city including accessories buyer Benna Harry

and Kirsty Doyle as well as working with students on the fashion course at Liverpool John Moores, Nook and Willow have become known as ‘the friendly faces’ on the Liverpool creative scene. Clare said: “You will

Jess Trousers - Topshop Shoes - Primark Cardigan, Blouse, Shoes & Bag all Vintage

Claudia Free All clothing - Vintage

Willow Their wallets and bags have been seen on the likes of Sienna Miller and Elle MacPherson always find someone in this city who can help you. It’s not very often have we have had to look further afield for assistance with things, even our leather supplier is in Liverpool so we are very lucky!”

Since their beginnings almost eight years ago, they have gained a mass celebrity following from the likes of Sienna Miller, Elle MacPherson and also fellow scouser Coleen Rooney. Clare insists that gaining interest

from such big names is a huge achievement but added: “We are most proud of the fact we are staying true to our original ethos and are still making all our products in this country by hand.

We want to keep this going for

as long as possible. We have had many highlights but being in Grazia on the back page goodie bag giveaway was fab, and something we want to do again.”

The brand began as an answer to the saturated market of accessories that Clare describes as “carbon-copied, unimaginative, mass-produced design.” Their handcrafted bespoke pieces have become a regular feature in fashion spreads.

2012 seems set to be another big year for the partnership as their business expands into workshops and classes including their latest venture ‘A Load of Cobblers’; shoemaking classes for anybody interested in learning the skill and craft. “It’s really starting to take off and we are working on offering a chance to make heels very soon as well as the sandals and ballet pumps we offer now,” said Clare, “We also hope to gain a few more stockists for our accessories and we have a few other things in the pipeline to come.”

Look out for more Street Style in the next issue featuring the latest looks from Liverpool’s most fashionable...

Alexandra Brown Jersey grey dress - Topshop Denim Jacket - Vintage Fur Coat (underneath) - Urban Outfitters Boots - Topshop

Amy Butler Jersey dinosaur top - Topshop Blouse - New Look Shorts - Vintage Shoes - Topshop

Roman Double breasted coat - American Apparel Scarf - American Apparel Jeans - Urban Outfitters Boots - All Saints

Reviews: The Woman in Black

Watching a film through your fingers and struggling to breath because of the scarf wrapped tightly around your face may not be the most conventional way to view cinema, but it’s the only way to watch The Woman in Black The screen was filled with excited teens squirming in anticipation, waiting to see ‘Harry Potter’ on the big screen once again. While they were expecting a fright, I’m almost certain there will have been a few children crawling into their parent’s beds after seeing this. An intense journey of increasing suspense, the film has you on the edge of your seat throughout… but for me, there was seemingly no climax. Although the film comes complete with a chilling and complex story, haunted house and frightening ghost, not a lot actually happens.

However if there is one thing that this film does excellently, it is prompting the audience’s imaginations. . I was expecting a lot from this film, and while I left the cinema with a racing pulse and a feeling of discomfort I couldn’t help feeling that something was missing. What should have been a chilling tale to give me nightmares left me a little unnerved at most.

Martha Marcy May Marlene

Elizabeth Olsen stars as Martha a girl haunted by horrendous memories who flees to the comfort of her sister at her British husband’s idyllic country house in Connecticut. The film explores the past events that led to the shell that stands on screen, capturing the paranoia of a ruined woman. The malicious brutality that she sees whilst her time trapped, brainwashed in a Manson like cult. Authoritarianism grips hold of Martha, until she finally can’t take anymore. Her elder sister (Sarah Paulson) and her husband take in Martha, and unknowing of Martha’s past ordeal, begin to question her odd behaviour and mannerisms. Frustration ensues after Martha can no longer sleep by herself; which her sister obliges to let her stay in their room whilst her husband sleeps on the couch, in an attempt to find out what has happened.

Elizabeth Olsen, sister of Mary-Kate and Ashley, sheds away the Olsen stereotype, and conveys the horror and mind curdling frenzy of a girl forced to deal with situations not many deal with. The film presents life in remote cults to the audience and depicts the monstrosity and crooked ideology that lures many naïve victims in to a second class life. This harrowing and sympathetic tale carries suspense throughout, leaving you wanting more.

Kids We Used To Be @ The Picket

Rising post-hardcore act Kids We Use To Be, pulled no punches with a straight down to business set at The Picket. The Halewood six piece quickly grabbed the attention of an intimate crowd with an energetic set opening for Leeds based band Decade. While it was a “no-filler” set for the lads on stage, they managed to throw in a special “Happy Birthday” sing-along for an attending fan who happened to also be the girlfriend of guitarist, James Cremor. Despite being one of many in a vastly populated genre, they shown all the signs of a band that could be going places sooner rather than later with memorable hooks, two distinct duelling vocalists and the on-stage antics of one, Ste McEvett, leaping into the unexpected but entertained crowd. Inspired by bands like Alexisonfire, the band was formed just last August, but has already managed to gather local buzz ahead of their first tour outside of the city in the next few months. “We have two more gigs coming up in Liverpool, one in early March at the 02 Academy and late April at the Shipping Forecast “ said Bassist Mike Higgins.

“After that we hit Tyneside for the first time ever, with dates in Newcastle and Sunderland.

That’s going to be special for us”.

Sabai Thai Restaurant, North John Street Hidden away in North John Street and eclipsed by bigger names such as the Hard Day’s Night Hotel, Sabai is a small culinary wonder which appears to go unnoticed. Serving fresh Thai food and with a variety of menus that caters to all tastes and budgets. My partner and I chose it as our Valentine’s meal and after hearing others sing its praises we had high hopes. We arrived expecting a packed out restaurant filled with couples and possibly decorated with over the top roses and hearts. However due to having no Valentines set menu Sabai seemed to have escaped the mass outing of couples that other restaurants fall prey to. It was quiet without being uncomfortable and although there was some themed decoration it didn’t appear to be cheesy and clichéd. Once seated the service was quick and polite but never too pushy or demanding.

We chose to share Thai fishcakes (Tord Mun Pla) between the two of us which were light and went perfectly with sweet chilli sauce accompanying them. We then chose Chicken Green Thai Curry (Geng Keow Waan) and King Prawn (Pad Makeer Tet) accompanied by sticky rice and coconut rice. Both main courses were flavourful and fresh and I don’t think either of us left anything on our plates. Too full for dessert after such gorgeous food and generous portion sizes we asked for the bill. Including two beers and two glasses of Pinot Grigio the bill came to just under £50; a lot less than we had expected for such excellent food. Despite being in the centre of town, Sabai is seemingly overlooked and because of this it remains a hidden gem. Diners can expect calm service and fabulous food but without banging elbows with diners on the next table; a must for fans of Thai cuisine.

The Muppets

It’s been a good thirteen years since Kermit the frog and Miss Piggy et al last graced our cinema screens but any fears that time may have dulled their appetite for the big screen are soon dispelled by their latest fun filled adventure.

It’s rare to find a film that can sing songs which include lines such as: “Life’s a happy song, when there’s someone by your side to sing along” without the irony and insincerity of it compelling you to throw up, yet The Muppets manages to do exactly that. Its heart-warming new storyline tells the story of the Muppets biggest fan; Walter (himself a Muppet) and follows him in his quest to help Kermit get the old Muppet gang back together in order to put on a new show to raise money to save Muppet studios from an evil oil tycoon.

The film delivers on every level and will undoubtedly be enjoyed by all ages. It includes countless moments of hilarity, a particular favorite was the; “Am I am man or am I am Muppet?” song which features Jason Segel singing to the Muppet version of himself reflected in a window. The song features the following brilliant line: “If I’m a Muppet then I’m a very manly Muppet and if I’m a man then I’m a Muppet of a man”. The cinema almost shook with laughter!

The Descendants

The Descendants is a quirky, mature and well-crafted movie that manages to deal with family loss and a heart-breaking affair whilst still being funny. The cast is led by the usually smooth and polished George Clooney who has drops his slick act for hideous Hawaiian shirts, a beer belly and a clumsy persona. He has fully taken on the role of the rich, uncool lawyer Matt King, giving us a convincing performance of a man who’s neglected his marriage and family for work. The main story line sees King having to come to terms with his wife’s adultery and impending death after her falling into a coma after a speed boating accident. The complacent lawyer Matt King has been able to behave selfishly until well into middle age, but suddenly has to come to terms with his responsibilities to his wife, daughters, extended family, ancestors and community.

While the film lacks the glitz and glamour of the usual blockbusters, it screams the simplicity and realness of an Oscar award winning film. He plays father to the 17-year-old rebellious teen Alexandra played beautifully by The Secret Life of the American Teenager actress Shailene Woodley. Featured on the ‘Oscar misses’ list for Best Supporting Actress , she gives a truly convincing performance of a troubled teen who sadly appears to be more emotionally mature than her father. She balances funny with shocking and undoubtedly brings tears to audiences eyes when her father reveals the plans to switch off her mother’s life support machine, while she’s in the swimming pool.

The beauty of this film lies with its ability to convey real characters to the audience and this is down to the natural acting from the cast and of course the talented director Alexander Payne who is known for his simple yet powerful movies.

Bellini, Whitechapel Bellini Italian restaurant and cocktail bar is situated on Whitechapel in Liverpool city centre has a great atmosphere for young professionals trying to unwind after a long week of working.

The tagliatelle alla carbonara was beautiful, it wasn’t too rich like most carbonara’s can be and there wasn’t too much on the plate.

The cheesy garlic is bigger than expected, as a side dish you would think that it would be a few slices but it is made like a pizza, however it is delicious and was perfectly cooked.The chips were perfectly cooked and crispy, however they were also a bit salty.The service is relatively good but could be a lot better. They took a while to take our drink order and even longer to take our food order. Bellini is a great restaurant and is worth a visit. The service is a lot to be desired but it is easily overlooked by the delicious food.

Host, Hope Street Host is situated on Liverpool’s famous Hope Street is a great looking restaurant. Nestled across the road from the famously expensive London carriage works you could be forgiven for presuming that Host is a restaurant for those with money to burn, it certainly looks and feels expensive.

However a quick look down the menu allays all those fears, you eat and drink quite comfortably here for £15 a head and kids eat free. The cosy intimate feel of the place contrasts nicely with the wide glass front which gives you a great view of the beautiful Hope Street, a brilliant venue which caters for almost any occasion.I ordered the Crispy Masterstock Duck Leg with sesame honey roasted parsnips & carrots for a very reasonable £10.95.

Pancake

With Pancake Day coming around again, Daniel Jackson and Abbi Webster have done some sleuthing to see why it is we celebrate it and just what it is that makes a good pancake.

P

ancake Day is as sweet as they come with a myriad of confectionary concoctions that delight all; so in honour of this auspicious occasion I decided to challenge myself to try the very finest of what it has to offer.

I have handpicked from the elite of the elite to get what are probably the best pancakes a person can have, probably. The first of which I’m going for is…

The pretty standard chocolate one Now I know what you’re saying: “That isn’t an interesting pancake, that’s 90% of ALL pancakes that will be consumed on Pancake Day.” You would be right to say that but you can also keep that opinion to yourself because it is my favourite pancake.

I like chocolate on

my pancakes because chocolate tastes like chocolate, it is so delicious a substance that chocolate manages to be both a traditional present for lovers to give each other on Valentine’s Day as well as being the final refuge of the permanently lonely as it is one of the few things that crying doesn’t ruin. Things not in this category are parties, paper and everything else.

So yeah I’m biased but I’m also a fair man and I shall try to stop my preferences from affecting my judgement; but chocolate pancakes are almost certainly the best.

The first bite is disappointing as the pancake has been wrapped like a chocolate calzone and there is no chocolate at the edges. This is a rookie error on the part of the chef who will be executed shortly after their duties have been completed.

The second and subse-

quent other bites are all delicious because I am not a fool and I opened the calzone cake and spread that brown nectar around.

It is thoroughly enjoyable and a good start for anyone.

My mum’s favourite one: vanilla ice cream with lemon juice Ok, ok I get it that this one isn’t too unique either but she insisted; she is a powerful lady who is not for turning on the matter. The lemon juice is from an actual lemon and so technically I believe it counts as one of your five a day making this a healthy option for those opposed to chocolate.

I typically hate fruit but I can let this one slide since it is only the juice so I can pretend it’s actually

artificial flavourings. My mum informs me that this recipe also works with limes but I don’t think it makes much of a difference since limes are only angry lemons.

The mixture of the cold ice cream with the warm pancake is as exhilarating as it is refreshing. One thing I noticed about the chocolate one was that with prolonged eating the chocolate eventually started to feel like tar in my mouth and actually took effort to eat and if there is one thing I am it is adverse to effort.

I prefer the term ‘differently engaged’ .

The lemon is as zesty as a… well lemon. I feel lemons are common enough now to not require a comparison to describe their flavour and if you don’t know what a lemon tastes like then you can just go right ahead and take yourself and your scurvy out of here.

Perfection P

ancake Day goes by a multitude of names that originate from different places around the world; Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday and many more.

But do the people that so eagerly celebrate the day each year know the reasons behind the holiday?

Or is it simply another excuse to eat fatty and sugar filled foods without regret?

In England and Ireland the festival is traditionally referred to as Pancake Day and is normally celebrated by most people. It is a popular day amongst children mostly due to the excessive amounts of sugar involved, but adults do tend to join in on the festivities too; however there lies a religious meaning behind the day that is often forgotten. The correct name of the Christian fes-

Honey and cream I found this idea to be very interesting since I’d never heard of it before and I know almost everything about pancakes. That’s not true but I was still eager to try it.

Honey for me is a mixed bag since I find it by itself very strong in taste but pretty excellent when mixed with other things. Will the cream be able to balance it out then? Will its moderately vanilla styling’s be able to keep a lid on honeys bold ideas on how screwed up my face should be?

The answer to the above is no.

The cream is nice, the pancake is nice but the honey is almost excruciatingly sweet. Now I’m not one to suggest I’m anything less than an example of butch manliness on the epic frontier of flat cakes, but my face was defeated by something regarded as a tasty treat by a fictional bear designed from the ground up to be a picture

tival is Shrove Tuesday which is celebrated by lots. Whether they know it or not, it represents the beginning of fasting until Easter Sunday. The term for this time is Lent and Shrove Tuesday acts as a way to rid the home of all dairy, sugar and ‘fatty’ foods Other Catholic and Protestant countries such as France call the day before Ash Wednesday ‘Mardi Gras’ meaning Fat Tuesday in French. The term can relate to the celebration leading from November up to Lent, celebrations often include masks, dancing, carnivals and parades.

The day of Mardi Gras itself remains the same as other versions of the day in that those participating rid their homes of fatty foods in preparation for lent, however the main difference here is the traditional celebrations that those

who refer to the day as ‘Shrove Tuesday’ do not participate in.

Areas of the world that have French traditions also take part in the Mardi Gras holiday such as New Orleans in the USA who go all out with street parties that last all night. However is this another instance where the meaning of the traditional day is lost? People often associate Mardi Gras with a big party not even realising that it is a variation of the more wellknown pancake day.

A big part of the loss of the true reasons for flipping pancakes and smothering them in Nutella could be down to the ‘new generation’ of youths who are more familiar with Ipads and Skype than religious traditions It’s quite common for people in England to blame the Americans for commercialising important

religious days and turning them into a spectacle, however where pancakes are concerned, the Americans are not guilty. The day is not nationally observed in the big USA and is only recognized in French Catholic states such as Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.

Although the ways in which people celebrate the day around the world differs, generally the meaning behind the day stays the same. However the question arises, why pancakes? There isn’t a solid answer to this question in either the bible or a connoisseur’s cookbook however the reason is most likely that pancakes are a good way of getting rid of all the fatty foods a home usually has at once, whilst remaining edible.

AW

of adorableness. Just as an aside, I don’t know why they went with a bear since there are plenty of other animals that can’t skin you alive with one swipe of its paw.

With pooh bears swept to one side I have to say it was difficult to finish this since with every bite I was ingesting enough honey to lay to rest Willy Wonka’s sweet tooth.

Mixed berry pancake I hate fruit, I seriously hate fruit.

It’s not really the taste but more the texture that makes me gag whenever it is in my mouth. The only fruit that I don’t completely abhor is the noble banana, but I think that might just be my way of identifying with my simian side.

This pancake is basically a nightmare for me; imagine if someone ordered you to eat poo, for the sake of the hypothetical let’s presume they are holding someone you love hostage, for instance your pet poodle which likely provided the poop in question. Well I consider someone asking me to eat fruit worse than that!

This pancake then is nothing short of my mortal nemesis, my only wish is that long after my soul has passed into Hades that fruit be outlawed and every berry be hanged at the stalk until dead. Biting into this is like biting into a fruit pancake, bloody awful. My genuine response required two hours of editing and use of urban diction just for me to find out what it was I actually said.

I think I might actually be hallucinating, I tried to pick up my fork but it just lay there as heavy as a house, mooing. The pancake itself looks like someone had vomited onto a placenta; it’s safe to say I am not looking forward to this.

At first it tastes exactly like jam and peanut butter, both as separate entities that don’t really mix but eventually it came to taste as nothing… because I swallowed it. Bite after bite came rushing through my mouth in a similar fashion, I wasn’t eating this pancake I was inhaling it much like I would oxygen if there was any room for it in my body alongside all the pancake.

I don’t advise anyone try what I have tried, I’m not proud of myself and I may very well die pretty soon but if I didn’t do it someone else might have. We can ill afford the death of another rocket scientist or magician surgeon astronaut when we have so many journalists lying about. Enjoy pancake day!

DJ

The final pancake At this point I’m so full of disc cakes that I can barely see what’s in front of me, everything is a haze of eggs and sugar. I can’t remember what it felt like to be hungry but I miss it.

I’m told this next one is a jam and peanut butter pancake but I can’t confirm this yet as I am no longer capable of rational thought. I don’t know if I want to eat it or sleep on it, cuddling it for comfort from my ever expanding stomach.

LEAP The past four years

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lot has happened since the last leap year, from the swine flu epidemic in 2009 to the death of Amy Winehouse.

We take a look at some of the biggest news events that has happened over the past four years.

2008 January saw the sad death of Heath Ledger. The 28-year-old actor was found unconscious and was pronounced dead.

November saw Barak Obama being elected as the new US president.

2009 The Hudson River in New York saw a miracle happen when Captain Chesley Sullenberger landed into the Hudson just minutes after take off in January.

April saw the Swine Flu hit the UK, then it grew into an epidemic.

Michael Jackson sadly passed away at the age of 50 in June.

2010 No one could forget the earthquake that shattered the lives of the people in Haiti in January 2010. Over 30,000 people died in the tragedy in the earthquake.

After being trapped for two months 33 Chilean miners were rescued in April.

Prince William announced his engagement to long term girlfriend Catherine Middleton in November.

2011 In April 2011 saw the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton.

August saw an uproar of riots take place throughout England after the police shot a civilian.

Singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse is found dead in July.

2012 This year has already seen the death of music legend Whitney Houston just last week and also the sinking of the Costa Concordia cruise in January.

YEAR When a woman loves a man

Leap year is the only time that a woman can propose to their significant other. Jess Galley disscuses this romantic tradition

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eap years. They come around once every four years and no one really bats an eye-lid. But as a woman, should we have to wait for a leap day in order to lock down our Mr. Right?

In Britain, February 29th is traditionally seen as the one day where it is acceptable for a woman to propose to a man. The origins of this are somewhat dubious, but in this day and age should we be paying attention to old and outdated traditions?

Surely in a nation which is ruled by a Queen, has seen a female prime minister and champions equality, it is now time that

women should be able to propose all year round without the associated stigma.

Traditionally it is a man’s job to initiate a marriage with a proposal on bended knee – but with a leap year comes the chance for a woman to reverse the roles…

I think when my time comes I would like to be on the receiving end of a proposal. But beggars can’t be choosers, as the saying goes, and if my dream proposal doesn’t come or I get impatient… should I have to sit by idly and wait?

Leap day is fast approaching, so good luck girls!

Image: photostock/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Our extra day The team here at L uncovered share their plans for 29th of February Daniel Richardson:

“I will probably use my extra day to do some DIY around my new home, this is the first time I’ve moved into an unfurnished property so the extra day will be useful in helping me sort the place out.”

Jess Galley:

“As a student stuck in the mad rush of third year I am taking my extra day as a blessing and, as much as it pains me, using the extra 24 hours productively in the race to beat the mass of work which seems to be hurtling towards me with no signs of slowing.”

Laura Normansell:

“With my dissertation deadline looming ever closer, I’m going to try and make the most of this extra day by doing much-needed work on that, as well as searching for stories in Liverpool city centre for the community news team.”

Daniel Jackson:

“What am I going to do on my extra day this leap year? Well it is traditional that women propose to men on this day so I think I might stand on a soapbox in the middle of Liverpool City Centre and wait for any women to propose to me. I’ll even provide the ring if necessary, it may be a ring donut but I’m on a student’s wage here.

That’s pretty much my plan, it doesn’t involve much, mainly just standing, if I’m lucky people might confuse me with one of those statue people and throw money at me.”

Not just a walk in the park An innovative personal trainer is battling obesity in Liverpool with a creative fitness regime that can turn your excess flab into hard muscle without lifting a single weight.

It wasn’t always easy for ‘Maximus Red Pain’ just over a year ago the 22 year old from Wavertree was unable to walk after a car crash left him stranded in bed for days on end suffering with neck, shoulder and spinal damage. Now, a year later, the beefed up trainer can be seen leading his Team Red fitness classes in parks around Liverpool, revealing to any ear willing to listen the training methods that got his body ripped up quicker than John Terry’s captain arm band.

Team Red training doesn’t involve weights it’s all about utilising your natural surroundings and creativity to unlock your bodies maximum potential because, for Maximus, ‘the whole world is a gym’. His innovative training sessions mainly take place in Edgehill’s Chatsworth Park and his classes soaring popularity is now attracting between 50 to 60 people on a regular

basis.

The self made personal trainer said: “Just two days ago I proved to my mate his chairs a gym. I used nothing but a normal dining room chair and I did over 20 exercises on it. Done every muscle I could think of and if I can do all that on a dining room chair just imagine what we can do in the park. “ Liverpool, like most cities, has installed various bars that can be used to perform exercises on in many of its parks. With obesity tearing through Britain at an epidemic rate the government have never been keener on promoting a healthy lifestyle and keep fit campaign.

These free pieces of equipment maybe used by the occasional jogger around summer but it’s pretty much the last place you’d expect to find some serious gym heads shaped like ‘The Terminator’ working out. But for Maximus the park is simply an outside gym, perfect for his intensive workout sessions that pit his students against their own body weight.

“I’m just trying to awaken people’s inner strength and combine

it with the right frame of mind that has no boundaries when you can do this anything is possible. No matter how overweight a person is I guarantee if they come to my free training sessions they’ll see the results in a matter of weeks.”

‘Maximus Red Pain’, far right, with his students

Council step-up Bridge backed Social groups that cater to children in Halewood will now have to provide proof of Clubmark or Sessionmark accreditation before being allowed to use Halewood Town Council property.

Mayor, Cllr Bob Swann said: “We want to protect children but we also have to be careful. If a group of parents want to set up a club and they see this, they might be frightened by it and put off.”

The Town Manager, John Green, has written to all relevant clubs using the Hollies and Arncliffe Community Centres requesting the qualifications as well as current CRB’s, a copy of the Child Protection Policy, evidence of first aid qualifications and a copy of the groups Public Liability Insurance.

So far all clubs have complied, with the exception of Step-Up Dance which has only provided its CRB checks.

The policy would not apply to clubs which involve both the children and their legal guardians, only groups where the children would be alone with the group leader.

Vanessa Poignton helps her daughter Stephanie to run Step-Up Dance, she said: “I’m a foster carer so I know about child care. Every child needs to be protected so you do need something in place to do so.”

A new planning application for a bridge spanning the river Mersey has been accepted.

The bridge will have six lanes and a toll booth, as well as the current Runcorn Bridge receiving one itself. Cllr Bob Ward of Halewood Town council believes the bridge should not affect the area negatively but that the new tolls will add additional cost to people who use the bridge at a time of economic vulnerability for them.

Cllr Bob Ward said: “The tunnels were only meant to be tolled until they were paid for but as we can see they’re still there. I think the toll will discourage people from using the bridges when they can get a train to Lime Street station and go across via there rather than drive across the bridges to Runcorn Station.”

Implementation of the bridge will involve removing the roundabout at Ditton and replacing it with lights and the toll booths. The bridge will go from the Widnes approach works to the north of the St Helens Canal and the Runcorn/ Central expressway works to the south of the Manchester Ship Canal.

Cllr Bob Ward said: “The bridge is necessary however, if an accident happens on Runcorn Bridge then there isn’t another to supplement it at the moment.”

NEWS x

New campaign for gay adoption x

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Today marks the beginning of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender (LGBT) Adoption or Fostering Week, the UK’s first ever campaign aiming to recruit same sex couples to adopt or become foster carers.

It has already been embraced by Liverpool City Council, welcoming the opportunity for finding happy homes for children in the city who do not have one, regardless of the sexual orientation of the couple.

Over the next seven days, events will be held throughout the country starting with three simultaneous events taking place in London Eailing, Milton Keynes and Reading. The following day will see the touring events come right here in Liverpool with a free-of-charge event taking place at Sefton Park’s Community Centre on Croxteth Drive.

One of the awareness week’s sponsors UK charity, New Family Social, recently addressed the upcoming events and how they have had positive reaction from LGBT community who have already chosen to adopt or foster a child. Andy Leary-May, Director of New Family Social said: “More and more LGBT people are choosing adoption and fostering as a way to form a family, and we want prospective parents to see just how rewarding it can be, and how much advice and support is on offer from our huge community of families around the UK”.

Members of Liverpool’s LGBT community who are considering adoption or fostering will have the opportunity to learn more from present representatives, as well other LGBT adoptive or foster parents who have formed families through adoption or fostering and how they found the process and the changes in their lives they have went through with their new families.

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Tomorrow’s Sefton Park event will start at 6pm and run until approximately 8pm. For further enquiries, please call Liverpool Adoption & Fostering Service on 0151 233 3700.

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Theresa May has said she has changed her mind on gay adoption

Gallery release new game The National Museums Liverpool has released a newinteractive game that guest’s can play right from their own home.

that. I remember when I was younger with the paperdolls and having to cut them out and that’s where the idea came from.”

Visitorscan play the game, then attend the galleries to see the designs in the flesh,seeing different era’s of fashion and noted fashion history.

The game called ‘Off The Hook’ gives players the opportunityto delve deep in to our nations fashion past and dress models accordingly,mixing era’s together.

All the clothing illustrations in the game are inspired by NML's costume collection and are from various eras from 18th century up to 2001.

In thegame, the player has the control over two designers, Vivienne and Tai, who need help in putting together an outfit for their next collection. Using the interface, the player gets to go through a long wardrobe and mix matchdifferent era’s to get inspiration for either Vivienne or Tai.

The game is available online at the Walker Art Gallery site or the NML’s direct site.

The idea, spawned from the mind of two employee’s at NML and came about after a memory of the paper models and clothes one would get before the internet was created. Those hours spent intricately cutting away at models named Tammy or Charlotte and trying not to rip a halter neck top whilst you paste away are no more.

Web Editorial officer Lisa Jones said: “we wanted a game that can get people involved with the textiles we have here at the gallery andthe game is perfect for

This includes shoes by Terry de Havilland who custom made shoes for the likes of Mick Jagger and David Bowie, a Stella McCartney skirt circa 2001, a Titanic era evening dress and John Lennon’s iconic grey wool suit from 1964.

1. Off the Hook game card 2. A model wearing one of the items in the collection

Next issue March 5th