Indigo Issue 739

indigo 13.03.12

Long live the king: Ex-Durhamite King Charles rocks the Live Lounge

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Tuesday 13th March 2012 | INDIGO

indigo

Indigo Editor: Larry Bartleet indigo@palatinate.org.uk

contents

editor’s letter

h, a beautiful day in Durham. Walking home this morning, the sun was bouncing off the rooftops, and when I passed over Palace Green the mist was lit up with a dazzling orange glow. There were birds. I had coffee. It was a happy time. I felt inspired to do things: I should climb a mountain this summer.

And organise a music festival at my house. Yeah! And who says I can’t start up my own business selling customisable mugs? My mind reels in epiphany: I can do anything!

When I get home though, I fall down in a sad heap on the sofa. I’ve entered the gloom of the curtained living room and the cup of tea and cookie I’m about to have seem far too appealing. I’ll definitely do my work in a minute; first I might just watch a little bit of Greek.

I don’t care, it may be completely unlike real life as I’ll ever know it, but at least I don’t have to think about all the things I actually need to get done. I don’t even have to consider how little I care who these characters are or why they’re whining at each other. Tomorrow I have no lectures. Nothing needs doing right now.

Suddenly it’s three hours later and I’m mysteriously in a dressing gown. I look at the table in front of me; I seem to have emptied a packet of biscuits, a pot of yoghurt, several cups of tea, and I’m currently eating ice cream straight from the tub and watching Come Dine With Me with a housemate. I’ve seen it before though – it’s the lady with the New Orleans soul food who ends up winning. Hang on a minute. How did this happen? I’ve become a tragic anecdote! And it’s down to apathy. Go away apathy, I can’t be bothered to deal with you. Meh off.

This living room is definitely a motivational drain. Whatever drive I had when I came in (to do my work and generally sort out my life) has vanished. I know that the day after tomorrow I have an essay deadline, several hours’ worth of seminar work to prepare and extra-curricular activities to fit in, but right now, the most attractive option is sloth. I’ve dealt with bigger workloads. I can handle it. I can be lazy today, and then pay off the work debt with a rushed, stressful all-nighter. Which leaves me with, let’s see... just over 7 hours of sleep.

It’s early morning. I’m almost finished with my all-nighter, and bathed in the cold blue glow of my laptop, I fake an out-of-body experience. It’s pretty much the same as a real one, only more realistic. It involves a mirror. I look sad, working hard. Hungry too.

I should’ve brought more snacks upstairs. And my room is a mess, I should really sort it out. Is this a builder of kingdoms, a pioneer, a hero? Not exactly. I need to hold onto this memory, just like the one of my Palace Green epiphany. Somewhere between those giddy highs and dreary lows is a path towards success. No, I’m not going to start up a business: I don’t want to do that. But I am definitely capable of a lot more than this. From this day forward, I resolve to... mnergh. Oh no, it’s 11am! I fell asleep on my keyboard! Again! Keyboard face-imprint crisis! What life-changing revelation was I just having? Never mind. I’ll just go back to sleep. I’m sure it’ll come back to me. LB

i4&5: Healthy habits: The Features team guide you through the best ways to keep a healthy body and mind.

i6&7: Easter feasts: Livia Caruso gives us a rundown of traditional Italian Easter food i8&9: DIY blogs: The fashion team goes in search of the internet’s best clothes-creation tutorials

i11: There’s something about Meryl: A look back over Streep’s three Oscar wins i12: A right royal gig: King Charles’ Live Lounge gig reviewed

i13: Too Much Information: Rising Geordie stand-up comedian Chris Ramsey talks to Anna Bailey

i14: The bicycle diaries: Ellie Ross cycles from Lands End to John O’Groats

i15: Surprises abound in Zimbabwe: Donal Anand-Shaw recounts his experiences abroad

the indigo playlist The DVD

Hugo, released this week, scooped five Oscars. Directed by the legendary Martin Scorsese, it tells the story of a twelve- year-old boy who lives in a Paris railway station.

The Stand-Up Show

Chris Addison, star of The Thick Of It, Skins and, yes, Direct Line adverts, graces Newcastle’s Northern Stage on 14th March at 20:00 to perform his ‘The Time Is Now, Again’ set.

The Concert

Durham University Palatinate Orchestra performs its spring concert, including Reinecke’s Flute Concerto, in St. Oswald’s Church on Tuesday 13th March, 19:30

The Event

Across the UK this week is Climate Week, an awareness week for combating climate change. Durham hosts a Sustainable Solutions Market, 17th March, Durham Market Place

The Album

Michael Kiwanuka: Home Again BBC’s Sound of 2012, a soul singer who toured with Adele on her 2011 tour, releases his anticipated debut album

INDIGO | Tuesday 13th March 2012

books 3 The end of the world... Now-ish?

Books Editors: Izzie Bengoechea and Justina Crabtree books@palatinate.org.uk

Mellisa Amelia’s vision of the future ultimately fails to convince, says Katie Airey

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ellisa Amelia’s novel Apocalypse Now-ish is not, despite the gimmicky title, about the Apocalypse as we would necessarily recognise it. But then again, this is fantasy fiction.

Khyle, the tale’s nineteen-yearold protagonist, is a foster-child whose mother is in a psychiatric ward, whilst details about his father remain unknown. She has a fairly hefty chip on her shoulder and a love-interest named Mark, whose ‘energy’ or ‘aura’ fuses perfectly with her own, despite the fact that he may or may not be a serial killer.

There are haunting, ghoulish moments, magic, alterna-Gods (Lexis and anti-Lexis; ‘words’ and ‘anti-words’; it’s all very meta), and would-be-sarcasm from the heroine by the bucketload. The novel’s main sticking point for many readers is that Khyle just isn’t that likeable.

Amelia’s protagonist (“Ka (Cu)Hi-Yl”, according to page seventeen – after trying to get your mouth around that, you too will be wondering why ‘Mary’ was such a bad choice) is mouthy, rude for no apparent reason, overly-opinionated and oh-soadult. Conveniently, Khyle has no parents and therefore retains her ‘cool’ image without issue, whilst any concerns about her

sectioned mother are dropped the minute they become extraneous, which (I’m lead to believe) isn’t really how it works.

She reads like a teenager’s idea of a ‘cool’ adult – though perhaps this ought not to be surprising, since the author was born in 1994. Of course, the upshot of this is that anyone over the age of nineteen is likely to take an instant dislike to poor Khyle.

For me, the greatest wonder of the book was that none of the other characters hated her as much as I did.

Further, none of the relationships in the novel rang quite true. There is an awful lot of telling and not showing – we are told that Khyle and a ‘witch’ named Loraline are like ‘sisters’, and Delia (a character who bounces back from horrific trauma with little more than a whimper) is a ‘little sister’ though this connection is never explored. The protago-

nist has a foster brother (‘Zean’, yes, another member of the Unusually-Named Brigade) but the back-story of this is barely alluded to. We’re expected to believe in relationships without any evidence of friendship or tenderness on either side. In fact, tenderness is something that seems to be utterly alien to our heroine.

Since Amelia’s novel is written in the first-person, it’s difficult to escape Khyle’s abrasiveness. In a moment of jaw-dropping self-obsession, she claims she will “always hate” her mother for choosing the continuing survival of the planet over their relationship.

This is apparently the first book of a series, so Khyle may amend her ways. The author too will probably grow into her writing style, which is certainly promising. Amelia’s writing improves noticeably throughout the course of the book, though

her characters are never entirely fleshed-out, to the detriment of the rest of her story. The plot isn’t precisely standard, though it employs some clichéd tropes (fated love, out-of-this-world threats, secret forces prepared to risk everything for the safety of the planet), but it would be greatly improved by more convincing characters to support the framework of Amelia’s plot.

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The greatest wonder of Apocalypse Now-ish is that none of the other characters hated the heroine as much as I did

Khyle is alone is not seeming two-dimensional to the reader, but this is mostly because we’re inside her head for the duration of the novel. Since the heroine is so dislikeable, this detail doesn’t help all that much.

Complaints aside, would be unfair to say that there are no

good points for Apocalypse Now-ish.It’s well planned and the idea is original enough – despite it being a fairly standard modern-fantasy read.

Whilst I didn’t particularly buy into any of the characters, the inclusion of a gay woman, for whom being gay wasn’t a defining characteristic was a nice, fresh touch (she doesn’t fall in love with Khyle, either – extra bonus points).

The heroine herself can grow on her readers – a little like fungus, sure – but she has her moments. I didn’t enjoy the book, but I suspect that people over the age of eighteen aren’t really the target audience; I’d recommend it to a sixteen-yearold not particularly interested in literature or a well-read thirteen- to fourteen-year-old.

If it comes down to a choice between this and Twilight, for God’s sake, pick this – if only because although the love interest is a creepy bugger, he’s never treated as anything else.

Honour prompts me to say that the people who’ve reviewed it on Amazon.co.uk seem to have enjoyed it hugely, and will be waiting with baited breath for the sequel. I, personally, won’t be.

Apocalypse Now-ish by Mellisa Amelia is available now.

Amelia’s heroine Khyle juggles an impending apocalypse alongside equally tempestuous personal relationships Photograph: gnuckx

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Tuesday 13th March 2012 | INDIGO

features

Healthy habits Student life seems synonymous with bad health: eating unhealthy foods, taking sexual risks and dealing with stress. indigo looks at the health of Durham students to see if it’s all that bad and offers some tips on staying as healthy as possible

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t is a truth universally acknowledged that students eat bad food. And not just occasionally, all the time.

Whether it’s leftover pizza for breakfast or a kebab and tub of ice cream for dinner, as soon as we leave home, all thoughts of ‘five-a-day’ and a balanced diet are left in the bin, along with that recipe book our parents shoved into our hands as they left us in halls.

As a Professor of Human Nutrition at Durham University, Carolyn Summerbell knows all about the typical student diet.

But actually, she believes we don’t eat that badly, although there’s definitely still room for improvement.

“It’s far too easy to tell students about what a healthy diet is, and they probably know that already. It’s how to go about eating it which is the problem.

I would like to see JCRs help students with the practicalities a little more, and I know some of the JCRs do this up to a point”, she says.

The key for those wanting to improve their eating habits is variety: “For those students who

live out or in part/non catered colleges, having some basic cooking skills and recipes on board would be useful (or making sure they live with somebody that does!) Many students, just like the general population, don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables, for a variety of reasons – expensive, heavy to carry, don’t store for a long period of time, risk of waste, etc”.

It’s true that many students want to eat healthily, but the factors mentioned by Carolyn often hamper their best efforts.

One solution could be sharing the cost of fruit and vegetables with others in your house: why not start a vege ‘money patch’?

Also, plan your meals. It might sound like something your Mum would do but if you plan to use up your veg in the first few days of buying them you’ll not only be eating better but not wasting food and money. Save that frozen pizza for until next week!

Of course it’s not just food that contributes to a healthy body. “The benefits of being physically active go beyond maintaining a healthy heart and helping to control their weight... physical activity helps maintain and improve mental health, and helps people concentrate on their work”.

Sarah Murray

MIND Looking after your mental health is just as important as thinking about your physical health. Mental health problems are more common among students than the general population, with depression and eating disorders the most common issues.

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Take time for yourself to escape from stress to minimise anxiety

The run up to the exam period is probably the most stressful time of year for most students, but periods of transition such as going home or coming back to university can also cause anxiety as some people struggle to feel a sense of belonging.

If you feel persistently unhappy or feel you can’t cope then it is important not to keep it a secret. It is always a good idea to talk to someone you trust,

either friends, family or even your tutor: this is important if you feel your academic achievements are being affected at all.

Each college has its own student led welfare system that offers a listening service and pastoral care through tutors.

Nightline is an important organisation (the number can be found on the back of your campus card) and there is also the MentalWealth society, both of which are student led and open to absolutely everyone. A student counselling service is available too which offers help on a professional level.

We spoke to Scott Parker, the DSU’s Education and Welfare Officer, who says “the best way to deal with stress is making time for things that you enjoy.

“For some people this might be cleaning the house and for others it might be going to the gym. As long as you take time for yourself where you are able to escape from the stress this should help minimise anxiety”.

Unfortunately, as Parker pointed out, a certain stigma does still exist around mental ill-health: “in Durham we have gone a long way in breaking down this stigma in what is an increasingly inclusive community”.

Catherine Bradfield

Carolyn Summerbell’s tips for the healthiest way to prepare for an exam:

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Stop smoking now – if you are a smoker then trying to do a three hour exam under pressure is far too difficult without having a cigarette.

Don’t try and learn anything after 7pm on the night before an exam – a complete waste of time.

Have an evening meal (if possible, with other people) and no more than one unit of alcohol.

Go to bed by 11pm and try and get eight hours of sleep.

Have a breakfast containing foods which slowly release energy into your body (porridge is good)

Have a brisk 20 minute walk before the exam

INDIGO | Tuesday 13th March 2012

SEX

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ne night stands: more stress than they’re worth? For many, unemotional sex is a way of life, bringing forth all the bonuses of sex without all the downsides: coffee dates in Flat White, tense conversations about years abroad and having to limit yourself to one individual. One night stands can help develop sexual education and improve your moves to such an extent that when you do find ‘the one’, they will be so impressed that they’re snared.

Other bonuses of having a one night stand are that, for one shallow moment, you are with this person for their physicality.

It’s unnecessary to think ahead to see if they’ll be able to read Dante to you in its original form when you’re both in retirement or whether they have good child-bearing characteristics.

Chatting to some people who have experienced one night stands, many of them talk about the immediate satisfaction versus the longtime low. The sick feeling the morning after

Features Editor: Sarah Murray feature@palatinate.org.uk the night before is tripled when you realise that you’re sharing someone else’s bed.

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The more obvious problems with a one-night stand are STIs

Surprisingly, this applies as much to boys as to girls. One guy said that “a one night stand is a way of making yourself feel good in the short term, at the expense of the morning after”.

One night stands with friends can also be emotionally damaging. Making your best buddy your bed buddy often amounts to playing Russian roulette; occasionally a friendship will die.

The more obvious problems with a one-nighter are STIs. With more girls on the pill than ever before, a sense of invincibility can develop. With the exception of Chlamydia tests which seem to be offered daily 38% of Durham students admit-

ted to not having been tested.

The use of condoms, though acknowledged by most as the only way of protecting against STIs, is often forgotten in the post-Klute aftermath. A terrifying 54% of girls admitted in the Palatinate Student Survey last year to not having (or not remembering to have) used any contraception on a one night stand. This belief that we’re young, so we’ll be fine, really needs to be addressed if we’re going to get through our twenties baby- and disease-free.

Emotional pain can also be a nasty side effect of the onenighter. Most people wake up feeling a tad embarrassed yet sexually satisfied, but for some it might be a case of wanting more, not less contact. What happens when you finally bed the crush of your dreams and you both want different things?

The one night stand is exciting and fun, but only if you have the right mindset. Nobody enters into a one night stand hoping for marriage, children and commitment. If that’s how you consider it, try speed-dating or a lonely hearts ad - this way expectations from either party won’t be shattered.

Ellie Ross and Matilda Barr

Who knows what dangers lurk behind a casual “hook up” Photograph: Nicoletta Asciuto Facing page photograph: Katie Merchant

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Mrs Elvet sorts you out indigo’s very own Agony Aunt solves all your problems Dear Mrs Elvet, Last week I had a classic night of banter at Fabio’s with the lads, and I chatted up this really top babe called Belinda.

We really hit it off and we were totes BBMing each other all night. Needless to say I took her back to mine to look at my hunting rifle and brace of pheasants – classic times.

The next morning I found her on Facebook, but imagine my horror when I saw that she went to one of those vile state institutions. Just when I thought we were potensh a thing, my frantic search on Peerage.com for her parents was futile. I don’t know what to do, I really am keen on her but Mummy and Daddy will never stand for a lass with less than fifty acres of land to her name.

Penchant-for-Peers - Hatfield We are in rather a pickle aren’t we? Well, my dear, if you really are that set upon the lady, there’s only one thing for it - you must tame that middle-class shrew. Employ your best credit card swiping skills and get her the best Barbour jacket and riding boots money can buy. However, do not fret too much, I’m sure she must have some land somewhere; surely Grandpapa must have a province or two in the colonies?!

Dear Mrs Elvet, I’ve met a very lovely, very French chap who’s here on his ERASMUS year. he has it all, the accent, the striped top and the shrug. But if I’m honest, I’ve mainly enjoyed the kudos that comes with dating a gentleman of the exotic, foreign sort. Jean-Paul and his oh so very French allure really has

made all the other girls rather jealous. Mrs Elvet, please tell me how can I keep retain my new found ‘je ne sais quoi’ when he leaves in a month’s time?

Foreign affairs - St Aidans My darling, when I was your age I had a man in every port and I know all too well the aura of exoticism that it brings… or that may just have been something else! Nevertheless, after your first taste of the exotic you simply cannot go back to the stodgy English pudding. You must further your horizons, graze on pastures new. Sign up to some language classes for first contact, however, if all else fails, attend an economics lecture. Trust me darling, over the years I’ve discovered an awful lot about inflation.

Dear Mrs Elvet, While at Loveshack last week I met this stunning lass on the dancefloor and like any male with Dutch courage, I suggested she come back to mine.

Unfortunately, either the copious amounts of alcohol she had consumed or the sight of my pale, naked body made her throw up all over my bed (and over much of my English assignment - try explaining that to your lecturer). I tended to her as best I could but I’m now left with a bit of a mess, literally. How do I clean sick off bedsheets, Mrs Elvet?

Sticky situation - St Mary’s Oh dear! What a mess! I recommend a lot of vinegar mixed with an awful lot of Persil. Next time, be sure to cover your bed with plastic sheets. They may not be sexy but they’re definitely cleaner!

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Tuesday 13th March 2012 | INDIGO

food & drink

This Easter, why not stuff your faces with something besides copious amounts of chocolate eggs?

Main photograph: Matt Ladley Article photograph: roboppy,

Easter feasts It’s not all creme eggs and Lindt bunnies: Livia Caruso shows you how to make tasty traditional Easter fare - the Italian way

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atale con i tuoi, la Pasqua con chi vuoi.

This common Italian proverb, “Christmas with your family, Easter with whomever you wish”, nicely sums up the Italians’ attitude towards Easter.

It is another traditional religious festival, with the same wealth of food and celebrations

the Italians do so well, only it has a more relaxed feel to it.

The centrepiece for any Italian celebration is the food. So, what is typically eaten by Italians at Easter? As Italy is still a ‘young’ country, having been united for just over 150 years, there are still distinct regional dishes. For example, in Liguria, you would find the Torta Pasqualina, the

Easter pie. This savoury dish is mainly spinach and a lot of eggs, although it is traditionally meant to have 33 layers of puff pastry! In Sicily on the other hand, you could find il risotto con gli asparagi, asparagus risotto, as a first course, seeing as springtime is the season for asparagus. You may also find pappardelle con sugo di agnello. The

pappardelle are cooked with the sauces of the lamb prepared for the second course. This method of cooking pasta for Easter is quite common throughout Italy, as lamb, cooked in various ways, is the traditional second course of choice.

Desserts are definitely the focus of the Easter meal in Italy, and there are many different

types. In Sicily, there are biscuits called Acceddu cullovo, which in Sicilian dialect literally means ‘Bird with eggs’. The famous Neapolitan specialty is the Pastiera Napoletana. This is a really homely dish, made lovingly as the 12-hour long cooking time shows! It is a pie made with grain and with an orange ricotta filling. As a Neapolitan saying

INDIGO | Tuesday 13th March 2012

goes, Pasqua senza pastiera niente vale, “Easter without the Pastiera is worth nothing”.

The desserts common throughout Italy include the Colomba, an Italian cake in the shape of a dove with candied pieces that has made its way over to England through gourmet stores and restaurant chains such as Carluccio’s. Then there are also uove di pasqua, the equivalent of our chocolate easter eggs, with the difference being they are often very big and all have a surprise inside the hollow chocolate.

So here you have it: my traditional, deliciously authentic recipes for homemade Colomba and Acceddu cullovo, for those of you who wish to procrastinate, or need fuel for upcoming summatives.

Colomba

(Italian candied Easter cake, in the shape of a dove) Ingredients: (for 8 people) 200g plain flour 130g caster sugar 80g milk 100g butter 50g potato starch 40g molasses 10 almonds 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp baking powder 1 lemon Sugar to taste

Food & Drink Editor: Molly Fowler food@palatinate.org.uk Butter and flour for the mould Salt

Method: Preheat oven to 180° and get out all your ingredients.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, potato starch, 10g baking powder, vanilla extract, 1 pinch of salt, grated lemon rind, caster sugar and butter.

Then add the molasses and two whole eggs and mix it with an electric mixer until mixture is smooth and bloated.

Pour the mixture into an already buttered-and-floured mould in the shape of a dove.

Ensure that the mixture is distributed evenly into the mould, then sprinkle with almonds.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 50 minutes, checking the mixture by stabbing it with a toothpick. The last 15 minutes of cooking, cover the mould with aluminum foil to avoid that the surface becomes too dark.

Once cooked, cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack.

Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar. Serve.

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Acceddu cullovo

(Sicilian Easter biscuits) Ingredients: 500g plain flour 200g caster sugar 3 eggs 100g butter

Milk 2 tsp baking powder

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Lenten pretzel recipe

Decoration: Boiled eggs (as many as you wish) Chocolate eggs Icing sugar, or melted chocolate Method: Preheat the oven to 180°.

Mix the flour in a big bowl with the sugar, butter, baking powder and 2 eggs. If the mixture becomes very hard, add a bit of milk.

Spread some flour on a wooden board and roll out the mixture with a rolling pin, trying to achieve a thickness of about 0.5cm.

Cut out shapes as you please (traditionally birdlike figures).

Put the hard boiled eggs onto the figures, fastening them on by creating a cross pattern with the same mixture.

Mix the last remaining egg and brush it onto the dough before putting them in the oven.

Leave until golden, should take around 20 minutes.

To attach the chocolate eggs, use a mixture of icing sugar with a few drops of water or some melted chocolate.

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For more Easter recipes and articles, go to palatinate.org.uk

When asked to think of traditional Easter foods, most of us will think first of chocolate or hot cross buns. However, very few people know that the pretzel is a traditional Lenten food. It was the ancient Christian Lenten bread as far back as the fourth century.

During Lent, Christians of the old Roman Empire kept a very strict fast: no milk, no butter, cheese, eggs, cream or meat.

They made small breads of water, flour and salt, and they shaped them in the form of crossed arms, the traditional position for prayer. They called the breads “little arms” (bracellae); from this Latin word, the Germanic people later coined the term “pretzel.”

These pretzels take a bit of time but trust me, the final result is worth it!

Ingredients: For the dough: 1 kg Plain White Flour 260 ml milk (lukewarm) 260 ml water (lukewarm) 1 tbsp brown sugar 2 tsp fast action dried yeast 2 tbsp Salt For the finishing solution: 1 l Water 3 tbsp Baking Soda Method: Pour the milk, yeast, salt, sugar and water into a bowl, mix well and then add the flour.

Mix and kneed the mixture to make a firm dough (around 10 minutes) and

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leave for approx 1 and a half hours or until a point pushed in gentle springs back.

When ready, knock the dough back and start form it into the traditional shape.

The easiest is to make batons around 2cm thick.

Bring the 1.5 litres of water to the boil in a large pot and add the baking soda. It will bubble and foam dramatically!

Drop the shaped dough into the boiling solution (one at a time) until they float (about 5 seconds), then fish them out and lay them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with sea salt (if making savoury pretzels) Bake the pretzels at 200C for around 16 minutes.

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Topping ideas: Mix together 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp of cinnamon.

Melt 50g of butter and brush over the surface of the pretzels, before sprinkling with the sugar and cinnamon.

Glaze the pretzels with honey before baking.

Take the pretzels out of the oven 5 minutes before they are finished, top witgh melted cheese, and then return to the oven until cheese is melted and little crisp.

Dip finishes pretzels in melted chocolate or Nutella.

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Rose Mortimer Photograph: Vegan Feats Catering

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Tuesday 13th March 2012 | INDIGO

fashion

As budgetconscious students, having to revamp outfits for formals, balls and... well, Klute, is a must. Bring out your creative side by doing a bit of DIY to bring life to that ancient dress still languishing in your wardrobe!

Street-style sites may be all the rage, but DIY fashion blogs are great for providing endless ideas for filling lazy afternoons.

Here we introduce a few of our favourites out there on the good old world wide web.

Glitter‘n’glue was set up by Kristen Turner in 2010 as a means of showing how to recreate trends, particularly for plus size women. Her blog covers a wide range of tutorials including how to make a one shouldered

dress, customize your iPhone case or embellish a headband.

With video tutorials and stepby-step projects, this web site makes DIY look refreshingly easy. www.glitternglue.com

Photograph: www.apair-andaspare.blogspot.com

Photograph: www.glitternglue.com P.S.- I Made This... With the creative motto of “I see it. I like it. I make it.” Erica Domesek of this simple DIY blog has been so successful that she has even released a book of her projects.

What we like about the site is the fun way in which she

presents her tutorials – compiling mood boards for inspiration and presents the DIY steps as visual artistic collages. Check out her recent cute ‘kitty’ face loafers inspired by Charlotte Olympia’s pricey heels. www. psimadethis.com

Geneva of A pair and a spare is a 25 year old Australian living in Hong Kong. She creates simple designer-inspired DIYs that are fast to make and look fabulous when finished. Check out her Harper’s Bazaar spiked

leather bracelet tutorial for a quick and easy way to toughen up spring pastels. She even has a brilliant post with a five-step introduction on ‘How to DIY’. www.apair-andaspare.blogspot. com

DIY b Photograph: www.abeautifulmess.typepad.com

Photograph: www.psimadethis.com

A Beautiful Mess is a lifestyle DIY blog which features tutorials on all kinds of things, from clothes to food to home decor, with multiple contributors posting regularly. Typical tutorials include how to make your own heart-shaped tea bags, how to rag roll your hair, or make a

peter pan collar necklace. With sections on beauty, fashion, food and interiors, and links to other popular vintage and DIY blogs, you’re guaranteed plenty of interesting things to browse on this blog. http://abeautifulmess. typepad.com

INDIGO | Tuesday 13th March 2012

Fashion Editors: Olivia Swash, Ella Cole and Sophia Chan fashion@palatinate.org.uk

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As her blog approaches its first birthday, first-year Mildertian Kate Galilee speaks to Olivia Swash about her DIY fashion approach to writing

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riginally from Sydney, 20 year old Kate has witnessed her fair share of diverse fashion, having lived in Brighton before moving to Durham to study law. Perhaps it is this that lends itself to her own personal style, blending 60s feminine formality with collared and casual indie.

Her Schwurlie blog posts are brimming with envy-inducing handmade or altered dresses, capes and even fur-collared coats. But the best thing is, her step-by-step tutorials mean that you can make them too!

Before the birth of Schwurlie, Kate blogged semi-privately and posted eclectic outfits on her popular Lookbook page, which she says is how she gains the vast majority of her followers.

“I pretty much just decided

to get a ‘proper’ blog because I wanted to show people how I made various things, and now it just is what it is,” she tells me.

“Usually I only update if I actually have something to post, if I’ve remembered to take outfit photos or I’ve made something.”

Kate finds inspiration for her own outfits and DIY pieces through a range of street style blogs, and when I ask how she gets around the “lazy” conventionally studenty attitude to dressing, she replies, “I’m not sure I can say that I ‘get around’ it as such, in the sense that I don’t really feel any pressure to dress in a different style.

“I try to dress smartly most of the time first and foremost because I like the way it looks. Also because slovenly dressing tends to make me feel slovenly in all

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other aspects of my life. “Dressing smartly doesn’t even require me to feel like I look pretty, looking simply well turned out is good enough for me!” Perhaps a lesson for us all over the impending exam season?

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All you need is an ounce of creativity, some fabric and a sewing machine

Kate gives lessons on gorgeous pieces ranging from a cute 80s vintage-inspired wrap dress to a lined tote bag, and the easiest of all: the simple yet oh-so-effective shift dress.

Her tutorials are accompanied with photographs and simple diagrams of steps, so all you need is an ounce of creativity, some fabric or an old dress and a sewing machine.

Prices start at £54.99 from Argos, but I almost guarantee a relative will already own an old Singer that you can hop on over Easter. If you’re new to the DIY fashion game, a little patience may also be required!

“I can’t tell you where I’ll be in five years,” Kate tells me, “but it’s unlikely to be concerned with blogging. It’s only a hobby.

A blog is a fun thing to have but I try not to take it too seriously.” http://schwurlie.blogspot.com

In one of her Schwurlie tutorials, Kate Galilee goes through the steps to make a dress from an old shirt Photograph: www.schwurlie.blogspot.com

10

Tuesday 13th March 2012 | INDIGO

film&tv

The Iranian Oscar-winning film A Separation, recommended by the World Film Society Photograph: Memento Films

The Next Generation Rory MacDowell profiles the future superstars on the Hollywood scene

Interviewed: the World Film Society Michelle Wray chats to the president, Alexis Grigorieff As part of the Film & TV section’s look into student societies, we bring you an interview with World Cinema Society President Alexis Grigorieff, on why you should give foreignlanguage films a chance.

What defines a film as World Cinema?

World Cinema is a phrase that doesn’t mean much in itself, given that every film can technically qualify as World Cinema.

However, what we try to do at the World Cinema Society is to show a broad range of films from all around the world, which we think really deserve to be seen, but which often remain relatively unknown outside of festivals and their country of origin.

Do you have a favourite director?

I would be hard-pressed to single out one director in particular,

but there are quite a few films that I love watching over and over again.

For instance, the Serbian film Underground by Emir Kusturica, In the Mood for Love by Wong KarWai, or All About My Mother by Pedro Almodóvar.

I also find some older black-andwhite films such as Fritz Lang’s M or Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev absolutely stunning, there is always something new to discover every time you watch them.

Which one film from World Cinema would you recommend to Durham students?

If I had to pick only one, I would probably choose A Separation by Asghar Farhadi, which is a great introduction to the very rich and dynamic Iranian cinema, and to World Cinema in general.

Why should we be watching World Cinema?

Because if we didn’t, we’d be missing a lot of the most beautiful films that have been made!

Failing to watch foreign films would be as absurd as refusing to read any books written by authors outside of the UK or the US.

How did you get involved in the society?

I first started by going almost every week to the screenings and became more actively involved in the society at the end of last year, when I took over as president. Being part of this society is a great way for me to share my passion for World Cinema, and it has also allowed me to discover a lot of foreign films, as one of the main roles of the president is to pick the movies that get shown at the screenings!

For more information see the World Cinema Society page on Facebook.

The year 2012 is a special one for film: we are in the middle of a changing of the guard in Hollywood. The old stars such as Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt are still as active as ever, but their roles are trending away from the typical young male lead. The casts of this year’s big films contain a refreshing number of relatively new faces, from Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spiderman to Michael Fassbender, who may be the busiest actor in the world, in Prometheus.

One of the leaders of this new generation is Tom Hardy. Despite a body of work spanning eleven years including several prominent roles, it wasn’t until 2010 that Hardy truly became a star following the release of Christopher Nolan’s Inception.

Perhaps the time it took for him to become a Hollywood personality may be explained by the fact that his roles were far more famous than the man himself. Hardy has a tendency to immerse himself in roles which require him to change his appearance and demeanor make it more difficult to identify the actor behind the characters (for example in Bronson, with Hardy at his imperious best).

This chameleon style of acting has catapulted Hardy’s brooding intensity onto the silver screen, as he looks more and more likely to establish himself as a more mainstream Daniel Day-Lewis for the present generation.

Equally acclaimed yet even newer into Hollywood is halfIrish, half-German Michael Fassbender. Fassbender’s first prominent role was in Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds before stepping into the sizeable shoes of acting titan Sir Ian McKellen in X-Men: First Class.

However, the role that shot Fassbender to new, empyreal heights was in the excellent

Shame, with many film fans becoming apoplectic at his snub from the Academy. But he needn’t worry, his day will come. Like Hardy, Fassbender’s off-screen personality is particularly endearing, which can only aid him in what will surely be one of the most thrilling Hollywood careers in recent history.

The casts of this year’s films are studded with exciting names.

Ryan Gosling has already established himself as an A-lister, having gone from strength to strength over 2011. He whipped up adulation for his cerebral turn in The Ides of March and a heartbreaking performance in Blue Valentine, before summoning an almost wordless tour-deforce in the astonishing Drive.

Tom Hiddleston has been nothing short of mercurial in small roles over the past few years (his roles in Midnight in Paris and War Horse, for instance) and is set to reprise his role from Thor as the antagonist Loki in the long-awaited The Avengers. He appears to be a promising character actor capable of carrying big roles with aplomb, while Chris Evans and Channing Tatum will surely replace Matthew McConaughey and company as more mainstream (and shirtless) romantic leads.

In the field of directing the rising stars are just as promising.

Steve McQueen has directed only two feature films (both starring Fassbender), the lauded Shame and equally praised Hunger.

However he has already proven himself to have a fantastic grasp of arthouse genres and is capable of masterful shots.

It appears that Christopher Nolan will have another ace up his sleeve, with the release of mammoth blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises.

One thing is certain; cinema is most definitely in safe hands.

INDIGO | Tuesday 13th March 2012

Film & TV Editor: Ed Owen film@palatinate.org.uk

11

What’s On...

Films over the Holiday It’s that time of year when we wave goodbye to the bubble and go back to the place from whence we came. This sadly means that we won’t be able to supply you with the listings of a film society this edition, so we’ve decided to offer some holiday recommendations. These films are the best we could find to sooth your troubled student mind, and take away from the fact that exams are just around the corner, and for we lucky few, so is the dissertation.

So without further ado, here are some films out over the Easter break that could be worth your time and effort.

The Hunger Games (Out 22nd March)

Meryl Streep celebrates with Jean Dujardin Photograph: image.net

There’s something about Meryl...

Laura Ryan looks at the career of the world’s greatest actress

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o it was another Academy Award in the bag for Meryl Streep on Oscar night. She must be using them as paperweights and doorstops by now, surely?

How many has she got? Six? Seven? Fourteen? Shockingly, it’s nowhere near that amount.

Her most recent gong is her third, coming for her role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

This would be impressive, if you didn’t know her nomination record. Put simply, it’s astounding: she’s been nominated a record seventeen times over more than thirty years.

In fact, the last time Streep collected an Oscar, Maggie was Prime Minister. The year was 1982 and the film was Sophie’s Choice, an incredible, affecting film in which she plays a Holocaust survivor struggling to come to terms with the past.

She received her first Oscar in 1979 for her supporting role in Kramer vs. Kramer, where she starred opposite Dustin Hoffman as a mother who goes mysteriously AWOL, leaving the father (played by Hoffman) to claim custody of his estranged son.

The drama wasn’t just confined to the film though, as she reportedly misplaced this first award during the after-party, having left it in the toilets.

So what is it about Streep that leads many to consider her our greatest living film actress? Many have put it down to her versatility: few actors can boast a career combining such serious parts with more light-hearted roles as a Prada-wearing boss from hell, a fantastic Mrs Fox and a crazed, narcissistic actress in the hilarious slapstick comedy Death Becomes Her. Surely even fewer can claim a truly moving rendition of the Abba hit ‘The Winner Takes It All’.

Or perhaps her success is a result of just how far she will go to perfect a role.

“

As a winner of three Oscars, she takes her place alongside Nicholson and Bergman

For Sophie’s Choice Streep had to learn to speak both English and German in a Polish accent and for Music of the Heart she learned to play the violin from scratch.

As a winner of three Oscars she now takes her place amongst such legendary luminaries as Jack Nicholson and Ingrid Bergman.

The only actor to surpass this, with four Best Actress Oscars, is Katharine Hepburn, who apparently made it categorically known that Streep was her least favourite screen actress.

On accepting her third Oscar statue in thirty-three years Streep joked that she could hear half of America groaning “Oh no…oh c’mon…why her again?” as her name was called. But after twelve successive nominations and disappointments I’m sure no one will begrudge Hollywood’s golden girl the long overdue completion of this ultimate hat-trick.

At the age of 62 Streep claimed “I really understand I’ll never be up here again” but I think I speak for the majority when I say that I will never tire of her flawless performances, her unconventional beauty or her Oscar acceptance speeches. Go on girl, prove Hepburn wrong!

The Hunger Games comes from a best-selling series of teenage novels, depicting a dystopian society centred around a Battle Royale-like event. Stars next big thing Jennifer Lawrence in what is probably your ideal mix of popcorn entertainment and big ideas.

John Carter (Out 9th March)

Already out now, John Carter comes from a series of novels once described as ‘unfilmable’ due to their sheer scope. Branded a revolutionary new type of sci-fi, this one should please all those with a geeky side.

Pirates!

(Out 28th March)

It might be rated a U, but that doesn’t mean it’s not funny! Seeing as it comes from the makers of Wallace & Gromit, hilarity will pretty much be a guarantee.

Gone (Out 13th April)

Almost emanating B-movie all over, this film follows the Taken route of trying to save a loved one, with Amanda Seyfried in the Liam Neeson role. If it can even touch the glory of its inspiration, it’ll be worth a watch.

Titanic 3D (Out 6th April)

Oh dear god... Well, I suppose it’s up to you.

12

Tuesday 13th March 2012 | INDIGO

music

A right royal gig

Music Editors: Jess Denham and Will Clement music@palatinate.org.uk

“King Charles’ frank and unadorned lyrics shone through” Article and cover photographs: Will Clement

Cherise Lopes-Baker is impressed by King Charles’ recent Live Lounge performance

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hose who love him, love his honest lyrics and his cheerful, crooning, Dirty Heads voice.

However, on stage King Charles’s endearing features were often buried beneath the competing sounds of a full supporting band, which left it hard to connect with anything but the resounding bass line.

King Charles, aka Charles Johnston, a Durham University sociology fresher a lifetime ago, embraced the idolizing crowd that met him at Durham Live Lounge.

However, despite the King encouraging finger-pointing the air, among other dance moves, the atmosphere in the large venue seemed somehow incomplete.

Milk Famous

White Rabbits

««««« Niall Peach

This sextet is from Brooklyn, New York, and their soon-to-bereleased album showcases the band’s individuality and varied songwriting prowess.

Following the band’s very strong first two outings Fort Nightly and It’s Frightening, this album lives up to the expectations the band have invited.

Simple and often-repeated lyrics lay the path towards a

While most gigs keep you intrigued over the whole set and inspire one general disposition of appreciation, Charles managed to leave a paradoxical mood of both enchantment and pity for his songs that weren’t quite stripped-down enough.

Nonetheless, despite the occasional awkward moment of cacophonic noise, when King Charles hit the vein of a song, sexifying his electric guitar, he managed to tap into a wealth of intuitive understanding between himself and the crowd, consisting of sycophantic teenage girls, awkward parents, and a slightly out-of-place group of chanting football fans.

In these moments, his lyrical plea to set free the caged desire to love fell on eager ears. euphoric state of listening. From the pre-released ‘Heavy Metal’ to ‘Hold It To The Fire’.

Stephen Patterson on vocals cuts through the album’s tranceinducing melodies, offering a questioning voice in the dark in the track ‘Are You Free’: ‘It’s all unknown, you can’t be sure / … are you free’ The album’s Muse-tinged notes, interspersed with its post-punk revivalism and indie rock influences make for great listening with a desire to ‘keep coming back for more.’

If you’re looking for something a bit different, definitely give this a try.

Supporting band We Were Evergreen’s set comprised of striking beats and convulsively introspective dance moves.

There was an impression of playing without an audience, in moments where the performers became unaware of anything past the bright lights, and put their heads to the ground, playing for no one in particular.

So you can understand the disappointment when King Charles followed with a set that gave the impression of a gig at the wrong end of a long tour.

Moments of questionable manners and aloof attitude came together to leave one wondering whether he was just going through the motions. But those motions were still entertaining in themselves.

He spent his set unashamedly climbing up on everything elevated and throwing his arms out, Jesus-style; saviour of glorious hair that he is.

“

He spent his set unashamedly climbing up on everything and throwing his arms out, Jesus-style

And that’s just it - his dance moves, as captivating as they were, weren’t as majestic as his finale’s dread wave to rival Bob Marley. I’ll admit it; I went a bit

album review round-up

Port of Morrow

Sounds from Nowheresville

The Shins

The Ting Tings

«««««

«««««

Sarah Holmes As pop-infused and polished as ever, the most surprising thing about The Shins’ comeback album is the lack of surprises. Still cranking out insistent, soaring melodies and treading the thin line of indiepop, First single, ‘Simple Song’, is haunting yet uplifting. Overall, this is undeniably The Shins but no new ground is broken.

weak at the knees, and the hair was almost the highlight of the night.

As much as the awkwardlysized venue clashed with the music, and the instruments with the lyrics, King Charles was still a show worth seeing.

Alongside the popularity of fan-favourite ‘Love Lust’, it was in other songs where King Charles’s frank and unadorned lyrics shone through.

While clichéd on their own, “Take me as I am/ Let me love you” took on a whole new piercing sentimentality when the venue sang together. We’re all familiar with the feeling of helpless and inevitable love, a common symptom of humanity, and it’s such feelings that we harbour for the King.

Larry Bartleet After the huge success of raucous singles ‘That’s Not My Name’ and ‘Shut Up And Let Me Go’, and a debut album which has now sold over two million copies, great things were expected of the Ting Tings. But now, four years later, their follow-up has only just been released.

The ballsy screw-you cool of ‘Hang It Up’ is admittedly a winning formula, but it sounds as

if they are treading the potentially profitable line of irritatingmeets-catchy. The driving beat of ‘Soul Killing’ is the rhythmic creak of a chair; whoever made this call has no notion of people’s patience thresholds.

It’s a shame, because when The Ting Tings get it right, they’re great. The problem is that the few moments of ingenuity are overshadowed by poor choices and disparate songs. The Ting Tings, lost in Nowheresville, are unsure of exactly where they’re coming from, with the only possible result of this shotgun-approach being a few hits, but plenty of misses.

INDIGO | Tuesday 13th March 2012

Stage Editors: Anna Bailey & Sarah Johnson stage@palatinate.org.uk

Too Much Information Anna Bailey talks to Chris Ramsay, the North East’s most exciting up-and-coming comedian about his tour, starting stand-up and... peacocks?

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hris, You’re touring your newest show, Offermation - what does that mean?

‘Offermation’ is information which is given without being asked for, especially information that is useless or unwanted. I came across it and though it was very relevant because there’s a lot of pointless stuff kicking about on the internet, so I decided to base the show on it. I get these round-robin letters from family members who think I’m interested (and who apparently are related to me - I’ve no idea who they are), and I’ve been reading them out in the show.

People seem to relate to them and I enjoy performing it.

It’s the show I’m most proud of, and I’m really glad that I’ve got the opportunity to tour it.

This is your first UK tour. How is it going?

Really well!

I’m getting a lot of support from the North East .I came to Durham for the first time a few weeks ago, and I’m coming back in April - they’ve moved me to the the Gala Theatre, this time, which is really exciting. I performed there before, supporting Stephen K Amos, and it was the biggest crowd I had ever performed to. My hand was shaking so much backstage that water was splashing everywhere from my glass. Stephen must have thought, ‘This guy’s going to be terrible!’

As a North-Eastern man yourself, what are your impressions of Durham?

Durham is a lovely place, but it’s definitely 99% students up there. Let’s not ignore the elephant in the room; you lot are unbeliev-

ably posh, but a lot of the Durham locals tend not to absolutely detest you, like in some other university towns, which is saying something.

My third ever gig was in Castle Bar! The students were really cool, and gave me free drinks all night. I got absolutely destroyed...

You’ve enjoyed considerable success at the Edinburgh Festival, being nominated for The Fosters Edinburgh Comedy Award. How does touring compare to performing in Edinburgh?

Tour audiences are a lot less intimidating. When you’re performing in Edinburgh, you know that everyone in the room has seen five or six shows already in the day, and you think, ‘you lot have had a lot of entertainment today from some big acts, and I have to follow them.’ Its really frightening. On tour, you know that everyone has come to see you specifically, and it feels bizarre but exciting. Then again, you also know that you’re performing alone, and you’re the only one who can screw it up...

“

If you’re looking to start stand-up, uni is a great place to test things out

What has been your favourite venue on tour (apart from Durham, of course)?

It would have to be Norwich. It completely sold out and the audience were amazing; mental, but amazing. I love Norwich; if I were an estate agent, I’d call it ‘vibrant’...

How did you first get into standup comedy?

I had always wanted to be a comedian, just like some kids have always wanted to be an astronaut.

If I ever made someone laugh in a classroom or a lecture, I saw it as a big achievement and I’d get a buzz out of it. Then my mate invited me to an open-mic night at university, and I enjoyed it so much, I asked the organiser if I could come back and perform, which lead to some

uni gigs. It all just snowballed from there really.

What advice would you give to Durham students looking into stand up?

Durham’s got some great talent in sketch comedy with the Durham Revue and other comedy groups, but if you’re looking to start stand-up, uni is a great place to test things out within the confines of your campus. I would recommend the Chortle Student Comedy Award, but don’t make your material too student-orientated, or you won’t be taken seriously outside your university; it just wont work with a non-student audience. Student audiences are a great place to start, though; when I did that gig in Castle Bar, I felt like a rock-star!

You’ve worked with Russell Kane and Al Murray. How was that experience?

It was brilliant! I was supporting them in massive rooms all over the country, and it gave me a window into what could be if I really stuck at it. Russell Kane works with a lot of up-and-coming acts, and really takes the time to nurture new talent which is such a good thing.

I’m going to take someone on tour next year, but this year there would be too many people who didn’t know who I was, and I didn’t want to give them two people they’d never heard of...

Sounds fantastic! What did you learn from the experience?

Al Murray’s show was the biggest learning curve. Going out and winning over a crowd who are fundamentally not there to see you and have no interest in you is really difficult. Lots of people, especially his die-hard fans, were annoyed that I was taking up time from the Pub Landlord show, and started walking out thinking, ‘who’s this?’ Learning to win them over in the first couple of minutes really improved my comedy.

And finally, can you offer Palatinate any ‘offermation’?

I was working out this morning and a peacock was watching me though the window. That’s an exclusive piece of ‘offermation’ for Durham students, right there.

Chris performs ‘Offermation’ at the Gala Theatre, 26th April, 8pm

13

Preview: Dracula Anna Bailey chats to director, David Knowles about his latest venture.

Tell us a little bit about the show.

Dracula will be a promenade theatre piece performed in and around Durham Castle.

It’s essentially a cut down version of the novel which will see the characters racing around the Castle trying to alternately escape from and then find the vampires!

What drew you to put on Dracula?

I studied the novel at Sixth form and was instantly attracted by the challenge of transferring the terror in Stoker’s writing onto the stage.

Although the later chapters of the novel are, to my mind, pretty awful, the early chapters, especially the scenes in Whitby, are truly horrifying.

The psycho-sexual themes that Stoker explores are intense and made more remarkable by the context, possibly the most sexually repressed era in British history!

What is promenade theatre?

Basically this means that the show will be moving from room to room in Durham Castle. Scenes will be taking place in both chapels, the Senate Suite and many other exciting rooms.

What is it like working in Durham Castle?

Wonderful. Obviously the setting is peerless and the porters and college office are always kind and helpful!

Sell the show to us in three words.

Pitch. Black. Uncanny...

Dracula will be performed on the 14-16th March in Durham Castle

14

Tuesday 13th March 2012 | INDIGO

travel

The Bicycle Diaries

Ellie Ross cycles the length of Great Britain, and lives to tell the tale

reewheeling down towards the Cromarty Firth as the mist rolled back into the sky was worth every single 6 a.m. training session back at home. The sky was flecked with pink, then yellow, then orange but the water below stayed grey and cold.

Over the previous few days my bike had started to make a whining noise. Last night my front wheel brake had stopped working, but even that didn’t stop the pleasure of this unexpected freewheel north of Inverness.

As terrible map-readers, my friend Clare and I had frequent moments of unexpected freewheeling and hill-climbing on our trip from Land’s End to John O Groat’s.

We were raising money for a leukaemia charity, and had decided that 14 days would be ample amount of time to get from A to B. It’s 874 miles as the crow flies, but our milometers on our bikes told us we had cycled almost that in 10 days.

Training had been basic, especially as Clare lived in London so we weren’t able to cycle together. We prepared by cycling a few

In reality though, we had to save what money we had for a contingency plan, and as we were getting so lost, it was looking possible that we might need to implement it. Clare started back at work in just over a week.

In terms of the cycling, physically it wasn’t as bad as I had feared. The first few days had been a chore coupled with the excitement of being on the road which helped us to motivate ourselves.

Cycling south to north always gave me the feeling of just doing one massive hill-climb. I would look enviously at cyclists making the trip in the opposite direction.

Our Lancashire crash caused us to rethink the way we were going about Land’s End to John O Groat’s. As we had been getting more tired, we had been setting off a little later each day.

The evening had been reserved to make up for any lost time we had spent lost at cross-roads throughout the day.

We had been cycling in a warm dusk along a quiet road, when out of nowhere a herd of sheep grazed into the road.

In hindsight, I’m sure be-

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day trips, averaging around 70 miles each, which exhausted us, and then we cycled from coast to coast just to make sure that we could sustain the pace.

Starting in Cornwall had been daunting. Inevitably, as with the start of all great trips, it was raining.

“

Last night my front wheel brake had stopped working but even that didn’t stop the pleasure

We took an awkward picture of ourselves standing underneath the ‘John o’Groat’s - this way’ sign-post; unfortunately like all of the pictures we took at the start of our journey, we were never going to see it again

as a freak bike-accident caused the camera to smash on the roadside. It was in this same crash that our cut-price GPS also decided that it had had enough and left us to rely on map-reading somewhere north of Liverpool.

For most of the journey we had planned to avoid main roads. At some points in Devon we overtook slow-moving carthorses carrying damp-looking tourists, trying to exploit the weak April sunshine.

At other times, around Manchester, Liverpool and the Pennines, a part of the ride we had imagined to be quite scenic and rewarding was in fact a terrifying collection of A-roads and lanes lacking width for more than one car. This meant lorries and wide tractors zooming up behind us and beeping on our tails for minutes.

One night, owing to our limited budget, we ended up camping in a children’s play area near Penrith, having bottles thrown at our tent at four in the morning! In hindsight, to save money, we put ourselves into some pretty desperate situations.

ing knocked into a ditch after swerving to avoid a sheep is funny, considering that we had just navigated the North West conurbation of Liverpool, Manchester and Sheffield.

I broke my finger and my camera and we spent a bruised night camped in the field immediately adjacent to the road on which the sheep grazed, hoping that the farmer wouldn’t find us.

Despite our horrendous mapreading and our ruined bikes, we made it to John o’Groat’s almost 17 hours ahead of schedule.

We had had a brilliant ride over the last few days. We could feel our muscles working as though they had all been welloiled, more than making up for our bikes, which had not.

Saddened by the lack of waiting crowds cheering for us with bouquets and/or wreaths depending on how our ride had gone, we decided to make the most of getting to John O Groat’s a bit early by setting up our tents and having a nap.

And this Easter, I’m going to be doing it all again. Downhill, this time.

Which way to Scotland? Photograph: Ewald and Edith Wolff

INDIGO | Tuesday 13th March 2012

Travel Editor: Alexandra Groom travel@palatinate.org.uk

15

Giraffes tower over the African Veld Photographs: Donal Anand-Shaw

Surprises abound in Zimbabwe Donal Anand-Shaw tears a page out of his travel journal for indigo

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efore leaving Mozambique, I spent a night camping on a swamp where a spider decided to make a meal out of me, twice, which was a particularly harrowing experience. Although it was probably worse for the one poor girl who offered to pop the second bite. Frankly, the less recalled of that experience, the better.

After a four-hour drive from the Mozambique/Zimbabwe border, we ended up in the capital city of Harare and did a bit of shopping in the most Western place I had seen since Heathrow Terminal 5.

It was incredible to my eyes to see a fully stocked supermarket in a country where so much has been said about the state of the economy and lack of public service.

Many of my fellow travellers had a binge at the supermarket but curiously, all I could manage was a Cornish pasty and a twolitre bottle of water.

We ended up finding a hostel 45 kilometres outside Harare as the place we were planning to stay phoned to say they didn’t want us anymore.

Charming. Wandering around the city centre the next morning I realized again how much of an influence the Western world

has had on Zimbabwe, as every other shop was either a fast food restaurant or a generic clothes store packed with ghastly denim numbers or clothing of similar ilk.

“

A green snake with a lizard in its mouth slithered towards me. Only later I found out how dangerous it was

Having found a more central hostel we were soon off to sleep in another dormitory. In the middle of the night, however, we heard a dripping start.

The roof was leaking: the floor was soaked and a Japanese man two beds away from me was trying to sleep in a sodden bed. A few of the guys tried to tell him he could move to a free bed but he refused.

Not being sure he’d fully understood, and with the dripping

intensifying, I decided to use an online translator.

To this day, I’m not sure how well it worked, because this angered him; he started shouting, then apologising, shouting and then apologising. This reached a crescendo when we tried to move his wringing wet duvet onto the floor to stop the sound of the water falling into a rusty tin bucket.

He ripped it out of one girl’s hand and carried on with the shouting and apologising. Then he sat down on his bed, crouching in a Gollum-like manner and stared at us. Blankly. Struggling to sleep with one eye open, the night drifted away…

After a few days in Harare we started thinking about the best way to move on. Upon missing the last few buses of the day we opted for a minibus to take the six of us down South.

“Between one and two hours”, the driver had said, and lo and behold six or seven hours later, we arrived in the dead of night at Antelope Park, a safari park about fifteen kilometres east of the city of Gweru.

The week at Antelope Park involved canoeing, and all the perks that come with living in a safari lodge, including regular visits from four elephants and some lion cubs.

The Zimbabweans I met working there were great fun, my favourite being the 70-yearold cook who worked tirelessly in the kitchen from 6 a.m. til 11 p.m. everyday. She was one of the happiest and funniest people I’ve ever met, and her steak sandwiches were out of this world.

It was not all fun and games though. One morning as I brushed my teeth, a green snake with a lizard in its mouth slithered towards me.

Instantly I decided I didn’t want it any closer, so I took a broom from outside and pinned it to the ground before killing it - only later I found out later how dangerous it was.

Ignorance is bliss, I suppose. As was the one afternoon I found myself, bizarrely, being chased round the pool by a woman shouting, “it’s medicine time!”

Before leaving this exciting country I decided to smarten up a bit. I took the

plunge in getting my hair cut in a rather interesting-looking hair salon behind some closed doors and down a dodgy-looking alley.

I had my hair razored to within a centimetre of my scalp… but only in certain places.

I looked in the mirror and laughed. At the end of the onslaught the ‘barber’ (or general handyman) asked if I wanted to see it from the back.

Handing over $6 for the hair massacre I proceeded to be likened to “something from Dennis the Menace.” Fantastic. And a fitting and delightful end to my time in Zimbabwe.

Tuesday 13th March 2012 | INDIGO

Easter feasts Learn how to cook for the perfect Italian Easter i6&7 World Film Society Michelle Wray meets the society’s president i10 Too Much Information Stage chats to comedian Chris Ramsey i13

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online

Radar: Blood Orange

Gig review: Butler Live

Our Music team bring you more fresh music in the form of Blood Orange, aka Devonté Hynes, boasting a ‘heavy 80s vibe’

Jack King enjoys Josephine Butler’s gigk. Held on 25th February, performers included Michael Cassidy, pictured.

Across: 3 Amy’s back to it! (5) 8 Arrived, then left with two humps (5) 10 Helper can make idea right (5) 11 Queen of Carthage does away with only past action (3) 12 Swoon lightly (5) 13 In which trouper arrives after his trill (7) 15 Expensive sweet-things (5) 18 Perhaps hear the stroke? (3) 19 Cheat and deface cat’s instrument for 500 up front (6) 21 Drain juice? (3) 22 Extract from sturdy black gram beans (3) 23 Borrowed before Easter (4) 25 Appear top and tailed regressing virus (4) 26 Male ballet dancer slipped asunder (7) 28 Exclaim, after Jerusalem’s wailing, to roll around in the mud (6) 31 Every Yankee’s uncle? (3) 33 As sturdy as unbalanced idols (5) 34 System by which fishermen haul in the catch! (7)

36 Reggae without a spun caterpillar (5) 37 Razor, blunted, looks spherical (3) 38 Yank gates of the theatre (5) 39 Double company and a hot drink (5) 40 Limitless fear leads to blunder (5) Down: 1 Set rascal about (5) 2 Communist cover for old British soldier (7) 4 He’d stir up some foul air (4) 5 Open applicant couldn’t hold their end (6) 6 Flew quickly to equip Edward (5) 7 Quiet listener, large gem (5) 9 Farrow has elevated aim (3) 12 Pro outspoken on golf course? (3) 14 A type of dance to listen to (3) 16 Not a withdrawing snake (5) 17 It appears the joins are sound (5) 19 Sideboard assistant (7) 20 Holds back to squat in ship (5) 21 Invert large lens to appreciate his law (5) 24 Personal assistant with whiskey

pad! (3) 25 A bubble gum forest? (7) 26 A jammed trickster? (6) 27 Dine despite expected arrival time mix up (3) 29 Vessel at oar is mobilised (5) 30 Lord, for instance, amid deceit (5) 32 Axel seen near border (5) 34 In retrospect, omen lost clownfish (4) 35 Monster is nothing before rugby club (3)

Emily Woodhouse

Solutions from Issue 738: Across: 1 Govern 7 ON the air 8 Spit 10 Entice 11 Ace-tic 14 Ere 16 Knock 17 Esp-Y 19 LopEd 21 Learn 22 D-add-Y 23 Yoyo 26 Await 28 Beg 29 DeTect 30 Billet 31 Able 32 Lance-lot 33 How now Down: 1 Grieve 2 Expiry 3 Note 4 Chic-Ken 5 Can’t-O 6 Crick 8 St-EP 9 Ice 12 End 13 Icily 15 Toady 18 Stowe 19 L-Ed 20 Pry 21 Latched 22 Die 23 Yell-Ow 24 Ogle 25 Outlaw 26 Adult 27 Atone 28 Bib 30 Bath

photography

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Last week’s photography competition was themed ‘March Madness’. Congratulations to our winner, Alastair Barber, who took this shot of Chad’s Day proceedings on 3rd March at 6am. Entries for the next competition should be submitted by 16:00 on the 28th April. The theme will be ‘Easter’. E-mail your photo with the subject ‘Photocomp’ to indigo@palatinate.org.uk. To become involved in photography for the paper, e-mail photography@palatinate.org.uk.