Anglomania Issue 6

FASHION•SPORT•LIFESTYLE ISSUE06 MAY 09 £4.20

MICHAEL ESSIEN DIMITAR BERBATOV GRANDMASTER FLASH jOE CALZAGHE REMI/ROUGH PATRICE EVRA introduces manchester united TENNIS FRENCH OPEN AMIR KHAN

MELANIE SLADE ARSENAL’S FIRST LADY

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MO-EDU PUBLISHING ANGLOMANIA LTD PO BOX 206, 77 BEAK STREET, SOHO, LONDON W1F 9DB EDITOR IN CHIEF & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR mo galy sow mo@anglomaniamag.com DEPUTY EDITOR amy tipper-hale amy@anglomaniamag.com Sports Editor julien laurens julien@anglomaniamag.com FASHION COORDINATOR cleo davis cleo@anglomaniamag.com BEAUTY COORDINATOR niedian biggs niedian@anglomaniamag.com EDITORIAL TEAM amy tipper-hale, cleo davis, julien laurens, nick dines SUB-EDITOR kia abdullah ART & DESIGN zuki turner zuki@anglomaniamag.com PHOTOGRAPHY andrew lee, ishay botbol, camilla treharne, harribobs, imax, john davis, kelly mitchell, leo cackett, lexington bosh, magnus ekstrØm, matty p, munetaka tokuyama, nuno veloso, samara morris, stelianour sani, tom hoops, toot dood, zack manchester CONTRIBUTORS amaya dent, ashanti omkar, becky akinsanya, charlotte jones, christian schleisner, emily dickson, emily rachel dean, fernanda fernandez, frederik andersen, irene darko, k.o. lan, louise nymann, marcelo hirata, mark hibbert, marta stempniak, martine mbala, maud frisenfeldt, michael wylie-harris, mika holborow, my ringsted, nicola hamilton, nurah kushkov,olivia gagan, patrice evra, ryutaro, sharmadean reid, staci child, steven griffiths, stine refsgaard, zana legemzora, zack tate, zenia jeger INTERN laura hall ADVERTISING frederic galligani frederic@anglomaniamag.com tannaz kowssari tannaz@anglomaniamag.com PUBLICATION DIRECTOR alain lecour @ exportpress paris FINANCE AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS michael scott carter PRODUCTION MANAGER edd newcombe

ON THE COVER... photography: SAMARA MORRIS www.samaramorris.com stylist: CLEO DAVIS grooming: Wuese Houston-Jibo dress: EMILIO DE LA MORENA visor: AMERICAN APPAREL bracelet: FREEDOM Charlotte Jones was incorrectly credited in last month’s issue. Cold Conflict, a piece on Russian and US struggles to retain credibility on the world stage, was incorrectly credited to Olivia Gagan, not to its actual writer, Charlotte Jones. Apologies for any inconvenience.

ACCOUNTS robert shaffran WEBMASTER george rozhkov INFO info@anglomaniamag.com PRINT ctp solutions DISTRIBUTION domestic comag international; export press ISSN 1758-9827

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CONTENTS

11. money giveaway 24. melanie slade: miss independent 32. ipl: a sporting feast 34. the french affair in figures 36. amir khan: king khan 38. joe calzaghe: enter the dragon 42. michael essien: back with a bang 50. manchester united: a magnificent obsession 52. dimitar berbatov 56. my teammates patrice evra 58. introducing munetaka tokuyama 66. jack 74. aerobica 84. flesh refresh 86. smooth operator 88. dusk 94. ghettofication 102. northern glory 107. anyone for a game of tennis? 108. time in the dam 113. party piece 114. light and lambent 120. tuned in 122. traitor talk 124. snowbomb 128. a retrospective: mods, rockers and punks 134. the devalued prime minister 136. remi/rough 139. talking heads 6

SPORTS

PEOPLE

FASHION

ART

MUSIC

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SPORT NEWS

AN ALL BLUE

CUP FINAL Everton will face Chelsea at Wembley on 30th May in the FA Cup final after some dramatic semi-finals. Chelsea beat Arsenal despite being one goal down in the last minutes thanks to Didier Drogba, reaching the final two years after winning the trophy against Manchester United. The Red Devils lost to Everton on penalties after Berbatov and Ferdinand missed their kicks from the spot. It is the first time since 1995 that the Liverpool team got to the final. That year, they won the Cup beating MU in the final (1-0) thanks to a Paul Rideout goal. Can they defy the odds once again?

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SPORT NEWS

BRAWN’S ARE FLYING They are the massive surprise of the Formula 1 season so far. After Honda decided to stop their Formula 1 operations in February, Ross Brawn, the former Honda team boss, decided to buy the team, renamed Brawn GP. He would have never thought that Jenson Button, his British first pilot, would be top of the drivers’ standings after three races thanks to wins in Australia and Malaysia and a third place in China under the rain. Rubens Barrichello, his teammate, follows him in the table. And Brawn is well ahead as well in the Constructor’s standings. Where will they stop?

CABRERA,

MASTER’S ANGEL After his victory in the 1997 US Open when he was ranked number nine in the world, Angel Cabrera went missing. He slumped all the way to 69th in the world and went more than 12 months without even a top-five finish.

He came back with style last month by winning the Masters at Augusta National, beating Americans Chad Campbell and Kenny Perry in a sudden death play-off. At 39, the Argentinean is back at his best and has his sights on the next grand slam tournament, the US Open where he will be for sure the main favourite.

ENGLISH DOMINATION Once again and for the third year running, three English clubs have qualified for the Champions League semi-finals at the end of April and start of May. Chelsea will face Barcelona after defeating Liverpool (7-5 on aggregate) in an outstanding quarter final. Arsenal, who dominated Villarreal (4-1 on aggregate), will play Manchester United, who struggled against Porto (3-2 on aggregate). If Arsenal are strong outsiders, Barcelona are still hot favourites but Chelsea and United are hungry for a repeat of last season’s final.

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The Cartier International

Dubai Polo Challenge On Thursday March 26th Cartier officially launched its largest boutique in the Middle East in the lavish Dubai Mall. This outstanding boutique is ranked among the top five largest flagship boutiques in the world. Guests were treated to a champagne reception followed by a sumptuous dinner by 3-star Michelin Chef Pierre Gaignaire, and a magical spectacle of Red Box theatres inspired by the World of Cartier.

Top of Cartier’s guest list were royals, celebrities and VIPs from Bollywood actor and Slumdog Millionaire star Anil Kapoor and Bollywood actress and model Karishma Kapoor.

The Cartier International Dubai Polo Challenge then took place the following day at the Desert Palm hotel under the patronage and attendance of HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein, Wife of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai – the year’s most prestigious and celebrated polo tournament in the desert.

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PROMOTION

MONEY GIVEAWAY With such diverse, complex collections each season we are able to push the boundaries with trends and detailing and still appeal to all cross sections of the market. Money design their collections with all aspects of youth culture in mind so there is always something cool from hip hop to skater punk and from classic preppy American to our very own English gent. MONEY was started by Nick Cordell and Melvyn DeVilliers in 2003, who were then joined by Japanese designer Takashi ‘Maru’ Marujo in 2004. Their self-respecting ambition was to make garments that look cool enough that they themselves would wear and not just because of a label. The result being classic garments exquisitely made from the finest materials and infused with their own particular attitude and style, which is a mix of street sensibility, London swagger, Japanese attention

to detail, and obsession with quality.

“Our commitment to quality is unquestionable. But our sense of exuberance as with our early Def Jam commissions (featuring real money appliqué) has not been lost. The outrageous parodying of the then prevalent concept of ‘bling’ is something we still enjoy and we’ll stop at nothing if we feel it’s worth it. You may have noticed TI holding his pants up at the MTV awards recently with his $40,000 18 carat gold studded MONEY belt. MONEY is no ordinary streetwear,” says the brand.

If you’re a bit of a money grabber, don’t miss out on the opportunity to get your mitts on a Money tee. Drop us an email at info@anglomaniamag.com to get your MONEY tee. But hurry, there are only 50 on offer.

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PREVIEW

LEAGUE OF GENTLEMEN

by cleo davis

An approving nod (top hat included) goes to Hackett’s spiffing new collection for Spring/Summer 09. Synonymous with gentry dressing, Hackett, born and bred British, has unpicked the hem of stuffy old tweed and turned to Savile Row tailoring for its light and airy summer attire. Inspired by the traditional summer sports with references to sportsmen and spectators of Henley, the lawn tennis at the Hurlingham Club and the oh so English Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

Looking further afield, the collection also includes a story that doffs its cap to the military-inspired clothing worn by British explorers and travellers of the 1940s and 50s, and a ‘Riviera Cocktail’ line, which borrows its design cues from the social and cultural life of travelling British gentry on the Cote d’Azur and Italian Riviera of the 1950s.

You can see more of the rather nice collection at www.hackett.com

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PREVIEW

These granite goggles by J. Lindberg ski are part of the contemporary collection. Available from August and exclusive to Harrods. www.jlindeberg.com and www.harrods.com

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photography: ISHAY BOTBOL www.ishaybotbol.com styling: JESSICA DUFFIN makeup: NIEDIAN BIGGS hair: SHINYA FUKAMI nails: ZARRA CELIK

PREVIEW

yellow bag: £237.50 HOSS dillian shoes: £995 by CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN

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PREVIEW

FEELING

FILA

by CLEO DAVIS

The AW09/10 collection for FILA has caused a bit of a stir among the Anglomania girls.

With its jersey fitted blazer and sexy-in-asporty-way drawstring dress, we wouldn’t be too disappointed if these items suddenly ended up in our tennis attire wardrobe…ugh herm, if we had one that is.

SELLING LIKE HOT CAKES

Almost a year ago now, Reverend Run’s daughters, Vanessa and Angela Simmons, came out with a shoe line sweetly named Pastry. Now the sisterly duo is expanding their repertoire to include apparel and handbags. The Spring line will consist of satin and spandex dresses, embroidered denim, stretch charmeuse tops, French terry hoodies, and more. Available at www.footlocker.co.uk

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PREVIEW

J LINDEBERG

by CLEO DAVIS

Swedish skinny jeans brand J.Lindeberg has mounted the slope of designer skiwear with J.Lindeberg Ski. In addition to the JL golf gear, the ski fashion will be the next line in the brand’s sportier collections equipping the avid skier with techie specialist attire in slick, stylish exteriors. Clothing will retail for between £80 - £675 and will be available from August and is exclusive to Harrods.

MIX IT UP

by CLEO DAVIS

Whether you’re into rocking it out, bopping to a hip-hop beat or cutting shapes on the dance floor; the adidas Mix It Up collection hits all the right notes. Foot Locker and adidas pay homage to the everincreasing blend of music styles and genres with the exclusive Mix It Up collection - a diverse range of iconic adidas pieces, split across the seminal music categories of Hip Hop, Rock and Dance.

The Mix It Up collection is available in Foot Locker’s now.

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photography: ISHAY BOTBOL www.ishaybotbol.com styling: JESSICA DUFFIN makeup: NIEDIAN BIGGS hair: SHINYA FUKAMI nails: ZARRA CELIK

PREVIEW

soft leather and elaphe handbag: £681 JIMMY CHOO patent pink shoes: £385 GEORGINA GOODMAN

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PREVIEW

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Capello’s Crufts Will the all new england kit manage to get the WAGgy tails going?

1. David Beckhound 2. Steven Grrrrard 3. Frank Lampost 4. John Terrier 5. Emile Husky 6. Gareth Barrky 7. Rio Furrrrdinand 8. Wayne Boney in the doghouse: Ashlead Collar; Shaun Wright-Whippets

You might be wondering why these British breeds are wearing the new England shirt? This image is part of the campaign for the new England kit, which captures the best of British dressed in the new shirt. Look out for babies of 2009, a group of great looking gurners and tartan-clad punk rockers.

The new England shirt promises a Savile Row tailored touch to each shirt. Bringing together the traditional values of classic tailoring with modern technology and revolutionary design philosophy. “We haven’t designed the kit, we have built it,” exclaims designer and tailor Charlie Allan. Sizes are measured in chest sizes such as 40, 42 etc rather than the normal small, medium, large etc. Special features include ventilation, shoulder darts instead of seams and high definition embroidery of the three lions crest.

PREVIEW

Professional Punch Why venture out of your own home to get fit when you can create a gym under your own roof? This Seletti leather punch bag is a classic-looking, professionalstandard product, which is sure to make working out less of a burden £93 www.conranshop.co.uk

Fit For Fashion

compiled by Cleo Davis words by Laura Hall

Swim Bling Forget the bikini, all-frills swimwear label Pistol Panties has created a king of bling bikini range, Anita. With each swimsuit covered in 5,000 Swarvoski crystals, you’re sure to shine like a diamond on the beach this summer, even if you’re purse isn’t. Available exclusively at Selfridges for £2,000 www.selfridges.com

In The Driving Seat British shoe designer Jonathan Kelsey has hung up his stilettos to design these luxurious studded leather driving gloves, commissioned by Vauxhall. To complete your stylish driving experience, the set also offers a bronze steering wheel cover and a gold key fob. Jonathan Kelsey is a member of the Vauxhall collective 2008/9. For more information and to purchase the driving set, priced at £195 visit www.vauxhallcollective.co.uk

Row to Nowhere Row your troubles away with this beautifully crafted piece of sports equipment. Made from the finest Walnut wood, the water rower doubles up as a chic piece of functional furniture when fitness is the last thing on your mind £934 www.conranshop.co.uk

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FASHION NEWS

“Nike is the No. 1 sneaker lifestyle brand, right? And I’m the No. 1 most influential cultural pop art brand: scarves, beards, plastic glasses, whatever. So you take those two things and you mesh that— it’s very exciting.

I’m the Nike of culture.”

- Kanye West

From an interview with complex.com

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FASHION NEWS

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Monthly Kicks

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by Cleo Davis

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1. ‘Obsess’ white/black £60 GOLA 2. Pink boxing boots for women £55 NIKE 3. Basket bright green £54 PUMA at www.soleheaven.com 4. ‘Air Troupe’ mid yellow women’s £85 NIKE 5. Originals ‘Superstar II Weave’ £59.99 ADIDAS SUPERSTARS at www.jdsports.co.uk 6. ‘Spine Mid Velcro’ £190 ALEXANDER MCQUEEN PUMA 7. Grey canvas with leather toe £106 MARLBORO 8. ‘Wellengang Mid’ £85 RUDOLF DASSLER FOR PUMA 9. ‘Cortex’ basket hi with perimeter support footbed £69 GRAVIS at www.soleheaven.com 10. Blazer mid premium £60 NIKE SPORTSWEAR 11. White/red/blue mid men’s £20 ALDO 12. Grey/pink hi dunk £60 NIKE SPORTSWEAR 13. Duo eyelet suede boot £60 FRED PERRY 14. ‘Vicini’ patent leather shoe with canvas detail £300 GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI 15. White weave plimsol £125 FRED PERRY 16. ‘Windsor IV’ sneaker electric blue £39 GRAVIS www.soleheaven.com 17. White smart pump £160 STONE ISLAND 18. ‘Life’ red/white/black £60 GOLA 19. Black canvas and check £38 VANS at URBAN OUTFITTERS 20. Dunk premium green/silver £65 NIKE SPORTSWEAR

FASHION NEWS

MAKING A SPLASH This bright and bold ‘Spin skull’ hoodie is the product of renowned artist Damien Hirst, who recently delved into fashion design, by channelling his creative vision into a colourful collaboration with fashion house Levi’s. Also in his collection are a kaleidoscopic array of printed t-shirts, jackets and jeans. Stocked at Browns for £125. www.brownsfashion.com

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FASHION NEWS

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T-BREAK

by Cleo Davis

1. ‘I Love’ tee £12 SHOT IN THE HEAD 2. Eyeball yellow tee £30 BURTON 3. Pacman tee £19.99 JOYSTICK JUNKIES 4. ‘Elektrik Eyes’ cotton jersey tee £20 TERRATAG 5. Multi graphic tee £18 NIKE 6. Striped knitted polo £279 RAF SIMONS for FRED PERRY at OKI-NI 7. Swarovski crystal black hand tee £360 TO-ORIST at HARVEY NICHOLS

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SPORT mesh dress: AMERICAN APPAREL bandeau leotard: AMERICAN APPAREL ring: FREEDOM

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PROFILE

Melanie

Slade: Miss Independent

words: NICK DINES photographer: Samara Morris www.samaramorris.com stylist: Cleo Davis stylist assistant: Laura Hall hair and makeup: Wuese Houston-Jibo

As ambassador for Cancer Research’s annual Race for Life, 20-yearold Melanie Slade, girlfriend of talented Arsenal and England winger Theo Walcott, tells Nick Dines about her charitable commitments and aspirations for the future Determined Mel is refreshingly far from the epitome of your usual WAG, possessing defined, focused goals of her own. Approaching the end of her first year as a physiotherapy student at St George’s University of London, one of the capital’s most prestigious medical schools, the driven yet selfless beauty certainly appears to be in control of her own destiny.

Your elder sister Sarah thankfully recovered from cancer when she was a teenager.

Was this traumatic experience the catalyst for your involvement with Cancer Research?

I was quite young when all that happened and my mum kept me quite sheltered from it. However, when the chance came around for me to get involved and raise money and awareness, I definitely wanted to take it up.

Race for Life is now in its 16th year and over four million women have raised an astonishing £240 million since its conception. How proud are you to play a part in such a worthy cause?

I think this will be my fourth year taking part. I’m hugely proud as it’s great to get involved. I’ve still not decided yet which London venue to attend as I’ve got a couple of good friends that want to do it with me. You can definitely tell the events are getting a lot bigger each year and more of my friends are getting into it now.

You’ve also participated in the Cancer Research 10k Run. What’s so special about taking part in these events?

It’s so relaxed – it really is. The atmosphere is fantastic. Everyone’s having a laugh as if they know one another. You get there early, do the little warm-up and then participate in the race. We often finish off at a nice pub for lunch. It can be a great social event so I like to cruise around. Race for Life’s such a fun thing to do and is a really good way to raise money, no matter what your age.

Every year a lot of people dress up. Some are so creative in what they wear so I think we’re going to dress up this year, although I’m not sure as what yet.

Raising money for charities is obviously something close to your heart?

My dad was the Mayor of Southampton and he therefore was quite involved and attended a lot of charity events so it’s been embedded in me and I’ve been brought up that way. I just think it’s nice to give. Every little helps and if someone just wants to sponsor you a pound, that’s great. It can help others and make such a difference. I’ll definitely be passing my form around to Theo and his friends and get as many sponsors as I can.

You’re studying for a degree in physiotherapy at St George’s. How do you find time to prepare for events?

I do try and train a little bit for events and go running, but normally I don’t run on treadmills. I’m not a big fan because I’m quite dangerous on them! I go to the gym in Wimbledon a lot after uni as sometimes I finish quite early so I have a couple of hours to head down there. Theo often advises me if I’m doing a stretch wrong, so he helps me out. Realistically though, anyone can take part in Race for Life as you don’t have to be super fit; you can walk it as there’s no time limit.

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mesh dress: AMERICAN APPAREL bandeau leotard: AMERICAN APPAREL jacket: MOTHER OF PEARL shoes: STEVE MADDEN ring: FREEDOM

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PROFILE

You’ve also climbed Tanzania’s 19,000ft Mount Kilimanjaro for charity. Are you a bit of a fitness junkie?

It was quite different! I had been joking around with my mum saying, ‘Wouldn’t it be great? I’d love to do it.’ As my mum was the Mayoress of Southampton, she’d met this guy called Rhys Jones, who’d climbed Everest at only 22. I met with him and he advised which company to use.

I raised about £4,000 and actually climbed two mountains, Kilimanjaro and Meru, which is the second highest peak in Africa. I found Meru harder; some of the drops are quite steep and you’d find yourself going along a wall with no harness in the pitch black – we simply couldn’t see anything. I didn’t actually know we were going along a wall until we came back down and there was sunlight. I then freaked out a little.

I read about the recent Comic Relief Kilimanjaro trip in the papers. It certainly would have been fun to have taken part. When we were climbing, we obviously had someone with us who was trained to a certain level, but I heard they had 150 other people with them on their trip.

Are you naturally quite competitive?

I’m not hugely competitive and don’t really play sports regularly as a game but Theo and I often play tennis for fun. I don’t get that involved in it. I started at the front of the Cancer Research 10k event at Hampton Court last year. I’d been really naughty as I hadn’t done any training for it and I’d just been on holiday. They put me at the front with this bloke who was so fit, so when the race started I ran straight to the edge so they could run past me. I managed to run the whole 10k though so I was quite impressed with myself!

What’s on your iPod to get you motivated in that fitness mindset?

Good old R’n’B! I’m a big fan of Rihanna, but I actually quite like the Kings of Leon at the moment. Their music is great. I’m quite broad with my interest in music – if it’s good music, I’ll like it, so I’m not really that fussed about which genre it is.

Do you now feel more comfortable and at ease when attending events where you are recognised?

The more I’ve done them, the more relaxed I’ve become. You meet people that you’ve seen at other events and it becomes a lot easier. When you’ve got Theo with you, everyone wants to come over and speak to him, which is great.

Do you resent the connotations associated with being labelled, by the media, as a so-called WAG? I’ve nothing against the women; it was more how the media make you look without taking into account what you are. I didn’t like the way the media just said, ‘All they do is shop and have no life of their own; they just live off their boyfriends’. Sometimes all you just want to do is go to the game. I don’t really

know many of the England players’ partners, however, at Arsenal, I know Gael Clichy’s girlfriend Charlene (Suric) quite well.

You’ve obviously got intentions of moving into a career in physiotherapy. Do you think this will prove challenging given your high profile?

I think it should be OK; going out with Theo has not really had an impact on it.

I’m quite determined and if anything, I think all this media stuff makes me even more determined to follow my original plan. It’s quite easy to get sidetracked, but I’ve always wanted to do physio. It was really hard to get on the course and now that I’m on it, I’m really happy to be there as it’s a great uni. The first year’s going so quickly it’s unreal, but I’ll probably try and get some work experience with some different physio practices over the summer, whilst also taking time off to go away with my family and Theo when he finishes the season.

How would you describe your fashion style?

The ANGLOMANIA shoot was a completely different look to what I’d normally wear. It was really interesting. I’m very high street. I love wearing jeans but I’ve got a real weakness for shoes. I’ve got quite a few, so I’m not actually sure how many. I often like to collaborate both designer and high street, so I’ll wear some River Island jeans with some Christian Louboutin heels.

Do you have a favourite designer and style icon?

In terms of style icon, the obvious one that comes to mind is Cheryl Cole; she’s got great style at the moment. I’m a big fan of Hugo Boss, especially their Orange range because it’s quite young and it fits me quite well, but I’m after lots of bright colours with the summer coming up. There’s a dress from DSQUARED2 that I have my eye on right now, and there are bags from Guess that I really like.

What’s the most expensive item of clothing you’ve bought?

I was going to a recent event where quite a lot of people were going to be, including Theo’s team, so I wanted to look really nice. I bought this dress and it was a lot of money: £2,000. I’d never ever spent that much and when I bought it I felt bad and I still feel bad about it, so I’m going to make sure I get some wear out of it. Increasingly, I’m taking more and more effort getting ready. Before, I just used to stick on any dress, whereas now I think a little bit more about what’s in fashion.

I do go shopping quite a lot in London, but I give myself a budget and I try not to go mad because it’s easy to just want everything, especially in places like Topshop where there’s so much variety.

Cancer Research Race for Life: 250 events taking place from May to July 2009. Enter or donate by visiting www.raceforlife.org

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jacket: AMERICAN APPAREL towelling shorts: LACOSTE bandeau top: LACOSTE sunglasses: SABRE at WESC gold chain: FREEDOM

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hooded dress: ALEXANDER WANG belt: STYLIST’S OWN trainers: NIKE

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dress: EMILIO DE LA MORENA visor: AMERICAN APPAREL shoes: TOPSHOP bracelet: FREEDOM

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SPORT

IPL: A Sporting Feast

With a new franchising system, extensive financial support and huge celebrity interest, the Indian Premier League is set for its strongest season yet The Indian Premier League presents a new type of cricket. Until recently it was only footballers cashing cheques in the millions, but with huge franchises and financial support, the IPL is playing the quintessentially British game the American way. The tournament works on a franchise system based on the yank style of hiring players and transfers. With a professional Twenty20 cricket league comprising eight teams with six players each, it lasts 44 days and involves 59 matches. Players’ salaries are paid on a pro-rata basis for the foreign stars – the more matches they play, the more they earn. Bad news then for Michael Hussey who will not be playing the 2009 tournament in order to rest for the Ashes. Shane Watson will also be absent from this year’s IPL. New franchise includes sponsorship from Emirates; the Dubai-based global airline (the one where airline hostesses actually look like they’re supposed to) has strengthened its commitment to the cricket world, becoming the main sponsor of the Kings XI Punjab IPL team.

Shilpa Shetty is one of the four co-owners of the Rajasthan Royals cricket team with boyfriend Raj Kundra who is also an investor in the team. The money that the players make is up in the millions. The IPL was set up by the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India). The IPL is expected to bring

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the BCCI an income of approximately US $1 billion over a period of five to ten years. 40% of profits will go to the IPL, 54% to the franchises and the remaining 6% is prize money.

This year (the matches start on 18th April) IPL has been moved to South Africa due to it coinciding with multi-phase 2009 Indian General Elections and resulting concerns over security. There have been concerns over the enthusiasm for the 2009 games matching the warm reaction which met the 2008 tournament – but with the huge dollars involved, some of the world’s most talented players and a huge celebrity interest, this year looks to be as good as the last.

However, the 2009 tournament certainly hasn’t had a smooth run. Pakistani players have been exiled after the government of Pakistan banned players when political relations with India deteriorated in the wake of November’s terror attacks on Mumbai. The Pakistani players had their contracts terminated or suspended after the relocation, claiming that new players had already been bought by franchises as replacement. The players were outraged that the IPL had not notified contract cancellations; they have since threatened legal action and brought about ‘Include Us or Pay Us’ protest in Lahore.

SPORT

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SPORT

The French Affair

in Figures

The most glamorous grand slam tournament runs from 24th May to 7th June. ANGLOMANIA presents you WITH the “French” in numbers by Julien Laurens

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Rafael Nadal’s consecutive victories in Paris. He has won the 28 games he has played at Roland Garros.

He is aiming for a record fifth consecutive victory this year. Andy Murray, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are his main opponents.

Bjorn Borg’s record of wins between 1974 and 1981.

66 214 The world ranking of Gustavo Kuerten when he won Roland in 1997 – the worst ever.

1300 The numbers of journalists covering the tournament.

30,000 The number of hot dogs served during the French Open

The number of countries around the world which show the French open to potentially three billion people worldwide.

2000 The number of staff needed for one tournament, from cleaners to security people.

The number of ball boys needed for the tournament.

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The number of courts, all in clay, available at Roland Garros for the competition.

There are four more used as training courts.

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256 The numbers of players which will participate in the tournament.

235 2436

The number of racquets strung during the competition.

15,059 The number of seats in the Philippe Chartrier court, the biggest at Roland Garros.

The litres of massage oils used by the physios during the tournament.

The number of referees used in the tournament.

332 26,000 The number of portions of chips eaten during the tournament.

100,000

48,000

The litres of water drunk by the public.

60,000 The number of balls used by the players during the whole tournament.

1,000,000

1 ton

The quantity of bananas consumed by the players during the competition.

The age of Monica Seles when she won Roland Garros in 1990 – the youngest athlete ever to win it.

SPORT

2TONS

The amount of fresh pasta eaten by the players during the competition.

The prize money in euros for the winner of the men’s single and for the winner of the women’s single at Roland Garros.

The parity exists since 2007.

The record attendance for an edition, in 2006. It was 50,000 in 1970.

The number of sandwiches sold during the tournament.

447,369

15,575,960 The total sum in euros that will be distributed to the players. A player who loses in the first round will get 14,290 euros.

223,922,079

The number of pages of the official Roland Garros website seen during the tournament only.

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KING KHAN interview by NICK DINES

Thrust onto the world stage after a surprise 2004 Olympic win, Amir Khan has gone from strength to strength. Here he talks about triumphs, failures and future ambitions

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It’s widely considered that the number 21 has connotations of coming of age and responsibility. For the precocious British boxing sensation Amir Khan, fight 21 of his short career, the emphatic success over Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera, made the shaken boxing world shuffle back to their corner, demonstrating that he’s become a force to be reckoned with.

Yet no matter what the performance, Khan’s critics still linger, with infamous promoter Don King the latest to weigh into the debate stating that the biggest win of Khan’s career was a “tainted victory”. All the rising 22-year-old lightweight star can do is defeat whoever is put in front of him and this recent victory now suggests that he’s rightfully within touching distance of a world title shot.

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You have evolved from the gifted teen that came home with a silver medal from the 2004 Athens Olympics to becoming an established professional. Can you quite believe it?

It’s amazing. I had all the doubters saying, ‘You won’t make it as a professional’.

You’re always going to get criticism from people that hate you, but I never let it get to me. It’s never got to me. You can visibly see from fight 9 to fight 21, how my body shape and style have changed as a professional and how I’ve changed from a boy to a man.

Now at 22 years old and with 21 professional bouts to your name, are you content with how you’re developing?

Definitely. I feel I’m progressing really well. I’m having tough fights such as the recent Marco Antonio Barrera bout; I think the jigsaw came together there. I made no mistakes, did everything perfectly for the five rounds, kept my hands up, hit and moved, and listened to my corner.

Looking back at that Barrera fight, did you feel your confident and clinical performance silenced the remaining critics thanks to your speed, defence and newfound temperament?

That’s right, it did. It was a big fight in Manchester and a gamble but I won and proved a lot of people wrong, which shuts all the critics up. A lot of people were saying to me, ‘Are you sure you want to be taking this fight on? If you lose this fight it’s going to put you back to domestic level, fighting against British and European champions’. I wanted to take this fight because I was so confident in winning. I knew I was strong; I knew I had the speed and style and ultimately, I’d done all the hard work.

Would you describe your domination of seven-time, three weight world champion Barrera as the highlight of your career so far?

Beating Barrera has totally changed everything in my life, just as the victories did over Willy Lamond and Graham Earl in 2007. It was the highlight of my career. My name’s now up there for being one of the best fighters in the lightweight division and I’m in the mix of champions, within touching distance of a world title.

In a strange kind of way, was the 54-second, first-round, knockout defeat to Colombian Breidis Prescott the best thing that could have happened?

I made the mistake in the Prescott fight last year and I paid for it. It was a blessing in disguise more than anything. It happened so quickly and since that, so much has changed and it’s made me a better fighter. I got over it quite quickly as I’d tasted defeat before as an amateur – this was the first time as a professional but it’s all about how strong you come back.

Your coach Freddie Roach had stated that your career was finished had Barrera defeated you. You also added that a defeat would have meant that ‘you can forget about Amir Khan’. Was there intense pressure going into this fight?

I think that comment was a bit harsh because there’s always the chance of coming back in different ways by going domestically before working your way up to European and world, which would have been a longer route. But we won the fight. We couldn’t lose because I did everything right. Freddie would have been upset if I had lost because the way we trained and worked together, there were no excuses for losing the fight. It would have been hard to believe.

Explain how much of your improvement is down to Freddie’s renowned coaching ability?

Freddie’s given me that confidence, teaching me to keep my hands up, work on being tighter and more composed and most of all doing what I’m good at: hit and move, using my jab and using my speed. I learnt most in the Wildcard Gym training in LA. All the hard work was done there; learning to be patient and pick the right shots at the right time. There are no distractions in LA – I can just

be myself and train hard with the coaches. You’ve got the hills and the good weather. It’s the full package where I’m totally focused.

You’ve had two six-week training camps under Freddie’s tutelage and he’s since labelled you his next World Champion. This must give you huge confidence?

It’s definitely given me a boost and that extra push because you think if someone like Freddie Roach thinks that, a fantastic coach who’s trained all the best fighters in the world such as Mike Tyson and Oscar De La Hoya, it just shows how much confidence he’s got in me and how good I am. The training camps paid off as look what the fight outcome was. It was just a case of staying away from all the distractions, remaining focused and it was then just tunnel vision for the fight.

How confident are you now of a world championship bout later this year, or are we looking at a rematch with Prescott prior to an opportunity?

I’m very confident that a world title is definitely there as Frank (Warren) knows how good I am now and he’s got the confidence in me. It’s about picking the right title fight. I’m number one in the WBO, which means I’m the first contender to fight for that title. It’s perfect. It would mean the world to me. It’s like a dream come true because since I was a kid, winning a world title is what I’ve wanted – now the time’s come where I’m within touching distance so it’s about not making any mistakes and doing things right. I’ve not spoken to Frank at the moment but I also think that the Prescott fight has got to happen, not only for me, but also for the British public and my fans who want to see that fight.

Because ‘Rumble at the Reebok’ doesn’t quite have that ring to it, is there one particular arena such as Madison Square Garden that you yearn to fight in?

I’d love to fight in the MGM Grand in the future, which is obviously a massive arena as well as in front of millions of TV viewers. The MEN Arena has to be the best venue I’ve fought in so far. We had a full house: 22,000 people watching the fight with Barrera, which was definitely the best atmosphere I’ve fought in. The fans were split 50/50 which made it a good fight and I’m sure the fans that were supporting Barrera appreciated how good the fight was and now come and support me.

I’ve fought at all the main arenas in Britain – the O2, MEN, ExCeL and the Reebok Stadium – and I think it would be brilliant to fight in the Royal Albert Hall if Frank decides that. It holds a lot of history with Frank Bruno, Henry Cooper and Lennox Lewis fighting there.

Are you looking forward to the explosive Vegas showdown this month between fellow Brit Ricky Hatton and your stablemate Phillippino Manny Pacquiao?

I’m going to be at the Hatton vs. Pacquiao fight in May at the MGM Grand, taking in the atmosphere as you learn with every fight you watch. However, the David Haye vs. Wladimir Klitschko fight’s going to be in Germany so I don’t think I’ll be there, as I’ll probably be fighting around the same time.

Would you agree that the lightweight division is currently the hottest in world boxing?

I feel that more than any other, it’s the best division out there. It’s more exciting with guys moving up and down the division, world champions, former world champions, young prospects – there are some real tough lads, which results in the toughest division by far. At the moment I obviously want to win a world title and feel strong in making this weight. I’ll then begin to think about moving up at the right time.

Finally, Barrera’s obviously a legend in the sport and you’ve openly admitted that he’s one of your personal idols. Would you fancy replicating his gruelling 20-year career?

I’ll probably still be involved in boxing but I don’t think I’ll be fighting for that long.

At 35, I think I would have hung up my gloves; after all, boxing’s a short career so I’d like to finish at the top and then call it a day and begin relaxing.

Amir Khan’s new DVD, Khan The Champion, is available now £19.99

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photography: JOHN DAVIS

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10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT JOE CALZAGHE 1. Despite being a hugely patriotic Welshman, Joe was actually born in Hammersmith, before moving to Wales when he was two years old 2. Joe’s nicknames include ‘The Italian Dragon’ and ‘The Pride of Wales’ 3. Calzaghe is a patron of the Beatbullying campaign having been a victim of bullying himself as a youngster due to his scrawny stature 4. Boxing became an escape from the torment and Joe won his first amateur title at 13 years old, the same year the bullying started 5. Calzaghe’s amateur record was equally as impressive as his stellar professional career, winning 110 of his 120 contests 6. A procedural error meant he missed out on representing Great Britain at the Barcelona Olympics, which remains one of his career regrets 7. Despite his career successes, he suffered with a history of hand problems, including fractures against Peter Manfredo and Jeff Lacy 8. Statistics state that Calzaghe landed more than a thousand punches during his emphatic victorious performance against Lacy in 2006 9. Joe’s girlfriend is model Emma Jo Larvin and he has two BOYS from a previous marriage, Joseph and Connor 10. He described collecting his CBE when meeting the Queen, more nerve-racking than any encounter in the ring 39

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photography: JOHN DAVIS

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Enter the Dragon

With superb reflexes, penetrative punches and tactical nous, Joe Calzaghe was a force to be reckoned with. Nick Dines profiles the hero as he hangs up his gloves

What does life after boxing now offer 37-year-old Joe Calzaghe? Sickly sweet Strictly Come Dancing? Token appearances on A Question of Sport? For some reason replacing the gloves for the golfing greens doesn’t quite correlate with the ‘Welsh Dragon’.

Here’s a fighter that unlaced his gloves and retired undefeated, having engaged into professional battle on 46 occasions, resulting in becoming a world super middleweight champion and the longest reigning world title holder in boxing history.

Retirement had been on his mind for the past two years and it appears that the announcement has lifted a great weight off the shoulders of this no ordinary Joe. Making 21 world title defences, the naturally gifted Calzaghe surpassed the likes of Bernard Hopkins, remaining unbeaten for almost two decades; 18 years at both amateur and professional level. Just to comprehend that, for his last defeat you’d have to go back to his amateur days in 1990, a period when Nelson Mandela was released from prison, Germany was re-united and Liverpool last tasted league title success.

Calzaghe defeated every unfortunate competitor that was placed in front of him for slaughter. Thanks to a combination of superb reflexes, penetrative punches, tactical nous and reliable fitness, opponents were like an offering to be sacrificed to a boxing God. However, these weren’t innocent, defenceless rivals. The likes of Jeff Lacy and Mikkel Kessler were predatory ‘animals’ disposed of in clinical fashion. The former bout proved Calzaghe’s most emphatic and formidable performance, humiliating the American in breathtaking fashion.

There’s no doubt of Calzaghe belonging to boxing folklore; holding both the WBO and WBA titles, the Welsh warrior joined the legendary and elite Rocky Marciano in bowing out with an unblemished record, finishing a mere three victories behind Marciano’s 49 fight record.

With many expecting a final ‘homecoming’ bout in Wales, Calzaghe’s surprise retirement announcement was received with statements masquerading as condolences with former pros and current competitors offering their tributes and memories. Yet a final farewell would have merely been an exhibition, for who was worth fighting?

Rarely has one man captivated 50,000 fans who congregated in force from the cities and valleys on a pilgrimage to raucously back their man. With the Welsh national football team struggling to even half fill the landmark Millennium Stadium and their usually unbeatable rugby outfit stalling for once, the unforgettable Calzaghe vs. Kessler cauldron in 2007 now seems confined to the history books.

Albeit late in his burgeoning career, light heavyweight Calzaghe deservedly cracked America, topping the bill and conquering its intimidating yet pinnacle-like Madison Square Garden and MGM Grand arenas. He certainly didn’t leave the sport with a whimper, defeating American icons Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jnr on their turf in comprehensive style, for an apt career culmination, despite being ‘decked’ in both contests.

Unlike many boxers, Calzaghe’s endearing qualities were mainly due to his traditional values. Regularly labelled the approachable and exemplary champion, money was no motive for Calzaghe – a refreshing anomaly in what has rapidly become a celebrity-obsessed culture. Yet despite living the majority of his life in the spotlight of the ring, the understated South Wales Newbridge boy very much preferred the reclusive valleys to the glitz and glamour of Vegas, making every attempt to avoid the limelight and the media headlines.

Since retiring, however, Calzaghe’s name has lingered within the sports pages,

photos: JOHN DAVIS

most recently due to a tough fight of the legal kind; a victory against promoter Frank Warren. Having moved into the famed Warren stable in 1996, Calzaghe split with the promoter last year and recently received £2 million in unpaid fees following the High Court ruling against his former manager.

Whether we’ll have another British Champion that remains undefeated for 11 years, remains to be seen, however in many eyes, British boxing appears to be in healthy shape at all weights, with the likes of Amir Khan, Ricky Hatton and David Haye in position to dominate globally. This, however, hasn’t put an end to the abundance of rumours discussing the potential of the Welshman’s return to the ring. Despite adamantly refusing to don the gumshield and gloves, only time will tell whether the stunning southpaw will begin to get itchy feet, and surely the titanic bouts on the horizon between Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao, and David Haye and Wladimir Klischko may reignite that burning desire.

Calzaghe, with a known aversion to rematches, rightfully possesses a sense of nothing left to prove. He dominated the world super-middleweight division for over a decade and even a lottery of huge cash-bonanza comebacks from the likes of Bernard Hopkins will continue to fall flat. Calzaghe simply adopts the Thatcher approach: this man’s not for turning.

“Deciding to call it a day has been one of the toughest decisions of my life. There’s always the temptation to fight on, especially if you are the champ and no-one has ever beaten you. But I’ve now come to a point where the satisfaction of retiring undefeated has to outweigh the thrill of another fight,” Calzaghe revealed on his website. “I’ve achieved every goal I’ve ever set myself in the ring – there are no more mountains left to climb.”

Despite nearly 20 years of scraps, Calzaghe belongs to a very rare and exclusive number of fighters that has remarkably managed to partner his enviable record with the retention of his charm and looks thanks to a solid chin and a valuable inability to cut easily. On the rare occasion of a cut, there’s no doubting that he bled the red of Wales.

An ideal role model and working class hero, much of Calzaghe’s deserved success is down to the close family bond with his frenetic father and trainer Enzo Calzaghe; a relationship that’s seldom replicated. Akin to brothers in arms, Sardinian Enzo has been in the corner for every one of his son’s professional bouts, swinging every punch, raising every guard and taking every blow. It was a relationship that worked as they undertook matters back home in Newbridge boxing club with methods from the old school.

Many unfairly labelled his 2007 BBC Sports Personality achievement a fluke, considering that year wasn’t a vintage one in terms of sporting achievements.

However, this particular award enabled Calzaghe to finally earn the public recognition he deserved, ultimately becoming a household name.

He has held the WBO, WBA, WBC and IBF super-middleweight belts during his career, combined with his impressive accolades of an MBE and CBE. Having sparred with the Queen, Calzaghe’s name now resembles that of a well-educated doctor.

His prescription for the foreseeable future isn’t a case of simply taking it easy. With plans to expand on his charity work and move into the enterprise of promoting, the question is, can the Welshman put in the conviction that saw him reign supreme year upon year in the ring as a supreme professional?

Like one of his heroes, the great Muhammad Ali, the effortless Calzaghe is justified to crow that infamous boast ‘I’m the greatest’ having delivered 32 knockouts, but for this true modern day champion, we know that’s simply not in his nature.

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Michael Essien: Back withESSIEN a Bang

After months of injury, the Ghanaian powerhouse is stronger than ever and in full fighting spirit words: JULIEN LAURENS photography: Leo Cackett styling: Sharmadean Reid clothing by NIKE

In a football team, you can often measure the importance of a player when he comes back from a long absence. For the first eight months of the season, Chelsea had learnt to live without Michael Essien, their midfield powerhouse.

The Ghanaian international suffered an anterior cruciate knee ligament injury early September last year while playing with his country against Libya. There was no rash challenge, no harsh tackle, no clumsy clash. His knee just gave way when chasing a cross. Without him, the Blues started well but soon began to struggle.

Being without their African talisman was not the only reason why the southLondoners wavered at some points during their season, but it was the main one. Since his return, Chelsea have not only lost just one in six games but have reaffirmed themselves as the most in-form English team du jour. With him, they are stronger, quicker and work harder.

Since his return, Essien has been a key player, not only for his technical ability but thanks to his versatility too. He has played right midfielder and centre midfielder, and has man-marked Steven Gerrard against Liverpool and Pavel Nedved against Juventus on his first start back from injury.

“I don’t play for myself, I play for the team. I’d describe myself as a box-to-box midfielder, but I’ll always respect the manager’s decision, wherever I’m picked to play. Against Juventus it was a tactical move to put me on the right to try to stop the runs of Pavel Nedved. I always listen to the manager and I just go onto the field for every game and do what he asks me to do. So I don’t really mind where I play as long as I’m out there doing a job for the team and the manager,” he insists. Guus Hiddink, who replaced Luis Felipe Scolari as manager of Chelsea in February when Essien was back in the squad training, has praised the Ghanaian: “Now that he has come back, we have more depth in quality in the squad. Michael can make his contribution like he did in the past. He was out for many many months, so it’s not easy for him but he has got his rhythm back very quickly. He’s very strong, a very positive guy and he can have a huge impact for the rest of the season.”

At only 26 and having recently signed a new, dramatically improved deal keeping him at Stamford Bridge until June 2013, Essien is one of the leaders of the squad.

Florent Malouda, the French winger, who also played with Essien at Lyon, gives an insight of what his teammate brings to Chelsea: “He can make the difference.

Michael has that spirit. He has worked hard to come back. I hope he will keep on scoring, help the strikers to score and improve our game. It’s really important for us to see that after those months he spent working every day, to come back and

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be fit again is good. You can see his energy, his spirit and commitment to the team. He helps the game for the strikers because he keeps on running, gives good balls and can score. He has a positive attitude and he gives a lot to the team. When you spend five months injured, you want to prove that the time you spent on the sidelines is not wasted time. He will help all the players in the squad.”

Essien has made a massive difference since his return to the pitch. If he looks just the same as before his injury, don’t be fooled: he is stronger than ever.

“It was tough to be on the sidelines but I just kept my head down and worked hard to get fit again. I did a lot of work in the gym and with the physio. Before my first game back, I was not stressed; I was looking forward to it. I had played one game with the reserve team and I knew that my knee felt strong again so I knew I was ready. It is the first serious injury I had so I wanted to work really hard to come back stronger. And today, I feel really good; better than before the injury.”

Recovering from this injury was not actually a problem for Essien. When you have spent your life fighting against adversity, you can only come back stronger. The powerful midfielder was born in a poor neighbourhood of Accra, the Ghanaian capital. He started playing football on the streets with his friends where every ball is fiercely challenged. He learnt early on never to give up and how to channel his amazing physical strength and technical ability. His breakthrough came in 1999 in New Zealand during the U17 World Cup. Scouts from all around the world were impressed by his talent including those from Manchester United where he went on trial and played (and lost) a reserve game against Derby. Alas, it was an unsuccessful experience for him there and so to Bastia in July 2000, a small Corsican Club who were enjoying top flight French football at the time. After three years there, he went to Lyon where two very impressive seasons attracted the interest of Chelsea who spent £24.4 million to secure his signature, making him the most expensive African player ever.

After winning the Premier League during his first year in England, the FA Cup on his third, he has set his sights on a special win this season: the Champions League. Essien hasn’t forgotten the disappointment of losing against Manchester United in Moscow last May where his uncharacteristic poor marking allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to score the first goal of the game. But before he can face United (or Arsenal) in the final in Rome, he will have to boss the midfield against the mighty Barcelona in the Semi-Final. Whatever their fate, the Blues will be glad the man is back. Stronger than ever.

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“HE CONTROLS THE PACE OF THE GAME, FAST OR SLOW. HE IS MIDFIELD MULTIFUNCTIONAL, HE IS DYNAMIC AND STRONG. THE BOY HAS INCREDIBLE PHYSICAL POWER, HE IS SUPER RESISTANT WITH GREAT SPEED AND UNENDING TACTICAL ABILITIES.” - JOSE MOURINHO

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Manchester United: A Magnificent Obsession

From humble roots to soaring success, United have won hearts and minds all over the globe. We take a retrospective look at one of the world’s best-loved clubs

by STEVEN GRIFFITHS As flashbulbs popped all around, one man remained ice cool at the centre of the frenzy. While his teammates ducked for cover, George Best looked up from beneath his sombrero hat and flashed a smile that melted a million hearts. In that moment, Manchester United’s status as the world’s most glamorous club was cemented once and for all.

Other teams have enjoyed more success, some can claim bigger stadiums and even number the pope among their supporters, but none – not even Liverpool, AC Milan, Barcelona or Bayern Munich – can eclipse United.

Why? It’s simple: Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo – United’s magnificent number sevens.

It was Best who began the legend of the number seven shirt when he cracked that roguish grin on United’s return from a European Cup match over 40 years ago. The number encapsulates everything that United stand for. The pursuit of success occupies many, but United have achieved greatness with a flamboyance that captures hearts and minds forever.

It wasn’t always that way. While United’s famous red shirt is now the symbol of a global brand worth billions, that success has humble roots. Formed in 1878 as

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Newton Heath by a group of workers on the Lancashire and Yorkshire railways, United’s forefathers almost went bust before the turn of the 20th century.

They were saved by a St Bernard dog: Newton Heath captain Henry Stafford was showing off his dog at a charity event when a local brewery owner, John Henry Davies, asked if he could buy the animal. Stafford said no but persuaded Davies to buy the club instead. In 1902, Davies changed the club’s name to Manchester United but it wasn’t until Matt Busby became manager in 1945 that they challenged for honours on a regular basis.

Busby’s babes were soon playing like men and in 1952, they won the title for the first time in 41 years. Inspired by Duncan Edwards, Bobby Charlton and Tommy Taylor, United swept all before them until tragedy struck in 1958. Returning from the second leg of a European tie against Red Star Belgrade on 6 February, United’s plane stopped in Munich to refuel. As it tried to take off in snowy conditions, the plane crashed, killing 21 people, including eight players with Edwards and Taylor among them.

The heart had been ripped out of United’s team but the club refused to die. Busby, who along with Charlton had survived the disaster, once again turned to United’s

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youth system.

Charlton, Best and Denis Law became United’s holy trinity. While Charlton and Law supplied sublime skills, it was Best that became idol of a generation. His flamboyant style inspired United to the league title in 1965 and 1967 and a year later they destroyed Benfica 4-1 at Wembley to win the European Cup for the first time. Busby wept tears of joy as the memories of the team cut down in their prime at Munich came flooding back.

The years immediately following that emotional triumph were something of an anti-climax as Busby and Charlton retired and Best became distracted by his out-of-control social life. When Law returned to Old Trafford as a Manchester City player in 1974, his back-heeled goal confirmed United’s relegation.

Under Tommy Docherty’s charismatic leadership, ‘Doc’s Red Army’ swept back to the top-flight a year later, but the club lurched back into decline again until Robson arrived from West Brom.

With Robson rampaging forward from midfield, United won the FA Cup in 1983 and 1985. But the league title – the one prize United valued over all others – remained elusive and Ron Atkinson paid for his failure to end Liverpool’s dominance with the sack in 1986. Alex Ferguson arrived as his replacement and his pedigree seemed perfect. At unfashionable Aberdeen he had broken Old Firm’s reign over Scottish football and he arrived determined to “knock Liverpool off their perch”.

He would have to survive hard times first. A banner unfurled at a United home game in 1990 summed up the discontent: “Three years of excuses and it’s still crap... ta-ra Fergie”.

By the time Ferguson’s team kicked off an FA Cup third round tie at Nottingham Forest that season, the Scot was close to the chop, but Mark Robins scored the only goal to keep Ferguson in a job and they went on to win the FA Cup followed by the Cup-Winners Cup a year later.

That success bought Ferguson the time he needed to stamp his authority on the squad. The final piece of the jigsaw fell into Ferguson’s lap in December 1992 when he phoned Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson to ask if he could buy Lee Chapman. Wilkinson declined Ferguson’s bid but offered to sell him a maverick French forward who had helped Leeds win the title a year earlier. Ferguson couldn’t believe his luck. Cantona is undoubtedly one of the best players in the Premier League history and his impact on United was remarkable.

A year earlier they had blown the title in the final weeks as nerves took their toll, but Cantona’s devil-may-care approach released the pressure on United and they stormed to their first title for 26 years. United won the double in 1994 and 1996 and would probably have done the same in 1995 but for Cantona’s suspension for kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace fan.

Now it was the Champions League that consumed Ferguson and his ambition was fulfilled in 1999. Although Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and the Neville brothers were the fresh-faced core of that treble-winning squad, it is Roy Keane and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who are most fondly recalled. Keane was the hero of United’s semi-final against Juventus as the Irish midfielder ignored a suspension that would rule him out of the final to lead a come-from-behind victory. Then in the final, United trailed 1-0 to Bayern Munich with just moments left. But Teddy Sheringham equalised before Solskjaer stuck out a boot to turn in Sheringham’s header.

At last, United were European champions agian. For once, Ferguson was almost speechless. If victory in Barcelona was Ferguson’s crowning glory, it didn’t dull his appetite for success. He built a new team around Ronaldo’s unique skills and another Champions League triumph last season could be the prelude to even greater rewards this year.

The legend just keeps growing.

Living in the shadows can be hard. For Manchester City, it was ever thus.

And at the same time, City...

While Manchester United’s global brand is a byword for success, City often struggle just to stay in the same division as their bitter rivals. Arguably the finest moment in City’s history arrived in 1968 when Joe Mercer’s side clinched the league title for just the second time with a dramatic 4-3 victory at Newcastle on the final day of the season. Mercer’s men had finished one point ahead of United. Surely City would become Manchester’s number one team? The fates decreed otherwise.

Less than a week later, United became the first English club to win the European Cup and City’s achievement was quickly forgotten. The same story is told time and again through the extravagant highs and lows of City’s 129-year history.

In 1904, City won their first major trophy, beating Bolton 1-0 in the final. But even then United were making their presence felt as Billy Meredith, City’s star player at the time, moved to Old Trafford.

The heroics of German goalkeeper Bert Trautmann, who played virtually the entire 1956 FA Cup final with a broken neck, helped City beat Birmingham 3-1.

City’s greatest spell came in the late 1960s and early ’70s. After winning the league in 1968, they lifted the FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners Cup in the next two seasons. That was as good as it got for City and another League Cup final victory – against Newcastle in 1976 – remains their last major silverware.

They even suffered the indignity of being relegated to the third tier of English football for the first time in 1998. Although they won promotion a year later, that dramatic play-off final victory over Gillingham – when City scored twice in the last minute to force extra-time – played second fiddle to United’s Champions League final win over Bayern Munich a few days earlier.

Nothing changes.

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10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT Dimitar Berbatov 1. The Godfather films are his favourite movies, BY WATCHING THESE he taught himself to speak English 2. His father Ivan was a former professional footballer with CSKA Sofia. He played striker 3. he used to admire Alan Shearer who was his favourite player, and he even slept in the number 9 Newcastle shirt GIVEN TO HIM for his 18th birthday by his parents 4. His mother Margarita was a former handball professional 5. Dimitar is the main sponsor of children’s charities in his native COUNTRY Bulgaria.

He supports five care homes 6. He bought his mum a new Honda Civic for her 45th birthday 7. Last summer, he moved from Tottenham to Manchester United for £30.75 million, becoming the most expensive United transfer ever 8. He is a devout orthodox Christian and before he went to MU, his mum gave him a Bible 9. His first transfer, from his local club FC Pirin to CSKA Sofia when he was 17, was part-funded by 20 pairs of football boots 10. One of his favourite dishes is potato soup made by his grandmother Verka 53

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My Teammates

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Since his arrival at Old Trafford three years ago, the French left-back has become a favourite with the United crowd and a key figure in the dressing room. For ANGLOMANIA, he introduces his Manchester United teammates.

Edwin Van der Sar, 38 years old He is the calm one. He has experience and cleverness. He is the captain of the defence. He never shouts but is replacing us all the time. He talks a lot on the pitch. His record of 1,311 minutes without conceding a goal is just purely amazing.

Gary Neville, 34 years old He is the soul of the club. Manchester United – it’s him. He loves this club, lives through it, breaths United. He has only known this club in his life. He has been here for 18 years. I don’t know what he is going to do when he will retire but it will be hard for him without United. He is very professional, the first to arrive at training. He was the first one to help me when I arrived. He helped to find a house and everything. He didn’t have to do that but he did, which shows how nice he is.

Rio Ferdinand, 30 years old He is so talented. He is strong and sure of himself. He has matured a lot as well.

Before, sometimes, games were too easy for him and he was taking it too easy.

Now, he has rectified that and he is stronger. He is someone every player would want to have in his team.

Nemanja Vidic, 27 years old If you have a battle, you go there with Vidic. He is the one you put on the frontline all the time. He is scared of nothing and of nobody. He is so brave, it’s impressive. He is a proper warrior and he reassures all the team.

Patrice Evra, 27 years old Yes, I know him a little bit! (Bursts out laughing.) He has won a lot of trophies since he arrived at Manchester United. He is driven by ambition and winning. He always wants to prove that he is improving every day. He does his job as best as he can at every game.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 24 years old He is a phenomenon, an incredible talent. He is so quick in his gestures, it’s crazy. You have never seen someone dribbling so fast. He is a playboy but a great professional too. And he is a winner. He always wants to be the best in everything he does.

Michael Carrick, 27 years old He is a bit like Rio; cool and easy. When I watch him play, I feel like he is playing in his living room. He is so clever on the pitch and his passing is amazing. He has improved so much and he brings a lot to this team.

Paul Scholes, 34 years old For me, “Scholesy” is part of the five best players in the world. He is quiet so people don’t talk much about him but ask any player in the world, they will tell you that he is incredible. What he does with the ball is amazing. His

passing is the best in the world. For me, he should have won the Ballon d’Or in his career.

Ryan Giggs, 35 years old “Giggsy” is THE legend. I like talking about him. He is a Sir – Manchester United’s legend. Later in my life, I will be proud to tell my kids that I played with Ryan Giggs. He seems to get younger at each game. He is always at the top and is a gentleman. Every young player in the world should set example by him, by his behaviour, his faithfulness to United, his humility and his simplicity.

Ji-Sung Park, 28 years old Ji, he is my man. When I went to Korea, I went to his house. People don’t realise but he is a hero over there. Over there, he is like Beckham in Europe. It is hysterical. I always tease him with that but it is true. On the pitch, his movements and his cleverness are amazing. For a defender, having him in front of you is a dream.

Wayne Rooney, 23 years old He defines the love of the game. He deeply loves football. He still plays like when he was young. It is a real game for him. He plays with his heart. He is like a bulldozer. He never wastes time. He wants to go forward all the time and straight to goals. And technically, he is great.

Dimitar Berbatov, 28 years old “Berba”, it’s the elegance. He is easy and never panics. Even with four players behind him, he always finds his way. He can do anything with a ball. His first touches are simply delightful. He never controls the ball with his chest but always with his foot and the ball is glued on his foot. Impressive.

Carlos Tevez, 25 years old “Carlito”, it’s Argentina, hot blood. He is a bit like Rooney but with hotter blood.

I have never seen a player pressing up like him during 90 minutes and then still be composed enough to score. He smells the goal, he is crafty. He has class.

Sir Alex Ferguson, 67 years old He is the big boss. He is a kind of a granddad for us. He is always protecting us a lot. Manchester United – it’s him. I don’t know what will happen when he leaves. He has the motivation to make history, to always win. Before each game, he always tells us to enjoy ourselves. He has always taught us the will to score one goal more than the opposition.

For his hairdryer treatment, everybody knows about it! And it’s very true. In my life, I have seen my dad angry but never like that. It is really something.

I don’t know if he has something stuck in his throat but it is incredible. His French is very good as he loves France and goes there often on holidays.

He teases me a lot like when Scotland beat France in 2007. When I came back to Manchester, he sung me the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, in French.

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PROFILE

MARK FOSTER by JOHN DAVIS

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by MUNETAKA TOKUYAMA

PROFILE

INTRODUCING

Munetaka Tokuyama

Born and raised in Japan, Munetaka Tokuyama, aka Tokkun, began his career in photography after moving to New York City in 2001. Always surrounded by the many popular fashion magazines in Japan, Munetaka’s interest in style and design led him to assisting the fashion community in NYC. Subsequently, he discovered his talent for photography and began to assist photographers. Although not a classically trained photographer, Munetaka says that shooting fashion was natural to him. His untraditional route lends to his fresh aesthetic inspired by Japanese animation and sports photography.

Immediately after striking out on his own Munetaka won a Surface magazine Avant Guardian Award in the USA and was chosen by Commercial Photo Magazine as one of the Best 100 photographers in Japan and has remained in the ranking since 2007. Advertising campaigns: Nike, Uniqlo, Suntory, Arena, Century 21 Dept Store etc. Magazines: Dazed & Confused Japan, Nylon, Surface, Trace etc.

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PROFILE

60 JOHN DAVIS FRANK LAMPARD by by MUNETAKA TOKUYAMA

PROFILE

KELLY SOTHERTON by JOHN DAVIS

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SPORT

MARLON DEVONISH 62by JOHN DAVIS by MUNETAKA TOKUYAMA

profile SPORT

PHILLIPS IDOWU by JOHN DAVIS 63

by MUNETAKA TOKUYAMA

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by MUNETAKA TOKUYAMA 65

JACK

by NUNO VELOSO

jacket: Box Fresh polo shirt: Box Fresh shorts: Nobody shoes: Box Fresh66

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THIS PAGE jumper: Famous Forever shorts: Box Fresh OPPOSITE PAGE jacket: Box Fresh trousers: Nobody

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THIS PAGE jacket: Edward Sexton t-shirt: Ground Zero shorts: Ground Zero hat: Stylist’s own OPPOSITE PAGE jacket: To Orist shorts: Box Fresh hat: Stylist’s own

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THIS PAGE jacket: Chateau Roux pullover: Erik Bompard OPPOSITE PAGE shirt and t-shirt: Box Fresh trousers: Box Fresh

photographer: Nuno Veloso styling: Marcelo Hirata makeup and hair: Lan photographer’s assistant: Mark Hibbert production: Zana Legemzova Fernanda Fernandes

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Aerobica 74

by MAGNUS EKSTRøM

top: Moon Spoon Saloon hairband: made by hair stylist

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THIS PAGE swimsuit: Rose at Carmen animal bracelets: vintage at TimeĂ­s Up gold bracelet: vintage Balenciaga shoes: Miu Miu Opposite page earrings: vintage at Carmen hairband: made by hair stylist 76 body: Mary Quant

JONNY WILKINSON 77

body: Intermezzo kimono belts: Carmen dress: Frank legwear: madeTell by stylist bangles: Ben-Amun shoes: Christian Louboutin

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THIS PAGE swimsuit: Diane Von Furstenberg gold chain: vintage at Glam gold neck ring: vintage at Carmen earrings: vintage Chanel OPPOSITE PAGE body: Intermezzo belt: MaxMara shoes: Miu Miu

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THIS PAGE swimsuit: Rose at Carmen belt: made by stylist turban: vintage at Carmen shoes: Christian Louboutin OPPOSITE PAGE top: Adidas by Stella McCartney sequin skirt: Topshop swim panties: Gestuz

photography: Magnus EkstrØm styling: Christian Schleisner www.uniquelook.dk hair and makeup: Zenia JÊger www.uniquelook.dk model: Louise Nymann www.scoopmodels.com photo assistants: Maud Frisenfeldt Stine Refsgaard styling assistant: My Ringsted 83

Flesh Refresh

ANGLOMANIA has sourced the best of british skincare brands to evoke and awaken your senses after a long winter

by NIEDIAN BIGGS

Vitamin E Gel by Jo Malone Jo Malone is the essence of luxury. Her scented candles and skincare can be found in all bespoke hotels around the world. Founding her company in 1983, she would blend natural products together from her small flat in London, to be massaged gently into the skin. The same principle can be applied to her Vitamin E Gel; when you apply this gel, the warmth of your fingertips will slowly melt the healing properties of Vitamin E into your skin. The collection also comprises a Vitamin E Lip Conditioner and a nourishing hand cream.

Vitamin E Gel £62, Vitamin E Lip Conditioner £20, Vitamin E Hand Cream £35

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BEAUTY

Frankincense Hydrating Cream by Neal’s Yard Remedies Neal’s Yard Remedies opened their first shop in 1981 in Covent Garden, London. It was founded by Romy Fraser to bring alternative medicine and natural remedies together. Their Frankincense Hydrating Cream infuses extracts of natural frankincense; one of the most highlyprized substances of the ancient world. It is held in high esteem for its purifying properties which act as an anti-ageing ingredient to repair and regenerate new skin cells. Neal’s Yard has not only taken an ancient ingredient and refined it, they have also added an even more rich and nourishing one to make this ANGLOMANIA’S 2nd Best British Beauty product of 2009.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Cleanse and Polish is a cult product, topping the best beauty buy year in, year out. Its creamy formulation is an excellent way to remove the grime of the city.

Simply massage the cream onto your skin with your fingertips, slowly releasing the active ingredients to create a burst of eucalyptus which will help you relax. Soothing extracts of rosemary and chamomile act as soothing agents to leave the skin feeling soft and supple while the rosemary will help to heal any spots or blemishes. Immerse your muslin cloth in tepid water and wipe away the cleanser, leaving your skin energised and hydrated. Cleanse and Polish definitely deserves its status as the No. 1 beauty product.

Jo Malone Vitamin E Body Treatment Scrub £61.00 The Vitamin E collection was the first skincare range Jo Malone launched over 20 years ago. The range is designed to moisturise dry, dehydrated or weathered skin. The Vitamin E Body Treatment scrub is infused with Vitamin E to neutralise skin and protect cells against the effects of free radicals which can damage cells. After a long winter it’s a sure-fire way to healthy, glowing skin.

Available at the Jo Malone boutique, Chelsea, and at www.jomalone.com

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BEAUTY

Smooth

Operator

Because sometimes, men need a little help too...

by NIEDIAN BIGGS

Cleanse and Polish by Liz Earle ÂŁ22.00 Liz Earle has kept this simple: just pump out a small amount of the cleanser into the palm of your hand and apply all over your face, then soak the muslin cloth in hot water and wipe away the excess cream and dirt. The Cleanse and Polish has naturally active ingredients such as cocoa butter to soften, smooth and moisturise the skin, leaving it suitably prepared for shaving. Liz Earle recommends using a pure muslin cloth to lift away dead skin cells, revealing fresh exfoliated skin.

by NIEDIAN BIGGS

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BEAUTY

Olive Leaf Moisturiser by Neal’s Yard £17.00 This moisturiser is specially designed to nourish and strengthen skin with olive leaf extract, grapefruit oil and aloe vera. All the herbs are selected to help revive tired skin. Neal’s Yard Remedies are an alternative skincare brand, and encourage customers to take responsibility for their own health.

The specialist herbs and tinctures have been selected for men in particular to help retain sexual vitality and stamina as well as increase the ability to cope with stress.

Available at selected department stores and free standing Neal’s Yard spas www.nealsyard.com

Molton Brown ultracalm lemon leaf shave wax £18.60 Available from all department stores and online www.moltonbrown.com

Black Pepper Body Wash by Molton Brown £15.60 Molton Brown says, “Why not indulge your senses with the spicy recharge Black Pepper collection?” This body wash will transport your senses to the spice regions of Morocco. With natural antioxidants, infused with aromatic and detoxifying black pepper oil to replenish your natural lipid barrier. Molton Brown has refined this collection to bring you their full range of Black Pepper skincare.

Available from all Departments Stores and online www.moltonbrown.com

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DUSK

by STELIANOUR SANI

dress: Bora Aksu 88 bow: Reem

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THIS PAGE dress: Parosh head piece: Fenwicks ring: Topshop OPPOSITE PAGE jacket: Bora Aksu bolero: Bodyamr 91Feiz dress: Afshin

dress: Afshin Feiz

photographer: Stelianour SANI makeup: Mika Holborow using Becca hair: Ryutaro using Loreal tecni-art stylist: Irene Darko 92 art director: Niedian Biggs

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LIFESTYLE

illustration: MARTINE MBALA

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LIFESTYLE

GHETTOFICATION

With the youth market more powerful than ever, big fashion brands are dirtying up their designs to maximise appeal

by Amy Tipper-Hale illustration: MARTINE MBALA photography: CAMILLA TREHARNE

“Tommy Hilfiger was nothing until 1994 when Snoop put on a Tommy hockey jersey on Saturday Night Live,” says Craig Tanner, the founder of Urban Golf Gear. Tanner follows a trend that has become paramount in modern branding concepts – if you want to sell to the highest consumers, you better start appealing to the youth culture. Which for advertising executives, designers and marketing moguls means ‘ghettofying’ your luxury brands because if it’s not diamond studded, graffed all over, or available in a multitude of pop coloring, it’s not going to sell well.

There are two types of luxury goods. The first is that which is of a better quality, streamline design and made from expensive materials. The second is the status symbol, which serves only to display the wealth and income of the owner.

The best sellers, the most coveted brands, appeal to both. Arguably, Apple is unparalleled in this arena with its mass youth appeal, stunning designs and upto-date technology to be taken seriously. Compare this with the Motorola V220 Special Edition (encrusted with diamonds) or the Boucheron Vertu Signature Cobra mobile: bling beyond belief, but not quite sensible enough and almost too glaring as a status symbol for British buyers.

There is a man called Limo Bob who lives in Chicago and produces some of the most outrageous limos available on the market. It’s he that turned out the CEO version of the H2 Hummer (a former military vehicle popular with the Marines) equipped with bullet-proof glass, which is particularly favoured by rap stars that like the idea of enjoying a Jacuzzi or pool game on a long journey. This is probably the most extreme end of the bling market, which starts with a pair of box fresh trainers.

Some brands are totally adverse to the ‘ghettofication’ that they’ve unintentionally been swept along with. YSL is a brand which, despite being loved devoutly by everyone from the corner boys in Baltimore to the hip-hop artists performing in front of thousands of adoring like-wearing fans, has done its best to slink away back to the Chelsea ladies wot lunch. The reason for this is the abject terror of the counterfeit brand. The counterfeit market has an estimated global worth of £200 billion. Which means a lot of people are running around with a fake YSL bag, while those who can just about afford it live in fear that they too may be accused of carrying that which is not the real deal – and if you’re willing to pay the asking price, that social status anxiety feeling every time you get out the house keys might not be worth it.

There’s not much that the high-end brands can do about it. The lives of sport, entertainment and fashion have become inextricably linked, and everyone’s fair game. Sportswear has totally embraced the youth culture using the entertainment factor by signing on musicians to support their brands and successfully target their coveted 13-25 year old audience. Not that they would have had much choice any other way – when the hip-hop market started infiltrating every sector

of mainstream music in the 1980s it brought adidas with it, specifically their sheltoes and ‘phat’ shoelaces. Puma is now known more as a lifestyle brand than a sports brand, appearing in fashion shows all over London and Milan. It’s not just hip-hop either; metal band Korn had been courting adidas for years, even dedicating a song to the beloved brand, until Puma offered them free clothing and a feature in a Superbowl commercial. Korn made the sensible choice and went running over to the black cat.

Battles of the Brands for lucrative entertainment and high-fashion collaborations are immense. Adidas went for a mature and feline Stella McCartney, then a tech-fashion Y-3 marriage, and most recently a fun-filled f**k you to conventional sport gear by teaming up with Jeremy Scott. Puma had a no holes barred fullfashion affaire with legend Alexander McQueen, and dallied with urban creative Mihara Yasuhiro. Adidas launched a house party to show off a new collection, inviting the likes of Missy Elliot and David Beckham. Puma does masses of work with Central St Martin students, pretty much the whole of Africa, and the underground artists. Reebok did “Unsigned Hype” with The Source magazine, putting them back in the hip-hop scene with vengeance, and have supported the music and entertainment industry heavily ever since.

The 1980s enjoyed a heavily mainstream sport label and hip-hop love-in, but during the 1990s the net was thrown wider. The youth culture aimed higher up the social status ladder and claimed Tommy Hilfiger, Polo Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Nautica and DKNY as their own, sparking marketing of more counterfeit brands on one hand, and huge, never-dreamt-of-before legit mass marketing the brands had never seen before. While maybe DKNY was never really taken seriously again, the rest survived by embracing both markets until the ghetto culture moved onto something else.

Not all of the hip-hop apparel has become studded with precious stones.

Some like a fairly plain look, all the better to show off fingers, ears, wrists and necks all adorned with heavy, elaborate and expensive bling. The advent of the jewellery culture making an appearance in every hip-hop video and film meant that both Gucci and YSL were once again at the forefront of youth culture, being associated with quick drug money, guns and east-side west-side gang culture – but it was certainly lucrative.

Fashion has become infiltrated with hip-hop culture since its beginnings, and since the 1990s bad boy rappers have felt no shame in getting in on lucrative clothing deals, and creating their own. The Wu-Tang Clan did Wu-Wear, Diddy did Sean John, 50-Cent did G-Unit, and Damon Dash teamed up with Jay-Z for Rocawear. Who said fashion was all darlings flouncing around in Milan? The general census of the best high-end fashion brands and the formally sweatassociated sportswear says get ghettofied or get out. There’s no more money to be made in appealing to conservative adults – they just don’t have the cash.

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dress: KITTI KEYUNI VINTAGE

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jacket: Stylist’s own shorts: JEREMY SCOTT FOR ADIDAS shoes: MIU MIU

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bra: ACNE hot pants: ACNE jacket: JEREMY SCOTT FOR ADIDAS

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playsuit: ADIDAS python belt: MARC JACOBS roller boots: SOVEREIGN

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knitted jumpsuit: PC-WILLIAMS necklace: Stylist’s own shoes: MIU MIU

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playsuit: ADIDAS

photographer: Camilla Treharne www.camillatreharne.co.uk stylist: Zack Tate www.zacktate.com stylist assistant: K.O www.unknown-ko.com makeup & hair: Becky Akinsanya (Buki) 101

UK FOCUS

Northern Glory

Gritty chic mixes with vibrant originality to create the diamond in the rough that is Manchester. Amaya Dent explores the city’s delights

photos: ANDREW LEE, TOOT DOOD, ZACK MANCHESTER, IMAX, LEXINGTON BOSH, HARRIBOBS & MATTY P

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UK FOCUS

It’s come a long way since the ‘Madchester’ days. Once a city with an undeniably grotty edge, these days Manchester is the metropolitan and cultural hub of the North. The city is a gorgeous clash of the original red bricks and the shiny new; of gritty residing alongside chic. I am a recent arrival on the scene, shifting ‘up north’ from London eight months back. For a southerner, particularly a Londoner, such a shift is somewhat daunting. I was apprehensive prior to moving away from London’s diversity, with regard to both social and cultural aspects, but I had no reason to be. In fact, I have found Manchester to be a fabulous jumble, both in the architectural sense and by way of the people that call it home. You can’t get much more by way of a melting pot than London itself, but Manchester holds some substantial competition. Indeed, the city must owe its vibrancy to the vast assortment of people that inhabit it.

The predominantly African Caribbean community in Moss Side intertwines with the vast Asian community nestled in Rusholme. The Royal Northern College of Music, the University of Manchester, and Manchester Metropolitan University in unison bring some 88,000 students to the city. The majority of them lurk around the Fallowfield area, which is by result, a buzzing loanfuelled microcosm crammed with hot spots for pubbing and dancing. All manner of eateries have descended on the tiny Fallowfield radius, most remaining open until the break of dawn to feed their hungry punters – those who presume it normal to consume a full doner on their way to bed. Thrown into the mix though are a couple of quaint fairy-lit joints with thriving live music scenes where cocktails and sumptuous vegetarian delights are yours for the taking. Further toward the city centre resides Manchester’s very own Vegas of sorts. Aglow with neon light, Rusholme is fondly referred to by all in the know as ‘the curry mile’; Manchester’s very own little India. From dishes to beauty treatments, there appears to be as much by way of choice here as in Delhi’s own main bazaar. Like all good curry houses, these are cheap, flavoursome and BYOB. If the outer areas mentioned, such as Fallowfield and Rusholme, are its arteries, teeming with people, then Piccadilly Gardens is the beating heart of Manchester. Of course this is the city’s commercial centre, but meandering around Piccadilly Gardens are the winding streets of the northern quarter.

Crammed with an array of stores and cafes to stumble across, each is as enticing as its neighbour. From vintage stores to record stores, from flower stalls to young design boutiques and everything in between (the knitting emporium not to be forgotten!) this is the section of Manchester best reserved for weekend mooching, when spare hours can be whiled away in the fine cafes and bars tucked into these petite old school streets. This area has an essence of the homemade about it, and with its abundance of second-hand shops and music venues it is of course vastly popular on the student scene. But there are hidden gems here for all, whether in the form of art-browsing opportunities or simply a pretty spot from which to watch the world go by. The roads off Oldham Street certainly offer a part of the city with a more personal feel, to visitor or to local.

Regarding the evenings, any Manchester night bird – gay or straight – will point an enquirer in the general direction of Canal street be it good times they seek. As the name suggests, the establishments here are canal front and the colours of the gay pride flag are splashed about like there’s no tomorrow. This stretch does sophisticated and disco, and the Canal Street crowd are widely regarded to be one of the friendliest bunches in town.

As we’ve given the shopping element of Manchester a whirl I presume it’s only fair to attempt the inclusion of something for the sports fans among us.

Manchester is of course the home of one of the most revered football clubs in the world and simultaneously houses Old Trafford which seems to propel a tourist industry all of its own. After all, English speaking or not, and no

matter how far off the land, if the words ‘Manchester’ and ‘United’ are put together, a grin is imminent. The ‘theatre of dreams’ entices not only a huge international tourist crowd, but also claims a massive local following. The Commonwealth Games of 2002 worked wonders for the city, sparking huge developments, which now remain as a wealth of facilities. The Oxford Road boasts a vast contemporary glass-fronted aquatic centre along which the old stone university buildings stand. In fact, back in Fallowfield the swankier student accommodation is actually the old athletes’ village from the games.

So this is a slice of insight into Manchester today, and one which gives a hundred reasons as to why you should book your Virgin Trains ticket (‘travel between London and Manchester for as little as £1!’) immediately. But what about the city’s past?

With regard to its vast contributions to British music over the years, to Manchester we owe thanks for the likes of The Smiths, Joy Division, The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, Oasis, Take That and more. The Hacienda scene of the 80s made an irrevocable mark on Manchester music culture, which still thrives in its abundance of gig venues and devoted bars. Slight traces of this indie, mod influence are still visible in the attitudes and fashions of the younger generations of male Mancunians, in their laddish swagger on a night out, or in the skinny fit jeans which (God knows why) never quite made it out of fashion.

There is more though, to Manchester’s history as a city. Aforementioned are the contrasts so key to the city, the remnants of 60s Manchester stood shoulder to shoulder with its stylish new steel additions. Actually it is this mix of old and new, of foreign and local that has truly imprinted Manchester as a city in my memory, and in turn is truly intrinsic to the city. Though its foundations and structure are attractively juxtaposed, there is more on show here than first meets the eye. In my time here I have learned that it is actually Manchester’s history that can be seen when we look around this mix of past and present. The city fell victim to IRA bombing attacks on numerous occasions, the worst of which struck in 1996, causing £50 million worth of damage but in turn sparking huge redevelopment schemes. The merge of nationalities that we see in Manchester today is owing to its past as a city of industry where thousands of immigrants flocked to factories and cotton mills for employment. The traces of this past can now be seen in the warehouse spaces currently revered as party hot spots, and in the trendy loft apartments within old mills. The mix of people who walk the streets of the city I have now come to call home, are the descendents of those old workers, the students from all over the UK and the world, all with one thing in common: they came to Manchester for opportunity, for new beginnings, and that’s exactly what the city gave them.

Furthermore, this is what Manchester has given me. I feel comfortable in this city. I feel safe. Obviously not in its entirety – no city is entirely positive – but in the short eight months that I have spent in it, I have learned its ways. Granted, it took a while. Paying northern and student prices for booze was something that rather knocked me for six at the beginning. Indeed I had to train myself mighty fast not to take full advantage of the ‘you can get four drinks for the price of one up here!’ rule every night. Upon my arrival I couldn’t understand why the public transport of everyone’s choice was buses. Now that was different. But as I later came to learn, buses are a whole different ball game in this city – for a start, waiting for them is unheard of, which is fortunate because waiting and rain are an unfortunate combination, and rain is certainly something we have in plenty. Apparently this is owing to Manchester’s geographical situation in the shadow of the Pennines, which is all very interesting but one does wish there weren’t quite so many showers on the Wilmslow road. The Fallowfield to Piccadilly bus route is the most frequent bus route in Europe, any University of Manchester student will proudly inform you. Well, at least we’re learning something…

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UK FOCUS

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TRAVEL

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TRAVEL

ANYONE FOR A GAME OF TENNIS? Playing a round of tennis in a local sweaty gym is all well and good in the winter. But as summer comes round it’s time to take the back-hand serves out into the sunshine – and where better than the costal region of Marbella?

The Don Carlos Resort Leisure and Spa offers a more invigorating stay than the usual sun-lounge holiday destination. The resort accommodates golf enthusiasts and water-sport fans, and offers an extremely deluxe tennis holiday.

Don Carlos Resort has introduced a new three-day ‘Tennis Sensations’ stay where guests can enjoy a tennis focused holiday, as well as revelling in all the views and delights the resort has to offer. Pat Cash, the ex-professional player, favoured the Don Carlos for game practise and relaxation – a good a recommendation as any.

Guests arriving as part of the ‘Tennis Sensations’ holiday can enjoy full use of the exclusive Sunball Tennis Academy which has seven clay courts, two rebound ace courts as well as a team of highly qualified (multilingual) trainers for every level from beginner to pro. Individual training covers technical, tactical and physical aspects of the game. Private or group courses are available.

To test previously learnt or newly acquired skills, the resort offers in-house matches throughout the summer with a chance for guests to challenge the tennis academy professionals.

For those who like a game but want their holiday to be enjoyed both on and off court, the après tennis facilities are sensational. Guests can relax by the pool after a trying match, or enjoy the hotel’s exclusive Beach Club – one of the best in the whole of the Mediterranean, located between a long sandy beach and lush sub-tropical gardens, for cocktails or healthy fresh juices. ‘Tennis Sensation’ guests can also enjoy free entrance and a welcoming drink at the new Casino Nueva Andalusia in Marbella. The Don Carlos Spa is second to none; professionals highly trained in modern Zen techniques of relaxation help guests ease into the holiday surrounded by the beautiful Don Carlos tropical gardens.

The ‘Tennis Sensations’ package includes three nights’ accommodation in a sea view room, and includes breakfast. It costs from around £360 per person and flights can be booked at relatively cheep rates. Valid until 12 July.

To book, go online at www.hoteldoncarlos.com and quote ‘Tennis Sensations’.

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TRAVEL

Time in the Dam

The picturesque landscapes may conflict its reputation for decadence, but the two faces of Amsterdam just add to its charm, says Amy Tipper-Hale Amsterdam is a contradiction. The quaint narrows of its canals and the petite cobblestones adorning narrow pavements where pedestrians give way to ringing bicycles are the Eurocentric and picturesque presentation of a languid destination. But the quaint facade presented seems at odds with a city renowned for its red light district and its ‘special’ cafes. The mix of old Europe with a clean and bright, almost Swedish effluence creates a jumble of dark-brick narrow houses interspersed with minimalist shop-fronts: both manage to be so very Dutch despite the differences.

Architecturally I love it; the windows of almost every home are large and graceful, imposing over minute door frames and squat front entrances. The windows are the only way inhabitants can get furniture into a newly rented abode, but also make very interesting viewing during the evening when warm glows emanate from the windows and the Dutch way of life goes on regardless of snoopy tourists peering around from the top of canal bridges. Apparently everyone in Amsterdam rents, but not in the way we do in the UK – here they’re expected to make their mark on the house, live in it for years and pass it on down through the generations, never buying but remaining permanently in an ether of neither owning nor disowning.

Amsterdam is a polite, happy place for the most part, but it’s not without a seedy,

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edgier part that certainly adds an interest to the area, but it hasn’t quite got Berlin’s bold and brash acceptance of its darker and more youthful side. However, it certainly matches up to Berlin in its boutique and vintage shopping culture. The street markets are a haven for the vintage bargain hunter: quite frankly, with flight prices becoming more and more sensible, I’d go to Amsterdam alone for the shopping. The centre of Amsterdam is a really short train ride from the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, and it couldn’t be easier for a quick trip over during the weekend.

The Place to stay in Amsterdam – regardless of what you plan to do there – is The Dylan hotel. It’s Amsterdam’s most stylish and intimate hotel, located in an exceptional 17th century landmark of Keizersgracht – one of Amsterdam’s most famous canals. The hotel has 41 rooms, each individually designed, creating the wonderful effluence of Dutch design: both old and new. The Dylan was originally the first theatre in the Netherlands, and Antonio Vivaldi conducted the theatre orchestra in 1737 at the property. The hotel boasts an award-winning gourmet restaurant, secluded garden terrace, a fitness room, an in-room massage menu (perfect for aching cyclist bones) as well as exclusive meeting and private dining rooms. The general effect of the hotel is stunning, and whether you’re staying or not, a trip to The Dylan hotel’s bar and lounge is well worth a visit.

TRAVEL

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SCENE

Nobu Matsushisa NELSON MANDELA & Sol Kerzner

Bebe Winans & FRIENDS

LUXURY ON

LOCATION

The one and only night worth attending this month was the opening of the latest addition to one of the world’s most luxurious resort markets. The One&Only Resorts company has stunning properties all over the globe, including Le Saint Géran in Mauritius, Royal Mirage in Dubai, Ocean Club in The Bahamas, Palmilla in Los Cabos in Mexico and the latest to join the award-winning collection is Cape Town’s One&Only in South Africa. The resorts offer distinctive style and personality to each location.

GORDON RAMSAY & SOL KERZNER

Sharon Stone & Heather Kerzner

Leanne Liebenberg

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MATT DAMON, FRANCOIS PIENAAR & HIS WIFE

GORDON RAMSAY

SHARON STONE

Colin Cowie

CLINT EASTWOOD Thandie Newton & FRIEND

Joanne Strauss

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KANYA KING AND FRIENDS

IMMODESTY BLAIZE, ALEXIA SOMERVILLE AND JEAN DAVID MALAT

CANCER RESEARCH UK The ‘Life’ private view held at London’s Opera Gallery on 25 March was a real success, both for Cancer Research UK and its host. Most of the exhibited works, which have been made on commission for ‘Life’ by some of the best contemporary artists of the Opera Gallery, were sold. On top of the generosity of the sponsors – Falcon Trade Corporate, Euronews, Pommery – many guests (400 in total) showed their support for Cancer Research with donations or participation in the raffle which in total raised £20,000. The broad-minded celebrities who attended also showed their support to Cancer Research UK, including Emma Noble, Meredith Ostrom, Karen Millen, Immodesty Blaize, Kanya King and Hannah Ild.

HANNAH ILD

EMMA NOBLE AND KAREN MILLEN

MEREDITH OSTROM AND JEAN DAVID MALAT

KAMEL ALZARKA AND HIS WIFE CHLOE 112

IMMODESTY BLAIZE

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PARTY PIECEs

From F1 drivers to Abramovich heirs, Emily Rachel Dean gives us a sneak images: MOLTON HOUSE peek into partying with the finest If there is one piece of wisdom I could impart, it would be this: most of the time, it’s all about being in the right place at the right time; it’s a healthy mixture of what you know, who you know and… serendipity. Don’t restrict yourself to your usual crowd. Your ‘framily’ is important, but so is having an extended network of friends so you can occasionally be uprooted somewhere new. You never know where you might end up – as I found out this month.

My friend Antonia and I took ourselves down to Molton House one Thursday.

We spent some time on Table One with Danny Dyer and his friends, including a guy from Carnaby Films called Mald or Mould – could’ve been Maud?! I’m usually so good with names [a tip: remember a little fact about people that reminds you of their name so next time you not only know what to call them, you recall that detail and look really conscientious – though it obviously didn’t work this time]. Mald(?) told me all about Danny’s new film Doghouse, also starring Noel Clarke of Kidulthood and Adulthood.

After they left, Molton House’s co-founder Nick Valentine asked us to stay on the table to party with the new arrivals: ex-F1 driver David Coulthard, presenter Jake Humphrey and McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa. Flitting between us and his friends was Julian Bennett of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. We were all entranced – that’s a lot of charisma for one human! David C made a surprisingly good effort in keeping up with the shapes being thrown on the dance floor. Jake was adorable, telling us how marriage hadn’t changed his relationship as they were so in love to begin with. Which was sweet or sickly, depending on how cynical you are.

The following evening I almost didn’t go out, but thought I’d test out my theory that those nights can be the best. I soldiered on, rather unadventurously heading down to my usual Friday night haunt, No.5 Cavendish. There was practically a reunion of my own extended framily, one of whom – DJ Rob Marmot – invited me to the VIP section to meet his friends Sheikh Samir

Mirdad, designer Babette Edwards and Channel Five presenter Liz Fuller. We all got on like a house on fire. Sheikh Samir invited me and Rob to watch the rugby the following day with his friends including Arkadiy and Anna Abramovich (Roman’s two eldest). I was due to go back to my country retreat, but as a rugby virgin how could I pass up the opportunity to see England v Scotland at Twickenham? [Another tip: there are times to be sensible and go home – this wasn’t one].

Rocking up to security and having an Abramovich bodyguard whisk me through was impressive. Upstairs in the executive box we sat down to lunch.

Anna and Arkadiy are so polite and their parents do such a good job of keeping them out of the limelight. I can, however, reveal a little secret – Arkadiy is a Gunner. Despite being heir apparent to Chelsea, he supports Arsenal.

He’s also a rather good DJ – I’ve heard his remix of the Black Pearl theme from Pirates of the Caribbean – better than the Scotty/Dave Darell version in my opinion.

When the game finished we were joined by some of the Scottish team to watch the Ireland v Wales match on the flat screen in the box. They seemed keen to go out (who wouldn’t in London?!) so Sheikh Samir and I deliberated on the best spot to take them to. We settled on Boujis. In the end we hosted the entire squad plus management and everyone else – patriotically dressed in kilts. Most surreal moment this month? That accolade would go to being outside Boujis at the end of the night with a burly rugby player, in a kilt, belting out a rather good rendition of Aladdin’s A Whole New World.

Sometimes when you have the least expectation, you can have the best nights out and added adventures on top. Last issue I talked about how our horizons have been broadened by social networking sites such as Facebook, but you also have to get out there and be open to meeting new people and taking chances. You could be surprised at the outcome.

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INTERIORS

Light&LAMbent

With spring making a statement by brightening our days, do the same with the nights with luxury lights

3Star Simplicity is the strength of this design. The lamp is die-cut from a triangle of polycarbonate, a onestep manufacturing process that allows the design to be produced at a competitive price with minimal material waste. Designed specifically to enhance the aesthetic of energy-efficient globe bulbs.

Designed by David Henrichs Price: On application

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TRAVEL INTERIORS

Jeeves and Wooster Pendant lights made from authentic bowler and top hats. Classic British culture icons reflecting a bygone era of imperialism, class divide and eccentricity.

Designed by Jake Phipps Price: Enquire at www.jakephipps.com

Reading Light The Reading Light is also known as the Seven Sisters Light, and is a unique college degree showpiece. It is both an uplighter and a spotlight. The 24cm aluminum cube at the top contains energy-saving light bulbs and functions as an uplighter. The 12cm aluminum cube in the middle (in between the top and the bottom cube) contains a 50W halogen light bulb and acts as a reading light.

Designed by David Henrichs Not available for purchase

Hummingbird Cube The Cube collection is a small exclusive series of table and/or floor lights. They are sustainable and energy efficient, using natural materials which display depictions of the world’s natural wonders – the hummingbird depicts a ceremonial path in the Peruvian desert. The Cube lights are made from laser cut steel sheets, finished with polished or chrome-plated surfaces.

Designed by David Henrichs Price: £375.00

Cloud Lamps Cloud Lamps are expressive and elaborate designs that break free from the twodimensional realm. The Cloud Lamps are handmade and sustainable; they use material made from recycled paper (treated with fire retardant liquid) and are designed with the intended use of energy-saving light bulbs.

Designed by Yu Jordy Fu Price: Starts at £67.95

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Orson Sculptural low seat in glass reinforced plastic with a high-glass automotive finish.

Designed by Jake Phipps Price: Available on request www.jakephipps.com

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Una Garden Chair Chair frame is made in lacquered rustproof aluminum. Available in black, white, mocca or silver. The weatherproof polyethene cushions are available in black, white, purple, green or sand. Part of the Go Modern Collection.

Designed by Calma Price: £180.00

ISIS The world’s thinnest folding chair in production, Isis folds totally flat to just 3cm.

Designed by Jake Phipps Price: Available on request www.jakephipps.com

Love Seat Sculptured twin bench in solid cedar. Suitable for indoors and out. Manufactured by Riva 1920.

Designed by Jake Phipps Price: Available on request www.jakephipps.com

Origami Tables The Origami tables are made from powder-coated CNC stamped mild steel. The brightly coloured triangular pads are now UV welded to the glass and this allows the legs to be bolted to the glass top. Pads are available in pink, silver or orange.

The Origami Table is available from Innermost (www.innermost.co.uk) in sizes ‘dining’, ‘coffee/salon’ or ‘side’.

Designed by Anthony Dickens Price: Starts at £250

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LIFESTYLE

THE BIG MINI BIRTHDAY PARTY

The baby of British motor cars has grown up. Mini is celebrating its 50th birthday with an all anglo music line up including Paul Weller, Calvin Harris, Chris Thompson, Raygun and Twisted Wheel. MINI United festival will be held at Silverstone race circuit from 22-24 May. At a credit crunch price of just ÂŁ35 for the three-day event, guests will have the opportunity to drive laps on the Silverstone track in their own Mini. Also participating in the celebration is The Mini Seven Racing Club, which will be staging a race with up to 40 classic models competing. For more information and to purchase your tickets, go online to www.miniunited.com. Admission for children under 14 is free.

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GADGETS

ASTON FOR THE BANG TREATMENT

The era of the luxury exotic with a so-so sound system is nearly over. Bang & Olufsen worked with product developers at Aston Martin to create the BeoSound DBS audio system that is specifically tuned to 007’s cabin. Thirteen speakers - five tweeters, five midrange, and three woofers are located in ten places around the cabin. Of course a sound system for the DBS is not just about sound, it is just as much about looks.

Two of the tweeters are mounted on the dash and ascend when the car is started. Loudspeaker grilles are finished in contoured aluminum.

And all that hardware is controlled

by B&O’s Digital Signal Processing system that is matched the DBS interior and adjusts to changing acoustic conditions. www.bang-olufsen.com

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TUNED IN

Get on this month’s gadget wavelength and entertain yourself...

by CLEO DAVIS

FRONT ROW For front row undisturbed viewing, it is time to put on a pair of paranormal glasses. These Darth Vadar chic Vuzix video glasses take you into your very own cinema cocoon. What is better is you can now play games directly from you iPhone. A special connectivity cable that has received the iPhone compatibility certification, which opens a whole new world of possibilities for the flat screen phone users, as they will be able to enjoy videos in three dimensions being the first such connectivity product on the market to support 3-D video. The cable will be available bundled with the with the complete range of AV products, as well as separately for only £29.99 and can be used with all AV series Vuzix video eyewear product. www.vuzix.co.uk

STREAM IN Get big-screen gaming on your TV without having to buy the console. Since the success of Spotify, streaming has become the thing of tech-now. OnLive allows you to enjoy the latest titles on your TV without a console. There are no discs, no big downloads, and you can start playing any game instantly. OnLive streams the video to your TV through PC or Mac, with no box and the games play on a hi-tech server far away, and you simply stream video and control characters via the web. The OnLive game service will be offered through a monthly subscription in Winter 2009. www.OnLive.com

HEADS UP Swedish WeSC (We Are the Superlative Conspiracypronounced Wee-S C) makers of all kinds of excellent streetwear, just launched a collection of headphones combining street fashion with premium audio technology. It would be easy to label these as just fashion accessories, but actually they don’t sound bad either. These Bongo headphones offer added comfort with soft and fitting earpads. For retro raving, WeSC have produced the Maracca range with sqaure earpads.

For stockists, dance on down to 38 Carnanby Street, London W1. www.wesc.com

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FILM

Traitor Talk

by Ashanti Omkar

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FILM

A sensitive film that tackles a somewhat difficult subject of terrorism, from first time director Jeffrey Nachmanoff, Traitor grips the viewer from beginning to end. While covering a range of subject matters, the film comprises fantastic acting and a well-chosen cast (Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Saïd Taghmaoui, Neal McDonough, Archie Panjabi), making for compelling viewing. We delve into the mind of the director after a few thoughts from actor Alyy Khan, who plays a pivotal role, and film buff Raj Kajendra who critiques the movie.

Playing one of the principal characters in the film, Alyy Khan, whose role in A Mighty Heart made him prime Hollywood property of the Asian Diaspora, reveals: “I was travelling at the time so I sent in my audition on DVD. The director had seen me in A Mighty Heart and liked the audition, but wanted to meet me in person, which we did later that month in London. He offered me the Farid part which he tweaked from Middle Eastern to Pakistani.”

Khan continues: “I happened to be in London when the 7/7 bombings happened. I also witnessed the 9/11 attack live on TV so being a part of this script felt surreal because I realised how possible it really was! I like to think of myself as a global citizen with a Pandora’s Box full of experiences. The NY Times critic described me as a Savile Row terrorist – that’s pretty much how I saw myself.”

Raj Kajendra didn’t feel that the film bore originality in its topic: “The main character, Samir, is a traitor to the US in planning these bomb attacks against American targets or is he a traitor to the terrorist organisation by collaborating with the security services? It is told mainly from the American point of view. There are many films with this as a subject and this particular point of view has been dealt with many times. I feel there is nothing new here and wait to see films with other angles to this type of subject.”

He elaborates on the topic of religion in the film: “It has very general views on religious matters. We are ‘fed’ in cinematic sense. This is the fallout of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As both sides are on propaganda mode actual religious practises are not known to us that live in the West.” However, as it is a low budget film of sorts, he is more positive in his examination: “The film scores in its study of ‘agents’ like Samir (Don Cheadle). Cheadle acted very well with good support from the able Guy Pearce. If you can try to forget and ignore some of the naive moralising, you should find this to be a fun and effective thriller – a formulaic film, a Cheadle vehicle, watchable, once.”

Speaking to the director, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, reveals many interesting insights into the film.

What was it like working with Roland Emmerich on The Day After Tomorrow?

Did you expect it to turn out so realistic?

Nobody can make global destruction as much fun as Roland. He and I started on that project thinking that climate disaster was just a great subject for a disaster film. Unfortunately it has turned out that our climate system is a great deal closer to a tipping point than we’d like to believe. And that’s only become more apparent in the years since we made the film.

How did you choose the subject matter for Traitor?

The subject came to me by way of a short outline written by Steve Martin (yes, the famous one). I thought it was a daring idea for a commercial movie but those are often the best kind.

Which directors inspired you, especially when you chose your directional debut to be Traitor?

John Frankenheimer, Paul Greengrass, Fernando Mereilles, Sydney Pollack.

There’s a longer list but that’s a good start.

Did you feel worried about making a film that shows two sides of Islam?

I don’t see that as a political decision so much as a narrative one; it simply makes for better storytelling when your antagonists are fully fleshed out characters with compelling motivations. I don’t pretend that this film is a treatise on Islam; it’s a film with Muslim characters – some good and some bad.

How did you cast for the film? Having seen it myself, I think it was spot on I went after great actors for every role and I was very fortunate that I got exactly the cast I wanted. The only guiding principle I had was to be authentic; I refused to cast Mexican actors to play Arabs, for example. As a result, I cast all over the world and ended up with a truly international group of actors who each brought something unique to the film.

You had to jump continents and visited around 17 cities in the making of the film Yes, it was a logistical challenge. Fortunately I had great crew.

The casting of Alyy Khan was intriguing. He is very composed and good looking; someone who the audience may overlook as the threat he actually is. How did the character come about and how did you cast Khan?

Alyy auditioned on tape in Mumbai and I saw it in Los Angeles. I was immediately struck by his intense, compelling look and presence. I knew there and then that I wanted him in the film.

You grew up in London – how did this shape the subject matter of Traitor?

It mostly shaped the film in that I grew up in London when the IRA was carrying out bombings here. Yet Jeffrey Nachmanoff there were plenty of great films made during that time that treated the conflict as complex, nuanced and two-sided. In the Name of the Father, Cal, etc. I was inspired by the way the British film community was able to deal with terrorism without resorting to stereotypes – something that Hollywood slips into too often.

You show a fascinating yet short perspective about the Black-Asian relationship between Samir and Chandra (Archie Panjabi). Could this be a spin-off in itself?

I didn’t have an agenda there but I felt Samir was the kind of person whose relationships would transcend race.

Though it looked like a million bucks, it was actually a low budget film of sorts.

How did you achieve the brilliance without the money being pumped in by Disney?

By giving new, less expensive talent a chance in all positions on the crew.

We hired locally wherever we went and it ended up working out great for us.

Also, I planned things very, very carefully so as not to waste my resources.

Sometimes a lack of money can force you to be more creative; I think some Hollywood movies are dull, even though the budgets are large because the filmmakers can afford to get lazy. If you can’t afford to blow up a million things, you have to come up with other ways to keep it energetic and exciting.

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Snowbomb

Snow, sun and ski mixed with sailors, Saddams and St. Trinans – oh, and a giant igloo. words: mICHAEL WYLIE-HARRIS photos: KELLY MITCHELL Welcome to the coolest party in the world

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“I’ve just taken a load of hallucinogens and I think they’re starting to kick in.” A man in a cape wanders off through a sea of people. He’s just told ANGLOMANIA how his ‘Snowbombing 2009 Street Party’ is unfolding. He’s beginning to look confused: like he’s not quite sure where he is. As he disappears into the hoards of dancing sailors, Shreks, Saddams and St. Trinians, his cape begins to drag.

The fancy dress theme is ‘things beginning with S’.

When Rogers and Hammerstein penned the words “the hills are alive with the sound of music” in 1959 something tells me they didn’t have this in mind. As thousands of die-hard, party-minded people descend upon the Austrian ski resort of Mayrhofen, there’s only one thing on the agenda. Julie Andrews would have wept.

Snowbombing – now in its ninth year – was the brainchild of two English promoters who saw a gap in the market. Realising the potential for a music festival with the epic backdrop of an alpine ski resort, they forged the idea of Snowboming. Like Ibiza on snow, it’s grown and grown and now ranks alongside the likes of Glastonbury, South By Southwest or Koh Phangan’s Full Moon Party as one of the most revered world parties.

ANGLOMANIA donned its trusty ‘all-in-ones’, prepared for three days of madness and went on the piste.

Wednesday “I’m in a different guise for this show,” says Street Party compère Barry Peters.

Suitably dressed in an ill-fitting Freddy Mercury-esque spandex body-stocking, Barry Peters is the alter-ego of Mike Cuban (one fourth of the hip hop/funk collective The Cuban Brothers, who’ll be playing on Friday night). Peters holds the crowd. Like a Leigh Francis (Bo’ Selecta!) creation, only funnier, he is a constant feature of Snowbombing. Everybody knows him, he knows everybody… and he’s more often than not hosting or performing at the events.

“We’re ‘The Barry Peters Halifax Hospital Radio Roadshow featuring Double Penetration’,” he explains, as he walks out of the ring of people that’s formed around him and is now hosting a ‘dance off’. “So we are The Cubans but we’re doing a couple of shows like this – in this different guise. This is Barry Peters representing Skipton and The Skipton School of Dance. We’ve been doing Barry Peters for about 11, 12 years now. We’ve always done it as a bit of fun.

Getting the chance to create a character who is really sub-standard but who fancies himself as a real impresario, you know. It was based on a lot of people that I met when I was in Yorkshire. Northern entertainers who work at clubs like ‘The Miners’ Welfare’. It’s based on this self-belief that they’re local celebrities.

Now, they are local celebrities, but really it’s based on these people who think they’re next level, but really they’re awful.”

And what about Snowboming… Why do you keep coming back every year? “It really is just one of the funniest events you can be at. I go to about 40 festivals a year and this is the one I always look forward to. It’s just awesome. Everyone’s so up for it. Everyone wants to get involved. Everyone wants to represent.”

Arriving at Snowbombing on the Wednesday afternoon (the festival’s been going since Saturday) is a bit like diving in at the deep end. There’s no warming up. This is the party at its peak. It’s four in the afternoon and everyone you talk to “hasn’t been to bed yet”. The streets swell with drinking and dancing.

Everyone’s in fancy dress. It has the feel of a Brazilian carnival… in sallapettes.

“I really enjoyed the set,” says an energised Beardy Man from the stage that overlooks the party. “The main reason I love this thing is because it’s just so ridiculous. It’s a festival in the mountains. As we’re talking right now, we’re looking at mountains. It’s amazing.” The beatbox star (aka Darren Foreman) has just finished DJing and left the crowd crying out for more (they’ll get it – he’s playing again on Thursday night). Dressed as Super Mario, he’s laughing and drinking. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was one of the audience.

“This year has all gone so quickly. I’ve been working on an album which will

be out in 2030,” he laughs. “I’m joking, I’m working on an album and it just seems to be taking forever. I’m trying to make it all with my mouth and that’s quite complicated to do you know, and I’m a real perfectionist. I should have something coming out soon though. We’ve got lots of gigs this year, loads of festivals and stuff but we’ve been really looking forward to this one. This one’s really exciting. The crowds are wicked, nuts, all in fancy dress. So many Osamas.”

And why did you decide to do that thing you do with your mouth? “Beat boxing came to me in a dream when I was 15 years old. It was a wet dream actually. It was a good one. Right, I’m gonna go get drunk now.” And off he goes. Electro producer and DJ Krafty Kuts (real name Martin Reeves) takes to the stage and, as the sun begins to dip below the grand surrounds, the party just keeps on going.

Later that night the main event is Grandmaster Flash. “He’s the reason we all do it,” say the Get Hustle DJs of the granddaddy of hip-hop. Playing at The Racket Club (Snowbombing’s biggest venue), the American star – who pretty much invented DJing – proves worthy of the praise. With a set that includes unexpected rock samples, and even features Rage Against The Machine, GMF still seems to have his finger set firmly on the pulse of modern dance music… and it is a buoyant crowd that leaves the club with more drinking in mind.

Thursday “We’re having a great time. We got here yesterday,” says Noisettes singer, Shingai Shoniwa. Standing in a bustling hotel corridor with “interview after interview” to get through, Shinowa is every bit as magnetic as the video to current hit Don’t Upset The Rhythm would have you believe.

“We went up on the piste today in a cable car,” she laughs. “It was like 1,800 feet. It was amazing, like being in a James Bond film. We stared thinking Jaws was gonna jump on. It started getting shaky at one point but we enjoyed the thrill.”

And how does it feel to have penned maybe the most infectious hit of 2009 so far? “It’s great having a chart topper. Things are going good, man. We’re just playing things casual as we always do, but just playing more of that song really. This festival is a bit strange to be honest because it’s a bit like Ibiza in the Alps. Everyone’s very sort of Aiya Napa ‘aawite mate’ sort of thing, which is slightly strange in the context of a ski resort. But then it’s also got a slight sort of Pontins, Butlins sort of vibe to it as well. It’s all got a bit of a Swedish, 80s sauna thing going on too, which I’m sure some people find a bit saucy. It’s lucky we’ve got a bit of snow to cool down to afterwards as well though isn’t it?”

Like everyone here, Shinowa is in a good mood. Despite the impending camera crews and hordes of journalists who all want their five minutes, she appears laid back. “There’s no sort of big game plan of world domination,” she says of The Noisettes’ recent ascension into the pop stratosphere (Don’t Upset The Rhythm has just hit number two in the charts). “If it happens it’s cool though… just a bonus really. We always give 100 per cent to everything we do – whether it’s rehearsals, playing a festival, just hanging out or whatever. It’s just what you do with it that matters. We don’t wanna turn into nasty people. Diva’s always good though.”

She’s dead right: diva is always good (though we can’t quite picture her on skis).

“No, I like the feminine thing. I’m happy with what my mamma gave me,” she says (we wonder if her new found ‘diva’ status might lead to a Madonna-esque overly muscular physique). This seems like a good exit point. Leaving Shoniwa to face the glare of the world’s media, we head to the mountain. It’s Arctic Disco time.

The Snowbombing Arctic Disco is one of life’s truly unforgettable experiences.

As the cable car takes you up the mountain in the dark, the lights of Mayrhofen sprawl beneath and a sense of isolation creeps in. This is a mountain. We

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ON PISTE

FABIO & GROOVERIDER

THE NOISETTES

Krafty Kuts

ARTIC DISCO

GRANDMASTER FLASH

MUSIC

shouldn’t be here at night. Arriving at the top, we’re handed torches (the ones made of real fire) and told to follow the tracks to the disco. When you get there, the site is awesome. A giant igloo carved in ice and snow with a rave going on inside, it’s like Narnia on acid (as if Narnia wasn’t weird enough already).

Outside, people sit round a bonfire in deckchairs drinking and talking, and quite possibly mentally reminding themselves every few minutes of the bare facts of their predicament… “You’re on a mountain. At night. Outside a giant igloo. In a deckchair.”

The party goes on ’til about ten and then we board the cable car again for the journey back with the knowledge that – despite a couple of walks to the toilet that had a certain Captain Scott “I’m going outside, I may be some time” quality about them – you’ve just done something unlike anything you’ve ever done before and will probably ever do again. A life-affirming sense of awe fills your mind as you survey the epic scenery on the way down; then the 100 people in the cable car start a drunk sing-along and sway the cabin terrifyingly from side to side and you remember you’re at Snowbombing.

Friday The fact Friday comes with a general sense of things winding down is something entirely lost on our friends from DJ Magazine in the hotel lobby. “We did another bottle of Jagermeister at ten this morning,” they tell us, still looking unnervingly wired (I’m not in the most stable of head-states myself). “We had to walk two miles to get it from the next town. We’d been up all night. We only went to bed at four o’clock this afternoon.” It’s six in the evening.

It’s Friday, Snowbombing’s official last day, and we hit the slopes for the first time.

Under the false impression that the party might cease for the serious business of winter sports, we’re shocked by the scenes at the Boardpark Terrace bar.

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of actual skiing or snowboarding going on at all.

Drinking, dancing and sunbathing is more like what’s on the agenda. DJs Wax Wreckaz are playing, there’s a break dance competition, and somehow – more than in any of the clubs or venues – that Ibiza on snow thing is really apparent.

Later that night, The Cuban Brothers (this time there’s no sign of Barry Peters or Double Penetration), are playing at The Racket Club and we catch up with them before the gig. “We’re just cracking on man,” says MC and break dancer extraordinaire, Kengo San. “We’ve got an album in the pipeline that should be released soon. We’ve got a couple of singles coming out as well. It’s all very

musically driven at the moment, but what I’m really excited about is the new show that’s gonna happen tonight. We’ve got about four, five new tracks that we’ve actually never played anywhere else before. This is actually the first time anyone’s gonna hear them anywhere. We have just got loads of new numbers, new choreography, new dancing so we’re all kind of really nervous but in a really, really good way. It’s like being 12 again. We’re really getting the feel for it back.

I think 2009 is gonna be a good year.”

And (it would be rude not to ask) what’s so special about this place? “What is amazing about being at Snowbombing is that the artists are just hanging out and the punters are just hanging out. Like, I came here five years ago and I think it’s the first time that I got to meet DJs. There’s a real wicked vibe. There’s no real backstage, everyone’s just hanging out and having a good time. You just see artists walking by and you can go up to them and say ‘hi’. Everyone’s approachable. There’s none of that crazy artist/punter divide. There’s no room for arrogance anywhere in the world though really.”

San was right to be excited about the show. It was spectacular. And his comments about there being no divides at Snowbombing, no attitude or arrogance, may have just hit the nail on the head. The fact that all the people are united in the party spirit (though we did spot a couple of unfortunate elderly couples who couldn’t have booked their ski holiday at a worse time) does not make it unique. The fact it’s on snow doesn’t either. But there’s something about the whole experience that’s more free from pretension than most other festivals.

And that, combined with the overall sense of people determined to have a good time, make it stand alone on the circuit of world festivals. That and the giant igloo.

Wrapup Snowbombing is one of those holidays that you need a second holiday from to recover. Getting back to London feels like dry land after eight months at sea.

That constant party spirit is sadly lacking from the faces that surround you on the tube back from Heathrow and an unsettling sense of withdrawal begins to kick in. All good things must come to an end though and, as the Piccadilly line trawls depressingly through Hounslow and Acton Town, reality sets in. It’s a low point, yes. But as I look for some salvation – my head still buzzing – one word comes to mind that immediately perks my disposition and makes me think that all is not lost… ‘Beachbombing’!

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A Retrospective:

Mods, Rockers and Punks

Charlotte Jones examines three wildly different sub-cultures that had one thing in common: they challenged the establishment and rocked the status quo photos: CAMILLA TREHARNE

The devastation caused by World War II and the subsequent extended period of rationing and poverty of the late 1940s and early 1950s gave rise in the 1960s to two very different sub-cultures which became known commonly as Mods and Rockers or, chronologically, Rockers and Mods. Despite having emerged from broadly the same roots and shunning prior generations’ values, the two social elements were bitterly divided, this division being exaggerated and capitalised upon by the sensationalist media of the time.

The Mod and Rocker movements were underpinned by the increased prosperity of British working class youth who enjoyed greater freedoms than any prior generation. While both groups were perceived as sub-groups of the USexported characterisation of the teenager and had evolved from broadly similar social roots, there were distinct differences. Rockers evolved from Teddy Boys and the lower working class elements of society and were influenced by US idols

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like James Dean, while Mods tended to have upper working class or middle class parentage. Accordingly, their lifestyles and values were decidedly different.

Mods tended to shy away from the archetypal male stereotype while Rockers embraced and even played up to it. In contrast to the Rockers’ love of leather, obligatory white scarves, tight jeans, brylcreemed quaffed hair lovingly combed into a DA (duck’s arse) at the back, motor cycle boots to wear while riding highly-tuned, stripped-down Triton motor bikes, and rock & roll music, Mods displayed a penchant for more stylish goods and fashion. They wore paisley shirts, cavernous parkas and/or Italian suits, back-combed and lacquered their centre-parted hair, rode Italian scooters (typically Vespas or Lambrettas) and, adopting somewhat effeminate practices and fashions, enjoyed dancing without female partners to ska, soul and R&B (rhythm and blues).

In hindsight and perhaps somewhat unfairly, Rockers were regarded as

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aggressive and were generally feared. This fear and the perception that they were dirty led to them regularly being banned from pubs and dance halls, isolating the sub-culture further and confirming the general disdain and antipathy of older generations. Paradoxically, Rockers considered any form of drug use other than alcohol as pathetic and the Mods’ dress code as unmanly, while the Mods’ association with all-night parties at clubs such as The Marquee in London, extensive amphetamine use and their eschewal of traditional male working class values, fuelled criticism by the media and society. The animosity between the two cultures regularly erupted in summer weekend violence in seaside resorts, travel to these sandy amphitheatres being by respective scooter and motor bike convoys. Fortunately, the absence of a legal requirement to wear safety helmets safeguarded both movements’ hairstyles during these sojourns. Having been closely associated with the revolution and success of the British fashion

industry, Mods both endured and enjoyed this violence and the associated widespread media criticism until the mid-to-late 1960s when the popularity of the movement began to decline.

Naturally, older generations usually disapprove of the lifestyles their children choose, and this applied equally to Mods and Rockers. Both were criticised for rejecting conventional (repressive) values, which up until that point had been an ongoing feature of British society. Neither Mods nor Rockers were given recognition for the creation of their respective sub-cultures; instead they were portrayed as jumping on the bandwagon of contemporaneous, freewheeling American youth culture, in the case of Mods, a grossly unfair comparison because they were a distinctly British phenomenon.

Historians and anthropologists mark the 1950s as a turning point in British society because the teenager enjoyed and took full advantage of increasing

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personal freedoms. The attention that youth culture attracted from the media was significant, paving the way for similar scrutiny of subsequent generations.

Teenage fashion, music and culture have always been and will continue to be a cause of concern for older generations as long as the media insist on portraying the good majority as being no different to the bad minority and ignoring the fact that criminality and violence have never been exclusive to those under the age of 21.

Despite Mods’ and Rockers’ differences, divisions and mutual dislike, the Punk movement, which followed in the late 1970s, arguably took elements from both sub-cultures. Punks rejected conventional values, wore increasingly outlandish clothes, enjoyed piercing themselves with various sharp metal objects, and sported hairstyles controllable only with superglue (probably already sniffed), becoming in the process the next social group to be vilified by the media.

Certainly, the Punk movement was responsible for generating arguably the greatest level of social fear and disapproval, although its pervasiveness was rather modest in comparison with that of Mods and Rockers. However, while Rockers were perceived to be American-influenced and Mods less so, the Punk movement was absolutely and definitely regarded as British.

While Mods and Rockers evolved during the politically stable 1960s, Punk flourished during a period of great political, economic and social uncertainty in Britain which, as Punks saw it, was archaic with an outdated monarchy. The Sex Pistols were one of the key bands to embrace and kick-start the sub-culture, releasing their anarchic version of God Save the Queen in 1977; the year of the Queen’s Jubilee. Ironically, as is sometimes the case with the leaders of

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alternative sub-cultures, Punk’s main protagonists were of a rather privileged background, and decidedly not working class.

The greatest concern regarding Punk was its association with neo-Nazism, particularly when the movement spread to Germany, no doubt horrifying those who had fought for personal freedoms during World War II. Consequently, Punk was probably more shocking than any sub-culture which had come before it, and remains shocking to this day, not because of its unconventional fashion and outrageous music but because of its dubious political connotations, which prior movements had ignored in favour of enjoying greater freedoms and leisure.

While the evolution of Punk was facilitated by the greater freedoms which Mods and Rockers had exploited and enjoyed, the shocking nature of the subsequent sub-culture reflected the socio-politico-economic instability of the time. This was a period characterised by stagflation and political discontent, but, paradoxically, a period during which the general population continued to celebrate and support the existence of the royal family and its associated pomp and ceremony. Reflecting this political discontent, factions of the Punk movement adopted political stances of the most worrying form. In Britain, the Punk era was relatively short-lived and its fashion and music-related influences were certainly not ubiquitous. Moreover, in Britain at least, Punk’s political legacies are generally ignored. Thus, while Punk was by far the most shocking youth culture which evolved post World War II, it was Mods and Rockers who succeeded in breaking accepted social boundaries for the first time, thereby establishing the ground rules for teenage rebellion and the subsequent parent/ offspring antagonism now generally accepted as the norm.

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VON AGAIN

Beautiful Icelandic band Sigur Ros are having their debut album, 1997’s Von, re-released on June 8th of this year. It’s the first time that it’s been re-released outside of Iceland.

ROBBIE’S CLEARLY BROKE

Take That’s errant child, cheeky boy Robbie, thinks it’s time to rejoin the massively successful comeback of Take That. He told the Daily Mirror: “I’m in regular contact with them and it’s looking more likely by the week. The lads seem up for it.”

Whether that’s ‘up for’ a kick around the park or serious album talks remains a mystery. “Let’s see what happens, but my head’s in the right place, so the timing could be right if Gary calls,” added Robbie. Fingers crossed for that phone tinkle.

WE WOULD KILL FOR TICKETS

The best festival award this month goes to All Points West Music & Arts Festival, which runs from 31st July to 2nd August at the Liberty State Park in New Jersey.

Coldplay, Tool and Beastie Boys are headlining, but the best acts are those put in small print: Echo and the Bunnymen, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Arctic Monkeys, The Ting Tings and Elbow. Brilliant.

PETE’S BACK

Drug-addled Pete Doherty is back in the spotlight after talks with the BBC to write a TV drama. The BBC are keen to incorporate Pete’s real life experiences with drugs and hard living into some Skins-type PC drama. The BBC believes Pete has a really “creative” streak. Snort.

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LIFESTYLE

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LIVESTRONG

Nike and Lance Armstrong have teamed up to launch a global art exhibition and sale that provides a new way to support the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and its LIVESTRONG™ Global Cancer Campaign The project was announced to over 700 people from the worlds of art, cycling, entertainment and sports. Mark Parker, President & CEO of Nike Inc.; Lance Armstrong, LAF founder and chairman, cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion; and artists Shepard Fairey and Barry McGee came together to announce the “Stages” tour.

“Stages” brings together close to 20 of the world’s most creative and diverse artists to create original works of art inspired by Armstrong and his mission to raise awareness of the global cancer burden. This unique project brings together the world of art, philanthropy and sport, in a way never before seen, to create artwork that represents the power of human potential in overcoming adversity.

Artists participating in the “Stages” tour include names such as Shepard Fairey, , Tom Sachs, Barry McGee and Marc Newson. All artists will begin working on their pieces between now and July, leading to an exhibition at the world renowned Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery in Paris on July 16th, 2009.

“Nike has been a committed partner in driving global awareness of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, while raising millions to help in the fight against cancer,” said Mark Parker. “The “Stages” tour brings people together, using their talents to inspire and engage more people in the fight against cancer.” Once it’s unveiled

in Paris, each one-of-a-kind work of art will go on sale with proceeds benefiting the LAF. The exhibit will also travel to New York, Portland, Oregon and LA with final dates to be announced.

“This year it’s about more than winning the race. It’s about people coming together to use our talents and abilities for a cause bigger than ourselves and doing everything within our power to help those in their fight to overcome cancer,” said Lance Armstrong. “This endeavor will help raise awareness and much needed funds for the foundation and those who need it most, researchers, patients, and their families.”

To help kick off the “Stages” artist tour, Lance Armstrong led 700 cyclists on a two-mile community bike ride in Los Angeles today beginning at the Children’s Hospital on Sunset Boulevard and ending at the Montalbán Theater. Following the ride, Lance was joined by several of the artists participating in the project to unveil Shepard Fairey’s latest work of art inspired by Lance Armstrong.

To further support the fight against cancer, Nike is releasing two sportswear collections, all proceeds of which will be contributed to the LAF. There will be a “Hope Rides Again” apparel and footwear collection and footwear “Greatest Hits” pack.

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OPINION

illustration: MARTINE MBALA

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OPINION

THE DEVALUED PRIME MINISTER

As collective disillusionment pervades the UK, we should celebrate those who stand above the parapet and speak out against the powers-that-be

by Amy Tipper-Hale illustration by martine mbala

The idea of Gordon Brown standing naked in all his glory is rather off-putting, but I can’t help feeling that lately, politics has been stripped of all its pinstripes. They used to say 24 hours was a long time in politics, but with the blogosphere creating havoc with public opinion, and getting some strong reactions from the ‘legit’ media, 24 hours is an uncomfortably memorable eternity.

Daniel Hannan, a British member of the European parliament who’s name, by now, rolls neatly off the tongue after obscurity, recently addressed Gordon Brown in a short speech. He writes on his Daily Telegraph blog: “I tipped off the BBC and some of the newspaper correspondents but, unsurprisingly, they ignored me.”

Robert Tracinski at TIA Daily astutely points out that “political reporters no longer get to decide what’s news,” and the message has never been more apparent; overnight the video got over 36,000 hits on YouTube. Over the next few days it grew to one million hits, and is on course to be the most viewed political speech in the fastest time in internet history.

And what a speech it was; Hannan told a squirming Brown, “You sound like a Brezhnev-era apparatchik giving the party line... you are the devalued prime minister of a devalued government.” If you haven’t already read the full speech, I strongly recommend that you do.

In another blaze of free speech (almost), political blogger Guido Fawkes aka Paul Stains has been invited onto BBC’s Daily Politics to ‘have it out’ with political spinner Derek Draper, whom Guido has been publicly slamming all over his website, order-order.com. After discovering that the editor of the LabourList website didn’t go to the prestigious Berkeley campus as he claimed, but instead attended a small institute based in a house on the suburbs of Berkeley (later developments proved that he may not actually have the MA in PsyD from the Wright institute as he also claims) Guido has stepped up the attack. None of this was mentioned in the broadcast, which mainly consisted of Derek Draper being given a platform to blather on about his LabourList blog – which he claimed is in no way a spin site for Labour and funded by “a few independent labour people”. He accused Guido of being a puppet of some unknown higher power, supporting his claim by the fact Guido was totally broke when he set up the blog. A few weeks later Guido rocked the boat spectacularly - discovering emails between Derek and Damian McBride that planned a smear campaign against various members of the Tory party.

All really tasteful stuff - like rumors of a nasty STD for David Cameron and exposing George Osborne’s “emotionally fragile” wife.

Daily Politics also managed to broadcast the Daniel Hannan speech, much to their own congratulation. They then proceeded to make smug comments

about the ineffectual and pointless nature of Hannan making such a speech, with Jo Coburn asking, “Nobody knows who he is – does anybody care what he says?” Well, clearly America did – it was broadcast on Fox News alongside an interview with Hannan – and yes, Jo, I think people do care that someone has finally stood up and expressed the anger and disappointment of the public collective. Jo Coburn, and in turn the BBC, may not quite comprehend the popularity of political blogging: “What’s the point if you send it to all the same people in the same gang?” asks Coburn, missing the point entirely – how can she explain the fast spread of the speech throughout the internet – all the way to American broadcast – if we’re “all in the same gang”? If the Independent, Guardian and the BBC all salivate over a brave deed of some odd-job politician, does the public accuse them of “being in the same gang”?

Speaking of “gang” concepts, I’m thinking of changing career and working in the public sector. In his speech, Hannan also told Brown: “A hundred thousand private sector jobs have been lost and yet you created thirty thousand public sector jobs... you cannot carry on forever squeezing the productive bit of the economy in order to fund an unprecedented engorgement of the unproductive bit.”

I was recently attracted by an advert for an “Onboard Civil Enforcement Officer” which would pay me in the region of £21,672 to £22,977. The Civil Enforcement Officer roughly translates as a Traffic Warden for Croydon Council. Forget Horlicks, I know how these boys sleep at night.

Times reporter Robert Watts claims that “Civil servants racked up pension benefits last year that will cost the taxpayer another 11.2 billion – a 33% increase on the previous year” at a time when quite frankly, we can all ill afford it. The FSA annual report shows that Derek Wanless (the bright spark who chaired Northern Rock audit and risk committees) has a multi-million pound pension paid for by the tax-payer. The 10 most highly paid people in the public sector earn almost £1 million on average – I just wonder what these millionworthy workers have been doing whilst the country’s economy has been going down the pan. Some of these highly-paid officials belong to the HMRC, who last year lost 25 million people’s personal data.

It’s galling that these hilariously over-inflated wages are meant to be based on the wages of those in the private sector. Why, exactly? Apparently those in the public sector would just run off into the private sector. Despite huge pension plans and beyond ridiculous benefits (in some constituencies workers that ride bicycles to work get environmental reward money), and the fact that there are no more private sector jobs around, it’s difficult to believe that the nuggets put in charge of Network Rail, Royal Mail, Northern Rock and the rest, would be hired anywhere else but the public sector.

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ART

CULT OF ‘R’

REMI/ROUGH

“Everyone has to grow up sometime,” Says Remi/Rough to ANGLOMANIA MAGAZINE

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ART

THE GOLDEN FLEECE

5 DAYS OF DOOM BERLIN 2009 From the mid eighties in South London Remi played with rap and breakdancing – finding skills in neither he started an obsession with graffiti art that had wormed its way into his conscience after picking up “Subway Art” at the age of 14.

He’s since grown up and the previous street art has become imposing and magnificent abstract art. The graffiti scene, says Remi, actually has far more formulas and tradition than people think. “I hate formula.”

He works from a garden lodge in Dulwich, and is passionate and dedicated in regards to the progression of his work. He was invited to do a recent talk at the Tate Modern as part of its Street Art exhibition and series.

He believes the British art scene can be “intrinsic”, and professes to be a fair critic; I’ve never met another artist so willing to show off friends’, acquaintances’ and other artists’ work. Modest in the extreme.

The limitations he finds in Britain are relieved by the love he has for Berlin, a city that is now part home, with a small gallery there that holds his work.

He fell in love with the city after a visit with his grandmother at the age of six. The love of Berlin comes as no surprise; it’s a city that fully celebrates creativity with “so little pretension” says Remi who, sitting in a café in the middle of Shoreditch, probably finds a lot in his line of work.

This May he’s presenting a line of work based on Homer’s Odyssey called ‘Lost Colours and Alibis’ at the Urban Angel art gallery. The abstract works

are built up from layers of classical history and mythology: arresting and potent. Urban Angel is the perfect place to display Remi’s work – it’s not a gallery that’s stalking street art generated artists because it’s become popular, but it seems a gallery created for the sole purpose of street art.

Remi tells me about painting bridges in horrendous heat, and in all too short time frames, like the Hillman Footbridge in Rockingham, Australia. As part of a creative collective, Remi paints whole galleries with his friends – a very talented Stormie (who he bemoans for being too modest), Timid, LX1 from Strasburg and System, who hails from Brighton.

Two years ago he started ‘Agents of Change’ with LX1, Timid and System.

They work as a collective on pieces, merging their work expertly and completely freely.

If artists are typically associated with red wine and fag ends, then Remi breaks that particular mould too. He’s a runner with Nike’s Rundemcrew, based at the ex-gorilla store in Batemans Row. It’s a group of ‘creative heads’ who run under the cover of darkness in the streets of London – working with the community to mentor and uplift a younger generation through running.

I don’t believe there’s much end to Remi/Rough’s talents, and under the umbrella of “graffiti artist” Remi is an illustrator, graphic designer, art director, curator, musician, producer, loving partner and father.

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APOLLO

LINEAR EXPANSION

“I hate formula” - REMI/ROUGH

PERFECT IMBALANCE

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TELEMACHUS

FOCUS

TALKING HEADS

This is an extract from freelancer Tom Hoops’ Heads Exhibition, Part of a non-commercial personal collection. Tom Hoops is a freelance photographer working in London, New York and Asia. Prints are available for purchase. www.tomhoops.com

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