Xplode Magazine | Issue 12 | Spring 2015

Issue 12 Spring 2015

05 35,1 PE

RIL ' AP 15

READ BY

LE JANOP

Inside this edition

Britain’s Got Talent

echosmith FASHION SS15 New Game Releases supported by

xplodemag.co.uk

Credits Team Saeed Atcha – Chief Executive Mithun Kerai – Managing Director Khalil Malji – Assistant Managing Director Chloe Bennett – Managing Editor Edward Jankowski – Head of Visual Media Sophie Brown – Showbiz Editor Amber Sargent – Film/TV Editor Zahra Khan – Fashion Editor Robert Hurst – Visual Media Producer Adam Toorawa – Journalist Shabih Syed – Journalist Phoebe McEwen– Journalist Kajol Patel - Journalist Zenely Martin Rios – Journalist Aishah Atcha – Journalist Lydia Edwards – Journalist Sabina Toorawa – Journalist Hannah Moffat – Journalist Aliaa Toorawa – Journalist Nathan Byrne – Journalist Lydia German – Journalist

With special thanks to HM Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester

Contact Xplode Magazine Xplode Magazine The Bolton Hub, Bold Street Bolton, BL1 1LS Facebook & Twitter: XplodeMag E: info@xplodemag.co.uk T: 01204 546081 Distributed FREE in the Bolton area.

Contributions welcome.

Design & Print by Trendy Design Co www.trendy-designs.co.uk

Disclaimer: Xplode Magazine Bolton. Registered Charity 1155789 strives to provide accurate and up-to-date information. If you have seen any mistakes or anything that you are not happy with then please e-mail us: info@xplodemag.co.uk.

All information is correct at the time of print and any unauthorised copying or reproducing of Xplode Magazine's content will constitute an infringement of copyright. © Xplode Magazine 2015, All Rights Reserved.

Issue 12 is here!

Whilst writing this Editor’s note, the view I’m seeing out of my office window is INCREDIBLE! I just love Bolton, I love what we stand for and our motto says it all – ‘Bolton SuperaMoras ’SuperaMoras means ‘overcome difficulties’ and we are definitely doing that with our Town Centre. I’ll be honest, you wouldn’t visit Bolton Town Centre unless you live in the town. There aren’t many shops, it doesn’t quite look as nice as it could, but that is ALL about to change and the Market Place Shopping Centre are the reason behind that – they’re putting up a cinema for us, they’re opening their beautiful looking vaults so we can dine in them, and Bolton Council are transforming the way the town centre looks as well – so when you’re thinking about our town centre and how bad it is, don’t be disheartened, give it some time and we’ll have even more reason to be proud of our town!

Right, back to this magazine! I decided to put Taylor Swift on the front of it because she’s quite possibly the biggest popstar of the moment!

She’s even been put on a list of the ‘World’s Best Leaders’ which shows she’s a role model to everyone! The picture of her looks every so spring-y and we’ve gone all out on Spring & Summer fashion this issue!

Get flicking those pages for what I think is our best magazine yet!

*Don’t I look like I should’ve been part of this edition’s Fashion Shoot?!

Contents

30

Bucket List

20

Games Of 2015

24

Modern Warfare

22

11

Top 5 Gadget Releases

Stars Of 2015

Books vs Films

4

13

9

Fashion SS15

Britain’s Got Talent

10

Future Films

28

Domestic Violence

3

Article by Chloe Bennett

So it’s 2015 and here are some of the artists that are destined to last a little longer than our New Years resolutions and be the next big things of 2015. Last year we predicted that Ella Eyre and Sam Smith were going to smash it and they’ve definitely had their fair share of success over the year!

Winning this year’s BBC Sound of 2015 are London based, 90s RnB influenced London trio, Years and Years. They offer a fresh take on pop music in a genre that’s heavily saturated with females artists.

Their music is described as upbeat and infectious providing something more than just a beat as their songs are accompanied with soulful vocals. Desire, One of the group’s singles, has featured heavily on BBC radio’s playlists and their tune ‘King’ hit Number 1.

Going off previous winner’s success I’m sure the trio will have a brilliant year, make sure you look out for them in the charts!

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Doing it for the girls is Sinead Harnett. The star has already had musical success through collaborations with the ground breaking Disclosure producing vocals for their track What’s in Your Head and Boiling. Sinead is 2015’s version of Katy B, offering a fresh take on electronic music with soulful vocals that are reminiscent of Jessie Ware and Jhené Aiko. After coming third in MTV’s new for 2015 it’s destined to be a good year for the star!

Article by Saimah Malji

What do you do when you have a sister who can sing, a brother who can play the drums and another who plays the guitar? Isn’t it obvious? Form a band!

Echosmith are an all sibling rock and indie pop band from Los Angeles.

From opening shows for different artists they began to gather a strong supportive fan base. Their hit single “Cool Kids” stormed the charts all over the world, the music video itself has hit over 26million views! The single reached platinum in America and double platinum in Australia.

Echosmith have also released a range of covers for example “Lights” by Ellie Goulding and “Set Fire To The Rain” by Adele.

Sydney (17, who is the only female member of the group) provides the gripping vocals with the support of bass player Noah. The eldest member of the band, Jamie, also gives the support of vocals along with him playing the guitar while Graham plays the drums.

They were named official VH1“You Oughta know” artists during October last year which was what helped the likes of Adele and Sam Smith break the states. So it’s no doubt they will be on everyone’s playlists soon!

Jamie, Sydney, Noah and Graham will be headlined their first UK tour in April.

With tickets priced from £10 in London and £8 in the regional shows. They are prospering greatly in what they do and they will definitely continue to do so. They are definitely the band to watch right now!!

WIN WIN WIN And if you want to be in with a chance of WINNING a copy of Echosmith’s album, all you have to do is Tweet ‘GIVE ME AN ECHOSMITH ALBUM @XplodeMag’ and make sure you’re following us! Then 5 you’re in our draw!

Jack and Jack are a pop and rap duo from Los Angeles who met in kindergarten wearing the same shirt and having the same name! It’s safe to say that were destined to be together from that day and they’ve remained best friends since!

Following their success via the social media app ‘Vine,’ the teens decided to turn to a career as musicians. Johnson and Gilinsky are best known for their 2014 single “Wildlife” which peaked at number 2 on iTunes.

Johnson and Gilinsky began posting 6 second clips on the social app Vine as a comedy duo during summer 2013. Praised by the Huffington Post who said it was ‘the perfect vine’, their breakout came in the form of their ‘Nerd Vandals’ clip which went viral, building up 25,000 followers in a very short period of time.

Partnered with Omaha based company SkyVu Entertainment; they have 6 released 2 mobile app games. Their first

game, Let It Goat, sailed into the top 10 iTunes app store with over a million downloads within the first month. The game was apparently “the most addictive game since Flappy Bird”. The success of their first app encouraged both the boys to develop and ‘Jack and Jack Vines’ which was based around them and released in December last year.

The couple’s musical pursuit began when they met Turner and Travis Eakins, who helped them record their earliest co-written songs at a makeshift studio. Their first original song ‘Distance’ was released in January 2014, peaking number 7 on iTunes U.S Hip Hop Chats. By February 2015 they had released 11 singles, having the intention of eventually releasing a full length debut album.

Don’t think America are getting all the attention though! Jack and Jack have been the UK recently, they were the opening act for the Janoskian tour in London.

Article by Aliaa Toorawa

Article by Robert Hurst

The "Evening at the Races" season at the Haydock Races is one of the most exciting in the UK live music scene! And this year is their biggest yet, as they announce that they will be hosting international superstar KYLIE and the massive indie rockers KAISER CHIEFS! KYLIE will be performing on Saturday 20th June. The Aussie popstar has been performing her spectacular live shows to sold out arenas for the last 28 years, and has sold 70 million albums worldwide, as well as picking up 44 UK top 40 hits (that’s enough for a Kylie Top 40 and more!). She’ll be performing new material, including songs from her latest album "Kiss Me Once", as well as classics like "I Should Be So Lucky" and "Spinning Around". Kylie said she’s so excited about her upcoming appearance at Haydock: "I have an amazing band and fabulous dancers and we can’t wait to share my hits with you in a beautiful summer outdoor show. Being from a horse racing city like Melbourne, I’ll be sure to have a flutter on the horses myself!"

Also making an appearance at The Races are KAISER CHIEFS on Friday 7th August. Lead

by The Voice judge Ricky Wilson, they’ve had lots of success in the charts, particularly with "I Predict a Riot", "Oh My God" and 2007's Number 1 "Ruby"! They are known for putting on a fantastic live show!

Before each concert will be 6 races, with some of the biggest names in horse riding. However, some of you may want to be there just for the music! The manager of the park said: “We’re expecting a rush for tickets for two of the ‘must be there’ music events of the summer, all racing and music fans are urged to reserve their tickets as soon as they can.”

Keep an eye on XplodeMag.co.uk for your chance to WIN your way in!

7

Home Alone

Kate (Brittany Snow) is the new girl in school.

She catches John Tucker (Jesse Metcalfe) dating three different girls at once; Carrie the smart girl, Heather the cheerleader and Beth the activist. Together with the three jilted ex-girlfriends they hatch a plan to teach John a lesson. Things hardly ever go as planned, especially when Kate starts to think that she might be falling for John herself.

It’s Christmas time and the McCallister family are preparing for a vacation in Paris.

But they completely forget about Kevin, the youngest in the family who now has the house all to himself. Despite this, Kevin makes the best of this situation, as he finally earns the freedom he's always wished for by jumping on beds, eating ice cream, watching gangster movies, and doing whatever he pleases. However, two robbers, the ever so stupid Marv and his right-hand man, the highly intelligent Harry, invade his neighbourhood by stealing precious valuables of his neighbours.

Kevin acts quickly by wiring his house with his own makeshift booby traps to stop the burglars and to bring them to justice.

Article written by Sabina Toorawa

John Tucker Must Die

Friends When Monica's high school friend (Rachel) re-enters her life, she sets off on a series of hilarious, amusing and entertaining events involving Monica's brother (Ross), her ex-roommate (Phoebe), and her next door neighbours (Chandler & Joey).

The Lion King

Family Guy

A young lion, Prince Simba,has his pride taken away by his cruel uncle, who says he killed Simba’s father. While the uncle rules the land, the prince grows up beyond the savannah, living by a philosophy “HakunaMatata”meaning ‘no worries for the rest of your days’. But when his past comes to haunt him, the young Prince must decide his fate. After years of being an outcast, Simba is persuaded to return home to overthrow his uncle and 8 claim the kingdom as his own!

The wacky, occasionally irreverent misadventures of a Rhode Island family who’s made up of two parents - Peter and Lois, two teenagers - Chris and Meg, Brian - a dog who is smarter than everyone else in the house and mutant baby Stewie - who makes numerous attempts to eradicate his parents and siblings. Heading up this eclectic household is Peter Griffin. Peter does his best to do what's right for the family, but along the way, he makes mistakes that are the stuff of legends.

Article written by Sophie Brown

Britain’s Got Talent is back!

You’ve got to admit it, at least everyone has watched this once and laughed hysterically at the failure of other people.

That’s my favourite part! I don’t understand how some people can really believe that they are talented when all they do is chop wood and repeatedly chant the words: ‘Chopping wood!’ How is that a talent?!

But there’s no denying, it has brought us some pretty talented people including the legendary Susan Boyle, Diversity and Ashleigh & Pudsey.

So let’s hope that this year’s show is as good as all the rest and brings us lots of good laughs and new stars!

The Judges It looks like the judges have been having lots of fun at this year’s auditions. It is rumoured to be the best series yet 9 and it certainly looks that way!

FUTURE FILMS

PITCH PERFECT 2 -

Article by Amber Sargent

After its debut in 2011 the film that brought us the cup song, Pitch Perfect became a breakout hit making $113 million dollars worldwide. The film ended with the Bella's united together performing an incredible mash up and we see Becca and James finally make it official with a kiss. Now Fat Amy and the rest of the Bella's are back! This time the Bella's have to earn back their place at college after Fat Amy 'accidently' showed her private parts to the president of the United States, by competing in an international singing competition that no American team has ever won.

A JURASSIC WORLD We’re waiting for the 4th instalment of the Jurassic Park franchise and it comes in the form of ‘Jurassic World’ – it’s all about a brand new dinosaur theme park which hasn’t been doing quite well so the management decide to open up a new attraction and that 10 backfires horribly!

Books Films

Part one

Article by Phoebe McEwen

We’ve all asked the question before haven’t we? After the feature film comes to a close at the cinema, we’ve all turned to our friend/parent/other half and said ‘But was the book better or the film?’ It’s a tough question that one, isn’t it?

I nearly always choose books over films. Why? Because, in my opinion, a book gives you a fuller picture and explores the story in more depth. Also, it gives you the space to use your imagination to decide what YOU want the characters to look like and act like - giving you a sense of control over your experience of the story. Whereas with a film, all of the characters behaviours and appearances are already prescribed to you, along with settings and objects.

A book can also be interpreted in a number of different ways, each different and personal to the person who is reading it. You can make a book mean what YOU want it to mean- not what some big Hollywood director felt that it meant for them.

Another point to add- how many times have you sat down to watch a film based on one of your favourite books only

to realise that they’ve missed out your favourite part? Or an equally important plot point? This is a very annoying book to film side effect.

Turn the page for why films might just be that little bit better than their paper counterparts!

11

Books Films Part two

Article by Phoebe McEwen

However, don’t get me wrong, I love films although I love them for different reasons.

Films allow you to take a back seat and watch how someone else has interpreted a book- which can be quite interesting and can make you view characters and concepts in a way that you had never considered doing before. Plus, a film is much more visual. The music and special effects adding to the experience and being able to see the characters move and interact makes them seem much more real and tangible.

Films are also great for a good old chill, as they don’t require that much attention. A film is usually only a couple of hours long whereas it can take a very long time to read a book. In my opinion the time taken to read a book is well worth it but in this day and age, we all can’t really manage to fit reading into our schedules so films are a great substitute!

But that do you think? Do you think books are better or films?

12

SS15

WE REVEAL THIS SPRING AND SUMMER’S HOTTEST TRENDS, FLICK THOSE PAGES TO SEE A GREAT MIX OF CASUAL, MINIMAL AND NIGHT OUT LOOKS! Fashion Editor: Zahra Khan | Fashion Team: Lydia Edwards, Chloe Bennett & Saeed Atcha Stylists: Amber Sargent, Sabina Toorawa, Aliaa Toorawa | Photographers: Zenely Martin Rios & Laura Appleton Makeup: Jessica Waring & CT Images | Runner: Robert Hurst | With thanks to models Chelsea Edgar and Rosanna Owen

Stand Out In Stripes This outfit is fit for day and night – whether it’s one of those long days of studying, or a long night followed by the walk of shame, this outfit has got you sorted!

Black bag, black shoes, black trousers and you’ve got black stripes in this outfit so you defo won’t go amiss.

Blouse, H&M, £14.99 Shoes, H&M, £9.99 Trousers, H&M, £19.99 Bag, Model’s Own

Casual Colour Block!

It’s always a better day when your look is on point! This extremely casual look will turn heads with its bright bag – A great breezy outfit for SS15 and minimal effort is great too so you can focus on the study!

12 14

Blouse, Primark, £8.00 Joggers, New Look, £14.99 Bag, New Look, £24.99 Shoes, H&M, £9.99 Necklace, Accessorize, £2.00 Ring, Model’s Own

Kimono, H&M, £5.99 Trousers, H&M, £19.99 Bag, Accessorize, £12.00 Blouse, Primark, £8.00

Return Of The Floral!

Embrace the fabulous floral feel with this cheap and cheerful Kimono that’s perfect to pair with absolutely anything!

This look is handy for those picnics, barbeques and anything else spring and summer throws at you! It’s so flexible, you can literally throw on black, white or nude flats – not to mention that nude bag to match.

The Bright & Brilliant Jean Scene!

One of spring’s well known trends are back!

Take advantage of those beautiful flowers that blossom with those staple heels and then take in a fresh look at those old-school ripped jeans.

Change to flats for a more casual look and knowing true British weather, it’ll be a while until we get a warm feel. Pop on the Coral blazer for a bright burst!

Shoes, Primark, £12.00 Jeans, River Island, £42.00 Jacket, Primark, £17.00 Cami, Primark, £4.00 Bangle, Accessorize, £4.50

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Meet Chelsea Chelsea’s a massive fan of Jennifer Lawrence because of her hilarity and she’s very specific about her life goals too! She wants to become a qualified teacher and in her spare time, she likes to spend time her family and friends. If Chelsea could have anything in the world, it would be a plane, or an unlimited amount of plane tickets to travel to wherever she wants to!

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Meet Rosanna She’s a 19 year old Ginge (in case you couldn’t tell) who would love to be stuck in a lift with fellow Ginger Ed Sheeran. When not studying for her English Literature degree, she wants to learn how to drive and in her spare time she drinks tea, dances and eats lots of cake! We asked her ‘if you could have anything in the world, what would it be?’ She says it would be her own Disney Princess castle!

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6

MUST HAVES

WHEN WORKING IN THE

MEDIA INDUSTRY We sent our journalists, Amber Sargent and Robert Hurst, to shadow the press team at Bolton Wanderers’ match against Blackpool.

SOCIAL MEDIA In 2015 social media is one of, if not the, most important way of engaging with people. With Facebook, Twitter and YouTube playing such huge roles in everybody’s life these days, it’s not surprising that big companies use it to their advantage! In Bolton Wanderers’ case, this involves a lot of things; posting 18 interesting trivia for fans of all ages,

like “on this day” features; updating the social feeds with the latest news coming out of the club; dealing with Twitter banter; getting team sheets from each dressing room at 2pm and getting them typed up and posted as soon as possible! And possibly most importantly, giving a live commentary of the match on Facebook and Twitter for fans who can’t attend the game.

VIDEO And while we’re talking about social media, YouTube is a big part of our daily lives – we all use it at one point or another.

BWFC use this to their advantage really well, posting at least one video each day, and they have one member of their team permanently assigned to it! If you want to work in the media, you should try and get some experience with video, whether it’s how to use a camera, editing or even just getting to know how use YouTube, it will come in handy at some point!

TIME MANAGEMENT

HOSPITALITY This is something that doesn’t spring to mind instantly when you think of the media… but you’d be surprised! Working for the club, the media team at BWFC have to have a good relationship with the manager, players and all of the other staff at the club, because they’d have no content without them. On top of this, they have to play host to the other journalists and media who visit the stadium, and need to make them feel welcome to give them a good impression!

Really, you just need to be friendly!

COMMUNICATION With four people and a whole lot of work to be done, it’s important for any media team to communicate well with each other. Whether it’s letting everybody know

what you’re up to or handing out tasks, media is most definitely a team effort. If that means using walkie talkies, phones or running around a stadium like a mad-person then so be it, because otherwise the whole thing just wouldn’t come off as smoothly as it does! So even if you’re just doing a small job, make everybody else aware of what you’re doing so they know where you’re up to… you don’t want somebody to end up doing the same thing as you!

POSITIVE ATTITUDE Now this is what being in the media is all about. When you’re working, you have to be positive! Do fans want to see a gloomy post looking at the negatives of a match?

No, they wanna hear what positives came out of it to make them feel proud! Do the players or manager want to be interviewed by a reporter who looks glum and downtrodden? Definitely not, they want to feel supported! So if you want to get a job in media, you have to be positive around others, even if you don’t feel it, because that’s what will draw people in!

VIEW

Time management is one of the most important things for the media, especially on the busy days. With such a range of content to create and put out, as well as covering events, things can get really hectic. That means that you really have to work to a schedule, so the company keeps its publicity and coverage at a steady and constant rate. Until you see it yourself, you don’t realise quite how much work goes into this! And seeing the media team work really showed the importance of planning out your day… plan, plan, plan!

Our interview with Neil Lennon at xplodemag.co.uk/bwfc

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NEW GAME RELEASES FOR

2015

Spring is upon us and of course, Spring brings a little bit of free time so we thought that we’d give you all the details when it comes to those juicy game releases you’ve been waiting for. Because when it comes to games, Xplode knows best!

Evolve Released: Available Now Platform: Xbox One, Play Station 4, PC

From the creators of Left 4 Dead, comes this fascinating multiplayer game where you can choose whether you’re the monster attacking your human enemies or choose between one of four Hunter classes. You can team up to take down the beast in Planet Shear where both flora and fauna act as an adversary to humans and monsters. Level up to unlock new Hunter or Monster characters as well as upgrades, skins, and perks. Earn your infamy on the leader-boards and become the most successful predator.

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Article written by Zenely Martin Rios

The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s mask Released: Available Now Platform: Nintendo 3DS/2DS

Our protagonist Link is tricked into entering a new land called Termina where he will have to stop the moon from colliding and falling in three days. But you’ll have certain magical powers and masks that’ll help you throughout your journey!

Battlefield Hardline Released: Available Now Platform: Multiformat

It’s time to take sides, for or against crime, you decide. With new maps and gadgets, this time Battlefield brings us more money, more problems and more strategies and tactics to use.

The single player mode offers you an intense crime drama to resolve or you can opt to team up in a high-speed fight between cops and criminals in the multi-player mode. Make use of your intelligence here to secure your cash, climb the city buildings and explore across the town. No matter what the strategy, teamwork will be essential to running the turf war.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD Released: Available Now Platform: Xbox One, Play Station 4

This action role-play game is part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries focusing on Class Zero; 12 students responsible for pushing back and defeating the forces of Militesi, and the secret behind the war and the existence of the crystals. Continue the story now with the new abilities and characters!

21

WORLD CONGRESS Mobile World Congress ran from the 2nd of March to the 5th and is where most tech companies released their flagship products for the upcoming year. Here are the top 5 gadgets that caught my eye!

5

Huawei Watch - this beautiful piece of wearable tech is a mixture of classic watch design coupled with state of the art hardware, and Huawei seem to have outdone themselves as the balance between the two is perfect, the watch has a 1.4 inch AMOLED screen protected by an ultra-strong sapphire glass cover. The watch is also customisable as it comes in black, gold and silver housing options with a ton of watchstraps to choose from.

4

IKEA wireless charging furniture - although this may not really be tech it’s still really cool, IKEA everybody’s favourite, some assembly required furniture shop is releasing a range of furniture that comes with built in pads for wireless charging so we may be moving away from a world where we need to buy a new cable every 6 months because of breakages.

3

ZTE SPro2 Smart Projector - this tiny portable projector has 16gb of built in memory so you don’t need to carry your media around on your smartphone to play them, also the projector has around three hours of battery life so should be able to play a movie without dying. The devise can project 120inch HD images which is better than some conventional projectors, the projector will be 22 available in summer.

2

Samsung galaxy S6 - Samsung’s latest flagship phone comes fitted with the sharpest display on the market, and has a super bright mode which activates when outdoors and the sun would usually outshine your screen, but what really changes the S6 compared to the previous galaxy models is that this phone has a metal back, which brings it into the same league as the HTC and iPhone flagships in design and how solid it feels in hand, however because of this there is no removable battery and no microSD slot which may be a deal breaker for users who have large capacity needs.

HTC M9 – the M9 has a very similar design to the M8 in fact aside from the change in number of cameras on the back and the shape of the camera I doubt you’d be able to tell the difference. However the M9 has an improved, faster processor, an increase in ram and an even larger battery, the rear camera is now 20mp opposed to HTC’s usual ultra-pixel cameras. The HTC gets the top spot due to its sense UI which makes it much more user friendly and just sleeker than the other android phones on 23 the market.

1

Article by Adam Toorawa

IS THIS YOUR CALL OF DUTY

Target, trigger, shoot… miss! Target, trigger, shoot… KILL! No matter who you speak to - your gran, granddad, mum, dad, uncle or aunt war has been a part of our lives, whether it’s someone we’ve known who has served, or is serving in the armed forces, or even watching the last field report on the news.

How do you feel when you turn on your Xbox or Playstation, eject the disc rack, pop out your latest or favourite Call of Duty disc, and insert it?

Do you do it for escapism? Or to feel like you’re doing our part, because it's the only way you can when you’re not old enough to join to army?

Or because it’s just fun?

My bet is on fun. Because it is! Cutting edge gadgets; ammunition with cool names, like M16A4; and then there’s the vehicles!

The stories in the games we play are now closer to reality than ever before.

The Situation Room - which sounds like it's straight out of an 24 action and adventure epic - is very

Article written by Edward Jankowski

MODERN WARFARE

much a real thing. Pictured is President Obama and his national security team in the White House Situation Room. Hilary Clinton, the United States’ Secretary of State at the time, described this moment as “the most intense 38 minutes” of her life. It was the moment America’s most wanted man, Osama Bin Laden, was caught and killed by a Navy SEALs raid on his compound in Pakistan.

It all unfolded like a blockbuster. Intense. And that’s the point. The more intense the better, especially when the enemy is involved.

Take American Sniper, the story of America’s most deadly sniper, it was a box office hit!

Now with Islamic State and the Russia/ Ukraine conflict always in the news with daily updates, sometimes hourly, on our phones, and televisions. Some want a bit of that action. So after tea, the Xbox is switched on and you have a mission “should you choose to accept it?”

It gives us the chance to be the hero.

Article written by Wahida Alom

The Xpolde wAy We’ve all been told by one person or another that A levels will be the hardest 2 years we’ll have to go through in our lifetime of education. I disagree; I think there are many ways in which this doesn’t have to be the case. There are lots of ways you can help your way through without too much stress!

Lessons are usually long and tiring and let’s face it, after a while you switch off. Everything you’re taught at college is essential in order to get the grades you want/need. Coming home every day and going over what you’ve learnt in those lessons can really help you remember everything. This will make revision a lot easier as you don’t need to go through loads of information at once, killing two birds with one stone- great! (But don’t try that at home – we don’t want any birds Xploding on our watch!)

Another tip is not to spend all

your time revising and finishing work off, a social life is just as important as an education. Balancing these two aspects will ensure that work doesn’t get on top of you. Take a break from everything educational related once a week as it will help you relax and switch off, but also remember to take a reasonable break otherwise you’ll end up going off track and it could affect those all-important grades.

Lastly, try and remain calm and collected during the two years, not only is it beneficial to your education but also your health. Go into exams with positive thoughts every time and allow yourself to think things through before making assumptions on what grades you will get.

These are just a few things you can do to help yourself cope with A-levels.

Some might not be practical for all but I do hope this article helps you not just if you’re in college but if you’re in uni or school too!

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The Truth Behind The Lies What comes to your mind when someone mentions domestic abuse? Physical violence between couples? Well yes, to many that’s exactly what first springs to mind, but domestic abuse is much more than just that.

It’s an incident or a chain of incidents of controlling, threatening, or violent behaviour between anyone aged 16 or over who are partners or family members. It covers psychological, physical, sexual, financial and emotional abuse and is becoming more and more common in young people. The teenage bracket of people aged between 15 and 17 is seeing a rapid increase and this could be down to social media and controversial TV shows.

It’s common for victims to remain silent either in fear they may cause further problems or because the abuse has become a norm in their lives but with 1 in 4 females and 1 in 6 males suffering from domestic abuse, it is important to recognise the changes in behaviour of family/friends who may be a victim of it. Here are a few things you could look out for: ● A sudden withdrawal of friendship – If the person is usually outgoing, lively and bubbly but since getting in a relationship has become more timid, withdrawn and is always too busy to meet up, it could be that they are in a controlling relationship. ● Lack of sleep – Although a lack of sleep isn’t uncommon, a pattern of it can be an indicator of abuse especially if it is accompanied with other behavioural changes. ● Nervousness – If your friend or family member is often nervous and anxious (particularly around a partner) and has a change in their tone of voice, it’s important to recognise 28 this and not brush it away; this is

one of the most common behavioural indicators of domestic abuse and you should keep an eye out on them to see if it is a common occurrence.

But domestic violence doesn’t just end there, witnessing it, especially between family members can be quite scary - the important thing to remember is that you can help to stop it. Reporting it to the police or specialist Domestic Abuse and Violence organisations such as Fortalice, can lead to an investigation and appropriate support and counselling can then be put into place. 750,000 children witness domestic abuse and violence a year; children witnessing domestic abuse in the home may start to think that it’s a normal way of behaviour, research into this tells us that there is a strong correlation between these children witnessing domestic abuse to then, in later life either become the abuser or the victim.

Bolton has adopted a coordinated response towards domestic abuse through people working together to help tackle it.

If you have any concerns around Domestic Abuse, either because you have witnessed it or are suffering from it or are fearful of your behaviours and want to do something about it, you can report it.

Below are a few helpful numbers: Greater Manchester Police 999(emergency only). 101 or Bolton Public Protection Investigation Unit: 0161 856 5589 (open 8am to 8pm every day).

Fortalice Support Centre 01204 365677 (Monday to Wednesday – 9am-5pm, Thursday 9am-7pm and Friday 9am-2pm) Victim Support 01204 387229 (Monday to Friday 9am-5pm) Children’s Safeguarding 01204 337479 In partnership with the Public Health Department With thanks to Amina Jeewa Article written by Mithun Kerai

top 4 island destinations

Article written by Khalil Malji

PALAU Our first stop is the Republic of Palau. This pristine paradise boasts a spectacular diving and snorkelling scene, so it’s no wonder most tourists spend their time underwater.

With wartime wrecks, hidden caves and tunnels, coral reefs and rare sea creatures, (such as giant clams that weigh over a quarter of a ton!) there is no shortage of things to explore and discover.

EASTER ISLAND Almost everyone is familiar the mysterious Moai statues of Easter Island. They are simply works of art. These beautifully carved pieces of volcanic rock have made the island a world heritage site and a very attractive tourism site. This tree-less island is one of the most isolated places on earth making it an 30 elegant and peaceful place to visit.

HAWAII The natural beauty just takes your breath away. No island destination list would be complete without Hawaii being one of them as there is simply no place on earth like it. Each of the six major islands have their own distinct personality. Learn to surf from the birthplace of modern surfing, visit the world’s most active volcanoes or travel to dolphin friendly waters where you may catch a glimpse of the majestic creatures.

THE BAHAMAS Located just off the coast of Florida, these 700 plus islands are like scattered pearls across the Caribbean. Their white sandy beaches have a very long history all the way back to when Christopher Columbus discovered them. A lot of families tend to spend their time in the mega resorts, but this diverse group of islands have many other things to offer such as offshore reefs, wildlife preserves and also the numerous golf courses.

Article written by Sophie Brown and Hannah Moffat

You walk into a shop and bam! You’ve entered heaven, there’s a brilliant smell of cake in the air and you just want to spend the rest of your life there. Everyone loves cake, it’s imprinted into human DNA and now the power of cake is in the hands of a young person!

Cupcake Delight is a small business in Bolton, ran by Jessica Waring. We caught up with her to find out a bit about herself and how she got herself to where she is.

Describing herself as a happy, creative and bubbly person, she is now the owner of her own cake shop at the young age of 20! When Jessica was younger she wanted to be a forensic scientist which is miles apart from her job now.

Jessica’s mum was the original owner of this business, before Jessica recently took over. She only got into baking when her mum started the business, so it hasn’t always been an interest of hers, but now Jessica says that she loves it!

Her favourite part of running the business is decorating the cupcakes and says running the shop is fairly easy but the worst part of it is having to pay the bills!

Her favourite TV chef is Gordon Ramsey but believes her personality is far from his as she’s a much nicer person really who doesn’t get angry. When asked what advice she would give to other young people wanting to start their own business, she laughed and said “Just do it, once you’ve taken that first step, everything just falls into place”.

Why not visit Cake Delight on Deane Church Lane and grab yourself a lovely cupcake for just £1.25! Cake Delight also caters for parties and events with larger cakes and giant cupcakes priced between £30 and £35. You can also visit their website: www.cake-delight.co.uk or like their page on Facebook – ‘Cake Delight’.

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These brownies are honestly the best for any chocolate lover! A combination of brownie, marshmallows and krispies make them different to anything else.

Prep time – 30 mins Total Time – 60 mins Serving Size – 16 portion Ingredients ● ● ● ● ● ●

75g butter 150g dark chocolate 2 medium egg 150g caster sugar 75g plain flour ½ tsp baking powder

Ingredients for the Topping ● ● ● ●

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100g mini marshmallows 25g butter 200g milk chocolate 40g rice krispies

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Grease and line an 8 inch square tin with butter and greaseproof paper.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a pan, stirring occasionally and then set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

6. After the 30 mins, melt the milk chocolate and spread over the top. Pour on rice krispies and press lightly. Chill the brownie to set and then allow it to soften at room temperature for about 10 mins before cutting and serving.

3. Whilst cooling, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk until pale and moussey. This will take about 5 minutes. Once done, fold the mix through the chocolate mixture.

4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt, then fold this through the mix. When everything is mixed in, pour into tin and bake for 15-18 mins.

5. Next, in a clean pan, melt the marshmallows and butter, stirring frequently.

Scrape this mix over the hot brownie and spread to level. Leave this for 30 mins.

Tips Not got a lot of time? Then just pour melted chocolate over the brownie and press marshmallows in instead!

Article written by Hannah Moffat

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Facts That Sound Too Crazy To Be True: There are 10 times more bacteria in your body than actual body cells There is only one country between North Korea and Norway A Strawberry is NOT a berry A Banana IS a berry Scotland's national animal is the UNICORN Nowhere in the Humpty Dumpty Nursery Rhyme does it say that Humpty Dumpty is an egg

CHECK OUT OUR BRAND NEW WEBSITE! Get online to XplodeMag.co.uk for the latest showbiz, fashion and film articles!

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Your chances of being killed by a vending machine are actually twice as large as your chance of being bitten by a shark Ten percent of all the photos ever taken were taken in the last 12 months On Jupiter and Saturn it rains diamonds For every human on Earth there are 1.6 million ants Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire

By Shabih Syed

Q: Why did the picture go to jail?

A: Because it was framed.

Q: What do you call security guards working outside Samsung shops?

A: Guardians of the Galaxy.

Q: How do you drown a Hipster?

A: In the mainstream.

Q: Why did the banana go to the Doctor?

A: Because it was not peeling well Q: Why can't your nose be 12 inches long?

A: Because then it would be a foot!

Q: What do you call a bear with no socks on?

A: Bare-foot.

STARS WARFARE APRIL STRESS EXAMS

EASTER CHOCOLATE EDUCATION GAMES

HELP CAKE LEAVES YELLOW

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