Xplode Magazine | Issue 14 | Autumn/Winter 2016-2017

issue 14

INSIDE

SHOWBIZ

FASHION

AUTUMN & WINTER

LIFE & SPORT supported by

mag.xplode.co.uk

Credits Team Saeed Atcha Adam Toorawa Aliaa Toorawa Chloe Bennett Chloe Wilson Emma Baker Erin Hatton Grace Neilson Jasmine Patel Kasey Smith Khalil Malji Lydia Edwards Lydia German Marcelin Kadembo Mithun Kerai Ano Chabata Mohammedsaif Jiva Moz Patel Nathan Byrne Sophie Brown Hannah Moffatt Saimah Malji Shabih Syed

With special thanks to HM Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester Mr. Warren Smith

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 2016, All Rights Reserved.

Magazine Welcome to Xplode Magazine

This magazine has been put together by a large number of young people who wanted to either develop their skills, meet new friends, or just generally be part of something great.

We trained them in media and business skills and have given them the opportunity to showcase their writing, photography and management skills in this magazine.

We’re not just a magazine though – we train young people across the UK in how to get jobs. From searching for a job to smashing the interview, we’re there every step of the way. Because of this, we’re a registered charity helping thousands of young people aged 12-22 across the UK. We’ve recently celebrated our fifth birthday and had the best present ever! Her Majesty the Queen gave us an award for what we do! To learn more, head to xplode.co.uk.

Saeed Atcha Chief Executive

Contents

9

Northern Slang

6

Nicholas McDonald

4

Xplode’sMusic Class Of 2016

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5

Pep Guardiola

Ed Sheeran

Taylor & Kanye

8

30

19

Fashion Autumn & Winter 2016

Mental health

34

Peer Pressure

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Votes @ 16

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Article by Chloe Bennett

Her EP Coolbeanz was soon released and peaked at number 3 on the iTunes R&B charts. This brought great recognition from the likes of Sam Smith, who took Izzy on tour with him.

With 2 Glastonbury performances, tour experience with Foxes and Rudimental and an appearance on Jools Holland under her belt, Izzy is definitely set for a chart-topping future. Her tune White Tiger oozes soul yet it’s refreshingly light and upbeat, with Izzy’s unique sound, we’re sure she’s definitely one to watch.

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Music was always an important part of his life from an early age.

Writing his first song at 12, Jack soon learned how to play a variety of instruments from the guitar and piano, to the mandolin. His big break came through uploading his music to the BBC Introducing Uploader back in 2009, which gained attention and plays from the likes of Zane Lowe and Huw Stephens.

With a similar sound to James Bay, Jack’s music resonates soul and passion and offers something fresh to the music industry.

For more music and showbiz news, head to our website.

UNCOVERING that Taylor & Kanye Beef

Things were looking good for the two until Kanye dropped a line where he claimed he made Taylor “famous” on a track taken from his album “The Life of Pablo” in the song “Famous”. This led to a shady Grammy acceptance speech aimed at Kanye where she said:

Kanye then claimed over twitter that he had called her and that she was okay with the line and even found it funny. Taylor denied all of this until Kim Kardashian announced #NationalSnakeDay on Twitter and uploaded the video of the conversation between Kanye and Taylor where Taylor gave her consent.

Taylor then had to backtrack on Twitter but still maintain that she was in the right – AWKS! Then the VMAs came back around and Kanye - who had 4 minutes to do whatever he wanted on stage walked out whilst the infamous line from Famous was playing. He later addressed the ongoing beef directly in his speech saying: Article by Marcelin Kadembo

Coincidentally, Taylor wasn’t at the VMAs, she had jury duty.

After the VMAs during his Saint Pablo tour stop in Nashville, Taylor’s hometown. Kanye played the song 3 times in the concert and, again, addressed the beef to say that people had told him to take the Taylor line out but that’s not what he believes art is.

We’re still waiting for Taylor’s come back.

Photo Credit: clipartpanda.com

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH Nicholas McDonald

Photo Credit: © Nicky Johnston/Thames/Syco

We caught up with an outstandingly good singer that achieved his dream and came the runner up in 2013 of the XFactor, beating 200,000 auditionees! Please welcome, Nicholas McDonald. From becoming a godfather to selling albums worldwide, here are a few questions that all XFactor lovers need to know the answers too.

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My greatest achievement has got to be coming runner up on The X Factor. That was a dream come true for both myself and my whole family.

Ohhh hard question! There are loads of musicians I like from Celine Dion to One Direction. It’s a wide range of people. Why do I admire them?

They get to sing for a living and produce great music – it’s what every musician aspires to be able to do.

At the age of 16, just before X Factor, I was actually going to quit singing because I felt I wasn’t getting anywhere and I felt I had to find myself a regular full time job but I got into The X Factor and the rest is history lol.

Another hard question! I have loads of amazing memories from the show from meeting all the judges for the first time, to playing at the Wembley arena and meeting Sir Elton John & One Direction – the whole show was totally life changing.

I am currently working on my 2nd album and have been out in LA recording different parts of it and hopefully it will be finished this year and out next summer.

I do like to perform songs that have a strong story behind them so that people can connect with me & the lyrics of the song.

Photo Credit: ticketline.co.uk

I wasn’t particularly good at school and wasn’t too good at football either. It was actually my mum who inspired me and pushed me every day to believe in myself and told me I would do it.

In 10 years, I would like to have done another couple of albums & tours and hopefully have a family.

Advice I would give is to follow their dreams & believe in themselves.

One place that I would love to sing would be Madison Square Gardens – the best & most famous venue probably in the world!

Article by Chloe Wilson

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Article by Sophie Brown

Talking about his time off, Ed said: “My plan is to get rid of my iPhone, get rid of the internet, get a Nokia 3310 and just go off into the wilderness somewhere for a bit. Even if it’s just a month without contact with other people.”

He then added: “I’m worried that as soon as I do that, I’ll get an email that I won’t see from someone saying something like ‘we should do something,’ six months later they’ll say ‘you never replied,'”.

8 He said before later adding

“I’m out, and my view is if people don’t understand that then I don’t really want to be friends with them.”

So what can we expect after nine months without our favourite ginger-haired singer? Well, in the three years between releasing his albums, ‘+’ and ‘X’, Ed said that he wrote around 120 different songs for the track, so I guess a lot of songs will be written during his break. Which all points to a new album? And with a new album, there’ll be even more chart success and a new tour! And with a new tour, comes a new concert movie! I think I might be getting carried away here.

Of course, whenever Ed storms back onto the scene after his break, it’s sure to be amazing! So enjoy your time off Ed. We’ll miss you. Don’t be gone for too long!

The

Guide to Northern slang But for us, they’re common everyday words that just slip into conversation subconsciously. To celebrate our Northern-ness, we’ve rounded up 8 slang words only we ‘up North’ understand!

Joshing

Joking i.e. ‘She thought I was being serious, but I was just joshing!’

words you’ll only know if you’re from up North Article by Lydi a

German

The NORT H

Blood and sand

Another term for ‘Oh my God!’ Probably one parents are more likely to use, but it’s a fun alternative to slip in sometimes.

Bloody nora

The same principle for this one. ’Bloody nora, this weather's taking the mick!’

Scoff

To eat something quickly i.e. ‘I’m starving, I’m need to scoff some chocolate ASAP.’

Scran

Food, usually unhealthy – ‘Friday night scran’ (usually a takeaway and lots of chocolate).

Belta

Something very good, i.e. ‘Peter Kay’s show last night was a right belta’.

Ginnel

Apparently this is exclusive to Manchester and means ‘back alley’.

Mither

Another one apparently originating in Manchester – this means to constantly nag 9 someone for a favour.

s e m i t y t i s r e v i n u

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Article by Nathan Byrne

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Actually attend your lectures This one may sound a little obvious but I can't stress enough how important lectures are.

Your lecturers are basically giving you the answers to the exam without you even knowing it. I'm not saying don't go out with your friends but just try your best to attend every lecture you can because you will regret it in the long run if you don't.

Say hello!

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You may have had a bad experience with people you have met through school or college but this is different. Everyone you meet want to be here and they’re probably thinking the same as you... "Who are these people?". Get to know the people in your flat's or classes, these are the people you are about to spend the next 3 years of your life with, so make the most of it and you’ll be sure to make some lifelong friends.

Everyone feels a little homesick

Is this the first time you’ve ever been away from home long term? are ever away from home long term, so, of course, you are going to miss your family every once in a while but it's important to remember that this is only temporary and everyone around you is in the same situation. Plus, you can always visit home during the holidays!

Save cash!

Is this the first time you’ve ever been away from home long term? are ever away from home long term, so, of course, you are going to miss your family every once in a while but it's important to remember that this is only temporary and everyone around you is in the same situation. Plus, you can always visit home during the holidays!

Enjoy it!

University may seem big and scary but don't let that affect your experience. Your first year is all about settling into your new surroundings and getting to grips with university life. 2nd and 3rd year is when the pressure really begins to mount so don't stress about your 1st year, just try to enjoy yourself and work towards your future goals at the same time.

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Whether it be at a party or just a night in with friends, it’s something which just appears. Alcohol is something which has widely become a ‘must’ during a social gathering. But there are so many questions surrounding alcohol and the dangers of it, but what do you believe? Well, here are a few myth busting answers!

Alcohol makes you fat?

Fact! You may not realise it, but the calories you intake from alcohol are quite significant.

Say you have 5 pints of lager a week, doesn’t sound like much does it? But, over a year that brings your calorie intake from the lager up to 44,200! Which the NHS say is equivalent to eating 221 doughnuts! Yeah doughnuts are nice, but 221? Bit sickly.

But the calories don’t just stop there.

With every

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drink you have, you’re probably going to be snacking too, right? Crisps, nuts or whatever else floats your boat, those calories are also being added. And of course, after a heavy night of drinking, you wake up needing some food! And your usual bowl of cereal probably doesn’t cut it and you end up having a full fry up. So does it make you fat? Well, sort of yeah!

Fiction! Not quite, the idea of curing a hangover is pretty much a myth and just the work of thousands of people with headaches attempting to make their morning easier. Hangovers are caused by alcohol… obviously! But it happens because alcohol is a diuretic, which basically means it dehydrates the body.

Although curing a hangover isn’t exactly possible, you can reduce the chances of getting one. How? Well you can start by doing the very thing you don’t want to do…eat a meal before you drink! Drinking on an empty stomach is something you will probably regret the most, it could end up leaving you in a lot of pain when you wake up the next morning. Eating things such as pasta and other carbohydrates will help the body absorb alcohol and make things just a little bit easier.

Drink water or juice in between your alcoholic drink to keep your body hydrated and of course, make sure you drink a glass of water before sleeping and it’s probably also a good idea to keep a bottle of water close by whilst you sleep, just in case!

You can feel the difference after just a month of being sober??

Fact! Many people can feel and see the difference after giving up their ‘habit.’ Yes, it might be a bit hard in the first week, but you’ve just got to keep at it and by the second week, drinking may just be something you completely forget about.

Sleeping will become much easier, your skin will look better and you’ll just have more energy and you’ll feel like running a marathon. The benefits of giving up drinking go on of course; linking back to weight, you’ll probably see yourself shed some weight and really, you’ll just feel better! So maybe drinking is more of a pleasure than a habit?

Article by Mithun Kerai

You can easily cure a hangover??

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Article by Erin Hatton

quickto waysuce red r you data Maps Push notifications Ahh, my friends are all getAlso turn this off! Any emails, 1 ting cars and I'm wasting my 3 Facebook messages, tweets,

data on how to get to the nearest maccies. A quick way to reduce your data is to use Wi-Fi at home or out, find your path, click go and turn your data off. Your location will still be on so you know where you're going, but, no data. Woo!

Instagram’s etc will continue to use data without you doing anything. Especially if you're popular.

Not really an issue for me.

off once you've stopped using ANY of the apps.

without you ever finding Pikachu.

3G Yes, it is slower. No, it is not as quick as 4G. And yes that An obvious but one 4 YouTube video of the cat is neither of my pargoing to stay blurry. But it to save your data. A quicker ents understand: works connection=quicker consumption.

Turn data off.

So many people have back2 ground apps running (like quick tip!

Pokemon Go will use all of Marvel Champions dad) which eat your data up. Turn it 5 your data AND battery 12 14

Article by Marcelin Kadembo

The

Ultimate Guide To The TV Binge

Whether it’s on a laptop, tablet, phone, or a TV screen I’m going to show you how master the art of binge watching!

The best way to binge watch, whether you’re on a couch or a bed, is always when you’re horizontal.

A blanket – this can be tricky, make sure that you keep your blanket under your arms so you have free hands to grab snacks.

The softest pillows can make the best shows even better

Once Upon A Time- Set in Storybrooke, this series has all your favourite fairytale characters in a well-crafted world that’ll keep you hooked Community- A laugh out loud four season comedy with a great cast of characters American Horror Story- If you’re into creepy stories and afraid of normal people, this is the series for you. Plus, it features Evan Peters!

Make sure that you always keep your snacks close during your watch-a-thon. Pausing to find your snacks wastes precious TV watching time Sticky foods usually end in disaster, so try to avoid these

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Your friend’s birthday is next week and you’ve not got anything yet! ARGH! Isn’t this so relatable? It’s so easy to go out and buy a present but why not give them something a little bit more special that’s easy to make?! And, there’ll always be an emotional reaction from whoever you’re giving it to! This is why I think it's time you got a new best friend…

Pinterest!

I bet your storage is taken over by hundreds and hundreds of photos on your phone. Well, why not

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put them to good use and create a scrapbook or a collage. So many creative photo ideas can be found on Pinterest with just a few simple searches.

For that friend or relative that just can't last without their daily fix of brews, why not create a personalised mug? It's so easy to do using just a sharpie!

If they don't like chocolate then they’ll probably like sweets.

Buy a mix of their favourite sweets or chocolate and put them into a nicely decorated box.

If you’re in a relationship, create a date jar. A simple yet effective way of keeping the romance flowing and you'll never be stuck for ideas again! Well… For about a year anyway.

Why not tweet us pictures of your DIY gifts @xplodemag. Happy crafting!

So you're probably craving some sort of dessert, or you want to rid yourself of boredom, why not try making yourself something quick and easy?

Here's our easy to follow recipe on how to make 12 yummy Oreo cupcakes!

What You'll Need:

175g sugar 175g margarine 175g flour 3 eggs 125g icing sugar 65g butter (left out of the fridge) 2 Oreo packets 12 cupcakes cases Cupcake baking tray

Instructions: Preheat the oven to 180 degrees In a bowl, fold the sugar into the margarine until you get a creamy mixture Crack your 3 eggs into a separate bowl, slightly whisk them, then pour this into the bowl of sugar and margarine (if you'd like, you could just crack them straight into the bowl)

Article by Jasmin e

Patel

Place 12 cupcake cases into your cupcake tray, and fill them halfway with your cupcake batter Put your cupcake tray into the oven, for roughly 20 minutes, remember to keep on checking on them A great way to test if your cupcakes are done is to place a knife through the middle of your cupcake, if your knife comes up clean, they're done, if not, stick them back in the oven!

Now For The Icing!

Beat the butter until it reaches a smooth consistency, this could take about 10 minutes!

Slowly sieve in the icing sugar and mix together Crush the Oreos in a separate bowl

Stir the eggs into the creamy mixture until it's consistency becomes quite runny

Stir the crushed Oreos into the buttercream mixture until evenly spread

Sieve the flour into your mixing bowl bit by bit, whilst mixing your batter until there are no clumps of flour or butter to be seen

Finally, pipe your buttercream onto your cooled cupcakes, then finish this off by garnishing your cupcakes 17 with an Oreo.

Article by Saimah Malji

New Excuses for Not Handing In Your !

Homework We’ve all done it. We’ve all made up some sort of excuse to try to get ourselves out of trouble for not doing a piece of homework. Here are a few of my favourites.

“My baby sister ripped it up / chewed it” - We know the age old“my dog ate it” excuse doesn’t work anymore, so try mixing it up a bit, use a baby sister cause let’s be honest, who can get mad at an adorable baby?

“But the work isn’t due until next week?” – You know full well you were never planning to do the work, but persuading your teacher to give you a later deadline might just help them forget about it all together. But make sure you get the rest of your class on board or there is no chance it will work.

“My computer broke down” - Just blame technology, teachers can just about get that PowerPoint onto full screen mode so there’s no way they will be able to tell you how to handle technology.

If your computer keeps crashing or printer won’t work what more can 18 you do? You tried, right?

“My mother must have thrown it out when she was cleaning my room” - Get ready to be judged!

The first response you will get is a look from your teacher questioning your excuse then the interrogation will begin!“Can you not keep it safe? Or clean your own room?”

Don’t panic; just say that your mum insists on cleaning your room!

Are you ready to practice your acting skills? This final excuse can only be used once for each teacher so you have to make it count. When the teacher is handing back work and questions where yours is, begin to look confused and respond with “I handed it in, have you not marked it?” and when your teacher insists you didn’t, get your friend to back you up and really put on a show.

Act disappointed that you don’t get a grade because the teacher ‘lost’ your work. Your teacher will probably feel bad for ‘losing’ it and may let you off. But remember from that day forward they will make sure they have your work with them every time.

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Models - Rosanna Owen, Charlotte Cottam Makeup & Hair - Abi Sikorski Fashion Editor - Zahra Khan Stylists - Lydia Edwards & Grace Neilson Images - Ed Jankowski

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exotic fruits of the world

Article written by Khalil Malji All of my mates are becoming health conscious – all of them! Gym, protein shakes, the lot! More and more pressure is being put on us to eat healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables. If you're anything like me and love your food, this can be a big challenge. This is why I have created a list of exotic and tasty fruit from all around the world that will tingle your taste buds. Enjoy!

MIRACLE FRUIT

MANGOSTEEN

Don't worry guys, we're not talking about Patrick from Spongebob (who is a starfish, not a fruit), this fruit is native to Sri Lanka. They are also found in South America, the Caribbean and Hawaii as they grow in warm environments. It tastes unusually sweet and sour at the same time.

The first exotic fruit on our list is the Mangosteen fruit. It is cultivated in southeast Asia with Thailand and Indonesia being two of its largest producers.

The indescribable taste has been likened to strawberries, peach and kiwis.

The best has been saved till last. As you probably figured out from its name, the miracle fruit has some pretty amazing qualities.

When this berry is eaten, the fleshy part of the fruit coats the taste buds. When this happens, any sour fruit such as lemons or limes are eaten, instead of tasting the sourness, it tastes sweet instead.

STAR FRUIT

DRAGON FRUIT

SNAKE FRUIT

It seems like there's a trend to where all these fruits originate from, as the snake fruit is also native to southeast-Asia. The outside of the fruit is scaly, just like a snake, but the taste is as sweet as honey and is very juicy.

If you thought the Snake fruit was exciting, feast your eyes on this!

Although this type of cactus looks exciting with its vibrant colours and odd shape, the taste is quite bland compared to the rest of the list, 23 being similar to a non-sour kiwi.

Article by Saimah Malji

Every Day Tips To Stay HEALTHY Keep Moving! You don’t have to go to the gym every day to stay fit. Simply move your body whenever possible and avoid staying sat down for over an hour at a time.

Set aside 10 minutes during the day to meditate. Simply close your eyes and take 5 seconds breathing in through the nose, and 5 seconds out through the mouth.

Swap one unhealthy snack for something healthy. This can either be swapping a packet of crisps for an apple, or a can of coke for a glass of water. Gradually build it up to two swaps and soon enough, it’ll become a habit.

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Pay more attention to hygiene.

Simply remembering to wash your hands whenever possible can make a big difference when it comes to avoiding illness.

Set yourself daily challenges, small things such as; I will only drink water today, or no processed food today. Make it fun!

Seek out advice and tips from friends who enjoy fitness, and research health related topics that interest you and write down key points.

Get to bed early! Getting between 7-9 hours’ sleep can do wonders for your body and mind, as well as an increase in productivity.

The most important is to enjoy making thy changes and not see it as a chore. Once it becomes a habit, you’ll notice positive changes in every part of your life. Get a friend involved.

thing he al

Article by Mohammedsaif Jiva

FUNNIEST AMAZON M O VI E REVIEWS

Image © gazettereview.com

In this article I’ll be showing you the funniest Amazon Movie Reviews!

The Wolf Of Wall Street What can you expect from a movie like this. Maybe he should have read the movie description before he watched this film.

On the other hand he could be wrong, with some of the scenes in the film.

If you know what I mean ;)

West Side Story To be fair the title can be slightly deceiving.

But 7 minutes into the film, sorry “musical” you can definitely tell it's going to be all singing and dancing. But this reaction is a more mild compared to my own experiences.

Frozen A family favourite I think we can all agree.

But this has to be the best review. Plain, simple & very effective!!

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can become the greatest manager since Sir Alex Ferguson Last February, when Pep Guardiola was confirmed to be taking the reigns at Manchester City at the end of the season, many questioned whether he would be able to cope in the Premier League and thought he wasn't as good as everybody suggested.

The doubters believed that managing Bayern Munich and Barcelona wasn't as difficult because they have the best players and with a lesser quality team, he would struggle. Well, how wrong were they?

The Premier League is one of the most competitive leagues in the world. Not one team has dominated the division since Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge of Manchester United, and even at the end of his career it was much harder to win titles than it was 10 years previous. Due to billion pound TV deals, every Premier League club is extremely rich and the competition is much fiercer than other countries that don't have as much money. But so far, Pep Guardiola is making it look easy. He hasn't lost a game yet and has an average of three goals scored each game (at the time of writing).

It isn't just the results that have improved, it is the players a well.

Take Raheem Sterling, last year he scored only six goals and had two assists. That is nowhere near good enough particularly when you consider his price tag of ÂŁ50m. He performed terribly at the Euros, like the other 22 England players. In France, he seemed incapable of beating a defender and that is the main part of a wingers job. Due to his bad performances, he received a barrage of abuse prompting to describe himself as "the hated one" But, despite all this, Guardiola texted Sterling to reassure him that he was part of his plans and that he would become a better player under his stewardship.

Sterling admitted how much it helped him, saying: "It was a big lift."

It seems to have worked as he is already close to surpassing what he did last year and has been at the forefront of many of Manchester City's wins. Guardiola seems to have also ironed out John Stones' flaws as last season he was hit and miss at best.

Under Guardiola, John Stones' progress knows no bounds. Guardiola transformed Gerard PiquĂŠ into one of the best defenders in the world. He can do the same with Stones.

Article written by Kasey Smith

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Guardiola knows how to manage his players, they have trust in him and he trusts them. Good relationships are pivotal in the search for success.

Just look at Leicester who won the Premier League; Portugal who won the Euros and Wales who were semi-finalists.

If they didn't have that team spirit and shared understanding, would they have been as successful? You don't dominate the

Bundesliga and La Liga if you aren't one of the greatest managers around in the game. He has won La Liga three times; the Copa Del Ray twice; the Champions League twice and the Bundesliga three times in a row. This doesn't just happen by chance. You have to be a world-class manager.

In the Manchester Derby, Guardiola dismantled Jose Mourinho's United side, which cost ÂŁ300m.

They even did it without Aguero.

United couldn't string two passes together and it was a testament to Guardiola's managerial skills. The 2-1 score line suggests it was a much closer contest but anybody watching that game would see that United played poorly. A mistake from the City goalkeeper allowed United back into the game, but it is early days. City are improving every day and as the season goes on, those mistakes will be rectified. The question is how far they can go. I believe they could go all the way, in Europe as well as England.

Guardiola's managerial career is only ten years old and if his dominance continues - and there's no reason why it would stop - he could then become one of the greatest managers since Sir Alex Ferguson.

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Whether you’re working it at college or looking stunning a night out, here how to look chic in velvet.

Velvet is everywhere at the moment, from designer, with the likes of Lacoste reinventing the tracksuit, to the high street with classic 90s chokers being given a new lease of life in velvet. With an array of fabulous mini skirts and a ton of amazing velvet shoes, I’ve picked out some of my favourite finds from the high street to get your fashion taste buds going – trust me you’ll want it all!

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Velvet Crush

Article by Grace Neilson

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Mental Health

Article written by Saimah Malji

We all have mental Health. Mental Health is normal and can either be good or poor. A mental health problem can affect our own feelings, mood, and even the way we behave.

There are some mental health

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problems that are more common than others. For example stress, depression, anxiety, phobias and eating disorders. Two in five of young people in the UK have a mental health condition.

Stress is often linked to anxiety and can be the cause of anxiety itself. Stress can often be caused by pressure; many things could cause pressure such as workload or other personal situations. We all experience different levels of pressure and we all have only so much we can take on and handle until it becomes unhealthy causing stress. Together stress and anxiety ca affect a person mentally and physically.

Depression is the most common type of mental illness. Depression isn’t a temporary period of sadness, it can be very severe and can last prolonged periods of time where you have feelings of worthlessness, loss of appetite and even avoiding friends and other loved ones.

Eating disorders affect both men and women of all ages and are not necessarily caused by one factor but can be due to a number of causes like pressure, low self-esteem and even problems with family. The most well-known eating disorders are anorexia; bulimia and binge eating, however, there are more which may not be as easy to spot.

This is just a brief explanation of a few mental problems someone may have, and if you think you know someone who maybe experiencing one of the conditions they may be in need of support from a health service for example simply their local GP who have the skills to find out the problem and pursue the best possible action. Try to spread the word to help more people find the support they need.

You can help too even just being in the company of that friend having a long walk and nice conversation can help them.

Xplode's 3 ways to Well-Being Keep In Touch - talk to the people around you and enjoy action-filled days out, even a country walk or a good work out can prove to help keep a healthy clear mind.

1

Look Out For Everyone – do something to make someone feel good, even a smile as you walk by can help improve someone’s mood or day. Remember it’s the small gestures that mean the most.

2

Stay Aware – take more notice of the things going on around you and keep informed of things to help not only yourself but also to help others to make sure they are able to enjoy life to the fullest.

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Easy y r r e b w Stra e k a c e C h ees

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Article by Hannah Moffat

Fancy a light and delicious dessert? You’ve come to the right place! This strawberry cheesecake is bursting with flavour and is a quick and easy dessert, perfect for summer.

Ingredients 250g digestive biscuit 100g butter, melted 300g tub soft cheese 300g tub Greek yoghurt 5 tbsp caster sugar Few drops vanilla extract 100g strawberry

Method 1. Make the base:

Put 250g digestive biscuits in a plastic food bag and crush to crumbs using a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs to a bowl, then mix in the melted butter. Mix thoroughly until the crumbs are completely coated.

3. After the base has chilled, beat the

soft cheese, yoghurt, sugar and vanilla together until smooth, then spread over the crumbs and chill until you are ready to serve

2. Tip the biscuits into a tin or large

dish and press firmly down into the base to create an even layer, then chill in the fridge for 1 hour to set firmly.

4. Once ready to serve, slice the

strawberries and place them on the cheesecake.

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Article written by Ano Chabata

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TEEN ISSUES PEER PRESSURE

In a tech-savvy world, we could be easily influenced. One thing is sure, we face a lot of pressure every day – whether it’s from our friends or celebrities.

Our friends have a big influence on our lives. More than anything else, most of us seek approval from them because we want to fit in. When we see our friends doing something, we might want to do it too. There is an endless list of things we teens get pressured to do such as having sex, drinking alcohol or doing drugs. As much as we might not think that it’s true, the research is out there that proves it!

That pressure to drink when we’re at a party and all of our mates are drinking shots is one thing and it doesn’t seem dangerous to many of us, therefore, we continue to do it, but the dangers are real!

If you give into one thing, you can open yourself up to be being persuaded to give in to something else – and who knows? It may even become something dangerous.

Taking drugs is a big example.

So many teens around here smoke weed and their friends probably introduced them to it. Doing drugs can have negative effects on your physical health, especially when you are still young as it could lead to psychological problems.

There are ways you can handle these situations, though!

Practice the art of saying NO! You don’t always have to say yes.

Choose a good group of friends that support you in a positive way.

Take time and think about the reasons for doing what you’re going to do.

Are you being true to yourself and values?

You can also talk to your parents or someone you trust and get their advice on the situation.

Peer pressure is not always bad. In certain cases, good friends and company can help encourage and motivate you to do better and focus on the positive things in life. Remember that in stressful situations, when one teen says no another will follow. Resisting peer pressure will help you mature and grown in confidence.

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WHY 16-17 Year Olds Need To Be Allowed To Vote

You and I will have an opinion on the EU referendum, or will at least have a vague idea about what’s been happening. Either that, or you’re wishing you could have.

The issue with the EU referendum is that it’s going to take over two years for us to leave and this means that those of us aged 18-24 are the ones who have to live with the decision for the rest of our lives. Now what’s really interesting is that 75% of that same age group voted to remain, and those 65+, with only a life expectancy of 15 years, voted to leave (61%). Are they going to feel the effects of the decision they seem to have made for younger generations? But then again they have lived through and felt the effects of actually being the EU so maybe their decision is for the best.

Of course you may be pleased with the result, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t be. There is a valid argument that if we’d voted to stay, Great Britain would be able to undermine the EU, arguing that any changes 36 made to policies wouldn’t be

constant with the policies that encouraged us to stay. ‘ would be a phrase thrown around a lot.

However the scary and blatant uneducated decisions from both sides are blindingly obvious. I’ve heard many of my friends complain that they want a list of the good things and the bad things about leaving ina logical, easy to understand and unbiased fashion, but politics doesn’t quite work like that. A proportion of the population will have voted to leave for issues surrounding race, hoping that now only the ‘real’ British will be allowed to stay. Obviously not everyone in the remain campaign will have voted for those reasons, but that proportion now believes that 50% of the population feels the same way. We just hadn’t been given enough information to make these informed decisions.

Easily it can be argued that the younger generation, our generation, holds less stereotypes and aggression to different races and sexual persuasions.

We see how the LGBT community has grown, not just in the amount of people being LGBT, but in the heterosexuals supporting the community, the way the world reacted to Orlando is proof of this.

The diversity now of high schools with different cultures all working and learning together and the diversity our home town, Bolton. White, black, brown, British, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Japanese, African and every other ethnicity, can all live together without a civil war! Surelythis means that this generation would be able to vote in the least prejudice way

Article written by Erin Hatton

possible. So why can’t we? The youth take interest in politics and get passionate about youtubers. The youth take interest in fast cars and get angry over world affairs. The youth take an interest in Kim Kardashian and get zealous over employment. Aren’t we the people who should be voting? And although we can’t change anything now shouldn’t we be able to vote on the motions parliament wants to take now on Britain’s strategy after leaving?

To get a better perspective on what other people thought, I spoke to four different people near us about what they think about lowering the voting age to 16. Here’s what they said:

" Hussein 17 years “

” Aaron 22 years “

Jessica 17 years “

Luke aged 19

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Q. What's taken before you get it? .

Q. How many books can you put in an empty backpack? .

Q. What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it? .

Q. What’s so delicate that saying its name breaks it? .

Q. How many months have 28 days? .

Q. How do you make the number . one disappear?

Q. What is heavy forward but not backward? .

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

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By Shabih Syed

Q: What do you call a sleeping bull?

A: A bulldozer!

Q: What do you call a belt with a watch on it?

A: A waist of time.

Q: What season is it when you are on a trampoline?

A: Spring time.

Q: Where did the computer go to dance?

A: To a disc-o.

Q: What sound do porcupines make when they kiss?

A: Ouch.

Q: Where do snowmen keep their money?

A: In snow banks.

Q: What goes through towns, up & over hills, but doesn't move?

A: The road!

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