Palatinate Indigo 707

INDIGO

TIM LOVEJOY THE GREAT BRITISH ESCAPE FASHION’S NEW LOOK BOOK RICHARD III

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INDIGO

What do you love? indigo@palatinate.org.uk

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

PICK AND MIX Palatinate loves...

How to... be calm Francesca Teoh offers pearls of wisdom on maintaining inner peace

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Britain’s Got Talent Perfect hangover TV.

icuits atime B M&S Te ats after a hard tre Yummy . e library th day at

Spotify Fast and up -to-date mu sic streaming, just what w e need to distract u s.

Palatinate hates...

es, it seems like a tall order. How can there possibly be any real technique to… well, being calm? Often considered the privilege of perpetually chilled philosophical types, people without any feelings, and cactus plants, calmness is something to which we all aspire at some point or another. Of course, it’s an exceedingly useful tool to employ in order to avoid spontaneous combustion when you find out that a) you completely overestimated your ability to multi-task and are now facing 24-hour revision sessions, b) life hasn’t exactly turned out the way you planned and it’s the wrong time for an existential crisis, or c) your flatmate has consumed your secret stash of Green and Black’s Maya Gold chocolate. >>>Calm people normally enjoy the best of both worlds. So little fazes them in the first instance, that every problem, every antagonism, every hurdle, is merely part of the larger cosmic picture. “That’s life”, they say, and shrug their shoulders in a nonchalant fashion. “It just wasn’t meant to be” – to which the rest of us reply: “Seriously? That’s your answer to everything? It just wasn’t meant to be?” Learning to be calm means learning to tolerate people who… are calm. It’s not their fault, we ponder… They were born without any sense of danger. In the fight or flee scenario, they’d simply set up camp and eat Greek yoghurt whilst everyone else

scrambles accordingly. Actually, perhaps it’s a good thing not to feel anything one way or another. That way you can’t make any mistakes. Caution always proves its own reward. >>>Being calm consists not of seeing the world through rose-tinted glasses, but rather of not venturing too far outside your room to avoid being blinded by the glaring rays of reality. Calmness also encompasses turning a blind eye when you repeatedly have to deal with irritating, self-absorbed and spiteful people who

Selected quotes Palatinate presents snippets from the public sphere “I don’t want to be thin, I hate looking thin. I don’t want to be up and down like a lollipop lady. It’s not a good look...”

Cheryl Cole The sassy Girls Aloud frontwoman has her priorities in place.

Swine Flu We thought the credit crunch was bad.

“He’s rude, arrogant, intimidating and lazy.

He’s the angriest man you’ll ever meet. He’s like a man with a fork in a world of soup”.

Noel Gallagher Oasis: family values as normal. The musician on his much-cherished brother, Liam.

ines Library F not to er reason Yet anoth e. is v re ing to bother try

Lady GaGa Bizarre hairdos ,w and monkey bo eird teacup ttom face.

Enough is en ough.

seem determined to ruin your life. The trick is to console oneself with the daily recitation that someday, “The meek will inherit the earth”. Dear God, let’s hope so. Another aspect of remaining calm is to convince yourself that no matter how badly you’ve been treated, that great soothsayer, Mr. Justin Timberlake, was telling the truth when he sang, “What goes around, comes around”. And he should know. >>>In mastering the art of staying calm one essentially retains their sanity in an

existence defined by very troubling facts. >>> One of which is that it’s probably not a good idea to be still awake at 2.23am when you have to get up at 8am for a labour-intensive day of hardcore essaying and fighting innumerable intergalactic battles with people with whom you’d NEVER want to be stuck in a elevator.

Naturally, the state of tranquillity is not actually one that, well, comes naturally to most individuals. >>> Calmness is normally supplemented with artificial stimulants, mostly of the toxic variety, depending on the extent to which they are indulged. Hypnosis is an attractive prospect, although what exactly happens afterwards, we’re not entirely sure. Paul McKenna’s I Can Make You Happy is supposed to be a good place to start. >>> If that doesn’t work, a good Hollywood musical is normally enough for an afternoon delusion or two. We’d recommend The Wizard of Oz or Singin’ In the Rain. >>>What happens, though, if you can’t do calm? Nothing really. You just end up ever-so-slightly on edge that you should be feeling calm, because the minute you stop holding your breath you’re probably going to collapse. But that’s nothing a good book (okay, magazine at this rate) and a cup of cocoa can’t cure. Or should that be Horlicks?

“Oftentimes when you face such an overwhelming challenge as global climate change, it can be somewhat daunting -- it’s kind of like trying to lose weight, which I know something about”.

Hillary Clinton It’s good to know that the US Secretary of State thinks that the environment is no trivial matter.

“Shameless rubbish to entertain the Emperor… [demonstrating] a total lack of discretion in his exercise of power which offends the credibility of all women”.

Veronica Lario Silvio Berlusconi’s soon-to-be ex-wife ridicules the Italian premier’s attempts to line up a plethora of female celebrities as candidates for Italy’s June elections.

“I’m not a bad person and this is what happens. I was raised to treat people well, and I’m so tired of this drama... I’m a 22-year-old girl “She is a victim of her looks, doomed to be dewho’s in love. I felt like I was in Mean Girls, but worse: Mean Girls was a movie”. fined by them for eternity, or until she becomes Lindsay Lohan wrinkly and we all express our horror at the ruination of her face”.

India Knight The singer/actress/whatever laments the failure of her sapphic love affair. We feel your pain, Linds.

The columnist on France’s ‘picture-perfect’ First Lady, Carla Bruni.

C M Y K

Got an interview idea? interview@palatinate.org.uk

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

INDIGO 3

INTERVIEW

Tim Lovejoy - something for everyone?

Tim Lovejoy of Soccer AM fame talks to Charlie Booth about his new internet venture, Channelbee.

«Born 28 March 1968 «Nationality British «Career Began on MTV. Worked as a researcher, then producer on The Big Breakfast.

Presented Soccer AM from 1996, for over a decade.

Presents BBC Five Live’s 6-0-6 sport chat show.

Has a weekly column in Nuts magazine.

Auditioned to present Blue Peter in the 1990s.

Currently presenting BBC’s Something for the Weekend and working on his joint venture with Simon Fuller, Channelbee.

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im Lovejoy’s career has featured stints with The Big Breakfast, Fifth Gear and even a short-lived (and ultimately unsuccessful) chat show, Tim Lovejoy and the Allstars. However, it is for his decade spent with Helen Chamberlain on Soccer AM that he is most likely to be remembered. Now presenting the BBC’s Sunday morning extravaganza Something for the Weekend, he is currently re-launching his flagship internet TV channel Channelbee.

I have to be frank; I didn’t expect much of Tim Lovejoy. Having sat through several cringe-worthy episodes of Soccer AM after boozy nights out, and then tuning into the frankly bizarre Something for the Weekend in the name of research, I felt positive I was approaching a deeply uncomfortable interview. His internet venture, Channelbee, was of more interest but I was sceptical as to whether the internet would ever challenge television and the radio as a viable medium for new content.

I also wondered whether Channelbee would merely be a conduit for the sort of puerile humour Soccer AM was famed for.

A quick look at the review for one of Tim’s books revealed I wasn’t alone in having misgivings: “he is a rather vile, pseudo trendy character. Vacuous, unfunny, trite, unoriginal and offensively representative of lowest common denominator ‘lad culture’”. Nevertheless, I prepared to swallow my pride and asked Tim about the origins of Channelbee.

“I was just fascinated by the internet; it’s growing so quickly. To begin with, everyone was saying it is going to take over from television so I became intrigued by it. But the reality is, it won’t take over from television, a bit like TV didn’t take over

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPORT RELIEF

Supports Chelsea FC.

from radio. It’s just a new medium”.

Internet television is certainly growing fast with more and more of us relying on BBC iPlayer as well as 4OD (Channel 4’s On Demand service) and YouTube to get our television fix - not to mention Sidereel and other more illicit television portal. Tim was quick to point out the shortcomings of internet television: “Nobody is really making any decent content for it. They do re-runs of television shows on it, and there is usergenerated content on it, and then there is a handful of people who aren’t that good at making content, who are making content. Then there are a load of fantastic advertising virals. So I thought, why don’t I start making some good content for the internet? The great thing about the internet is that it is on demand. It’s not like Eastenders: you can watch it when you want to watch it”.

Any advice for students looking to go into the media? “Have a wash!”

Tim has assembled an impressive team, bringing in members of his awardwinning Soccer AM team to assist his new venture. He attracted the attention of Simon Fuller, the founder of 19 Entertainment, who represents Claudia Schiffer and the Beckhams.

“He’s not short of a few bob or two”, quips Lovejoy.

I asked Tim the story behind the name Channelbee: “I tried for the name ‘ChannelBroad-

band’ but couldn’t get it, so I then tried for the name ‘ChannelB’ and I couldn’t get that either. So I put ‘Channelbee’ in, just as a whim, and I got it, so I bought Channelbee.com, Channelbee.co.uk, I got them all. Then I sat around on it for ages, until one day I thought, let’s just go for it.

If they can make billions of pounds out of an apple; why can’t I out of a bee?

“It turned out pretty well, because we have what’s called a sonic identity with a bee: the buzzing sound as well as the colours and the logo. It turned out to be not a bad name after all”.

Channelbee was re-launched in March: “it didn’t navigate very well, to be honest with you. We did a very soft launch in the beginning just to see what it would be like; but we now think that we can make it better so we’ve made a few tweaks”.

I asked him whether it had been successful.

“It has been a success in that we know what we’re doing now. We’ve got a lot of detail on there now. We’ve got a vibrant community; a good forum; and lots of people posting great content”.

At this point in the interview, it doesn’t take long for Tim to revert back to discussing his first love: football. He tells me how a journalist in the Guardian had first learnt about the sacking of Phil Scolari, the Chelsea manager, from Lovejoy’s Twitter. Lovejoy, in turn, had heard the news himself from a post on Channelbee’s web forum.

“With TV you’re slightly removed from your audience, with radio you’re a bit closer but with the internet you’re really close to your audience”.

Tim recently took over presenting Something for the Weekend, an eclectic

entertainment show featuring a mixture of old TV clips, cookery and cocktails. I asked Tim how he has found the change from Soccer AM. “Both of the shows are similar in that I just go on there and have a laugh. That’s how I make television: I just have fun. To begin with, the idea of Something for the Weekend wasn’t that appealing, and then I met the chef, Simon Rimmer. The chef and I thought, we’ll have a laugh doing this and that’s what I think TV’s about. I get a buzz out of live TV.

“If they can make billions of pounds out of an apple, why can’t I out of a bee?”

“I kind of miss Soccer AM in a way, but it needed a big change. I’d been there for such a long time and loved every minute of it but it was getting a bit tired; it needed to evolve. I’d rather put my effort into the internet stuff to be honest”.

Tim has claimed that a significant factor in his decision to leave Sky and set up his own broadcaster was that he could never really own an aspect of the medium by working for a global media company, and would always be just a presenter. I asked if he felt other television personalities might follow in his shift to the internet.

“You can see that happening already with the likes of Twitter. Stephen Fry has 250,000 friends on Twitter, so when he launches a new book, he’s got 250,000 people he can sell it to. People want to own their persona. Philip Schofield spends all his time twittering about his

website. He wants to own a chunk of his own media”.

Tim went on to give his advice to any students looking to start a career in the media: “Have a wash! No, my advice is to realise that everyone else wants a job as well. I took on a lot of people on work experience when I was doing Soccer AM and I always found the ones who annoyed me were the ones who thought that the world owed them a living. So just make sure when you do it that you’re humble.

I was always first in, last out. It sounds stupid, but there are so many people out there that you have got to set yourself apart from everyone else and show that you are invaluable. Keep coming up with ideas. The whole thing about media is that it is all ideas driven; so the more ideas you have, the better”.

Obviously it takes time to gain a profile in the media world and there are wrong turns along the way. Tim claims he once interviewed for a position on the British television institution Blue Peter: “I think they realised in the audition that I didn’t really suit it. I was a bit too controversial maybe. Not really my thing.

Good show but I can’t see myself on it to be honest”.

As the interview ended I must confess to feeling somewhat ashamed.

My preconceptions about Lovejoy had proved to be unfair as he was relentlessly polite and friendly. Channelbee itself is an interesting venture; fans of Soccer AM (at least those who have a fast internet connection) will love it. Personally, it’s not for me. However, I concede that it still makes more sense than Something for the Weekend. Maybe I just haven’t had enough hangovers lately.

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INDIGO

Got a Feature idea? feature@palatinate.org.uk

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

FEATURE

Under pressure Emily Evans offers an exam pep-talk for the stressed

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weaty palms? Check. Irregular heartbeat? Check. Shortness of breath? Check. Yes, that’s right, May has reached us and this means only one thing, hop aboard for the exam rollercoaster. But before you jump out of the carriage, get back under the safety bar because this ride, I assure you, has a happy ending.

Like any good rollercoaster, the route >>>Like to exams begins surprisingly smoothly and uneventful, full of unthwarted expectation. So, you’ve got the timetable and you’ve spent about a week writing out an intricate (colour-coded) revision timetable but as the days fly by (and the timetable gathers dust), your good intentions fall by the wayside. >>>This is the first mistake of exam preparation: the confounding human compulsion to set ourselves grossly inflated targets which are hopelessly unachievable from the start. Just like the twists and turns of the unpredictable fairground ride, the build up to the exam period cannot be mapped out like a military attack plan. As we all know, some days the motivation to spring out of bed is non-existent and the impulse to check your Facebook profile is simply unavoidable. What is most important is not to waste time worrying about missing your targets but rather focus on what you have done and what still needs to be completed. Be realistic about what

you can achieve in a day; planning and organisation is a crucial part of the revision process but building mountains that are impossible to climb will only make you tumble down more quickly. >>>The key to survival and success in the revision stakes is BALANCE. It is this phenomenon which saves the thrillseeker from plummeting to his death on Nemesis, and it will save you from going crazy until the first post-exams party. Has anyone ever told you that you can never have too much of a good thing? Well, they are wrong.

We all need a little variety in our lives and this time of the year is no exception. >>> The good news is

that at one end of the tightrope are all the finer things in student life: lie-ins, happy hour and daytime TV - but at the other are all the things we love to hate like essays, exams and work in general. So it’s a case of a little from Column A and a little more from Column B with an F for food, an E for exercise and an S for sleep which will hopefully lead to a D for degree.

As any good Stress Less leaflet will tell you, your body and mind are like a well-honed machine which needs the right fuel and maintenance to succeed. HowANTHONIE CHIU ever, don’t feel guilty for taking

time out. Every successful machine needs a break now and then and yours needs one regularly.

Remember, you need this motor to run for the rest of your life; don’t burn out yet. >>>When the build-up is over and the climax of this educational rollercoaster looms the greatest fear that is faced by the student and thrill-seeker alike is the fear of the unknown factor. Don’t let your desire to obsess over Mystic Meg style predictions of what the questions will be destroy your sanity or cloud your vision. >>> Whether an anxious fresher or a seasoned fourth year, we are none of us strangers to the examination game; we may not know exactly what we face but we’ve faced this situation before and emerged intact. In truth, exams are a large part of the success that has got us to this Cathedral-shadowed city and there is no reason why our experience should desert us now. >>>Unfortunately, irrational fear is not the only side effect of this rollercoaster ride. Many of us, poor souls, suffer from

a little motion sickness when plunged into the depths of exam tension. In fact, when it comes to the crunch I defy anyone not to feel a little icky, as if your stomach has jumped ship and joined the circus. It is a well-known fact that stress can bring on physical symptoms of nausea, dizziness and even fainting but don’t worry, it could be worse. >>> Until you’ve thrown up outside Maiden Castle in front of a spectating crowd of exam candidates, you’ve not felt embarrassment. And just in case you’re thinking that this situation might well apply to you in the coming weeks, for the record it helps to have a loyal

“The key to survival and success in the revision stakes is BALANCE” friend to hold your hair back and venture bravely into the gents to fetch you a paper towel. >>>Most importantly, as this scenario illustrates, before long you will be able to laugh at yourself, your unfounded fears and anxieties. So don’t stress! You are not the first person to embark on this ride; those in front of you in the queue have laughed, cried, screamed but most importantly survived and you will too.

Take it from someone who has been through the rollercoaster and has come out the other side in one piece: there comes a time when the fears dissolve, the adrenaline kicks in and the result leaves you on top of the world. With highs like these, this junkie is the first in the queue.

A little TLC Alexa Cutteridge digs up a few stress remedies for revisionees. Photography by Lorna Urwin, model Emily Smith.

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ith the busy exam time looming and endless hours spent stressed out at a desk revising, you might find that you begin to suffer with back-ache and tension around your neck and shoulders.

But, don’t panic - there are ways to avoid this and the following tips will hopefully provide students with cost-effective ways to have a more relaxing exam period.

tionally avoiding fatigue, muscular strain, malfunction of internal organs and pain.

Good posture allows for less strain to be put upon bone, muscle and ligaments and for a natural s-shape of the spine to be achieved.

Posture

• Adjust your chair height so you can sit close to your work, and if possible tilt it up towards you • Elbows and arms should rest on the desk and shoulders should be relaxed • Try to not be sitting for more than 30 minutes and have frequent breaks by walking and stretching • When you do get up, move to the end of the chair and avoid bending at the waist by straightening your legs Pilates

“Sit up straight don’t slouch!”

We bet you have all heard those scolding words enough times! What if I told you your grandparents were actually right; good seating posture is essential for preventing back problems and addi-

• Sit with your back up straight and shoulders back • Buttocks should touch the back of the chair • All three back curves should be present • Distribute your weight evenly on both hips • Knees should be bent at a right angle and should be slightly higher than your hips (do not cross your legs) • Feet should be flat on the floor

Pilates is ultimately a great way to prevent back problems by building up your inner core muscles, in particular the transverse abdominal muscle (TA) and the deep muscles closest to the spine.

Pilates focuses on engaging the TA and develops flexibility and agility, optimal core control, creates flat abdominals, toned thighs and a strong back. Additionally, it is a great mind-body workout.

For more information on Pilates classes in Durham contact Maiden Castle: 0191 334 2178 Exercise Ensuring you warm up and warm down, exercise is a great way to have a break from work and loosen up those

muscles; especially useful are nonimpact activities such as walking, cycling and swimming. Exercise also releases chemicals in the brain (serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine and endorphins).

These have many positive psychological effects: • Reduced anxiety, stress, tension and depression.

• Strengthens immune system which is often vulnerable during exam time.

• ‘Runners high’ after exercise from betaendorphins causes you to feel invigorated and enthusiastic after exercise.

• Increases mental alertness and concentration.

• A more positive outlook on daily tasks and problems which may arise during the exam period.

So what are you waiting? Pick up your tennis racket or swimming cossie and get active – you can’t spend all day in the library!

Massage Everyone loves a good massage and simply strokes or touch alone can reduced stress levels and muscle tension. Massage causes an increase in muscle temperature, a increase of fresh blood carrying essential nutrients and

oxygen, and removal of waste products which may be the cause of tension.

Using lavender oils or natural deep heat lotions can also enhance stress relief and reduce muscle tension. Two beauty salons in Durham offer massages: Skin Philosophy and The Beauty Spot.

Additionally, if you can’t afford to pay for massage treatment then pair up with a housemate and give each other a shoulder massage after a busy day of revision using grape seed oil from your local supermarket, or Forever Freedoms Aloe Vera-based deep heat products, found online.

There are two main technique to massage: effleurage and petrissage are the most common.

Effleurage involves the stroking of the skin with applied pressure, whilst petrissage involves the kneading of muscles in inwardly rotating circles.

Additionally using the thumb one can apply pressure points to areas of high tension.

To find out more, the website below provides a simple shoulder and neck massage demonstration: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-togive-neck-and-shoulder-massage

C M Y K

Got a Feature idea? feature@palatinate.org.uk

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

INDIGO

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FEATURE

This is a man’s world Daisy Wyatt investigates whether there is a great woman behind every good man

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he week of the G20: crowds go wild, WAGs support from the sidelines, world leaders sweat it out to resolve an economic crisis. But who really cares about economics? We’re only neck deep in perhaps the worst economic situation of the last fifty years (Pah! Imagine!). >>> No, if the press coverage was anything to go by, we the British public and the good citizens of the world, apparently care more for the minutiae of the G20 wives’ wardrobes. >>> The accompanying wives posed in line for their unashamed beauty pageant shot in what promised to be a week devoted more to the fashionable and less to the fiscal. At the centre of this international politically-sponsored fashion show, Michelle Obama graced cameras and wowed fans with none other than her spellbinding ability to piece together clothes in an aesthetically pleasing manner. >>>Stop all the clocks, put down your Grazia, this is no time for trivial fashion matters. Michelle Obama was spotted wearing a coral blue asymmetric Argyle (yes! Argyle!) cardigan, in a fashion scandal one blogger called ‘Argyle-gate’, on the very day she chose to give Our Liz a big pat on the back. >>> I take no sides in the Argyle debate, but Michelle must be doing something right to land herself on the cover of Vogue, while simultaneously finding herself among People’s Ten Best Dressed

Women, and Vanity Fair’s List. Sure, I admire her elegantly cut clothes, but is being First Lady of the United States nothing more than one big fashion show?

Is all a first lady has to do these days to get herself noticed to wear a lot of Jason Wu and have a good eyebrow shape?

Apparently so, according to mediafrenzied fashionistas: ‘Woman Wears Blouse’ was not news, so why report it?

Michelle Obama’s inspirational speech to girls at London’s inner-city Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School was unfortunately superseded by her choice of sweater. >>>Enough with the rhetorical questions already. Why these intelligent, independent women chose to parade themselves as glorified wives, accompanying their beloved hubbies on a business trip is beyond me. >>> Don’t these women have jobs? Angela Merkel’s husband, Joachim Sauer, was too busy lecturing on Quantum Chemistry to hold his wife’s handbag.

And quite right too. Carla Bruni, Michelle Obama’s second in well-dressed first lady stakes, chose to stay in France, because she apparently only accompanies her husband on state visits. >>> But maybe Sarkozy didn’t want her glamorous garb upstaging him like it did last year on their visit to the UK. For Carla’s clothing to cause a furore seems fitting, since she is, after all, an exsupermodel turned First Lady overnightwith a brief musical career thrown in for

extra aspiring rock star (ahem, Sarko) credit. She fulfils all celebrity credentials.

Michelle Obama, on the other hand, is as well educated as her husband with degrees from Princeton and Harvard Law School. >>>She chose to give up her high-flying career as a lawyer in New York to look

“Politics may be a man’s world, but it would be nothing without a woman in it” after her two daughters in a role she calls ‘Mom-in-chief’, and presumably to undertake her duties as First Lady. Michelle’s choice is one many women are forced to make, and by no means should any mother be criticised for wanting to take care of her children. >>> However, it does mean that the role of First Lady to the US continues to be a job in its own right. Jackie Kennedy aged sixteen wrote that she hoped to become “more than just a housewife”, and halffulfilled her wish by becoming the world’s most famous glamorised housewife. That was forty years ago, yet Michelle is still being compared to Jackie. >>>Back in Blighty, Sarah Brown and Cherie Blair have gone some way in putting the power back into girl power. Sarah

Brown has followed Michelle Obama’s call to motherhood, while still holding down presidencies of charities, after a career in PR. >>> Cherie Blair continued to work as Cherie Booth QC throughout her husband’s career as PM, but despite her capabilities she will probably forever be known as ‘the one with the funny face’.

As for women on the political frontline, Britain came an embarrassing fifty-fifth place in the international league of women MPs. That’s right folks, a mere eighteen percent of UK politicians are female. And can you really blame them? >>>While male MPs’ paunches and unibrows make them all the more loveably charismatic, female MPs are torn apart by men and women alike. They have to be beautiful and/or elegantly dressed to command the presses’ and our attention (see Sky News’ Top 10 Most Fanciable MPs) only to then be disregarded by their male peers and the loving British public for being too frivolous. >>> Long, anti-social voting hours prevent MP mothers spending time with their children, a reason cited by Ruth Kelly for stepping down from the Cabinet. In this post Blair Babe era, where politics is being fought on centrist ground, might just might the battle become one of gender?

Politics may be a man’s world, but it would be nothing without a woman in it.

And please God - no more Argyle.

Information overload Ally Bacon discusses the implications of the internet phenomenon - do we really need a Google a day?

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ave you ever spent a single day on the internet without our faithful friend Google? Can you find something out without first effortlessly checking Google, and then no doubt clicking absentmindedly on the first link about the topic, more than likely to be a Wikipedia entry? Are you aware of the indisputable power that Google has over the internet world, and thus a vast majority of the planet? >>>Google is everywhere, it’s free, and you can do almost everything online with all the applications it has developed.

Nonetheless, the fact that it is everywhere is somewhat worrying to a fair few people. >>>Creators of the website www.onedaywithoutgoogle.com propose that we do as its name suggests, and do away with Google for at least 24 hours, and use other resources to navigate the internet. >>>The site states: “Google knows what you are looking for. Where you are from.

What you are interested in. What you´re blogging about. What you advertise.

What you click on. What your hobbies are”. >>>As well as this there is an increasing volume of ‘anti-Google’ propaganda sweeping the internet realm, with many people advocating that Google must be stopped. At the moment, there is considerable outrage about Google’s website Youtube blocking music videos to UK users. Yet why is there such a backlash against a search engine of all things, when there are numerous other global plights to be dealt with? >>>I know that people simply use Google as a means to an end. It is after all so much easier to pop something straight into Google than affix a .com. Hell; I’ve even googled my own name out of interest! >>> A esearch team led by Prof Hermann

Maurer of Graz University’s ICT department, argues that Google is turning into a new version of George Orwell’s Big Brother, creating unacceptable monopolies in many areas of the worldwide web. >>>The study argues that Google is too influential on economies in the way advertisements and documents are ranked.

“The more a company pays, the more often will the ad be visible”. The study be-

lieves influence may be increased by also ranking results from queries, and that Google could, for business reasons, in the future rank paying customers higher in search results. >>>Furthermore, there are considerable indications of cooperation between Google and Wikipedia. Sample statistics showed that randomly selected Wiki entries consistently ranked higher on

Google than on other search engines, the Graz team said, regardless of whether or not the Wikipedia entry was an accurate or impartial piece of work. >>>Google does appear to be an allpowerful internet giant. It’s been almost a decade since the search engine came online, and while the whole industry has crumbled around it, Google, somehow, has only became bigger, better and more popular. >>>To boycott Google, internet users would thus have to stop using Gmail, YouTube, Google Video, Google Reader, Picassa, Blogger, Orkut, Google Maps, Google News and Myspace, as well as countless other partner sites. >>>Mr Daniel Brandt, dubbed ‘Mr Anti-Google’, has created websites such as www.googlewatch.com to confront Google and its policies. For Brandt, Google’s PageRank algorithm, the celebrated system by which Google orders search results, is not, as Google says, “uniquely democratic” but it’s “uniquely tyrannical”. PageRank is the “opposite of affirmative action,” he has written, meaning that the system discriminates against new websites and favours established sites. >>>More than that, says Brandt, Google is a careless custodian of private information. When you search for something on Google, it saves your search terms that live on your machine for 36 years. Brandt fears that law enforcement officials could muscle Google into divulging all the terms you’ve ever searched for. Those terms could be “a window into your state of mind,” and are therefore a clear violation of your privacy, he says: Google can know everything. >>>In spite of this, it’s hard to get upset about search privacy at Google when, all over the web, other sites are increasingly

playing fast and loose with private data.

Google isn’t alone in setting long cookies or saving search terms. Other search engines keep that kind of information, but people tend to want to focus on Google because it’s so popular, and they almost unfairly separate it out from the rest of the group.

“Google knows what you’re looking for. Where you’re from. What you’re interested in” >>>I must mention Google’s most controversial and far-reaching political action, abiding by the ‘Golden Shield Project of the People’s Republic of China’, a censorship and surveillance project operated by the Chinese Ministry of Public Security. This decision has come under fierce criticism by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. >>>Nevertheless, despite the complaints, criticisms and controversies, it is highly unlikely that Google can really be stopped. Grossing billions of dollars a year, Google is a formidable force, and despite its privacy issues and interference in global politics, Google with all its clever applications and widgets is not something that actually needs complaining about. >>>That being said, do by all means attempt to spend one day on the internet, researching that dissertation, without once absentmindedly using Google. I bet you can’t, or at any rate, won’t want to.

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INDIGO

Got a recipe idea? food@palatinate.org.uk

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

FOOD AND DRINK

Black beans are a rich source of fibre and antioxidants; they are great for keeping your stomach full and brain functioning throughout the exam period. This recipe is very easy - and crucially stress-free - to prepare!

Feeds eight as a main course.

1 medium sized bung of coriander 3 cups of dried black beans (pre soak overnight) 3 medium sized onions 2 tins of tomatoes 10 cloves of garlic 1 litre of vegetable stock 2 rounded teaspoons of cumin 1 lime 2 sticks of celery Optional toppings: Sour cream/ sharp grated cheddar/ sliced avocado/ corn tortillas/ diced green or red pepper tossed in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a little lime and coriander.

1) Drain the soaking water from the beans. Cover with 3 inches of fresh water and boil until tender for 40-60 minutes.

2) Chop the celery and onion very finely and sweat until soft with a little olive oil and salt.

3) Add the chopped garlic and cumin and cook for a couple of minutes until the spice is fragrant.

4) Add the tinned tomatoes, stock and black beans. Simmer on a low heat for half an hour.

5) Depending on the consistency you prefer, you can partially or fully blend the mixture. Taste to adjust the salt and black pepper.

6) Add the chopped coriander and lime just before serving with any or all of the toppings above.

Ondine Gillies

Milking it Forget Brown Sugar. Students flocking out of Elvet’s lecture halls now head to Shakeaholic for that mid-afternoon tasty treat. James Roberts checks out Durham’s latest gastric haunt

I

n the last week of Epiphany term both the sun and a new contender on the Durham beverage scene made their debut to the city, and we students were lapping it up. This contender is Shakeaholic, which, if the name doesn’t give it away, sells milkshakes. Addictively good ones. >>>Shakeaholic invited myself and some friends to “shakes on the house and a little behind-the-counter look into the mysterious art of milkshake-making”.

So, on a glorious Wednesday afternoon, whilst other students were burning calories on playing fields across Durham, we opted for a stroll down to the self-proclaimed ‘milkshake bar’ located on Elvet Riverside, where we proceeded to savour Shakeaholic’s calorific finest. >>>We expected to wander in and place our order, but it became clear that since opening the café has had anything but a shaky start; it was mid-afternoon and the queue into the premises rivalled that of Studio on 50p night. We may have been Shakeaholic guest-listed, but there was no Q-jump past this thirsty crowd. >>>So, equipped with a menu of 175 flavours from which we could pick and mix, we passed the time administrating our choices between ten of us so that no flavour was tried twice. We wanted to sample the broadest range of Shakeaholic’s wares; for the good of Palatinate readers, of course. >>>Once into the café, full to the brim with milkshake-lovers, I snuck behind the counter to be taught how to make a shake. It turns out there’s more to it than just chucking a banana into a blender and hoping for the best. >>>Shakeaholic claim that they use unique ‘blendtec commissioned’ technology with custom cycles for each type of flavour. However, ultimately when it came down to blending a particularly stubborn frozen doughnut, the advice was to “just keep pressing that button”. There are lots of chrome gadgets for squirting things and crunching things behind the counter, and yours truly, a technophobic Philosophy student, was quite overwhelmed. The ice cream they use is also pretty posh, having been experimented on in laborato-

JONATHAN ALLEN

Recipe: Black bean soup

ries, yet sourced locally. No jokes; google Shakeaholic and have a gander at their website. >>>To choose a milkshake à la carte, you just pick a flavour ranging from muffins to Jelly Tots, all displayed temptingly on shelves across the café’s pink painted walls. Then you choose something to be crunched up on top, and enjoy. However, if you are riddled with angst at the extent of such flavour freedom, I have here for you a selection of the tasty milkshake concoctions that we eager samplers thought up, and our reactions. >>>To begin, I opted for apple pie in my shake, topped with Milky Buttons. At first I was put off by the consistency reminiscent of setting concrete; however, this would not be such an awful fate because it turns out that apple pie makes for great tasting shakes. And quite possibly one of your five a day. >>>Next, Francis chose to treat himself to a Dark Bounty flavour topped with crunched Crunchie. Described as “particularly thick, definitely a tasty mix”, this shake is a good candidate for Shakeaholic virgins with chocoholic tendencies.

Annette had a doughnut blended into her milkshake, topped with toffee popcorn,

which she expressed was “a jam-tastic explosion in my mouth” though warned that “the popcorn got a bit soggy, which wasn’t great”. >>>Emma decided to devour an obscure Battenberg cake flavour, which for those lacking cake expertise is a kind of pink and yellow chessboard cake. It must have been delectable though, with Emma’s eloquent reaction being “empty; nuff said”, after practically downing her litre of cakey calcium. >>>James cherished his Double Decker flavoured shake with Malteasers on top and described it as “a chocolatey delight to be lusted after, with a particularly teasing texture”. Meanwhile, Olivia spoiled herself with a Ferrero Rocher shake topped with hazelnut, and praised it as “praline perfection with a nutty, crunchy contrast; perhaps the most classy of shakes”. >>>However, toppings proved controversial when Sophie, famously hard to please, opted for Peppermint Cream with a Jelly Tot topping. “Fabulous, except the milkshake wasn’t thick enough to hold the topping, which sank to the bottom and froze into icy little crystals of sugary madness. Frankly, I’m not complaining,

but connoisseurs with more delicate jellyrelated sensibilities might”. >>>Topping reservations aside, a clear flavour favourite arose. Its possessor Sarah grudgingly treated us all to a sip of her traditional strawberry milkshake topped with scrumptious mini Oreos. In terms of milkshake mixology, we discovered what was fittingly described as “summer in a cup”. >>>Having exchanged and trialed a dozen milkshakes between us, a formula was apparent in the search for the flavour crème de la crème. We advise you to always be concerned with texture and balance. For texture, beware toppings which dissolve, drop or become soggy. >>> Furthermore, remember that thicker shakes such as cake based ones will hold a greater variety of toppings; you don’t want to be fishing out drowned Jelly Babies. Balance-wise, there is such a thing as too much chocolate or too many sweets. Fruit and cake flavours topped with a variety of naughty treats often balance out best, though it cannot be denied that there is a time and place for dual chocolate combinations. >>>All in all, Shakeaholic’s shakes are udderly scrumptious - milk them dry!

Restaurant Review Palatinate ventures outside Durham for a taste of (grim) reality The Lodge Neville’s Cross, Durham 

I

often wonder why just thinking about venturing into the library triggers that feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach.

Perhaps it is the acknowledgement of the sheer volume of work that I have, up until now, neglected; or maybe it’s that by the time I get there and manage to convince myself that this time round my research will be interesting, all the books will have gone. >>>All that I can deal with, but the real reason I hate going to the library is the stress of the social scene. Feeling compelled to look half-decent just in case you happen to bump into that one particular person you just don’t want to see you looking rough is just an added stress to an ever-increasing work load. >>>Then the ultimate social situation I desperately try to avoid: bumping into someone you don’t know well enough to have an interesting conversation with,

but know too well to ignore. All you have to say to each other is, “How is the work going?” and the floodgates open. >>>Durham can get very claustrophobic. So when a trip to The Lodge out in Neville’s Cross (that’s past the Viaduct for those who aren’t familiar) cropped up, I jumped at the chance. >>>I must say, I was put off by the outside; the drab exterior looked a little like that dodgy looking ‘Bistro’ on the side of the A1 South. The inside, however, was a great surprise. The restaurant looked like a cross between an American diner, a college bar and a function room. Bizarre combination, I know; it’s definitely quirky.

The extent to which that was the intention of whoever designed it is unclear. >>>We were shown to our table at the back of the restaurant. We were situated by a huge window, which overlooked the car park, and beyond that, some fields. If there had been a few more customers, I suspect there would have been more of an atmosphere, as it is has to be said, it’s an interesting place. >>>My quest for solitude was definitely complete; there was no sign of any other

students. There were virtually no signs of other life forms apart from the staff, who were very friendly, attentive and delivered a high level of service. >>>A glance at the menu is like flicking through Around the World in 80 Days.

‘Extensive’ is an understatement. Curries, pasta, pizza, burgers, ‘traditional pub grub’, fish AND grills. If the pandemic does strike and restricts travel, there’s no need for alarm, you can go to The Lodge and eat cuisine from anyhere on earth. >>>The ‘Taste of the Orient’ starter, boasting of a selection of dim sum surprises, intrigued me. When it arrived, it looked like an Iceland party food platter.

Furthermore, the lamb kofta my companion ordered was perfectly cylindrical and probably belonged to the same family.

Iceland party food pretty much sums up the taste as well as the appearance. >>>Then we turned to the main courses.

The salmon fillet in a white wine sauce, served with a side of vegetables was sampled by my companion, who deemed it “a little on the dry side, but ultimately non-offensive”. The presentation was unimaginative but the rosemary potato

fritters were good. >>>I plumped for the Mediterranean kebab mix, upon the suggestion of the waitress. I was surprised to find that I actually got a kebab; I don’t mean the kind of kebab you get in The Real Greek, I mean the kind you get in Beni’s. It was undeniably tasty, but eating a greasy kebab in smart, civilised surroundings was definitely a first for me. >>>The Iceland theme reappeared with the desert, which was frozen cheesecake. Here I admit I am a huge cheesecake snob, so for me this was a big disappointment. Having said that, the dessert had one feature in its favour; it brought back childhood memories of eating frozen cheesecake on a Saturday night whilst watching Gladiators with my parents. The nostalgia redeemed it somewhat for me. >>>All in all, if you are after a quirky experience, I can guarantee you won’t find one quite like it elsewhere. Or if you just want to get out of Durham and indulge in the dictionary definition of ‘greasy spoon’, go to The Lodge.

Anna Codrea-Rado

C M Y K

Got a travel idea? travel@palatinate.org.uk

Friday 8th May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

INDIGO

7

TRAVEL

Cool Britannia - the best of British Mini breaks and low key days out have never been so appealing. The average student budget has never stretched so far, so Nell Killin explores the best of Britain for those post exam adventures

E

aster term: summative deadlines, exams looming, even the most bookphobic of your friends crawling out of bed to go to the library when they would normally be getting in, and to cap it all off, the rain returns to Durham. >>>It’s hard not to consider your prospects somewhat bleak for the next few weeks at least. But think about it, in a scarily short amount of time it will all be over and then you’re free to bask in the sunshine (optimistic, maybe) and kick-start your summer. >>>Admittedly, this freedom is a little >>> stunted by the pedantic stipulations of university registration and - my one and only mention - the constant reminders that we are in a recession; so why not use the time to make the most of what Britain has to offer? Start planning now and have something to look forward to for June – here are few ideas to add to the list:

THEME PARKS A guaranteed fun day out - get there before the schools take over.

• ALTON TOWERS Location: Staffordshire, it takes around three and a half hours to get there by car from Durham.

Price: The DSU is currently selling tickets for only £19 that are valid until November. Normally the gate price is £36, and the online price £29.

• THORPE PARK Location: Surrey - it takes about 30 minutes to get there from London.

Price: Gate price is £34, online purchase is £24.

CLOSE TO DURHAM: THE GREAT OUTDOORS

OURTESY

PHOTO C

PE PARK

OF THOR

• BAMBURGH CASTLE One of the most famous and historic castles in England, it sits on a basalt outcrop with views over Holy Island and the Farne Islands in one direction, and the Cheviot hills in the other. Entrance to the castle itself costs £7.50 and is open 10am-5pm. >>>If this seems a bit steep, there are a great number of walks along the stunning Northumberland coast and the village itself has several quaint little shops and cafes.

You can try horse rid-

ing along the beach - which extends all the way to Budle Bay - or if this doesn’t quite take your fancy, there are a range of golf courses in Northumberland set against the magnificent coastal backdrop. >>>Contact Bamburgh golf course on (01668) 214 378.

It takes just over one hour to get there from Durham, so it’s worth spending the day and trying out several activities.

• CRICKET With Chester-Le-Street only ten minutes away, why not pack a picnic and spend the day drinking Pimms - fun even if you don’t like the game! >>>Dates - There are three home games coming up, on 31st May, 24th June and 26th June.

• ROWING BOATS Hire a boat and get a whole new perspective of the city. Definitely fun although potentially quite hazardous depending on who’s in control... >>>To book a boat either pop along to the boathouse next to Elvet Bridge or telephone (0191) 386 3779.

• GO KARTING There is a track in Durham and another further afield in Newcastle. To add a slight twist, the Durham centre offers a ‘disco atmosphere’, complete with strobe lights, music, UV and a smoke machine... >>>30 practice laps cost £20 For the more competitive there are Grand Prix races available for around £42 per driver.

To book, call Top Gear Karting in Gilesgate Moor on (0191) 386 0999.

• PAINTBALLING Associations with Freshers’ Week may spring to mind (equipped with a gun, dressed in camouflage and shooting at the people you will be spending the next three years with is the perfect ‘bonding activity’), but paintballing is undeniably adrenaline-boosting and accessible to both small and large groups. >>>The North East is apparently quite taken with it; there are sites in Newcastle, Sunderland, Seaham and Heighington to choose from.

Prices are usually around £10 for 100 paintballs, or £30 for 400.

Most sites offer packages for the day and give discounts for large bookings.

•

DIGGERLAND

Spend the day enacting childhood dreams and playing with diggers!

A unique, albeit slightly bizarre, day out.

Find it in Langley Park, a stone’s throw from Durham.

Prices for the day are £15 per person or £13.50 for groups of ten or more.

Tel. (0871) 227 7007.

CAMPING Slightly retro, but it is friendly to the student budget and there are now more ways than ever to go about it.

• YURTS and TIPIS Camping with a nomadic twist. Nicknamed ‘glamping’ (short for glamorous camping), it is becoming increasingly popular around Britain. Yurt tents are spacious and comfortable, furnished with cushions, a wood burning stove, a double or single beds, and futons. >>> You can choose to cook your food inside on the gas stove or go back to basics with a fire grate. The raised wooden floors mean you and your belongings don’t get wet, but you still feel like you’re getting the authentic camping experience.

Sites around Britain include Norfolk, Devon, the Lake and Peak districts, Ireland, Scotland, Cornwall, Dorset, Wales... >>>They range in size, sleeping from two to around sixteen people. >>>Prices vary depending on the number of people, the extent of your luxuries and the general cost of the area you are in.

A rough guide for a week’s stay for six people is around £300.

DAY OUT CHECKLIST: • RAILCARD If you don’t have the luxury of a car or know someone that does, a student railcard is an essential purchase. They only cost £24 and will save you at least a third off the original price of any train ticket not for travel during peak hours.

• STUDENT CARD It may sound obvious but there’s nothing more frustrating than paying full price in the knowledge that you didn’t have to.

Make the most of that campus card while you can - the next form of concession you’ll get won’t be for another 40 years or so! Definitely worth taking if you’re planning a real shopping trip, and will also come in handy at art galleries and some theatres.

• PICNIC SET You never know when the weather might surprise us and a picnic in the sunshine is the perfect way to relax after exams which so often leave us feeling a bit lost.

Conventional but essentail are Pimms and strawberries. Throw some crisps, quiche, sausages and dips into a bag and you’re set.

PHOTO BY JO

NATHAN ALLE N

• MUSIC Make up a retro mix CD for any long car journeys; it may seem like yesterday’s technology but it’s definitely worth the ten minutes it takes to do. >>>A set of mini speakers is also worth investing in; yes, you might annoy the people around you (depending on taste of course) but they remain necessary all the same.

8

INDIGO

Got a beauty or style idea? fashion@palatinate.org.uk

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

BEAUTY AND FASHION

New looks!

With a brand new store opened in Durham, Palatinate looks at the choicest finds at New Look Styling by Georgie Macintye Photography by Tommy Clarke

New Look Durham High Street Student discount of 70% until 17 May See in-store for details Model Tanith Hough Kiss me quick Scarf (as belt): £7 Headband (as bracelet): £4 Skirt: £25 Charm bracelet: £25 Shoes: £25

Ooh-la-la Bag: £10 Black headband: £3.50 Dress: £25 Shoes: £22

Mash-ups!

Hat: £7 Beaded belt: £6 Dress: £30 Beaded bracelet: £6 Shoes: £25 Tribal trance Necklace: £10 Headbands: £4 Dress: £30 Shoes: £22

Blue mood Sunglasses: £15 Bracelets: £5 Dress: £25 Shoes: £22 C M Y K

Got a Features idea?

0191 3341786

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

INDIGO

9

BEAUTY AND FASHION

Safari set Bag: £25 Bangles (left hand): £6 Bangles (right hand): £30 Headband: £3.50 White necklace: £5 Tribal necklace: £10 White linen top: £20 Cream shrug: £14 Shorts: £15 Shoes: £30

Animal magnetism Necklace: £6 Dress: £16 Print cardigan: 20 Shoes: £25

Word play Cardigan: £18 T-shirt: £8 White jeans: £25

Micro floral Sunglasses: £15 Shorts: £20 Vest: £12 Camisole: £14 Shoes: £25

Hippy chic Dress: £25 Bracelet: £6 White necklace: £8 Wooden necklace: £5 Headband: £3 Shoes: 35

10 INDIGO

LISTINGS listings@palatinate.org.uk

Friday 08 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

LISTINGS listings@palatinate.org.uk

Friday 08 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

LISTINGS By Alison Moulds

INDIGO 11

LISTINGS

PURPLE DIARY YOUR POSTER-SIZED EVENT GUIDE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS

Highlights this fortnight Sat. 9 May - Sun. 7 Jun

Jerwood Drawing Prize 2008

P

rofessor Anita Taylor RWA opens Durham Art Gallery’s latest exhibition, which boasts drawings by more than 54 artists, selected from over 2,500 entries. With the works of more established artists alongside those of newcomers and fresh-faced students, fans of contemporary art should join this celebration of one of the most traditional artistic mediums.

Durham Art Gallery, 10AM5PM. £2.15

Wed. 13 May

An Evening with Tony Benn

T

he Gala Theatre welcomes the country’s longest-serving Labour MP Tony Benn for an intimate discussion, followed by Q&A session. Budding politicians shouldn’t miss this opportunity to learn from Benn’s half a century of political experience, including his time as a Cabinet Minister and work ranging from grass roots politics to the Stop the War coalition.

Gala Cinema, 7.30PM. £15

Until Sun. 27 Sep.

Manhua: Chinese Comics Now

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ritain’s first-ever exhibition of Chinese comics comes to Durham’s Oriental Museum. The display of more than 200 works offers not only a visual delight for art fans but also an insight into 21st century China.

The long-running exhibition is set to attract Manhua creators leading talks and workshops.

Oriental Museum, 10AM5PM weekdays, 12-5PM weekends. £1.50

Art Fri. 8 May

Artist’s Talk Professor Anita Taylor RWA, the University of London’s Director of the Centre for Drawing, discusses the history of the Jerwood Drawing Prize exhibition preview follows. See ‘Highlights this Fortnight’.

DLI Museum and Art Gallery, 6PM. Free

Film Sat. 9 - Sun. 10 May

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button The Bede Film Soc presents the Oscar-winning American fantasy-drama based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story of the same name. Starring Brad Pitt.

Caedmon Hall, Hild Bede, 8PM. £1 members, £2 non-members.

Amy Hutchinson As part of its celebration of the Jerwood Drawing Prize, Durham Art Gallery has commissioned Amy Hutchinson, Fine Art graduate fellow of Northumbria University, to produce a new series of drawing- based works.

DLI Museum and Art Gallery, 10AM - 4PM. £2.15

Until Tue. 30 Jun

EDAN in the Round Exhibition Marking a new relationship between the East Durham Artists’ Network (EDAN) and Durham Uni, this exhibition showcases an eclectic selection of works from artists based in the Tees Valley and Durham, a collective specialising in visual arts.

Upper Rotunda, Queen’s Campus, Stockton.

Until Sun. 27 Sep.

China Comics Now Encompassing hand-drawn artwork and digital prints, this new exhibition reflects on the last 25 years of Chinese comics. With works from Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as the mainland. See ‘Highlights thi Fortnight’.

Oriental Museum, 10AM- 5PM weekdays, 12-5PM weekends. £1.50

Until Thu. 14 May

Star Trek Your last chance to see the 11th part of the relentless franchise.

Gala Cinema, times vary. £4.25

Thu. 14 May

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Screen adaptation of John Boyne’s novel charting the friendship between a Jewish boy and the son of a concentration camp commandant in WWII. Bishop Auckland Town Hall, 7.30PM. £2.50

Thu. 14 May

Sun. 10 May

Sat.9 May

Sat. 9 May

Mon. 11 May

Fleshtank Everyone’s favourite Durham dive plays host to more live music, this time in the shape of Gung Ho, the Speed Dogs and North Star Saints.

Fishtank, 8PM. £2 Big Brother’s Liam and Ziggy The former housemates hit Stockton in a final effort to preserve their five-minutes of fame! Put on your dancing shoes for the live DJ set.

Zanzibar, Stockton, 10PM. Price tbc

The Songs of Nick Drake (1948-1974) Celebration of late songwriter Drake, with music performed

by Keith James and Rick Foot.

Includes screening of a new documentary about Drake’s life and work.

Gala Theatre, 7.30PM. £12 Young Guns Live music courtesy of this retro funk sestet, playing 70s and 80s covers including Wham, Duran Duran and Chic.

Shamrox, 9PM. Free

Sun. 17 May

Rachel Harrington Award-winning Oregon-raised rural gospel singer Harrington looks set to cement her rising star status.

Gala Theatre, 7.30PM. £9

Sat. 9 May

Pop Klubb Bizarre mix of indiepop, both classic and Swedish, plus 60s girl groups.

Retreat@ St Dominic’s, Newcastle, 8PM. £3.50

Wed. 13 May

King Creosote Ahead of new album Flick the Vs, the Kenny Anderson-led singer-songwriters play Gala.

With support from Player Piano and neo-folk band Pictish Trail.

Gala Theatre, 7.30PM. £9

Fri. 22 May

Thu. 21 May

Sat. 16 -Sun. 17 May

Beyoncé New tickets have just been released for this unmissable tour. With songs from her international number 1 charttopping album I AM... SASHA FIERCE. Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, 7.30PM. From £49.50

BUCS One-Day League: Durham UCCE v Loughborough UCCE The cricket tournament relocates to the racecourse for the next in their host of scheduled home fixtures.

The Racecourse, 12.30PM.

Wed. 13 May

Stage Sun. 10 May

Dan Leno - the King’s Jester Tony Lidington penned and performs this celebration of famed Music Hall comic Dan Leno, whose work has had a lasting legacy on British comedy.

Gala Theatre, 7.30PM. £8

Tue. 12 - Sat. 16 May

Brief Encounter Noel Coward’s much-loved tearjerker makes it to the stage, with an adaptation incoporating his music and songs.

Newcastle Theatre Royal.

7.30PM Tue-Thu, 2PM Wed & Thu, 2.30PM Sat. From £8.50

Losing My Edge Think prices are too high outside of our beloved bubble?

Then head to Newcastle for a new underground indie club night with free entry!

Club Camp David, Westmorland Road, Newcastle. 10.30PM. Free

BUCS One-Day League: Durham UCCE V Exeter 1s After a strong start in their away games, can our Team Durham stay strong in their home matches? Don’t miss the Women’s Cricket fixtures to be played at Maiden Castle later in the month.

The Racecourse, 12.30PM.

Thu. 14 - Mon. 18 May

N Power Test Series 09: England v West Indies Seen our students’ home games?

Now check out the international pros as England’s team take on their multi-national rivals.

Durham County Cricket Ground. From £35

Sun. 17 May

12th Annual Sunflower Cycle or Saunter Too much time stuck indoors with your head in a book? Try this easy terrain through the Lanchester Valley, with a main route of 14 miles or the easier option of 8 for walkers and cyclists.

Start at Broompark Picnic Area (3km from Durham City Centre), 11AM.

Talk Sat. 9 May

The EU, the UK & Global Emergencies: A Concerted Approach To celebrate Europe Day, the Durham European Law Institute holds this public debate, chaired

by Newcastle Uni’s Dr Martin Farr. The speakers are MEPs Martin Callanan (Conservative), Liberal Deocrat Fiona Hall and Labour’s Stephen Hughes.

Arnold Wolfendale Lecture Theatre, 12PM. Free

Mon. 11 May

Who Was the First Person to Die From Climate Change?

Topical public seminar given

by Ralf Ohlemüller, RCUK Research Fellow from the Institute of Hazard and Risk Research.

Seminar Room 010, Department of Geography, 12.30PM. Free.

Other Sat. 9 May

Spring Festival Ditch the books and catch the rays at this offering of crafts, food, classic cars and entertainment all in the museum grounds.

Bowes Museum, 10AM-4PM.

Sat. 9 May

Treasure Hunt In aid of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. For entry form and sponsor sheet contact Susan Tesdale - details at www. durhamtourism.co.uk.

Begins at Milennium Palace, 10AM (staggered times). £10

Until Sun. 10 May

Bobby Roberts Super Circus Traditional-style circus show.

With international performers and equestrian display.

Pelton Lane, Chester-le-Street, Times vary. £6

Wed. 13 May

Thu. 14 May

Soda Tup Tup Palace instructs guests to put on their glad rags as they’re joined by hosts Calum Best, Gary Lucy and Dean Gaffney keen to assert their dwindling celebrity status.

Tup Tup Palace, 7 St. Nicholas Street, 10P. Price tbc

Thu. 21 May

BUCS One-Day League: Durham Men’s 1s v.

Nottingham 1s The British Uni Cricket Season continues as our boys take on the lads from Nottingham.

Maiden Castle, 12.30PM.

BUCS One-Day League: Durham Men’s 2s v York St John 2s The second teams collide in the latest home game. Ditch the revision for a day in order to support the Palatinates!

The Racecourse, 12.30PM.

Sat. 9 May

Gomorrah Clayport Film Club can help up your indie cinephile credentials with its screening of this foreign language flick which studies the contemporary criminal underworld of Naples.

Clayport Library, 7.45PM. £5 membership The Matrix You’ll either love or loathe the Wachowski brothers’ triology, but Matrix virgins shouldn’t miss Bede Film Soc’s screening of the first instalment.

Caedmon Hall, Hild Bede, 8PM. £1 members, £2 non-members.

Sport

Fri. 8 May

Stephen Dale Petit and Mick Taylor The legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Taylor teams up with a new rising music star; bluesman Dale Petit and his band.

Gala Theatre, 7.3oPM. £12

Sat.9 May

Until Fri. 12 Jun

Nightlife

Fri. 8 May

Durham Choral Society - Vivaldi and Britten Featuring Vivaldi’s Gloia and Britten’s cantata Saint Nicholas.

Conducted by Richard Brice and led by Susan Innes.

Elvet Methodist Church, Old Elvet, 7.30PM. £10

Sat. 9 May - Sun. 7 Jun

Barry Woodward Colour and Line Trevs presents a new exhibition by ex-Durham Uni student and former Chairman of the Durham Art Group, Barry Woodward, featuring pen and ink drawings, alongside paintings of people and places.

Trevelyan College. 10AM- 6PM. Free

Music

Wed. 13 - Sat. 16 May

Queen Bee Margaret Wilkinson’s contemporary Gothic ghost story promises to be a spinetingling experience. Don’t miss the bargain performances of this new psychological drama.

Northern Stage, Newcastle, 8PM. £5.50

Thu. 21 - Sat. 23 May

Little Shop of Horrors Star Set production of the famous story following a florist’s assistant who makes a Faustian pact with a plant that thrives on a diet of human blood.

Assembly Rooms Theatre, 7.30PM + 2.30PM Sun. £8

Fri. 22 May

Funny Bones Comedy Club With MC Stuart Wilde and comics Dom Woodward, Newcastle’s Carl Hutchinson and Gary Kitching.

Gala Theatre, 7.45PM. £8

Ben Hartop Memorial Lecture The future Director of Counselling Services for the uni, Sally Ingram, lectures on ‘Mind the Gap: The Transition from School to Uni’. The lecture is in memory of Ben Hartop, the pioneer of Guidance and Counselling in Initial Teacher Training.

Holgate Centre, Grey’s College, 6PM. Free

Wed. 13 May

An Evening with Tony Benn The former Cabinet Minister and our longest-serving Labour MP discusses his past political experience at the Gala Theatre. With Q&A session.

See ‘Highlights this Fortnight’.

Gala Theatre, 7.30PM. £15

Tue. 19 May

Monastic Houses in the Middle Ages Lecture by the University of Wales, Lampeter’s Professor Janet Burton, whose research interests include monastic history, with an emphasis on the North of England.

St Giles Parish Centre, 5.30PM. Free

Mon. 11 May

New Philosophies of Learning Launch for a new book edited by London Institute of Education’s Ruth Cigman and Andrew Davis of Durham Uni’s School of Education.

Room ED134, School of Education, 4PM. Free

Until Fri. 31 Jul

Anthropology Degree Show Support fellow students with a visit to a new display by students studying for a BA Anthropology (Material Culture) degree.

Oriental Museum, 10AM-5PM weekdays, 12-5PM weekends. £1.50

C M Y K

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

MUSIC music@palatinate.org.uk

INDIGO 13

MUSIC

The Palatinate festival guide for the long summer ahead Overseas The best festivals abroad.

Sonar «Dates 18th - 20th June «Location Barcelona «Ticket Prices Standard Ticket - 140 EUR «Headliners La Roux Tim Exile Mary Anne Hobbs «Website www.sonar.es Benicássim «Dates 16th - 19th July «Location Benicássim, East Coast of Spain «Ticket Prices Four Day Tickets have sold out Four Day Passes have sold out Day Ticket - £67.50 «Headliners Oasis King of Leon Franz Ferdinand The Killers «Website www.fiberfib.com

LOUISE MILLER

Beach Break Live Celebrate the start of the season

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each Break Live will unite 10,000 students from the across the country under the Cornwall sun for four days of sand, surf and killer beats. >>>The student festival is by far one of the hottest festivals on offer this summer.

The organisers have pulled out all the stops to put together a top line-up of firstclass entertainment in a perfect setting. >>>Beach Break’s edge over other boutique festivals is by far its location.

Set in idyllic North Cornwall, the site is a stroll away from gorgeous sandy beaches. During the day, if you’re feeling too lazy or hungover to take part in the onsite activities, (The Mighty Cornish Goblet - everything from blind fold long jump to the Zorb assault course), you can catch a few rays or waves down at the beach and head back to the festival as the sun sets and the real fun begins. >>>Dizzee Rascal is the confirmed main headline act, with other top performances hot on his heals: The Zutons, Ladyhawke, Cuban Brothers, Mystery Jets and Friendly Fires to name but a few. Not to mention the DJs: Chase & Status, DJ Yoda, Scratch Perverts, Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip and Krafty Kuts. >>>Any of those DJ acts sound familiar?

Some have graced the Subotica stage right here in Durham. To make matters even more exciting, Subotica is hosting the Quarry Stage on one of the nights.

They have chosen as their headliner, one of the loudest and rawest electronica DJs around, Radioactive Man. >>>Supporting him is a group of Durham

DJ Raspberry Armadillo, RrobT, B2B, Beardman, Consoul, Von Pander and Twisted’s very own Kris Heslop. A Durham exodus to Cornwall will therefore mean supporting home-grown talent and saying a massive thanks, and indeed, farewell to the Subotica team who have been entertaining Durham’s underground musical side for the past three years. >>>The Times has tipped Beach Break as one of the hottest festivals of the season with predictions of tickets selling out fast. >>>For tickets and more information, go to www.beachbreaklive.com/subotica.

Sziget «Dates 12th - 17th August «Location Obudai Island, Hungary «Ticket Prices Camping Ticket - 180 EUR 2 Day Weekend - 150 EUR «Headliners Digital Mystikz Mala Loefah

Intense Not for the faint-hearted

Beach Break Live “Three full-on days and nights of music, madness, magic and delight”

Rockness «Dates 12th - 14th June «Location Dores, Inverness, Scotland «Ticket Prices 3 Day Camping - £139 2 Day Weekend - £105 «Headliners Basement Jaxx Orbital «Website www.rockness.co.uk

«Dates 16th - 19th June «Location North Cornwall «Ticket Prices £84 (includes camping) Return coach to Durham - £40 «Headliners Dizzee Rascal Chase & Status «`The X-Factor The Lost Gardens World’s Biggest Pyjama Party «Website www.beachbreaklive.com

Glade «Dates 16th - 19th July «Location Winchester, South East England «Ticket Prices Student Weekend Pass - £100 Standard Weekend Pass - £125 Student Pass till 8th May only «Headliners Underworld Carl Craig Adam Beyer «Website www.gladefestival.com

Anna Codrea-Rado

Global Gathering «Dates 24th - 25th July «Location Long Marston Airfield, StratfordUpon-Avon «Ticket Prices Weekend General Admission (inc. camping) - £115 (+ booking fee) «Headliners The Prodigy Pendulum «Website www.globalgathering.co.uk Bloom «Dates 14th - 16th August «Location Cheltenham, Gloucestershire «Ticket Prices Early Bird Weekend Tickets - £50 (+£5 booking fee) «Headliners Chase & Status The Whip Noah & The Whale «Website www.bloomfestival.com Creamfields «Dates 29th - 30th August «Location Cheshire, North West England «Ticket Prices Standard weekend ticket with or without camping - £100 (+ booking fee) «Headliners Tiesto Mylo «Website www.creamfields.com Bestival «Dates 11th - 13th September «Location Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight «Ticket Prices Adult Weekend - £150 Child Weekend - £70 All tickets include camping «Headliners Kraftwerk Elbow Massive Attack «Website www.bestival.net

Boutique Small, but perfectly formed Hop Farm «Dates 4th - 5th June «Location The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent «Ticket Prices Weekend ticket including camping and parking - £125 Day ticket - £65 «Headliners The Fratellis Paul Weller «Website www.hopfarmfestival.com Cornbury «Dates

11th - 12th July «Location Charlbury, Oxfordshire «Ticket Prices Adult weekend ticket including camping - £110 Day Ticket - £55 «Headliners The Sugababes The Magic Numbers «Website www.cornburyfestival.com Beat-Herder «Dates 3rd - 5th July «Location Sawley, Lancashire «Ticket Prices Weekend ticket including camping £60 «Headliners Reverend & The Makers Utah Saints «Website www.beatherder.co.uk Camp Bestival

Bigger More than a music festival «Dates 24th - 26th July «Location Dorset «Ticket Prices Weekend ticket including camping £130 «Headliners PJ Harvey Mercury Rev «Website www.campbestival.co.uk Kendal Calling «Dates 31st July - 2nd August «Location Lake District «Ticket Prices Weekend ticket including camping £70 «Headliners The Streets Skream «Website www.kendalcalling.co.uk Secret Garden Party «Dates 23rd - 26th July «Location Secret «Ticket Prices Weekend ticket including camping £137 «Website www.secretgardenparty.com/2009 WOMAD «Dates 24th - 26th July «Location Malmesbury, Wiltshire «Ticket Prices Weekend ticket including camping £125 «Main attractions Fat Freddys Drop «Website www.womad.org

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C M Y K

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

FILM AND TELEVISION film@palatinate.org.uk

INDIGO 15

FILM AND TELEVISION

Television review Poppy Macleod takes a look at HBO police drama The Wire and examines what this series has that others haven’t

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COURTESY HBO

y now it is unlikely that word of HBO police drama series The Wire has not reached you. Although the five part series was shown in the US from 2002-2008, until recently it has only been available on DVD and an obscure satellite channel.

This led to a growing cult following; those in the know thinking they were the select few.

Trying to cash in on this, BBC Two is currently airing all sixty episodes in quick succession, in late weeknight showings so that we can all catch up with one of the best television dramas around.

“...the masterminds run the drug enterprise in a disciplined and intelligent manner...” >>>Set in Baltimore, Maryland, season one focuses on the Baltimore police department’s never-ending struggle to bring down those at the heart of the city’s thriving drug ring, run by Avon Barksdale and Stringer Bell. Aside from the numerous bodies they leave in their wake, the masterminds run the drug enterprise in a disciplined and intelligent manner. This challenges even the most advanced wiretaps and surveillance tactics employed by the team of detectives who make it their business to bring them down. >>>However, a major problem is that vast amounts of money made from the drug trade filter into many areas of city life, including politics. Although this major plot is threaded throughout the series, each

lived many of the stories shown. Simon worked as a police reporter for The Baltimore Sun, whilst co-writer Burns is a former Baltimore police detective and public school teacher. Many characters in the show are said to be based on real people. The cast has also featured appearances from prominent Baltimore figures in minor roles, for example the ex-mayor. >>>The cast itself is made up of a number of actors whose lives used to reflect that of the characters they now play.

Creator Simon’s previous productions include The Corner and Homicide: Life on the Street, which were adaptations from books he had previously written from his experiences.

“full concentration is needed at all times”

season dedicates itself to the exploration of a particular socio-political domain of the city; the drug trade, the port, the city government, the school system and the print news media. In line with the varying themes, the theme tune Way down in the Hole remains constant across the series but a different style is used for each season. >>>It’s clear that The Wire is not an average police drama but a drama about the people of Baltimore. Within the refreshingly large cast, few characters are painted as one-dimensional, as simply good or bad. Much screen time is granted to

exploring the lives of the characters selling drugs on the streets or working down at the port, as well as the detectives’ broken marriages and personal problems.

Insight into the motivations and pressures to participate in the drug ring mean that these characters become some of the most distinctive of all.

The insight granted into the workings of the City Police is similarly revealing.

The many corrupt figures in authority are more preoccupied with fixing crime statistics and bolstering their own careers than solving the crime itself. It is left to the handful of misfit detectives, who operate

out of a disused warehouse, to try and make a difference on the street. >>>The group of detectives are themselves made up of a variety of characters who often clash, with McNulty (Dominic West) and Bunk (Wendell Pierce) the stars of the show. Despite the dark stories seen, humour is not lacking. English actors Dominic West and Idris Elba (Stringer Bell) put in perhaps the most impressive performances and for once, manage believable American accents.

Part of the appeal of The Wire is surely explained by the fact that the writers David Simon and Ed Burns have

>>>There are additional unusual characteristics of The Wire which further distinguish it from other dramas around.

In place of the all too common end of show cliff-hangers, the twists and turns in The Wire are unexpected and frequent.

Another quirk is that each episode opens with a quotation which will be spoken in the show. >>>Nevertheless, the complex plot and the often incomprehensible Baltimore slang mean that full concentration is needed at all times, or else make sure you have a laptop showing the HBO website’s episode guide to hand. If you get really confused, you could always try to alleviate your problems by watching with English subtitles!

Feature film review Russell Crowe and Helen Mirren star in the adaptation of the BBC political thriller State of Play COURTESY UNIVERSAL STUDIOS

State of Play Dir. Kevin Macdonald Star. Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams «««««

C M Y K

Ever since I saw State of Play a couple of weeks ago, I’ve wanted to be an investigative journalist. Honest. Who knows why though: it involves lots of boring research, lots of doors being slammed in your face and lots of being shouted at by your editor. >>>But as the man says, film is the ultimate pervert art, it tells you what to want.

For most of us, we want films to take us away from our mundane lives of revision and daytime TV. All we want is a good story to transport us somewhere other than yet another antiques fair. >>>It turns out though that unless you live at a leisure park, you first have to take six buses to the other side of town to get your escapist fix, because all the nice cinemas in town shut down for no reason. >>>Then, when you do arrive, you have to queue up behind someone buying a Sunday dinner because they can’t not eat for two hours. I mean, when would you ever think it was necessary to consume three tonnes of popcorn? Madness. >>>So we finally sit down on one of the seats that isn’t sticky, and get ready for

a good story to make us forget about the hellish pilgrimage we’ve just made. State of Play does not disappoint. It’s based on a BBC TV series from a few years back, but somehow they managed to cram six hours into 127 minutes, and it doesn’t feel rushed or lacking in substance. There’s

a film noir-ish amount of twists and turns to keep you on your toes and by the end, it doesn’t matter who did what, we’re mainly there for the ride. >>>You can tell there’s lots of money behind it, but State of Play isn’t as slick or glossy as I’d expected it to be; it gives a

realistic impression of what it might be like to work on the cutting edge of news, in this case the Washington Globe (a carbon copy of the Washington Post). >>>Russell Crowe’s performance is good, perhaps understated in parts, but he’s certainly not the über cool glamorous journalist I’d been dreading. As Maggie O’Kane from the Guardian told me, you should never trust a journalist who wears a suit. >>>His scruffy appearance definitely adds to his old school character, a leftover from the good old days of investigative reporting. Nowadays papers don’t have the money, time or inclination it seems to send people out and research stories: this is one of a couple of references to current debates in print media in the film, flat earth news.

As usual, it was good to see Rachel McAdams, but this time in a serious film.

Her character represents the changing face of news: she’s a blogger, or ‘scribbler’ as they’re known by journalists.

She gives a convincing performance at any rate, the sensitive ‘good cop’ in the almost buddy-buddy set up between her and Crowe. >>>Overall the casting is good, but weird: Helen Mirren is a decent editor, willing to bend the rules to get the truth, but slowly being turned into a whore by the new owners, interested more in revenue than

journalistic integrity. The other star, Affleck, just doesn’t sit right for me though. I don’t respect him, and as a Congressman he needs to have some sort of authority.

Yet he does redeem himself by the fact that he’s not a bad actor; we can believe him a little bit.

“...it gives a realistic impression of what it might be like to work on the cutting edge of news...”

>>>State of Play is well worth seeing if only to forget about revision for a while.

It’s a real, intense political thriller that injects at least some reality into a truly intriguing story. >>>If you like this, you’ll love The Insider, it’s a tad more realistic and less Hollywood, but probably the best thing out at the cinema (after In the Loop), and it’s got to be better than 17 Again, right? Right.

Ben Swales

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INDIGO

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

Books books@palatinate.org.uk

BOOKS

Book chat Literary goings-on «Death of J.G. Ballard The literary world has recently been mourning the death of cult novelist J.G. Ballard. With a vast output over numerous decades, Ballard found huge acclaim and notoriety with his novels Crash (1973) and Empire of the Sun (1984). Recently Ballard published a much-lauded autobiography, Miracles of Life (2008). In the Guardian, Martin Amis described him as an “unusually loveable man, despite the extraordinary weirdness of his imagination”. He died on April 19.

«Poet Laureate handover Andrew Motion has penned his last piece as Poet Laureate. An oddly light and political piece, it was apparently dreamt up while Motion was relaxing in the bath.

In it he confronts Alistair Darling’s recent budget starting with the lines: “Poor Alistair Darling’s new budget / Invites us to listen and judge it”. Unsurprisingly, he tried to save his literary credentials by urging people not to “think this is a poem – this is some rhyming”.

He has been replaced by Carol Ann Duffy, the first woman, and first gay person, ever to hold the post.

«J.K. Rowling credit-crunched The fortunes of J.K. Rowling have taken a hit, as revealed recently in the Sunday Times Rich List.

Rowling’s fortune has decreased by eleven per cent, falling from £560m to £490m. However, she did, rise in the Rich List rankings to position 101 from 144.

«New Dan Brown novel The long-awaited sequel to The Da Vinci Code is due to hit shops this September. Random House has ordered its largest print run ever, with 6.5 million copies scheduled to be thundering from the printing machines this year.

Originally titled The Solomon Key, the new book is now known simply as The Lost Symbol and is set over a single twelve hour period.

«U.A. Fanthorpe dies Another, less publicised death was the passing of the poet U.A. Fanthorpe. Her work is a feature of the A level syllabus, and she won the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry in 2003. After studying English at Oxford, Fanthorpe taught English at Cheltenham Ladies’ College and worked in a hospital before publishing her first volume of verse, Side Effects.

She also served as Northern Arts Fellow for both Newcastle and Durham Universities and was awarded a CBE in 2001. She died on 28 April.

Weird and wonderful Matt Richardson interviews local author, Guy Mankowski

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media world of TV, movies, sitcoms, iTunes and all the other possible entertainment mediums?

egend Press has just released an exciting new short story collection called 8 Rooms. Palatinate caught up with one of the featured writers, former Durham graduate Guy Mankowski.

1.) Who is your favourite writer and why? >>> If I had to name one it would probably be Nabokov. Lolita showed me how persuasive a narrator can be. How even a deeply flawed narrator can seduce readers into his skewed world view by using words in a captivating way. I’m intrigued by the idea of an uneasy trust developing between the narrator and the reader; there has to be enough of a bond there for the reader to stick with him, if only for his word play, but enough intrigue for the reader to want to see out his situation. In my story, A Body Of Strangers, I tried to create a manipulative narrator who you somehow keep listening to; it was Nabokov who showed me that was possible. It amazes me that Lolita wasn’t even written in his first language.

2.) If you could have written one book, which would it be? >>> Paul Auster’s Moon Palace. I love the idea that someone can only create their own identity, aside from the one we’re encouraged to cultivate, if at some point they’re reduced almost to nothing. In Moon Palace his protagonist is reduced to desperate, poverty-stricken circumstances, but describes his recovery from that position with such warmth and sensuousness that he discovers himself in the process. It’s an idea I wish I’d thought of, and since reading Moon Palace that

concept has become central to a lot of my writing.

“When I was at Durham I often used to write late into the night” 3.) Give us a rough outline of your writing day. >>>It completely varies: sometimes I can

only write at night, sometimes I’m really disciplined about it from the moment I wake up. Before writing there’ll usually be a bit of research to finish; for instance with a recent story I had to find out more about The New Romantics before starting it, as my characters were part of that movement. I ended up watching a whole documentary about Steve Strange before writing a word. After that I’ll often keep writing in bursts until I fall asleep. When I was at Durham I often used to write late into the night, only to delete it all before going to bed in a fit of disappointment.

4.) Do you think the short story form still has a relevance in today's multi-

>>> I think it definitely does. People have an unsettling need to make things disposable at the moment– as if they’re scared of losing themselves in something for too long. People want to skip to their favourite part of a song straight away. >>> I think part of the reason writing has its place is because it demands you see out a piece in its entirety. I think short stories are particularly relevant now because they offer a compromise between the short attention span of our age and the nourishment an extended piece of work offers. >>> Whenever I read a brief article in London Lite or one of those free papers I always feel a bit empty afterwards; writing needs to resonate more, and short stories do that. >>> I think it’s up to writers to rise to the challenge of meeting the demands modern readers have. >>> Legend Press are great because they are one of the few publishers bold enough to consistently give writers the chance to rise to that challenge.

5.) What advice would you give to a wannabe writer? >>> To never think that what you need to say is worthless, and shouldn’t be written.

P.J. Harvey once said she felt ridiculous going into a studio to record “these pathetic, stupid songs” but I’m glad she didn’t give into that voice, because her work has enormous value to me. So my advice would be try to resist value judgments, no matter how disdainful people can be.

Short on ideas Palatinate reviews a new collection of bite-sized essays Thinking About Almost Everything Edited by Ash Amin and Michael O’Neill Profile Books «««««

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he danger of trying to think about almost everything is, as in the Popperian phrase, you end up thinking about almost nothing. I’m afraid that Durham’s pop-academia PR exercise is a case in point. >>>The self-proclaimed purpose of Thinking About Almost Everything: New Ideas to Light Up Minds is to offer fresh, insightful thoughts from Durham University academics, communicated in bite-size essays about this and that. The true spirit of academic creativity is supposedly communicated therein. >>>In the post-script, Prof Chris Higgins defines this spirit against the essence of teaching, which consists in the “repackaging and dissemination of existing ideas”. Good universities should be about more than this, he suggests, which is the reason that “one of the first targets of any extremist regime is the university”. >>>The problem is this collection of essays contains far too much ‘teaching’ and not enough original thinking. Don’t get me wrong, amid the platitudes about the value of creativity and interdisciplinary synthesis, there are a lot of arguments

that are eminently sensible. There is a fair amount of information to be imbibed, much of it even interesting; most of the facts and concepts are clearly and precisely expressed. But despite all this, the book spectacularly fails to do what it says on the tin: within its pages, there is nothing of the excitement and controversy of great minds at play. >>>To get a sense of the depths of mediocrity to which the collection sometimes sinks, a good place to start would be the joint essay by Jamie Tehrani and Robert Layton, which begins by pitting the problem of free will up against the ‘selfish gene’ idea of Richard Dawkins. >>>The authors explain that there is a disagreement between ‘social scientists’ and ‘evolutionary psychologists’, before offering a ‘middle path’: “What if culture is not the liberator of individual free will, but another jailer?” What then, dear reader? >>>Supposing we forgive the editors for leaving this dull fluff in, might they not have done something about the fact that the intrepid Prof Dawkins and his 33-year-old popular science book is treated to another flogging, just a few pages away, in the essay by Tim Blackman?

Never mind the selfish gene, Blackman argues, non-zero sum cooperation is the key to evolution and to solving our problems. Type ‘Clinton non-zero sum’ into YouTube if you want to know exactly how radical and original that proposition is.

>>>Blackman’s faith in selfish altruism has a positively Third Way vibe, as does the ‘middle path’ advocated by Tehrani and Layton. Yet again, I must insist, moderate reform is all terribly sensible, but one thing you can’t say in its favour is that it is “a challenge to conventional thought”, which is what the impartial observer Bill Bryson claims for this collection. On the contrary, it is mostly repackaging and disseminating. And remember, this book is supposed to be why ‘extremists’ shut down universities! >>>On the subject of politics, I hope nobody will confuse complaints against the status quo with challenges to convention.

The distinction should be observed in the case of the essay by Stephen Graham, who argues that the concept of terrorism is elusive (bet you hadn’t heard that before) and that the context of the ‘war on terror’ is “a globe-stretching programme of political violence, emanating from the US and UK governments, among other nations, to allegedly target ‘terrorism’”. >>>However, never fear, because Graham provides a better definition of ‘terrorism’, a task which the rest of the world has neglected, in the light of which he concludes that “violence by non-state fighters against the occupying military forces of a foreign power is not best described as terrorism”. Oh, I see what you’re getting at: we are the real terrorists. It’s enough to turn your whole world

upside down. >>>The reductio ad absurdum of all this tedium is Julian Wright’s essay arguing that history is the story of ordinary people: “After a century in which little people have suffered in the name of ‘great’ ideas or systems, historians badly need to discover better ways of placing the little people at the centre of our analysis”. >>> Compare this with what the Institute of Advanced Study says is the point of the project: “The book claims a special place for ideas, arguing that they provide a vantage point, and can help us understand the best ways of shaping the world we inhabit”. >>> No, no, history is the story of Willy Lowman and Joe the Plumber. Ideas are for totalitarians. As good democrats, it is our job to deal with the issues of the day: global warming, the economic catastrophe, flu pandemics, that sort of thing. In Bryson’s words, “solving all of the earth’s problems by using your head”. It’s good to know we have a plan. >>>Alongside all the talk about big new dangerous convention-busting ideas, Prof Higgins, apparently without irony, has marketed the book as good bedside reading. So this is why we should buy back the surplus value of our lecturers’ intellectual labours: to bore ourselves to sleep.

Chris Wright

C M Y K

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

STAGE stage@palatinate.org.uk

INDIGO 17

STAGE

My kingdom for a horse!

Palatinate reviews the savagery that is Shakespeare TOM SMITH

to a script. Ollie Lynes as the lead was at his best in monologues, presenting an array of twisted emotions gleefully. Though difficult to stand out in such a large cast, Keiran Sims and Callum Cheatle managed to do so in their various small roles, most poignantly as executioners of the Duke of Clarence (Alex Bhat) in one of the most memorable scenes of the production.

“The three brilliantly executed murders including chopping off a head - were quite enough to convince the audience.” >>>Unfortunately, there were quite a few scenes which should have been forgotten. Though editing Shakespeare may be taboo, three and a half hours is difficult for any production to get away with. For example, the significance of Lady Anne (Gabby Wass) did not come through, and she could have been dropped. The three brilliantly executed murders – including chopping off a head - were quite enough to convince the audience that Richard was not a very nice guy.

“The use of multimedia was a strength throughout the play”

Richard III Durham Shakespeare Company Assembly Rooms «««««

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anipulation, deceit, murder: all things a student may have in mind during exam season. So what better stress relief is there than going to see the Durham Shakespeare Company’s production of Richard III? A brilliant Shakespearean tragedy brought to the stage by students, for students should surely take one’s

mind off revision. >>>From the moment the lights dimmed it became very apparent that this production was created by some very experienced members of the Durham student theatre scene. Powerful, eerie music filled the Assembly Rooms, building up tension with the help of a flickering TV screen.

This use of multimedia was a strength throughout the play. >>>Sound designers Sophie Morelle and Owen Roberts could not have done a better job at creating just the right sinister

atmosphere at pivotal moments. Nearly as powerful was the use of the TV set at the forefront of the stage, especially as a distraction to the audience whilst props were moved around. >>> The use of the TV, as well as other modern props – cameras, cigarettes, a toy dinosaur – brought the production into an ambiguous setting in time. This was obviously far more suitable for the budget of a student production than a fifteenth century costume drama. >>>Yet it did make a discerning viewer

wonder whether director Jonathan Bullock had watched the 1995 film dramatisation of Richard III recently? Of course moving the play forward in time is not a copyrighted idea, but the boar crest used as the backdrop in most of the second half was just a bit too similar to that seen in the film. >>>This aside, the production was considerably faithful to Shakespeare’s text. Lines were delivered well from the 21-person cast, all of whom must have spent their entire Easter holidays glued

>>>These scenes were the best examples of what made the production so worthwhile, as the cast and crew came together to make something that was obviously their own. Moments of subtle humour were also a highlight, as in the cracking of knuckles at just the right moment. The play ended on a truly original moment, with the unveiled victims of Richard’s tyranny looking over his dead body, leaving the audience with a generally good impression as a whole.

Reetta Humalajoki

Singin’ in the Rain Palatinate braves the elements to review Hild Bede Theatre’s latest musical offering Singin’ in the Rain Hild Bede Theatre Assembly Rooms «««««

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erforming to a sold-out Caedmon Hall, this was a difficult show to pull off, and despite the few aspects that - if improved - would have helped enormously, the four leads more than rose to the challenge. >>>Alex Bhat was simply very, very good.

Channelling Gene Kelly’s easy, relaxed charm, his voice was strong, his performance highly entertaining, and considering Don Lockwood spends about 90% of the time tap-dancing, he pulled it off with

panache. Many of the dancers appeared unsure as to what they were doing a lot of the time, but Bhat coasted through the set-pieces with ease; ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ was one of the shows highlights. Equally fantastic was Tessa Coates as Lina Lamont. Stealing each of her scenes, Coates screeched, preened and pouted to hilarious effect. Her rendition of ‘What’s Wrong With Me’ had the audience in hysterics, as well as the exchanges with Don as they filmed both versions of the Duelling Cavalier. >>>Jon Tester played Cosmo with all the cheekiness expected, although unfortunately a lot of his words were lost.

This was a shame considering Tester’s performance was enjoyable (if perhaps

a little camp), especially during the famous ‘Make ‘Em Laugh’ scene, which ended with an effective bout of slapstick.

Another commendable performance was that of Becca Collingwood, playing Cathy Seldon, whose singing cannot be described as anything less than utterly sublime. In fact, there aren’t really any adequate superlatives. She embodied the charming sweetness of Cathy very well, although - and this goes for the entire cast - she could have benefited hugely from more direction. >>>There were a number of points wherein the actors were, for want of a better phrase, just standing around.

During the exchanges between Don and Cathy, there was minimal movement and

though Bhat tried to overcome this, there was only so much he could do before it began to look quite obviously underdirected. >>> The potential was there, but because the actors were wandering aimlessly, blocking each other or facing upstage, many scenes were disappointing. An example of this was Lina’s egotistical outburst after the Dancing Cavalier premiere, which was well acted but looked as though the cast had been left to their own devices. >>> A little harsh perhaps, but if these things had been tightened, the production would have benefited hugely. Additionally, Caedmon Hall couldn’t be blacked out so the audience could see every lengthy and

complex transition, which, again, didn’t do the show any favours. Finally, there were several instances wherein the singer was in key and the orchestra were not, most unfortunately in the title song ‘Singin’ In The Rain’. This was a shame considering everything else about this scene was spot on. >>>However, despite all this, the production showcased a very strong cast who should all be proud of themselves; they lifted the show above the category of ‘disappointing’ to ‘enjoyable’. Though hampered by certain aspects, it contained some genuinely impressive moments, admirable performances and an inordinate amount of tap dancing.

Stevie Martin

18

INDIGO

Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

VISUAL ARTS visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk

VISUAL ARTS

Collectivising comics Tom England talks to the fanatics and learns what happens when geeks do art

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mployment’ is the word hot on the tongues of most prospective graduates, usually in the context of probably not being able to find any. Thanks to mounting debts and the dodgy economics of the now-flailing Labour government, students across the country are having panic attacks at the prospect of not being able to get onto that 60k+ graduate job. >>> One group of individuals not worried about such petty issues are, of course, the artistes of the world. Denouncing worldly matters in devotion to the power of subjectivity and vision, the artiste beats the recession. >>>However, even the artiste/visionary would doubtless appreciate a leg-up, and if he happens to be a comic-book artist, he may well just be in luck. >>>Small press ‘collectives’ - groups of people who publish their own work have been set up by creators all around the country. In Manchester, the Comix Collective (MCC) is very successful, and includes the chap who did the artwork for Elbow album The Seldom Seen Kid, Oliver East. Edinburgh too has a thriving comics group. >>>However, the most interesting and promising seems to be the group known as the Paper Jam Comics Collective, based in Durham’s sister-town Newcastle, who hold ‘Comics Evenings’ in the Travelling Man comic book shop fortnightly. >>>But other than a strange lefty way

of organising farmers, what actually is a collective? And what does it do? I spoke to co-founder Jack Fallows, who had his two-penneth on hand: >>>“First and foremost, the Comics Evenings are there as a social event to meet like-minded people, talk, write and draw all things geek, and pick up some good buddies along the way”.

“our aim is to continue until we’re an unstoppable army” >>>And good buddies they seems to be, if a somewhat diverse bunch. While Jack Fallows writes sort of existentialistsurrealist comics in a picture-book style somewhere between Dan Clowes (the writer of Ghost World) and Paul Hornschmeier, co-paper-jammer Gary Bainbridge helps produce Nightbus, a gritty noir-style serial with two unlikely heroes, set in modern day Newcastle. >>>These ‘Comics Evenings’ seem to involve everything from chatting and having a drink, to planning their next joint project. Jack is quick to tell me that it’s more than just a social opportunity; there also seems to be a good deal of passion

under the surface. >>>“It’s a great tool for people who want to get into comics, who want to expand their already-existing fandom of comics, or meet writers or artists from the area to collaborate with on their own creative projects”. Such projects include the release of their fifth anthology at the end of May, entitled Robots...and that, featuring brilliant work by a whole host of Paper Jammers. >>>“We’re completely non-profit,” Jack points out, “but growing in size and interest by the week, so our aim is to continue on this road until we’re an unstoppable army of dorks that the media will fear and envy”. >>>Quite an ambition, although they have achieved a lot already; while the Paper Jam Comics Collective is comprised mostly of frequenters to the bi-weekly Comics Evenings held at the Travelling Man comic shop in Newcastle, there’s a mailing list of about 200 people, a blog, “and,” Jack chimes in, “a series of lovely comics anthologies that represent their joint efforts to make comics the medium of the future”. Sounds exciting. >>>The launch party for Robots…and that will be held at the Star and Shadow Cinema in Newcastle on Friday 29th May, starting at 7.30pm and costing the general public £4.

For more information, see paperjamcomics.blogspot.com

Exhibition review Harriet Whewell journeys to Newcastle’s The Baltic to explore the art world’s contribution to Darwin’s bi-centenary celebrations

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ollowing the recent celebrations of Charles Darwin’s life, work and impact on the world of science, The Baltic in Newcastle has hopped aboard the band wagon and created an exhibition involving nine artists’ interpretations of natural selection and evolutionary thinking. >>>A Duck for Mr Darwin consists of an eclectic combination of sculptures, installations, paintings, films and drawings. Artists have drawn inspiration from Darwin’s interests, findings and concepts, with some providing work from visits to the Galapogos Islands, the pivotal inspiration for his theories. >>>The beauty, sophistication and variety of the animal kingdom is clearly explored.

In particular, elegantly shot films of a woman swimming among thousands of box jellyfish, and a documentary style piece capturing the many unique species from the Islands were received well. >>>A comic feel was also provided by a real working wormery, accompanied by silver worm cast sculptures created to highlight one of Darwin’s supposed fascinations. >>> Despite this, I failed to notice any signs of the ‘struggle to survive’ or ‘survival of the fittest’ as the exhibition claimed to include. On paper the show promised to deliver an interesting take on the fusion of art and science, yet although there were a number of fascinating pieces to view, I could not help but feel that it missed somewhat on the delivery. >>> The slightly unco-ordinated, sparse and literal take on the concepts of evolution could have benefited from some deeper insight into the scientific theories and some more imaginative artistic interpretations. >>> However, putting to one side the limitations for any science enthusiasts,

for those whose interests lull somewhere between the arts and the sciences, the exhibition is worth a visit.

‘A Duck for Mr Darwin’ runs until September 20th.

Upcoming events at Baltic DAVID BLANDY, The Barefoot Lone Pilgrim, 27 April-19 July 2009 A video in which the artist seeks his position in the cultural world, wearing the attire of a Buddhist monk and armed with a walkman.

SARAH SZE, Tilting Planet, 10 April-31 August 2009 Everyday household objects are worked in to collections that “defamiliarise our preconceived ideas of these objects.”

TOBIAS PUTRIH & MOS, Overhang, 10 April-31 August 2009 Styrofoam blocks are used to build objects that seem to be about to crash to the ground.

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Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

VISUAL ARTS visual.arts@palatinate.org.uk

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VISUAL ARTS

My favourite piece

Musings

Nicola Clements ponders over the power of Fiona Banner’s Stainless Steel Full Stops

Rosie Boscawen

tremes of human nature with little to no classic artistic skill. She does not paint, draw or even render images. No: this artist relies on words.

This is why Stainless Steel Full Stops is my favourite piece to date. Authors are lauded for their literary prowess when exploring a new facet of language; an entire novel written without the letter ‘e’, or another composed without any discernable punctuation, or simple poetical devices and rhymes.

“a physical and interactive piece” “the colours transported me from east to west and north to south”

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n this modern day and age where contemporary exhibitions display self-portraits made with blood, dismembered dolls in disturbing positions, animals suspended in formaldehyde, and any number of other creations designed to provoke an instinc-

tive response - be it shock or disgust - it would be easy to dismiss Fiona Banner as another devotee of the Shock Art genre.

This seems particularly likely as she is a graduate from Goldsmiths University, known to churn out artist after

artist that create a stir (for instance, the infamous Tracy Emin and Damien Hirst to name but two).

Superficially, the 2003 Turner Prize short-listed nominee may appear to present pornography and war as the ex-

owever, the artist is expected to portray and to depict without using the most prolific and recognised method of communication that we have in our capabilities.

I do not mean to suggest that Banner is the first to use text within art; graffiti is one of the oldest art forms, whilst Arabic and Asian lettering is used as a basis for patterns in both fashion and art. Calligraphy, hieroglyphs, and advertising logos are also all within the parameters of ‘art’: words are everywhere. >>>The difference with Banner is that she draws our attention to the possibilities and the limitations of words, and uses them to show language itself as another media.

Stainless Steel Full Stops made up a part of an installation held in Neuer Aachener Kunstverien in 2002 and contributed towards her being short-listed for the Turner Prize. These black painted steel creations were installed throughout the museum grounds, a physical and interactive piece that epitomises the meaning of the object itself. >>>In Banner’s own words, “the full stop sculptures are all about not having words, or not being able to find words, or words not always being appropriate.”

The Turner Prize 2009 Palatinate discovers a more conventionally artistic shortlist than usual

amien Hirst’s shark in formaldehyde.

Tracy Emin’s messy bed. Mark Leckey’s video piece. The Turner Prize is one of the most controversial and highly publicised art awards in the country. But this year, to the pleasant surprise of many, the four shortlisted works - announced on 30 April - comprise of more conventional art forms than previously, with evident artistic merit. >>>Roger Hiorns’ installation, Seizure, is the interior of a flat plastered with 90,000 litres of liquid copper sulphate, giving it a twinkling blue interior from wall to wall and ceiling to floor. It is a wholly interactive work, as the viewer can stroll through the installation don’t forget your rubber boots and gloves - contemplating the rooms, which are surreal but not inconceivable as the interior of the mind. >>>For many he is seen as the favourite for the award, the winner of which will be announced in October. However, his competition is strong. Enrico David has creFIONA ANNER/ated a sculpture entitled How Do You Love OODLE-Dzzzzt by Mammy?, which is the image of a

ROGER HIORNS/JOANNE CHEW

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scowling man covering a balloon-shaped frame. It stands on two stick-thin legs with feet like those of a rocking chair, allowing him to bob back and forth. >>>Next is Lucy Skaer, who over the years has been responsible for many an innovative installation. Her work concentrates on the natural world; Black Alphabet is an elegant cluster of tall black objects which have the fragility of a reed, yet the certainty of a blade. Worlds apart from Hiorns’ work, but equally worthy of the £40,000 prize. >>>The last of the four is Richard Wright, who at age 49 is just within the prize terms stipulating that runners must be under 50.

Often painting directly onto gallery walls, his paintings are incredibly complex and very large, yet are done in minute detail. >>>So what might separate one from the other three? Two Glaswegians, two studied in London. Three men, one woman.

Yet all have elements of the surreal which, because of their strong foundations in traditional art forms and nature and the elements, are in many ways more interesting than previous winners.

Turner Prize Facts The award was created in 1984, and is named after the renowned British artist J.M.W. Turner. It is organised by the Tate Gallery, where the exhibition is held each year.

The first ever Turner Prize was awarded to Malcolm Morely, who served time at prison before turning to the world of art. The prize has many critics, some of whom have created alternative awards.

One award is ‘The Anti-Turner Prize’, brain child of the K Foundation, which rewards the worst art in Britain the nominees being the same as those shortlisted for the real Turner Prize.

In 1993, their winner, Rachael Whiteread, also won the Turner Prize.

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he world is awash with art. It has transcended the centuries, riding on waves of human passion and despair. It is never submerged, but at times is calm and placid, at others tempestuous and terrifying. Everything and anything can be voiced on the artist’s wordless canvas; infinite meanings are held within a block of stone, waiting to be liberated by the sculptor’s careful hands.

But at a time when images and ideas are growing more and more abstract, where artists seem to be vying with one another and with nature to find the new form of expression, are we losing sight of the purposes of art?

Is it becoming a contrived means for the self-conscious among us?

Then again, art has never been for its own sake. The wall paintings in the Lascaux caves in France are today fascinating not just for their beauty, but for their oldest of ages and what we can learn about the lifestyles and cultures of that inconceivable time. The Bayeux Tapestry is likewise regarded as a highly significant historical document, as well as being an extraordinary feat of artistic endeavour.

So does art simply tell the history of humanity? If it does, it is a history which over time has spun out into a plethora of tales about the thoughts and turbulent times of thousands upon thousands of individuals, rather than focusing on the successes and failures of society as a whole. A representation of the ideas of the parts of the human beehive, not just the beehive itself, as it were.

This is no bad thing in itself, providing it does not ostracise the majority. Compare today’s art with that of the Renaissance. Titian, Raphael and Michelangelo are responsible for some of the most sublime works in existence, which celebrate a collective religion and take contemporary society as their central figures. But within the palettes of colours so fervently applied to the interiors of Italy’s churches and the canvasses of the artists’ patrons, there lie the marks of the individual: the artist himself, and the dictates of the patron.

Living during the Renaissance, the artists themselves lived romantic and poetic existences, engrossing themselves in all things stereotypically aesthetic that furthered their talent, debauchery included. Call me a sceptic, but with so many artists working in these commercial times, and egged on by the media culture, it seems as though some big names are in it not to send out beautiful works of personal discovery into the world, but to reel in some attractive profits for themselves.

Damien Hirst is a case in point; having established himself securely in the sphere of modern art, he began to employ other artists to execute his work, partly out of laziness, and because he believes that the birth of an idea in his mind makes him the true artist.

Either way, he has still reduced art to a factory line affair. Perhaps he is right in thinking himself the artist of a work he does not personally make.

Perhaps I’m too much of a romantic. I can’t help feeling that all these newfangled ideas are taking art away from the layman, twisting it into shapes which produce more money for one man than thought for the masses.

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Friday 8 May 2009 palatinate.org.uk

GAMES indigo@palatinate.org.uk

GAMES

GUEST COLUMN

Crossword

Charity Corner Laura Matthews, Tom Bigglestone and Frances Main

Across

Down

1. Ancient Egyptian paper (7) 4. Yoga position (5) 7. Distinct period, e.g. Georgian (3) 8. Interval in a musical scale (4) 9. Greek letter (5) 11. About A Boy author (4,6) 13. Tree often found by riversides (7,6) 15. Held back against one’s will (10) 19. From an animal killed according to Muslim law (5) 20. Fencing sword (4) 21. Flightless bird (3) 22. Scooter (5) 23. ___ __ You Crazy Diamond, Pink Floyd (5,2)

1. Russian Prime Minister (5) 2. Worry (5) 3. Having feeling of moral superiority (4-9) 4. World’s deepest inland body of water (4,6) 5. Form; printed letters (4) 6. ___ Grave, Danny Boyle’s first film (6) 10. Dry and wrinkled (10) 12. Dry ___, solid carbon dioxide (3) 13. North Welsh town (7) 14. Natural source of metal (3) 16. Hangman’s loop (5) 17. Bob ___; ____ Thomas (5) 18. Glitch, small problem (4)

DUCK Durham University go Quackers to Support the British Red Cross Durham Universities Charity Kommitee (DUCK) have sprung in to action again this year to help support the British Red Cross by taking part in the Great North Run.

© 2009 DAVID PRICE-WILLIAMS

Sudoku Fill the blank cells on the grid with numbers so that

© 2009 PUZZLEMIX.COM / GARETH MOORE

each box, row and column contains the digits 1-9 once only EASY

4

8 5

1

3 7 5

9

6 2 8

9

5 9 3

3

1 6 4

6

9 7

8

1 6

2 9

MEDIUM

2 7 5

9

4 7

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4

6

2

4

7 3

8 7

2 9

2 1 6 6 5

3 8

8 3

HARD

6

2

3

5

1

6 2

7

Kakuro

9

1 5 3

9 8 6

4 1 2 9 6 7 3 1

6 5 4 1 3 9 8 2

9 5 6

4

2 7 4

1

28

10

7

8

14

3

© 2009 PUZZLEMIX.COM / GARETH MOORE

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15 14

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4

19 3

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11 10

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28

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21 9

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13

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If you think you can help the British Red Cross like DUCK and raise funds for the British Red Cross by taking part in the North’s best event of the year, The BUPA Great North Run please contact Emma today: 07843346159 / Esimpson@ redcross.org.uk

SCA During the exam period SCA is running an eSCApe to volunteering programme aimed at all students. One off, relaxed events will be available. This week: Monday, 2pm – litterpick. Meet outside SCA office on the day. Thursday, 10am – gardening session in Durham. If you’re interested in either please just turn up on the day. More events coming – see the website for details!

SCA week LOADS of events planned, including trip to the beach, project tasters and many more. More details coming soon, keep an eye on the website for details.

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This year the British Red Cross and DUCK are joining hands again to raise much needed funds but this time they hope to make their team bigger and better and raise even more.

The British Red Cross is dedicated to caring for people in crisis, providing care for thousands of vulnerable people each year in the UK and responding to disasters all over the world.

Enter digits from 1-9 inclusive so that the row sequences add up to the numbers on the left and the column sequences add up to those up top. Each sequence cannot contain any duplicate numbers, though overall rows and columns can contain duplicates EASY HARD MEDIUM

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In 2008 many students from Durham University ran the Great North Run and raised over an incredible £4,000 to help the British Red Cross.

The funds raised from the students by taking part in the world’s most prestigious half marathon have helped vulnerable people in the UK and abroad.

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