Trending Issue 2

#Trending What everyone’s talking about...

Exclusive interview: Natasha Jones Golden Girl Page 19

Trends on a budget Get the latest looks for the best prices Pages 8-9

Leap Year story Page 7 App Mania!

For the latest app crazes turn to page 16

#2

Editorial

#Meet the team Faaizah Ali Editor @Faaizah_ali Sophie Spencer Chief Sub Editor @sophiespencer21 Will Walton Fashion and Beauty Editor @wwalton10 Claire Coward Music and Event Editor @clairelectric Stefanie Zuber Travel and Technology Editor @stefaniezuber21 Joshua Merrick Sports Editor @JMerrick1878 Cathryn Gregory Community News Reporter @Cathryngregory Mark Scully Community News Reporter @MWScully Richard Butterworth Community News Reporter @richardlb123 Dan Webster Community News Reporter @webed_lfc Kristin Estil Jacobsen Reporter @kristinjacobs1

Contents #4 Cross Fire #5Community News #6 Half Marathon #7 Leap Year #8-9 Trends on a budget #10 Fake Tan #11 Bangin’ Beach Bodies #12-13 Previews #14-15 Rreviews #16 App Mania #17 Travel #18-19 Natasha Jones Exclusive

#4

Community news

CROSS FIRE It’s been a fortnight of fighting. Derek Chisora and David Haye tangled in Munich and Labour MP Eric Joyce took the fight to the Tories in the more literal sense in a Parliamentary bar. Now, Trending has a fight of its own to boast.

Conservative Baroness Warsi made some controversial comments recently criticising what she called ‘militant secularism’, blaming it for the erosion of Christian values in modern Britain. We decided someone should definitely have a fight over that!

Name: Mark Scully Age: 23 Height: 6’0’’ Weight: 76kg Religion: None

So we squared our own MARK SCULLY, an atheist, up against Dan Richardson of Liverpool John Moores University’s Christian Union and although they did manage to refrain from hitting each other, they certainly had a tasty enough discussion.

Listen to the full debate on our website.

Name: Dan Richardson Age: 24 Height: 5’ 8’’ Weight: 80kg Religion: Christian

RELIGION AND MORALITY

THE WARSI QUOTES DR: I completely agree with what she had to say to be honest. I think if you look at society there has been a lot of examples of things where Christians have been sidelined or marginalised. There’s been things about not wearing crosses at work or not being able to pray in work. I think it does show a movement away from the Christian values that the country was built upon.

MS: But there are still bishops in the Lords, there’s still religion involved in the law-making process, surely something like whether or not you can pray at the start of a council meeting is just small fry compared to the bigger issues.

DR: I think, obviously bishops have been there for years...

MS: Women couldn’t vote for years and years, it doesn’t mean it was right!

DR: There are damaging things about religion when it’s not done properly but I think, overall, if you look at moral standards, as religion has declined (there has been an increase in) different sorts of crimes.

MS: They’re just moral issues though aren’t they?

DR: I think there’s a direct correlation between the two.

MS: I think that’s looking at two different things and seeing a causal link where there isn’t one. You’re either moral or you’re amoral and yes, you yourself may well be moral based on what you’ve read in the bible but I haven’t got a criminal record and I’m as atheist as they come, so where am I deriving my morals from?

HOMOSEXUALITY MS: That’s another one, Catholics and adoption agencies. If I went to an adoption agency and said, ‘Here’s me and here’s my partner - he’s a man,’ and the adoption agency said, for no reason at all, ‘we don’t like gay people’ then there’d be outcry. But because Catholic adoption agencies can say we don’t like gay people then it’s not just frowned upon, people will say, ‘oh but you have

to understand, there’s religious issues’. No, that’s homophobic.

MS: Well to me, no it isn’t.

It’s only complicated because somebody’s saying ‘I believe’ in front of it.

What I would say is that the church believes in the bible and the bible says that man and woman were created for relationships with one another, not a man and a man. I would say that some of the most accepting and loving people of gay people have been Christians.

DR: I wouldn’t say the church was homophobic in any way.

MS: Definitely have to disagree on that one I’m afraid!

DR: It is a complicated issue.

Community news

#5

yourCOMMUNITY KIRKBY CHILDREN in Kirkby have a new play area to enjoy after a charity won more than £50,000.

CITY CENTRE Everyman theatre has launched a new youth playhouse, which aims to reshape the traditional Youth Theatre and start engaging young people again.

The program, Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP), includes the existing Young Actors and Young writers of the Everyman and Playhouse but now also provides opportunities for young people to develop their skills and passions as Young Communicators, Young Technicians, Young Programmers and Young Directors.

Acorn Farm used the money it won from the Jubilee People’s Millions competition to create the woodchipped area with climbing frames and slide.

It won the £53,348 in June last year and the play area was open in time for half term on Monday February 13.

Park Life: Children enjoy Acorn Farm play area

Matt Ruttter, director of Young Everyman Playhouse, is passionate about the potential YEP holds in reaching out to the youth of Liverpool.

“YEP will be a vibrant program that young people can easily access, it’s a plan that the Everyman has had for quite some time. The new building that’s being built will be a new community space, it will be a central base for outreach into the community.”

Acorn’s Charlotte Wright said: “All the staff and users here at the farm are just so excited to see the play area completed and we just want to say thank you again to everyone who voted for us in the competition last June.”

The playground is now open for visitors to enjoy and there will be an official opening event closer to the Queen’s Jubilee.

ALLERTON An Allerton based children’s centre has been chosen as Merseytravel’s corporate charity of the year.

Calder Kids Adventure Playground has been revealed as the travel company’s charity of choice for 2012 with fundraising projects are already underway.

Donna Trotman, Project Manager of Calder Kids, said: “We are really ecstatic that local businesses are now looking to support smaller charities.

“Merseytravel usually sponsor larger charities but a member of their staff nominated us to receive funding from them as her child comes here.”

Delight: Rian Trotman, Donna Trotman and Rose Hulse

On your marks for Liverpool half-marathon #6

Community News

With the Liverpool half-marathon only weeks away, reporter Josh Merrick spoke to a fundraising enthusiast about his journey to the finishing line.

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housands of runners are going through their final preparations before taking to the streets of Liverpool in the name of charity.

“I began my training for the halfmarathon straight after Christmas, and it’s been quite an intense few months in the gym getting myself ready.”

Forthcoming events in the Merseyside area include the Mersey Tunnel 10k in June, the Great North Run in September and the Liverpool marathon on October 14.

The annual Liverpool half-marathon is set to attract 10,000 runners, the most in the marathon’s 18 year history.

Interest in the half-marathon has grown over the past few years, with the number of participants increasing rapidly year on year. The reason for this has largely been put down to a change in the marathons 13.1 mile course.

In addition to this, on March 11 the St Helens 10k is set to take place, and will include in the field inspirational army veteran Corporal Andy Reid, a story that was featured in the last edition of Trending Magazine.

The course was revised in 2008 and saw the start and finish line moved to the city centre, a move which has helped increase the half-marathon’s popularity spectacularly.

The half-marathon will take place on Sunday, March 18, starting at 9:30am from the Pier Head in Liverpool.

It will be Liverpool resident Matt Brader’s first marathon-run, the start of a series of fundraising events the 25-year-old will undertake in the upcoming year.

“I am very excited about running my first half-marathon, it’s been something I’ve wanted to do for several years now and I can’t wait to get going,” he said.

“As well as running the Liverpool half-marathon, I am also going to be completing an open water swim and I will be swimming across the English Channel with four of my friends later this year.

“I thought that by running the marathon, I would be able to build up my overall fitness and prepare me well for the channel swim which will be an exceptional challenge to overcome.

Mr Brader has urged the people of Merseyside to come down on the day to add their support to all of the runners.

“I hope the people of Liverpool and all round the area will come down to give all us runners a good cheer and urge us on to the finish line.”

The event which will see a number of runners donning fancy-dress in the name of charity is the first of a series of running events to take place in the area this year.

The closing date for final entries in to the half-marathon has been extended until Wednesday, March 7, at a cost of £28/£30. There are a small number of entries still available, and entries will be made avaialble up until the closing date unless all spaces are taken prior to this.

To sign up to the half-marathon, visit www. halfmarathon. runliverpool.org.uk/enter-online or alternatively call in to the Event Office on the 1st floor, Natterjack Running Centre, North John Street, Liverpool. #

Why 92 is the new 23

Community news # 7

Bagpiper Robert Walters helps golden couple Tony and Emma Webster celebrate their leap year birthdays.

BY Daniel Webster Community Reporter

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olden couple Tony and Emma Webster enjoyed a joint birthday celebration to mark a landmark age and also a rare birthday

occasion.

Emma turned the grand age of 90 on Monday and Tony became 92 on Wednesday, making him 23 with his birthday falling on a leap year.

The couple from Windle, who also celebrate their 65th wedding

anniversary in April, were joined by loved ones at Houghwood golf club on Sunday for a birthday meal and there was also a special surprise in store.

Tony, originally from Aberdeen, Scotland was treated to a tremendous display from Highland Bagpiper Robert Walters who performed songs such as Scotland the brave, amazing grace, as well as some other medleys.

Despite spending the day in a wheelchair, Great-Grandfather Tony even managed to get up out of his chair to do a little jig to his home

city’s tune ‘Northern lights of old Aberdeen’ much to the delight of his family.

According to Emma, the key to a long life is the happiness of having her family around her, and for Tony who didn’t hang up his football boots until he was 50 and only played his last game of golf six years ago at the age of 86…Well a drop of whisky does the trick for him.

Emma said: “My family keep me young. I enjoy having them around me, going on days out with and getting together for meals. The key is to simply enjoy life.” #

#8

Fashion & Beauty

Spring/Summer Tre Trending visited the high street to find

£8

£8

Primark

£30 £28

Total £22

Total £80

Topman

£22 £12.99 £6

£14.99

Guys take inspiration from checkered shirts, chinos and pumps.

Trending’s favourite outfit came from Topman at £80

£14.99

H&M Total £42.97

Fashion & Beauty

#9

nds on a Budget the freshest trends to suit all pockets

£36 Total £104

£6

£11

Topshop

£38

Primark Total £23

£30 £9.99 £7.99

£6 £14.99

Ladies take inspiration from floral tops,

H&M Total £33.97

pastel skinny jeans and cream flats. Trending’s favourite outfit came from H&M at a total of £33.97

# 10

Fashion & Beauty

Too tan or not too tan?

St Tropez One of the most popular fake tans on the market

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ow here’s one all the Liverpool girls and boys love, fake tan. It makes you feel confident, not only in the night time whilst you’re dancing somewhere in concert square with friends but also throughout the day as you trapes round Liverpool One. There is one major problem that affects us girls and more recently boys who love to slap on that tanning liquid. How much is too much?

Streaky legs, orange hands and stained bed sheets are all the consequences of the new phase, but it doesn’t stop there . . .

Since the start of reality shows Desperate Scousewives and The Only Way Is Essex, and the rise of metrosexual males such as Mark Wright and Joey Essex it has also become more acceptable for men to dabble in the lotions and potions.

The problem that faces the ever growing orange population of the world is toning back the amount you want to apply. Less is definitely more.

Heterosexual males have succumbed to the new craze and the managers of the Welsh national rugby team have even gone as far as banning stars such as Gavin Henson from wearing fake tan as in an attempt to make them concentrate on the game

In this increasingly vain society Trending reporters Cathryn Gregory & Sophie Spencer ask is it really acceptable for men to wear fake tan and just how much is too much? instead of their image.

Warren Tunstall, 20, from Prenton, said: “I wear a few layers of fake tan if I’m going out, it makes me look so much healthier.

“I’m not ashamed or embarrassed about admitting it either, there’s nothing wrong with men who look after themselves.”

Lewis Taylor, 22, from Speke, added: “I suppose it’s okay for lads to wear it as long as they don’t go overboard, but I wouldn’t wear it myself,” The next one up in the firing line is ... the smell. There’s no easy way to say it, but, the smell is one we have to deal with. Unless you take the option the majority of us take and spray gallons and gallons of perfume, you’ll just have to deal with it. And wash your bedding. There’s nothing worse than climbing into bed after a long hard day of working or being drunk after a night out and having the whole bed stink of tan, including the pillow. With a year-long summer

© Neil Mallett

glow more desirable than ever health conscious women have turned their backs on sunbeds and are now experimenting with the distinctively biscuity smelling bottles of fake tan.

Now we’re not saying every scouser commits the crime of applying too much. It’s very rare to go round Liverpool and not see girls and boys with sun kissed bodies but sometimes you go out and see people caked in it.

However, not everyone is convinced by the new craze of men joining in the trend, Jay McCarthy, 25, from the city centre, added: “Men shouldn’t wear fake tan, I mean its personal preference but I definitely don’t care enough to be bothered with it.

“It looks unnatural and I think it should stay as a female thing.”

Nothing can beat a real tan but brands such as St Tropez certainly have a good crack at selling the sun in a bottle. As one of the leading selftanning products in the UK, it sells three bottles of bronzing mousse a minute around the world.

Some people are never happy. A little tan rubbed in correctly or a sleep in lotion that gradually fades throughout the week is the best way to go whether you’re a girl or a boy.

So take our advice, less fake tan is more, honestly. #

Fashion and beauty

LADS Summer is fast approaching. The need to be aesthetically pleasing to the opposite sex whilst on the beaches is priority number one. Follow these tips to pop out that six pack and reel in the females...

Exercise Exercise will slim you down, tone you up and withdraw those heavy bin bags from under your eyes.

Running A high intensity run for as little as 10 minutes a day will shred your beer belly and tighten up your pores.

Plyometrics No need to pay out for a gym membership. Plyometics are exercises where you use your own body weight. Press ups, sit ups, pull ups, squats and burpees will all rip you up. You’ll see benefits to your arms, abs, shoulders, back and legs.

Food Your diet is important all year round but to get yourself ready for the sun, sea and sand be strict with yourself and clean up.

CarbohydratesBreads, potatoes and pasta are all good energy food to help put bulk on but with little time to get into shape cut down on them.

If you need bread eat wholegrain bread as it doesn’t have the

BANGIN’

chemicals in it white bread does.

Super foods Are foods that will help your inside, including your digestive system and your brain. Most nuts are good for you and full of protein which will help your muscles recover, but specifically Brazil Nuts protect against heart disease and Alzheimer's.

Five a day Fruit and veg will give you energy and get rid of that acne ridden back.

Apples and banana’s are perfect. Banana’s have potassium in them which will help keep you hydrated and help prevent cramp. Broccoli on the veg front contains a substance that can help prevent cancer.

Liquid WATER, drink it.

BEACH BODIES

enough said. #

LADIES There are hundres of ways to achieve that beach body but stick to nice and simple and that flat tummy will be there ready to parade on the beahces of Andalucia. Here’s a few tips to get that ball rolling...

# 11

Water is the key You hear everywhere that drinking eight glasses of water a day is a must. And it really is. Take a refillable bottle round with you and fill it whenever you get chance. Try simply just changing you usually drinks with water.

Decide whether you’re actually hungry Easier said than done, but, it’s not always easy to decide whether you are actually hungry or whether you just want something to eat out of boredom or for whatever reason. Look for the physical signs of hunger, rumbly stomach and all that.

Everything in moderation You can eat everything you wish,

Top 5 Beaches • Ganh Dau Beach, Phu Quoc, Vietnam • Whitsunday Island, Australia • Rondinara, Corsica • Vlychada beach, San Torini, Greece • Formby, Liverpool

just don’t overdo it! Limit your treats so Don’t put those treats you love off limitsjust moderate them.

Start by having one day a week where you eat something you love like a bar of chocolate on that day, a “treat day”. This will keep up your diet but also not restrict you and make you want it more.

Calling it a diet will set you up for a fail. Think of it as a lifestyle change! When people use the word diet they tend to fall off the wagon and that’s not what anyone wants with the summer months on their way.

Loosing small amounts of weight over a long period of is the best way to keep it off not only for summer but for the rest of the year! #

# 12

Previews

Fancy a Guinness, lads and lasses?

It’s that time of the year again where the streets of Liverpool turn green with shamrocks and leprechauns. It’s time to celebrate the Irish culture, and this year it will be harder to come up with an excuse as St. Patrick’s Day the 17th of March falls on a Saturday. #Trending’s reporter, Kristin Jacobsen, went to find out what’s going on in the city’s Irish pubs...

IRISH BANTER: Get yourself started with an Irish breakfast, get yourself a green hat and get down to the pub!

W

hile Saint Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland it is also said to be the most widely celebrated saints day in the world.

It is widely celebrated by the Irish population in many countries, among them the UK and Liverpool, where a lot of Irish people emigrated to during the 1800s.

In O’Neill’s (9am-2am, 68 Hanover Street L1 4AG) they’ve been counting down for weeks already to the day they class as ‘the biggest day in O’Neill’s calendar. They are taking St. Patricks Day celebrations to a whole new level this year by offering guests a week’s worth of activity, kicking off on Tuesday the 13th with a Join our Jig event. They describe the whole week as a ‘great craic’ and during the week they will be raising money for Cash for Kids with a goal of £100,000. On the Friday they will be holding a charity event and for the big day itself they promise the party of the year and the best Guinness in town. Try out their famous Irish breakfast, follow the Six Nations on the screens, and get in the mood.

Pogue Mahones (10am-1am, 77 Seel Street L1 4BB) is one of the cosiest Irish pubs in Liverpool, and it has become the ‘local’ of many Irish men that have moved here. It’s a

place they can feel home, with Irish staff, easy flow of draught Guinness and with the shirts of the top Gaelic Football teams decorating the bar.

On St. Patricks Day they will have two bands on sometime between 12pm and 9pm; one of them is The Harsebox and the other has not been confirmed yet. They will also be screening the Six Nations Final and some Gaelic football if it’s broadcasted on telly. They also serve breakfast, so get yourself down there before it gets too packed to fit in.

Visit The Liffey (11am-2am, 5 Renshaw Street L1 2FF) if you feel like drinking old man style. It will be some serious flow of the black stuff and the whole place is painted green just so everyone’s aware of the Irish connections. Despite the Irish roots and the constant tapping of Guinness and Murphy’s Ale, you can also find rare types of beer, like the Polish Okocim. Prices are under £3 for a pint. They will have live music on in the night from 6pm till 9pm and they have all the major sports events on big screen TV. The Slaughter House (11.30am1am, 13-15 Fenwick Street L2 7LS) is one of the oldest pubs in Liverpool and has its walls full of history.

They know how to make the place ready for special occasions, and on St. Patricks Day the place will be

ready to take in plenty of thirsty visitors. This is where I started my first ever St Patrick Day celebration last year, and already 5 o’clock in the afternoon they had live music on and the place was steaming.

The Slaughter House offers an easy drink menu with plenty of lagers; Becks, Vier, Hoegaarden, Stella and more, with prices for pints starting from £2.30. For this year’s Paddy’s Day they have Damien on from 3-5pm, Dave ‘n’ Mark will be playing from 7-9pm and Tom Biddle Band will round the whole thing off, starting at 9pm.

Flanagans Apple (11.30am-2am, 18 Mathew Street L2 6RE) is the Irish pride of Mathew Street. It’s a bit of a ‘love it or hate it’ place, as it’s normally packed with tourists.

However, it’s a perfect place to have a drink and food in the day or a late night drinking session while dancing the night away to the live music in one of their three floors.

For St. Paddy’s Day they will have five bands on and also show the Six Nations Final on telly. Upstairs you can see The Big Sha-bang from 11am-6pm, Jack Daws from 6pm9pm, then Icebreakers from 10pm2am. Downstairs The Sound will be on from 11am-5pm, The Dark Horses from 6pm-10pm, and then The Sound again from 11pm-2am.

The manager promised that it’s going to be hell. #

Previews

# 13

The Maccabees @ O2 Academy Liverpool, March 12th

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ndie’s finest band are making a mighty return to Liverpool next Monday. Following the release of their third studio album this January, ‘Given to the Wild’, the band have been travelling around the UK to promote their new sound and what looks to be another LP success for the Brighton boys.

They will be playing their sold out show at Liverpool’s O2 Academy and will then move onto the famous club venue ‘Bumper’ on Hardman Street for an after-party which everyone is welcome to.

Dave Spikey @ Empire Theatre, March 15th Northern funny man and Peter Kay’s best mate, Dave Spikey, is on the road again to bring his ‘Words Don’t Come Easy’ tour to Liverpool’s Empire Theatre on March 15.

Dave’s spring tour kicked off last month in Leicester and will be ending in Nottingham in April.

This tour, his fifth visit to Liverpool, is inspired by audience reaction to sketches in his last tour, The Best Medicine.

Dave discusses his fascination with the English Language, including longue-tied parents explaining the facts of life, funny newspaper stories, poems, chat-up lines and song lyrics.

A favourite with Northern audiences, Dave Spikey is set to sell out the Empire Theatre.

Tickets are from £18.50 and are available from Liverpool Empire Theatre, or online. For more information call 0844 847 2525. #

The band last performed in the city at the dearly departed music venue The Masque in October, just before its closure was announced the following month. They played tracks from the latest album which was still unnamed at the time and in December last year the first single ‘Pelican’ was released in the UK charts.

Stating that they have taken their most recent inspiration from the likes of The Stone Roses, Kate Bush and David Bowie, there is still a very strong sense of staple sound

from the band and a large appeal to their fans still remains. ‘Pelican’ quickly moved its way up the charts after debuting at #87.

The band’s popularity has not taken a hit and their sound is still crisp and fresh, which sets them apart from most other Brit-Indie artists on the scene right now. ‘Given to the Wild’ is a great example of all the talent they have to offer and it is now sitting comfortable at #4 on the UK Charts. #

Reviews # 14

Music & Events

An asian feast perfect for all

Trending’s Kristen Jacobsen headed out to the docks to sample some fine Asian cuisine, and she wasn’t left disappointed by Matou...

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atou is a modern pan Asian restaurant, which also holds a cocktail bar and lounge. It is located on the second floor of the Mersey ferry terminal on the Pier Head, and it overlooks the pulsating waterfront of Liverpool.

Matou offers a great variety of tempting, delicious dishes from the East of Asia, such as Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, China and Thailand.

They provide set menu’s where you can choose three different courses and they also offer different platters. The ‘Matou platter’ can be recommended for people who enjoy typical Asian food, as it consists of salt and pepper ribs,

spring rolls, satay chicken skewers, chicken wrapped in Pandanus leaves and sesame prawn toast. Not the healthiest meal, but it didn’t let me down.

Neither did the ‘Pad Thai’ dish I had once I was there, which is well worth a chance. The only negative side

“The staff are pleasant and the service is friendly” of it is that you get served a lot of food, so you will get proper stuffed if you aim to eat the whole of it.

Both of these dishes you’ll get to £10.90, so the prices aren’t too steep either.

The staff are pleasant and the service

is friendly, and my impression is that the owner of the bar, Billy, is always around with his lovely smile and personality. The whole place has a nice atmosphere and it’s a place you want to take friends and family to show off a good part of Liverpool.

The restaurant has a bar terrace with great views to the Liver Buildings and the river Mersey. It’s a popular place when the spring and summer heat arrives, and it must be one of Liverpool’s best places for sipping cocktails and al-fresco dining.

It’s a great relaxing experience while enjoying the views the banks of the River Mersey has to offer.

The terrace accommodates 300 people, the inside bar and lounge can hold 100 people and the main dining area can seat up to 120 people.

And with an exclusive lounge and dining area seating 50 people it’s perfect for special events. #

Our adventurous reporter Faaizah Ali set her taste buds on fire in search of some Indian and Moroccan food...

Music & Events

# 15

Indian class at Mayur Little Italy ayur is a quaint and sophisticated Indian restaurant which offers a large menu and fine dining.

Walking into the restaurant there isn’t much which prominently makes it stand out as Indian, just simple contemporary design and elegance.

The service, although a little slow, was well delivered. There are a variety of starters available, which range from £4.50 to £9.95 for a shared platter for two which includes a Chef’s selection from each category of chicken, meat, fish and vegetarian.

We opted for a sheekh kebab and lamb chops which were cooked in a herb marinade, spices and yoghurt we were pleasantly pleased with both the display of these foods and

the taste.

The main menu was set out into fish, meats and vegetarian categories which made it easy to navigate through. The most expensive item is the Lobster Pepper Fry which costs £26.95 and is fresh lobster treated with lime and turmeric, tossed in richly spiced and invigorating peppery masala. We opted for some slightly cheaper chicken dishes; Kadhai Chicken and Kori Gassi.

The Kadhai had a very strong tomato base and was definitely a lot spicier in comparison to the relatively mild Kori Gassi, which was cooked in coconut and garlic.

Both dishes were filling and satisfying and we were given plenty of rice and naan to last the meal.

We ended with an Indian Chai Tea and Kulfi Ice cream which included two flavours of pistachio and mango – refreshing and sweet. The Indian Chai Tea tasted of cinnamon and ginger, a perfect complement to the meal.

Overall the meal was filling and enjoyable, aside from the slight lack of attentiveness with service everything else was done to a high standard and it is easy to see why this Indian restaurant is highly regarded in Liverpool. #

Kasbah Café Bazaar has seen huge success in the City Centre after opening its doors late last year.

The homely Arabian design is enough to entice anyone to enter Kasbah and explore everything it has to offer.

Walking in you are guaranteed to be greeted by friendly staff who will offer the best customer service to ensure you have a great experience

and all your needs are catered to.

The menu is varied, with starters available such as the staple bread and olives to more authentic choices such as filo pastry stuffed with minced lamb. Lunch options range from sandwiches to salads and the main menu which offers larger meals such as kebabs served with a full plate of salad and rice or chips and sauces. The classic tagine is also available, which is the most popular dish in the café, served with a side plate of bread and all for £8.95 which is definitely value for money.

The Couscous Royale is also a favourable choice, for £11.95 you

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The Olive Press on Castle Street allows you to discover a real taste of Italy from the heart of Liverpool.

With its beautiful décor and delicious wholesome food, diners will not leave disappointed.

The grilled fillet of sea bass with sun dried tomato risotto at £12.95 is a real catch, while the duck breast in honey and mustard, with crushed sweet potato and leeks with a red wine at just £13.95 is divine.

One food lover said, “I think it’s just a really nice ambiance in there and the food is absolutely delicious.”

Whenever you find yourself that side of town, pop in and soak up the friendly atmosphere and sample the fine food that ranges from scrumptious stone baked pizzas to mesmerizing meatballs with spaghetti, which will not only leave you feeling full, but your wallet too with the food being at a reasonable cost. #

Kasbah rocks

are given a plate with a whole array of vegetables, pieces of chicken and lamb coated in caramelised onions and sweet sultanas, which makes for a beautiful contrast between spicy and sweet.

Finally, for dessert you can take your pick from Moroccan Mint tea which is served in a shiny tea pot, available to share or have all to yourself or a platter of sweet pastries or even an electronic shisha for £15, which you can use for up to half an hour whilst you wind down from indulging in some gorgeous cuisine. #

# 16

Technology

‘APP- Mania’ Everyday more and more APP’s appear on the market. #Trending’s Staff explored some APP’s already existing....

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hatsApp Messenger:

nstagram

Taking pictures on your iPhone has reached a whole new level of excitement with the increasingly popular Instagram app.

Allowing you to upload, edit and share pictures with your friends’ on-the-go, Instagram has become one of the most downloaded apps from Apple and its not hard to see why! With the likes of Justin Bieber, Zooey Deschanel & the Kardashians (to name a few) also using the photo sharing app you can also keep up-to-date with your favourite celebrities.

All you have to do is simply download the app on your phone, make an account (which we promise, only takes a minute or so) and take a picture or upload one from your photo library into the editing booth. You can choose from a range of digital filters which pay homage to Kodak and Polaroid cameras and will give your pictures a clean finish with the additional options to add borders and selective focus.

After being named “App of the Year” in 2011, Instagram is now boasting over 10 million users and has quickly become one of the best social networking apps for the iPhone. Giving you the option to add hashtags, locations and also share your pictures via Twitter, Facebook and Email it’s easy to interact with everyone you know who is also using the app.

Trending would definitely rate this as one of the best apps on the market, why not download it and see for yourself!

T

emple Run

The most popular game on the app market, Temple Run is something for all ages and completely addictive!

Guide your character through a maze of booby traps which are set in an ancient temple surrounded by sheer cliffs. You can control your character using the swipe and tilt controls on your phone to turn corners, collect coins and avoid running into walls.

Once you start playing you’ll find it hard to settle for a mediocre score and with endless game play be surprised if you’re even able to put your phone down.

The graphics and music are both superb and there’s really no fault in it overall. Scores are submitted into a leader board so you can compete with friends who also play.

You have a choice of 7 characters that all come back to life if the dreaded happens and you always have the option to try again, which is probably why this game has been so popular on the app market.

It has also been rated in the top 50 most-downloaded apps on the market.

After being convinced by some friends to download WhatsApp Messenger on my iPhone, I haven’t left it for a day. It’s without a doubt my most used application, and it has saved me for a lot of texting costs.

WhatsApp Messenger is a smartphone cross-platform messenger that is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android and Nokia phones.

With the application you get push notifications when you exchange messages, pictures, audio notes and video messages with your other WhatsApp contacts. You can also share location with your contacts, so they can easily find you by following the map.

As long as you and your friend have downloaded the app, you can chat as much as you want for free. The best thing about it is that you don’t have to worry about the high international SMS costs. You can chat as much as you want to your friends in other countries, the only thing you need is an internet connection.

If a friend has got the app and is in your phone’s contact list, it automatically adds your friend to your WhatsApp contact list as well.

So it saves you chasing people for details.

The only thing you have to do is download the app and get chatting.

For iPhones the app costs 69p, it’s free for BlackBerry users, and it’s about £1.20 per year for Android and Nokia users. Money well spent considering how many text messages you’ll be saving.

Travel

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Sometimes you just have to go....

We all love Liverpool, no question, but sometimes we just have to leave and go home, or see friends, cats, dogs neighbours or whoever makes you happy.

Travel is expensive nowadays, but Trending’s Travel editor Stefanie Zuber did some research and found out ways to travel without killing your credit card…

N

ational Express offer Coaches and Trains which have great offers and are a lot cheaper than other transport lines. The good thing is with National Express, you don’t need to book six month in advance to get a cheap deal, even if you decide 2 days before the journey to book, it will still be cheap. Tickets can be booked over the National Express website, and can either be sent to your email address, and you print it out, or it can be send to your phone as a text message, and you show it to the bus driver when you start your journey.

One very important thing you have to always remember, tickets are only so cheap when booked over the internet, if you book at the station over the counter, it won’t be as cheap!

Mega Bus/ Mega Train Mega bus and Mega train offer cheap intercity travel in the UK. It basically works on the same principles as National Express does.

You book the tickets on the website, to get the good deals. One negative fact is, Mega buses don’t have their own bus or train stations, like

National Express, so pick up points are on random bus stops. In Liverpool it is Brownlow Hill and they go twice a day.

Easy Jet/ Ryan Air For our international friends going home on the bus is mostly not an option, or would take about three days. At Liverpool John Lennon Airport planes by Easy Jet and Ryan air fly to destinations such as Berlin, Oslo, Madrid and many more. Ryan Air has offers on all the time, and if you only travel with hand luggage you can get flights for £15 return. Easy Jet is cheap if you book long time in advance, but is the more expensive out of the two of them.

Be careful with Ryan air, as they are cheap, they are very strict with what you can take. Hand luggage is

only allowed to be a certain size, and can’t be more than 10kg.

Paid luggage is only 15kg.

Suitcases and hand luggage’s are weighed before you get on the plane, and if your luggage is too heavy, you will have to check your bag in and pay a lot more.

Easy jet is a bit more easy going.

Hand luggage needs to be certain sized, but can be as heavy as you like. Paid luggage can be up to 20kg.

Start Car Sharing In countries such as Germany or Spain this system is very popular; they even have different agencies to help with enquiries. This is how it works. If you for example you drive on Friday afternoon from Liverpool to London, you could put it on Facebook and offer people a ride.

Everyone pays a certain amount of money for the journey, for example if you ask people to pay £15 pounds, and take three people, you even made some money. A system like that only works with people you can rely on and maybe worth a try.

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Sports

Meet Natasha Jonas...

I’m sure that if you told Natasha Jonas six years ago that one day she would compete at an Olympic Games she would have laughed at you and called you mad.

The 27 year-old Liverpudlian only took up boxing at the age of 21 as a way of getting fit, but now she is on course to feature at this Summer’s Olympics in London in what is a truly amazing story.

As Natasha prepares for her qualifiers in May, #Trending’s Daniel Webster caught up with the lightweight prospect to discuss her Olympic dream and find out why Women’s boxing is such a hot topic.

Q. London 2012 is just around the corner. How excited are you to be potentially performing on such a prestigious stage?

Natasha: To have the opportunity to be involved in an Olympic games is a dream come true, but for it to be in your own country is surreal and I can’t even put in words how I feel. I was so emotional throughout Beijing and was sceptical about us having the games after China because it was so awesome but I have visited the London sites, been involved in the test events and I know when I qualify it’s going to be unreal and I’ll be an emotional wreck!

Most of the time when boxing for GB we attend major competitions which are usually outside of the UK, so to have arguably the biggest and best sporting event in your own backyard

is huge for athletes and sports. It’s great for me that I could be rubbing shoulders with some of the worlds sporting elite and childhood heroes.

Q. How is your preparation going? Are you raring to go?

Natasha: My preparation for the games is going well so far, our qualifying event is not until May. The test event was a massive boost for my quest of number one spot and as you can imagine we have a busy schedule ahead.

There is added pressure to be on top of your game as we have not yet had our qualifying event, also the lightweight position is being heavily contested within the GB camps (Chantelle Cameron and Amanda Coulson) and there is me and two others competing to go to the one qualifier we have. We will be attending many training camps

and elite competitions with the world’s best teams in the run up to the qualifiers. Training is always hard work and it is true that the training is the hard part and the boxing is the easy part. “Train hard, fight easy” is the well-known phrase we use in the gym. What most people don’t realise is that a lot of athletes have trained for four years on a vigorous cycle but what the public see is the finished result.

There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears behind the scenes that you don’t see; we will train ten weeks for a bout that will last eleven minutes. By the time the Olympics comes round I will be raring to go, I never thought it would be in boxing but the Games is something I have waited my whole life to be a part of.

Q. It’s the first time women’s boxing will feature at an Olympic games.

Sports How honoured are you to be a part of it, and what does the inclusion say about how far women’s boxing has come?

Natasha: The inclusion of women’s boxing in London is huge for the athlete that goes and also for the sport in general. It is a testament to how far women in sports have come and how attitudes in sports are changing for the better. A lot of young people will want to try and get involved in the sports, have positive, success role models to aspire to be like. Athletes on the other hand have the chance to showcase their talent in front of a home crowd and the world on the biggest stage possible.

Whether I qualify or not just being a part of the set-up has been a great experience that will stay with me for a lifetime.

Q. What got you into boxing and how old were you when you started?

Natasha: I started boxing really late.

I was a 21 year-old who was unhappy with the weight I had gained from not being able to train from being injured. I had been unsuccessful in my quest to become a footballer, which was my first sporting love and generally unhappy with the way my life was going. I got involved in boxing an immediately fell in love with the training and the sport.

After playing a lot of team sports where I depended on good performances from others, I enjoyed the gladiatorial feeling of the competitive bouts. I had done other combat sports before when I was younger but had never competed. As a child my parents always encouraged me to be active and I did attend boxing events with my dad but I never thought that one day I’d be in the ring.

Q.

Who

are

your

biggest

inspirations in and outside the ring?

Natasha: When you hear the stories of Tom Stalker and Anthony Joshua, theirs are absolutely amazing and it’s hard not to be inspired. Also in the professional game it’s great to see role models like Manny Pacquiao, using their influence in such a positive way and being more than a boxer to so many people.

There are other sports stars that are doing wonders in and outside of their sports and their professionalism, commitment and entertainment value are second to none. Jess Ennis and Usain Bolt being just a couple of examples. Outside of the ring my hero is my Nan. She’s the most positive, genuinely caring person I have ever known. She is the centre of the family functioning and I hope one day to be as rich in love and success in life as she is!

“There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears behind the scenes” Q. What are your proudest achievements so far and what chapters are you hoping to write in your wonderful career for the future?

Natasha: Any time you represent your country or win a bout is an achievement but I suppose the more you achieve the more you expect from yourself. When I have stood on the podium, collecting a gold medal and heard the anthem playing, that

# 19

does take some beating. To do that in the Olympic games! I couldn’t even begin to imagine how I would feel; all I could guarantee is there would be a lot of tears of pride.

Q. Would you like to see a stronger media interest towards women’s boxing, especially with the build up to London 2012?

Natasha: To be honest I have always been well supported by the people of Liverpool and the local press. I always get a lot of exposure and have positive comments from people of the city. Boxing has always been a sport close to the heart of Scousers as we have had a lot of success in the amateur and professional ranks and in the Olympic games itself.

The city is buzzing and I will be representing every Scouse person when I perform in the Olympics I only hope I do them proud!

I personally would just like to focus on the task in hand but obviously people are interested in who, what, when, where, why and how you got involved or do the sport you do. I have already seen a massive increase in media interest and just as long as it remains positive, it can only be good for the sport and participation.

Q. What would you say to young boys and girls on Merseyside and across the country that are thinking about taking up boxing?

Natasha: Anyone thinking of getting involved should at least try it, what’s the worst that could happen?

Whether it is boxing or any other sport, I believe that you are never too old to get involved in anything and if you truly want something in life, honestly believe in it and work hard, you will receive the outcome.#

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THE FINAL EDITION