Street Cred Magazine - October 2020

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020 - Page 13

Music fashion Film Gadgets holiday education health and fitness

OCTOBER 2020

/streetcredmagazine www.streetcredmagazine.com

Lockdown Ain’t Stopping Her!

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 14 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020

ENTERTAINMENT

www.streetcredmagazine.com

THE HOTTEST ENTERTAINMENT SUPPLEMENT

/streetcredmagazine

/streetcredmagazine

www.streetcredmagazine.com

Reading/Leeds to double main stages in 2021 R eading and Leeds Festivals will be back next year with six headliners split across two main stages in each site.

The event, which sees acts rotate between Reading and Leeds, had been due to happen last weekend but was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Now 2021's headliners will be Stormzy, Liam Gallagher, Post Malone, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Disclosure and Queens Of The Stone Age. Up to 200,000 fans are expected at next year's events - from 27 to 29 August and the head of the event's promoters Festival Republic, Melvin Benn, said it

was their "most epic plan yet".

The event, regarded by many live music fans as second only to Glastonbury in the annual UK music calendar, will also include AJ Tracey, Doja Cat, Lewis Capaldi, Mabel and Two Door Cinema Club, along with rappers Ashnikko, DaBaby and Fever 333.

Rapper, Stormzy, and former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher had been due to headline the 2020 events - along with rock band Rage Against The Machine - and the organisers were able to retain the services of both British superstars.

He (Gallagher) said: "Yes Brothers and Sisters, I come bearing good news...Yours Truly

is headlining Reading & Leeds 2021. C'MON YOU KNOW. LG" Catfish And The Bottlemen, who will headline the festival for the first time, said it was a "huge honour" to have been asked to top the bill.

The band's frontman Van McCann said: "To be able to come back and have that slot, it's a big one. We'll probably turn up with a few new songs."

The festival will still take place at the usual venues - Richfield Avenue in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds. Tickets bought for this summer will remain valid, while refunds will also be available, organisers have said.

Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020 - Page 15

www.streetcredmagazine.com

Megastar Madonna to direct film of her own life story Pop legend Madonna has announced she will direct a film about her own life and career. The star is also cowriting the movie with Diablo Cody, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Juno and Young Adult.

The script is expected to chart her rise from the slums of New York to global superstardom, via songs such as Like A Virgin and Vogue.

She said the film would focus on music, adding: "Music has kept me going and

Kano and Dizzee the leading lights at this year’s Rated Awards

art has kept me alive."

The as-yet-untitled project will be Madonna's third as director after 2008's Filth and Wisdom and 2011's WE, which was based around King Edward VIII's affair with Wallis Simpson.

However, with huge successes for Elton John's Rocketman and the Freddie Mercury film Bohemian Rhapsody - for which Rami Malek earned an Oscar - rock and pop biopics are in the middle of a purple patch.

To advertise in The Phoenix

ENTERTAINMENT

C

omedian Mo Gilligan and radio host Julie Adenuga hosted this year's Rated Awards which took place online on September 9, and will featured performances from Kano, Dizzee Rascal, George The Poet and M Huncho.

The awards, started by UK rap outlet GRM Daily, were back for the first time since Young Spray was stabbed at the 2018 awards show in London.

Stormzy and Aitch were this year's mostnominated artists, with four each. They were both nominated in the Male Artist, Track of the Year, Video of the Year and Album of the Year categories, although they only picked up one gong each, Aitch for Video of the Year and Stormzy for Track of the Year.

The male-dominated nominees spanned 10 categories and included J Hus, AJ Tracey, Headie One, Kano and Krept & Konan.

They were voted for by GRM Daily readers in an online poll in July and August.

Darkoo was the only female artist on the 10-strong track of the year shortlist for Gangsta (featuring One Acen).

All of the nominees in the album, mixtape and video of the year categories were male.

The likes of Ms Banks, Little Simz, Shaybo and Stefflon Don were nominated for female artist of the year - with Stefflon Don winning out - while half of the nominees for radio DJ of the year were women.

D-Block Europe won Mixtape of the Year and Male Artist of the year, J Hus took home the Album of the Year for ‘Big Conspiracy’, and Breakthrough of the Year went to Dutachavelli.

0121 339 5885 (Birmingham) l The Stereophonics return to Arena Birmingham on February 29th

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 16 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020

ENTERTAINMENT

www.streetcredmagazine.com www.streetcredmagazine.com

Ed Sheeran and Cherry Seaborn announce birth of daughter Lyra Ed Sheeran and his wife Cherry Seaborn have announced the birth of their first child - a daughter named Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran.

The multi-award winning superstar said the couple were on "cloud nine" after their daughter's arrival before returning to Instagram for the first time this year to share the news and thank the "amazing delivery team".

He added: "We are completely in love with her."

"Ello! A quick message from me as I have some personal

news that I wanted to share with you," Sheeran said in his Instagram post.

"Last week, with the help of an amazing delivery team, Cherry gave birth to our beautiful and healthy daughter - Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran.

"We are completely in love with her. Both mum and baby are doing amazing and we are on cloud nine over here. We hope that you can respect our privacy at this time.

“Lots of love and I'll see you when it's time to come back, Ed x"

Rolling Stones open ‘world exclusive’ flagship store T he Rolling Stones opened the doors to their world-first flagship store, ‘RS No. 9 Carnaby’ in the heart of London’s Soho, at 9 Carnaby Street.

Created in partnership with Bravado, the store is now home to an exclusive mix of collections and collaborations for fans of all ages, and will feature a bespoke T-shirt customisation station.

Framed in an exceedingly contemporary red and black shop fit, visitors will be able to explore the diverse product offering whilst listening to tracks from the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world!

The Rolling Stones said: “Soho has always encapsulated Rock ’n’ Roll so Carnaby Street was the perfect spot for our own store.

“We are confident this exciting project that our friends at Bravado have created will be an unrivalled experience for everyone to come to London and enjoy.”

It was a bold time to launch a permanent retail space in London, but RS No.9 Carnaby Street provides a major long-term boost to music tourism in the capital,

To advertise

as one of the most iconic music British brands and bands of all time, launched this unprecedented experience on London’s historic

street in Soho, which has been synonymous with British music culture since the sixties.

The Stones’ deluxe reissued

2020 version of their historic ‘Goat’s Head Soup’ album, was set to top the UK album charts, 47-years after its first release.

0208 865 1922 (London)

@PhoenixNewsUK

ENTERTAINMENT

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020 - Page 17

www.streetcredmagazine.com www.streetcredmagazine.com

ENTERTAINMENT

Stress For Gen Z From Social Media GENERATION Z ARE spending less time in front of screens in order to combat stress and anxiety, a new study reveals.

A survey of 2,023 UK drivers conducted by Auto Trader, the UK’s largest digital marketplace for new and used cars, revealed that the average adult typically spends 12 hours 35 minutes feeling stressed over the course of a week, while those aged 1724 spend a staggering 16 hours 6 minutes in comparison.

The research revealed that social media is proving a key cause for stress and anxiety for many of the younger generation, as almost 1 in 4 (23%) admit it has caused them to feel stressed in the last month, compared to just 6% of those aged 45-54.

The addictive powers of social media are clearly having a negative impact on those in this age group who, according to the data, spend 3 hours 10 minutes scrolling through social feeds each day.

The data suggests that as many as 30% of this age group are well and truly hooked and find it hard to stop checking social media, whilst 26% say that spending time on social media before bed affects their sleep.

Introducing THE PARK BENCH PLAYS B

i r m i n g h a m Repertory Theatre has announced 12 new commissions titled The Park Bench Plays – a series of micro-plays that illuminate, interrogate and even celebrate today’s socially distanced world.

Brainchild of The REP's Artistic Director Sean Foley, this series of brand-new commissions will bring together the work of some of UK theatre’s biggest writing talents and comedians alongside emerging playwrights to create a suite of new plays.

Made possible thanks to the generous support of The Sir Barry Jackson Trust, these new plays by The REP feature some of the UK’s biggest writing talents amongst emerging playwrights including; Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Janice Connolly, Rachel De-Lahay, David Edgar,

Robin French, Tanika Gupta and Bryony Lavery.

Also Sabiha Mank, Amerah Saleh, Frank Skinner, Liam Steel and Jack Thorne & Lettie Precious.

The ten-minute-long plays have been written to be performed in pop-up locations throughout Birmingham - at bus stations, community centers, parks, public squares, foyers and train stations – surprising and delighting commuters, shoppers, residents and others going about their daily business in the city and its environs.

The series of plays will be directed by The REP’s Artistic Director, Sean Foley, Deputy Artistic Director, Amit Sharma and Associate Director, Madeleine Kludje.

The REP’s Artistic Director, double Olivier Award-winning Sean Foley said; “The Park Bench Plays will bring together

the work of some of the UK’s biggest writing talents for an exciting and diverse collection of micro-plays.

“Considering the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on our industry, we at The REP feel it is important to continue to employ artists and create work for audiences.

“From comic to serious, tragic to hysterical, this collection of two-hander plays take ordinary and everyday conversations and make them extraordinary and timeless – they all have a sense of fun and provide a living snapshot of our socially distanced, somewhat disturbed world.

“We look forward to sharing this extraordinary collection of works with audiences when the time is right to do so in the future and to continuing working with this wonderfully eclectic set of writers.”

The Stage is Set for a New Adventure Marvelous Europe Limited has today announced that Rune Factory 5, the long-awaited sequel in the beloved simulation RPG series, will launch in 2021 on the Nintendo Switch within Europe and Australia.

Most recently, Rune Factory 4 Special released in February 2020 to high critical praise with a Metacritic score of 81.

Set off on a grand adventure in a fantasy world with the latest entry in the Rune Factory simulation RPG series. After losing their memory, the hero lands in a small town blessed by nature.

There, they are recruited into a band of peacekeeping rangers, and their new life begins. In addition to their normal duties, the hero can

farm the land, cast a line into the nearby river, and so much more!

Team up with townsfolk to battle monsters and unleash powerful combination attacks—just one of the features new to the series.

The stage is set, and the curtain rises on an exciting new adventure in Rune Factory 5!

Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 18 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020

ENTERTAINMENT

www.streetcredmagazine.com

Intimacy Explored In New Video

D

onovan Woods is a songwriter adept at magnifying the tiniest moments of human intimacy, and in “She Waits For Me to Come Back Down”, his new duet with Katie Pruitt, they explore the ability of love’s grace to overcome unhealthy imbalances.

As part of the Donovan Woods With People Project supporting independent creators and bridging art and music culture during the pandemic, the track is accompanied by a video created

by LA-based choreographer/ dancer Mackenzie Martin (Missy Elliot, LuLuLemon, Sephora,) performing an interpretive dance to the song at the Imperial Sand Dunes near the California/Mexico border.

Featuring on Woods’ forthcoming album Without People, out November 6, 2020 via Meant Well, “She Waits For Me to Come Back Down” is produced by James Bunton and vocal producer Todd Clark (Dua Lipa, Noah Kahan, Phillip Phillips).

“Katie Pruitt and I wrote this together and it was her idea — a love song for her girlfriend, I think,” says Woods. “I love the mood in this song. It’s lovely and sweet, but steeped in a bit of worry that we may be hearing about a slightly unhealthy relationship.

But aren’t all the good ones?

A friend of mine told me after hearing it that, “I’m a mess and she’s a masterpiece,” is a line that could only be written by a woman about a woman. I don’t know if that’s true, but luckily that is the case here.”

To advertise

lockdown won’t sto this queen

P

aloma Faith has announced the details of her fifth studio album, Infinite Things out on 13th November via RCA Records. Brand new single ‘Better Than This’ is out now - watch the video here. Also, today Paloma announces a nationwide 26 date tour for September - October 2021 in support of her upcoming album.

Paloma wrote most of the songs for ‘Infinite Things’ before the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world. Then we went into lockdown, and she ripped them all up and started afresh.

She spent her downtime creating, learning to engineer her own music and just thinking about the world.

The enforced downtime was creatively fruitful and taught her that she had been on a sort of conveyor belt of music and promo.

The lockdown gave her the space to take stock of her frenetic career, and decide what is

meaningful to her.

She is emerging from lockdown with a new sense of her priorities which has seen her reconnect with her roots steeped in creativity.

‘Infinite Things’ saw Paloma work with a small group of long-time and new collaborators including the producers Patrick Wimberlyand Detonate, songwriters Ed Harcourt, Starsmith, Tre Jean Marie alongside the producer and songwriter MNEK and friend Josef Salvat.

This record is more than an album about relationships. It’s a rumination on sickness and loss.

It’s about finding your way back to romance within a long term relationship.

It’s her most confident record yet from a female artist who’s been in the game for two decades.

2021 will also see Paloma hitting the road again for a huge 26 date UK tour including two nights at London’s iconic Palladium.

This is a new Paloma Faith, an artist who has retreated

0208 865 1922 (London)

within herself and found not the careful, polished veteran of show business - but the 22-year-old art student being led by her own creativity.

Catch Paloma live when she embarks on her UK 2021 tour next September.

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020 - Page 31

www.streetcredmagazine.com

n op n

B

elinda Davids, the single mother from South Africa has continued to entertain audiences every week on Britains Got Talent, now reaching the Semi Finals of the competition.

With her most recent performance of “I Have Nothing” closing the episode, viewers were amazed.

“She blew me away. I felt every word from a woman who didn’t know she was amazing,” one said, “Perfection, and certainly what BGT is all about.”

“To be on Britain got talent away from her two boys is heart wrenching. She is amazing,” another continued.

“This proves that whatever adversity we go through there is always positivity. We must embrace the beauty of life.

Remember we owe to ourselves to keep breathing. Keep living.”

Each week the judges chose one act to go through to the final, resulting in five contestants in total.

They will then be joined by the five winners of the public vote, all who will be announced on the day of the final.

ENTERTAINMENT

Belinda Davids Blows Audiences Away in Britain’s Got Talent

She continues to show why she won BBC’s Even Better Than The Real Thing in 2017 as Whitney, with performance after performance wowing the judges, albeit with Alesha saying “You honoured her in the most beautiful way but controversially it’s time for you to step away from Whitney and show us you.

“It’s about you my darling, you’re just wonderful. It knocked us for six. We’re witnessing something special, it was magnificent.”

Acts in the final could win a prize of £250,000 and a place on the Royal Variety Performance is up for grabs.

Available at www.theticketsellers.co.uk Contact 07717 079 755

www.swishmediauk.com

Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 32 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020

ENTERTAINMENT MOTORS

www.streetcredmagazine.com www.streetcredmagazine.com

Ferrari Portofino M: A Voyage Of Rediscovery The Ferrari Portofino M, the evolution of the Prancing Horse’s 2+ GT spider, the Ferrari Portofino, was unveiled today.

In a move unprecedented in the Maranello marque’s 70-year-plus history, the new car’s premiere took place entirely online.

The build-up to the unveiling included the sending out of a series of newsletters to clients over recent weeks at the end of which they were given access to a platform containing exclusive videos illustrating the concept behind the car, its restyling and main technical contents.

The Portofino M is the first Ferrari to be presented in the wake of the company’s temporary closure due to the Covid-19 crisis, making it the symbol of a voyage of rediscovery.

It is the (re)starting point for Prancing Horse’s pursuit of innovation whilst fully respecting its heritage, passion and constant search for perfection.

TURKISH DELIGHT AS ELFYN EVANS ON TOP OF THE WORLD

E

lfyn Evans conquered the rocky gravel mountain roads in south-west Turkey to score his second victory of this shortened 2020 FIA World Rally Championship season.

More importantly, the Welshman’s dramatic win takes him and co-driver Scott Martin back to the top of the fiercely contested 2020 title race.

With just two rounds remaining in Sardinia and Belgium, Evans now holds a commanding 18-point advantage over his Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT team-mate Sébastien Ogier. ­ The six-time French World Champion failed to score in Turkey after his Yaris WRC retired from a podium position on the final morning with engine

issues.

Defending champion Ott Tänak is a further nine points adrift in third – the Estonian was another to fall by the rockstrewn roadside, his Hyundai i20 suffering a steering failure.

The rugged roads around Marmaris on the Mediterranean coast are always one of the season’s most gruelling challenges and Evans also had his own struggles to overcome – tyre troubles dropping him from second to fourth place on Saturday afternoon.

But with Ogier’s demise and the two front-running Hyundai i20s of rivals Thierry Neuville and Sébastien Loeb both losing time with punctures on Sunday morning’s longest and roughest stage of the event, Evans

Do Your Furry Friends Or Children Ride Shotgun?

Drivers are just as likely to let their furry friends sit up front with them as they are their children, according to new research by SEAT. Nearly one in five motorists say their dogs get to sit in the front, almost as many as the number of drivers who let their children do the same.

Londoners are twice as likely

To advertise

to treat their best friend to the seat with the best view out, with nearly 40% claiming this is where they let their dogs travel.

However, the research found the rear seat to be most popular with their pets, with 38.5% of owners claiming their dogs travel in a rear side seat, while 23.9% draw the short straw with the middle seat.

bounced back to take maximum points.

“It was a tough weekend, but we were there or thereabouts for most of the rally,” he reported. “We thought that it may have been ‘game over’ in terms of victory on Saturday afternoon but we also knew that Sunday was going to be really demanding. We just tried to stay out of trouble and that did reward us.

“Of course, you need a bit of luck to go your way, and I never like to inherit positions from others’ misfortune, but that is very much the nature of Rally Turkey. This may not be my sweetest victory but I’m still very happy. It’s clearly a great result from a championship perspective.”

Just over a third of dogs have to make do with the boot, with 44% of owners in both East Anglia and Northern Ireland seemingly less inclined to get hairs on the passenger seats.

Owners in the North East were the most likely to travel with their dog in the rear seat, with nearly 60% of owners stating their dog frequently travelled in this part of the car.

In comparison, just over a fifth of the nation’s children get to ride up front, with 56% in a rear side seat, a quarter in the rear middle seat and one-in-ten in a third-row seat.

In April, SEAT revealed over half of dog owners admitted to driving more carefully with their dog in the car, with nine out of 10 owners unaware they could be fined £5,000 and receive nine penalty points for not restraining their pets properly while driving.

0208 865 1922 (London)

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020 - Page 33

www.streetcredmagazine.com

LANGEN LAUNCHES THE TWO STROKE T hrilling new British company, Langen motorcycles, will break cover with their eagerlyawaited new model, the Two Stroke, next week at the prestigious Salon Privé.

The event, held from 23rd-26th September at Blenheim Palace, will be the first time the ground-breaking, twostroke, road legal motorcycle has been seen in public and it is great to see the Two Stroke launched at the same event as other beautiful new cars and bikes this year.

The Langen Two Stroke stands out from the crowd. It defies convention by using the latest two-stroke, 250cc, V-twin engine and will attack your senses through the sound, smell and sheer thrill that only a lightweight,

To advertise in The Phoenix

two-stroke can deliver. And its redline?

How does 14,500rpm sound!

The Two Stroke’s heart is produced for Langen by Vins, who are based in Maranello, Italy. The engine produces more than 75bhp (56kW) and 45Nm (33lb.ft). Born from an ‘extra-curricular’ passion project from members of the Ferrari research and development department, the CNCmachined engine has been developed over the last five years and suits the Langen Two Stroke perfectly.

A combination of fuel injection, ECU-controlled oil injection, carbon fibre reed valves and electronic exhaust valves enable the engine to produce eye-watering performance figures, yet within an environmentally-friendly set up as a highly tractable, road legal motorcycle.

MOTORS

Regent Street Motor Show Postponed Until 2021 Next month’s Regent Street Motor Show has been postponed until 2021 as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Staged annually on the capital city’s premier shopping destination, the hugely popular single-day event has long been the UK’s best attended free-to-view motor show.

In recent years it has regularly attracted around half a million enthralled visitors as tourists and shoppers rub shoulders with more serious car enthusiasts on a trafficfree Regent Street.

As tradition dictates, this year’s celebration of motoring past, present and future was scheduled for the Saturday (31 October) before the much-loved RM Sotheby’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, which will take place on Sunday 1 November, complying with the latest COVID-19 guidelines.

“Following a detailed feasibility study regarding the running of the 2020 Regent Street Motor Show, it is with regret that we have reached the difficult – if understandable – decision to postpone the Show until next year,” explained Nick Wigley, CEO of Goose Live Events who organise the automotive showcase on behalf of the Royal Automobile Club.

0121 339 5885 (Birmingham)

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 34 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020

ENTERTAINMENT

www.streetcredmagazine.com

Stormzy dedicatES video to Black Panther Boseman B ritish superstar Stormzy has dedicated the video for his song Superheroes to Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman.

The multi-award winner said the late actor, who recently died after a lengthy battle with cancer, would be "forever a superhero in our hearts" in a caption at the end of the promo.

Introducing the video, the rapper told fans: "You are a superhero in your own right, and don't ever forget that."

The animated video includes references to Black Lives Matter as well as fellow rappers Little Simz and Dave.

The track's lyrics also mention singer Nina Simone and Noughts and Crosses author Malorie Blackman.

On the track, taken from his 2019 album Heavy Is the Head, he sends a message of encouragement to "young black kings" and "young Black Queens" - ordinary young people who may be struggling but are heroes in their own lives.

In his introduction, Stormzy said the track was inspired by his realisation that role models had been all around him growing up.

He said: "We're all superheroes.

As much as we come from where we come from, we might be

Birmingham Hippodrome And The Southside Building Unveil Spectacular New Mural

B disadvantaged, we might have so many obstacles in front of us, you are a superhero in your own right, and don't ever forget that. Those little skills that we have, those big skills that we have, those talents, those things that often go ignored, that makes you a superhero..

"I wanted to make this video to basically inspire you guys, to let you know that the sky is the limit, to let you know that all those things inside of you make you

incredible."

The video, which was directed

by Taz Tron Delix, was shown at schools in London, Glasgow, Dublin and Manchester.

Boseman played Marvel's first Black superhero and his death prompted a deluge of tributes from his fellow actors plus politicians and many others around the world.

Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o wrote a stirring tribute to her late Black Panther co-

star Chadwick Boseman, calling him a man whose power will ”reverberate for generations”.

She went on: “I write these words from a place of hopelessness, to honour a man who had great hope.

“The news of his passing is a punch to my gut every morning.

His power lives on and will reverberate for generations to come."

i r m i n g h a m Hippodrome and The Southside Building have unveiled a spectacular new mural as part of this year’s B-SIDE Hip-Hop Festival celebrations.

Birmingham Hippodrome partnered with The Southside Building, a new creative office space, to commission a large scale artwork by renowned Birmingham based graffiti artist Zuke that champions creativity and expressive art.

The Southside Building was refurbished by Paloma Capital to provide a range of spaces designed to appeal to the creative, media and tech industries and bring businesses and individuals together, from start-ups to established firms.

Its shared passion for

expression and culture was a key driver in its decision to support Birmingham Hippodrome’s B-SIDE HipHop Festival.

Jeremy Thiagarajah, Paloma Capital, said: “The new mural is fantastic. We are passionate about ensuring that local talent, businesses and individuals, such as Zuke, have access to an engaging environment in which their creativity can thrive. To team up with the Birmingham Hippodrome to provide this opportunity is extremely rewarding.

“Our mission with the Southside Building was to provide a bold and creative space which has its own unique character and feel.

Zuke’s mural expresses that perfectly ”

Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com

@PhoenixNewsUK

The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020 - Page 35

ENTERTAINMENT

www.streetcredmagazine.com www.streetcredmagazine.com

T

The Art of Journaling

T

he mind is magnificent as it is destructive. Anything and everything can be achieved or destroyed by a mere

thought.

Huge planes can be pulled (look at Dave Gauder’s site www. dgangelofstrength.co.uk), and people can easily press the destruct button by a mere thought.

Your thoughts can be cruel but also truly amazing.

By bringing out these thoughts on paper releases negativity, pent up emotions and allows us to express ourselves completely.

Journaling is not only good for the mind and a healing process, but also helps professionally - It can help you maintain goals and show you how you are developing and growing in your chosen work.

By journaling regularly whether for personal or professional benefits, it allows you to organise your thoughts and notice patterns of behaviour which can be focused on and addressed.

Regular journaling assists with stress, anxiety and can help you manage your day to day life in a more positive way.

Make sure that you buy a Journal that you want to write in and use, and treat yourself to a nice pen. It will encourage you to get into the habit of journaling.

You can write a few lines or a few pages - this can be written at anytime and anywhere.

Don’t worry about the content, grammar or subject.

Write from your heart. No one is going to judge you, your journal is private and for your eyes only.

The first sentence is always the hardest, be kind to yourself and let the words flow.

Make sure you date the top of the page when you begin , so you can always look back to see how you’ve progressed.

Set yourself time and space to unwind

if you can, to write out what’s in your mind. Put it down on paper.

Journal about good things, happy times, your creative moments, be artistic, journal to vent your anger write it all down, get rid of it from your mind, de-stress.

Journaling allows you to see things in a much calmer way, there are many variations on Journaling, here are a few examples.

Unsent Letters

Write a letter and express what it is that’s upsetting you. This allows you to ‘pour your heart out’ and release any fears you may have about relationships/ work etc. This letter will never be sent.

Bullet Journal

Great for people that love to write lists , bullet point sentences filled with ideas, inspiration and creativity.

Gratitude Journal

Journal about what it is that you are thankful for in your life , write down 1020 things every day.

Dream Journal

Dreams are a bridge between your conscious and unconscious mind.

Journaling can help to untangle and make sense of your dreams.

Try and keep a Dream Journal by your bed and when you wake you can make notes of your dreams.

his month I invite you to check out my coping strategy for your own personal emotional MOT. Building your strength at home allows you to fight exhaustion and helps to build your immune system that allows you to fight back in your new gym against the emotional stress and pressure cooker atmosphere of the Cornavirus pandemic.

All around me I see and hear people that are struggling to deal with the emotional upheaval that this pandemic has thrust upon us all.

People are having to manage the various unusual situations that are happening and this impacts on a variety of ways on individuals. To ignore this it can lead to so many other mindfulness issues.

To feel emotional exhaustion is a totally normal reaction and we have to find a way to manage and revitalise the body and the mind.

So when you are feeling run down and mentally drained with this new phenomenon in a Covid World and your sleep patterns have been altered, your priorities both at home and in the workplace are or have been changed in a such a way that the pressure is mounting and the ‘mind monkeys’ are constantly with you.

Now is the time you must be aware of emotional as well as physical exhaustion. Your body and mind needs time to repair itself and you can help with this process.

The first thing you must do is to break the wall of pressure around you starting with switching off from the negative mainstream media and where possible your own social media to give you the breathing space to ease back and to buy yourself some time to think about positive me time.

This could come in a variety of ways but the common denominator is to have a

MADE BIRMINGHAM IN

I

WELCOME TO THE BIG DAVE REPAIR SHOP

BIG DAVE’S SAFE PAGE

Mind, Body & Soul forward thinking positive outlook to reach out to want to pull yourself out from the despair you may be feeling.

The mind is the highest level of strength and fuels the desire and gives you positive

energy that you need to overcome the negative and often complex mind monkeys.

Big Dave prescribes this approach to help boost your own endurance and immune system using exercise and nutrition for your physical and mental health.

Most gyms have their own barriers to

entry but you can supplement their use by using everyday objects and surroundings to help with your daily fitness routines. So we need to adapt and train smarter. See more about this on my website www.bigdave. online Nutrition does play an important role in helping to build and boost your immune system which you need to fight any virus including Cornavirus and we should all be looking to increase our bodies capability to fight infections of all types.

Healthy eating is no longer a trendy fad; this is a reality in all our lives. Whether you are young, middle aged or older we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to take care of our body and our mind.

There are more details on healthy eating and building the immune system on my website above.

Stress can lead to so many other problems as it can set off a chain reaction of health related issues, i.e. diabetes, sleep disorder, dental, skin, hair, nails, heart and lungs etc but of course stress is also a killer and affects the mind which is not always visible to others.

Your mind is your gearbox and if your gearbox is malfunctioning your body will not respond in the way that you want it to.

So once again mindfulness, nutrition, deep breathing exercises as well the exercises that can be found on my website which I prescribed can help to get you back into top gear and functioning with a positive outlook in harmony with your body and mind.

Big Dave - Made In Birmingham - Mind, Body & Soul.

Career Journal

Journal what you want to achieve, where you want to be, your ideal job/ company to work for, or if you’re setting up in business, journal how and when you’re going to start, what it will look like - it will enable you to gain clarity and purpose and keep you accountable on that journey.

Remember always put the date at the top of the page so when you look back to reflect, you can see how far you’ve progressed.

What are you waiting for? Have Fun!

Send your stories in to newsdesk@thephoenixnewspaper.com

thephoenixnewspaper.com

Page 36 - The Phoenix Newspaper - October 2020

ENTERTAINMENT

www.streetcredmagazine.com

YOU ME AT SIX announce seventh studio album

Strictly’s Blackpool special cancelled T

You Me At Six return with the announcement of their eagerly anticipated seventh studio album, ‘SUCKAPUNCH’, due for release January 15th.

Matched with new single and music video ‘Beautiful Way’, the band have also revealed UK headline tour dates beginning in May 2021.

Following the punk energy and bite of ‘MAKEMEFEELALIVE’, ‘Beautiful Way’ arrives in a cathartic burst of visceral emotion, accompanied by stunning visuals inspired by the ancient concept of the ‘Red Thread of Fate’.

Both tracks exemplify the soul-bearing nature of You Me At Six’s explosive and shape-shifting seventh album, ‘SUCKAPUNCH’.

After a tumultuous period of emotional blows, leaving the majority of the band getting to grips with new life scenarios, the new album is rooted in reflection and redemption, and sees You Me At Six harness those darker experiences as a catalyst for creativity, empowerment and positivity.

Lead vocalist Josh Franceschi says: ‘We have been in the pursuit of happiness for quite some time, both collectively and individually, only to discover that happiness is more than just a state of mind.

We had to face our pain head on and carve it into something positive. Our seventh studio album is the result of us finding peace and acceptance of what’s been and gone.’

Recorded over five weeks at Karma Sound studio in Bang Saray, Thailand, the band arrived armed with dozens of songs, loops and ideas, eager to push the experimentation of their 2018 UK Top 6 album ‘VI’ further.

Continuing their creative relationship with that album’s producer, Dan Austin (Biffy Clyro, Massive Attack, Pixies), the results are brimming with ambition.

All of it springs surprises.

‘SUCKAPUNCH’ is the sound of a band embracing change.

You Me At Six have crafted their most experimental, personal and progressive record to date.

he annual Strictly Come Dancing special in Blackpool will not take place this year, the BBC has confirmed.

A BBC spokesperson said while contestants would not physically go to Blackpool's Tower Ballroom in 2020, they would still be "celebrating the iconic venue" from Elstree studio.

It follows changes made to the show due to coronavirus restrictions.

The new series will be shorter than usual and contestants will be staying in a hotel for two weeks ahead of pre-recording all the group dances.

Strictly's annual special at Blackpool, filmed in one of the country's most historic ballrooms, is seen by contestants and the professional dancers alike as one of the highlights of the series.

The show has filmed at the venue since 2004, taking regular breaks.

However, since 2013 there has been a Blackpool special annually.

Blackpool is renowned for being a home for ballroom dancing, having hosted the Blackpool Dance Festival since 1920. That event is taking place online this year as a result of coronavirus.

The BBC spokesperson added: "Blackpool is a milestone moment in every series of Strictly that our audience, our celebs and professional dancers look forward to.

"Whilst we'll be unable to

To advertise

physically go to Blackpool this series, we'll still be celebrating this iconic venue and bringing it to life from our studio in Elstree."

It comes after former home secretary Jacqui Smith was confirmed as the 12th and final celebrity contestant for 2020.

Smith will join with stars including Bill Bailey, Clara Amfo, and HRVY.

0208 865 1922 (London)