Doncopolitan Issue 32

Issue 32

FREE TO A GOOD HOME

Contributors

Contents

Writers:

Design:

Warren Draper

Warren Draper

Editorial Warren Draper

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Doncograms

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Look After Your Planet...

Where Else Are You Going To Live?

Warren Draper

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Buddha Nature Rachel Horne

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Rachel Horne Ben Russell

Design Team:

Scarlett Lee

Sam Cooper

Dalton Hicks

Rachel Horne

Sonny Sykes Grace Sellers

Art Director:

Toby Williamson

Rachel Horne

Know Your Place Ben Russell

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Greenjacker

Photo Editor:

This Fractured Earth Scarlett Lee

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Hollie Morrell

Warren Draper

Pull-Out ‘Knight’ Poster Wall Of Yawn

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Be Conscious

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Museum Of The Moon

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Middle Bank XP School

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#DoncoTags

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Skinny Dipping Craig Manga

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Abby Williams

Bipolar Abdul Michéle Beck

Editors:

Emma Gullon

Rachel Horne

Danny McMillan

Warren Draper

Craig Manga Editorial Team: Photography:

Craig Hallam

Dan Saxton-McCabe

Steve Bates

Warren Draper

Sam Cooper

Cameron Bell

Abby Jackson

Rachel Horne

Danny McMillan

NASA

Linda Jones

Gomde

Cameron Bell

refracktion.com

Max Thompson

Neil James Artwork: Wall Of Yawn Illustration: Al Heighton

Proud to be Independent

Disclaimer

The Doncopolitan aims to provide a truly

The opinions expressed in each feature and article in the Doncopolitan are the opinions of

independent voice for Doncaster. To ensure maximum

their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Doncopolitan.

freedom the magazine is produced and distributed by

The editors and production team of the Doncopolitan accept no responsibility for the

a small team of dedicated individuals and production

opinions expressed.

costs are met through advertising sales. If you want to

horne &draper Everyday Audacity.

fight for Donny independence then why not write for us or donate much needed time, money or equipment?

Interested? Then call us on +44 (0) 7846 439982 or

Conceived and created by

horne&draper art - design - publishing www.horneanddraper.com

email: doncopolitan@gmail.com

Cover Art: Wall Of Yawn ©2018 Inside Cover: “Morning Haze” taken at Denaby Ings by Dan Saxton-McCabe ©2018

Articles and images marked with a are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

EDITORIAL Warren Draper As a child I had a six-foot-long poster of a whale on my bedroom wall. I was very small for my age and the poster, like the whale depicted upon it, was very big.

Since then, I have always felt humbled by the natural world.

The poster was for Greenpeace, part of the global Save The Whale campaign.

Groups like Greenpeace and Sea Shepherd inspired me to dedicate my life to ‘direct action’. Unfortunately, I soon found that it wasn’t just whales who needed ‘saving’ — so many endangered species, but so few activists and so little time. But that was the wrong viewpoint.

It wasn’t until the 1990s road protests, when I got to spend a lot of time with many amazing people, that I was finally introduced to the ecological worldview.

Most ‘environmental’ campaigning doesn't question the status quo, and so does not recognize the fundamental problem which has driven mass extinction and brought us to the brink of catastrophic climate change.

We humans need to stop trying to ‘save’ and ‘sustain’ the world as it is.

We have become so disconnected from life and the natural world, that we don’t see that it is our ‘normal’ world that is doing the damage. What has become our normality is actually very far from normal to the ecological systems which have supported life on this planet for billions of years.

When we encourage you to #BeGreen — the theme for this edition of Doncopolitan — we are not talking about campaigning to ban plastic straws (a noble act, but one which is like deciding to stop playing with matches when your house is already on fire). We’re talking about greening your being.

Be is the operative word in our #BeGreen theme. As social psychologist and philosopher, Erich Fromm, warned in his book, To Have Or To Be, the modern world has become dangerous to life on Earth because it values ‘having’ over ‘being’. Psychologically, socially,

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ecologically and economically we need to shift our perspective if we are to create a healthier, wealthier, happier world for all life on the planet.

A great place to start is by reconnecting with the green spaces that we are very lucky to have in abundance in Doncaster. Check out Ben Russell’s Know Your Place on page 14 and head out to a public green space near you. Here is where you will begin to reconnect, both with the living world and your neighbours. This connection will encourage you to spend less time in the materialistic consumer world and more time in contemplation. It doesn’t matter which spiritual tradition you connect with (I personally find a spiritual connection with life itself), it is time in contemplation that matters. Rachel Horne’s Buddha Nature (p 10) shows how fulfilling this connection can be.

This is not to say that we shouldn’t go shopping and that country is better than town. It's more about being aware of how this is all connected. Shopping is fun, but shopping for quality and beauty, rather than unnecessary tat, will change your world whilst better protecting the non-human world from our excesses. As well as supporting local traders, artisans and the Doncaster economy, it will, as Bipolar Abdul shows in our #Hashtags section, define your style in ways more fleeting fashion and fads never can.

The potential of being will always encourage more doing. Your life will certainly become more creative, but you will also feel compelled to do something for your fellow creatures (human and non-human alike). Which is why, for me, the most important articles in this issue are Scarlett Lee’s This Fractured Earth (p18) and the overview of Emily Hannah Jones’ Be Conscious on page 24. Please get involved with these important and timely projects. Not to vaingloriously ‘save’ the planet, but to make it a better planet for all life on Earth.

Our featured artist this month is the wonderful Wall Of Yawn. If you like what you see head over to Facebook and 'like' the Wall Of Yawn page (why not buy one of those cracking tee shirts while you're there): facebook.com/WallOfYawn616/

ABOUT This magazine aims to provide an independent voice for Doncaster.

We will big up anything which has the potential to add to Doncaster’s metropolitan appeal and strengthen the local economy. We’ll celebrate Doncaster’s culture, arts, style, music, people, fashion, lifestyle, architecture and even its coal-black underbelly.

To remain as independent as possible this magazine is completely self-funded, relying on advertising and generous donations to stay afloat. If you would like to advertise with us, or if you’d like to support our endeavours through subscriptions or donations then please get in touch.

Likewise, if you’re a local artist, musician, writer, photographer, fashionista, socialite or social commentator, and have something to contribute to this magazine, please get in touch.

Online: w w w.d o nco p o l i ta n.co m d o nco p o l i ta n@g m a i l .co m Write to us: Doncopolitan Studio Copley Road Project 83 Copley Road Doncaster DN1 2QP info@doncopolitan.com Social Media: Twitter: @D o nco p o l i ta nM a g #DoncopolitanMag Instagram: @D o n co p o l it a n #Doncogram Facebook: facebook.com/doncopolitan YouTube: youtube.com/user/ Doncopolitan Don’t forget to join our free weekly listings guide by visiting: doncopolitan.com

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#Doncograms

1. “Fluid/ity at The Earl of Doncaster" by Warren Draper ©2018 2. “Ballpoint Pen Illustration" by Screamers (Marcel Prevaritura) ©2018 3. “Witch” by Al Heighton ©2018 4. “Pumpkin” carved by Callum Fox at The Greenhouse Eatery ©2018 5. “Culture Crawl Donny Dancer” photo collage by Rachel Horne featuring work by Lucina White and Warren Draper©2018

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look after your planet...

where else Are You going to live?

Warren Draper I was deciding between two options for titles for this piece. I went with the softer one. The other was “It’s not easy being green… but it’s better than being extinct”.

Make no mistake, we are living in dangerous times and panic-ridden headlines are not only highly tempting, but will become more frequent over the next few years. Only the scientifically illiterate and people in the pay of polluters and oil companies are denying climate change these days.

The vast majority of scientists and the ecologically aware have been warning about the problems we now face for decades. Which is part of the problem.

We’ve placed ourselves in a typical ‘cry wolf’ situation where climate deniers can say: “You were saying this 30 years ago and we’re still here!”

The truth is, the predictions were not only accurate, but, in many cases, they vastly underestimated the speed of climate change. I have been on the frontline of ecological resistance for most of my life. I remember telling people that they should “think of their

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Photograph: a view of Earth from Apollo 17

grandchildren”. It wasn’t long before I had to revise this line to “think of your children”. And now the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the leading scientific authority on man-made global warming, tells us that if we don’t act immediately to halt carbon emissions, we will reach the significant rise in global temperatures of 1.5% by 2030. Less than twelve years from now.

Given that time-scale, it is very much a question of “think about yourself!”

A degree or two might not sound like much, but it will mean that the crazy global weather we are experiencing lately will be remembered as the good old days. Sun lovers might think that more summers like the ones we’ve just had is a good thing. Farmers will disagree, but it is also unlikely that we will enjoy them once the Gulf Stream has been affected. The Gulf Stream is a channel of warm water flowing across the Atlantic from the Gulf Of Mexico to warm our own waters. It’s the only thing which stops us living in a climate more akin to Iceland’s. Iceland is very nice.

Just right for a population of 350,000

people. But 65,000,000 people living in a subarctic UK will not find things quite so pleasurable.

We don’t even have to look to the future to find the doom and gloom. The UK has lost 75% of its flying insect mass in just 27 years. This is due to a number of man-made factors, including habitat loss, pesticides, car culture and climate change. Globally we have lost 50% of species in just 40 years for much the same reasons. We are living through the sixth mass extinction event in the natural history of our planet. As quick and as devastating as the extinction event which ended the reign of the dinosaurs, only this time we – you and me – are the asteroid colliding with Earth. Even if you don’t have a soft spot for the already endangered polar bear, going beyond the 1.5% rise in global temperatures will see the loss of species such as Theobroma cacao, the plant that gives us cocoa beans. Yes, that’s right, chocolate is in danger of becoming extinct.

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So why, given that we’re up Poo Poo Creek with a bunch of nutters in charge of the paddle, would I go for the softer headline?

Because there is hope. Where there is genuine care, empathy and love, there is always hope. Doncopolitan is often criticised for being ‘too positive’. But humans are a story-driven animal. We shape the world with the stories we tell ourselves. I haven't been on Facebook for most of 2018, but I've heard about the Clean Up Doncaster Town Centre group, where well-meaning people are spreading horror stories about our town centre. I know the people on that page are genuinely concerned, but the (ill-informed, often grossly exaggerated, sometimes even false…) negative stories about the town centre are as damaging as the spice users, beggars and litter they like to point the finger at. Yes, Doncaster has problems.

Most towns do. But I have spoken to a number of people from the town centre business community who say that trade and footfall was more heavily affected by the doom and gloom stories than it was by the actual problems we share with towns throughout Austerity Britain.

Perception is everything. If we tell

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Photography: Cities of the Earth at night by NASA

ourselves that we’re poor with no prospects and no future, that is what we will get. But it we decide to stop moaning and count our blessings — reminding ourselves of the fact that we live in a peri-urban paradise with fertile land, one of the best climates in the north of England, with warm, welcoming people and a rich, inventive heritage — then we can begin to change the narrative. Something which Doncopolitan has been banging on about for years. We can change the future of Donny if we drop the cynicism and negativity. Likewise we can still alter the story of climate change if we refuse to surrender to despair.

We’re not talking from a high-horse or from a position of privilege.

Doncopolitan is not created by a wealthy, well-resourced organisation.

We’re just Donny folk who see things a little differently. More importantly, we live a little differently too. None of what we do would be possible if our main focus was getting a bigger house, bigger car and an endless supply of gadgets and bling. Yes, we’ve got next to nowt, but we never feel ‘poor’. Yes, we’d like more money, but only to make it easier to do even more cool, 2006

creative and positive things in Donny (hint, hint). But the truth is that we live happier, greener, more creative, more rewarding and freer lives because we live more simply, with more control over everything we do. If climate change is the big bad wolf, then culture change is our happy ever after.

So, if you love this mad, amazing planet like we love this mad, amazing planet, why not join us? We don’t do doom and gloom. We do slow living; we do the local economy; we do artisanal attitude; we do ‘grow your own’ and urban farming; we do communal cooking and eating; we do live art and music. We use less energy; watch less TV; buy less badly made tat — choosing to spend what money we have on quality and creativity; and we tread more carefully on the Earth. And we have a bloody good time doing (and not doing...) it. All together now…

“Culture change, not climate change…

Culture change, not climate change…”

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Buddha nature Rachel Horne Have you heard of Gomde, Doncaster’s internationally renowned centre for the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism? If the answer is no, you’re in for quite a shock. Located in the grounds of Lindholme Hall, this incredible centre has nothing to do with HMP Lindholme, but is in fact an incredible retreat and sanctuary on a 180-acre estate and island. Who knew?

During a seminar in Gomde Denmark back in 2009, Paulette and David Benjamin, a retired couple who are practicing Buddhists, consulted with their Rinpoche (an honorific Tibetan term which literally means "precious one"), Chokyi Nyima, the spiritual director of Ranjung Yeshe UK (a charity set-up to help anyone who is interested studying Buddhism). They asked for guidance on setting up a UK Centre.

His advice suggested they look for somewhere, “beautiful, secluded and remote with buildings”. Within a six week period they’d found Lindholme Hall and purchased it on the same day as both a total solar eclipse and a new moon.

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Photography: courtesy of Gomde ©2018

The centre aims to support existing Buddhist practitioners, old and new, as well as those who would like to find out about Buddhist philosophy and practice.

When Rangjung Yeshe UK purchased the site, David and Paulette had no idea how incredible it was.

There is archaeological evidence of human presence on the estate dating back thousands of years when the area was an island surrounded by water. In 2010 Dr. Buckland carried out research on the land and found a knapped flint which has been dated at approximately 16,000 years old. A local amateur historian, Mr Oliver, discovered a 5,000 year old wooden trackway buried in the peatland to the north of the island. It is one of only four track ways in Europe and is as old as Stonehenge. There is evidence to suggest Lindholme Island was the location of a chapel in ancient times.

Regularly visited by scientists, archaeologists and conservationists,

this Lindholme is barely to known to Doncaster’s residents. Yet this untouched habitat is so rare scientists are stating that it is as important as the Amazon rainforest. The mixture of wetlands and peatlands seem flat and barren to the untrained eye, yet it is home to one of the highest diversity of species in the country. Paulette informs me there is a rare beetle that only lives at Lindholme and nowhere else in the world.

Many practicing Buddhists from across the world come to visit Gomde, including high profile celebrities. Earlier this month Hollywood actor Richard Gere visited. Sadly I wasn’t there that day!

In 2017, I started regularly visiting the centre with my friend Suzie Wass, who has studied some Buddhist teachings and incorporated it into her work as a holistic therapist and counsellor. Suzie joked that Gomde was like visiting Moominvalley (a beautiful mythic place created by Finnish author, Tove Jansson ) where you get tea, biccies

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and transcendental chit chat with monk Lama Oser from Ka-Nying Shedrup Ling monastery in Nepal.

If, like me, you are a complete novice, then the meditation and study group, held every Tuesday 7—9pm, is the perfect introduction to Buddhism.

The first hour is spent in study and discussion. We chat through issues such as materialism in modern society, fear of death and dying, karma, how to understand the human condition, emotions and negative attachments.

The second part of the evening is for guided meditation which follows the Buddha Shayamuni practice, which involves visualisation, chanting and sitting meditation based on the historical Buddha.

Although I still feel very nervous as a Westerner taking part, creating that stillness in my mind always helps me to feel much calmer and more grounded.

These Tuesday evenings certainly help me get through busy stressful days.

Photography: courtesy of Gomde ©2018

It’s helped me to find clarity and compassion at a difficult time. I don’t think I’ll be converting to this beautiful faith anytime soon (although I’d never say never), but it has had a profound effect on me. If you are going through a difficult time, I would sincerely recommend visiting.

So, why is it then, that few Doncastrians know about this incredible place on our doorstep? Is it because of austerity, Brexit, failing high streets, Spice and substance misuse in our communities are all distracting us from how truly amazing our town is? Are we too busy moaning about our everyday woes on social media to realise what we have?

Taking to Lama Oser, I discussed the idea of apathy in Doncaster. He says that although our country is very rich people can be “very lacking inside” and that “people think that the material world will bring us peace but it doesn’t”.

He says with practice and mediation we learn to quieten our mind, then we can start to find our true Buddha nature that is rich hearted and full of compassion.

So, if you are reading this feeling, stressed out and fed up with the modern world, maybe it's time to head up to Gomde. Set the sat nav for DN7 6DT and turn off at Harry’s Fish Bar in Dunsville, you’ll find yourself in another world.

“We want everyone in whatever way they want, to be part of this international centre for study and meditation” Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche End Visiting Gomde Please telephone beforehand to make an appointment and check someone will be available to show you around and explain our activities. Call 01302 842 503 or email: national@gomde.org.uk gomde.org.uk

know your place

Ben Russell Green. Free access green spaces.

Parks, woods, fields, pitches, paths, benches, lakes, rivers. Grass, leaves, trees, blossom, flowers, insects, birds.

Wind, snow, rain, sun. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. The variety of what we have is immense.

We started out there, we learnt to use what was out there, we sheltered from it, took from it, tamed it, we put our foot to the floor and evolved far quicker than anything else out there. We’re still sheltering, still taking, while all that is out there continues to do as it has done for millennia.

What do you shelter from that’s out there? What do you take from what’s out there?

Do you take only when necessary, only when convenient?

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At what point did we become so detached?

Does it matter?

We’ll lose all that natural wonder if we continue to detach from it.

Chances are, you probably do take and shelter, but positively. You take the opportunity of immersing yourself in these environments, taking away memories and the sense of well-being they churn out for free, only taking shelter when it’s too damn wet and cold. Even if it’s the appreciation of a break from a freezing wind by a hedge, the first smell of cut grass, or a sunrise when the whole sky turns orange and pink.

Do you remember as a kid the exploration and excitement, the opportunities and sensations you took from these green spaces, when time

Photography: Warren Draper (all images taken in Bentley, Doncaster) ©2017

seemed to stand still? Those spaces are still out there, and finding them again will do you good.

They are on our doorstep but we are on a green slide, losing so much precious green space. But when it’s gone it’s gone, no going back and it’s getting smaller and won’t stop if we don’t collectively grow our appreciation.

Appreciate them and care for them.

Chances are you do.

Doncaster, we harvested the coal from beneath us, and what’s left of that landscape now? Opportunity. The evolution of the pit tops offer amazing green spaces, youthful green space which, when you stand on top, gives you a perspective of where we live and who we are, a point of view from amongst all that natural beauty. It’s given something to you, something

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good, even if you don’t realise it. If you haven’t contributed to it, leave it as you found it.

Subsidise these spaces by telling others of the good it gave you. Share your experiences. Go back, then go back again and take people with you. Capture and document your own panoramas and vistas, whatever you find there, and then capture yourself in that space.

That space which is changing, it’s changing at its own tempo, not ours.

Those colours and textures and smells and the sounds and the light and the dark and the wind and the rain.

Find somewhere outside, somewhere free, somewhere green.

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Photography: Warren Draper ("Cussy Hall") ©2015

Doncaster home to award winning community parks and woodlands.

We have four Green Flag Parks in Doncaster, Bentley, Sandall, Quarry Park (Dunsville) and Cussy Hall (aka Cusworth Hall). The award recognises well managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

The Best way for folk to get involved is to join the Doncatser Green Space Network, a diverse collection of 'Friends of' groups, individual volunteers and other concerned bodies from around

the borough. These volunteer groups all work to improve and enhance open spaces in Donny. If anyone wants to join a group or set one up, this is the place to do it. The groups meet bi-monthly and at town field pavilion.

End Our next meeting is on the 28th of November — 5.30 – 7-30 Town Fields Pavilion. For more info follow: d o nc a ste r gs n.wo r d p r e ss.com

Presents

DN LIGHT NIGHT

16TH NOVEMBER 2018 5PM-9PM DONCASTER MINSTER Inside and outside the Minster will come alive with interactive light installations, performance and the stunning Museum of the Moon.

Part of the week-long Festival of Light running 16-24th November.

The event is free, but tickets must be booked for a half an hour slot for Museum of the Moon.

Visit rightupourstreet.org.uk/moon to book tickets.

Rightupourstreet.org.uk Right Up Our Street @rightuprstreet #DNFestivalOfLight

DONCASTER VOLUNTARY ARTS NETWORK

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Photography: Warren Draper Š2018

this fractured earth Scarlett Lee I am reading a website titled firsttimeinprison.co.uk . It’s pretty grim and tries to prepare the reader for a confusing, unpredictable and powerless encounter with the large, failing, underfunded monster that is the UK prison system. I am thinking about how it must be to be in prison now. I think of all the things that have happened in my life since last Thursday. The mood shifts, the travel, the conversations, things read and heard, meals eaten. Now I compare that with what I imagine the same period has been for Rich Loizou, Richard Roberts and Simon Roscoe Blevins.

These are the three men sentenced last week to 15 months 16 months for their peaceful protests against fracking. The offence was Public Nuisance. The press reported that this is the first time such harsh sentences have been given for peaceful protest since the Kinder Scout Right to Roam protests in 1932. Judge Altham who sentenced them has been reported to have family links to gas and oil industries.

In July 2017, the men and a fourth man, Julian Brock, had been part of a group protesting at the Preston New Road site near Blackpool. Brock had

already served 3 months and was given a suspended sentence. They climbed on top of lorries and stayed up there preventing drilling firm Cuadrilla from continuing exploration work for a few days. The news story gave a personal stab when, a few paragraphs into reading it, I realised that I recognised one of the men, Rich Loizou. I spent an autumn month a few years earlier volunteering in Devon alongside Rich and had got to know him a little.

There had been some interesting conversations and I had liked him.

Suddenly big questions were posed in my mind about putting your money

Photography: refracktion.com (Rich Loizou, Richard Roberts and Simon Roscoe Blevins, with partners outside Cuadrilla’s fracking site) ©2018

where your mouth is, personal sacrifice and living your beliefs. The Preston Fracking Three have made this massive sacrifice for the rest of us.

Fracking.

I’m not an expert but I know this, I am not down with fracking. Everything I find out convinces me it is just a really bad idea and a gamble with our already compromised environment (for more on the state of our planet see page 6, for more on fracking — in particular fracking in our area — see issue 30).

With a scientific consensus on the harm

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of fossil fuels why are we continuing to do this? Of course, it’s bloody obvious.

It's profit.

I’m not alone in my views. France and Ireland (onshore) have banned it. There are many active anti-fracking protest groups in the UK, including the Misson Springs and Tinker Lane camps south of Doncaster. Anti-fracking protesters are a diverse lot, from the self proclaimed Nanas, ordinary older women (http:// www.talkfracking.org/fracking-news/ who-are-the-nanas/) to the Fracking Three themselves; a teacher, a soil scientist and a piano restorer.

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I found myself Googling local ways to get involved, wondering how I will feel when I’m old or just older about what I did or did not. Am I doing enough? I’m not, and collectively we’re not.

What can we do?

Lots. Talk about it. This is happening near Donny. It’s near my mum and dad’s house. It’s everywhere. There are lots of active protest sites where we can turn up and show solidarity with other areas affected. We can also support the guys who are trying to overturn their sentences. The best way to find

Photography: Warren Draper (taken at the Tinker Lane and Misson Springs protest camps just south of Doncaster)

2018

out about fracking, why we don't need it, and what you can do about it, is to check out the national websites to find an anti-fracking group near you: frack-off.org.uk drillordrop.com End Update: On Wednesday 17th October the Fracking Three verdict was quashed by the court of appeal, on grounds that the sentence was “manifestly excessive”.

AT DONCASTER

OVER 120 STORES • GIFT CARDS EASY ACCESS BY CAR, BUS OR TRAIN SANTA’S GROTTO OPEN DAILY FRENCHGATESHOPPING.CO.UK

© Wall Of Yawn

be conscious

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Rachel Horne talks to Emily Hannah Jones who, with a group of friends, has founded a pro-active group called Be Conscious which really aims to clean up Doncaster.

How did Be Conscious come about?

We kept going out on woodland walks and seeing how much litter was around and basically got tired of seeing it and decided to do something about it. We always picked up as much litter as we could already and decided to take a step further and make a group page.

So where's your page, and how do people get involved?

It’s a Facebook page that is open to the public to join if they feel inclined. It’s going slow which is why I need help making it more public to get people involved more often. I make an event every few weeks and people decide whether they want to attend or not.

People are quite quick to complain about the litter yet when it comes down to it they aren't doing much about it which is why I thought group meet-ups would be a good idea.

It's a brilliant idea, there are 9000 people on Clean Up Doncaster, wonder how many people get involved in physically cleaning up the town?

I know some people will and really care, but literally a few hours’ litter pick means you can natter about Doncaster's problems whilst actually doing something to make a difference.

What areas have you cleaned up so far? Do you feel like you are making a difference? Or does it seem overwhelming? Is a lot of it plastic waste? I know plastic has its uses but when it comes to consumable goods we don't need it. Each time you see a piece of plastic, I just think what the f*@k are we doing. That's gonna take 1000 years to decompose.

I decided to start the first one at Highfields park near me which is Woodlands area, it was really successful that first day with around 10 people helping and we got 25 or so bags of trash which were collected by the council as I have a number to ring for collections. We also got a lot of recognition from people while they

Photography: Warren Draper

2018

walked past but didn't seem like they wanted to join in even though they were unhappy with the amount of trash they see. The woodlands in that particular park are atrocious and accumulates a lot of trash which is why I wanted to keep a focus on it for a while but then fast forward into the future events and less people were showing up to help out.

I would definitely agree and say some places can be overwhelming with the amount that people litter and you feel as if your never going to make a difference but always still have hope that things will change and more people will get involved.

It's because it's hard work and relentless, and it's demoralising seeing the rubbish reappear again. I think to really understand the crisis we are in you need to know how things decompose, everyone should be composting waste at home. When you compost your waste you understand that's the way things should be done and consumable plastic waste is utter madness.

Yes the majority of trash we pick up is plastic i.e. bottles and straws which are the most harmful to our environment.

Plastic isn't decomposable so it will be there forever. I often think that if people have the time to go out deep into nature and throw all their trash around why can’t they take the time and go to the appropriate place.

Also, I became vegan in January 2016 and have never looked back. It was very empowering to know I could make a change just starting with the food on my plate. I kept seeing events online and reading more a more into veganism and how animal agriculture affects our planet. Therefore, I felt the need to do more which led me to becoming a part of Doncaster Animal Action and going to vigils and protests. I love the people I’ve met through this amazing movement and seeing it grow and become more worldwide is a blessing.

Have you studied ecology or anything this field?

Everything I’ve learnt is through experience and lots and lots of research, nobody should need a degree for being an environmentalist just a love for nature and the urge for change.

When will the next pick take place?

The next one will be at Highfields Park again and will take place on November 25th. You can get more details about this and future events on our Facebook group page. Just search for the Doncaster Be Conscious group.

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How did you get into all this? What motivates you personally?

Yes, I've always been interested in the environment since being a little girl so it was just inevitable for me to blossom into an environmentalist. I hate to see trash everywhere and felt the urge to clean Doncaster up. I feel a lot of people have lost their connection to nature and how important it Is for us. Therefore, I want to be able to teach people everything I’ve learned and get people to become connected once more, not only with nature but ourselves and each other.

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N&A Jewellery Ltd 244 Great North Road, Woodlands, Doncaster DN6 7HP Telephone: 01302 339733 Website: www.jewellersdoncaster.co.uk

museum of the

moon Fancy a visit to the Moon? There are free tickets up for grabs to visit to the Moon in our very own Doncaster this November.

The world renowned Museum of the Moon will be at Doncaster Minster where visitors will be able to experience its magnificence. Luke Jerram's moon artwork has been all over the world, from the Commonwealth Games in Australia, to Hong Kong, London and New York.

Between the 16th and 24th of November the huge sculpture, featuring immensely detailed NASA imagery, will be presented to the public as part of the week long DN Festival of Light.

Lunar light will brighten the town for the week as part of the creative vision of Arts Council funded Right Up Our Street who have commissioned bringing this seven metre wide installation, a fusion of lunar imagery and moonlight accompanied by a surround sound composition created by BAFTA and Ivor Novello award winning composer Dan Jones, to Doncaster.

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Photography: Neil James Š2018

The Light Night event, which launches the Festival on November 16th, includes Output Arts' Storm Coming, as well as Nott, brought to us by Frolicked Theatre. Travelling Light Circus are bringing The Incredible Pendulum Wave Machine, which sees shimmering silver balls hang in the air like giant baubles, before being set into motion, dancing their way through patterns of order and patterns of chaos that have to be seen to be believed; a marvellous mechanical contraption that combines modern technical wizardry with the genius of a 19th Century scientist, to create an unforgettable feast for all ages.

The Shipping Forecast invites visitors to wander through the Minster garden and into a field of tall swaying stems which fade from green to blue as the wind speed increases. In still weather, without human interaction, the field forms a gently shimmering grid then, as the wind increases the grid dissolves into a tempest of blue/green motion.

An interactive digital sound and light sculpture inspired by Cosmic Clouds and Nebulas is presented in The

Celestial Sound Cloud. Its beautiful mirrored and infinite looping form is stunning by day or night. It provokes an ethereal and elegant space for people to come together, to discover spaces underneath where, by slowly moving their hands up and down, they can make it sing harmonies of the spheres and change how light colours and sparks. So you can create your own visual experience and soundscape that constantly changes with new groups and moods ebbing and flowing.

You can drop in to the Moon at various times during the Festival (see our website for details), but it is ticketed during Light Night itself to ensure everyone can enjoy it, to book your FREE ticket to the moon on Friday 16th November visit rightupourstreet.org. uk/moon For more information about DN Festival of Light, please visit rightupourstreet .org.uk

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MIDDLE BANK

Safe Awakening Tall grass shields the fragile ground, Pudgy pigeons perch mightily on tin roofs, Talons tapping tenderly.

Cordovan clusters interrupt a continuous beige, A brisk breeze twists ebony branches, The dew of dusk begins to fade as

XP SchoolStudents in collaboration with Ted Hughes Project South Yorkshire and poet in residence Becky Cherriman have produced a poetry anthology due to be release this November. The full book contains 60 poems of high quality writers ages 14- 15.

Teal horizons split the ground in two While sepulchral figures roam the edges.

Sonny Sykes (Age 15)

Fairground Industrialisation Cold wind beats on the trees and buildings, Raging through streets, A factory chimney releases hot smoke, Sounds of clashing metal echoes, Cranes rise high above, Construction is seen far until the horizon.

Cars overpopulate the car parks and roads, Polluting the air, Birds scatter over head, Habitats destroyed through industrialisation, The animals struggle to survive, In the world we have destroyed.

Dalton Hicks (Age 14)

A candy floss sky, Bubblegum clouds, A sky awash with colour, Lips furl into a frown, Eyebrows furrow, Eyes glazed like glass beads, A stoic silence.

A mass of red, Adorned with pearl white ribbon, Hung in the sky above, a delicate ruby, An ink blot on the violet skyline, Lingering still, Carrying with it, Happiness, Hope: set free.

A marble sky; concrete clouds; A sky awash with grey.

Grace Sellers (Aged 14)

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Shadow in the Rain Lashings of rain, Tearing at my skin and clothes, Churning the ground to mud.

Through the haze A shadow flits, Vanishing into the mist.

I stumble on, Breaking past trees, Into open fields.

Whirlpool of rain Looms over me, But still the creature moves.

Floundering through rain, Staggering, stumbling, sliding, The ground gives way beneath me.

Pollution Struggles The vicious way the world develops Hurts my soul, it’s just so horrendous.

The fear in my eyes, why can’t you see?

The world is slowly killing me.

The fumes in the air, hurts as I breathe, Why, oh why won’t the poisons leave?

Breathe in and out but no relief, There’s no one there, there’s no belief.

The world shakes, breaks, the horizon falling.

I hear the cries, my surroundings are calling.

“Help, help !” the earth’s screaming my name.

Can I help? Are we to blame?

If we all pull together, We could make this world better A bit of thought and consideration, To help the next generation.

Abbie Williams (Age 14)

Through the tempest, The howling wind, The creature stops.

There, silhouetted Against the pale sky, It stands, calm. Still.

Feathers ruffled, Beak held high, It watches.

I lurch upwards To an unsteady footing, And gaze ahead.

Rain and tears Cloud my vision, But the bird is unmistakable.

Then it is gone, Vanished into the mist.

Toby Williamson (Age 15)

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#greenjackER TECH' IT OR LEAF IT

by Greenjacker

My recommendation to 'take a break from screen' life might

If you’re not physically able to use a certain hand tool,

have given some people the impression that I am anti-

then a power tool can be truly liberating. It will allow you

technology. This is far from the truth. There would be no

to remain creative and to still have a level of control over

farming without technology. Tools like a spade, a fork and

your life. Control, I believe, is one of the most important

a hoe might not be high-tech, but they are definitely still

factors when considering the technology we choose to use.

technology. Indeed, one of my criticisms of social media is

The greater your level of control over, and understanding of,

that it is an echo chamber where you are more likely to seek

the technology you use the more control you have over your

out people with similar opinions which, rightly or wrongly,

everyday life.

reinforce your own.

At Bentley Urban Farm we’re about to start working with a This may be a very comfortable position, but it isn’t exactly

school to build a farm-bot. This uses cheap, highly accessible

conducive to learning, debate or personal growth. F. Scott

technologies, such as Raspberry Pi and Arduino, to build

Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby (yes, the one with

a remote farming environment where you can seed, weed,

Leonardo DiCaprio) famously said:

water and harvest remotely (in this case, from a classroom).

They’re low-power (I will talk more about this in a future

”The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two

piece entitled ’12 Volt Revolt’), when you factor in things

opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the

like travel, a solar powered automated system can actually

ability to function.”

use less energy than a human, and they’re highly inclusive, allowing more people to get involved with growing food,

Few debates are more polarised than the tech/anti-tech

which is exactly what is needed if we are going to create

debate, but few are more nonsensical. Humans are a

healthier, happier, more resilient communities.

technological animal. We cannot escape the fact that our stand-out attributes are an enlarged cerebral cortex (a big

Imagine if we combined low-tech and high-tech practices for

brain for planning) and opposable thumbs (hands which are

the benefit of all. If we used the physical aspects of growing

really good for building things). This makes the idea that we

to exercise our bodies and minds, and used tech to save

can have a true anti-tech stance a nonsense. The tech vs.

people from the drudgery of menial and demeaning tasks.

anti-tech debate is actually an argument about what level

If we place people before profit this balance is not only

of tech is acceptable to the individual in question, with the

easy to achieve, it is one which has the potential to create

extremes being stone axes vs. Soylent Green (yes, the one

a better, brighter, braver future for all. The technologies,

with Charlton Heston).

resources and knowledge to make it happen already exist. If we work together we can make it a reality. As the godfather of

I personally believe that hand tools are preferable to power

cyberpunk, William Gibson observed:

tools. Not better, but preferable. With the threat of reaching a 1.5% rise in global temperatures by 2030 we need to

“The future is already here – it’s just not very evenly

drastically reduce energy use. Do you really need to use

distributed.”

power every time you trim a hedge or saw wood? Using hand tools is not only better for the planet, they’re good for your body too. One of my favourite physical exercises is weed whacking. It’s great for arms and core, and really, really good for relieving tension…especially when you pretend that your weed-whacker (available from Pleveys, DN1 2RF) is a sword and those brambles are your annoying next door neighbour.

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Yet.

#love local

HIDDEN COMMUNITY STEPS OUT TO SAY ‘LOVE IS LOVE’

by Holl Morrell, Unitarian and LGBT+ advocate

# Even seasoned Donny-dwellers might

enthusiastically in his melodic Scottish

I know what a difference this is going to

not yet know what lies over the road

accent, Reverend Thomas McCready

make and it’s a perfect demonstration

from the pandemonium of night life at

says “I am extremely pleased that

of that wonderful quote by Margaret

Flares. Described as “an oasis of peace

we have taken this decision and am

Mead: 'Never doubt that a small group

in a busy town”, it certainly feels a

very encouraged by the fact that it

of thoughtful, committed citizens can

world away as I enter a secret tunnel on

was unanimous. This is a positive and

change the world; indeed, it's the only

Hall Gate, leading to a lovingly tended

progressive decision that is totally in

thing that ever has.'" The committee

courtyard and a Unitarian church.

tune with the spirit and culture of this

of Doncaster Pride are also delighted

town.”

at the decision, and are now being

There’s a reason this church is so

supported by the church to pursue their

well-hidden. When it was built over

While same-sex marriage was legalised

a century ago, it had ideas that were

in 2014, conducting such ceremonies

lottery-funded project, Rainbow Stories.

branded as dangerously liberal. Such

on religious premises remains

Meanwhile, the Unitarian church is

as racial equality, gender equality, and

controversial. Thus, churches must

gearing up for their Night of Lights

the audacious idea that science and

“opt in” – and many choose not to.

as part of the next Culture Crawl on

spirituality can sit comfortably, side

After Doncaster Unitarians announced

30th October, showcasing the floodlit

by side. These views were so heretical

their decision on Twitter, the inevitable

and fairy-lit artistic talents of their

in their time that Unitarian churches

acidic response came from a user that

members. Expect poetry, music, history,

around the country were being wrecked

has since been suspended, “Pretty sure

art, and a giant mural painting in their

and burned.

that means you’re not a real church

secret tunnel.

anymore”. But the overwhelming Clearly this church has not forgotten

majority of reactions have been

its roots – having just instructed its

positive, with warm congratulations

minister to register the church for a

from the Chief Executive of Doncaster

same-sex wedding licence. Speaking

Council, Jo Miller: “A massive thank you!

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#slow fashion YOU WEAR IT WELL

by Bipolar Abdul

# "Style is a way to say who you are

any gender. The rise in popularity of

go with it.

without having to speak." - Rachel Zoe

Queer Fashion Week in California, and

As the home of a plethora of

The Queer Fashion Show in London has

subcultures, Doncaster is teeming with

Fashion is what you wear, but style is

seen garments more tailored around

different aesthetics. From punk to

how you wear it. Caring heavily about

being an art piece rather than clothes.

skinhead, rockabilly to mod, football

style is often viewed as vapid or vain,

culture to queer, we're awash with

but it's so much more than that. Style

Style is much bigger than wearing “that

diverse and contrasting fashion. With

is as individual as your fingerprint. It's

top” or “those jeans”, it's “how can I

independent clothing companies

a journey of self expression that lasts

convey this emotion” or “how can I show

popping up, it's easier than ever to

as long as your life, it's a statement, it's

the world what's in my heart”. The best

overhaul your personal style within the

finding your outward persona, and it

piece of style advice I ever received was

local area.

belongs to only you.

given to me a long time ago, and quickly became a solid mantra:

A dramatic shift in social and political

offer a varied range of vintage clothes

attitudes has had a huge impact on the

“Treat every outfit as costume. Who are

at affordable prices, with new stock

Autumn and Winter 18/19 collections,

you today? What are you channelling?

coming in on the pegs. Keep a check on

with Brexit on the horizon and America

Become a character and live it.”

their facebook page to see what new

being made "great" again alongside

and exciting pieces are available.

the #MeToo movement and athletes

High fashion and designer brands are

Offend My Eyes (a personal fave) is an

"taking a knee", fashion is becoming a

becoming more accessible, through

independent LGBT+ owned clothing

platform to fight your cause. Slogan tees

the slow fashion movement. Buying

brand local to Donny. All original prints

with feminist statements have been on

from eBay customised garments from

and limited runs, it's perfect to make

trend for a couple of years, with no sign

Etsy, vintage shops and clothes swaps;

a colourful statement! The designs

of them ebbing away. More androgyny

second hand is the new brand new.

are bold and alternative, with fearless

and genderf**k styles, the youth are definitely in revolt.

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Keystone Vintage (based behind Relish)

messages centred around being Independent clothing designers are

yourself. They even printed my glorious

thriving, with a quick Google search

mug on their "Celebration of Drag" shirt,

It doesn't stop there. New York fashion

leading us to more obscure finds and

the very shirt that graced the Queer

week exhibited pieces with political

limited production. Charity shops in

Fashion Week runway worn by Desmond

roots. Calvin Klein presented hazmat

Doncaster generally offer a rail of more

Is Amazing. Check out all things loud

suits and boots with themes of

high end brands, albeit at a slightly

and proud on their website

"protection"; whilst Alexander McQueen

higher price but well worth it. Aurora

showcased leather dresses and head to

on Scot Lane offers solely second hand

toe animal print as a nod to "Armour".

and donated occasion wear for women,

Balenciaga brought heavy tweeds and

perfect for weddings, the races, or just a

layering to the catwalk, sitting well on

buzzin’ treat, with a hat rental service to

offendmyeyes.co.uk

Photography: Warren Draper Š2018

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#PINT CLUB THE OLDE CASTLE 10 Market Place, Doncaster DN1 1LQ Guinness - £3.10

#

It’s Saturday morning and I’m walking through Doncaster

was going to be three pints in and asking what time karaoke

marketplace feeling peckish and thirsty, wondering to myself

starts. I was more than happy with the pint in my hand so I

where would offer the best full English breakfast and pint

started to take in my surroundings.

combo to start off the day perfectly. When, all of a sudden, The Olde Castle springs to mind. A pub I’ve visited just a handful

The barmaid who had welcomed me on entrance was whizzing

of times in my life as an adult, once or twice underage (sorry).

around the venue, effortlessly doing 100 jobs at once,

From my experience it was exactly what it said on the tin, an

understanding whose food was where, what the regulars tipple

old castle. Frozen in time in the centre of the marketplace,

was, timings in the kitchen and prices of the drinks. Just what

untouched and untouchable, and in my eyes it was never going

you want in a pub, a member of staff in complete control. I

to change. Serving pint after pint of Fosters to anybody that

looked round at the other punters in the bar and noticed that

walked in. But now…

not everybody here was the regular clientele from times of old(e); people, similar to me, had popped in for a breakfast

After being taken over by new management, I felt I had to give

while shopping in town. The idea to use local produce and a

this place a visit. I heard online that Castle had started serving

push on social media had opened the doors of this boozer

food, not only this but a friend of mine informed me that the

to all new walks of life, bringing only positives. The front bar

traditional breakfast was all local produce taken straight from

area has been renovated with subtle changes such as brighter

Doncaster marketplace. I switched course and navigated my

woodwork and added lights which have really brought the

way through its intimidating closed door.

place alive. These simple alterations have updated the Olde Castle from the once dim and drowsy watering hole to a

I made my way to the bar and ordered a traditional breakfast

new public house with a bright future while still keeping the

before eyeing up the pumps and handpulls to decide what

vintage decor giving it the timeless historic feel.

would accompany a hearty breakfast the best. I was greeted with just the standard pub pints, nothing too fancy and two

To summarise, Olde Castle has taken a forward look at the

handpulls, both of which unfortunately weren’t on. In the end,

local economy and used the marketplace to its advantage,

I dived in for a Guinness (or two) to accompany my breakfast.

opening its doors to a wider clientele and while doing so

If you’ve ever had a Guinness with food before you will know

changed it’s interior to compliment that. On a side note, the

that they are always a struggle with a meal, especially the most

breakfast was exceptional and I definitely recommend to

important meal of the day. I was in for the long haul, here.

anybody searching for a spot of food. However, I am rating the venue on it’s pints not the food (I will leave that to the lads at

I sat down and faced off with the Guinness. I was looking

Breakfast Club Doncaster). The lack of selection of beer really

forward to tasting a weird and wonderful ale in here but that,

lets this boozer down but I am more than sure that this will

sadly, wasn’t going to be the case. What I want in a Guinness

come with time under the new management.

is a lovely dark body with a strong, creamy head resting it’s shoulders and the one at hand really looked the part. I took

6/10

the first sip and nothing but refreshment hit me, so thick and creamy she flew down my neck. I was one sip in and had

Danny McMillan

already made a deep dint in the pint as a whole. At this rate I

Pint Club Pint Club is a Facebook group dedicated to lads (‘pintmen’) sharing pictures of and reviewing pints whether they are good or bad. The idea is to create one gigantic online pub in which men can interact with others through a mutual interest: pints. This review of The Olde Castle is one of a series of articles for Pint Club. If this appeals to you and you see yourself as a bit of a pint connoisseur, then feel free to get on board by joining our Facebook group: @pintclub

36

Illustration: Al Heighton ©2018

PINT PINT

CLUB CLUB

#doncolistings THEATRE LISTINGS

by Emma Gullon

# It’s Different For Girls @ CAST, Waterdale DN1 3BU Friday 16th & Saturday 17th November 7.45pm. £9/£11 A story of real Yorkshire girl power comes to Doncaster this winter, with the brand new Musical, It’s Different For Girls.

Set in Hull, 1965, five young women decide to start a girl band. Leaving their normal lives behind, Sindy & The Girlfriends are soon touring every pub and club, and are even asked to play for the US troops in Germany.

However, it becomes clear that the troops only have one thing on their mind and it’s not the girls’ talent.

A journey of ‘freedom’ and the sacrifices made to ‘achieve success’, It’s Different For Girls shows how ‘a man’s world’ can damage women’s lives and freedom.

Book your tickets: castindoncaster.com 01302 303 959 or visit the box office.

Playhouse Creatures @ The Doncaster Little Theatre 1 King Street, off East Laith Gate DN1 1JD Thursday 15th - Saturday 17th November 7.30pm. £10/£8.

With women’s rights and place in society still being widely debated, Doncaster Little Theatre present Samuel French’s powerful piece Playhouse Creatures.

Award winning Ballet Cymru brings a festive frolic to CAST with their retelling of Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales.

The semi autobiographical poem of Christmases past is brought vividly to life, brimming with nostalgia, comedy, cats and a lot of snow. This spectacular show even includes a full narration from Welsh icon, Cerys Matthews.

This explosion of dance and entertainment is a seasonal delight for the whole family.

Book your tickets: castindoncaster.com 01302 303 959 or visit the box office.

A Girl, A Rabbit & A Tea Party @ The Doncaster Little Theatre 1 King Street, off East Laith Gate, DN1 1JD Monday 26th - Tuesday 27th November 7pm. £10/£8 After putting their own spin on A Christmas Carol and Treasure Island, The Theatre Gang make their return to The Little Theatre. This time they’re pulling no punches with their version of Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice in Wonderland.

Set in the year 1669, theatres have finally reopened after years of being repressed by Puritan law. This also means that women are performing for the very first time. We follow the lives of the most famous actresses at the time, and find out what happened behind the curtains for these Restoration performers.

Dive down the rabbit hole with all your favourite characters including The Mad Hatter, The Cheshire Cat and of course, Alice herself. However, there are some you have never seen before, and one or two who are slipped in for a good joke!

With comedy and some moving moments, Playhouse Creatures is a play with themes that are still very much relevant today.

This comedy for kids by kids is a unique delight for the whole family. So head on down and support young local talent!

Book your tickets: doncasterlittletheatre.co.uk 01302 340 422 or visit the box office.

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A Child’s Christmas, Poems & Tiger’s Eggs @ CAST, Waterdale DN1 3BU Sunday 18th November 7.30pm. £14/ £8.50

Book your tickets: doncasterlittletheatre.co.uk 01302 340 422 or visit the box office.

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skinny dipping Craig Manga Fade in. I’m a man on a mission, a detective piecing together parts of a puzzle.

A sense of mystery surrounds the young man known as Skinny Pelembe. In the past few days, I’ve attempted to seek out this living conundrum who hails from my hometown, but his presence remains elusive. In a sense, I’m relieved.

I want to retain that star mythos that surrounds him.

Just who is Skinny Pelembe?

What are his origins, his touch-stones, his motivations? I have no answer. But read on, to join me on a quest to find out and discover one of the freshest new talents in the known universe (let alone Northern England).

Donning my Sherlock cap (and headphones), I have immersed myself in the man’s modest but formidable back catalogue, whilst simultaneously scouring the net and music mags for interviews, reviews and bios, to flesh out the man behind the music.

Several objective facts surface. I do know that Skinny Pelembe was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, moved to the UK, then grew up in my own humble town of Doncaster, South Yorkshire.

Presently, he is based in London.

He describes himself, if pushed, as “grumpy” and “secretly funky”. He is an avid fan of old-school hiphop and many of its mutant offshoots, triphop

42

and illbient. He plays sun-dappled guitar (and jazz-infused keys), sings in the sweetest swoon-inducing falsetto, has a magpie-like propensity towards samples, programs, producers and MCs. His sound is - oxymoronically - both huge yet intimate. The man has recently signed to Brownswood Recordings, releasing a brand new track I’ll Be On Your Mind, having already released wonderful output for the London imprint. He has received muchwelcomed support from Doncasterbased Higher Rhythm studios and BBC 6 Music DJ Gilles Peterson. Should You Go was premiered on Peterson’s radio show, and features on the latest edition of the Brownswood Bubblers compilations. Skinny Pelembe is also part of the Future Bubblers collective, the Arts Council England-funded programme led by Peterson, for developing new, unsigned acts.

I pondered several key questions (of personal interest): What are his influences? What other artists inform his work?

Skinny, in some previous interview, admitted to some eclectic guilty pleasures amongst the usual suspects, “Wu-Tang, Erykah Badu, Johnny Cash…

Roots Manuva, The Jam, Gil Scott Heron, Blur, Nina Simone, Daedelus…

Van Halen…The Smiths, Fela Kuti, Mos Def…The Fall, DJ Shadow, Portishead.

Whatever was on that months Mixmag CD and way too many cheesy mod compilations.”

Skinny started his fledgling musical efforts on acoustic guitar around the age of eight. A year later, in the UK, McDonalds project Our Town Story had kids recount their town's history through music/dance at the former Millennium Dome. As a footnote, Skinny accidentally enrolled in the dance section and endured a week's worth of freestyle and Bollywood classes because he was too shy to say he was in the wrong group. This probably informs the eclecticism of his music and his willingness to explore.

He asserts, ”I don't know how you can think it's okay to still carry on doing carbon copies of whatever has already happened, especially after hearing something like DJ Shadow, or Portishead… there’s something beautiful about tradition, heritage and purism but it's artists like these that really stand true to what I love about hip-hop and music in general; sounding out your own unique voice.”

Then came the switch to electric when Skinny’s dad started buying tapes at car boot sales. “(Dad) popped in ‘Baker Street’, and I knew, whatever happened from then on, I was either gonna have to learn how to play guitar solos or sax riffs. Guitar had more street cred in Donny, so that was it.”

Another life-shaper involved a complete stranger on Instagram. As a result of

the advice he was offered, Skinny now writes down details of all his dreams in a notebook as inspiration for his lyrics, yielding results that are equally surreal and startlingly direct. These night scribbles are then woven into loose, textured rhythms and brightly tinted melodies. His songs exist in the wonderfully fuzzy margins of hookladen dreampop (has there ever been a more apt and literal description?) skirting hazy, translucent psyche-jazz.

The perfect overlapping centre of this crazed Venn diagram? Whoah.

So, those expecting Skinny’s output to be pure unadulterated pop might be disappointed. However, if pop means wide-ranging, anything goes

sonic assemblages cut with a maverick sensibility, this might truly suit: It’s a cohesive body of work, closer in spirit to those multiple-genre, multitasking acts such as Beck, Bjork and Sufjan Stevens, although he sounds like none of these. This fleeting, flitting spirit crops up on recent single Spit / Swallow which weaves and wefts cavernous dub textures, gauzy pastoral guitar loops, sampladelic textures and cut-and-pasted steel-tipped hip-hop beats (which intersplice samples/ found sounds with real organic drum breaks to superb organic effect) into this fine-detailed sonic tapestry. It all hangs together perfectly with not a thread out of place. Beyond the superficial production sheen, there

is a true talent for melody and true songcraft, every tune is an earworm. I’m rendered helpless. Melting in deepest Afro-psychedelic soulspace. Toy Shooter follows in similar fashion, bridging psych-pop hooklines with beat-centric, electro-jamming freedom.

Maybe, I’m no closer to discovering who Skinny Pelembe is. But maybe this is the point. We should never pin down and dissect the butterfly. It should remain brimming with its own beauty and life.

One thing is clear, Skinny Pelembe is a clarion voice, a unique talent, so let Skinny be.

End

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