The Student Pocket Guide London Edition Winter 2016

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WINTER 2016

LONDON ISSUE 32 In association with:

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS

Ella Eyre THE MACCABEES NAUGHTY BOY THE HOOSIERS MAVERICK SABRE RUSSELL KANE DAN WALKER SONNA RELE SUN ARCANA

ALSO INSIDE

STUDENT DISCOUNTS EXCLUSIVE COMPETITIONS

2016 MOVIE PREVIEWS STUDENT CONFESSIONS ACCOMMODATION ADVICE DR PIXIE MCKENNA - STUDENT HEALTH SCOTT LAIDLER - FITNESS TIPS

First-class work

Comfy double beds to help you shut your eyes. Incredible talks to open your mind. Huge study areas to help you focus.

Exclusive events to give you a healthy amount of distraction.

Private kitchens for cosy nights in. Discounts at local eateries for tasty nights out. All this and more takes shape at Scape.

Head over to our website scapeliving.com and get in touch to find out more.

Mile End. Shoreditch. Greenwich. Surrey.

Earn ÂŁ10 an hour taking part in academic research

Visit: http://participate.london.edu/

It has been claimed that the act of eating a mince pie on Christmas Day is illegal in England. Did you eat a mince pie on Christmas Day in England? Well if you did, we won’t tell anyone. We looked into it and it’s not true anyway, so even if you did, don’t worry about it - not that you are worrying about it. This was actually a law once and it was overturned - you don’t care anyway, right? So let’s talk about something that you do care about… Free cool stuff!

Whether you got what you wanted for Christmas or not, that doesn’t matter as we have some brilliant freebies up for grabs, and you can enter the competitions to win the vast array of giveaways right now! Shopping vouchers, event tickets, gadgets, gym memberships, booze, signed music records, we are constantly oozing with stuff that you can win, for free! Plus, we’ve got some amazing student discounts, offering up to 50% off, helping you save your money and keep your wallet loaded!

As always, we wouldn’t go releasing a new mag without catching up with the stars of the moment, and this term is no exception! Since we last spoke to Ella Eyre just 12 months ago, she’s gone on to win Best Female at the MOBO Awards, she’s the face of the Armani fragrance Diamonds, she’s released a cover song for the 2015 Rugby World Cup, and has stormed the charts with her debut album. It’s hard to imagine someone can achieve so much at just 21 years of age. Not only did we talk to Ella about world domination, but we also caught up with Naughty Boy (who’s been collaborating with Beyoncé), The Maccabees, Maverick Sabre, comedian Russell Kane, BBC presenter Dan Walker and The Hoosiers, who also performed an exclusive and intimate SPGtv gig to a handful of people.

Also featured inside this edition are winter fashion ideas, student art, how to stay healthy, student confessions, fitness tips, alcohol hacks and a lot more! Take a flick through and don’t forget to subscribe – we will love you even more for it.

STUDENT DEALS & EXCLUSIVE COMPETITIONS

NAUGHTY BOY

IS MY HOUSEMATE A BEAR? STUDENT CONFESSIONS

MAVERICK SABRE

DR PIXIE MCKENNA: STUDENT HEALTH THINGS TO DO IN BAD WEATHER

RUSSELL KANE

SUN ARCANA

BECOME A SELF-EDUCATOR

SPGtv: THE HOOSIERS EXCLUSIVE

All Rights Reserved Š The Student Pocket Guide Ltd 2016. The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form. The publishers do not accept responsibility for any of the views or opinions expressed in this guide, errors or omissions which may have occurred, or accept liability for any services or facilities featured. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that all information is correct, changes may and can occur.

I FREE STUFF Here at SPG, we have a team of good Samaritans constantly striking new deals with companies, who give stuff away for free ALL YEAR ROUND! That’s right, we’re constantly giving cool stuff away to you lovely lot, and all you have to do to be in with a chance of winning any of our competitions is to enter online for free – that’s it! Then sit back, and if you’re a lucky winner we’ll give you a call and arrange for your prize to be sent straight to your door!

Competitions are posted frequently on our website and prizes range from gadgets, clothing, restaurant vouchers, books, through to VIP entry to events and signed merchandise.

So what are you waiting for? Like The Student Pocket Guide on Facebook, follow @TheSPG on Twitter and subscribe to our website for free today and start entering competitions!

#InItToWinIt

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£50 GBK Voucher

Back in 2001, three Kiwi guys set up the first Gourmet Burger Kitchen in Battersea, South London, changing the UK burger scene forever.

Now with over 60 restaurants across the UK, they still pride themselves on serving up a variety of handcrafted burgers, combining 100% prime beef, hand selected and traditionally reared on independent farms across the South West counties with the freshest ingredients and sauces made from scratch, every day, in each GBK kitchen. And you can be the lucky person to WIN a £50 voucher to treat yourself and some friends to a meal! So whether it be the classic Kiwi Burger and skin-on fries, or simply a cheese burger on its own, you could be in with a chance by simply entering below!

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WIN a copy of MEAT FEASTS There’s something about the smell of meat cooking that signals a feast - it’s savoury, comforting and tempting. A steak on the grill, a roast in the oven, a casserole bubbling; they make your mouth water.

Si King and Dave Myers, aka the Hairy Bikers, have always been passionate about meat, and this bible is an unadulterated celebration of the fine produce we have available today. MEAT FEASTS includes all their favourite recipes and some new surprises. There are family classics, spicy treats, perfect pies and delicious zingy salads.

Si and Dave love their veggies too, and MEAT FEASTS features some of the very best veg recipes to showcase a Sunday joint or make a little meat go a very long way.

So, you can grab yourself a copy today by simply entering below. Best of luck!

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WIN a Month’s Supply of SAVSE Drinks

Want an easy, great tasting way to get through those inevitable all-nighters and early morning lectures? We have just the thing…

The guys at Savse (pronounced sav-say, in case you were wondering) make cold-pressed, 100% natural, raw fruit and veg drinks that won’t break the bank and they also provide 2 of your 5 a-day. They’re not into fad diets or crazy cleanses, but are there to give you a genuinely healthy drink to help fuel your uni life. They know that with the pressures and pleasures of university, your health can sometimes be put on the back-burner. So, to help boost those over-worked brain cells of yours, we’re giving you the chance to win a month’s supply of Savse drinks.

Not only are they tasty as anything, they’re also filled with nutrients and are perfect for giving you that much needed pick-me-up when your uni dissertation is ‘kale’-ing you softly, (get it?).

To see what you’ll be winning, make sure you tease those tastebuds and check out their full range of flavours.

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WIN a copy of Keith Lemon’s BACK T’FUTURE DVD

A cult classic in the eyes of millions and one man in particular, ‘Back To The Future’ has brought out Keith Lemon’s inner Michael J. Fox. The British comedian has relived everything about the second movie in his documentary ‘Keith Lemon’s Back’T Future’, which aired on ITV 2.

Not only did the documentary smash ratings at over 1.2 million viewers, but it also contains some of Keith’s on screen pals including TV gems such as Gino D’Acampo and Paddy McGuinness. And to top it all off, as well as recreating iconic moments, the crew step foot on the movie’s prestigious locations too. Scroll back to the days of VHS, Keith Lemon has used the timeless inspiration of the video tape to mould his DVD around. And in uniquely styled packaging, ‘Back T’Future’ showcases the documentary in a brilliant and creative wrapping; just be careful your Nan doesn’t try to slot it in the VHS player.

Enter the competition below for your chance to win one of three copies of the production on DVD. So what are you waiting for?

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G I B N I W

rade with the g p u le ty s t a , Kickstart th pend at ASOS s to 0 5 1 ÂŁ in chance to w ng coolness. for semester-lo

S O S A S Y A W THREE TS N E D U T S S P L HE What you wear may not guarantee academic success, but it certainly helps you feel good. ASOS wants all students to look and feel their finest on campus, with fashion that always makes the grade. Here are three big reasons why ASOS is good for students…

1

ASOS.com has you covered with the latest fashion news and daily inspiration. Check out our style and beauty feeds, grab a copy of our magazine and, while you’re at it, give us a follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

2

Our discounts are major – you’ll be privy to some game-changing student offers as well as a cheeky 10% off everything all year!

3

Our bright-eyed ASOS Student Insiders are a talented trio who can get you ahead of the game with the freshest on and off-campus style.

STUD GET 1ENTS 0 OFF %

OS MEET THE AS RS E D I S N I T N E STUD The ASOS Student Insiders are here to rep ASOS on campus till school’s out.

Hand-picked for their knack with clothes, writing flair and ability to eye up the latest trends first, these guys are your go-to for all things student life.

Faye Ellaby @fellaby Studying: Fashion buying and merchandising at Manchester Metropolitan University Hollings.

Trainer of choice? Vans – though I’m more of an ankle boots kinda gal.

Your guilty pleasure style stalk? Rihanna – so much sass!

Jordan Bunker @jordanbunker Studying: Multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University.

Favourite film to watch for style inspiration?

American Gangster with Denzel Washington.

His coat game is very, very strong.

Favourite item you’re wearing at the moment?

A brown vintage suede jacket.

Clarissa Henry @vintagedollrisa Studying: Fashion styling and production at UAL London College of Fashion.

Dream job? Creative director and CEO of my own brand.

The last thing you put on Instagram that got loads of love? My blog post featuring the cosiest Monki jumper dress.

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So, going back to the release of our Freshers’ edition at the end of September 2015, we celebrated our tenth anniversary as the go-to magazine for students all over the country. And now, as we’ve shot so speedily into the New Year, we thought it was necessary to give you a rundown of what times were like ten years ago, compared to when we first began.

From technology in mobile phones, to the wonders of the music industry and everything in-between, we think you’ll find it hard to believe how much the world has moved on since the mid-Naughties. With that in mind, here are the things that’ll conjure up some nostalgia from back in the day compared to the past year...

MOBILE PHONES 2005 – Think back to a time when Snake was the best game on your phone and texting was a chore, yep, the phone of the year was the Nokia 1110.

2015 – From snapping Selfies to “giving it a quick Google”, the iPhone 6S has made life a doddle.

2005 – Jamie Oliver campaigned for healthier school dinners, which eventually led to the demise of the popular Turkey Twizzler. We miss those tasty, meaty spirals of joy.

NEWS

2015 – News was at a plenty: Jezza Clarkson was fired from the BBC and an elusive, multi-coloured dress came to life as a worldwide debate on its colour trended online.

2005 – Facebook expanded to twenty-one universities in the UK and others around the world.

They also launched a high school version in September 2005, which Mark Zuckerberg called the next logical step.

2015 – Facebook is the largest social network in the world with over 1 and a half billion monthly active users.

2005 – The Xbox 360 landed in our homes, alongside CoD 2, FIFA 06, PGR 3 and the new wave of online multiplayer gaming.

2015 – Ten years later, we still love that online multiplayer, and the untold amount of games piled up for the eighth generation of gaming on the Xbox One and PS4.

SOCIAL MEDIA

GAMING

TELEVISION

2005 – Remember when Alfie Moon first walked onto Albert Square with Nana in Eastenders? Well, it was 2005.

Not forgetting that this was also when Prison Break first aired.

2015 – Online consumption was huge and so were shows such as Narcos, Game of Thrones, Better Call Saul and The Walking Dead.

SPORT

2005 – Liverpool lifted their fifth Champions League trophy on a famous night in Istanbul and England qualified for the ’06 World Cup. 2015 – Wayne Rooney smashed the England top scoring record and the Ladies team got third place at the Women’s World Cup.

THE STUDENT POCKET GUIDE

2005 – The Student Pocket Guide was born out of a bedroom in Norwich, and ever since then we haven’t looked back!

2015 – Smashing onto the digital circuit, we celebrated our tenth birthday by launching a new website, showcasing Keith Lemon as our Freshers’ cover and by reaching around 6 million people in the year!

Winter Wardrobe

Black Slim Suit Jacket - £110 Black Shirt - £28 Black Distressed Sid Jeans - £45 Black Chelsea Boots - £45

Black Smart Winter Coat - £130 Dark Green Waffle Texture Jumper - £30 Black Smart Slim Fit Trousers - £25 Prince of Wales Scarf - £15 Black Suede High Top Trainers - £60

Navy Pinstripe Coach Jacket - £65 Grey Five Pocket Slim Fit Trousers - £30

Grey Boucle Worker Jacket - £35 Berry Purple Slim Fit Cords - £30 Black Minimal Backpack - £32 Navy Zip-Up Shirt - £32

Navy Smart Peacoat - £90 Navy Premium Slim Fit Chinos - £30 Red Flannel Shirt - £35

Brown Faux Fur Winter Coat - £120 Patterned Short Sleeve Shirt - £25 Navy Chino Trousers - £40

Grey Fur Coat - £110 Chunky Roll Neck Jumper - £22 Grey Boots with Fringe Detail - £70 Grey Aztec Detail Bag - £100

Fur Collar Cardigan - £70 Cream Wide Leg Trousers - £40 Brown Boots - £50 Beige Fringed Bag - Was £40 Now £25

Cream Fur Gilet - £70 Check Mini Skirt - £30 Cream Tote Bag - £35 Nude Leather Court Shoes - £55

Black Clutch - £15 Black lace Blouse Top -£30 Lace Detail Shorts - £25 Leopard Fur Cape - Was £75 Now £35

Black Feather Necklace - £28 Orange Strappy Top - Was £28 Now £10 Hot Pink Mini Skirt - £38

Brown Fur Coat - £100 Aztec Fringe Clutch Bag - £50 Dark Red Leather Look Culottes - £38 Snakeskin Knee High Boots - £75

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After realising his uni course wasn’t for him, Naughty Boy became a successful creative in the music industry after starting his own production company. From smashing the banker on Deal or No Deal, helping to kick start his career, and now working with the likes of Beyoncé and Ed Sheeran, here is what we spoke about when the SPG caught up with him ahead of 2016...

Hi mate! How is everything going for you at the moment?

Yeah, really good! A really nice positive end to the year. So, feels good! I’m happy about being back on the radio and being musically heard. That’s all I really do - make music and that’s all I wanna be celebrated for and nothing else.

Cool! You started making music in your garden shed a while back, then from there, you won a bit of money on Deal or No Deal to kick start your career; so what we want to know is, how did it feel to be one of the few to beat the banker? I did! And do you know what? It was liberating! The banker just treats everyone like s**t and we spent time trying to figure out who the banker was, and we came to the conclusion that it’s not just one person, it’s like an accountant and a psychologist and all different people who all contribute to what the banker is gonna say. Those are all conspiracy theories, so we don’t actually know. I definitely know that when someone was on the phone, they were putting on a posh voice it’s not someone who really speaks like that. I wanna expose the banker one day... I will find him!

Haha! Make it a personal mission! Yeah, it’s definitely not Noel.

And do you know what? The banker knew things, so he could tell when we were out drinking and going somewhere; they had tabs on us but in a funny way. He knew little things like when I took this old lady to tea once in Bath near Bristol. It wasn’t a date or nothing.

Definitely, it’s a great achievement. And your recent track is called ‘Lose It All’, but what do you think you’d be doing if you came away from the show as a member of the 1p club? Well, it would have never been my

Photo Credit: Jordan Hughes

That’s mad; they must do their research then? It all came full circle at The MOBO’s actually; because the production people were the same crew from my Deal or No Deal show, so they work for Endemol as well. And they remembered my show and me, and it was the first time I’d seen them since the show back in 2007. It’s mad that I bumped into them and they said that I was one of the only people that went on there and actually said that I was going to invest my money in something and made it work, and they said ‘Noel always speaks about you’. I like the fact that I went on there not for money.

I used to be scared of talking about Deal or No Deal because I didn’t think anyone would take me seriously, but now I celebrate it more!

money in the first place, so I wouldn’t have really lost anything.

But I get what you’re saying because a lot of people who go on there spend the money before they have it in their hand. They are the ones who win a penny. I spent my show with no real pressure because I knew that none of it was mine anyway. I think it’s more a psychological-like karma game; there are no questions and no answers, you’ve just got to trust the boxes.

And with your new track ‘Lose It All’, you’ve collaborated with the global icon Beyoncé! How did you go about partnering up with her? To be honest the conversation has been on-going for a few months and the song was actually started by Arrow Benjamin;

he’s a new artist on the song. I just love putting out things with new artists and just to be part of their journey at an early stage, and he was definitely someone I wanted to be on my album because he is incredible. Someone played the song to Beyoncé and she fell in love with it; I think it’s testament to her that she doesn’t need to feature on a Naughty Boy track really, but the fact that she did, shows that the song is always king and even artists like her will put the song before anything else. I think that’s who she is, at the top of her game, because she takes songs very seriously.

We’ve been speaking on the phone and through text; she’s just a normal person like everyone else. I think if you treat people normally, then they’ll treat you the same. I don’t necessarily get star struck anymore, not in an arrogant way.

You’ve worked with even more huge names in the past including Sam Smith, Ella Eyre and Emeli Sandé too. It seems like you kick start a lot of artists’ careers? I’d say I’m just like a passenger in the car. I don’t think I’m driving them.

You know when you’ve got the matchbox and the matches? I’m that bit that just makes it. I think there is something rare about just watching someone’s journey; on my last album I worked with Ed Sheeran, Sam and Emeli Sandé but I did those songs when everyone was relatively new. I did a song with Ed when A-Team came out, so it wasn’t like I was waiting for these artists to become who they are now because I think if you believe in something or someone, you shouldn’t have to wait, you know?

So, what artist or band would you most like to work with next and why? There are two actually; there is one band called Oh Wonder, I don’t know if you’ve heard of them? The track is called ‘All We Do’. I think they’re new... I’ve just heard about that and it really excites me. And also there is a girl called Grace and she has got a song out at the moment called ‘You Don’t Own Me’, it’s the song on the House of Fraser advert at the moment. I just love hearing something fresh. I’m a fan of new artists because it’s such a difficult time at the moment with the bitterness of music and how the radio’s changing. I think it’s up to people like myself to discover rather than follow. If I can put Arrow on a song, it’s his first single and with Beyonce; if I can make that happen, that’s me doing my job.He has got a brilliant vocal on the track! Do you like the song?

Yeah, it’s a great track, really catchy. Wicked. I think it gets people going as well and it’s a top gym track at the moment too.

That would work well as a gym track! Is there a new album in the pipeline for 2016? We can’t wait to hear some more of your music.

Yeah, I’m going to do some stuff in LA this month for it and obviously Emeli is on the album. I’ve done a song with Miguel, and there are a couple of interesting names that I can’t tell you right now.

Have you got a name for the album yet? I do but I can’t tell you. Can I tell you? Na, I can’t tell you! You know why? Cos last time with Hotel Cabana it was just like a concept and more of a fantasy album. It was my first album and they say with your first album you get the art out of you... You spend your whole life building up to your first album but this time round, I haven’t got a concept of the album but I have a title. It’s like a ‘Now!’ compilation, so it’s just a variety of genres and me being the narrator just writing and producing; just exciting artists new and old. I want to be the first producer to do different genres for my own album. Wiz Kid, from Nigeria is one of the biggest artists in Africa and I’ve got a tune with him on there, which is like a rap tune.

Was that the guy who did a track with Drake and Skepta? I loved that! Yeah he did, he’s been here a few times. I’m just keeping it eclectic but I’m not afraid of making it popular. I just wanna please everyone as well as introduce people to other genres and open them up to other types of music. I think that is what we should do as musicians.

Totally agree with that. Going away from music now, you left university during your first semester. What advice would you give to students who go to uni and then don’t enjoy it? Yeah I did. I feel like I chose a course that was related to music but it was the side of music which I was less fascinated by. It was about how microphones work, vibrations and stuff like that, which is all good knowledge but that wasn’t what excited me. I definitely realised I was more of a creative when I started the course. But as an answer, I’d definitely say take more time knowing what you’re going to study before you start. My mum and dad didn’t want to hear about me dropping out because I would have been the first one in my family to go to uni and to do a degree so, when I did drop out, the pressure was on to deliver in some way. I said to my mum and my dad “just give me a couple of years’ to try the creative way, I might be broke for a little

while but after that I’ll do whatever you want!” I think that it’s important to make sure you decide on the right course, and if you have decided the right course and the subject isn’t a problem, I’d say let your guard down because uni is a fresh thing. You’re gonna make new friends and meet new people. But some people don’t make the kind of connections they were hoping for, so I think letting your guard down is key. It’s like school again, there are gonna be different cliques, and different subjects so don’t be afraid to be yourself.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL INTERVIEW

Things to do when the weather outside makes you want to hibernate...

Everyone hates winter. I’m not talking about happy fun Christmas winter. I’m talking about horrible, bleak cold January.

If January was a guest at a party, he would be the guy who brings exactly 3 cans of beer and then takes them all home with him at the end of the night. But there are things you can do to make this time of year slightly less miserable.

Netflix Binge Ok, let’s start off with an easy one. If the weather is terrible, snuggle up on the sofa. Build a fort with your duvet and just watch TV till your face falls off.

Ok, Ok! Telling people to just watch TV isn’t that creative. But why not try something new? Ask friends for recommendations, go back to some old favourites or comedy classics. Be brave and try a new genre! Who knows, you might end up really digging romantic comedies.

Curry Night Being a poor, suffering student you might not have enough cash for a massive Indian takeaway. So make it at home for a fraction of the price!

There should be at least one Asian supermarket in the town centre, sometimes down a few backstreets.

They will have some spice mixes to get you started. Grab a big bag of rice from the supermarket along with some chicken thighs (more flavour and cheaper than breast meat) and any other ingredients you need. Get someone else to sort out a few beers and you’ve got a great evening!

Join a Gym With discounted memberships for students, your campus gym should be a fairly cheap place to get some exercise in the warm and dry.

Exercise will make you feel better, as it is proven to release endorphins, which is the happy chemical in your brain. Also you might want to spend a bit of time on the treadmill to work off some of those curries and beers you’ve been putting away...

Go Down The Pub It’s warm and you’ll be supporting the local economy.

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At only 21 years old, Ella Eyre is fast becoming a national treasure. As the face of the Armani Diamonds fragrance, the voice of England’s Rugby World Cup campaign and also shooting up the charts with her debut album, she took the time after just finishing her third tour to chat to us about her two cats, bad times with tequila and her crazy trainer collection...

Hi Ella! How have you been? Not too bad thank you, it’s been really cool. It’s been an amazing year being able to reflect on it. It’s quite mad how fast it has gone; I remember January 2015 like it was just yesterday!

It has gone fast hasn’t it really? So, we last spoke to you early in 2014 and this year, you’ve been absolutely smashing it! From becoming the face of Armani Diamonds perfume, to singing the official England rugby anthem! How long do you think it’ll be before you achieve world domination? Ha-ha!

Not long hopefully. I’m really excited to get into album two just because album one was like an experiment. It was like me finding my feet in terms of the artist I wanted to be and the music that I wanted to create. I think if anything, I learnt a lot more about what I didn’t want. So I’m really excited to get started on the next one really.

Brilliant! We’re really looking forward to it. As you said, you’ve released your debut album ‘Feline’ and you have concluded your third headline tour as well. If you

had to choose one, what would you say has been your personal highlight from 2015? It’d probably be winning my MOBO. It was just completely out of the blue, mainly because the line-up was so strong.

Jess Glynne had a great year, so did FKA Twigs, so that was a complete shock. It’s amazing the power of the fans because votes are fifty percent fans and fifty percent panel, and it’s just incredible that people consider me to be the best female for that year for the MOBO’s. So it was an incredible thing to achieve and I was in total shock really!

Congratulations! You actually presented an award with Cee Lo Green too

didn’t you? Yeah I did, that was crazy as well. I’ve never really done anything like that before and if you watch it back, you can see I completely fluffed my words. But it was still really cool to be on stage with Cee Lo. You performed at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in our hometown of Norwich too! We were lucky enough to watch you and we loved it. But what we want to know is; where did the idea for the Olly Murs jacket come from? Ha-ha! It was totally random to be honest. A friend of mine from school started painting jackets like that and she started painting familiar faces onto vintage clothing, so I just had this idea that I’d run out on stage and surprise him. It was just a funny thing because Olly’s so like that and he’s such a cheeky chap. I actually still have it in my cupboard and I keep meaning to give it to him.

Ha-ha! Do you ever wear it out and about in the streets? No. For a while it sat on the back of my wardrobe and I’d wake up next to his face and I was like ‘eurgghhh’. It was haunting me for a long time.

And if you had to choose a celebrity face to have tattooed on your back permanently, who would you choose and why? That is the weirdest and best question I’ve been asked this year! I would have to say... Keith Lemon, just because he’d totally love that!

That’s crazy, he was actually our last cover; he’s brilliant! Yeah, he is brilliant!

Have you actually got any tattoo’s yourself? I’ve got one on my shoulder. It’s just a sentence in Maltese because I’m half Maltese; it’s got a deeper meaning which would take a while to get into.

Cool! Sticking with the theme of your outfits, you seem to love sparkly cat suits and trainers. Do you ever get to keep them after the shows? Yeah, most of them.

On my last tour they were made for me by a company called Burnt Soul which was really exciting as well because they were sending them on each show, so I didn’t know what it would end up looking like and what I was gonna be wearing. Every night was a big surprise for me; it was really cool to have a tour like that and to have a different cat suit every night.

They were amazing! Now they just sit in my cupboard. I’ve got a cupboard full of cat suits!

How big is your trainer collection?

Personally, I don’t think you can have too many pairs! I don’t actually know anymore, I think I’ve lost count. I have twenty-eight pairs of Air Max alone!

That’s mad! That’s nearly one for every day of the month? Something like that, but I have acquired at least twelve more since then!

Back to your music now, and with your album released and your tour over, are you having a bit of chilled time at the moment before you kick back into 2016? Kind of, but not really because there are end of year corporate shows and stuff.

So I’m busy, but not to the outside world if you know what I mean? I

haven’t stopped and it’s generally a lot of private gigs at the moment, and in and out of the studio. I’m off to LA next month and I’m just busy milling around, but it’s really cool to spend a bit more time at home and I’ve just bought my own house too.

We noticed on your twitter you’ve been out partying and tweeted ‘Tequila is not okay’. Did you have one too many shots that night? It wasn’t that I had one too many shots; it was just that one shot of tequila is not okay. It tastes horrible! You know how everyone has usually had too much of one particular drink when they were underage? Well, tequila is mine. I think it was one time when I had too many margaritas and I blacked out at my mum’s birthday, and then I ruined it for her. So now, having a tequila shot is probably the worst thing in the world. But I am trying to make myself like it because apparently it’s the only alcohol that lifts you up.

You’ve got to go out and celebrate your success! Have you got any funny drunken stories you can tell us? I don’t really remember many of them to be honest. Do you know what? My hairstylist is the funniest drunk in the world! It doesn’t matter what level of drunk you get to and how stupid you are, she will always out-do you. So you’ll always forget the stupidity you’ve done because she’ll be a hell of a lot worse.

Ha-ha! Sounds like a good mate to have. Also on your twitter it states

you’re ‘addicted to sushi’ and we read that your mum is a baker and your dad is a chef, so do you think this is where your love of food stems from? Probably, yeah! My mum’s surname is Norris and they call her ‘Nosher Norris’, so my love of food comes from many angles of my family. My mum’s not a big fan of sushi and my dad only eats fish that he’s caught himself, so I don’t know where the sushi thing came from?

You have quite a cat theme going on what with the ‘Feline’ album, the cat suits and lion like hair, so what we want to know is, if you had to choose another animal for a theme, what would it be? I’m going to say a shark. Because I think sharks are misunderstood and there is so much more to them... That was a really deep answer!

Talking deep about sharks, ha-ha!

Your hair must take ages to do

too, so how long do you actually have to spend on it to get it at full volume? It really depends on what state I wake up in. It can take an hour, it can take two or it can take three.

There is just a lot of it and if I haven’t maintained it in terms of brushing it and washing it, it can be a bit of a nightmare. There is so much of it and drying it takes forever!

Finally, I must ask, what have you got in store for us for 2016 after such a brilliant 2015? Mainly I’m going to be writing album two, but I don’t want to be on it too long because I just want to get it out there and start touring again with new music. I’ve been touring this album ‘Feline’ for the past two years because it’s been finished for ages, so I’m dying to have some new music for the set and I’m going to try it out at gigs. I’m not going to be quiet for too long.

So, do you think you’ll be following it up with a world tour next time, as opposed to a headline tour? Ha-ha, hopefully! I definitely want to spend some more time in Europe and I definitely, definitely want to spend some more time in America.

Fantastic! Well thanks for chatting to us again Ella, it has been great!

Best of luck for the New Year.

Thank you! You too, bye.

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It is not surprising to hear that the average student gains two stone during their university years. With a combination of heavy drinking, study stress and living on Pot Noodles, you can fall into a routine full of bad habits. There are many simple ways in which you can make sure you don’t get stuck in an unhealthy rut at uni and start getting into those good eating habits.

Get A Recipe Book

This is most probably going to be the best option to start you off.

Choose the recipe book wisely, one that requires gourmet ingredients probably isn’t going to do the job. You need a recipe book that covers the basics, how to make a bolognese sauce for example, and that doesn’t require meals to cook for 3 hours before you can eat them. ‘Nosh For Students’ is one of our personal favourites when it comes to a student friendly recipe book, also ‘Jamie’s 15 Minute Meals’

is well worth a read too. It is quite amazing what you can rustle up in just quarter of an hour.

Avoid Ready Meals

Ready meals are full of hidden salt, sugar and fat so avoid them at all costs. Once you are armed with your recipe book you shouldn’t even need to visit them in the supermarket aisles. Get yourself some tupperware boxes in a variety of sizes and you will be able to make your own ready meals which you can freeze and eat for dinner another time. This is also one of our

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top money saving tips - getting three or four portions out of one batch of ingredients means you can eat for nearly a whole week.

Choose Whole Wheat

Whole wheat foods (brown pasta, rice, bread etc) are now widely available in supermarkets everywhere. You’ll find that rice, pasta and bread will become your meal staples and this subtle change from white to brown will make sure you are getting healthier options.

One of the main differences between white and brown is that brown will have more fibre, which is easily digested, so lower in calorie content.

Add Vegetables

Make sure you add vegetables or salads to your meals. You can prepare fresh vegetables or buy them frozen. It has been widely reported that frozen vegetables are in fact healthier than fresh because they have retained more of their vitamins and minerals by being frozen. It is an added bonus that you can buy frozen veggies for a lot cheaper than fresh veg, but either will definitely be healthier than adding chips to every meal.

Make Your Sauces

As we said before, it is surprisingly easy to make your own bolognese sauce. Combining onions, tinned tomatoes, garlic and a few other bits

and bobs makes a delicious sauce that is cheap, tasty and healthy. You know how much salt you are adding (if you need to add any at all) and you find there is absolutely no need to add any sugar, which is what you often find in a jar of shop bought bolognese sauce. Once you master making your own with tinned tomatoes you have the base sauce for lasagne and chilli con carne too.

For the chilli con carne, just add some chilli and kidney beans for the Mexican kick. Leading on from this, the chilli sauce is then the base for tacos, fajitas and enchiladas! So learning how to make that simple sauce gives you loads of meal possibilities.

Vitamins

If you really think you are not getting all the essential nutrients from your diet then there are many vitamin supplements which you can take to help you out. Vitamin C is great for protecting cells and keeping them healthy and vitamin D helps keep your immune system functioning properly. Omega 3 is something you find in fish oils, but say for example, you don’t like fish, you can take a supplement to still get all the benefits. Fish oils are reportedly really important for your brain’s memory and performance which is a bonus when you’re studying hard.

James Benn Illustration.

5 reasons to own a slow cooker It’s winter. It’s cold and miserable outside. If you need inspiration for that essay on Stalinist Russia just look at any town centre during January. But I’m happy. Wanna know why? Because I have got a massive pot of stew waiting for me at home. No, I don’t have a butler. No, I do not live in a fancy restaurant. I own a slow cooker. And my life is frickin’ magical.

1) You have hot food waiting for you when you get home.

Here’s how slow cookers work. You throw a load of food in them, turn them on and then a few hours later, holy-hell you have a huge pot of delicious stuff to eat. You can put stuff in them in the morning and when you come back after lectures starving hungry your food is RIGHT THERE WAITING FOR YOU TO SHOVE IT INTO YOUR FACE. OM NOMNOMNOMNOM!

2) They are cheap to run.

Having a slow cooker plugged in for 8 hours uses up MUCH less energy than one hour with the oven switched on. Electricity costs around 15p per kWh, so using an oven for an hour to cook your stew will cost around 30p - depending on your temperature. A slow cooker, which uses around 0.7kWh over the eight hours cooking time as an average will cost a third of the price, at 10.5p. (Source: Telegraph Sophie Christe 22 Nov 2013).

3) Cheap food can taste good.

Cooking things for ages can really bring out the flavour. Vegetables can break down and become delicious soups. Lentils, chickpeas and barley are all fairly bland and cheap ingredients - but when put in a slow cooker for a few hours they can REALLY taste good. Trust me. You can also freeze things if you have extra portions for super thrifty nommings.

4) There are a TON of easy recipes.

You know how Google works. There are entire online communities out there dedicated to slow-cooking. While you might not want to dedicate your whole life to this appliance, you can still benefit from loads of recipes for a massive range of dishes, where the hardest step is “throw the stuff into the slow cooker”.

5) They aren’t even that expensive!

Yes, you can spend a million quid on a slow cooker. But just like every kitchen gizmo there is a massive range of different options. Argos do one for less than a tenner for a low-end model. If you are really strapped for cash, club together with housemates to get one. Making meals together will also make things cheaper, and eating good hot food together will make it taste a million times better as well. Trust me.

Illustrations by Dan Bee.

SINGLES BADGE

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Words: Jack Shannon

At SPG we’ve covered a range of advice topics - from diet, study tips, budgeting, staying safe and relationship advice.

Well now we will tackle that common student problem where you think that your new housemate could be a bear.

WHERE DID YOU FIND THEM? Bears hardly ever use social media, so if you found a housemate on Facebook you’re probably ok. That being said, they do occasionally use Twitter: twitter.com/BearGrylls, twitter.com/A_single_bear For future reference, bad places for recruiting potential housemates include zoos, caves and the Canadian Rocky Mountains. If you found your housemate in any of these locations you need to seriously consider if you are in fact living with a bear.

CHECK THEIR CUPBOARDS

Ok, no-one likes a food thief. But you’re not stealing the food, you’re just looking at it. Like a food voyeur.

Anyway, the point is don’t get caught.

If they are an actual student and not a bear then their shelf of the fridge and cupboard space should look something like the following: Half an empty jar of value mayonnaise, gone off milk, several tins of value beans, pasta and sauces.

If they have several whole salmon, nuts and berries, a gallon of honey and half a racoon - these are all warning signs that your housemate could be a bear.

WHAT CLUBS AND SOCIETIES DO THEY BELONG TO? Clubs and societies are great ways to meet new friends and do cool stuff. But they can also be a hiding place for bears to integrate themselves into student culture. Any of the following should ring alarm bells: Climbing society (bears climb trees), swimming teams (bears are great swimmers), The Green Party (bears have a vested interest in preserving the environment) and Ultimate Frisbee (bears CAN’T GET ENOUGH of Ultimate Frisbee)!

If it does turn out that your housemate is a bear then tell the student advice service on campus immedietly. They will have dealt with this before and can help you in this difficult situation. Good luck and take care.

-Jack “Totally-not a-bear” Shannon.

RUSSELL KANE INTERVIEW After releasing a brand new DVD at the end of November and now preparing himself to embark on another UK tour, Russell Kane took some time out from telling jokes to chat to us at the SPG about conducting first dates, his pug life and why he got into comedy...

Hi Russell! How’s everything going for you at the moment?

Yeah, it’s banging. It’s banging like a tribal chief on a drum when you walk into an African village, that’s how banging it is.

So, first of all, can you tell us a bit about your new DVD? So what I noticed after doing five tours (in between my last DVD and this one) is that British people are strange. We only seem to have two gears. Either we’re introverted, wearing a top hat, apathetic, embarrassed, and unable to express ourselves, staying in and detoxing, drinking tap water or... we go mental. We don’t have an inbetween gear.

Now I always thought that’s what all countries were like, but no, just take a trip to Europe and you’ll see people in cafe’s on a Wednesday afternoon sharing a bottle of wine, having a moderate amount of alcohol, but this is unknown to the Brits. We’d rather stay in all week, eating cereal, doing f**k all, then getting spanked off our t**s on a Friday night. People who go to festivals detox for the whole year, just so they can hoover every chemical on the planet and go for it for three days. Once I saw this insight, I realised it wasn’t just drugs and booze. We’re like it with food, box sets and our economy for f**k sake. We’re either Gordon Brown or David Cameron. You know, one minute we’re like Drake doing a champagne spray party with money raining in Vegas and the next minute, you’re counting beans in an icy attic.

Sexually, we’re like it - particularly

the women who go, ‘’Excuse me, I won’t be called names like that’’ and then go to Faliraki, catch chlamydia and then come home again. We just don’t have an in between gear, we’re f**king nutters. It started with the ration book in World War Two and we’re locked on it.

So the whole show comes from that insight. It goes off on tangents and as with me there is loads of improv.

Sounds brilliant, if you had to sum it up in three words what would you say? High-energy hilarity.

Not only that, but you’re on a tour called ‘Right Man, Wrong Age’ soon, so what era would you have most liked to be alive in? So the tour starts in February, but I am quite happy with the era I’m living in at the moment, as I don’t feel ‘out of time’ as it were. I’d love to visit the 60’s and if it wasn’t for the really hairy f*****s, I’d love to go to a sex

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party, but the pubes ruin it. It’s free love at the price of unlimited pubic hair, no thanks.

I’m happy where we are, but I know in 100 years time we’re going to look so stupid with our pathetic technology because you can see how brilliant it’s about to become. So, I wouldn’t mind seeing what comes after the Google car and the Google specs, you know, what’s the iPhone 20 gonna be like?

Right man, Wrong Age is about (it’s not yet really written, so it might not be about this)… at the moment, unless you’re very lucky, you never quite feel the age you are. So, for example, when I was sixteen, I wanted to be nineteen/

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I don’t think of myself as a comedian, I’m just someone who puts my actual personality on stage and happens to get paid for it.

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twenty and in the clubs all the time - I wanted to be older. When I was nineteen/twenty and coming towards the end of my degree, I felt like I was twenty-five and I knew my s**t, and I should’ve had money, I should’ve had a mortgage and I wanted a flat. I was always reaching ahead. You never quite fit the emotional or physical age that you actually are; people in their eighties, still feel like they are in their thirties; people who are touching forty, still want to live like they’re twenty-five. I just thought there was something quite funny in the fact that you never quite fit your skin, so it’s a story about growing up and being forced to face who you are. It’s just an excuse to do a banging stand up.

Moving aside from comedy, you’re currently living in Essex. What would you say, apart from the spray tans and glamour, is your favourite thing about the county? Ha! I’m not sure you are moving away from comedy by mentioning that county. But I have to say, I’m in the London borough of Redbridge and I can literally see the

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‘Welcome to Essex’ sign if I go in my front garden and climb on my wall. I am just... just by one hundred meters, classed as living in London. It means I get the countryside but my IQ is unaffected. My favourite thing about round here is that you make such an effort to go out. Everyone’s wearing their nails and all that and it’s like a fashion show; there is something quite funny about it. The pugs, the cars and all that side of it is hilarious, but other than that, the best thing about living on this part of what

is just Essex, is the countryside man.

It’s so important when you do an intense job like mine, to feel like you’re in a country lodge, but at the same time, I haven’t got to get up at 6am if I need to get to a meeting in central London.

Sounds like bliss! As you just mentioned pugs, you have two, so did you dress them up for Halloween? Yeah, I have two pugs: Shakur (that’s my street name), and Colin who we dressed up as a spider ‘cos he’s a black pug, so we just put an extra four legs out of the side of him. We just had a baby three weeks ago as well, so we’re going to get her dressed up as a mermaid because a new born is basically like a slug, it doesn’t do anything. New born babies are so weird - they’re just like a bag of organs with a really gross soft bit on the top of their head.

Would you ever do a tour where you took both of your pugs out on stage?

Oh, I have done before. Colin goes on stage sometimes before I do. The pugs normally go on about 19:55 before my support act, so I get two

support acts - a dog, a human and then me. Colin does this little dance to Rihanna which is pretty cool.

It states on your website that you getting into comedy was ‘a curiosity and a dare’, but what actually made you want to get into the industry? Nothing at all, I’m not just saying that. I’d never been to see stand up, I didn’t know anything about it and I went to the one f**king uni in the land that didn’t even have a stand up night.

Live at the Apollo only blew up in 2004 or something, so alternative comedy only went mainstream like ten or twelve years ago. Before that, it was still like Cannon and Ball and s**t like that on TV, which was the leftovers from old comedy. It was people like Bruce Forsyth and Michael Barrymore, even up until not so long ago, so I grew up and thought that’s what stand up was.

It didn’t relate to me, it didn’t make me laugh and I didn’t know what the Edinburgh Festival was. My dad’s a builder and my mum’s a cleaner - it wasn’t part of our life. We didn’t all sit round on a Friday night and say ‘what cultural event shall we go to tonight’, it was ‘let’s get a takeaway and watch telly’.

If it wasn’t for my love of Anthony Trollope and Charles Dickens, I would’ve never even got to uni. So, like I say, it didn’t really touch me at uni, but I decided I wanted to be a writer. I loved being creative and making up stories, so I ended up working at an advertising agency.

I wanted to be a journalist but I couldn’t get a place anywhere, so I ended up writing copy instead, and I was making people laugh all the time in the office.

Then, my mate Steven said, ‘‘you should do stand up, I dare you to try stand up.’’ I didn’t even really know what it was and I didn’t have any jokes, but he was like, ‘‘Na, just tell them the story you told us last night about what your dad did’’. So I literally Googled the first comedy club, went on a waiting list for two weeks and watched comedy for the first time within that two week period - and that was it.

Whereas if you speak to someone like Russell Howard you’ll get, ‘‘I knew when I was four I wanted to do comedy. In my first scan in the womb I had a jester shaped head’’ and all this s**t, but I didn’t have any of that. I don’t think of myself as a comedian, I’m just someone who puts my actual personality on stage and happens to get paid for it.

On Facebook, you stated that you went for a date night and ended up at The Box. Is this a regular venue for you and your wife Lindsey? This was a few nights ago! It was unbelievable. Bear in mind we had a baby three weeks ago - we’ve got friends that went out on their first night together when the baby was two! And I said to Lindsey, “Look, we’ve got to start as we mean to go on. We’re lucky to have two sets of Grandparents, so we’re not paying someone random to come in. It’s her nan looking after her, we’re going out”. So Lindsey was barely moving from her caesarean scar and I said we’re going out!

So we went out, drank a few cocktails, got tipsy and then Matt Richardson rocked up and he was like, ‘’Right, we’re all going to The Box.’’ We ended up at a table in The Box absolutely rat-arsed! I finished the night dancing on the seats at 2am whilst a live sex show went down on stage – that is a f**king first date night! Are we bad parents?

I don’t know. Hahaha!

Haha! What advice would you give to someone asking a girl out and taking her on a first date?

First dates. Although it’s tempting to take her to watch stand up, or to go and watch a movie, you can get something called a banter deficit problem. I’ve seen a lot of people on first dates take a girl to watch stand up, or to watch a movie that has big emotional experiences in it. Afterwards, your stuff feels small, in comparison to the stuff you’ve seen on stage, so you end up with what I call banter deficit. You go on this great first date and laugh your arse off and afterwards you just feel a bit normal and plain, and that kind of kills the vibe. So as old school as it is, the best first date you can do is drinks followed by dinner, because it’s got that flexibility to get messy - like both getting hammered at dinner and s******g on the first night. Or, it can be banter and civil, and you can

see each other again - it’s flexible enough. If you do something a bit specialist for the first date, like dancing, theatre or comedy, you’re in the danger zone.

Haha! And would you opt for guyliner or no guyliner? No! No, no, no, no! What a wrong turn in my life that was. I started dating this girl who was a bit punky, and I thought ‘oh my God, that’s what I’m supposed to be, I’m supposed to be this f**ked up student, gothic leader’ and I just lost it for six months. Unfortunately, everyone just thinks I dress like that permanently now, but I’ve sorted myself right f**king out.

Russell Kane ‘Live’ is out now on DVD, and Russell will be touring his brand new show “Right Man, Wrong Age” around the UK in spring 2016. www.russellkane.co.uk

ANONYMOUS CONFESSION I Stole your Takeaway and Washed it Down with your Cider

You had such a routine weekly meal pattern, and I loved you for it.

Every Friday before you’d hit the town with your dance society, you’d order in a takeaway; a takeaway which you always pre-paid for online before it arrived at the door.

Whether it was a prawn korma with mushroom rice and a garlic naan (which is conveniently now my favourite), or a succulent chicken kebab with chilli sauce, you’d be keen to have food for when you got out of your room from getting ready.

That was of course until the dinners miraculously disappeared before your eyes, never to be seen again... Or at least that’s what I wanted you to think.

I used to listen to you giving the shops an ear bashing on the phone as I scoffed my way through the silver trays of delight. You’ll never understand how much better they tasted for free.

One time, I even heard you pattering up the hall getting extremely close to my room, so I immediately launched the remaining rubbish out of the window, only for it to land on the bottom flat’s doorstep. I have never felt so alive.

What started off as me being a sole minded, hungry student, then lead to a tactful and investigative blue print plan for stealing takeaways. I became a genuine master for getting a free meal and after the first couple of weeks, I even snuck into the fridge to steal a cider to wash the food down with whilst you were in the shower.

There was no reason behind the whole scheme; it was just a kick for me. My belly over took my mind, food became my life and ultimately, you were the victim of my cravings.

So, nearly a year on since halls life, I’d just like to say I’m sorry. I’m not sorry for the deliciousness I indulged into, but sorry for taking your meals from right under your nose. It’s no wonder you stopped pre-paying for food online, so I guess I owe you a pizza... or ten.

Regards, Anonymous.

It’s warm and you’ll be supporting the local economy.

Send confessions to info@thestudentpocketguide.com

Attention all students! We are about to change the way you look at, use and most importantly, drink booze forever, as we’ve devised a stack of ultimate tips and tricks on how you can hack just about anything to do with alcohol. From filtering your favourite spirit down to its purest form, to recycling the waste you’ve left over, here are the alcohol hacks you’ve always wanted to know with some top secret advice...

It’s no doubt you’ll get a pesky stain somewhere in your flat after that mad party, so grab hold of the left over white wine and table salt to remove it. Mix together and apply to the wounded area, and shebang, the dirt is gone.

Not every uni student owns a corkscrew when they fancy a cheeky bottle of wine, but we reckon you’ll have a screw or two. Twist the screw into the top of the cork and hook it out with a fork.

This is one of our funkiest and most delicious hacks, as not only does it turn your spirit a beautiful colour, but it tastes fantastic too.

Simply gather a load of skittles in the same colour, plonk them in your vodka bottle and leave it for a few days.

The next time you go back to it, the wonder is born.

It has been said that frozen grapes taste better than fresh, so by dropping a few in your wine, not only are you chilling your drink, but you have a tasty treat after your glass full too.

Can’t afford premium vodka?

Make your own.

Just drain it through a water filter a few times and you’ll have a liquid that tastes like it’s fresh from the cleanest of distilleries in Russia.

Warm beers are never cool (literally), so wrap it up in a wet paper towel and dump it in the freezer for ten minutes.

This will quickly cool the booze down, only to be intensified again in that gruelling game of ‘Ring of Fire’.

Those corks you prized open in a previous tip might come in handy here.

If you collect enough, you can make a nice bit of decor. Knock them up in a picture frame on the wall and not only will you express your love for wine, but it looks great too.

It’s a nightmare getting grubby marks on your best wine glasses, so ditch the tea towel and kitchen roll, and leave your drink ware upside down on a wired rack. The air will rise and the dampness will drop o, leaving you with crystal clear glasses.

www.charlivince.com

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Become a Self-Educator So you’re applying for a place at university or college, or you’ve got in. Congratulations! Higher education is a wonderful thing, and it will change you for the better. However, there’s an even more exciting, more vast and more productive university under all of our noses: the University of Self Improvement. I want to explain to you just how powerful it can be.

Did you ever stop to consider that most of the things you learn with a teacher could just as easily be read straight out of a book?

It’s true! In fact, at university, the phrase ‘reading psychology’ is often used interchangeably with ‘studying psychology’ (or any other subject) simply because the course mostly involves reading. However, the problem is most people are always waiting for permission to open the books. They’re waiting for a teacher of some kind to say, ‘Now you’re ready to learn idea x.’ Obviously, this is misleading. In truth, you can learn just about anything as soon as you want to, and all you need is access to the learning materials.

There was a time when books were written and copied by hand.

In pre-printing press days, I’m certain books would have cost a fortune and were the cherished possessions of wealthy people. Today, however, most books can be bought second hand from Amazon for less than a pound, hired from a library, or even downloaded for free from the internet. Never mind the veritable library-in-your-pocket that makes up your e-reader. Actually, it is hard to think of many books at all which can’t be bought, hired, or downloaded extremely cheaply. There has never been such excellent access to knowledge.

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The blockage to education is not access to an institution, it is a blockage in each of our own minds. If you really care about learning advanced mathematics, or the history of art, or philosophy, then you can become a master of the subject. You just have to give yourself permission and go study it for yourself. At university, I was lucky enough to love my degree, but there were some modules which I found tedious and unimportant to my life.

When you make the commitment to becoming a self-educator, you only have to enrol yourself on the courses which are fascinating to you.

In 2015, we have even more than books. If you want something tricky explained there is now more video footage than one person could possibly consume, available on YouTube and the like.

A lot of top universities even post their lectures online. Didn’t make the grades to get in to Yale? Why not see their lectures here http://oyc.yale.edu/about. So many universities and experts are now publishing free content, and once again it is all just one mental hurdle away.

Universities and colleges are wonderful places. The social life can’t be beaten, and so many employers demand the qualifications they award. However, if you’re truly searching for knowledge, just knowledge, then it really is just a thought away.

Perhaps you could even study another subject alongside your course. My advice is to take responsibility for your own education. Don’t wait for permission to learn something, go out there and take it. The possibilities are extraordinary.

For more information about Richard or his services, visit: www.richardharristutor.com / www.tutordesk.co.uk

Here at The SPG we love an exclusive and that’s exactly what we got when The Hoosiers stopped by en route to the first gig of their UK tour, to perform three of their tracks on our sofa! Soon after their extremely intimate gig, we caught up with the cheeky trio to discuss their new album, going on tour and their horrendous snoring habits…

You finished your UK tour back in November, how did you guys feel about going on tour again? Irwin: A mixture of nerves and excitement. Nerves because I didn’t know how all the songs went at the start because the album was so fresh!

Did you practise on the tour bus? Irwin: Yeah that was probably about 90% of the practise!

Any random rituals that you do before you go on stage? Alan: It’s not that random but we always have a big group hug.

Aw… how lovely! Alan: It’s not lovely, it’s quite filthy.

Sam: Our lives have been transformed by the S and C game recently. I think you can call that a ritual and we do that now every time. I don’t think we should tell you the rules though; maybe we should just keep it to ourselves.

Irwin: No they’re students, they’ll dig it, let’s pass it on, it’s a really useful game. It means sometimes we stay up after gigs (it’s like crazy heavy rock and roll stories - up until the early hours). I think 5am is our record so far. It’s word association but you’re not allowed to say any word beginning with S or C… we really do know how to live it up.

Sam: It sounds simple, believe me.

Irwin: Sam would be out for a start with that amount of s’.

Alan: ‘Sounds really simple’ that’s two s’… drink!

Obviously you guys spend a lot of time together anyway, let alone on tour! Does anyone have any annoying habits that we need to know about? Irwin: None… next question!

I’m guessing you do Irwin… any snorers?! Alan: Oh yeah, true… the snoring thing. Irwin does an appraisal of everyone he partners with. You’ll come down in the morning and wait for Irwin to come in and go, ‘’Yeah, 6/10 for your sleeping last night.’’

Irwin: I am a very demanding cosleeper.

So what would you rate Sam and Alan out of 10? Sam: These days…

I’m a changed man, come on! I’ve come along way.

Irwin: Can we talk about the old you?

Sam: Yeah, it’s much more fun.

Irwin: Fat fun Sam – he was a snorer, now, it’s boring Sam. Sam: Silent as a mouse!

You don’t snore anymore?! Sam: No, nor do I smile!

Irwin: He’s miserable as sin but it’s a trade off.

Sam: Smug though, really smug… smiling inside.

Irwin: We’ve broken you.

The Secret Service is your fourth studio album to be released.

How long had you guys been

working on the album? Sam: Less than a year I’d say.

Irwin: There’s a couple of songs that made it on to the album that had been around for years and there’s some that were written recently.

Alan: We wanted to make this album quicker. We’ve dragged our heels between albums. There’s been an average of an album every 3 years almost.

We wanted to be a bit more prolific, so intentionally sped the process up.

How do you guys go about writing the songs? Is there a certain process you go by? Sam: Every song is different. The one that we wrote like five years ago (Dancers In The Dark) I can’t even remember how we wrote it. We’ve been trying to crowbar that one into an album. It was almost going to go into the second album, so that goes back such a long time that I can barely remember. Other ones we’ve written much more recently and much quicker.

Alan: But yeah, it can be Irwin on his own and then sometimes we’ll share lyrics, or bring an idea, or a verse. As we get older and wiser it is worth mixing it up and changing tack, otherwise we’ll write the same song over and over again.

You have 11 tracks on the album, if you had to pick one, which one would you choose? Sam: It’s so boring to say I like them all the same, but I do.

Irwin: Oh that is boring! Booooo!

Sam: Because they’re all so fresh.

It used to be the most recent one I’d like the most. They’re all so new that every song I listen to I go, ‘Oh I like this one!’ So It’s hard to say, but the one I wrote, yeah, definitely that one…

Alan: I’m going to name one! The Most Peculiar Day of Your Life - that’s good, it gets me going.

As well as releasing an album, you’ve also released two new EP’s called ‘The Wheels Fell Off ’ and ‘Up To No Good’, both of which feature five tracks. What can you tell us about the EP’s? Alan: Before we started this process we were gonna just release EP’s, but then we went to the fans and said, ‘What do you want?

Would you prefer, EP’s or an album?’

They voted very heavily in favour of an album, so we decided to do a series of EP’s and then combine them into one big album.

Sam: Keep everyone happy… we do our EP’s, they get their album. >>>

As well as an album and two new EP’s, you’ve also released a limited edition live album. The songs were recorded from your Tour From Nowhere, which you did in London in 2014. Did you always plan to do a live album? Irwin: We’d talked about it for a while. It’s nice to have a marker to stick a flag in the sand and go, ‘that happened.’ We’re very forgetful and we forget how the songs go for a start. It was a really good gig and we

were recording throughout that tour, it made a lot of sense. We partly did it as well as a thank you to everyone as we were giving it away with preorders of the album.

We’re sure your fans appreciated it! Thanks for chatting to us today guys, it’s been great to catch up and we must say… we love the new album!

Watch The Hoosiers live performance

SPGTV If you’re a singer-songwriter or in a band and would like to get involved with SPGtv, email: info@thestudentpocketguide.com

L-FRESH The Lion - Survive Taking Hip Hop to a whole new level, L-Fresh The Lion has stripped down his song ‘Survive’, making for a powerful, yet thought provoking mix on the channel.

Being a young Australian, Sikh rapper, his music has been influenced by the late 90’s/early 2000’s era of Hip Hop.

Evan Taylor Jones - Alike

Born in Inglewood, California, Evan Taylor Jones has brought his soulful singer/ songwriter style to SPGtv with his original track ‘Alike’. Just himself, his guitar and a camera man in the middle of a madly busy Manhattan, Evan conducts a mesmerising performance and get’s an incredible response.

Major Lazer featuring Wild Belle Be Together (Julietta cover)

What a voice! Julietta stages a hair-raising, in depth cover of Major Lazer – Be Together on a soaring roof top in New York, and this version will change the way you listen to the EDM track forever. We’ve belted this tune out a few times to say the least.

Cheekie Bugga - My Colour

Straight out of London, Cheekie Bugga is a Hip Hop lyricist looking to take the industry by storm with his original track ‘My Colour’. In a perfect combination of rapping and singing, this tune boasts about how important it is to be an individual and embrace who you are. Superb lyrics, speedy rapping and a genuinely brilliant guy, Cheekie Bugga is one to watch!

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Hope Murphy - Killed The Love

British singer/songwriter Hope Murphy has blessed SPGtv with her original track ‘Killed The Love’ and it’s an absolute banger. In a style which she’s described as trip hop mixed with soul, and a side order of electronic RnB, she smashes the performance with her striking vocals, and keeps a real bassy vibe throughout.

One to watch !

Nina Simone - Feelin’ Good (Just Millie Cover)

Feelin’ Good? Well, you will be after you listen to this empowering cover of the vintage Nina Simone track by Just Millie. At five foot tall, and only aged 20, this girl can really pack a punch with her vocals, and it’s no doubt she’s already had some renowned success. Championed with a 13th spot on iTunes for her debut song ‘Spanner in the Works’, as well as being compared to Ben Howard, prepare to be enchanted by Just Millie and her acoustic guitar.

Taking influences from the likes of Muse, Coldplay, Radiohead, Foals and Everything Everything, Sun Arcana are a new British Rock band from Essex. With a really great sound, a few brilliant tracks under their belt and a vision of making it big, we caught up with the guys for a quick chat ahead of what will no doubt be a very exciting journey...

Hi guys! How is everything going for you at the moment?

Tom: Very well thank you, got lots of good things coming up for 2016. Our most recent single ‘Alone’ is still doing really well.

You can click www.sunarcana. com/alone to have a listen.

Sounds fantastic, I must ask, where did the name Sun Arcana come from? Tom: The name came from a deck of tarot cards and the sun symbolises happiness and optimism. Whilst the Arcana means mysteries which we thought was quite relevant in what we are doing.

For those that haven’t heard your music yet, can you describe your sound in 3 words?

Harry: Dreamy, mental, riffness.

You’re putting out some really great music at the moment; we especially love the track ‘Oblique’ where you play the guitar. However, we saw that you play the piano in the video for ‘Alone’ too, so what is your favourite instrument to play and why? Tom: Thank you. I couldn’t really choose between the instruments because they’re both very important to

me, especially when it comes to writing songs and it’s great to be able to play both. But I’d say guitar has got to be more fun on stage though.

You recently performed your brilliant track ‘Take What You Need’ for SPGtv as well, but what three things can you not live without on the tour bus? Ryan: Firstly, I’d say my laptop. We’re a band that constantly likes to write. Whether it be a short, 2 bar riff or a whole song, we like to stay active and exchange any ideas that we may have. Secondly, I’d have to say my iPod. Thats something I could never go without, and it helps to kill the time. The last item would be my practice pad.

I like to stay on top of things in my spare time and practicing my instrument is definitely a priority.

And who out of the band has the worst habits? Ryan: Definitely Tom! With his man bag and constant hair touching. Don’t think he goes anywhere without his wax and hairspray!

You’re originally from London/ Essex, but what would be your dream venue to play at? Harry: I think my dream venue to play at would be somewhere sizeable but still has that intimate feel, I’ve never liked the idea that I’m miles away from a crowd. So probably a venue like The Roundhouse in Camden would be a venue I’d love to play.

Aside from touring, you guys put out some really strong and captivating videos for your songs on your VEVO channel. How impor-

Watch Sun Arcana perform their track Oblique on SPGtv tant is it to back a song up with engaging visuals? Harry: I think it can be just as important to live shows and music videos. Having an array of well thought out visuals can bring out the full meaning behind the music, and therefore potentially creating a musical and graphical masterpiece.

We’ve noticed on your socials you’ve been hanging out with the likes of Royal Blood, Noel Gallagher, Everything Everything and Foals, but which artist or band would you have most liked to have collaborated with past or present?

Tom: Yes, I was lucky enough to meet them at the Q Awards this year and I also met some more of my favourite artists. For me I’d say either Matt Bellamy or Jonathan Higgs from Everything Everything. Both are incredible musicians and song writers!

Sun Arcana’s new single ‘Nocturnal’ is out on March 1st 2016, and all other music is available on iTunes and Spotify.

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Party Themes If anyone knows how to party it’s a student. But coming up with a decent theme on a budget can be tricky, so here are our top 3 ideas to get your party started!

1

Traffic Light Party Kicking off our list, we have the famed ‘Traffic Light Party’, which is where you and your guests assign yourself a different coloured circle. Be it stuck to your torso or simply the colour of your cup, the three coded system makes for a match-makers heaven and will easily lead you to becoming the college cupid.

The rules are simple, green means single, amber or yellow is that you’re seeing someone and red equals taken (a no-go zone for you mischievous singletons).

2

T-Rex Party

This is exactly how you should be unravelling some pre-historic banter at your party because the T-Rex theme is not only cheap, but makes for some bone crunching laughter too. Simply tape your thumb and little finger together, and gaffer tape your elbows to your waist. Then, there you have it, a flat full of Jurassic fun, and what’s even better, you spent pennies on a costume.

3 It’s time to get those creative juices flowing again because an ABC party means you’ll be wearing anything but clothes. And we’re talking literally anything, so raid your cupboards to shine amongst your friends in tin foil, hike on the beer box armour as a boozy transformer and get gaffer taped up, because this theme will really bring out the best of your artsy friends. Stick to this one in the summer though, as ABC can be a cold choice of attire in the winter months.

Illustrations by Colette Alexandratos

Meet

Sonna Rele

Starting off as a YouTube sensation with Music Monday’s, Sonna Rele is steaming forward with her solo career and with that, she’s signed to Ne-Yo’s record label too. After performing an exclusive for us on SPGtv, we caught up with her to chat about everything to do with music and how Ne-Yo really came to discover her talent...

Hi Sonna! Thanks for taking the time to chat to us, how is everything going for you at the moment? Thanks for the love and providing a platform to showcase what I enjoy doing.

Things are going well and on the verge of picking up.

people a mood boost after the weekend blues? Most definitely. Generally people do not look forward to Mondays, so I wanted to put a spin on it; like a musical feel-good energiser, which seems to be coming across well.

We noticed that your Youtube channel is getting bigger than ever, and ‘Music Monday’ is now a certified gig. Was the idea behind this to give

So, first things first, you’ve recently signed to Ne-Yo’s record label ‘Motown’ and congratulations! How did he go about getting in touch?

>

"

when you close your eyes at night, your main priority should be to feel happy with each 24 hours.

Well it’s a crazy story. I’ve been doing my Music Monday’s for about the last 2 years without fail. The story that was told to me was that he was checking out new talent and where better than online? Through that search he stumbled across some of my videos and reached out.

He has also described your singing as ‘refeshing’ and ‘unique’ but to sum up, how would you describe your style in three words? Authentic, fun and quirky.

We saw that your inspirations in the music industry stem from legends such as Stevie Wonder, The Beatles and Michael Jackson, but which person, past or present, would you most like to collaborate with and why? Michael Jackson hands down. I think he is a musical genius and performer. Also his song lyrics are so powerful and moving, and he appeals to all ages.

Not only that, but you’ve already collaborated with some industry giants including Ne-Yo himself and Wyclef Jean, so who has given you the greatest piece of advice overall? Ne-Yo, when he told me that it’s not a sprint it’s a marathon. So think long term.

Moving aside from music, you’re a London girl! We love the capital city, but what is your favourite thing about living there? I absolutely love the multi-culturism which allows us to experience more, learn more, and effectively grow more.

And your website states ‘There is nothing that beats a good cup of tea’, so what we want to know is what’s your biscuit of choice? That’s a tough one but I guess I’d have to say shortbread biscuits.

Back to your fan base now, and you have a whopping following of over 300,000 on Facebook and 80 plus videos on Youtube! How does it feel to be so big? Did you ever think you’d come to this? Honestly, I can say my focus is never on the numbers and how big I get unless it’s in direct proportion to me being able to touch people. My thing is just to keep creating great content and make music with depth.

>

Next stop is the single release featuring Ne-Yo, how excited are you about this? Super excited. He is a Grammy award -winning artist, and for me to collaborate with him and merge our talents is a true blessing.

He performed with you on YouTube too! Did he stay round for a traditional Sunday roast the day before ‘Music Monday’?

Actually, yes we had a great meal after filming was done.

We actually shot at his place in L.A on the same day he was throwing a BBQ, so it was as good as having a roast.

Will we see you on tour soon here in the UK? We’d love to come down to a gig and watch

you perform! Without a doubt.

My only focus now is to perform the music I have been locked away making.

Hopefully we’ll see you smashing the top of the charts soon, but where do you see yourself in 5 years time? Doing a world tour and still inspiring others to chase their dreams.

And finally, have you got any advice for our aspiring students today? Any tips on how they can achieve their goals? Like Ne-Yo said to me... ‘it’s not a sprint it’s a marathon’. I would add, ‘when you close your eyes at night, your main priority should be to feel happy with each 24 hours’.

WATCH Sonna Rele PERFORM FOR SPGTV HERE!

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2016 Who doesn’t love treating themselves to a nice little holiday in the New Year? You work hard for the majority of the year, so the least you deserve is a cheeky break abroad to soak up the sights, sun, culture and fun that a few days elsewhere has to offer. From nestling your toes into the golden laced beaches along the coasts, to gazing at the wonderful architecture, holidays and travel are the only way to open your mind to the world today.

And now that we’ve settled perfectly in to 2016, the best thing to do is to get those bookings going. So here at The SPG, we’ve devised a list of five Euro breaks that you shouldn’t be missing out on in your lifetime, and here are the reasons why...

Prague, Czech Republic The famous Czech city of Prague has built a bit of a reputation for being a British tourist capital for Stag and Hen do’s in current times, but it’s not all booze, partying and madness, as the city has so much more to offer. Yes, it may be one of the cheapest places to eat and drink in the world (with home brew larger at 80p a pint and a proven record of cheap meals), but if you ever go, you’ll see the true picturesque style of the cute location. In a perfect contrast between new and old, the city centre boasts a medieval style castle, a cathedral and an array of shops, not forgetting it has one of the best zoos in the world too. So, if you’re looking for a good time, choose Prague, for both culture and partying.

Dublin, Ireland Not only is this the capital of the Republic of Ireland, but this four leaf clover is also the biggest city in the country too. Love Guinness in England?

Then you’ll adore it in Dublin, as the home of the black stuff is certified in producing the most velvety, heaven like taste, and what’s more, you can even visit where they brew the booze in the official Guinness stonehouse (be warned, you may never want to drink Guinness on English soil again after the Irish experience). Being bordered by the glistening sapphire sea, this gem is only a pebble’s throw away from England and Wales, and with such a beautiful place on your doorstep, you shouldn’t be missing out on the Dublin experience.

From outstanding food, to proper pubs, and great shopping, Dublin has something for everyone.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Art, museums, clubs, nightlife, amazing food and welcoming nationals; I don’t think there is one thing that Amsterdam doesn’t have on the ‘Great Holiday Guide’. Possibly the best time to visit is on King’s Day in April, where the city comes alive in a sea of orange - the Dutch go crazy in a hurrah of celebration where they express their culture. Not only this, but Amsterdam is the only place in the world where you’ll see double the amount of bicycles to people (and that’s not even an exaggeration), and with that, the locals are super fit, super friendly and super economical. The narrow roads and rustic buildings make for a maze like eye-opener, and down the lanes you’ll find awesome street food such as fries, pancakes and waffles, as well as superb shopping too! Just make sure you don’t get lost.

Moscow, Russia In a landscape that looks like it’s fresh from a Disney set, Moscow is the single most mesmerising place in Europe for architecture. St. Basil’s cathedral will leave you taking pictures and snapchatting for hours, as the colourful structure seems as though it’s been plucked from a fairytale. As well as being one of the cheaper places in Europe, Moscow has the quirkiest of attractions, as they have a famous ice sculpture adventure with a crazy amount of statues to behold. Fancy a trip to the brilliant GUM store (one of Europe’s largest department stores)?

Then head on the famous metro and shop until you drop! Let’s not forget to taste the Russian’s renowned vodka too.

Barcelona, Spain

Beautiful Barcelona, what a prestigious location!

Where do we start? From having easily the world’s best football team, FC Barcelona, to having the most picturesque cathedral ever, Barca is THE go-to place in Europe. They have glorious, crisp beaches, roof top views that you’d struggle to see anywhere else, Michelin star restaurants, fun bars, massive clubs; you name it, they’ve got it. Settle yourself down in the afternoon with a perfect Spanish siesta and soak up the nightlife with a sip of Sangria, this is a must every few years! To top off the experience, you’re guaranteed warm weather too, so what’s not to like?

So, there you have it. Pick your fancy from those five for your break of a lifetime this 2016, or run with your own holiday choice. All you’ll need is a passport, a few clothes and a pocket of money, and you could make some memories that’ll last forever. Europe has more to offer than you’d expect, so get out and see what is truly on your doorstep.

in associa tion with:

START

Welcome back to START, where we showcase a range of student art, from across the UK.

Jasmine Rawson - Textile Design University of Brighton

Iona Rowland - Fine Art Kingston University

Jack Viant - Illustration Plymouth College of Art

Bethan Woollvin - Illustration Cambridge School of Art, Anglia Ruskin University

Dimitri Bishop - Illustration University of the West of England

Jamie McGaw - Illustration Glyndwr University

START

in associatio n with:

If you would like to have your work showcased in the next edition, send your submission, along with your full name and place of study to: info@thestudentpocketguide.com. If the le size is larger than 1MB please use a third party le transfer service. Otherwise your email might not reach us!

lllustrations: Thomas Camp Words: Psychic expert Lucy Drinkwater

Aries

Great news! Now is the perfect time to start a big project. How big a project? Start at “MAH-HU-SIVE” and work your way up! I formally advise you to start building an extension to your house from cardboard.

It’ll go great!

Taurus

Mars is in the ascent for your sign and Pluto is rampant in the third quarter. Unfortunately I’m not sure what that means so to play it safe, just stay indoors for a bit and watch Netflix in bed.

Gemini

If you were thinking that you should put off doing something, DON’T! That’s not your horoscope BTW, just general good advice. This month, you will need to do a LOT of washing up because your housemate is conspiring to buy a German Shepherd.

Cancer

One of the most important things you can do in life is to try your best. Unfortunately your best is frankly terrible. Take a good long, hard look at yourself in the mirror. Ah, just kidding! You’re pretty cool! Buy yourself some new trousers as a reward.

Leo

Leos tend to be brave and headstrong. Except for you.

You’re one of those people who just goes along with the crowd and doesn’t like to make a fuss. That’s not always a bad thing, but you don’t have to keep dressing up like a cowboy just because your lecturer told you to.

He doesn’t have that much power.

Virgo

After arguing over a pub quiz answer, you will get into a fist fight with the ginger one off of One Direction. He will beat you to within an inch of your life and steal your Oyster card. I’m sorry.

Libra

The sign of the scales, you radiate balance. This month you will need to keep a balanced diet. Especially as last month you ate an entire birthday cake on the bus.

Seriously, have some self-respect.

Scorpio

By the time you read this, most of your clothes will be eaten by moths and you will have to wear nothing but novelty pyjamas from now till your next student loan instalment. Sorry! On the plus side, you look great in Thundercats dressing gowns.

Sagittarius

One day you will look back on this and laugh! Today however, you feel like the universe has just put a mouse poo in your Frosties. Which it probably has.

Keep soldiering on and you’ll be fine. Probably.

Capricorn

Capricorn. Capricorn….Capri…corn? you will invent a great new snack food of old popcorn and discarded Capri-Sun lollies and make millions. Just don’t forget who your friends are.

Aquarius

The signs are hazy. As I peer through the veil of time and space to look into the future. I see…I see a box!

I see an argument! DON’T OPEN THE BOX!

Pisces

Your idiot friend has opened up a box of glitter in your room and even after you move house, it will continue to get everywhere for at least five years.

Sorry….

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Interview by: Tatjana Harrington-Steward

It’s been three years since we last heard from Michael Stafford aka Maverick Sabre, who emerged in 2012 amid a lot of hype with his debut album Lonely Are The Brave. After taking some time out to travel he’s back with a new album and UK tour. We sat down with the singer and rapper to discuss his time out, his return and new sound.

Photography: Danny North

You had time out travelling the world. How important has that been in making this album? It was essential. I was 19 when I signed my first record deal and I thought I knew everything, especially as I always used to tell everyone that this was going to be my career; so when everything started to fall into place I thought I knew everything even more.

How important was it to take control of the “difficult” second album? You can look at things in different ways, you could say I stepped back for three years and lost momentum a little bit. But even if I decided to put out a record when the label wanted and I made double the money compared to the first record, it wouldn’t have paid for what I learned travelling in those three years. It was just me trying to better myself really.

Was it hard to have the hype and success and then take a step back? You know what, I still go to the same pubs I used to and I don’t need any kind of security around me. But you do notice the small things like the mates around you – taking a step back sharpens your view. The past three years helped me realise who in my circuit was affecting me in a negative way.

When did you start writing the album? I was hungover from a stag do in Barcelona when I wrote the first tune for the album. I was able to write the song from a logical sense instead of an emotional one. I began to understand things differently and that was kind of the trigger for the rest of the album.

Do you find songs like Breathe help your personal well-being as well as your music? I used to find it hard to articulate these thoughts so I would get angry or over emotional, so music was like my clarity. It is a great therapy session and my music is a diary of my life. Even when I perform the songs that I might have written three or more years ago, I still find the process therapeutic.

During the break you travelled to India and Africa, did this influence your song writing? It definitely influenced me.

In turn that has influenced how I am around people, the way I am inside and the way I write. The break has made me more open, and to travel with an open mind.

I think if one of these locations hadn’t affected me so much then I wouldn’t be in the place I am right now.

Photography: Danny North

Do you think more artists might benefit from taking the break that you did? I think it depends what you take it for. If you take it to go and get absolutely f*cked, then maybe not (laughs).There’s a lot of people I know that I could say “I think you could take a break, just go and forget all this for a minute.

Bring your guitar, whatever you need. Go write music somewhere and figure out what you want to do in life.” Once you get into this little rat race it can spit you out very quickly and if you’re not sure of yourself you can be left thinking “What the hell happened these last couple of years?” with nothing and no foundation to go back to.

I was writing the second album, I was connected quite closely to Joey and Chronixx. I’d been out to Jamaica with Chronixx and his family, I’d been to New York with Joey and his family. We became like a unit. Their music fits in with what I represent which is truth and honesty, and trying to have a message within my music and hopefully make a positive change.

Yo u ’ v e collaborated with a lot of acclaimed artists in their own right, but is there any particular one whom you feel most privileged, or surprised by? The one that stood out and still stands out is the project with Idris Elba that we did. It shocked me because I didn’t really know too much about Idris before. We got introduced by a mutual friend at a festival in 2013 and all I’d known was that he was Stringer Bell from The Wire, but he’s also a massive music fan. He came up to me and he was like “I’m gonna go to Johannesburg and do a music project, what do you think?”

And I was thinking “I don’t know, I don’t like the sound of that.” You know, when people are having a

“Once you get into this little rat race it can spit you out very quickly”

Innerstanding features artists Chronixx and Joey Bada$$, why did you choose to work with these two rappers in particular? At the time of my first album, I was looking around to see if anyone would collaborate and fit in with what I was trying to say. I’ve got a lot of different friends in the music industry but at the time there was no one that I felt represented what I was trying to do with my music. When

drink at a festival you think they’ll say anything, but it’s not actually going to happen, and then a couple of months later he flew me out to Johannesburg and we spent a couple of weeks out there. There were a couple of us writing with him, George the Poet was out there helping with bits and pieces, there was a massive amount of South African local musicians that blew my mind as well, but the whole experience was a shock.

From the start when I first met him, I never expected I would learn so much and that moment would make such a big change and brighten my whole life.

You broke through at an early age and you were supporting bigger names like Plan B. How did that affect you as both an artist and a person? I’ve been performing since I was about 14. I was an MC on the Irish hip-hop scene when I was a kid, and because that scene was so small we got the opportunity to support G-Unit, The Game and artists like that.

I don’t know how to say it and not sound cliché or blasé about it but because music was around me so much, it was just part of me growing up. It was something that I always wanted to do, it was the only thing that ever really focused me and grabbed my attention or made me feel anything.

So coming over here was obviously a great experience, being on the road with Plan B and meeting Cee Lo Green Photography: Danny North

and Snoop Dogg, it was just more learning curves for me.

I’m still in love with her!” but it’s like you’re still releasing parts of it.

Has success affected the way you write songs at all or do you still get inspiration from the same kinds of sources? I can’t write about me being on the dole anymore, or me at 18 going through a court case, whereas when I wrote my first album, I was writing in that mindset. I feel like I can still reflect on the same issues and the same feelings, just in different senses.

I’ve experienced different things since then so I might not be able to write about the dole queue back in a small town in Ireland, but I can write about going to Johannesburg and seeing the poverty there and seeing how much it f*cking really hit me. I try to put that into my music and make it universal because I want to connect to as many people as possible.

I feel it gives me strength, and that’s because it’s bringing back old feelings, almost like getting rid of them in a sense. It’s still flushing your system out while reminding yourself that you’ve overcome it.

So do you find that the songs you wrote three years ago bring back old memories and feelings?

Yeah, with the new record we’ve only recently started doing a couple of tunes live off it that I hadn’t done before. There are one or two tunes that are very personal about a relationship I was in, and even though I’m over that now, it’s not in a sense that they bring back old feelings. I don’t start going “Oh

Having worked with Idris Elba, have you thought about venturing into TV and film yourself?

I actually had someone approach me to play a stereotypical Irish role, which I was quite tempted to do. I’ve always wanted to do a bit of theatre. I was the only kid in my class who could sing so I got thrown into everything. So you never know, but right now I’ve got a lot more to do in terms of my music before I start thinking about that. If they bring out a Snatch 2 and they want Mickey’s younger brother though, I might be able to fill in there.

Another year can only mean another bout of highly anticipated movie titles, and 2016 is not one to hold back on some of the best names to grace the big screen this coming year. After 2015 brought us an array of all-time greats including the Star Wars reboot and a Bond sequel in ‘Spectre’, this year has a lot to live up to, but from what we can see, it’s going to be massive.

Revival and nostalgia will be at an all time high for you Nineties kids and let’s not forget the crazy number of new flicks we’ll see on the list too, so without further ado, here is a preview of 2016 at the movies...

The Hateful Eight

First Quarter of The Year...

Kicking off the start of 2016 at the cinema we have loads of whopper-sized movies.

Quirky but genius director, Quentin Tarantino is back in the saddle and he’s hitting us with his eighth film, and funnily enough it’s called ‘The Hateful Eight’. We’ll definitely be seeing all of our favourites here too, as in the trailer, it’s been clarified that some returns to set have come from Samuel L Jackson and a heap more of Quentin’s favourite actors.

Not only that, Leonardo DiCaprio’s target of achieving his illusive Oscar could be in his sights again, as he’s starring in a flick based on a true story called ‘The Revenant’, and this is due out in January.

The Revenant

Kung Fu Panda 3

Deadpool

Kung Fu Panda fan? Well, January beckons another addition for the chubby, furry martial artist and with that, Kung Fu Panda 3 will certainly be a light and refreshing addition to the post Christmas blues.

Marvel has really been upping its game in recent years and it’s no doubt that someone you know has a favourite Marvel hero from our era. Be it Captain America, The Hulk, Thor or Iron Man, none are going to compare to the new force known as Deadpool. We can only describe him as deadly, quite graphic and sadistic, but most importantly a breath of fresh air to the hero world.

2016 sees another super film, but who would have imagined Batman versus Superman? In an epic DC Comics duel, who do you think is going to come out on top this March as the two square up? All we know is, it’s a better fight than Mayweather and Pacquiao.

Batman V Superman Middle of The Year...

The months following April are filled with nostalgia and reboots and we love it. So, the first revival of the summer of ’16 is that of everyone’s forestry favourite, The Jungle Book. Gone are the days of hearty, rustic animation and in is the era of fresh and modern CGI, ‘The Jungle Book’ has been blessed with a true 21st Century kiss.

The Jungle Book

Angry Birds

Maybe you’ve played the famous smartphone game, Angry Birds? Well, now it’s turning into a movie and we don’t have a clue what to expect here but it’ll be interesting. Our money is on a bunch of animated birds after some chunky, green pigs, but we could be wrong...

Finding Nemo now has the much needed touch that everyone wanted for the big screen, and it’s back in June with a fresh feature called Finding Dory. I can already picture it now; a cinema full of people in their twenties, joined with a gaggle of toddlers and children. Ah, nostalgia.

Finding Dory

Who you gonna call? No, not Dominos pizza unfortunately, it’s Ghostbusters again. They’re back to blast away ghouls in a town near you this July, so make sure you keep an eye out for monsters under your bed.

The last (and potentially best) film of the summer goes out to Suicide Squad and we genuinely cannot wait for this one. In a controversial choice to bring back the joker, this movie sees a band of Gotham’s darkest criminals brought together for the greater good, but will they behave quite as they’re expected? Margot Robbie, Jared Leto, Cara Delevingne and Will Smith all have roles here, so what could possibly go wrong?

Suicide Squad

Patient Zero

Star Wars: Rogue One

End of The Year...

Thinking forward a bit (just a year, not much), we come round briskly to winter.

Time to snuggle up in the cinema with a bucket of popcorn again, as we’ve got a few decent movies coming here, and it all starts off with a spooky edition called Patient Zero. Straight away, we know it’s about zombies and finding that mysterious cure. Plus, don’t forget Game of Thrones - Natalie Dormer has a lead part, so we reckon this one’s going to be a biggie.

Star Wars came back to us last year with the brilliant seventh episode, so the chiefs behind the franchise have brought in a nice, settling extra. It’s called Star Wars: Rogue One and the story is set around another space adventure; let’s just hope it doesn’t fall over to the dark side this time.

HOUSES OR HALLS? Ahh which one should you choose? Should you live in student accommodation or would it be better for you to rent a house? This is a dilemma many students face, particularly when going into their second year at university. You may not have made up your mind just yet (which is fine), but we think renting a student house is the way to go and here’s why…

It’s a step up from being in halls

Chances are that like most people, you lived in student accommodation in your first year. Doing so provides you with the opportunity to make new friends, which, let’s face it, is pretty handy considering that usually you don’t know anyone when you first start. Whilst we don’t deny that living in halls is fun, it’s something that you have already experienced. Living in a house with your pals instead allows you to try something you have probably never done before and is a step up from uni accommodation.

You’ll get along with everyone you live with

Yes, halls enables you to meet a diverse range of people, but you may not get along with everyone that you live with.

When you’re in halls you get thrown in with a bunch of new faces and if you get along with them, great, but if you don’t it can make for a rather unpleasant experience. By living in rented accommodation you’ll be able to choose who you

want to live with, which will make your uni memories and day-to-day life just that little bit better!

You can live near campus

It’s handy if your student accommodation is situated on campus, but some of them can be up to a 20 minute bus ride away. Not ideal during the winter season or when you’re trying to recover from a

hangover from the night before that half an hour extra in bed can make all the difference. If you go into student housing you’ll be able to choose where your property is in location to your uni, meaning getting out of bed is made that little bit easier.

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You’ll save your pennies

Most students could do with cutting down on their expenditure, and living in a rented house could help you do just that. Not only may the rent itself be cheaper, but if bills are included this can help you save the pennies too! Oh and because you’ll get along with the people you’re living with, you may decide to share food items, which will help your bank balance look healthier.

After all, why buy four of the same thing when you can all share one?

You’ll have more room

Instead of just having your room to roam around in, you’ll also have a living area to chill in, so you can make the most of those delightful lazy days! Being cooped up in your bedroom can sometimes be frustrating, so it’ll be nice for you to venture out and have some more space, but at the same time know that your trusty den will be there when you fancy some private, quiet, alone time - you’ll have the best of both worlds!

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University of York students Ryan Hill and Emily Atkins put their brains together to come up with an entrepreneurial idea to start their own lettings business.

Ryan Hill Studying: BSc in Management, Accounting & Finance University: University of York Experience: Director of The Student Agency

Emily Atkins Studying: BSc Maths and Statistics University: University of York Experience: Graphic Designer

When did the idea first come about to start a student run letting agency? I had a bad experience whilst finding my house for second year. After talking to housemates and classmates, I realised I wasn’t the only one. Using my experience in property, I decided to take on the challenge of starting my own letting agency to provide a better service. Emily and I brainstormed ideas last January and planned how to start the project, and she used her experience in graphic design to bring the idea to life.

How long has the company been going now and where do you see it in five years time? The business has been going for nearly 8 months so it is relatively new, but we have already expanded to the second university in our city.

We plan to expand to other universities around the country as soon as we graduate in 2017.

You’re studying for a BSc in Management, Accounting and Finance, so how do you go about juggling being a director of a company and student life? I find the course gives me skills that I can use in The Student Agency and I can use the experience I gain from the business in my classes. The

balance can be hard as I am very focused and passionate about the business and can be submerged into it. This can have an effect on my student life, which normally means less nights out.

What has been the biggest challenge to date at The Student Agency? I have found it hard finding people that

follow my interest in business to this extent or people involved in the same field. There are not many student-run letting agencies, and none that I am aware of that are set up by a student, as opposed to a university-run agency. This can make it hard, as I have so much energy and passion and talk about my plans and ideas all of the time. I am very fortunate to have Emily (girlfriend and business partner) as she gives me loads of support and is a great sounding

>

board. I have also got a few very close friends who do share the same passion for projects like this and it really helps.

Has it always been an ambition of yours to run your own business? And who would you say is your biggest inspiration?

I have always wanted to run a business since I was very young.

It always seemed like a realistic career path for me. This may be because I come from a very entrepreneurial background where both my parents ran their own businesses. Both of my brothers also run their own businesses so it feels second nature to me. I feel that my family would also be my inspiration as they have given me the confidence from a young age that I can reach my aims and goals if I work hard.

How do students benefit from letting from a business that is run by fellow classmates? We are completely free to the students of York. Most letting agencies in the city charge anywhere between £40-80 per person for finding a propertyand students do like to save money!

Why is it so important that students’ opinions and voices are heard in all aspects of university? University is a place that attracts people from all over the world of different backgrounds and views. I feel this is a great opportunity to learn from each other.

The Student Agency has been nominated for a Great British Entrepreneur Award, congratulations! What are the plans if you win? The award

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let negative people stop you “Dofromnotgoing after your aims and ambitions.”

ceremony is a great opportunity to meet like-minded entrepreneurs and to be inspired. We plan to use the coverage we would gain as a platform to expand to other cities.

Sadly this will have to wait until we graduate.

What advice would you give to any budding entrepreneur with an idea today? Although it is very important to do your research and make sure it is a viable business, it is equally important to ensure you do not let negative people stop you from going after your aims and ambitions. You can overcome a lot of the barriers when you have no other options.

Dan Walker Exclusive Interview

We regularly see him on our TV screens presenting Football Focus and he occasionally lls in for Gary Lineker and presents Match of the Day. We caught up with Dan Walker to discuss who he thinks is going to win the league, his favourite football player and his advice on how to be successful in the media industry‌

As well as regularly presenting Football Focus, you occasionally fill in for the legendary Mr Gary Lineker on Match of the Day. Do you feel pressure standing in for such a monumental figure and if the job ever became available, would you take it? I love doing

MOTD when Gary’s away but it’s very much his baby, his chair and his gig. I don’t think you should overlook my credentials though between us we’ve scored 48 goals for our country.

I honestly never feel pressure.

I get a little tingle when I hear the music and the kid inside me says ‘you’re about to present the ACTUAL Match of the Day!’ but that’s it. If you asked me to play the organ in front of 5 million people I’d be worried but talking football is great fun.

Do you think you’d ever be tempted to take over the Walkers advert? You do have the surname!

It’s meant to be. I cannot believe I haven’t been asked :) I feel the need to say that other crisps are available. Just for clarification... I’m not connected to those ‘Walkers’ sadly - I ain’t got that kind of money.

Can you tell us which football team you support and who your

favourite player is, or do you have to keep tight lipped?! Well...

my dad’s team is Spurs but I’m a Crawley boy and watched the mighty Crawley Town growing up and have watched their incredible rise through non-league football.

My favourite player to watch growing up was Glenn Hoddle. I asked my parents to change my name to Glenn - they declined. I played golf against him at the World Cup in Brazil. I was 4 up with 5 to play... it didn’t end well.

You’re an expert when it comes to critiquing player’s performances, but are you any good at football yourself? I’m definitely not the

expert! My job is simply to get the best out of the pundits. As a kid I was decent because I was 6ft 6 at the age of 11. I was a giant! I had a few trials, like most people, and played for my county but I am distinctly average & painfully slow. Just ask Alan Shearer. I played against him in a charity game at Wembley and he made me look like a goon.

If you were to take a punt and guess who you thought was going to win the league this season, which team would you bet on?

Well, I don’t bet but if you’re asking Premier League I said Manchester City

>>>

“

at the start and I’m sticking with it. I think Arsenal could have a good stab at it though.

The ultimate question - Messi or Ronaldo?

For me, TV is all about making something interesting without being dull, rude or opting for the lowest common denominator.

Ronaldo is a better athlete, quicker, better in the air, stronger and more dynamic but there is just something extra about Messi. I watched him train in Barcelona once - truly magical. I’m going for the little fella.

Not only do you present football programmes, you have also hosted for a range of other sports, including Wimbledon, The Open Championships, 6 Nations and Ascot! Which one’s your favourite to host and which sport do you prefer? I am obsessed with golf so

”

The Open is my favourite week of the year. It’s a real pity the BBC have lost the rights but I’ll still be there in some way. I’ve done the last 10 so need to keep the run going.

You studied a degree in History at the University of Sheffield before then going on to study an MA in Journalism. Do you have any advice for any aspiring broadcast journalists and those wanting to get into the media industry?

Practice, practice, practice. You have to make yourself as good as you can

be. If you want to be on telly, present in the mirror or on your phone and watch it back. Do it every day. Then, when the opportunity comes you’re already a well-oiled machine. The same goes for print journalism or radio too. Work at it relentlessly.

It’s also essential that you learn how to write well. There are so few people who can nail that side of it these days, so it’s a really easy way to stand out. One more thing, learn how to make a bonza cup of tea. It’s an easy way to impress when you’re on work experience.

terviewing and have you ever been star struck? Never. They are

just people. They go to the toilet like the rest of us! I’ve had some amazing opportunities and been all over the world interviewing prime ministers, sport stars, royalty and everyone inbetween. I’ve only ever asked one person for an autograph - that was Pele. Doing a show with our troops

You said in an interview that there’s a ‘Very fine line in television between quality and cheese.’ How do you get the right balance and have you ever had an embarrassing moment live on air?! I fell into a wheelie bin

while chasing the model Jordan once! For me, TV is all about making something interesting without being dull, rude or opting for the lowest common denominator. Think about what you’d want to watch if you were the viewer. Cheese is instant turn-off TV. That’s not to say I have never fallen into a cheesebased trap.

You’ve interviewed many interesting people during your career.

Who have you most enjoyed in-

in Afghanistan at Christmas was amazing but the most humbling experience I’ve ever had was filming a documentary about Avram Grant’s family. 15 of them were killed in Auschwitz during the Second World War. It was brutal, emotional and heartbreaking, but something I will never forget.

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Obviously your job very much revolves around you talking about sport. Is your personal life equally as sport related? Do you try to watch as much sport as you can and is it something your whole family are interested in? I have 3 kids and they are far

As well as being on our screens, you also have your own radio show on Radio 5! Is there anything else you’d like to achieve in your career? Strictly Come Dancing perhaps?! I get

asked about strictly a lot. It’s a great show, I love watching it and I think Zoe Ball is bordering on genius on It Takes 2. I have 3 reasons for not doing it... talent (lack of it), time (lack of it), height (far too much of it). With my wingspan I could cause some serious damage.

more interested in Kung Fu Panda than Football Focus. They did get excited when I read the CBeebies bedtime story. I try and see what I can, where I can, which is normally huddled over an iPad while my wife is watching some terrible American thing. My kids do love the Olympics Thank you for your time Dan, it but sadly we haven’t shared that was great talking to you! You too! experience because they’re at home and I’m always attending them.

www.TheStudentPocketGuide.com

With Scott Laidler This workout will help you to increase your muscle mass and definition, reduce your body fat percentage and, if followed regularly along with a healthy balanced diet, will give you a lean, toned, well sculpted physique in time for summer.

The training consists of an abdominal/ high intensity cardio day and a total body resistance day. Alternate the training days, giving yourself one day off each week. Do this for 6 weeks.

Note: As your fitness improves, reduce the resting periods between the exercises.

You should also gradually increase either the reps or weights on your resistance training days. This will ensure that your fitness continues to improve for the duration.

Workout 1: High Intensity Cardio Kettlebell Swing • Begin with a comfortably weighted kettlebell. Start with 4 kg and increase according to your fitness.

• Stand, knees bent, feet shoulder width apart.

• Hold the kettlebell with both hands, whilst pushing your bum out.

• Bring yourself up making sure your back is flat and start to swing the kettlebell through your legs by using force from your hips to carry it through.

• Do this for 1 minute. Repeat 3 times.

Mountain Climbers • Lie facing the ground. Slowly raise your body so that it’s parallel to the ground, supported by your hands and toes.

• Bring one knee up towards the chest and return to starting position. Alternate legs, performing the motion as quickly as possible.

• Do this continuously for 45 secs. Repeat twice.

Shadow Boxing • Position one leg slightly forward, and your fists clenched up by your ears.

• Begin by throwing straight-arm left and right punches.

• Then, progress onto thawing hooks. These will generate energy from the rotation of the hips.

• Combine the 4 punches. Left straight-arm, right straight-arm, left hook, right hook...

• Do this for 3 minutes continuously. Repeat 3 times.

Russian Twists • Sit on the floor (or a mat). Your knees need to be bent, tucked into your body and your feet firmly placed on the floor.

• Holding a weighted medicine ball with both hands, arms outstretched, twist your torso to the left. Your arms should carry the medicine ball as far as possible behind your body as your torso twists. Alternating sides, repeat.

• Do this for 45 seconds, repeating 3 times.

Workout 2: Resistance Training Barbell Squat • To start this exercise you will need to use a squat rack and make sure the weight is set to something comfortable for you to use and that the bar is at shoulder height.

• Step under the bar and let your shoulders take the weight while your hands are both grasping the bar, start to lift the bar up with your legs while also straightening your torso until you are standing upright.

• Then move away from the rack and make sure your toes are pointed forward.

• Then start to lower your body like a normal squat making sure your back is straight and your knees do not come over the toes.

• When you are as low as you can go pause for 2-3 seconds while contracting your leg muscles and then start to slowly rise back up to the starting position and repeat.

• Do 3 sets of 12 reps.

Barbell Deadlift • Place a comfortably weighted barbell on the floor in front of your shins.

• Position your feet directly below your hips, slightly turned out.

• Squat down to the bar. Grasp it with an overhand grip.

• Begin to push up through the floor, using the front of your heels, and ensuring you slightly flare the knees out to the side so the bar can rise easily.

• Once the bar is above your knees, drive your hips into it. Pause for 2-3 seconds.

• Slowly lower the bar to the starting position.

Repeat.

• Do 3 sets of 12 reps.

Dumbbell Chest Press • Lie flat on a bench, knees bent. Place 2 comfortably weighted dumbbells on your knees.

• Holding a dumbbell in each hand, bring your arms out to the side. Keep your elbows bent in a 90 degree angle, and your palms facing straight forward. Slowly start to push your arms up and fully extend them making sure there is a slight bend in the elbow, pause for 2-3 seconds and start to lower the arms back into the starting position and repeat.

• Do 2 sets of 10 reps.

One Arm Row • Using a comfortably weighted dumbbell and a bench, rest one knee at the bottom of the bench and one hand at the top. Grasp the dumbbell with your other hand, letting it hang parallel to the floor.

• Bending at the elbow, bring that arm (holding the dumbbell) up towards your chest.

• Then slowly extend it backwards and out to the side, keeping your elbow slightly bent.

• Pause for 2-3 seconds. Return to the position where the dumbbell is level with your chest.

Repeat.

• Do 2 sets of 10 reps.

Posterior Fly • Stand straight, feet shoulder width apart, and each hand holding a comfortably weighted dumbbell.

• Lower your torso keeping your back straight until you are at 45 degrees.

• Slowly raise the dumbbells up together straight out in front of you to chest height with a slight bend in the elbow and your palms facing each other.

• Then, bring them out to the sides, until the weights are parallel with your torso. (Not further!)

• Pause for 2-3 seconds. Slowly return to start position. Repeat.

• Do 2 sets of 10 reps.

Need some help getting started? Visit www.scottlaidler.com for oneon-one online personal training with Scott. At just £150 for 6 weeks, it’s a bargain!

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Dr Pixie McKenna’s

TOP HEALTH TIPS Our resident health expert is back! We spoke to Embarrassing Bodies GP, Dr Pixie McKenna about winter illnesses, burns, exercising regularly, bad sleeping patterns, smoking and sex.

Hi Pixie. Brr! We’ve now entered the cold winter months, which means colds, coughs and sore throats seem to be flying around everywhere.

What can we do to protect ourselves from catching one of these in the first place, and if we are one of the unlucky ones, how do we go about getting rid of it ASAP? Make the hand sanitiser and the hanky your best friend when you are on the go. Remember to wash your hands - universities are germ infested institutions. Use soap and water and keep washing until you have

sung happy birthday twice, then you know you have done the job thoroughly. If you have been struck down with the lergy step off the social roster and rest. Drink lots of fluids and take paracetamol or ibuprofen to ease fever, headache and aches and pains. See your pharmacist for a cough medicine or a decongestant to help dry up a cough or a sniffle. It’s highly unlikely that a visit to the doctor is necessary - most winter woes are due to viral infections. We have to fight these ourselves, antibiotics won’t help and for the record neither will alcohol!

I’m sure our students won’t mind us saying that when you’ve relied on Mum to do your cooking for most of your life, suddenly finding yourself being thrown in at the deep end at uni can certainly present some problems in the kitchen. So, cuts

and burns – what do we do? The kitchen casualty isn’t uncommon in a student setting - especially for those who engage in post pub cooking avoid this if at all possible. Cool a burn for 10-20 minutes with luke warm water - don’t ice it or use butter! When this is finished cover it with cling film. Burns bigger than your hand, any electrical or chemical burn, any blistering burns to the genitals, face, hands or feet should be reviewed by a doctor. Never burst a blister no matter how tempting!

Cuts are also incredibly common - have plasters in the house. Put pressure on a wound to stop it bleeding. Deep cuts or ones that don’t stop bleeding need medical attention as do contaminated wounds. Stitches should ideally be given within the first 6 hours of injury.

Outdoor wounds will require a tetanus shot if you haven’t had a booster in the past 10 years.

Many students are members of a sports society at uni, so sporting injuries aren’t uncommon. How much exercise should they be doing per week and what advice would you give when it comes to sprains and sore muscles? 30 minutes of exercise a day is ideal but if you are part of a uni squad you are likely to be doing significantly more. Don’t underestimate the warm up - this makes injury far less likely. If you do sprain something then adopt the RICE method. Rest the joint, ice it for about 20 mins a time (use ice wrapped

in a tea towel not directly on skin), compress it with an elastic bandage and elevate it i.e. keep it up to reduce swelling. As a rule of thumb - if you can’t move it or put weight on it, it needs medical review. If you do end up at A&E and they don’t X-ray, don’t kick up a fuss, it’s only indicated if it is going to change or impact the outcome, e.g. broken toe versus bruised toe - we manage both in the same way.

Whether it be completing essays or going out with friends, uni often consists of long nights, so sleeping patterns can be disturbed. How much sleep should students be getting and what can they do if their body clock’s out of sync? We are all different - some survive on 4 hours, others are insufferable unless they have 8. Caffeine, alcohol, recreational drugs, noisy house mates and stress can all throw a spanner in the works. Sleep hygiene is important.

Reduce stimulants, get into a routine (in bed and up at the same time 7 days a week), only use your bed for sleep - no eating, TV or studying.

Get ear plugs and black out blinds - they work wonders. Enforce an electronic shut down - using tablets and smartphones before bed stimulates our brain due to the artificial light and confuses it into thinking it’s still day time.

Make you room an LED free zone. Buy an alarm clock instead of using your mobile - it really will aid sleep.

Smoking – if a student wants to quit the habit, how can they go about doing it successfully and how long does it take before their lungs recover? Get help. Engage in the NHS smoking cessation clinics - they are free.

You are 4 times more likely to quit if you get help rather than go cold turkey.

Within 9 months your lung capacity will have increased by 10% - something that could prove the difference between getting on the first team or not.

We have a situation for you – a student goes out one night, gets rather tipsy and ends up having unprotected sex.

What would you recommend they do and where should they go? A sexual health clinic for pregnancy prevention and STI-screening. There is a window period before we can reliably test for most STIs with 7-10 days post the event being the earliest. If you have symptoms such as pain and discharge don’t delay.

Equally, if you have put yourself at risk of HIV, you need to be seen within 72 hours if you need to take post exposure prophylaxis. This is medication which will reduce your risk of contracting HIV by 80%. It is available through sexual health clinics. Remember with regards to the morning after pill, whilst it doesn’t absolutely need to be taken the morning after - the chances of it working are better the sooner you take it. You can source it via the family planning clinic or without prescription from your local pharmacy, or via online doctor services.

Finally, the absence of symptoms doesn’t indicate the absence of disease - many STI’s like chlamydia are asymptomatic.

Also be advised that the morning after pill isn’t infallible, if needed take it ASAP.

How To Stick To New Year’s Resolutions We see the beginning of the year as a fresh start and the opportunity to turn over a new leaf. We may even see the odd cringey post on social media. ‘New Year, new me’ being one of the favourites. Let’s face it, we all have the best intentions, but usually by February they’re all out of the window, so how can we make sure we actually stick to our New Year’s resolutions?

Dreaded January Bit late now, we know, but apparently we shouldn’t begin our New Year’s resolutions on 1st January, as we’re more likely to go back to our old ways. So if like most of us you did begin yours on the first, continue reading these pointers in order to give yourself some much needed willpower! Also, good news is, if you do get to February, you’re more likely to stick to your resolutions, so hold on in there!

Be Realistic It’s easy at the beginning of the year to go overboard with our New Year’s resolutions, as if we’re going to completely transform who we are over night. We’re going to go to the gym every day, never eat chocolate and complete all our work the night we get it. Be realistic. Try going to the gym twice a week, eating chocolate only on Friday’s and studying for two hours a night. Don’t be too strict on yourself.

Get Support Tackling your inner demon can be hard. When that Domino’s pizza is right in front of your nose, how can you have the willpower to resist a slice? Tell a close friend your New Year’s resolutions. They’ll be supportive and if you have the same goals, you can both dodge the takeouts and munch on a salad together.

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One step at a time. Take your uni timetable for instance and work out when’s the best time for you to go to the gym. Would you rather go in the evening after a long day, or during a two hour break you have in between lectures? If you’re organised you’ll feel more in control and more inclined to carry out your targets.

Take a look at how far you’ve come on a monthly basis. If everything’s going swimmingly, then great, celebrate your achievements!

Be honest with yourself about how you feel it’s going. If you’re struggling, that’s completely normal. Remind yourself why you started the process in the first place and think about how you can make amendments to your goal so that it seems more achievable.

SPGTV Bringing you exclusive performances from signed & unsigned global talent.

Music from signed artists include: Ed Sheeran Gabrielle Aplin Benjamin Francis Leftwich Lucy Rose Eliza and the Bear Ones to Watch: Hope Murphy Mega Ran Anna Renee Carl Rag Aleks Grey Juan Zelada Lynette Williams L-FRESH the LION Julietta Just Millie Glass Sines Cheekie Chee Bugga And many, many more...

If you’re a singer-songwriter or in a band and would like to get involved with SPGtv, email: info@thestudentpocketguide.com

Interview by Luke Killick

Brothers and guitarists Felix and Hugo White walk into the reception area of the Brighton Dome as we sign in. After a shake of hands, their politeness extinguishes the moody rockstar stereotype.

The five-piece (completed by frontman Orlando Weeks, bassist Rupert Jarvis and drummer Sam Doyle) are playing a sold out gig as part of their UK tour, off the back of their first number one album ‘Marks to Prove It’.

We are led into a spare dressing room that feels like we’re stepping into a furnace. There’s a kerfuffle about chairs and Hugo and Felix immediately leave to go and retrieve some so everyone can sit.

Front man Orlando emerges at the door

sporting a beanie hat and asks how we are? We feel like the rockstar!

The brothers return with the chairs and we sit, not before they are given a cup of tea each.

Here’s what they had to say about the struggles of making their latest record, playing at Glastonbury, and their friendship with Jamie T. With almost three years between ‘Given to the Wild’ and your new album ‘Marks to Prove It’, how do you feel you’ve developed as a band and how did it impact on the new album?

Felix: It has developed a lot but we had to strip back quite a lot as ‘Given

How was it getting your first number one album? Hugo: Yeah it was great. We’ve never been within reach of that before, so to actually have it go to number one was amazing.

It was a bit of a battle wasn’t it?

Felix: Yeah, with Lianne La Havas.

I think we were pretending we didn’t care that much.

Hugo: We were waiting to find out just before boarding a flight, we were all saying to each other “oh yeah number two is fine. Number

two is really good!” But being that close we definitely wanted to be number one.

Adele kindly called you the most consistent band around at the moment - would you agree with her?

Hugo: It’s very sweet of her. I read that and she said she’d been watching us for a long time. There are a few people from that time in our lives that we still see. I guess we have been consistent and we definitely haven’t taken a break.

Did you grow up in a scene with people like Adele and Jamie T then? Felix: Not so much a scene. I actually first met Jamie T in Brighton. We were playing a place called Ocean Rooms. There were three floors and you had live gigs on the ground floor and raves downstairs and at the time he was trying to make it as an MC. We played

Photo Credit: Jordan Hughes

to the Wild’ had many textures and layers to it. We tried to do a second ‘Given to The Wild’ and it didn’t quite work. It meant taking a lot of stuff out. We were trying to make it sound vulnerable and open and real, at places where the last record didn’t.

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Photo Credit: Jordan Hughes

to about seven people and this kid in a cap comes up to me saying he wanted to get a band together. We swapped numbers and it turned out he was rapping downstairs!

You produced this album Hugo. How did that go, as we know you had a lot of problems when recording ‘Give to the Wild’? Hugo: The previous record was probably the thing that led us to doing it this way. We’d worked with good producers in the past but between ourselves we had all these grand ideas, and in our heads we knew what we wanted to achieve.

With ‘Given To The Wild’ I don’t think we had the confidence to take it further than the demos ourselves, and so we got some producers in and it all went a bit wrong. It got lost in trans-

lation and that record became a bit of a rescue project. We took the files back to our studio and worked for a couple of months trying to make the record how we wanted it. Once we finished that and it went well, it was clear that next time we were just going to do it ourselves.

Were your label okay with you producing it yourselves? Hugo: Yeah they were totally fine with it.

Felix: I don’t think they would have let us produce our first album ourselves though [laughs]. I think because we sort of rescued the previous record there was a level of trust there.

You’ve said that recording this album was really stressful. How did you get

through the stress of recording the album and the heavy schedule you set yourselves? Felix: I sometimes regret having said it’s been stressful as other bands in the past have presented their music as if they’ve come up with it out of thin air which is kind of cool and has an air of mythology about it.

But I think the reality is that doing anything that you’re proud of means you have to put in all that effort. Sometimes people do come up with songs in five minutes but what they don’t tell you is that they’ve been trying and working on songwriting for fifteen odd years, and all that experience leads up to that moment. So maybe we’re a little too honest.

A lot of artists have a team of writers as well that help them, what do you think about that? Hugo: It’s amazing, but it’s so different to us.

Everything we’ve ever done has been created solely between us.

You look at the chart-topping music, you look behind the song and think “Wait, there’s like six writers on that?!” Of course it will do well!

I mean there’s a real art and a talent to be able to do that, but when there’s things in place for an artist you can pull together the best people in the world and write a hit, and our way is like, okay cool let’s try and figure all of this out.

That must make you a lot more proud that you went to number one, having done it all yourself.

Hugo: Oh yeah, it definitely does.

Felix: I think you’ve got to own your own successes and failures, don’t you? You know even if it’s a total failure, it’s nice to know that it’s your failure.

What advice would you give to bands starting out at the moment? Felix: I’ll tell you what is the best thing about bands. There’s a coincidence or circumstance of personality which makes it special.

It hasn’t really got anything to do with virtuosity. There’s just something magic about a little group of people that get together and it works for whatever reason. So it’s about noticing what’s special about your band and embracing >>

Photo Credit: Pooneh Ghana

that. It might not be the same as any Hugo: All they have in their dressings other band and you wouldn’t want it rooms is sweets. Everyday it’s just to be. It’s about harnessing the per- Haribos everywhere. sonalities in your band.

Jamie T joined you on stage at GlasDrenge are supporting you tonight, tonbury for ‘Marks to Prove It’, have how involved are you in choosing you ever thought of having Jamie your support? Felix: It’s almost always or anyone else feature on a record? our decision. I have known Drenge’s Hugo: I think that would be great. I music for a few years and to be hon- think if we’d thought of having him est I was surprised they did it, as I on something we would have defithought they’d be slightly too big so nitely asked him. I guess we haven’t it’s really cool to have them. really done something like that on our records but I think it would be You supported Kasabian on their interesting. tour last year, are you still able to learn from the bands you support?

Speaking of Glastonbury Felix, you Felix: I learnt a lot off Kasabian, but didn’t stop smiling during your set mostly from their infectious enthu- this year. Was this a landmark occasiasm for everything. If you want to sion for you? Felix: To be honest, most be around positive energy then just of the time we play I feel very happy. spend a month with Kasabian.

I enjoy the feeling of being present

and alive, it makes me feel great being in The Maccabees. I think the only difference with Glastonbury is there’s a bloody big screen that’s catching you doing it. There was a funny thing at Brixton Academy as well. The lights there cast massive shadows of your body so you can just see yourself silhouetting across the venue and I remember being freaked out by it.

What are your opinions on the state of British indie music at the moment compared to how it was when you started? Hugo: There’s a danger now because it’s all so quick. If you put music out now everyone can see it instantly and I guess with us it was still at that time where all the demos we made were only given to the people we gave it to by hand. Whereas now once it’s online, people start seeing it and there’s no way of holding it back.

What up-and-coming bands are you listening to at the moment?

Hugo: There’s a band called Gloss we saw in London and they’ve got a single out which is really cool, it’s early days for them but it looks really promising and exciting.

Felix: I like The Magic Gang from Brighton. I saw them support Wolf Alice and they just had a thing where it seemed like they just enjoyed each other’s company and enjoyed playing.

So are you eager to get back into the studio after touring or are you going to take a well-earned break?

Felix: I can speak on behalf of the whole band when I say we’re not that eager to get back into the studio! Especially after last time we went straight back in so we’ll take this as far as we can and have a few months where we have a bit of distance from The Maccabees, because we haven’t for ten years.

That’s fair enough, you’re definitely allowed. Hugo: We’ve been waiting for someone to say that!

The cold weather and dark nights are now in full swing, so we’ve put together a list of our top 10 products that will help get you through the chilly winter months. Even better - because we’re really nice, we’ve provided you with a his and hers option for each of our items, so there’s something for the ladies and the gents. Oh, and if you fancy getting your hands on any of the products we’ve mentioned, just click on them and it’ll take you straight through to where you can purchase them on Amazon!

FLASK

Whether it’s a warm cup of tea, a yummy hot chocolate, or a mug of coffee to wake you up in the morning, a flask can cater for all your needs.

HIS: This cool checkered hip flask is made of stainless steel, so has great durability and will hold up to 8oz of any hot drink you wish!

HERS: This vintage flask is super cute and its lid also doubles up as a cup for you to use.

CHUNKY SOCKS

Say goodbye to freezing cold toes this winter with these cool chunky knit socks.

HIS: These Totes men’s stripy chunky socks will keep your feet warm and happy.

HERS: These chunky knitted thermal socks have a fleece lining to keep you really warm throughout winter. They also have a really pretty pattern on them too!

LIP BUTTER

Shield your lips from the weather with a good quality lip balm. Say goodbye to sore cracks and hello to puckering up by the fire!

HIS: This lip balm helps protect your lips from the wind (perfect for winter time) and has proven to be a treatment that lasts.

HERS: This Raspberry Rose flavoured lip balm by Nivea contains almond oil and shea butter, and helps keeps your lips moisturised.

ONESIE

Chill on the sofa in one of these awesome onesies and if you’re feeling really lazy, you can always pop to the shops in it too.

HIS: This classic navy coloured OnePiece onesie is 100% cotton and looks super comfortable to lounge around the house in.

HERS: How adorable is this onesie?!

Keep warm on a chilly evening with this fleecy all-in-one.

WELLIES

Stroll through those muddy puddles with ease thanks to a strong pair of trusty wellies.

HIS: These original tall Hunter wellies are essential for getting you through the awful winter weather. Not only are they wellmade, they’re also rather stylish too.

HERS: Every girl needs a bit of pink in their life, right? These pink Joules wellies certainly provide you with just that.

WARMERS

If money’s tight and you can’t afford to have the heating turned on very often, try one of these warmers.

HIS: Get this large hot water bottle for an extra bit of warmth this winter!

HERS: Isn’t this penguin awesome?!

Not only will he keep you warm, but he’ll also keep you company! Oh and he’s fragranced with lavender as well.

EARMUFFS

See ya later bright red ears. They’ll be a thing of the past with these snug earmuffs.

HIS: These grey snowflake earmuffs are great for protecting your ears from the cold and are also adjustable, so you can make sure they fit perfectly.

HERS: These bohemian style earmuffs have a really cool pattern on them and you can put them underneath your hair without having to worry that it’ll go static – yippee!

RUCKSACK

If you arrive at your lecture and discover that all your belongings are soaked, it’s time to invest in a waterproof rucksack!

HIS: This rucksack looks cool, is water resistant and has space for a laptop or iPad. HERS: Water resistant, light weight and extremely pretty – this rucksack is perfect and it even has a laptop compartment!

UMBRELLA

Of course, having an umbrella for those dark rainy days goes without saying, but a nice fashionable umbrella is essential, and we’ve got you sorted with these.

HIS: Chequers are really in this winter, so we’ve brought you a classic checkered umbrella, which has a genuine wooden handle.

HERS: We love Cath Kidston and this umbrella certainly doesn’t disappoint. You can’t go wrong with a cute floral design.

BODY BUTTER

These body butters will hydrate your skin and leave it feeling silky smooth.

HIS: Palmer’s Cocoa Butter is for your body and face and helps combat dry skin – perfect if this is something you suffer from during the winter.

HERS: Similarly, this Palmer’s Cocoa Butter is one for the ladies amongst you (although we’re not saying you can’t buy it gents). It contains vitamin E and helps leave dry skin soft.

Before you started university, the chances are you heard endless rumours about what you should expect when you become a student. Various people offer advice, assuming that their wise words of wisdom will help you know what to anticipate when the time arrives. Others joke that you’ll be partying most nights and hardly ever turn up to a single lecture – ultimately reinforcing the typical student stereotype.

So now your first term’s over, we thought we’d set the record straight on some of those university myths once and for all…

We hate to burst your bubble, but if you were expecting to glide through your first year with little or no effort, think again. First year does count. For most degree programmes, year one offers you a complete overview of your course and you can go into more detail in years two and three. Not only is subject-related content knowledge introduced, but so are academic conventions, such as how to structure an essay or reference correctly. Sounds boring, but learning the basics is essential! Having said this, don’t stress if you’re not getting the grade you desire straight away, you’re working at a higher level. Most universities recognise this and only require you to pass with 40%.

You don’t need to have endless amounts of cash in order to survive at uni, so if you’re already into your overdraft, don’t panic. Your student loan helps you cover a large chunk of the cost, but if like most people, you’re now finding yourself in need of a bit extra, try finding a part-time job that will fit around your studies.

A lot of student unions offer student jobs that fit about their studies – perfect!

‘You really need to put yourself out there in the first few weeks, because that’s when everyone makes all their friends.’’ Sound familiar? Freshers’ week is made out to be the be all and end all; however, we can assure you that it is not the only time during university that you will make friends, so don’t worry if you haven’t yet found someone you really click with. There will be opportunities to meet more people this semester.

Perhaps some of you reading this will be rather disappointed with this one. University is not all about s-e-x.

You’re away from home and are around lots of people your age, so of course there’s opportunity to do so if you wish. However, don’t feel pressured.

There are people at uni who aren’t just looking for a one-night stand, so if you don’t want to, don’t!

Illustrations by Margit van der Zwan

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