Editorial...
And ‘So this is Christmas’…Welcome to Issue 9 and Season’s Greetings to all from a dedicated Time In team.
I want to thank everyone who submitted material to this issue. This is the fourth edition of Time In that I have been in the editor’s chair. Every issue maintains our standards and endeavours to be challenging creatively within the pages of our publication. This issue is brimming with a wide range of articles including Model Prisoner, the Prison Arts Foundation mentoring scheme, and life as a member of the Travelling community. The new Time In banner was designed by the art teacher Alison and perfectly merges with the image of Lennon making our cover professional and engaging to High Street standards.
I want to congratulate everyone who gained writing awards over the past twelve months. In 2016 those who attended the Creative Writing Workshops achieved eleven Koestler Trust awards including Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, two Highly Commended plus five Commended Awards. This added to the Listowel winners in May where the writers achieved first prize in three writing categories.
Governor Eagleson has always been greatly supportive of the education programmes in HMP Magilligan for which we are grateful and we wish him well in his new position. Time In extends a warm welcome to Governor Treacy and we look forward to a mutual working relationship with the new governor of HMP Magilligan that will be productive and creative.
As the twenty-fifth of December arrives, naturally there is the traditional exuberant and festive Christmas atmosphere, however, for our inmates the season may not be all comfort and joy. Instead it brings challenges and is testing on the human spirit. Christmas will, in these circumstances, highlight the trials of living apart from loved ones, heighten the emotions and may prove difficult. At such times, it is a question of endurance rather than festivity but it is to be hoped that you will find your own festival of the heart and spirit as we face 2017 and wider challenges than the personal with Brexit and a new American president.
Whether you are celebrating the Christian Christmas, the secular Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwansaa, or the winter solstice it is the close of the old year with the arrival of the new when the spirit of Christmas is the universal aspiration toward peace on earth, goodwill toward men, women and children.
Pamela Mary Brown
CONTENTS
Letters Page
Model Prisoner
Koestler Short Story Winner: Mussels to Die For
Interview: Born and Reared
The Red Planet
The Litinenko Intrigue
Down to Business
Grief in Prison
Art Gallery
Poetry Pages
The Prison Arts Mentoring Scheme
Music
Interview: How John Lennon saved My life World Mental Health Day
History of Ulster’s Jails On the Road
NW Regional College Courses
Cool FM
Nature Watch
Crossword
Duke of Edinburgh Scheme
Book reviews
Sport
CONTRIBUTORS
DEPUTY EDITOR: DMcC
POETRY EDITOR: LS
DEPUTY POETRY EDITOR: PM
DESIGN: JM
COVER: DMcC
CROSSWORD: PM
SPORT: IL
NATURE WATCH: SK
NOTE on Contributors’ Names:
Contributions from both prison staff and prisoners are acknowledged in Time In by their initials only.
The Letters Page
Email A Prisoner
Dear Time In,
As a first timer in prison, I was heartened during my first week’s residence in Bann House to discover the “Email a Prisoner” service.
For any readers who are not aware of this facility, this ingenious service allows a friend or relative on the “outside” to email a letter to a prisoner directly by registering on the website (www.emailaprisoner.com).
From a prisoner’s point of view, the email is then screened the following day by the censor in the usual way. Once cleared it is then printed out for the prisoner and delivered to the relevant location. In my experience the email will normally be printed and presented the day after being written. This is clearly much faster than the postal system for us.
However in order to respond to the email, the prisoner must take pen to paper and post a reply using the postal system which seems to take around 4-5 days.
It is noted that the “Email a Prisoner” website suggests that some English, Welsh and Scottish prisons allow the facility for prisoners to respond via an email. This seems advantageous to all parties, increasing engagement for inmates and relatives, allowing a more modern and digital system for the censors and archivists and even adding an additional revenue stream for the prison.
I wonder might this service be something the authorities could look into for our prisons here?
The Public Interest
Dear Time In,
It seems that the majority of people believe it is their God-given right to be informed about everything. Breaking stories flash onto our screens like a continuous kaleidoscope capturing our interest for anything so -called newsworthy. Scandals garner the most attention and nothing is more scandalous than a criminal case. The media report on legal matters for one simple reason – crime sells. And the public lap it up, a constant consumer of third-party facts.
So what’s the problem? It is evident that many have lost their right to a fair trial as a direct result of the media’s interference. The person you see arrested on the news could be the one you sit opposite as a member
of the jury. The tabloids have already decried them as a monster. Whether convicted or not every factor is reported on and the majority of the time is slanted towards the accuser. It’s ‘Trial by Media’ for good reason. But it’s all in the importance of public interest, after all.
When criminals are convicted they are at their lowest ebb and at the brink of insanity and losing their freedom as human beings. They have lost their former life completely with the prospect of months and years in a prison cell.
Some Tabloid Journalism may have sensationalism as their main concern which can lead to assassination of character. There is also the trend of fabricating stories, getting stories through wire-tapping and entrapment in order to make front page headlines. But the Tabloids are up against libel laws, defamation and the law just like criminals. But are they always called to account?
JM ***
Art Price Hike Surprise
Why has the Tuck Shop put up prices on art supplies? They’re already dear enough for most prisoners on a strict budget. The canvases have shot up by 16% which is a massive hit for an inmate on a limited fixed income. Also, why did the shop get rid of 500ml bottles of paint? These worked out far cheaper, for the aspiring artists within the jail, as a 60ml bottle of paint can very easily be used on a whole canvas. The value the 500ml bottle presented was far superior. We also have seen a rise in items such as wood strip glue and varnish. Surely as prisoners we should be encouraged to spend the time on creative projects to whittle away the monotonous hours. LS
TimeInwould like to hear your response or feedback to letters and articles. Please contact us using the address on the back of magazine.
MODEL PRISONER
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PRISON ART THAT CELLS
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Acraft or hobby is a pastime that requires skill, precision and patience. Crafts are mostly handmade and may refer to metal work, wood turning, model making, textiles and ceramics. There is, of course, a fine line between craft and art as both involve intricate detail which makes craftsmen artists in their own right.
The Ministry of Justice in England recently assessed the impact on re-offending among prisoners who received Art and Hobby grants by the Prison Education Trust. The analysis showed that receiving a grant ‘led to a reduction in reoffending of between 0.3 and 14 percent.’
POWS, Internees and Decorative Items
Creativity can flourish in times of conflict, confinement, imprisonment, and incarceration but this depends on the individual’s survival strategy in meeting these extreme challenges. An example of this is the decorative items made in conflict situations such as the First World War known as ‘Trench Art’. This activity goes back as far as the Napoleonic Wars and items included decorated shells, bullet casings and wood. This later developed into the items being sold post-war to tourists as keepsakes and for displays in history museums. POWs and internees also made decorative items not only to pass the time but with the intention of trading the finished pieces for food, money and other privileges.
‘In cell’ art has a long history in prison environments. In prisons all over the world hobbies and crafts are a way to pass the time productively and to make gifts for family and friends.
DN has been making craft items for 20 years. ‘The most challenging thing I have ever crafted is Tower Bridge. I used lollipop sticks, matchsticks, and glue. It was about 2ft long by 2½ft tall. I used a pair of nail clippers, a blade and sandpaper. I keep the models or send them to my family. You can make anything.’
‘All
are unique in style’
In HMP Magilligan AO’N is 51 years old and has been incarcerated for over 21 years. He decided to take up a hobby when he was 49 years old. He selected woodwork, something he never had any training in, and has created art pieces that provide an interesting interpretation on the traditional harp.
‘The harps I've made are based on the design of the Peace Bridge in County Derry. I’ve limited tools and wood. I use nails clippers, sandpaper, glue and pinestrips (2mm, 5mm & 10mm). After making the first harps the interest from prisoners and a local outside business meant a high demand for more.’ AO’N makes sure that ‘no two harps have the same design, all are unique in style’. He buys materials in the prison tuckshop and each harp takes a minimum of 20 working hours from start to finish, but depends on the size wanted by the customers. The harps range in size from 1ft to 3½ft and are available in different colours.
The price range also varies depending on the size.
AO’N explained that he prefers wood as a raw material because ‘you can feel it and see it and this helps envisage what the end product will be like. I couldn’t work with other materials. I see the finished idea in my head and I aim for quality items. No two pieces are the same. Through trial and error I now know what is possible and what won’t work. The shape I want, the quality I want and the finished article. I can’t leave a piece unfinished no matter how long the sanding takes.’
AO’N also says that he likes things to have a function, ‘a harp is just a decorative item. So I put a box in the base…for car keys or lose change. It has a purpose, and is also affordable. I have surprised my family and friends in the last fourteen months by doing this.’
AO’N further added that he has been a career criminal his whole life. However, since taking up this interest in art/woodwork, he sees, for the first time in his life, a future without crime. This has opened up a new life for him, one filled with hope.
A Clear Impact
This is something other prisoners could benefit from too, given the clear impact it can have on even the hardest of criminals.
Koestler Trust Arts Awards have specialist categories for craft and design such as woodcraft, matchstick models and furniture. Larger models can be photographed and other items can be carefully packaged and posted for consideration. Please ask the Artist-inResidence or the Education Department for further details.
DMcC
Koestler Silver Award
SHORT STORY WINNER
MusselsToDieForby DMcC
Old Sam the local chimney sweep and Brother Billy the preacher once came into possession of a few cases of red wine. Unknown to them, however, the wine was also red hot as well as red in colour and before long the local constabulary was on their trail.
Realising this, they packed a few things and set off for the sleepy seaside village of Annagassan, just south of the border. When they arrived the main street was quiet; in fact it was the only street in Annagassan, consisting of a bar/ restaurant and a shop/Post Office. Blink and you’d miss the whole thing. Brother Billy entered the bar to buy some drinks to take round to the beach campsite. Old Sam was stalling outside when a local, a rough looking man, about 6’4” comes out and lights up a cigarette.
‘Howdy friend, the name’s Big Johnnie Walker. I’m the most successful fisherman in this god forsaken place. So what brings yous to old Annagassan?’
‘Well me and Brother Billy are on holidays you see, why do you ask?
‘Just being friendly, partner. Say we’re having a bit of a do tonight here at the bar. Why don’t you and Brother Billy come round? It’ll be good to have some new faces.’
‘Yeah sure, why not. We’ll be over tonight, big Johnnie.’
Brother Billy resurfaces from the bar with two blue bags in hand and the duo skip off into the breeze in search of a
suitable campsite.
About a half mile up on the beach, they came to an old Viking ruin where there was a man-made spring well only a few metres away on the beach and a couple of potato patches in the field behind. The views were amazing with the tide going out miles and the sun splitting the trees. That’ll do, they thought.
Old Sam cracks open a bottle of wine and nearly finishes it in one go.
‘This is thirsty work Brother Bill. Here get that down ya.’ He throws Billy a bottle of McGuigan’s.
‘Cheers Sam, looks like this is gonna turn out okay.’
After they each set-up their tents, Brother Billy lit a small campfire while Old Sam collected shellfish from the shore. He came back with fresh cockles and mussels and filled the pot with spring water from the well and boiled them off for a few minutes.
‘Say old Sam, these mussels are great, looks like we’ll be living on these for some time, and there’s no shortage of them.’
‘Yeah Brother Billy, looks like we’ve pretty much hit the jackpot here. By the way, Big Johnnie, the local fisherman, wants us at the bar tonight, he said there’s some kind of a do going on.’
‘Sounds like a great plan, Old Sam.’
Later at the bar, the two lads entered through the front, down a spiral staircase into the warm inviting atmosphere. Some locals were playing dominos by a log fire, a traditional band was playing lively music and everyone was laughing and having a good time.
Big Johnnie was sitting at a table with some local folks and called the two lads over and ordered them a drink. Later on Old Sam took the bodhran off the
Belgian player in the band and showed the locals how it was really played. Needless to say, the Belgian got up and left after the locals roared the house down in applause for Sam.
Over in the corner next to the log fire sat a young man in his early to midthirties. He was by himself and was crying into his pint. Brother Billy was wondering why nobody was comforting him. Billy asked Big Johnnie if he was aware of what was troubling the young fellow.
‘Yeah Brother Bill, he’s pretty much like that every night now. It came to the stage that we just leave him to it. Let me tell you a little story that goes back some time. About 15 years ago there was a nuclear disaster in Sellafield Nuclear Plant just off Scotland.
‘Tons of radioactive material was lost to the sea and it somehow drifted up to our lovely Annagassen. After a few years it soon became clear that many of the locals had consumed this deadly stuff that washed up on our shores.
More and more of the locals were being diagnosed with terminal cancer and were dropping like flies throughout the whole village. We still have one of the highest cancer per population in the world...they say it takes years for the cancer to develop and people are still dying. Young Percy you see over in the corner there, well his wife died of cancer two months ago. It’s tragic, but there’s nothing we can do. The authorities say that all the radioactive chemicals are gone now but many of the locals believe different, yet and all they are still eating the shellfish that comes out of the water...it’s a very curious scenario.
‘I myself eat from the waters and have done so all along even though a local chef working in the castle just out in old Bellingham tells me last week that
Koestler Trust Awards receive thousands of submissions each year. Poetry and prose writing categories receive the most entries indicative of their long tradition in the criminal justice system.
HMP Magilligan writers did exceptionally well in 2016 achieving eleven awards for writing covering Flash Fiction and Short Story, Longer Fiction and Novel, Poem, Poetry Collection, Themed Category and Braille.
Awards included Gold, Silver, two Bronze Awards, two Highly Commended plus five Commended Awards.
he went to retrieve two trout from the freezer but found them glowing a peculiar green colour.’
Old Sam and Brother Billy went back to base that night and discussed this very curious scenario of a small town pumping themselves full of radioactive shellfish. After some debating they decided that they would no longer partake in the consumption of any of the shellfish.
Old Sam stoked the campfire and cracked open a bottle of vodka and the duo sat telling jokes and yarns and sang songs into the early hours, taking in their beautiful surrounding and looking forward to a new day.
Brother Billy woke at about 7am and emerged from his tent. He lifted a tin cup which sat next to the smoking embers of last night’s campfire and made his way to the spring well. A few metres up the beach he saw a man in a raincoat with two white buckets collecting mussels.
‘Good morning friend, you’re early on the go,’ Brother Billy said.
‘Good morning to you also neighbour. Yeah, I come out here every morning without fail and have done so for 20 years.’
Brother Billy soon realised that this was the same man that sat tearful in the corner of the baroom the previous night.
Say friend, wasn’t that yourself in the bar last night? Billy asked.
‘Yeah, I was there last night. Although I didn’t pay any attention to who else was there.’
‘Hey partner, if you don’t mind telling me what troubles you, I have plenty of time. Why don’t you come over to our base there and have a drink with me and Old Sam?’
‘Sure, why not.’
Back at base, Brother Billy got a fire going and Percy got a pot of mussels cooking. Old Sam soon surfaced from his tent with a can of cider in hand.
‘Alright fellas, sure youse are early on the go.’
‘Indeed we are Old Sam. Here get them in ya boy,’ Brother Billy said as he passed him a bowl of steaming mussels.
‘Sure these are mussels to die for,’ Brother Billy said as he lifted another steaming shellfish from the pot, giving Old Sam a wink.
At that Percy began his story…
‘Yeah fellas, they sure are mussels to die for. Let me tell youse a little story then. You see, me and my wife used to come down here every morning and collect mussels for breakfast before we set off to work. Our parents did the same before us so it became something of a tradition. Then the news came that my wife had only weeks to live. It all happened so fast and now I’m down here by myself collecting mussels. I know it was the mussels that killed her. These mussels are here longer than that disaster happened at Sellafield, so I have no doubt that some of them are radio-active. But this was our life and I have no intention of ever stopping. If I die, I die,’ he said and tore another mussel from the shell with his teeth.
Brother Billy and Old Sam looked at one another with a clear sense of trepidation, yet admiration for this young man and his heart-breaking tale.
With a smile on their faces they both reached into their respective receptacles and retrieved a mouth-watering Annagassan mussel and ripped into it.
‘Mussels to die for you say,’ Old Sam said, ‘Why not! Here’s to old Annagassen Bay, and may the good Lord cleanse her waters and the wonderful people of Annagassan.’
‘Let me say cheers to that Old Sam, you’re a good man,’ Young Percy said.
‘Cheers fellas,’ said Brother Billy, ‘and cheers to all those who have fallen here on the shores of Annagassan.’
Filmmaker Henrietta Norton, stepdaughter of Mo Mowlam, came to Magilligan recently to show her new film. ‘Born and Reared’ tells the stories of four men living in the North of Ireland today. It portrays what it is like to be a man in a post-conflict setting and how issues such as masculinity and identity have been defined by the conflict. Henrietta and fellow filmmaker, Dan Dennison spent over a year with men from different backgrounds whose lives are shaped by this island’s history. Through each story, we learn how men’s lives develop and manifest in a post-conflict setting and how history continues to affect and define what it is to be a man here.
After the showing here in Magilligan, prisoners had the opportunity to discuss and debate. The film was met warmly, and not surprisingly all the men in the room identified with the issues raised. The film opened their eyes to the extent to which the conflict defines men’s lives today, and more importantly, the need for a broader recognition of these issues, which society appears to miss. The group spoke of the need for such a platform and the need for support for those affected by these issues.
Bobby Mathieson features in the film. Bobby is an Art teacher here in HMP Magilligan, is a devout Christian and a family man. He enjoys going around and helping those in need in his community and plays a big part in his church, giving services each Sunday. He comes into Magilligan without getting paid whatsoever and has done so for years. He is on a mission from God to help others
TimeInExclusive Interview
Henrietta Norton & Bobby Mathieson ‘Born and Reared’
onto the right path, and wants people to know there is a better way, and those in Magilligan who want to see him can do so by putting down for the art class on Mondays.
Bobby is a good man but in fact he has a somewhat ‘colourful’ history. Bobby has served a full life sentence, having been part of a loyalist hit squad back in the conflict days. And he knows too well how the conflict defines man’s lives in the North today.
Time In’s Deputy Editor DMcC was at the viewing of the film where he interviewed both Henrietta Norton and Bobby Mathieson about its aims and objectives.
Why make the documentary?
‘The film came from work in Derry years ago when I met with Men’s Action Network, which was set up to talk about men’s issues (alcoholism, divorce, kids, etc.). I felt a need for space for this kind of conversation. How do I tell this kind of story about men’s issues? Who do I use? I talked to cabbies, cops, soldiers, gay couples in Newry, Polish, farmers, a Falls Road man, to name some. I identified which stories made the point I was trying to make and chose them.
‘Stories looked at issues such as masculinity, identity in a post-conflict setting, which is what I’m interested in. We were self-funded, with a two year time limit. We tried to make it as diverse as we could. A traveller girl came to us and wanted us to add her setting into the film, but we were limited to just over an hour and therefore narrowed it down to three settings which flowed well and in context.
‘It was shown all over; in Columbia, the Bronx, everywhere. The general
response was that it covers the different themes I meant it to, and the stories overlap well.’
Why Northern Ireland?
‘It is a post-conflict setting. I was drawn back to here. We met a man called Hugh in the Bronx N.Y. It was an Afro/American setting, hardly any whites. The big issues there were race and post code.
‘Hugh watched the film and wanted it shown in his community. There was no personal bias there. They see it as purely ‘male choices’. They see the issues such as crime and murder. We take the film to these areas to be viewed through different lenses. Northern Ireland is the hardest place to view it due to personal biases. It’s hard to pull it back out of this.’
What were you hoping to show from your part in the film, and what reactions did you get?
‘I wanted to show everyone makes mistakes big and small, but that doesn’t have to define the rest of your life. I’m hoping to show people who have done terrible things that God can forgive you, even if society won’t. The film challenged a lot of people, especially my family who thought I was risking my life by taking part. A lot of people seen that I was sorry, and that’s important.’
Explain your work in Magilligan
‘I do help victims, but I have a heart to reach offenders and show them that through God, they can change. If they can meet God, God will change them.’
MARS…THE RED PLANET
Mars, also known as the Red Planet was named after the Roman god of war, and its two satellites, Phobos and Deimos, who were the companions of the Greek god of war, Fear and Terror. Mars is visible in the night sky with the naked eye. Its rising in ancient times foretold the rising of kings and heroes, great wars and natural disasters.
Since Giovanni Schiaparelli observations of what appeared to be canals on Mars, and with the publicity created by the likes of Lowell, the planet Mars has always captured the imagination of the public. It is the Earth’s nearest neighbour and the fact that it may once have contained life, have meant that mankind’s desire to know more about the Red Planet has never been greater. With advances in technology and the development of astronomical sciences we now know a lot more about Mars, such as there are no actual canals and that there is water in the form of ice at the polar caps.
Recently a number of probes have been sent to Mars including the failed British Beagle mission. However the Cassini probe and its counterpart, the Huygens probe has successfully delivered a number of landers to the Red Planet, and a manned mission is to be planned in the near future.
Mars and Venus are smaller than the Earth. Mars possesses an atmosphere of mostly carbon dioxide with a surface pressure of 6.1 millibars (roughly 0.6 percent that of the Earth's). Its surface has a vast number of volcanoes such as Olympus Moons and rift valleys such as Valles Marineris, that shows geological activity that may have persisted until as recently as 2 million years ago.
Its red colour comes from iron oxide (rust) in its soil. Maybe one day soon we will be spending our summer holidays in such an environment.
DN
The murder of Russian defector Alexander Litvinenko is surely one of the most intriguing in recent years.
Litvinenko was a former agent for the FSB, the Russian secret service. He was poisoned with Polonium 210, a radioactive isotope, at the Millennium Hotel in London’s Mayfair on November 1st 2006. He had agreed to meet two FSB agents, Dmitri Kovtun and Andrei Lugavoi, in the hotel’s Pine Bar. During the meeting his pot of tea was spiked and he quickly became ill and died on the 23rd of November.
Litvinenko faded away in full view of the media’s spotlight. Indeed it was an unusual case in that certainties existed about who had murdered Alexander. The isotope used had left a radioactive signature everywhere the two Russian agents had been; on the plane that brought them to London, in their hotel room, in every bar or restaurant they visited and even at a football stadium where they watched a game. The teapot that Litvinenko drank from at the Pine Bar was found to be contaminated.
Moscow’s potential motives were clear. After a serious disagreement with Vladimir Putin in 1998 Litvinenko defected to Britain, was granted asylum and set up home in London. He began to work for MI6, exposing corruption both in Russia, and among Russian oligarchs in Britain. He became an outspoken critic of Putin and the FSB. Considered a traitor, the decision to kill him was potentially taken at a very high level. There’s ample evidence that Kovtun and Lugavoi were the killers but would this action have been taken without the knowledge of Putin?
Sir Robert Owen, heading the public enquiry said, “I find that the FSB operation to kill Litvinenko was probably approved by President Putin”. He went on to say “I am sure that Mr. Lugavoi and Mr. Kovtun put the Polonium 210 into the teapot at the Pine Bar”.
There are still unanswered questions such as why did it take eight years just to launch the enquiry? Meanwhile, both suspects have had their assets frozen and are now unable to travel outside Russia for fear of arrest. But what assets do these men have anyway? With the Russian President on their side and billionaire oligarchs in their corner perhaps they have little cause to worry.
DOWN TO BUSINESS
Want to start your own business? Read on ...
The National Federation of Self Employed & Small Businesses Limited (FSB) believe that the Labour market in Northern Ireland needs SMEs (small and mediumsized enterprises).
Wilfred Mitchell OBE and FSB Policy Chair for Northern Ireland said recently that “the real concern is the big increase in youth unemployment. The solution to tackling this worrying rise will lie with small business employers. Recent research for FSB revealed that small businesses in Northern Ireland employ more people than the entire public sector and all larger businesses combined, so it is within SMEs that our young people are most likely to find employment.”
Here at Time In we decided to interview DO’N, the man behind a recent success story in the small business sector.
How did you start?
I was interested in the canvas art industry. I began to design pictures and I saved 3 months dole money. I was able to buy canvasses and ink to start off.
How did you make the leap to owning your own business?
I decided to research the industry in Ireland, as well as in UK, along with counties around the world. Based on this I created the Sublimation Printing Company I have today.
Did Invest NI help?
The introduction of Invest NI came about because I needed financial help to get materials, ink, design pages, and the heat press to establish a self-contained company. I applied for a Starters Grant of £1000 which I received. This helped with moving forward to success.
What is your product line?
My production line is an open book based on the requirements of the public. I accommodate every field of sports (GAA, Soccer, Hurling, Boxing, Cage-fighting, Rugby, Taekwondo, etc.), as well as cartoons and fashion.
What do you see as the potential market share?
The markets I’ve produced for include the European Championships in France. I fulfilled an order for a School that went on a school skiing trip to Canada. I have completed an order for the Irish Taekwondo team who attended the World Championships in Stuttgart Germany in July 2016. Designs are included on hoodies, tracksuits and garments required by the athletes.
What advice would you give someone starting out?
Do their research, and generate the correct confidence, mentality, money and help from the internet. Contact established channels for innovative programmes. They can advise you on the correct formats and guide you towards local companies who do similar work. Tap into their feedback and offer help to connect to their business with your experience. Start with a confident drive towards making that step towards a winning business.
Will your time in Magilligan affect your business profile?
My time in prison has affected my business. I’m the only designer in the company and the CEO of organisation. This involves being available for phone calls relevant to orders. It’s not easy to run a business and not possible when you have a system in your mind that you need to put forward to workers. In the long term, I’m going to make up for the lost time. I’m fortunate to be going out to new challenges and opportunities so that my business can to continue to grow.
DO’N
GRIEF IN PRISON
Compassionate Temporary Release?
Losing a loved one is incredibly tough and indeed it is one of the hardest things you will go through in your life. This difficulty is magnified when you happen to be incarcerated. A lot of cons doing time unfortunately experience the loss of a loved one, whether it be immediate family such as parents, wives and children or extended including girlfriends who aren’t considered family by the authorities.
It is impossible to mourn a loss properly when you are in prison. Every day consists of the same routine, doing the same things; Groundhog Day. Therefore it is hard to move beyond the initial feelings of loss and move on to a period of transition like you would be able to do in the community.
Detachment from normal life when in prison can seem that you have to wait until you’re out and back with your family before you can properly mourn. Because you are in a place which is already defined by misery and sadness, some people don’t want to add to it for themselves or others because the fact is everyone in prison has enough to deal with already. You don’t want to be an emotional wreck either, therefore you just keep your chin up and get on with it.
Another reason why it’s difficult to mourn in prison is the detachment from reality. You are surrounded by people who have no personal knowledge of your situation, or the person you are while grieving. You haven’t got your family around you, and the people sharing your loss who can help one another at this time and try to move forward together aren’t part of your day-today life.
Grief requires you to be with your own people in the days and weeks following the loss. Whilst prison is meant to be punishment, the moral right should not be denied wherever reasonably possible and should be respected and provided for, in fact a whole lot more than it currently is.
The way the system is now is nothing short of shameful because all too many men are refused Compassionate Temporary Release (CTR) to attend funerals of loved ones. I have seen men who, without a doubt, could have been safely trusted to go out and come back but they have been refused leave to attend funerals of immediate family. I have even seen a young man nearing the end of his sentence denied leave to attend his 4-year-old daughter’s funeral. He was even refused CTR accompaniment (where a prisoner is handcuffed to a prison officer while attending a funeral), the problem being that prison officers will not go into Nation-
alist and Unionist areas due to their safety concerns. Some measures should be put in place where these prisoners would be escorted by an MLA, for example.
This is shocking and those who make the decisions and write the policies have a lot to answer for. There needs to be more humanity when dealing with prisoners and bereavement. This is just one of those issues where the authorities need to be more considerate. It is a moral question.
An incident where a prisoner absconds while on CTR is rarer than an Orangeman on the Falls Road. Naturally it is even rarer when a prisoner is escorted. Yes, we are in prison. Yes, we are here to be punished. But you must draw the line. This kind of treatment is of course lacking in humanity. Yes, there are some prisoner who are cause for concern but by no means are we all; in fact, most of us are just ordinary guys who happened to break a legal rule, and are now paying our debt to society and consequently should not be denied the right to mourn. The authorities all too often tar us with the same brush as they do these outliers in the prison system.
There should be more overall support in the heartbreaking times of grief and more respect for those affected by the loss including the families. Provisions should be available whereby families could have private visits away from the main busy visiting room for the sake of dignity and respect in mourning. Prisoners should have the option of a few extra visits per week in the weeks following the loss of a loved one. It is only humane.
DMcC
What are your experiences when applying for Compassionate Temporary Release? What impact did it have on your family and loved ones?
Contact TimeInand let us know (details at back)
HMP Magilligan Art Gallery
‘Letters from my Cell’
Drawing Category - Bronze Award
Journey Exhibition, Belfast City Hall, January 2016
‘Empty Spaces’
Arts Project Category - First-Time Entrant Award
Empty Spaces Exhibition, HMP Magilligan January 2016
‘Lion King’
Painting Category - AB Highly Commended Award
We are all Human Exhibition, Southbank Centre, September 2016
HMP Magilligan Koestler Arts Awards 2016 Winners
This year’s awards were appraised by Grayson Perry. The 2017 Koestler exhibition titled ‘INSIDE’ will be curated by internationally renowned artist Sir Antony Gormley. ‘I want to celebrate this great resource: the imaginations of the 85,000 prisoners currently in UK prisons and those in secure establishments. Art is a place in which you can do what you like; it need not be for or about anyone else but the artist.’
PN: His prep work and final piece for GCSE. The theme was transition. He integrated the tree bark with fashion design using mixed media including sculpture, inks and prints.
RH: Right is prep work using printing tiles and monoprinting techniques.
Far right is pencil drawing and prints to be incorporated into final piece – (wings).
As part of a GCSE it is necessary to explore as many different mediums as possible to support the final piece. The students reflect on the work they do, and self-evaluate the techniques to inform their selection of art forms to be used in final pieces.
RH’s theme was ‘profile’ which used the idea of a fallen angel and how people would perceive her. “I wanted my angel to look as though she was in an alleyway surrounded by empty bottles and boxes to give the idea of a fallen woman and corrupted innocence”. RH’s GCSE work was selected for the Colours Exhibition which showcases artworks by GCSE and A-level art students and displayed in the Ulster Museum, Belfast.
Each year the Prison Arts Foundation, like other organisations who value the work of the Koestler Trust, encourage our workshop participants to submit applications which can lead to the showcasing of their talents through winning Koestler Awards.
In 2016 Koestler Trust gave feedback to over 3,000 people across 52 categories of Fine Art, Craft and Design, Performance and Audio, Film and Animation and Writing Awards. Judges include leading names in the arts and creative industries.
Entrants receive a participation certificate; 80% receive written responses about their work. Feedback from experienced artists/writers is very valuable and is a strong feature of the Awards.
1 award in Longer Fiction and Novel category, Bronze award
HMP Magilligan had a total of 11 winners across the following categories:
4 awards in the Flash Fiction and Short Story category, including Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards and Highly Commended Award
3 awards in the Poetry Collection category, including a Bronze Award and two Highly Commended Awards
The principal mark of genius is not perfection but originality, the opening of new frontiers.
― Arthur Koestler
Besides the £30,000 in cash with prizes ranging from £20 to £100, there are additional awards for first-time entrants.
Entering the Koestler Awards gains recognition for the achievement itself which in turn helps with how to develop creativity as well as motivation to work to a deadline. Awards and sales monies buy further arts materials or can pay for courses. Entering gives eligibility for Koestler Mentoring, artwork sales, exhibitions and events.
HMP Maghaberry had a total of 13 winners across the following categories:
4 awards in the Painting category including Platinum & Gold Awards, Anne Vickers Highly Commended Award and a First-Time Entrant Award
2 awards in the Sculpture category including Platinum Award and First-Time Entrant Award
2 awards in Mixed Media category including Bronze and Commended Awards
2 awards in Singer-Songwriter-Original category including Silver Award and Highly Commended Award
1 award in Portrait category, Bronze Award
1 award in Matchstick Model category, First-Time Entrant Award
2 awards in the Longer Fiction and Novel category, both Highly Commended Awards
1 award in the Theme category: Comfort, Commended Award
1 award in Braille category, Commended Award
Hydebank Wood College had a total of 4 winners across the following categories:
2 awards in the Mixed Media category both Commended Awards
1 award in the Craft category, Gold Award
1 award in the Sculpture category, Si Pickard Highly Commended Award
Courage is never to let your actions be influenced by your fears.
― Arthur Koestler
Arthur Koestler
Award-Winning Art Work from HMP Maghaberry & Hydebank Wood College
‘Scales of Justice’, Painting category, Platinum Award
Journey Exhibition, Crumlin Road Gaol, November 2015
‘Wooden Fish’
Sculpture Category - Si Pickard Highly Commended Award
We are all Human Exhibition Southbank Centre, Sept 2016
‘Father and Son’
Portrait Category - Bronze Award HMP Maghaberry
‘Dreams’
Craft category - Gold Award
Paperwork Exhibition
UK Supreme Court August 2016
The Visit
‘You can’t go to that place!’ Geoffrey shouted and slammed the kitchen door. A cupboard snapped open and a plastic mop and bucket fell onto the tiles. Patricia nearly tripped up as she followed him out to the hallway.
‘You can’t prevent me.’ She pulled on her camel coat and tied the belt viciously. She caught a glimpse of her tinted blonde hair and drawn face in the mirror beside Geoffrey’s grey hair, striped suit and pink shirt. The coat from Bentalls made her feel middle aged. His livid plump face reflected the weary GP. He gripped her upper arm, fingers nipping her skin. She was hurt emotionally, and now physically.
‘I shan’t be back till late,’ Geoffrey said in a rasping voice.
‘Lucky you, tippling at the golf club.’ Patricia shouted.
Geoffrey slammed the door into his den. He had hidden the keys to both cars. There was no point her searching. It was high noon and the sunlight glittered through the diamond pane windows on either side of the mahogany door. Patricia pulled it shut. The brick paver driveway was wet. The rain made her consider calling a taxi. Neighbours would notice her loitering. Gossip was everywhere about the scandal. She walked through Hawthorn Hill trying to calm down. The breeze scooped up leaves and scattered them chaotically. It would be a long trek into town.
Patricia felt peeved facing the graffito slogans in the green bus shelter. ‘SCUM’ ‘SNITCHES GET STITCHES’ ‘BENEFIT-TOUTS OUT’. The shelter had a smell of urine piercing as ammonia. Metal rungs were missing from the seat. Every Tom, Dick or Harry would know why she was at this particular stop.
Patricia was joined by women, children, and a few men. The women wore Air Max trainers and generic velour tracksuits. Many held plastic shopping bags which rattled in the wind. They talked noisily. Cigarette smoke wafted from their faces as they sucked in and blew out. Patricia hadn’t smoked a cigarette since before her one pregnancy. Max, now twentythree years old. She watched the children hopping on and off the kerb stones. They soon asked about crisps, M&Ms and fizzy drinks.
‘First timer, eh?’ Said the heavy woman who smiled with diastematic teeth. Patricia noticed the tattoo, a single rose entwined around a heart on her arm. Patricia shrugged awkwardly, feeling shocked at being called a first timer. She looked at the ground, sinking her hands deeper into her camel coat as the bus came to a halt.
‘You’ll get used to it,’ the woman gave Patricia’s arm a gentle squeeze. Patricia sighed with exasperation. She opened her purse and stepped on board offering the bus driver £20.
‘Have you anything bigger?’ The driver was sarcastic. His double chin wobbled as he chewed gum and tugged his bling VW earring.
‘I’m so sorry,’ Patricia said.
‘How about a return ticket?’ The driver’s tone was kinder as he took the bank note. He punched the coin holder and the ticket was dispensed. Patricia blushed trying not to drop the coins.
Her legs wobbled as she grappled along the aisle to a midway seat. The seats were worn and dusty, making her nostrils itch. Reaching inside her trouser pocket, she felt for the diazepam. Geoffrey had prescribed the pills after the arrest of Max. These times she found it impossible to be without pills.
The bus passed the industrial zones. Patricia read the signs on the buildings, repeating their names aimlessly in her mind. Apartment blocks faded into the distance. The bus drove on through bleak countryside. The road narrowed and the landscape opened up into flatlands with hedging. A sign with a green arrow indicated ‘Perennial Green’. Patricia recognised the Astro Turf logo. Their vans were often parked at the golf club. Would Geoffrey believe she was brave enough to make the journey by bus? He’d easier picture her shopping. The shock had really hit them. The gossip. More strain on the relationship. How could he write Max out of their lives? Patricia saw clouds through the windows. Her anxious face with gaping eyes were caught in the reflection.
‘I can see the wall. I can see the wall. Look mammy. Look!’ A young child pointed out the window.
Patricia stared as the grey wall came into view. It seemed to be rising out of the terrain. Up closer, it looked to be about 20 feet tall, topped with razor wire. In her innocence, she thought the wire was like an overstretched slinky.
The bus stopped in a gravel lay-by close to a reflective stripped barrier and metal gates. The passengers began to get off with plodding steps. Patricia was unable to stand. She began to inhale and exhale rapidly. Her heartbeat was audible and made her eardrums pulse. She got up and fell back onto her seat. The bus driver saw her in the mirror.
‘Come on love. Do your visit. It does ‘em good, you know.’
Reaching inside her trouser pocket, she removed a diazepam. As she popped it into her mouth, the woman who had spoken to her at the shelter, climbed back on the bus.
‘I’m Delilah,’ she said offering Patricia her hand. ‘Let’s go.’
‘My husband Geoffrey, refused to come with me.’ Patricia couldn’t think of anything else to say.
‘My old man’s inside,’ Delilah explained with a nod of her head towards the prison. ‘Who are you visiting?’
‘My son.’
He’ll be glad. You’ll be fine. Thanks Fred.’ Delilah waved to the driver who rubbed his hands.
‘Have a nice day, ladies.’
‘Smile for the camera.’ Delilah said as they followed the other visitors under the monitors and through a door in one side of the metal gates. Patricia stared at the high visibility yellow sign with ‘Visitors’ printed in black and the regulations below. The text became a blur as she tried reading.
Everyone showed their visitor’s-pass and photo identity. Then, they moved forward selecting a locker.
‘Number six is empty,’ Delilah pointed. ‘Put all your stuff inside. Keep some change for coffee. There’s a vending machine inside.’
Patricia was annoyed at such seasoned advice and felt repulsed by Delilah’s black dyed hair dry. Her skin like leather from sun exposure. She imagined Delilah in Spain. ‘Costa del Crime’. She had seen documentaries.
The first three visitors walked single file into a secured cubicle where prison officers stood sombrely, one holding a black cocker spaniel on a leash. The far door opened and the three shuffled through to a bleak magnolia corridor.
‘Next!’ The first prison officer said flapping a hand indicating that three more should come forward.
Delilah nodded with her head that Patricia should follow on with the heavily pregnant woman who had a toddler by the hand. The prison officer holding the dog moved towards Patricia. Delilah looked confused. The dog sat down next to Patricia.
‘You won’t get to see your son,’ she said.
‘What’s happened?’ Patricia asked.
‘We need a female search team!’ The officer spoke into his walkie-talkie.
‘Ask for a boxed visit,’ Delilah called back to Patricia as she went through the interior door that led to the corridor.
Patricia was ordered back to a holding cell by two female officers.
‘Put your arms out,’ the tall officer said.
‘What have I done?’ Patricia’s voice was high pitched.
tricia sat on a stool that was secured to the floor. To her surprise, he looked well. Before his arrest, he was using amphetamines and his weight fell dramatically His face was no longer gaunt.
‘You should have let me visit before,’ she stammered directing her voice into a small grey speaker.
‘Don’t go there, Mum. Forget it. How is Dad?’ Max was curt.
‘He’s fine. He wanted to come but got an emergency call out.’
Max looked at her and believed the excuse.
‘Max, how are you going to, six years?’ she went silent.
‘Look Mum, I’ll probably do three years and three on licence. That’s fifty percent remission. I work out in the gym. I’ve learned how to eat the slop they call food. I’ve got a job in the gardens. Don’t cry...for God’s sake...people will hear you.’ Max leaned forward. ‘Nobody in here, cries.’
‘I’m sorry, son. It’s all a shock.’
The officer carrying out the frisk quickly found the diazepam in her trouser pocket.
‘They’re prescribed tablets. My name’s on the label.’
‘I need to see your visitor’s pass?’ The officer’s eyes narrowed and she unfolded the letter.
‘I want to see my son,’ Patricia’s face was petrified.
‘We decide, if you’re permitted a visit. Your son’s here for drug offences. You’re smuggling pills into the visiting centre.’
‘I’m not smuggling anything. Please.’
‘We can call the drug unit.’ The prison officer blurted out.
Patricia was silent as the officers conversed and went out. She stared at the yellow-brick work, the green barred window frame and the metal chairs like cheap patio furniture. Patricia wondered if it resembled Max’s cell. He wouldn’t let her visit when he was on remand. Geoffrey refused to pay the bail or allow her to act as guarantor.
Keys rattled and the tall officer was in the doorway.
‘You have ten minutes. Follow me.’
Max shuffled up to the window. The glass was scratched and scored. He was wearing a grey tracksuit and blue T-shirt. Pa-
A buzzer sounded and the officer called Patricia.
‘It can’t be. I’ve barely had any time...’
‘Bring Dad next time’ Max’s voice was like a whisper. ‘I need clothes. Will you put money in my prison account?’
‘Visit’s over.’ The officer’s voice shouted.
Patricia eyes were swollen from crying. The officers looked away as she took her coat and bag from the locker.
Outside, the noise of the buzzer was ringing in her head. She felt disorientated at the bus stop.
‘Medication?’ Delilah asked with a knowing look. ‘One of the officers told me you were in a bit of a state. Thankfully you got a closed visit.’ She made a ghoulish face for a moment.
‘He wants money. Clothes.’
‘Wha’d he do?’ Delilah stared at the cracks in the tarmac as the rain lashed the ground and soaking into their shoes.
‘Max was mixing substances in the halls of residence in College. Selling them to students. He was under surveillance. He was caught with thousands in cash in a holdall when they raided his room,’ Patricia made a visor of her fingers over the eyes. ‘Geoffrey, his father refuses to visit him.’
‘How long did he get?’ Delilah asked plaintively.
‘Six years. He said, he’ll serve three. But Max is only twentythree.’ Patricia felt utterly abject and stretched out her hand to feel the rain.
‘We’ll have a bit of a wait for the bus.’ Delilah looked at Patricia who didn’t seem to hear. ‘It’s good to talk to someone who knows what it’s like.’
Patricia still didn’t respond. The far off glow of the city in the dome of the sky was glistening steadily as the day waned towards dusk. Patricia felt strangely calm for the first time in a year. PB
Star
Have you wished upon a star
Prayed for a nightmare to become a dream
Do you ever shut your eyes
And go back to a certain scene
There will always be ups and downs
And times when things go wrong
And sometimes we battle demons
And we have to be mentally strong
There will come a time in life
When all seems so wrong
And when you get that eerie feeling
It’s a place you don’t belong.
SONNET 2
I live the alcoholic life of a thousand tries when I drink, I sleep, I lie down and die I awake, I get up and once again I try my one go at life has seen beauty, sometimes it just turned so frightening at the tip of a coin; on calm storm free days I saw life turn like lightning with lightning with thunder rumbling, you find ways of saying to yourself; is it worth it? half of the sound of the beat of my heart alternates with the heady sound of silence I sleep, I lie down and die, I awake, I try….
the ilk of God is with me most of today sometimes I stand still in essence and pray.
Bonfires
Our fires are lit as a beacon of light to show
How our forefathers endured; harsh plight
And to honour the foreign fighters who travelled The world to stand with us in our field of battle
Like us they shared their blood and lay down their Lives in foreign fields to take on the injustices of Ethnic cleansing being dished out by hostile foes; Those who were trying to live work sow and Grow; this is why we light our fires; we all fight for truth and honesty; integrity is vital for our survival
Of the future clans within our lands one nation never to be divided; we all stand together and our journey ahead together will be fruitful for all.
By Protestant and Catholic together
My Life
Fourteen years flushed away like a tiny little flower in the rain fourteen years as a happy man who is now in pain sitting as a lonely man with no one but myself to blame.
Bluebells in the Wind
The morning’s fresh glistening sun on misted grass blades, cut to bluebell tracts ringing in their sway, glorious day, take a seat by a stone wall unslip the shoes and socks, let feet feel the breeze, suck in fresh air and be at ease─
DMcK
HAIKU
Haiku is a form of unrhymed poetry that comes from Japan. It uses rhythm to make its point. Here are some traditional 19th Century Haiku.
In this world
we walk on the roof of hell, gazing at flowers.
Kobayashi Issa (1763–1827)
My life—
How much more of it remains?
The night is brief.
Masaoka Shiki (1867–1902)
Here is a selection of Haiku from HMP Magilligan:
In the sands of time I sleep, I wake, I die A flock of birds pass.
The great old oak tree
Seven hundred thousand leaves Birds make their way south
The sapphire sky shows Elephants parading the Golden savannah.
The bend, bow and arch
Posture of a crooked tree
A perch for a bird.
Air full of movement
A hundred birds in flight
The low autumn sun
Maiden of the night
Golden skin and unbound hair
How long must I wait
Just Broken Robots
Brought In For Repair, Waiting To Go Home, Rebuilt.
The morning head-count indicates all our status we are in prison.
Dust motes float in light
The sun provides their shining sea
We all get blinded.
My Bright little world
Has been plunged into darkness Darkness I become
A pair of old shoes
Have finished their life journey Can’t afford new ones
HAIKU HINTS
The first and third lines have 5 syllables, and the middle line has 7 syllables. The object is to capture a moment in time, an object, or a feeling, and present it to someone so they can experience it exactly as you did. Haiku are often connected to nature while the essence of haiku is "cutting" (kiru). This is often represented by the juxtaposition of two images or ideas.
Some of the most famous haikus in Japan are attributed to four great masters; Matsuo Basho, Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa and Masaoka Shiki.
The old pond; A frog jumps in —
The sound of the water
Matsuo Basho (1644–1694)
The end of spring the poet is brooding about editors.
Yosa Buson (1716-1783)
The original haiku are written in Japanese, and our English translations of 5-7-5 syllables are an approximation at best.
Modern Japanese haiku are increasingly unlikely to follow the tradition of 17 syllables or to take nature as their subject, but the use of juxtaposition continues to be honoured in both traditional and modern haiku.
The Prison Arts Foundation Mentoring Scheme
Since their formation in 1996 the Prison Arts Foundation (PAF) have delivered a broad range of workshops in prison establishments. With huge cutbacks in budgets across the board this has recently proved challenging. In the last year alone PAF Artists in Residence have engaged with over 6,300 prisoners and delivered over 1124 workshops in Maghaberry, Magilligan and Hydebank Wood. Despite the financial challenges to the organisation, PAF are expanding progressively and further engaging with prisoners after their release.
The Prison Arts Mentoring Scheme Programme is underway with a team of over 30 mentors. Thanks to funding from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and support from the Arts Council NI, PAF will be able to pilot an innovative scheme supporting the transition from custody to community in Northern Ireland through the arts mentoring programme. Our mentors are highly experienced artists, writers, musicians, producers and craftspeople. They have undergone training and will be paired with individuals who share a similar arts discipline. The aim of the scheme is to deliver arts learning, shaped to the needs of individuals that empower them to continue with their arts based activities.
Adele Campbell, co-ordinator of the programme said, ‘We are excited by this new funding. It allows PAF to test, implement and develop an ambitious plan to widen access to the arts in Northern Ireland, specifically people who have a history of involvement in the Criminal Justice system. PAF want to build evidence about what works so that we achieve greater impact.’
The Mentoring Scheme is defined as ‘a relationship of mutual respect between a more experienced artist (the mentor) and a less experienced artist (the mentee), where emphasis is placed on process. It is a two-way relationship, where the mentee’s role is to drive the process and the mentor’s role is to respond as an active witness to the mentee’s artistic development.’
A mentoring action plan will be drawn up between the mentor and mentee and clear arts learning goals defined. Nancy Law, while delivering the training to the mentors, explained that the scheme will be ‘a mentee centred programme, sensitive to learning needs and learning styles’. She added that ‘both mentee and mentor are entering into a professional contract’.
Mentees who wish to advance their artist practice are advised to send an expression of interest to PAF. This can be a self-referral or through a partner organisation. A mentoring application form will be submitted for consideration which will include references from relevant organisations such as a probation officer, a Prison Co-ordinator, a Support Officer or Artist-In-Residence. An in-person interview will be conducted with PAF and when all the information has been gathered, a direction and plan for the mentee will be identified.
Two different mentoring directions are available. First Steps Mentoring through the guidance of the mentor will help the mentee identify what specific support they would like to get from the mentoring scheme. This may entail applying to further education, finding your way around your local community arts and other directions. The practical aspect will work within a time frame of 2-7 sessions. Creative Futures Mentoring is open to practitioners who may have gained a Koestler Trust Award, a Listowel Writers Prize or other achievements. The mentee will be given the opportunity to develop their skills further, build up a portfolio of work, as well as identify future opportunities. Once a potential match is identified, PAF will ensure that all screening procedures have been completed, and both the mentor and the mentee have met all eligibility criteria.
You can attach additional information to your application form as it will really help us in finding you a suitable mentor – for example you could send examples/photocopies of your work, or include a letter or supporting statement from an arts tutor, teacher or PAF’s own Artist-in-Residence. Please note, that a failure to disclose relevant information such as convictions may mean that we are unable to consider your application.
Once we have received your application, we will seek a reference to support your participation in the mentoring scheme and there is space on the form for you to give us details of who we should contact.
New arts mentoring scheme taking talent to the next level…
How do I become a PAF Mentee?
If you would like to be mentored then you should get in touch with us, either by post, phone or over the internet to get an application form. Alternatively, you can ask your Probation Officer, Prison Coordinator, Support Officer or a member of the arts or education team at your establishment to contact PAF on your behalf.
The Prison Arts Foundation (PAF)
Unit 3 Clanmil Arts & Business Centre, 2-10 Bridge Street, Belfast, BT11LU
Tel: 02890247872
Email: office@prisonartsfoundation.com
Web: www.prisonartsfoundation.com
Twitter: @PrisonArts1
PAF can offer one-to-one mentoring in the community across a range of different art forms such as painting, writing, music, crafts, performing arts.
Who are PAF Art Mentors?
They are experienced artists, writers, producers and craftspeople who have been trained to provide support to someone who has been involved in the criminal justice system.
What mentoring pathways are there?
We have two different mentoring pathways offering unique and bespoke support to people who have experience of the criminal justice system and who would like to continue with their arts based practice. All mentees will be matched with a mentor who will work with them on a one-to-one basis to identify the goals they would like to achieve in the arts and have regular mentoring sessions to realise these.
First Step pathway is open to anyone who has been involved in the criminal justice system.
Creative Futures pathway is designed to support either Koestler or Listowel Award-winners or those who have an existing body of work who would like to develop their practice in the community or in custody. How do I become a PAF Mentee?
A typical mentoring session might involve:
Going to an art exhibition to look at other artist’s work
Receiving feedback on something you have recently created
Asking your mentor for advice on your arts technique
Being introduced to other local artists, art organisations or art groups
Doing a joint project with your mentor to develop your skills
Finding out about courses or events in your arts field
Building your confidence
Your mentor supporting you to perform a piece of your work
Your mentor suggesting resources to expand your knowledge
Working on an application to college or further education
R&B
From The Hammer to Slim Shady
My god how the R&B scene has changed over the past 30 years. How could we forget MC Hammer in the early 90’s? Let’s be honest we all were partial to a bit of can’t touch this, after all the song did make the guy almost $30 million which still was not enough to keep him from going into bankruptcy. But when you are paying your entourage almost $500,000 a month, when you do the maths, $30 million is only going to last you a few years. Personally I think he still did OK considering he didn’t even write the song. The song was sampled from a 1981 Rick James hit Super Freak.
Although popular and appealing to a wide audience, the hammer is not what we would call gangster rap, and this seemed to be the next genre which would take the world by storm. Enter Tupac Shakur and Big E Small a.k.a the Notorious B.I.G. These guys brought something different to the table. Coming from the ghetto they put a whole new spin on the R&B world. Rapping about gun crime, drive-by shootings, misogynistic representations of women and how they have made the transition from the streets to being multi-millionaires. Their target audience was more specific, aimed at the young African American from the working class areas of modern day America.
Come the late 90’s the rap world would see a lyrical genius take the stage. Well I’m…. just Marshall Mathers, I’m just a regular guy, I don’t why all the fuss about me. Eminem, a musical innovator. Who ever thought that one of the greatest rappers of all time would not be of African American origin? Could the real slim shady please stand up? Unlike Tupac and Big E Small, Eminem’s lyrics veered
from the norm, rapping about his traumatic childhood, his daughter Healy and his broken relationship with his partner Kim. His lyrics tended to be more personal.
Over time the rap artist’s controversial lyrics have come under severe scrutiny by the media. Their chauvinistic representations of women and how they (almost) glamorize the life of crime has created uproar amongst the masses. However, rap music has stood the test of time and its popularity rages on with today’s artists such as 50 Cent, Ludacris and Jay-Z churning out hit after hit. The beat truly goes on. RM
TOP 10 GREATEST RAP SONGS OF ALL TIME
1. 2Pac - Changes
2. Puff Daddy feat. Faith Evans –I’ll be missing you
3. Eminem - Stan
4. Coolio – Gangster’s Paradise
5. Dr. Dre, Eminem & Snoop Dogg – Forgot about Dre
6. Notorious B.I.G – Hypnotise
7. N.W.A - Straight outta Compton
8. Eminem – Lose yourself
9. 2Pac and Dr.Dre – California Love
10. Notorious B.I.G - Juicy
“John
Lennon Saved My Life”
Our Time In cover this issue is a tribute to John Lennon by our deputy editor DMcC. Lennon appeared on the first ever cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1967. It was the ‘Summer of Love’ and the original military image was a still taken from Lennon’s movie How I Won the War. Lennon encapsulated politics, culture and music, a combination that would define the content of Rolling Stone magazine.
Here at Time In we heard a rumour that Lennon had actually saved the life of our Musician-in-Residence, Paddy Nash. We decided to interview Paddy to ask him to set the record straight and about the influence and legacy of John Lennon.
How did John Lennon save your life?
When I was 15 or 16 I was obsessed with The Beatles and Lennon in particular. Myself and a friend would constantly listen to them and try to work out the chords and riffs. One night I was standing around with some friends. They were talking about paramilitary organisations. This was 1986 in Derry. For me boredom was the biggest enemy. I thought about going with them but earlier that day I had worked out the riff to Day Tripper and I couldn’t wait to show it to my Beatle buddy. So I went to his house instead. I’m not saying that Lennon saved my life but he gave me more options.
How did that influence your own music?
The Beatles were always pushing the boundaries. They were always trying to write better and play better. That ethos alone gives you a solid grounding for pursuing a musical path. This was 6 years after The Beatles split up so I had the benefit of hindsight. I had a wealth of material to work with.
Do you think that today’s role models are different and could they have the same impact? Could Ed Sheeran save your life?
Probably not. Music doesn’t have the same impact anymore. It’s become a product that’s being mass produced, consumed and then emptied into the toilet only to be gathered at the other end of the pipe so the process can begin again. Ed Sheeran is a decent enough artist but he’s spawned a plethora of would be singersongwriters who basically try to mimic him. It’s diabolical. But the music industry encourages it. I despair, I really do. Unless these young artists start looking elsewhere for inspiration there will eventually come a time when music will become a 120bpm - a tuneless, mindless, heartless drone being pumped around this giant big elevator that is the earth. I try my best to encourage any young artist that crosses my path to listen to Dylan, Young, Prince, Springsteen, and Lennon of course.
Interesting that you should mention Bob Dylan. What do you think of Dylan being awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize for literature?
I can’t understand the fuss and commotion being made about this. Dylan is such an obvious choice. I can’t think of any better poet or songwriter, can you? His command of language is mind-blowing. There was an article in The Irish Times where some unknown Irish poet was moaning about the fact that a musician could be given this prestigious award. Dylan a musician...catch yourself on missus! I have to add that my favourite Dylan song is Desolation Row.
DMcC
Paddy Nash (Musician in Residence, Magilligan)
On Monday the tenth of October, World Mental Health Day, the South-Eastern Health Board organised an open day at the gym which focused on prisoners’ physical and mental wellbeing.
Members of Start 360, The Samaritans and health development workers all had displays and were there to discuss helpful ways to improve health.
The health development workers Barry and Linda had a theme, ‘be active’, which linked in with the N.I.P.S. theme of ‘cross-fit’. Barry talked about the benefits of exercise for the brain and psychological studies prove the correlation between activity and improved mood. Increased breathing elevates oxygen levels which leads to increased brain function. He hoped to have a decent provision of services available in Magilligan, security permitting, which reflect what is available outside. Keep an eye out for ‘Penalty Shootout’ in the New Year.
Linda, a dietician, had a display with healthy food options and was ready to dispel certain myths. Food and mood are linked and she recommended a variety of colourful vegetables and fruit. These contain flavonoids and antioxidants which are good for the heart and circulation, mopping up free radicals and preventing oxidization of cells. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and vitamin E are two examples of antioxidants which can be food in healthy foods. Longevity, it has been argued, has a lot to do with diet, and certain Mediterranean countries consume large amounts of fish, fresh fruit and vegetables.
Heather and Linda from the Coleraine branch of Samaritans were also there to talk about the prisoner listening scheme. Set up in 2003, last year this service spoke to 1600 inmates across Maghaberry and Magilligan offering confidential support 24/7. Their Freephone number is 116 123. Samaritans come in every
fortnight to support inmate listeners and the training is ongoing. There are always two listeners available on call 24/7. All inmates who apply are vetted by security then they receive an 8 week training course.
Jane, a CRUSE bereavement counsellor, was also at the gym to offer support to any inmate who has suffered loss through death. Grief can affect us in different ways and can make day to day life seem unmanageable. If you have been affected by loss of a loved one talking can help process emotions.
Start360 had three members of their team represented and emphasized ‘change starts here’. They hope to engage in drug education with a view to helping substance abuse problems by offering one to one counselling. Their display was one of the most interesting. Three Perspex cases, each with 15 compartments containing an illegal drug (synthetic, of course): cocaine, heroin, cannabis (both herbal and resin), steroids and what prescription drugs look like and their effects. Also details of new legislation concerning N.P.S. (new psychoactive substances) which bans all previously legal highs.
Deputy Governor Gary
Milling hoped to have more days like this in the future to tie in with a wider safer community model which the prison is steering towards. First aid courses would be an example of how skills picked up in prison could benefit the community outside. More engagements are due in the future. RA
For further information contact : Magilligan 028 7775 1831 ext. 80431 Samaritans Belfast (028) 90664422 Coleraine 028 703 20000 National telephone: 116 123 (free phone) CRUSE Regional Office 028 9079 2419
Prison Counselling Network www.pn.counselling.co.uk
A Brief History of Ulster’s Jails
Jails in this wee country have never had a good rap, from murders to mass breakouts and everything in between. Although, there is an obvious need for prison to keep the community safe, many do not know the history, so here is a snapshot of Ulster jails.
HMP Belfast Crumlin Road is a former prison in North Belfast and is the only Victorian prison remaining in Ulster. It has been out of action since 1996. A tunnel under the road connects it to the Crumlin Road courthouse, which stands in a terrible derelict state. Between 1846-1996 some 25,000 prisoners were held in the prison. The first 106 inmates were forced to walk from Carrickfergus in chains. Men, women and children were incarcerated and most for stealing clothes or food to survive. In 1858 a ten-year-old boy called Patrick Magee, serving a 3 months sentence, hanged himself in his cell due to the dire conditions.
Many prisoners were hanged over the years and notably Albert Pierrepoint (the notorious Official Executioner who executed at least 400 people) carried out most of these executions.
Several escapes occurred involving IRA prisoners during November-December 1971. On the 15 January 1943 four IRA men escaped. A massive security operation launched and the like of which had not been seen since 1922.
Magilligan prison in County Londonderry was opened in 1972 comprising 8 Nissan huts on the site of an army camp. This was replaced by 3 H blocks similar to those in the Maze each contained 100 cells. The prison has a current capacity of 568 prisoners with the building of new accommodation throughout the years.
On an old airfield site in 1976 near Lisburn, work began on HMP Maghaberry. It is currently a modern high security jail housing adults on long term sentences and remand prisoners in separated and integrated conditions. The prison holds 970 prisoners in single and double cells.
HMP Hydebank holds Young Offenders (YOC) males between the age 17-24 years on remand and sentenced. There are various work programs in place that aim to break the cycle of crime. The women’s prison which used to be housed in Maghaberry was also moved to Hydebank. Work and programmes are also available to the women to deter them from further offending.
HMP Maze used to hold paramilitary prisoners from 1971- 2000. During The Troubles the prison played a prominent role, and in 1981 a hunger strike was carried
out by Republican prisoners with 10 paying the ultimate price as the British government refused to comply with their demands.
Throughout the interment period there were 1,981 detainees, 1,874 catholic and 107 protestant. In the 1980s the government slowly introduced changes, granting political status in all but name. Both sides were housed accordingly and they organised along military lines and had literally complete control over their own H blocks with many luxuries from outside. On September 25, 1983 over 30 Republican prisoners staged a mass breakout. Officer John Adams was killed during this escape.
Derry gaol refers to one of several gaols constructed in the city of Derry/Londonderry. The goal is notable for the incarceration of IRA members during the Irish Civil War and for numerous executions, seven of which took place between 1820–1923. First located in 1620 at the junction of Butcher Street and The Diamond, then in 1676 at Ferryquay Street 1791, it opened at Bishop Street with famous inmates including Eamon de-Valera and Wolfe Tone.
The final location of the gaol in 1824 had the unique horseshoe design, and opened after four years of construction at a cost of over £33,000. One turret remains today in The Fountain area and is a heritage museum.
Armagh Prison is a former women’s prison. The prison was the scene of a protest by female Irish Republicans demanding political status. Three women in Armagh took part in the 1980 hunger strike. The prison was closed in 1986 and later in 2009 it became a hotel.
This is just some of the history of our prisons within Northern Ireland; deal with it. LS
(Crumlin Road Gaol pictured above.)
On The Road
Most people know very little about the travelling community. The reason for this is that travellers don’t want them to know. Travellers believe this keeps them strong as a community. It keeps us different from everyone else.
Who wants to be the same in this day and age? Almost everyone wants a house to keep them locked away. They want their job which again locks them away. They want their kids locked away in a school all day. Is it wrong if we want to be free to live on the road? Is it wrong if we want to work in different jobs where we can find them? And, is it wrong if we want our kids to learn the things we did so that we can carry on as our own bosses and keepers?
Travellers have been around for hundreds of years and if you think about it we have all travelled at some stage. Travellers continued to make a life out of it and in time we got used to our own ways of doing things. We made our own rules and values. We pride ourselves on doing things in ‘old fashion ways’ and if we can continue to do this well it’s never going to die out.
We are very independent people. If we have a problem we sort it out among ourselves. The older travellers are very wise and lead us on the right path. For example, at a young age you stay close to home and mix with your own. That way you won’t encounter outside influences like partying, taking drugs, and also relationships from outside our community. I can relate to this because at the age of 13 I started hanging around with non-travellers. Firstly, I started meeting girls then I started drinking, smoking and after a while things went from bad to worse. I have now spent most of my life in prison. My cousins have never been to jail, and most of them have families and wealth because they stayed within the travelling community. Me, I think of myself as an explorer, and not a good one, mind you.
at Magilligan
Literacy
Numeracy
Computer Technician
Art & Design
Food Safety & Hygiene
Furniture Making
Horticulture Enterprise & Employability
Fabrication & Welding
& Decorating
NEW COURSES 2017
Creative Writing
Multimedia Production
Hospitality & Catering
Contact Pauline at 87591 via your Class Officer
Cool Academy
A
Rehabilitation Project
In July 2016 David Corscadden from Cool FM came to Magilligan with a project that had been touring the UK regarding podcast production. Inmates were taught how to edit a radio package and generate content. The final podcast covered how progression works within the jail.
Prisoners currently in Alpha and Foyleview were interviewed along with Governor Holmes and officers and staff from Health Care. Inmates got the opportunity to use recording equipment and edit the podcast using specialist software. The podcast included music recorded by a prisoner.
Kirsty McMurray from the Cool Academy team said she was somewhat apprehensive about working in a prison but ‘everyone who came to the project was welcoming; quiet at first, but that soon changed as they were interested in what we were there to do. They produced a fantastic podcast that will hopefully help any newcomers to Magilligan.’
It is anticipated that this project will return in 2017.
LS
Nature Watch
A rolling stone gathers no moss. Is this accurate?
With few demands, moss, once established, rarely needs watering, needs no fertilization, and will eventually knit together, suppressing weeds. Perhaps as we look at the moss growing happily on the tarmac we can pretend that it is all part of a ‘Japanese garden’.
Moss is a primitive plant, evolving 450 million years ago, 70 million years before ferns and tens of millions before the first dinosaur. Mosses are true survivors.
Mosses are finally getting the recognition they deserve. At the 2016 Chelsea Flower Show there has been a trend towards moss as Japanese designer Ishihara Kazuyuki produced the most intricate and textural gardens featuring carpets of green moss buns.
On the Horticulture course at Magilligan, students look at the elements that make up Chinese and Japanese gardens – in order to understand our local garden designs.
CH, a student currently studying horticulture, would highly recommend the course, ‘I would never have considered studying anything, let alone a course in Horticulture. I didn’t know what is was. One of the officers suggested I should give it a try.’
Did you know: Sailing stones are a geological phenomenon where rocks move along the floor of a smooth valley. These rocks are also known as sliding rocks, rolling stones, and moving rocks. They move seemingly unaided without human or animal intervention.
Instead, rocks move when large ice sheets a few millimetres thick float in an ephemeral winter pond and start to break up during sunny days. These thin floating ice panels, frozen during cold winter nights are driven by wind and push rocks at up to 5 m/min.
In locations such as California's Death Valley giant boulders move across the desert. Some of these rocks weigh up to 17 stone and can cover distances of over 350 yards each year.
Survival tips for using Moss
Sphagnum moss is a source of drinking water and can be used as a water filter
Moss is great for dressing a wound
Dried moss is extremely flammable
Moss is waterproof
Moss is a great insulator
Moss camouflages you and your shelter
Some moss is edible
Did you know: Moss provides a home for amazing quantities of life.
One gram of moss, a piece about the size of a muffin, contains approximately 3,000 springtails (insects), 500 nematodes (worms), 400 mites, and 200 fly larvae.
Moss was a feature of the Japanese ‘garage’ garden aesthetic that won landscape artist Kazuyuki Ishihara a gold medal at this year’s RHA Chelsea Flower show.
SK
Chinese Garden Drawing by Level 1 Horticulture student KS (above)
Crossword
Prison Movies
How well do you know your prison movies?
Each clue in the crossword is the name of a prison movie. PM (answers at back)
ACROSS
1) In here Red is black (3,9,10)
4) Few absconded from this Rock (6,4,8)
6) Mixing mad (4,5)
9) USA’s past ten (8,7,1)
11) A sincere man imprisoned (7,4,2,4)
16) Non-stop train: Midnight ______ (7)
20) O ______ where art thou? (7)
23) Appetite (6)
24) Dig them but you can’t see them (5)
25) The most electrifying man in sport’s entertainment (3,4)
27) Ride to the bitter end (5,4)
28) ________ and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit (2,3,4,2,3,6)
29) Big Apple getaway (6,4,3,4)
DOWN
1) Christmas Day TV favourite (3,5,6)
2) _____mite; 15+2 (6,9)
3) Season’s greetings, sir; ______ of Arabia (5,9,2,8)
5) Say hello to my little friend! (8)
7) Tom Hardy butters up (7)
8) Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? (3,4)
10) Eddie Murphy & Martin Lawrence star (4)
13) Royal vermin (4,3)
14) Not as far if it’s your last (3,5,4)
15) Tornado (9)
17) French butterfly
18) Football flight (6,2,7)
19) Seer of the future (1,7)
21) Elvis shook the block (9,4)
22) Zzzzz, Zzzzz (8)
26) CAGEd flight (3,3)
The Duke of Edinburgh Diamond Challenge
Towards the close of September 2016, 18 inmates (3 teams of 6) from Foyleview, under the guidance of PEIs and Foyleview staff, raised money for two charities.
The task involved pushing a motorised vehicle (with the engine switched off) 60 metres. This action was completed 3 times. Each push was timed to give each team a combined total time. The wining team was the one that completed the 3 pushes in the fastest time.
After the event was completed, the exhausted entrants were treated to well-deserved bacon baps!
Magilligan P.E. Department Introduces New Award
In February 2016, in partnership with Focus Training, the P.E. Department in Magilligan became the first prison in the UK to introduce the ‘Preparation for Employment in the Active Leisure and Learning Sector’ award.
This award trains candidates in how to write a CV, fill in an application form, write a covering letter, and also introduces them to the interview process by incorporating mock board interviews specific to the leisure industry.
As part of the qualification the P.E. department worked in conjunction with NIACRO. This part of the course involved educating candidates regarding their responsibility in disclosing their convictions. The training covered who a candidate had to disclose to, how to write a disclosure letter and how long they had to disclose their convictions for. Due to the success of this qualification and the feedback from the candidates, Focus Training are now offering this award to other establishments in the UK.
Book Review
“Yes, the living, the mangled, the scarified, with the crazed responsibility of remembering everything, everything.” EdnaO'Brien, TheLittleRedChairs
Novelist, shortstory writer, and screenwriter Edna O’Brien was born on December 15, 1930 in Tuamgraney, County Clare. Her controversial portrayal of women and evocative descriptions resulted in some of her books being banned in Ireland. A qualified pharmacist, O’Brien turned to writing as a full-time occupation after moving to London in 1959. O’Brien’s first novel, The Country Girls (1960), was the first volume of The Country Girls Trilogy Subsequent novels include, Night (1972), House of Splendid Isolation (1994), In the Forest (2002), and The Light of Evening (2006). Her current novel The Little Red Chairs (2015) has received extensive praise.
The Little Red Chairs
In her 85th year Enda O’Brien has produced her 17th novel, the Little Red Chairs. It is a magnificent novel inspired by historical facts surrounding the Bosnian Serb war criminal, Radovan Karadzic who escaped international justice, living near Belgrade for 12 years as a fugitive. The title came from the twentieth anniversary commemoration of the siege of Sarajevo during which 11,541 red chairs were placed in the main street, one for each person killed with 643 small chairs in memory of the children slaughtered during the 1,425 day siege.
The novel begins with what looks like an ordinary scene from an Irish backwater town called Coolnoila which translates ‘blemished meadows’. As the story unfolds we realise this is no parody of a bygone era but
an exquisitely scripted text that sees a small town thrown into confusion by the arrival of Doctor Vladimir Dragan, with a distinctive white beard, long dark cloak and white gloves. His presence is mystical, priest like, and quickly the town’s people fall for his charm.
The cast of characters are revealed as they interact with Dr. Dragan. He moves around quietly establishing a residence with Fifi who is enchanted by his manner (and money). A clinic is offered to him by Fidelma, wife of Jack in their redundant draper’s shop. His presence accentuates Fidelma’s longing to be a mother. Two miscarriages and 20 years age difference between her and Jack make the fulfilment of that reality a nonstarter. She turns to Dragan without thought for the consequences of a late pregnancy not just for her child but for her demise and the wreaking of havoc among the inhabitants of the town.
When the fugitive is unmasked, the characters reel from revelations about the ‘beast of Bosnia’. Fidelma becomes another causality of war as mercenaries and former friends of Dragan arrive in Coolnoila to ‘deal’ with him. He is beyond their reach and instead they turn their fury on Fidelma. The scene, almost unbearable to read, represents how she becomes part of the collateral damage instigated by the beast of Bosnia.
Fidelma’s road to healing is long and is never fully completed. She travels to London, works with the dispossessed; then to the Hague where in a confrontation with Dragan, she unleashes her anger, showing that her pain and loss have driven her to the verge of madness. But for her it is a cathartic moment.
The book is about displacement, immigration and the toll of war. It demonstrates how the horrors of one place (Serbia) can reach an idyllic place to drag its residence into the awful aftermath of war, thus Coolnoila becomes a blemished meadow.
‘The Little Red Chairs’ is available in the Prison Library.
JD
A bodyweight training guide designed for use in a prison cell. Using the oldest form of exercise, without the need for weights, this book guides you through the process of understanding how to make bodyweight training work, whatever your personal training goals. The exercises are suitable for any age, ability and fitness level. There are step-bystep instructions with photographs and sample workouts. The aim of this book is to benefit the physical and mental health of people in prison and outside
Book available in prison library
TIGER IN PORTSTEWART WOODS?
THINK YOU KNOW SNOOKER?
The Irish Open Golf tournament 2017 is being held in Portstewart from 6th to 9th July. Portstewart is very close to Magilligan Prison and will see many golfers staying in the area. Founded in 1894 and long considered one of the country’s finest links courses, Portstewart will be staging a European Tour event for the first time when tournament host Rory McIlroy defends his title next summer. It will be the third time in six years that Ireland’s Open has been held in the north, with Royal Portrush playing host in 2012 – when advanced tickets sold out for the first time in European Tour history – and Royal County Down taking over in 2015. Fans can ensure they get to see the stars of the European Tour at next year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation at Portstewart Golf Club set on Ulster’s stunning Causeway Coast.
LIONS TAMER
Sam Allardyce lasted just 67 days as England manager but who will replace him? There were several candidates in the running. Gary Neville. The former Manchester United defender would certainly be a popular choice with the public. Gareth Southgate. The England Under21 manager is the current interim manager and with four unbeaten games in charge would certainly be favourite for the job. Alan Pardew. Was the bookmakers’ favourite. Steve Bruce. Walked away from his role of manager at Hull after a fallout with the club's owners and is available immediately. Jurgen Klinsmann. Has just been sacked as USA manager after five years and was linked with the England job in the summer. The 52-year-old has a track record in international football having also spent three years in charge of Germany. Eddie Howe. Aged just 38 would be the youngest Three Lions boss in history but would come with the reputation he has built for himself at Bournemouth. According to the media today as of 23rd NovemberGareth Southgate will meet the FA hierarchy on Monday 30th November for what is effectively his interview for the role. IL
We’ve all played snooker as a recreation but how much do we know about the history of the game?
Today’s game of snooker derived from billiards, played by the British Armed Forces stationed in India. In 1885, British billiards champion John Roberts travelled to India and there he met Fitzgerald Chamberlain in 1875 in Jabalpur. Sir Neville Francis and Fitzgerald Chamberlain suggested adding coloured balls. Roberts introduced it to England when he returned home.
In 1927 Joe Davis helped the game move on by winning the first professional game of snooker. Snooker thrived up until the late 1950s after which it suffered a brief decline in popularity. In 1969 the BBC launched “Pot Black” and in 1972 and at the tender age of 23, Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins won two world titles. This helped popularise the sport in the burgeoning age of colour television.
In 1984/1985, ITV televised three new ranking events in the International Classic and the British Open. In December 1988 the match play featured the world top 12 players. This was the first ever professional tournament to have a £100,000 winner’s prize. Soon there were more than 200 professional players.
A new generation of players appeared in the late 1980’s and 1990s such as Jimmy White, Stephen Hendry, Steve Davis and Ronny O’Sullivan.
During the 1990’s, snooker enjoyed continued exposure thanks to the BBC televising the major tournaments sponsored by the tobacco industry. Due to the increasing restrictions and eventual ban on tobacco advertising in sport, Benson and Hedges last sponsored the invitational Masters in 2003 and Embassy’s long-standing association with the World Championship ended after the 2005 tournament.
The game continues to grow with 9 ranking tournaments. ITV and Sky Sports broadcast coverage of the sport. New global talents have emerged such as Australian Neil Robertson, England’s Judd Trump and China’s Ding Jinhua. Multiple World Snooker Ladies champion Reanna Evans was the first ever female to be granted a place on the main tour for the 2010/2011 snooker season.
The prize money for each season currently stands at £5 million. The winner of the flagship World Championship collects £250,000, a far cry from the initial 1969 first place prize of £6.10.
DN
Means and Ways JC
Six weeks to go in my sentence, starting to heavy-whack.
Fear of being outside the steel, the fear of coming back. The daily grind is nearly o’er, and time is moving on fast.
I hope to make this time count, I pray to God it lasts.
In eight times, haven’t missed a trick, no stranger to the system,
The problem is, some of the lags when you’re out you really miss them.
It’s not the same auld laugh or craic, with ‘ordinary’ beings,
It’s hard to find the same baseline; it’s hard to know your feelings.
Each and every time before when I’ve experienced release,
I’ve failed terribly in the skill of avoiding detection by police.
But this time, no, it’s not the same, as all those other days,
This time’s the last, of that I’m sure, I know there’s ‘means and ways’.
I used to think, ‘just don’t get caught’, or ‘lie all that you can’,
Then back in front of the magistrate, feeling less than a real man.
There’s many a person who hates me, and rightly so I say,
But I’m just a normal person, hoping for a change some day.
Forty-two days to the final day, the nerves are getting worse,
All eyes are on me now; it feels like a horrible curse.
I’m for the ‘shrink’ upon release, London for two or three nights,
Avoiding all temptation, using each inch of my might.
How long before cessation, this question litters my mind, It’s steeped in my heart as well, an answer I hope to find.
For now I’ll let time tick on, through various nights and days,
I’ve mentioned before amongst these words; there are always means and ways.
18) ESCAPE TO VICTORY
19) A PROPHET
21) JAILHOUSE ROCK 22) SLEEPERS
