The Bournemouth Rock - Issue 24

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Have your say FIRST-TIME voters at Bournemouth University are being urged to contribute to a unique survey that may help reveal the outcome of the General Election. If you’re one of the three million

people eligible to vote for the first time on May 7, BU wants to hear from you. On page 5 are details of how YOU can join the first time vote debate and help provide an insight into

BU’s Oscar success for Interstellar

how young people feel about the election. How do you plan to vote? Are you undecided or may you not vote? What are the key issues for you? And who would make the best Prime Minister?

Polish Ambassador’s message to President Putin

Keep Russian bombers away from the South EXCLUSIVE

Hollie Wong EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @HollieWong

Mr Witold Sobkow

SAM GETLIFFE

POLAND’s Ambassador to the UK gave a blunt message to President Putin when he visited BU this week: Keep your bombers away. Mr Witold Sobkow was speaking exclusively to The Rock after Russian military planes flew off the Bournemouth coast last month. The Russian aircraft were escorted away by RAF Typhoon jets. Mr Sobkow said: “This is our appeal to Russia. Do not do this because it is simply dangerous - do not test us this way.” He added: “If you respect international law, if you play by the rules, everything can be done. “The will of the people can be respected but if it is not done

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properly then we have problems. So my advice would be to respect international law.” Though the Russian aircraft did not enter UK airspace, Mr Sobkow expressed concern that the incident off the South Coast posed danger to civilian aircraft. The Polish Ambassador was visiting BU to give a lecture on Anglo-Polish bilateral relations. Lees lecture theatre was full to hear him urge the UK to remain in the EU due to the special links the UK shares with Commonwealth countries. He said: “The UK is the heart of Europe and Britain provides the balance in the European Union.” While visiting BU he toured the Media School facilities. In his farranging interview with The Rock he also discussed the Ukraine crisis, the Scottish referendum and the Eurozone.

Continued on page 7

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2 News

Friday 27th February 2015| The Rock

Major police station closures Luke Hastings DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR FRIDAY, 27 February 2015

News

Take part in BU political poll

5

Opinion

Not all football fans are racist

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Features

How to run a successful blog

12

Sport

BU volleyball champions talk to The Rock

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Contact Email

editor@bournemouthrock.co.uk

Website

bournemouthrock.co.uk

Twitter

@BournemouthRock

@LukeHastings1 EIGHT Dorset police stations are set to close their doors in a matter of weeks in the most challenging decision faced by the force in recent years. Dorset Police say that the cuts will save around £300,000, which will alternatively be used to pay for 10 Community Support Officers, or six front line officers. The force came to the decision over a long consultation period and said a the closures were a counter provision. The announcement last week confirmed that six police stations at Christchurch, Dorchester, Ferndown, Shaftesbury, Wareham and Winton would close. This comes after stations at Verwood and Wimborne were temporarily closed last summer. These stations will now also be

permanently closed. Police and Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill said the decision, “has not been taken lightly”. Upon revealing that Dorset Police are losing 20 per cent of their budget for the next financial year, Mr Underhill said: “I know that six front office counters are six too many, but we have to meet our cuts somewhere.” Police Chief Constable Debbie Simpson tried to reassure the public. She said: “Closing front counters does not mean that a police station is closed and officers continue to work in each area.” The Chief Constable revealed that community contact points will be opened later this year to provide an alternative way for members of the public to get in touch with the police in the future. Christchurch Councillor Bernie Davis also tried to reassure the public, suggesting that “safer Neighbourhood Teams will remain in Christchurch”. In response to the closures,

Winton is among seven other stations closing the Dorset Police Federation has launched a six-week campaign arguing against more budget cuts. The Federation, which represents rank and file officers within the force, claims that in the future the public will rarely see a police officer.

ROSIE CRASS

Development has also been planned for the Dorset Police website. Improvements have already been made to the 101 police contact number to try and compensate for the closures.

Heart attack research unveiled by BU Chloe Desave

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @Chloe_Desave A NEW test that rules out heart attacks in patients could reduce hospital admissions by as much as 40%, for patients with chest pain, according to research published by Bournemouth University. The research found that a quick protocol, involving a blood test administered to patients who present at Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments with chest pain, could significantly reduce the admission rates of patients with heart attack symptoms. Patients with chest pain make up 10% of A&E attendances, however heart attacks occur in a small segment of these patients. Until now, patients have had to wait in hospital for up to 12 hours in order to be certain no evidence of a heart attack could be detected in the blood – with these patients admitted for monitoring. The study, PhD research by BU’s Dr Edward Carlton, used information that patients tell doctors, such as what the pain feels like, whether they are short of breath and whether they have had a heart attack before, in combination with a

Bournemouth University research hopes to reduce waiting times for heart patients heart tracing (ECG) and new blood test, called high-sensitivity troponin, to rule-out heart attacks after a single blood test on arrival in A&E. While using blood tests to rule out heart attacks is not new, hospitals have often struggled to develop a clinically acceptable protocol that allows the discharge of a significant proportion of patients, without a prolonged hospital stay. The research outlines a novel framework that would allow for up to 40% of patients to be discharged following a single high-sensitivity

troponin blood test at presentation to A&E. This means patients are reassured earlier and don’t need to wait in hospital for a second blood test. The simple diagnostic strategy could now reduce the burden on UK hospitals and A&E departments, which have recently come under scrutiny for missing the government’s waiting time target of 95% of patients being seen within four hours of presenting to an NHS hospital. Edward Carlton said: “We were

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really pleased with the findings of the research as we have shown that our simple but novel diagnostic strategy can potentially reduce the increasing burden on hospitals. “It is my hope that this diagnostic tool can be used widely within hospitals in the UK to rule out heart attacks, allay the fears of patients and improve productivity within hospitals. This is important research in improving patient care for patients in the NHS and another exciting discovery for Bournemouth University.”


News 3

The Rock | Friday 27th February 2015

More Oscar success for BU graduates Hollie Wong

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @HollieWong BOURNEMOUTH University graduates continue to celebrate more success after becoming Oscarwinners due to their work on the sci-fi blockbuster Interstellar. BU graduates worked on the visual effects for Interstellar, which took home the Oscar for Best Visual Effects at the 2015 Academy Awards. BU graduate Andy Lockley was on stage at the ceremony to collect the Award, as well as BU honorary doctorate recipient Paul Franklin. Mr Lockley, a former MA Digital Special Effects student at BU, said: “I’m very excited that we are winners again. Everyone seems to think that we should have expected to be nominated, but it’s never a sure thing.” The win comes after Interstellar also picked up the Special Visual Effects Award at this year’s BAFTAs. BU graduates have previously been successful in this category for their work on Academy Awardwinning films such as Inception, Avatar and Gravity.

From left, Paul Franklin, Andrew Lockley, Ian Hunter and Scott Fisher after winning in the best visual effects category for Interstellar Mr Franklin and Mr Lockley work at British production house Double Negative alongside a number of other graduates from BU’s National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA). Craig Tonks, former MA Digital Effects student, also worked on the

visual effects for Interstellar. He said: “My work on Interstellar was extremely daunting, challenging and rewarding - made even more so for it being my first big film job and first project for Double Negative. “I couldn’t be prouder of my work and the people I worked with on it.”

Sofronis Efstathiou, an NCCA lecturer, said: “Witnessing our graduates move into a very competitive industry and then work on some of the best creative projects from around the world is a fantastic feeling. We take great pride in the work of our students and graduates

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within the Computer Games and Film sectors.” Prime Minister David Cameron has previously praised BU in suggesting the university plays a “very important part” in contributing to creative industries in the UK.

Greens to stand in all Dorset seats

Natalie Bennett stands firm on maintaining that the NHS should not be privatised SCOTTISH GREENS

Hannah Kane NEWS EDITOR @hannahkanee_ DORSET’S Green Party candidates will be standing in each of the county’s constituencies for the first time, after trebling in size over the past year. The party announced the

complete list of those standing as potential Dorset MPs, four of which are standing in constituencies where the party has never stood before. These constituencies include Bournemouth West, Christchurch, Mid Dorset and North Poole, and Poole, as well as Bournemouth East for the first time in 32 years. The party, known then as the Ecology Party, was represented in 1979 and 1983 in this area. 2015’s candidate for Bournemouth

East, Alasdair Keddie, said: “With the national and local Green surges, it’s heartening to see our support increasing from day to day.” The party said that this was made possible due to the public funding the £500 needed for each candidate’s deposit. Elections co-ordinator for the party, and the candidate for Poole, Adrian Oliver, said, “It is thanks to our local support we can field a candidate in each constituency.

“We raised £3,100 through the crowd funding in total.” Any extra money will go towards leaflet distribution. Mr Oliver commented on why there is a sudden ‘green surge’ of support for the party in an area where the Conservative Party is mostly dominant: “There is an increasing disillusionment and traditional tribal loyalty has broken down. “People are frustrated that nothing seems to be changing.” He also noted that environmental issues including hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has become a more mainstream issue, “along with the rise of UKIP”. “This is triggering a reaction in people who are angry and frustrated,” he said, “and they realise they are not the way forward.” In addition, an increased amount of students voting in Bournemouth could add to their support further. Speaking at the recent Bournemouth University hustings election event, Natalie Bennett, leader of the Green Party said: “The proportion of young greens in our

membership has doubled since the green surge started. “This is really the time to get involved in party politics.” Voters who have previously voted for both the Liberal Democrats and the Labour parties are possible to abandon them in favour of the Greens, Mr Oliver also claimed. Natalie Bennett also stressed the importance of taking part in elections. She said: “Everybody should vote, I guess most people would have heard the Russell Brand message. “I would say that doesn’t work because if you don’t vote, if you stay away from the polling station, if you don’t register to vote, then you will be counted as the people who are happy enough with how things are that they didn’t bother to go and express their view. Mr Keddie also commented: “I think the upcoming election is going to redefine politics in the UK. There is an opportunity for real change.” There are eight constituencies in Dorset and all are currently held by the Conservatives except Mid Dorset and North Poole which is Lib Dem.


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Friday 27 February 2015| The Rock

Pier approach transformation taking shape Editorial Team Editor-in-Chief Hollie Wong Deputy Editor Anna Hayward News Editor Hannah Kane Deputy NE Luke Hastings Assistant NE Chloe Desave Assistant NE Rosie Crass Opinion Editor Corrie Smith Assistant OE Miguel Luigi Enriquez Features Ed Emily Cox Deputy FE Mirva Villa Assistant FE Essie Ade Ademiju Assistant FE Roshan Roberts Sports Editor Ross Maffey Deputy SE Jade Butcher Online Editor Poppy Jeffery Deputy OE Chloe Desave

The Rock needs you. We still have many jobs available on the editorial and business staff, as well as online. To find out more and register your interest, visit: www.bournemouthrock.co.uk/getinvolved/ Letters to the editor must be signed (including the course of Bournemouth University students, the working title and school for staff members, company name, or home address for individuals outside BU). Prior to the publication, letters will be verified for authencity by the editor. Anonymous letters will not be published. The editor reserves the right to edit all letters in regard to libel law, length, taste, grammar and punctuation.

Letters to the editor: editor@bournemouthrock.co.uk

Major building work continues to take place at the pier approach site in Bournemouth town centre and on the seafront

Hannah Kane NEWS EDITOR @hannahkanee_

THE visual transformation of Bournemouth’s pier approach is well underway, as the council announce its plan to create a ‘grand gateway’. The £4 million project will now keep the popular Victorian-style carousel, which has been a part of the approach for many years. Councillor Lawrence Williams (pictured), cabinet member for leisure, tourism and culture said: “The developments will give us more towards our ambition of

making Bournemouth a world-class resort.” The developments will include a visitor information centre, formed of enormous steel leaves which have already been erected. Alongside this, water features will align the approach, and colourful lights will be displayed in the evening in the hope that tourists will

prolong their seaside visits. Now in its “visual transformation” stage, it is said that phase one of the project will be completed by spring of this year. Councillor Williams said: “Phase one is an enormous project, that incorporates lighting and a water feature which we hope will attract more visitors to the town.” The Pier Approach developments were funded by the sale of several “super” huts further along the beach in the west of Bournemouth. “We are receiving nothing but positive feedback from the public,” said Councillor Williams. “I always see for myself that locals and visitors alike come to see what is going on and I’ve heard nothing negative.”

ROSIE CRASS

Developers have recently been urged to include a permanent ice rink in the town as part of rejuvenation plans for the area. This comes as the Cool Coast Ice Rink at the Bournemouth International Centre closed its doors to the public after yet another successful year over Christmas. The ice rink opened on the 13th December and proved as popular as ever according to the BIC’s Entertainment and Events Manger Steve Turner. The proposed location for the ice rink, currently used as a car park, is set to be one of the next areas to undergo a transformation as part of the town’s 20 year vision to become a world class resort.

BU BAFTA writer to retell Dorian Gray Rosie Crass

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @RosieCrass A BAFTA-award winning BU script writing lecturer will bring a contemporary retelling of The Picture of Dorian Gray to Bournemouth’s Shelley Theatre next month. Lecturer John Foster worked with both Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth graduates in the production that tackles the modern obsession with beauty and image. Mr Foster’s theatre group Doppelganger Productions was created last year and hopes to create a more vibrant theatre scene in Bournemouth. The play depicts the moral and physical decline of celebrity photojournalist Dorian Gray. The story shows us how Dorian’s attempts to forever capture his youth and innocence in a photo, leads to devastating consequences. The 1891 Oscar Wilde play will see director

Charmaine K Parkin strip back Mr Foster’s work to “express the rawness of the characters emotions” and interprets the work in a “unique and refreshing way”. The experienced cast will be pushed to their limits as they portray the play’s themes of loss, love and murder. In an exciting collaboration with the AUB, final year students Marie Austen and Maria-Helena Farah create a neo-noir set and tailor made costumes that encapsulate the darkness of Dorian’s descent into the dreadful depths of his consciousness. Rehearsals for the production begin at BU on March 6 until they move into Boscombe’s Shelley Theatre on the March 25. The play runs for two nights on the March 27 and 28.

DOPPELGANGER STAGE PRODUCTIONS

BAFTA winning BU script writing lecturer John Foster

J FOSTER


news 5

The Rock | Friday 27 February 2015

How will you vote?

After the 2010 General Election 650 MPs were elected. Could first time voters shape the make-up of the Commons in 2015?

Hollie Wong EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @HollieWong

which we’ll be going into lectures starting this week to ask students to fill it out. We’re planning to release the results of the BUVotes poll with the kick-off of the YourElection15 coverage. “We’ll also be reaching out to other universities to conduct the same poll across the UK, which will help make this poll as comprehensive a look at young

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FIRST-TIME voters at Bournemouth University are being urged to contribute to a unique survey that may help reveal the outcome of the General Election. Over 3 million people will be eligible to vote for the first time in 2015 – and their decisions could well determine who gains power on May 7. In an election that appears too close to call, government majorities could be made or broken in a relatively small number of marginal seats. And one such seat is MidPoole and North Dorset which the Lib Dems won by just 269 votes in 2010. The BUVotes poll aims to gain an insight into how first time voters will vote, how many are undecided – and how many may not exercise their democratic rights. It also seeks the views of young people regarding their favoured Prime Minister and whether they feel politicians are in touch with the issues important to them. The poll results will be announced on March 18 - when

BU launches YourElection15, its comprehensive multimedia coverage of both local and national election developments. On that day – fifty days before the election - the poll results will be released on www.yourelection15. co.uk, @YourElection15 and in a special edition of The Rock. Dr Shelley Thompson, BU Lecturer in Corporate & Marketing

Communications, said: “This poll exclusively looks at the opinion of young people and so is unique in that way. “Additionally, it is an important part of the YourElection15 project goal to cover the general election for young people. “This poll puts young people’s opinions front and centre.” She added: “It’s an online poll,

people’s political opinions as possible. “We plan to have results of the wider poll for the election day coverage. I would urge all our first time voters to fill in the questionnaire so we can obtain the best possible snapshot of their voting intentions ahead of an election which will shape their lives.”

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How to join the first time vote debate The BUVotes online poll includes a series of questions about your interest in the election and politics, as well as some demographic information (including postcode to identify your constituency).

You will not be asked your name or other personally identifiable information, so you can be assured of your anonymity and the confidentiality of your information. Thank you!

Access the BUVotes survey at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/YourElection2015

Don’t miss BU’s YourElection15 launch on March 18. Go to: www.yourelection15.co.uk and @YourElection15


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Friday 27 February 2015| The Rock

Guide dog campaigner’s 110 mile charity run Lois Shearing @LoisShearing THE leader of the Bournemouth Guide Dogs Group will run over 110 miles in just two months in aid of the local charity. Matt Deane, 29, began volunteering for The Bournemouth Guide Dogs last year and has recently become Head of Operations for the Bournemouth and Christchurch area. Matt has already raised approximately £650 so far out of the total goal of £1,000. Last year Matt took on a gruelling 56-mile cycle from London to Brighton in aid of the charity. But this year Matt plans on topping this feat with two different long-distance running challenges. In April Matt will compete in both the Brighton and London marathons to accumulate a total of 56 miles run for the local Guide Dogs charity. In May, Matt will also run a total

of 60 miles from London to Brighton again in aid of the Bournemouth Guide Dogs Group. Matt said: “This will be my longest and most challenging run. “The Guide Dogs make such a difference to the lives of their owners.”

The Bournemouth Guide Dogs group receives no government funding and relies solely on donations. There are currently 180,000 blind or partially sighted individuals in the UK and every hour, another person goes blind. Every year, The Bournemouth Guide Dogs group train up to 780 life-changing puppies, but need to train a third more puppies per year by 2020 to keep up with demand. If you would like to support Matt, you can donate on Matt Deane’s JustGiving page.

There are nearly 4,800 guide dog owners in the UK

NUKELAR BURRITO

Retail shops boost for Christchurch Libby Mewes @Libby_Eloise

Could supermarket Aldi be among one of the retailers headed for Christchurch?

MIKE MOZART

A Christchurch retail park has revealed new plans for six separate shops to be built. The new scheme will replace the original plan to construct a supermarket on the site, which is in serious need of repair. Names such as Matalan, Sports Direct and Aldi have been linked to the scheme, which is set to create 156 new job opportunities. The Meteor Retail Park, near Somerford Road, was originally reserved by developers for a food store, but the latest application from the Brookhouse Group states that consent has been granted for full planning permission to develop the existing retail park for six new units of both food and other uses. An increased floorspace is not being proposed for the site unlike the previous proposed developments, which included Allied Carpets and PC World. Brookhouse have offered no confirmation to suggest that the revamp will feature stores such as TK Maxx and Matalan, previously suggested in a planning statement from Savills. Brookhouse said: “There is significant clothing and footwear

expenditure leakage to areas outside of the borough. “Over 90 per cent of residents are spending money on clothing and footwear outside of Christchurch.” In 2014, £60 million was lost to outside retailers. If this continues, Savills predict that almost £73 million of Christchurch residents’ retail spending money will be spent outside of the borough by 2019. The report from Brookhouse explains Christchurch is currently “not providing” for its residents in terms of clothing and footwear retailers. Instead, they state that shoppers are mainly using Bournemouth town centre or Castlepoint for their retail needs. Tom Whitehead, from Brookhouse said: “The simple reason for the current application is that it’s designed to meet the requirements of a specific supermarket operator.” In 2008, a proposal was put forward for an Aldi supermarket to exist on the Meteor site, along with three other retails units. At the time, councillors put forward their approval for this project to go ahead. However, plans for the budget food store were put on hold due to the tough trading conditions brought about by the strain of the recession. The supermarket said they were still interested in Christchurch as a location.


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The Rock | Friday 27 February 2015

Ukraine: Give peace a chance Hollie Wong EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @HollieWong

Continued from front UKRAINE must give peace a chance to restore order in the nation says Polish Ambassador to the UK Witold Sobkow. In discussing the crisis in Ukraine on a visit to BU, Mr Sobkow emphasised the need for peace. He said: “We think that only united international efforts would lead to peace. But of course we believe in a diplomatic and peaceful solution, not the military one.” “Civilians cannot die in this conflict so we want to stop it as soon as possible and abide by the rules and respect international law and find an acceptable solution to the conflict.” In balancing Poland’s relationship with Ukraine and Russia, Mr Sobkow said: “We support the sovereignty of Ukraine, it’s a sovereign country it can make its own choices. “But we are not an enemy of Russia, this is a huge strategic neighbour of Poland and also of

other countries so we want to find a suitable solution, preferably a diplomatic one.” In response to questions over whether sanctions against Russia could influence the crisis, Mr Sebkow suggested this was the only option. “If not sanctions what can we have? Provide arms? Then we have an open military conflict in the middle of Europe perhaps even a global conflict, this is not in our interest,” said the Polish Ambassador. He added: “We have ideas regarding other sanctions in the future but we hope that the position of Russia will be such that we are not going to use those sanctions, that we can have a proper ceasefire; stop the fighting, withdraw the heavy arms from both sides and stop the suffering of people.” As well as deliberating the crisis in Ukraine, Mr Sobkow also discussed Poland’s adoption of the Euro. He said: “We will join because it’s about political integration. We could influence EU policies much better being a member of the Eurozone than being outside the zone. “We want to be a part of this in the future because the most important decisions will be made in the Eurozone so that is why we want to influence them.”

The Ukraine crisis has claimed over 5,300 lives and driven 1.5 million people from their homes

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Penguin enclosure set for summer opening

The enclosure will have an underwater viewpoint

Harvey Squires @harveysquires THE £1.5 million development to introduce a colony of penguins to Bournemouth’s Oceanarium is well underway. After five years of planning, the work on the expansion that started in October last year is starting to take shape. The building of the penguin enclosure will become the biggest development in the aquarium’s 16 year history. This will also be the first time that the Oceanarium, owned by Spanish leisure park giant

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Parques Reunidos, will be home to penguins. The Manager of the Aquarium, James Eels said: “I am confident that the penguins will be an amazing addition and the penguin enclosure has been specially designed for people to get up close and personal with the animals.” Along with the new penguin enclosure, the two-story extension will also include a number of attractions such as a walk through aviary, educational exhibits, additional indoor and outdoor eating spaces, and a raised view of Bournemouth’s famous pier. The project is set to be finished this summer, increasing the size of the aquarium by a third.

Additional new exhibits coming to the aquarium are said to be announced soon

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Friday 27th February 2015| The Rock

Volunteers needed for book delivery service Chloe Desave

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR @Chloe_Desave VOLUNTEERS are needed for the Royal Voluntary Service which helps deliver books around the local area to older residents. Housebound Poole residents have the opportunity to receive library books delivered to their door for free, through the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS). The RVS helps over 100,000 older people across Britain to give them extra support which can be as little as having a cup of tea and a chat. They are celebrating their 75th anniversary where their big future ambition is to reach two million older people in the next ten years. Maria Jacobson who runs the RVS Home Delivery says, “It is available to anyone who can’t get to the library themselves”. The novel delivery service is looking for temporary or permanent volunteers to come forward to help deliver library books by taking up only 2-3 hours

every three weeks. All Poole libraries have their own team of volunteers but they still need more. There are currently 220 recipients for the book service, meaning that Poole needs 40-45 volunteers to run the service efficiently. The residents have a choice of fiction, travel, cooking and biography books. There are also large printed and audio books for the residents who have disabilities. The Poole Library Service funds a RVS coffee morning at the Branksome Library to raise attention to the service and to invite new volunteers to join. Volunteers need to be trained, DBS checked and they could even be offered 45p a mile to fund their own transport when delivering the books. The RVS said they need volunteers from Branksome and Hamworthy areas however volunteers from other areas like Bournemouth are also welcome. Further enquiries can be directed to Maria Jacobson on 01305 236666 or 07786 635154 to become a volunteer for the RVS Home Delivery Service. The RVS used to be called the Women’s Voluntary Service during WW2

CCAC NORTH LIBRARY

New dyslexia research pioneered by BU Sam Squelch

BOURNEMOUTH University lecturer Dr Julie Kirkby is investigating the significance of copying and note-taking in the

classroom and how it affects the learning of Dyslexic children. The British Dyslexia Association states that copying presents serious difficulties to almost all learners with dyslexia. Three children in every classroom are dyslexic; representing approximately 1.2 million children in the UK.

Dr Kirkby’s research with The Language and Literacy Group at Bournemouth University investigates how dyslexia affects learners when they are reading from classroom whiteboards. “Classroom learning is the bedrock of school education, which relies heavily on copying and note-taking. Copying from a

Dr Kirkby got surprising results after using an eye tracker to record children’s eye movements

SAM SQUELCH

board presents serious difficulties to learners with dyslexia,” said Dr Kirkby. The BU lecturer suggested that copying is psychologically complex. The process involves a series of sequential visual and cognitive processes, including visual-encoding, construction and maintenance of a mental representation in working memory, and production in written form. On a daily basis children transcribe information from text books or whiteboards to notes as Dr Kirkby suggests copying to be everpresent in the classroom. The cognitive processes involved in copying are under-researched and there is a significant lack of data on how the process takes place relating specifically to dyslexic children. Improved theoretical understanding of the transcription process will underpin practical educational support of those who struggle with language. For children and adults with dyslexia, copying off of whiteboards can be very challenging at times. “In our experiment we use a head-mounted eye-tracker to simultaneous record eye movements, gaze transfer, and written production as adults and children hand-copied specially selected written stimuli presented on the classroom whiteboard.” The results of the study show that adults typically encode and transcribe words as a whole

word, but researchers found that even children without reading difficulties used only partial-word representations and separated the to-be-copied words into several sublexical units. Dr Kirkby suggested that this is a surprising finding. The impact of the research that Dr Kirkby and her group have undertaken is significant, she said: “We have presented these findings at two international conferences, as well as using the data to form part of an invited talk at Fairley House School, a specialist day school for children with specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and dyspraxia.” This talk marks the start of research collaborations between Dr Kirkby and Fairley House School. Furthermore, the findings are published in the Journal of Cognitive Psychology, a special addition on children’s eye movement research during reading. Dr Kirkby’s research will be highly significant for future surrounding children with Dyslexia. She said:“It is our hope that the present and future research will contribute to improved understanding of how encoding, representation and production processes are co-ordinated during copying. “We hope the study will provide a deeper insight into the language development in children with dyslexia.”


opinion 9

Friday 27 February 2015 | The Rock

OPINION

Not all footy fans are racist Corrie Smith OPINIONS EDITOR

@Corrie_R_Smith

Football

Racism rage for Chelsea

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This week a video hit the realms of the web depicting a scene in which a large group of rowdy Chelsea supporters pushed a man off a tube train in what was undeniably an act of racial discrimination. With chants of “we’re racist and that’s the way we like it”, it’s no wonder there was public outrage. Quite rightly, five fans have now been suspended from attending matches at Stamford Bridge, whilst the victim of these cruel and vindictive actions, Soulemayne S, is it to recieve a letter from Chelsea FC, as well as an invite to an upcoming game as their guest, an offer he refused. He told the BBC that after the abuse he was “wounded to the bottom of his heart’ and that he was ‘humiliated in front of his country”. It’s quite disturbing how such a large crowd of people can make one man feel so dreadful. Throughout the years, football hooliganism has always been a widespread and controversial topic. However inexcusable hooliganism is, it’s normally conflict between rival teams. Race usually bares no relevance. What is apparent is that the group mentality of hooliganism had been adopted in this incident. Watching the video, no one appeared to be disgusted by what they had witnessed. Jose Mourinho, the boss of Chelsea, has released a statement,

The Fifty Shades effect

Emily Cox

FEATURES EDITOR

This week saw the catchy hash tag EELive circulate like wild fire around the realms of Twitter at the welcoming of Eastenders

30th Anniversary and, in turn, a succession of live episodes throughout the week. The last year has seen an abundance of potential murders walk the murky streets of Albert Square and as the Who Killed Lucy Beale storyline came to an almighty end last week, I can’t say I wasn’t a little disappointed. I’m not a frequent Eastenders watcher but I joined the 10 million

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Email

opinonseditor @bournemouthrock.co.uk

John Terry has played over 500 times for Chelsea MUDFLAPDC educate against racism, to fight against racial discrimination. A match like this could have not been planned for a better time. They have definitely been unfortunate over recent years in regards to their racial standpoint. For a sport with such a diversity of races, ethnicities and nationalities, it is surprising that true fans of any

football club would still hold a racist viewpoint. I just hope that others won’t jump on the bandwagon and carry out similar actions to become ‘viral’. Let’s hope the suspension of these vile fans will set a deterrent against more fans acting in a similar manner and the fight against racism in sport will continue.

Thursday night viewers on the edge of their seat just dying to find out who killed off the notorious Beale daughter. I was also manically shouting ‘Jane did it’ at my television until the moment Damien from the Omen resurfaced in the form of Bobby, the naïve ten-year-old son of Ian and Jane. He clutched the murder weapon in his hand as Jane looked on and the nation was now in the loop as to who Lucy’s real killer was – anticlimactic didn’t even cut it. An accident Eastenders? A year of mysterious storylines and ridiculously tedious media coverage and all you could muster was an accident, are you serious? I taught myself who everyone in Eastenders was and how they could be linked to the murder in true Sherlock fashion and that was all you could give us; how disappointing. On the other hand, all of the Vines, Memes and hilarious Tweets have kept me entertained, particularly the ‘gangster Bobby’ Vines circulating the web which left me in tears.

I will however commend Adam Woodyatt on his perfect rendition of a heartbroken father in the live episode on Friday. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone cry on cue so well in my entire life. Even as the cold-hearted person I am, I shed a tear. Then again he has been in it for the entire 30 years so I would hope he knew how to act by now. After the ‘shocking’ news came and went, I was more involved in Dot’s arrest than any other storyline. Babies were being born, rapists were beaten within an inch in their life and then there was Dot, awkwardly filmed in the back of a police car being carted off to the cells with a look of misery smeared across her face. I’m holding out hope that she will reappear again as the free woman she should be. Eastenders have disappointed their loyal fans with the shock revelation that Bobby was the cold-blooded murderer but I look forward to seeing where they take it next. If the live edition did nothing else, it gave them at least one new viewer in me. I look forward to seeing where they take Bobby’s character from here.

A Bealey big fuss over EastEnders @EmilyAnn_Cox

Movies

saying: “I felt ashamed when I found out but these supporters do not represent the club.” That is an important point to make. It’s easy to now go on and tarnish all Chelsea fans with the same brush. Of course they are not all racist. That would be rather hypocritical. Racism is often based on labelling a particluar group under one umbrella. Credit where credit is due too, Chelsea has handled the sitaution very well, perhaps becuase of their colourful history with racism. John Terry, Captain of the Chelsea squad, was in October 2012 the subject of a 63-page report by the FA over his racial outburst towards fellow footballer Anton Ferdinand. He was banned for four games and fined £220,000. Although causing a furore at the time, it is important to note that the situation was seemingly dealt with well and Terry became something of an example to other players and their behaviour both on and off the pitch. On the attack on Soulemayne S, John Terry said: “Football is a sport for everyone, that is one of the main reasons why we love it and what happened on the Paris Metro on Tuesday was unacceptable.” And whilst the previous incident was several years ago and has begun to fade from public memory, it is in his favour to give a statement like that. Last Saturday also saw Chelsea host their annual Game for Equality match, in which they teamed up with Show Racism the Red Card, a campaign using footballers to

An unexpected climax caused a frenzy

SPENCER E HOLTAWAY


10 opinion Tipped over the edge Corrie Smith OPINIONS EDITOR @Corrie_R_Smith

Eating out in restaurants is fantastic, you can gorge on food and sit back happily knowing someone out the back will be scrubbing those dishes. Sounds relaxing doesn’t it? It isn’t. Not at the end when everyone agrees to divide the bill evenly and an argument erupts from the stingy one in the corner who only had a slice of garlic bread and some tap water. But the one thing that drives me mad over everything else is tipping. The waiters filled with false-friendliness bring over the little metal dish with the bill on it. Ultimately, this is the plate used to line their pockets with more of your money. Do you tip the person sat on the till at Asda for scanning your shopping? Never. Do you tip your binman? Unlikely. Do you tip the surgeons who save you from appendicitis? No. So why do we tip people who simply bring our meals to the table? It’s a bit ridiculous we tip these employees rather than the people who acutally cook and prepare the dish for our enjoyment. To those who say, “oh, but you should tip for impeccable customer service,” shouldn’t that be expected and certainly not an added extra. It just adds an air of insincerity to the whole affair. Is the waiter genuinely that polite and helpful, or does he simply want an extra fiver in his pocket? I understand that in America, a lot of workers in the hospitality and catering industry are highly dependent on tips. Unlike the UK, employers can use tips to bring wages up to the minimum rate. In some countries, mainly in Asia, tipping is even seen as bad form. It can be deemed as condescending or even as bribery. In actual fact, certain states in the US have previously had anti-tipping laws which have since been repealed. I’m not saying I’d want a similar law to be introduced. If people are willing to tip that’s down to them. Some suggest a 10%-20% tip as the ideal. That is ludicrous. An extra £3 on a £30 bill would soon add up. Now, sometimes I do tell taxi drivers to keep the change as I just can’t be bothered with sitting in a car with a stranger any longer than necessary. And I can see why some people may tip their hairdresser. Annoying them is risky territory. But we should not be obliged to do so. I personally have never tipped at a restaurant, hotel or bar and urge everyone to do the same. Save that hard earned cash for yourself. There’s a tip.

Friday 27 February | The Rock

A slim chance of picture perfection Miguel L Enriquez DEPUTY OPINIONS EDITOR

@MiguelLuigiE At the last Student Shout, one of the issues discussed was whether or not to urge the photography company in charge of Bournemouth University graduates’ photos to remove their digital slimming service. This is not a new matter for the public eye. Last summer, controversy arose when photogaphy company, Success Photography offered customers a similar service along with teeth whitening. The vote to campaign for its removal was passed but many Students voted against the motion. I have to say that I am a part of that group. I understand that fat-shaming is one of the societal pressures facing young people today. But I don’t think that taking this slimming service away from people will majorly change anything. I think that it is important to give people a choice. Photo enhancing applications are so easy to use and powerful nowadays that taking away the option from the public is not going to stop them from doing

it themselves. If they want to have their photos professionally changed then let them. Success Photography explains that the service is provided because of the graduation gowns are “bulky and unflattering” and that the photo manipulation is merely “making it more fitting to your shape”. Students responded by ridiculing the claim and accusing the company of taking advantage of people’s lacking self-esteem even when they are in graduation gowns. But perfection is almost synonymous with the idea of a photograph. This is why people have built careers around perfecting and staging a photo set and why Adobe has made a fortune from Photoshop. A photo is the closest we can have to freezing a moment and we want that representation of that moment to be as perfect as possible. This point is more relevant in the case of a photo that marks a milestone such as a graduation. A graduation photo is one that will resurface throughout your life. It will probably be a staple in your parents’ trove of pictures to show your relatives. It is symbolic of the culmination of all your hard work and marks an important transitional stage of your life and you should have a say in how it looks. I am not saying that looking

Graduates can no longer have their photos slimmed LUFTPHILIA slimmer will make you look closer to being ‘perfect’ but if that is something that you want to do, then the option should not be taken away from you. After all, having an even skin tone and glowing teeth does not make you more ideal as a person either, but nobody argues about the existence of those services. If we really want to make an

impact on the stigmatisation of varying body shapes and issues of eating disorders, a campaign will do the job more effectively. Removing the service is not going to stop people from developing eating disorders. By raising awareness through campaigns, not only are you impacting those who are affected by fat shaming but also those who inflict it.

Fifty Shades of overrated Emily Cox

FEATURES EDITOR @EmilyAnn_Cox ‘I went to see 50 Shades of Grey last week’ was never a sentence I wanted to even whisper, let alone announce to the general public. The whole concept of an abusive relationship, BDSM or not, makes my skin crawl. Nonetheless I went, for free, and sat for two and a half hours in a fit to burst cinema watching some of the most awkward sex scenes I had ever seen in my life. I was surrounded by a drunken hen party who ooh’d and ahh’d at Jamie Dornan’s naked body every five seconds and even I felt uncomfortable seeing teenagers squirm in their seats next to their wide-eyed parents as Mr. Grey summoned his ‘Submissive’ to do his willing. I write this opinion pushing aside the domestic violence and appalling acting to concentrate on the bare bones of the film. Without beating around the bush, it is woman friendly porn fit for cinema. Women read the awfully illiterate books on their Kindles as they went to work and now they can watch the equally in your face film on their iPads as

Fifty Shades film: Hot stuff or stone cold? men look on wondering why they get sneered at for reading Nuts on the tube. The sexiest thing about the film was the music and even that was overshadowed by the cheesy oneliners and incessantly awkward

moans of Dakota Johnson as Grey barely touched her. Even writing this makes me feel uncomfortable; nobody should have to endure that piece of cinematic drivel and have to relive it through words. Oh wait; thousands of people did

UNIVERSAL PICTURES just that and dragged their partners in to learn new tricks for their late night bedroom antics. Don’t worry though; there are still two more books to be turned into cinematic monstrosities for your viewing pleasure.


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FEATURES

The Rock | Friday 27 February 2015

Pachango wants to make music everybody can enjoy. Sometimes making a song in a musical collective with 11 members can get a bit tricky. PACHANGO

The limitless realms of carefree musicians

Bournemouth-based musicians Pachango are a collection of rhythms and their mission is to get you on your feet. Mirva Villa

DEPUTY FEATURES EDITOR

Blogging

What’s the fuss with blogging

12

Sunset Suns

Fresh indie rock interviewed

15

Email

featureseditor @bournemouthrock.co.uk

@MirvaVilla “It’s irregular, it’s got movement, lots of colours and volume. And it’s a climber!” When Julian Leon, 38, is asked to choose a fruit hat would best depict his band, it’s easy to see why he would choose the passion fruit. Pachango, the 11-member multi-cultural collective from Bournemouth fits the colourful description perfectly. “We play, and it’s a horrible word, a fusion of styles”, jokes Will Sharpe, 28, who plays the acoustic guitar in the band. “It’s hard to narrow down our style, but it would probably have to include ska, reggae, hip hop, world music, gypsy and latino.” Pachango was born five years ago. Both Will’s and Julian’s bands had broken up recently when they met each other at Chaplin’s bar in Boscombe; the timing was perfect. “I wanted to create something different and had the vision in my head”, Julian, who’s originally from Colombia, explains, “All these instruments make the sound that makes me wanna dance, they give me goose bumps.” The birth of Julian’s first daughter inspired him to make music that

everybody would be able to enjoy. “When we play, we want to get people partying and clapping. Our lyrics are all about happy times and living in peace and love.” Handling a band with 11 members and a patchwork of music genres is just as hard as it sounds. Composing a single song can sometimes take a few weeks. So far the band has released one album, Tricks of the Trade, and are now starting to make their second. “We try to be as democratic as we

All these “ instruments make the sound that gives me goose bumps

can, but in the end Julian makes the final decision”, Will says, “too much democracy doesn’t lead to a good composition”. “If someone has a very strong idea, we might put it to the next song”, Julian explains the composing process, “We just need to be clever to ensure every player’s contribution is heard.” Only four people have stayed in the band from the original assembly. Over the span of five years, there has been about 30 people in the band

from all over the world. According to Julian their music is without limits or passports. The reasons why musicians have left vary from holidays to visa running out, but Julian sees it as a natural part of life. “There’s a certain time for everything. It’s been a rollercoaster, but you need those moments to value the happier times.” One of the saddest moments in the band’s history was the unexpected death of their bass player Dave Cain. The first album is dedicated to his memory. “He was always very strong, a happy guy who wouldn’t show any weakness. He went to hospital for a back ache, saying that he would be alright by tomorrow’s gig”, Julian says, “The next morning, the hospital called and told us that he had passed away. He was planning to be on the gig, you know? It was very upsetting. I had to give news to everyone else.” The band decided to carry on and play their gig to honour Dave’s memory. At his wake they were approached by a talented bass player, who offered to play for Pachango. “He was so good that we never thought he would want to play for us. To have him offer it himself was amazing,” said Julian. The gesture was made even more meaningful by the fact that the bass player had always been Dave’s

favourite. “Dave would’ve been so happy. After that we got very inspired and came back stronger than ever.” The past year brought the band many opportunities to play and spread their music.

We just wanted to “ get music to as many

people as we possibly could

“We have a pretty good locaL following”, Will says, “If we do a gig here it’s usually packed.” Julian’s thoughts on Pachango’s fans are more poetic: “They didn’t want for us to give up. I feel very blessed to have so loyal friends.” The band has played in big festivals like Bestival, The Secret Garden Party and Purbeck folk festival. The band is still baffled by their success. “Our goal was never to get to a point where we would be selling thousands of records and perform in television. We just wanted to get music to as many people as we possibly could”, Will says, “In that sense we have kind of been more successful than we ever thought.” Pachango at Chaplin’s on March 21.


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Friday 27 February 2015 | The Rock

Bournemouth’s budding bloggers

The stampede of bloggers taking over the Internet has been staggering but what exactly is blogging and how does it work in connecting people? Emily Cox Features Editor @TheDreamingLily Google defines a blog as ‘a regularly updated website or web page, typically one run by an individual or small group, that is written in an informal or conversational style.’ A seemingly clinical description

Scarlettt Dixon of Scarlet London

for a ‘hobby’ that is earning people thousands of pounds a year and is fast becoming a platform for people to showcase their lifestyles through vibrant colours and entertaining quips. Blogging is not an age-old art that our ancestors created yet it is not a new fan dangled idea either. The word blog was coined in the early 90s and started life as a variety of online diaries.

My blog has opened doors to the family and allowed us to experience things that we wouldn`t of been able to do before.

SCARLETT DIXON

Fast forward to the early 2000s and people were using their web presence to document their dayto-day lives through words and photography. Nowadays fashion, food, lifestyle and parenting are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to blogs and their vast spectrum of topics. The menagerie of online outlets for people’s opinions and thoughts is growing by the day and anyone can find something they are interested in if they look hard enough. This lifestyle does not come without consequence. Zoe Sugg, a blogger and YouTuber who works under the pseudonym Zoella, has come under fire recently for using a ghostwriter when penning her book Girl Online. Regardless of this, she has been able to make her online ‘hobby’ a full time job and became part of the blogging brigade creating an online presence that is sweeping the nation. Dorset’s blogging community is seemingly divided into two sectors. First are the beauty and lifestyle bloggers. They cover anything from London Fashion Week to their favourite restaurants with an abundance of photographs and exacerbated emotions. They tend to fit into a younger demographic and appeal to a teenage and young adult audience. Scarlett Dixon, 21, a journalism student from Bournemouth fits into this category and her blog scarletlondon.com covers

everything from travel to beauty products: “I started blogging in 2011” says Scarlett, “initially as a means of showcasing my writing online and standing as a digital portfolio to potential employers.” On the other side, parent bloggers are overflowing in both Bournemouth and Poole, with a Bournemouth blogging community being set up by lifestyle mum blogger Laura, the owner of MaxandMummy.co.uk, something her fellow blogger Jeni, 33, author of Poolemama.blogspot.com, hopes to get involved in: “I have offered my services to help out the local Bournemouth Bloggers group on Facebook and twitter with Laura so may start helping her out in the not too distant future.” While she hopes to be a part of the up and coming community, Jeni explains how difficult it can be to be a part of everything, “I would love to spend more time helping to or solely running a community” she said, “but just don’t have enough hours in the day to do so.” It isn’t hard to see why when you read her blog. Being a mum to three boys who are all under eight must be a job in itself. Within her blog she includes children’s book reviews and day trips, with an affectionately written article on her families visit to a Harry Potter book evening which looked so fantastic it made me want to put my coat on and head down to my nearest library. “The hardest part of blogging


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The Rock | Friday 27 February 2015

Crumbs and Dollies brownies is actually being able to have the time to sit down and getting the many draft posts that are in my head down into words,” she said. This is something reflected in all blogging avenues. Scarlet said: “The hardest part of blogging can be staying motivated - especially as the

My blog has “allowed me to

discover myself as a person.

blogosphere is far more diverse and competitive than when I started.” “The hardest part of blogging can be staying motivated - especially as the blogosphere is far more diverse and competitive than when I started.” The lack of male lifestyle bloggers is evident when trawling through the mountains of blogs on offer, however Bournemouth blogger Aftab Pathan, a 20-year-old biochemistry student, fills this space perfectly. His blog FreshandFearless.co.uk features everything from outfit post to reflections on day to day life. More recently he has been swiftly keeping us updates on the array of delectable restaurants he goes to, posting about Crumbs and Dollies cake shop which has my mouth

best thing that I have ever done as it turned out to be a form of therapy for me to get things written down and keep my brain active whilst I was not at work, I think it stopped any depression that may of been lurking around.” Everyone in these communities oozes friendliness and a genuine passion for what they are writing about. High quality photographs are smothered on each of their posts and I can’t help but notice how much information they divulge to their audience, a topic that can be controversial within the blogging AFTAB PARATH lifestyle. Scarlet says she posts around 60% of what goes on in her watering as pictures of oozing cream life saying: “It’s easy to think that and gleaming glazes appear pop up someone overshares when they have throughout the post. I cannot wait to a blog however, when it’s primarily to see what else Aftab has to offer. a written and photographic site, it’s “Through my four categories, I very easy to filter what’s being said.” have been able to find myself.” On the other hand Aftab feels he This reflects the views of many has to keep something back in order current bloggers as many found to not showcase his entire life: “I an outlet in writing and recording have a limit as to how much I share their feelings online. Complaints of but I like to give insights in parts anxiety ripple through the younger of my life and share stories of my online community and through childhood that may inspire others.” blogging, many are able to begin Jeni also sees it as a legitimate issue conquering their demons: “My blog in regards to parent blogging saying: has allowed me to discover myself as “This is a touchy subject at the a person” says Aftab, “to come out moment for me as I have recently of my shell and become completely been torn as to how much to include different.” on the blog” she goes on to say, “I like to involve my family in the blog but also like to have some things kept private.” The opportunities available for bloggers varies dependent on the volume of people passing through their blogs. For Scarlett, her rants about the reality television show Made in Chelsea led her to an achievement she believes gave her People begin blogs for all a fan base and laid the foundations different reasons. From wanting to for success on ScarlettLondon.com. express your feelings through an “I began using it to slate the new, at online outlet to simply wanting to the time, E4 show Made In Chelsea, meet new people blogging can be a which I described as fake and hard different experience for everyone. I to relate to” she said, “The producers began blogging in September 2013 and cast invited me along to watch after the birth of my third son” says one of the episodes being filmed and Jeni “I was on maternity leave and had me grill Spencer and Caggie decided to give it a go. It was the live on TV. The support from the

It turned out to be “a form of therapy for me to get things written down.

Jeni’s adventures with her family

JENI WOOD

cast and crew, who were growing in popularity as the weeks went on, helped me build an initial audience and set the tone for the blogs future. Made In Chelsea has grown on me!” For parent blogger Jeni, the opportunities she has been given are very different. Alongside complimentary days out which she has blogged about in the past, she was able to test out cloth nappies, something she had wanted to do for a long time: “I was chosen along with 8 other bloggers in the country to try a £300 package of nappies!” What come with the perks of blogging are the perils of time keeping and scheduling. Jeni began blogging in 2013 and has taught

Blogging fits in “pretty well with

my life as it’s a reflection of what I do.

herself to plan correctly: “The general public don`t realise how log it takes to write down a post, edit and complete the graphics” she says, “I try to schedule a specific time of the day to try and get posts sorted but it doesn’t always go to plan, I often find myself tapping away on the Chrome book to get something done in the early hours of the morning.” Scheduling also needs to fit round the jobs and prior engagements people have to contend with including studying, both Scarlet and Aftab are students at Bournemouth University, and jobs with Jeni not only having three young boys but also being a qualified Veterinary Nurse. Being part of their specific blogging communities is a large part of both Aftab and Scarlett’s lives. Being a student who moved away from home, Aftab is able to use this to his advantage with London being a hive of activity in regards to

Aftab, owner of Fresh and Fearless

events and blog networking: “Living in London has allowed me to meet so many other bloggers.” Scarlet plays a significant role in bringing the blogging community together: “I run annual large scale blogger networking events in London which I started doing about three years ago as a way of bringing the community together and making it a more friendly place to be ‘in real life’ rather than just online.” While the real life meetings connect bloggers from around the country, and further with Scarlet befriending a blogger from Singapore, social networks also play a huge role in allowing people to find like minded writers: “I actively take part in blog chats on Twitter and also share other bloggers content with my readers to allow them to gain a greater and wider readership” says Aftab. Jeni also says she So with such a variety of individuals ready to hand out bite sized chunks of their lives online, do they have any advice for budding bloggers dying to make a fortune from their opinions alone? “Don’t blog for fame and fortune, because it won’t work” advices Scarlett, “blog because you love something.” So maybe the swarms of young adults will not be building their retirement fund on writing about their feelings and thoughts just yet but it is definitely an interesting hobby for anyone who harbours a narcissistic streak and an interesting in writing. “It has been so much fun to do and I have managed to get two of my friends to start their own blogs” says Jeni; so maybe blogging is contageous after all. Aftab’s parting comment was slightly more poetic: “Find your voice and write about what you enjoy writing about, not what others like reading about because after all, you have to be committed to it so you should write about something you are passionate about and not worry about your views. Just keep writing and you will soon see your readership form itself.”

AFTAB PARATH


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Friday 27 February 2015 | The Rock

Musically themed twosome look to make cycling history Two intrepid travellers take on a common cycling mission with a twist.

Bournemouth Piano player Matt Black, left, and his manager Jon Cox will cycle 900 miles in aid of Wings for Warriors which helps injured military personnel MATT BLACK

Corrie Smith OPINIONS EDITOR Corrie_R_Smith The Bournemouth based entertainer Matt Black, known as ‘The Piano Man’, and his manager Jon Cox are to partake in a challenge that so many have done before. However, there is a slight difference. Between them, they only have three legs. Matt, 47, and Jon, 51, will spend most of May this year cycling down through the country, from John O’Groat’s to Land’s End. A gruelling 900 miles. Understandably, the ride will be tough but it is made more difficult by the fact that Jon is an amputee, losing one of his legs in an accident as a child and although he has a prosthetic limb he has opted to complete the challenge without it. Jon laughed at the fact, saying how if ‘Matt does 50 miles, I’ve done 100’. In a bold attempt to get their names printed on a certificate, Matt and Jon contacted Guinness World Records in the hope that they could hold the ‘Record for Cycling John O’Groat’s to Land’s End with One Leg’ but, unfortunately, they weren’t interested. Instead, the officials suggested that they should go for a record in only using one pedal. They politely

declined the offer. As a result of their cycle, they will be raising money for Wings for Warriors a charity which helps to rehabilitate injured military personnel and provide them with exciting life experiences on leaving the armed forces. Matt shared his reasons for choosing Wings for Warriors: “It’s a different charity. It’s a military charity and everyone likes to support the military. They also support servicemen who are now amputees so it’s relevant to us. They’re teaching ex-servicemen to be pilots for example.” However, both Matt and Jon

It’ll be good to look at a map of Britain and go “wow, we did that!”

stressed that the ride came purely out of ambition and that supporting a charity is just an extension of the challenge. “We’re doing this bike ride because we want to do a bike ride. An offshoot of it is that hopefully we can do it for someone who needs it. There’s no glory involved. It’ll be good to look at a map of Britain and go “wow, we did that!” The duo have estimated that they need to raise approximately £5,000 to even begin the challenge.

This is to cover costs of travelling to Scotland, food and drink and other necessary people who will be following them throughout. This £5,000 is somewhat small in comparison to their larger target sum. “We are aiming to raise £40,000. We know that is really ambitious but it’s half of what it costs to train someone within the charity.” As well as raising money for Wings for Warriors, Matt is currently in the process of planning gigs at different stages of the ride which he hopes will cover a lot of the expenses needed for the trip. “Some of the gigs will be at inns, so part of the deal will be us doing the gig for accommodation.” It was a gig like this where they first met. Matt was performing a parody based on Heather Mills, the ex-wife of singer Sir Paul McCartney, who herself is an amputee. Jon, who was in the audience, hopped along to the song with his prosthetic limb at a 180 degree angle skywards. It’s quite impressive to see someone with the ability to kick themselves in the eye. It obviously caught the attention of Matt and they have been friends ever since. This is a challenge they felt they had to do together. The idea for the bike ride came when Matt had his bike fixed and Jon decided to follow suit. “Matt got his bike fixed and I

thought I might as well get mine done. We started off cycling from Poole to Sandbanks, then to Bournemouth and Boscombe and we started doing about 50 miles a day.” With no pun intended, the pair will cycle three legs each day (or as they describe it ‘bite-sized pieces’) averaging out at around 50 miles. Jon plans to stream videos online during the ride. He joked, “Maybe someone in America will see it and say ‘Gee, that was really good. Do you want to cycle across America now?’” As well as this, there are plans for a book based on their experiences throughout the

journey, which they hope will be comical. “It’s hilarious the things that happen. Every day there’ll be something we’ll look back on and say ‘You couldn’t invent that’”, Matt said, also quipping that should a

Every day there’ll be “something we’ll look back on ”

film adaptation be made, Brad Pitt would be perfect for the role. The duo began training in May and will continue doing so through until starting the challenge on May 4 2015.

The duo will be cycling from John O’Groat’s to Land’s End M BLACK


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The Rock | Friday 27 February 2015

Keep publicly broadcasting Public Service Broadcasting stormed the BIC as Kaiser Chiefs supporting act Poppy Jeffery ONLINE EDITOR PoppyDJeffery J. Wilgoose Esq and Wrigglesworth look like your average hipsters but you would be sorely mistaken for thinking this. They created a whole new genre of music, combining public information recordings with dance rhythms; they have created something that needs to be heard to be believed. I met them in a small room tucked away round the back of the BIC where they were getting ready for their support slot with the Kaiser Chiefs. What first struck me about them was how well dressed and polite they were, true English gentlemen. The idea for Public Service Broacasting’s unique musical style cam from J. Wilgoose Esq, who came up with the idea one afternoon when listening to Radio 4: “There was an archive hour documentary presented by Tom Robinson and he was interviewing someone from the BFI and also

someone from the American Public Domain Archive and he was talking about online availability of films. I took about 6 months to getting round to actually looking them up but I remember hearing that and thinking it sounded interesting. So I just used one of those films to make a song, loosely themed around it and then it grew from there, this weird beast.” Something not widely known is the amount of effort that goes in to creating their music. In order to create their new album The Race For Space, they had to trawl through hours of recordings of the Apollo missions in order to get just seconds of clips to use- “They [BFI] basically uploaded all the audio from all the missions, week long missions, but there were some transcripts luckily.” However, it is hard to argue that this effort will go unnoticed; songs from the new album such as Gagarin and Go! are more catchy and clever than ever. The music video for ‘Gagarin’ has to be one of the most un-expected, yet brilliant ideas the boys have had. It involves two dancing astronauts, which are actually PSB rather than dancers. I quizzed them on who the better dancer was and

Public Service Broadcasting before their supporting role Wrigglesworth’s answer summed it up- “Have you ever seen a giraffe dancing? That’s him [Wilgoose].” It also turns out that those spacesuits are actually now residing in Wilgoose’s garage… It is hard to pin down what it is that makes their music so brilliant, it could be the intricate bass lines or the clever use of clips or just

the general rhythm- but it is clear that they’ve been leaving a good impression on audiences who have come to see Kaiser Chiefs as I overheard a lot of people talking about how they’re their now favourite band or how they’ll have to get their album, which bodes well for them in the future. They are a duo I really admire and

Poppy Destiny listen to, so interviewing them for me was a real treat- they completely lived up to what I had hoped they’d be like, so fans can rest assured that they are really genuine guys who are impeccably polite and well dressed. When asked how they would describe their music, Wrigglesworth replied “Average”- the last word you could use to describe them.

Sun’s setting over Bournemouth

UK Indie rock musicians Sunset Sons are playing Bournemouth in March so we caught up with them to find out exactly what to expect from the artists.

Tipped for success: Sunset Sons

Poppy Destiny Jeffery ONLINE EDITOR PoppyDJeffery

Sunset Sons are making a splash on the UK music scene with their surfing inspired indie rock. The band are currently preparing for a tour of the UK, which brings them to the Old Fire Station in March. I spoke to Rory, lead singer, about the upcoming tour. He is actually

SUNSET SONS local to Bournemouth: “That’s my home turf- basically I grew up in a village called Alderholt which is near Fordingbridge, “but I’ve got loads of friends from Bournemouth. I used to go out at Bliss - bad days.” Sunset Sons’ success is recent; “This time last year the EP had just

come out, and when we did the first gig in Bournemouth, and that was a big thing for me especially because I knew the place and having friends come and see us play. We played at Coast, which is Sandbanks area- it was cool, we didn’t really know how many people were going to come and there was a few who seem to know the songs and then push forward a year and we’re playing the Fire Station with like 550 people which is crazy.” The band have been busy rehearsing for the tour, which has been going well: “We don’t really get much time off these days to not be playing music. “There’s one song, ‘Lies’, on the next EP, and because we played it so late when we were recording it, we couldn’t remember our parts! So we needed a good rehearsal on that one. Our job now is constant rehearsal so we’re prepared.” Rory also spoke about his love of playing live: “Playing live is where we honed our skills and it’s where I feel most comfortable, you’d think the least comfortable place you’d be is on stage but for us it seems to work. Nothing compares to a good [crowd] reaction.

“We went on tour, the first tour, I thought I’d need some beers and a few shots to get the nerves to go but I didn’t really drink on that whole tour- you get such a buzz anyway, you don’t need it. So I’m really excited about touring.” So what does the future hold? “We’re doing all the way up to Scotland now, and we’ve just announced another tour in May. This year our plan is to do all the cities and all the towns in the UK I know were going to be going to Europe and we’ve also got stuff happening in America. We’ll just get a message like ‘when you gonna come to Nottingham?’ and then it’s a case of ‘cool, we’ll go to Nottingham’.” Sunset Sons have been tipped for success - part of the BBC Sound of 2015 shortlist as well as being mentioned by XFM and MTV. “We’re just a fun band, we love playing live, the way we see doing a show is like a party, we wanna have a party and if people wanna join in then that’s great. We take it seriously but when it comes to a show, we go in to have fun. It’s easy on the ears and you should definitely check it out.”


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Friday 27 February 2015 | The Rock

Katie Finn Katie is a first year commerical photography student at AUB.

I got into photography at the age of 14. and bought my first DSLR ar 16. I have always been artistic ever since lower school and knew I was going to aim towards the creative industry in the future. Photography is both hands on and technical and I love learning how to use all the different cameras and equipment I studied BTEC extended Diploma Photography in college and then went straight onto working for Amazon.co.uk as a fashion photographer for their online website. I then decided very last minute that I wanted to learn more and get a degree so I can get much further in what I want to do. I decided to move to Bournemouth to study BA (Hons) Commercial Photography. Already I know this is one of the best decisions I have made in my life and I am very grateful to be here.

Katie Finn, 21 is a photography student from Bedfordshire

This was a photograph from my own personal project (project 52) where I took one photo per week. Each had different themes to them, for one whole year (2013).

This is a test shot for my current creative project. I have chosen to photograph people with ‘invisible illnesses’ as it is close to home as I myself have epilepsy. This was a testing for the lighting I hope to use. I got the subject to act out an expression of how her ‘illness’ makes her feel, and to over exaggerate it, so that her creases in her face were more pronounced. I then edited it in photoshop by dodging and burning.


The Rock | Friday 27 February 2015

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This photograph was one of my FMP images in my final term at college. It was photographed back in 2012. The whole idea was to show 1950s women, but in modern daytime, able to do the type of work they want to do (showing women’s rights). I love vintage fashion, which is one of the reasons I chose to focus on that era.

I chose to do this little project to keep me enthusiastic and motivated about my work and my passion. It was a struggle sometimes to think creatively every week but I pushed myself to finish the project and was proud of my result.


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Friday 27 February 2015| The Rock

What’s on: Your entertainment guide The Irish rock sensation The Script takes to the stage and Breaking Bad fans are pampered with stand up in this month’s entertainment guide Theatre & Dance Once In A Lifetime Poole Lighthouse 05.03.15 - 07.03.15 Once In A Lifetime tells a story of the life of three entertainment actors as they try to make their way in Hollywood as voice coaches for Silent Film stars. This clever and amusing satire depicting the jazz-age America is brought to you by the student and staff from the Arts University Bournemouth. Brendan Cole: A Night to Remember Poole Lighthouse 12.03.15 Choreographer and dancer from the BBC television show Strictly Come Dancing talent show brings his newest extravaganza to Poole Lighthouse. Fans of Latino and ballroom dancing will be delighted to see his show debut on stage.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth Poole Lighthouse 17.03.15 - 18.03.15 Tara Arts brings you this version of the classic Shakespeare play you have never seen before. Macbeth’s tragic tale is set in India. which brings a whole new flavour to his story. Three drag queens (Hijras) are the force of destruction and treachery in this modern retelling. ETO: The Siege Of Calais Poole Lighthouse 21.03.15 History becomes alive in this theatre production performed in Poole for the first time. The English Touring Opera brings us a fascinating story set in France, accompanied with fantastic music. The Siege Of Calais is the story of the brave citizens of Calais who try to save their city from being sieged by the English Army. The opera is sung in Italian with English subtitles.

The Script come to takeover the BIC during March with special guest Tinie Tempah

Music Room 94 The Old Fire Station, Bournemouth 03.03.15 North London pop rock band Room 94 is returning to Bournemouth following the success of their debut studio album. Dirty Dancing UK tour will include old favourites and some new tracks from their forthcoming album. Chris Wood Poole Lighthouse 05.03.15 Chris Wood is one of the most impressive and expressive folk song writers in the UK. His newest album, None The Wiser, depicts the feelings of the ordinary people.. The Platters with Special Guests The Foundations Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre 07.03.15 The Platters return to perform some of their greatest classics with their special guests, The Foundations. The stars of the old rock and roll era are bringing back their best hits from the 50s and 60s, including songs like Only you and The Great Pretender. The Script BIC Windsor Hall 09.03.2015

The Bootleg Beatles will perform in Bournemouth Pavilion

PA

The Script comes to Bournemouth with their UK 2015 arena tour. The Irish songwriter trio has become a global success, with three multiplatinum albums and album sales and spotify plays soaring through the roof. Special guest is Tinie Tempah.

Jean Toussaint’s JT4 Poole Lighthouse 13.03.13 The US Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist Jean Toussaint started his musical success story as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers back in 1982. He has since worked with the likes of McCoy Tyner and Horace Silver. Toussaint’s gig features his tenth and latest album, Tate Song. Toussain is a highly-regarded musician and performing alongside with his peers, this night is set to be one to remember. The Bootleg Beatles in Concert Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre 18.03.15 The Bootleg Beatles is a tribute band said to be so good that they should have their own tribute band. After thousands of performances both in the UK and worldwide, the band is coming to Bournemouth to put on an exceptional night for everyone. After over 20 years of performances, this Beatles tribute band has perfected their act from clothes to periodic instruments. Europe/Black Star Riders 02 Academy Bournemouth 18.03.15 Set to release their forthcoming album, The Killer Instinct, on the 23rd February, Black Star Riders will be performing in Bournemouth alongside Europe, one of Scandinavia’s biggest rock bands. Supporting act is the Amorettes. This massive classic rock tour will provide you a night filled with some of the bands’ old time cfavourites and tracks from the newest albums, so be sure not to miss the show.

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Comedy Simon Amstell: To Be Free Poole Lighthouse 12.03.15 Award-winning comedian and a BAFTA nominee Simon Amstell makes a return with his fourth international stand up tour supported by Daniel Simonsen. . Amstell tackles the themes of joy, love, suffering, forgiving and more in his well-loved signature style. Don’t miss out on the funniest event of the week! One Man Breaking Bad Poole Lighthouse 13.03.15 Miles Allen, Los Angeles actor, fills the room with laughter with his impeccable impersonations of the iconic Breaking Bad characters. Written and directed by Matthew Hardy, this one-man parody gives a new, hilarious spin to the well-known story of a chemistry teacher turned drug dealer. The show includes scenes over all the six seasons, and is a must-see for any fan of the TV series. Gina Yashere: Laugh Riot Poole Lighthouse 22.03.15 A former lift engineer turned multi-award winning comedian, Gina Yashere is back in the UK with her biggest tour so far. Previously Yashere has appeared in various American TV shows such as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Mock the Week and The Rosie O’Donnell Show. Now she is back with a new show and a couple of classic stories. Yashere’s colourful life is a gold mine of weird and funny stories, guaranteed to make you laugh.


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The Rock | Friday 27 February 2015

SPORT

Editorial: World Cup woes Ross Maffey SPORTS EDITOR @RossMaffey

News emerged earlier this week that the 2022 World Cup will need to be played in November/ December. The world’s biggest sporting event, due to be played in Qatar, will now cause heavy disruption to domestic leagues across the world as FIFA have suggested the climate is too inhospitable during Summer for the tournament to proceed. An estimated 50 countries will be disrupted by the proposed move, but none more so than the Premier League, where the large leagues, and heavy festive fixture period will be halted. With FIFA’s controversial decision to initially award Qatar the tournament, this proposal comes

not as a shock to football fans across the world, but more as an element of expectance from FIFA, who continue to baffle in every department. The 2010 election ignored the possibility of danger to workers, fans and players when awarding the competition to Qatar over the likes of USA, Korea and Japan, and Australia. After months of deliberation over the method of combating 50 degree temperatures, the news will not only affect Europe’s top leagues, who source the vast majority of the World Cup’s players, but also the Winter Olympics, and African Cup of Nations set for the early stages of 2023. With FIFA’s ruling over the football world having a paralysing effect over federations, there is little for the likes of the FA to do to change the decision, or stop players from partaking in the tournament. The news follows FIFA’s decision to conceal the findings of Michael

The victorious German team celebrate in Berlin Garcia, an attorney employed to look into allegations of corruption in recent months. It has taken FIFA a number of years to understand and propose this move, whilst construction workers continue to lose their lives at an average of one every two days, building the infrastructure that

PA

didn’t previously exist when was Qatar were selected. Unless footballing bodies are to disband from FIFA and propose a tournament that reinstalls the heritage and aura of the World Cup, little can be done to stop the capitalistic, greedy erosion that FIFA is inflicting on the beautiful game.

Poole Town head to final of Red Insure Cup Darts stars visit south coast 20 Poole Town’s new striker 22 BU’s national champions 23

Email Sports Editor ross.maffey@gmail.com

Ollie Heptinstall @OliHepy Tom Killick celebrated his 600th match in charge of Poole Town with a 3-2 victory over Egham Town on Tuesday night to reach the final of the Red Insure Cup. Mitchell Guttridge gave the visitors a surprise early lead after half-an-hour. Ben Close equalised at the start of what was to be a pulsating second half, before the visitors retook the lead through Reis Stanislas’ stunning strike. Joe Quigley then had Poole level again before Luke Burbidge notched late on to deny the plucky division one side. After an even start, Poole had the first chance of the evening when Steve Devlin played a lovely ball over the top to send Jack Dickson through on goal, only for his effort to be saved by Jamie Norris in the Egham goal. Shortly after, a ball into the box was missed by the Egham defenders and Joe Quigley’s prodded effort was well tipped over by Norris. Poole’s dominance continued further when Dickson’s low cross found Ben Close, but his effort was kept out by the combination of Morris and a goalmouth scramble. Despite being under the cosh for the opening half an hour, it was Egham who scored the opening goal. Their second successive corner was poorly defended by the Dolphins and it fell to centre-back Guttridge to fire the visitors in front. Poole reacted well and nearly equalised immediately. Close’s low cross found Joe Quigley, who turned his shot narrowly over the bar. Egham, despite defending for

much of the half, looked a threat on the counter and had a great chance to double their lead through Reis Stanislas, but he failed to make contact with Haluna Masemba’s excellent cross. Shortly into the second-half, Poole equalised. Striker Joe Quigley held the ball up well in the box and fed a lovely ball through for Close, who turned into an empty net after his initial shot was saved. The Dolphins continued to turn the screw and nearly took the lead when Steve Devlin’s long range effort was well saved. Once again, though, Egham scored against the run of play. Stanislas was given too much time by the Poole defence and he punished them for it unleashing a magnificent long-range strike into the top corner. Poole once again rallied and equalised for the second time when Quigley turned in Devlin’s corner. The Dolphins chased their first lead in the match and went close ten minutes from time. The impressive Quigley chested down a cross and chipped narrowly over the bar. With the scores level, Charlie Davis fired a fine half-volley over the bar following a corner. Penalties were looming, until a fifth and final goal was scored. Lively Poole substitute Burbidge worked his way into the right side of the area and fired a low shot past Morris into the bottom corner to send Killick’s men in front for the first time in the match. Egham very nearly sent the tie to penalties late on, but Poole keeper Vinny Marques De Salve avoided calamity by scrambling a bouncing long ball over the bar. The result was hard on Egham, who performed admirably. But it is the Dolphins who progress to the two-legged final.

Joe Quigley in action during Poole’s draw at Truro ANDREW ORMAN

Poole captain Jamie Whisken applauds his team

ANDREW ORMAN


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Friday 27 February 2015 | The Rock

NATIONAL

Bournemouth host darts stars Luke Hastings @LukeHastings1

PDC Darts World Champion Gary Anderson led the praise for Bournemouth’s hospitality, as the biggest names in darts performed in front of the sold-out crowd at the Bournemouth International Centre earlier this month. The Darts Premier League returned for its 9th year at the BIC in Bournemouth on February 12th, with a packed crowd of over 3,500 experiencing some great entertainment. The players leapt to the praise of the town, as darts stars Gary Anderson, James Wade and Michael van Gerwen spoke exclusively to The Rock. James Wade won on his “local stomping ground,” with his 7-2 victory over Kim Huybrechts seeming effortless. James said that he was “happy” with the crowd. “They were really good,” he said. “It’s one of the most interactive crowds you can play in”. Wade added that the “interaction and excitement with the crowd is next to none,” stating that the town “brings back that elusive romance of the sport”.

Wade was humbled by the ovation for him, saying: “Why should the crowd acknowledge me? That’s what you’ve always got to remind yourself. It was a lovely feeling.” The night was filled with some top quality darts, as Phil Taylor, Gary Anderson, Michael Van Gerwen, James Wade and David Chisnall all triumphed from their matches at the BIC. World Champion Gary Anderson was the first to win on the night after thrashing Peter Wright 7-1, and praised the atmosphere, saying that: “For 3,500 people, they can shout alright!” Anderson said that the crowd was “packed to the rafters,” joking that “we are just here to entertain them!” Michael van Gerwen, who recorded an emphatic 7-3 victory over PDC newcomer, Stephen Bunting said he “likes the atmosphere because of the short floor,” calling the BIC “a great venue”. “It’s the third time I’m playing here. I love to play here in Bournemouth. I love to play in front of every crowd in the Premier League,” Van Gerwen added. Matthew Porter, Chief Executive of the PDC, also spoke exclusively to The Rock, calling Bournemouth “a special place to come to” for the Darts Premier League.

Porter said: “Ironically this venue has gone from our largest, to one of our smallest” with the development of darts over the years. However, Mr Porter added that this factor didn’t spoil the atmosphere, saying: “In noise they make up for what they lack in numbers.” The PDC Chief Executive also tipped current World Champion Gary Anderson to win the Premier

League 2015, saying: “I think that the standard he is playing at is matched by the other players, but his consistency levels should get him over the line.” After another successful night in Bournemouth, the Premier League players roll on, but will no doubt return to the south coast for the 10th time next year for yet another night of world class sporting entertainment.

Peter Wright throws during his loss to Gary Anderson Lawrence Lustig/PDC

A world of sport

Matt Joy looks at the upcoming sporting activity across the globe.

1 March - Wembley - League Cup Final Mourinho’s Chelsea side come up against Tottenham in a rerun of the 2008 final when Spurs prevailed 2-1 victors after extra time. The London derby remains one of the most fiercely contested matches in the Premier League and a transfer of that passion to the home of football will only increase its magnitude. Many fancy Chelsea to lift the trophy in Mourinho’s search for his first silverware since his return to the club, but Spurs undoubtedly will be a hard nut to crack.

21 March - Twickenham - Six Nations final game In a clash that many sense may have real implications in the eventual winners of this year’s six nations crown, England will go up against France at Twickenham in the final game of this year’s competition. These two sides are two of the favourites, with Ireland and Wales also being tipped as many people’s predictions for the final crown. This year’s tournament is one of the hardest to call in recent years, but undoubtedly come the final weekend we will have seen the usual mix of fantastic skill and intriguing physical contests.

6-8 March - Czech Republic - European Indoor Championships The athletic world will be stopping by in the Czech capital of Prague for the Indoor Championships in March, and British hopefuls will be looking to fly the flag for the home nations. Lots of British athletes will be travelling with a real hope of winning a medal, in what is already shaping up to be one of the tightest contests in years across the range of sports that are on offer.

27-29 March- Malaysia - Grand Prix Current world champion Lewis Hamilton comes into this year’s Formula One season as odds on favourite to retain his crown in the 2015 campaign. Hamilton has retained his position for the upcoming season with Mercedes and will race alongside Nico Rosberg as they look to ensure another season of success for the Germanbased manufacturer. Bookies have almost considered the constructors championship a write off, with odds as short as 1/8 being offered for Mercedes to win the title.

29 March - Melbourne Cricket Ground - ICC Cricket World Cup final The most prestigious prize in international one-day cricket is up for grabs in the coming month, with the Cricket World Cup currently being played in Australia and New Zealand. Home nation Australia are favourites for the prize and have odds as short as 7/4 to pick up the tournament’s trophy come the end of March. England suffered two humiliating defeats to the host countries, before an unconvincing win over Scotland, with Eoin Morgan facing a tough test to turn his side’s fortunes around.


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The Rock | Friday 27 February 2015

AFC Bournemouth Ladies look to add more silverware Liam Grace ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @liamgrace_ It has been a successful season in all departments for AFC Bournemouth so far this season, with the women’s team being no exception. Away from the highly publicised success of the men’s first team, and the more muted progression from the youth squads, perhaps the most impressive success story this season is the AFC Bournemouth Ladies Hampshire team. The ladies were crowned champions of the Hampshire Division Three at the beginning of February and are keen to add to their achievements this campaign, when they play in the semi-finals of the Hampshire Junior Cup. A possible treble was on the cards for the AFCB Hampshire Ladies, when they hosted Winchester City Flyers in the semifinal of the Women’s Intermediate Cup on the 15th February, but

unfortunately lost on penalties, drawing 1-1 after extra time. “We’ve built such a strong team” says AFCB Ladies captain Nicola Taylor. It was such a relief securing the league title as everyone was coming out to beat us.” She added. And what a strong team it is. The ladies have forged a six-point gap with one game remaining, winning 12 of their 13 fixtures in the league. Two of the most memorable victories for the squad include a 7-1 home victory over Sholing Ladies, with the reverse fixture allowing the Ladies to go one further and record an 8-1 win, putting 15 goals past the helpless Sholing in only two matches. “You have to give credit to the players. They are a lovely bunch of ladies who get along with everyone” says Nicole. “The management team deserve credit too.” Although media coverage of the Ladies is very limited, they have received internal praise from two very familiar faces. “Eddie Howe and Jeff Mostyn came to congratulate us after we won the league and they’ve been very helpful and supportive all season.” However, the ambition of the

women’s team isn’t stopping anytime soon. Asked about next season’s ambitions, when the AFCB Ladies will compete in the Hampshire Division Two, Nicola said: “We want to go up and hopefully win the league again.” And that will not be as difficult as it seems if the Ladies keep scoring an abundance of goals as they did this season. They have managed 48 in 13 games, averaging an impressive 3.7 goals a game. The defensive record also speaks volumes, with the Ladies conceding only 18 league goals in their 13 matches. Top goal scorer Emily Trim has three hat-tricks to her name so far this season, but this is not the team’s only source of goals. “Emily has been good but we haven’t got just one goal scorer. We’ve got six or seven that score every game.” Nicola said “Emily has got three hat-tricks in three games whereas you’ll get one or two other players who scored in that game as well.” The AFC Bournemouth youth team will also be looking to build on their impressive season after winning the Youth Alliance South

West League at the end of January. They are now competing in the Merit League, and got off to winning ways beating Peterborough youth 4-2 at the start of February. “There’s definitely a buzz around the stadium” according to Nicola. “The more everyone keeps winning the more everyone wants to succeed,” she added. Turning attention to the men’s team, Nicola believes the team have what it takes to compete in the Premier League: “I think they’ve got a great chance but they’ve got to keep going out there and keep winning,” she said. “There’s enough quality in the team and they’re a lovely bunch of people so I’m backing them to go out and do it.” The AFCB Ladies are still in action and all support is greatly appreciated for their semi-final match at Kings Park on the 2nd March (kick off 1.30pm), with free admission to support the team. Nicola and her teammates face a tough task before they progress to the final, as they come up against Bournemouth Sports Ladies, who recorded the lone league defeat for AFCB Ladies.

Dan Statham takes a look at the latest sporting champ and chump Darren Clarke has been named European Ryder Cup team for the 2016 competition, held at Hazeltine, Minnesota. Clarke overcame competition from Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Bjorn from Denmark. The Northern Irishman has been a part of four Ryder Cup winning teams as both a player and vice-captain. Clarke succeeds Paul McGinley who led Europe to a five point victory over the USA at Gleneagles in 2014. The winner of the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St George’s has lost just once in the seven times he has been involved in the Ryder Cup, picking up a haul of 11 ½ points from 20 matches. Clarke unsuccessfully ran against Paul McGinley for the captainship of the 2014, but he had the support of high profile players such as Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and former number one, Lee Westwood. Clarke, first competed under golfing great Seve Ballesteros and will be looking to follow previous captains Paul McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal in the lifting the Ryder Cup on US soil.

WINNER

LOSER

The AFCB Ladies Hampshire team lost only one of their thirteen league fixtures this season, claiming the title earlier this month

AFCB

After a poor start in the Cricket World Cup, England’s cricket team suffered opening defeats to host nations, Australia and New Zealand in emphatic style. Brendon McCullum smashed a phenomenal half-century in just 18 balls following England being bowled out for just 123 in 33.2 overs. McCullum hit 77 to help New Zealand chase down their target in only 12.2 overs. New Zealand fast bowler Tim Southee smashed England’s lower order to become only the fourth man to take seven wickets in a World Cup match. England managed only 19 runs for their final 7 wickets. England’s attempt at defending such a measly figure fell way short as Finn conceded 49 runs in his two overs. Some respite due to victory over Scotland has been rewarded, but England can only afford one more defeat, as they sit 5th in Pool A of the competition, to progress to the knock out stages.


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Friday 27 February 2015| The Rock

Dropping points and places Ross Maffey SPORTS EDITOR @RossMaffey In Eddie Howe’s post-match conference earlier this month, following his side’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Huddersfield, there was a sense of deja-vu among the comments. In essence - more dropped points. Remarkably, the Cherries have managed to score the first goal in every single one of the 16 home league games to date in the Championship, yet they’ve converted only 50% of these games into wins upon the full time whistle. Bournemouth, therefore, have surrendered 19 points from winning positions at the Goldsands. Of course, holding the lead in all of these games is overly optimistic, but Howe expressed his disappointment for the sheer quantity of games that have eroded in the late stages:

“Our home record has been good but hasn’t been as good as it could’ve been. “That’s a great stat that we’ve scored first in every home game, incredible really, but the disappointment is that we haven’t won all of those games, or at least a bigger percentage.” The Goldsands this season can be coined as the ‘fortress of fight back’, a place where teams will inevitably concede a goal, but simultaneously be in with a chance of stealing points against the run of play. And they leave it late too - 80% of goals that the Cherries have conceded at home this season, have come in the second half. With the interval offering away teams an opportunity for relaxation and a plan to turn their fortunes around, it seems Bournemouth emerge from the tunnel with a changed mindset, where their play turns conservative. The lack of spark and precision that the Cherries utilise to take the lead in all of their home games has frequently been substituted in the second half. Their shape allows away teams to pressurise Bournemouth’s back line, perhaps offering brief explanation for the quantity of late goals.

“The frustrating thing for us is that it shouldn’t take a goal conceded to kick us into life. “We should be wanting to score throughout the game, that’s the most important thing in football.” Howe added. The Cherries have gone into the halftime dressing room leading in 11 of the 16 league home matches this season, not once trailing. The late goals, memorably from Norwich, Millwall and Rotherham leave a sour taste in the mouths of Bournemouth supporters, with their side failing to see out a scrappy result on too many occasions. After the Huddersfield draw, Howe remarked: “The hardest part is to score the first goal and usually that’s the deciding factor in most games.” Scoring the first goal comes naturally to Bournemouth in front of home support, but the results seem to be much more difficult to maintain. As Bournemouth have only the 10th best home defensive record in the league. Alternatively, Bournemouth are the top away scorers this campaign, with them also standing top of the away wins chart. When taking the lead away from home, Bournemouth have seen out

the majority of games, dropping just two points (against Watford) where the Cherries still managed to scrape a draw. With results in recent weeks seeing Bournemouth slip off the top of the table, and out of the automatic promotion places, it’s undoubtedly the home form that needs to be improved to keep the Cherries in

with a chance for top-flight football. In particular the Cherries need to be more resilient. AFC Bournemouth need to remain strong at the back, and continue their fast paced play style throughout the 90 minutes, rather than sitting comfortable at a one goal lead, as this inevitably causes trouble for Eddie Howe and his side.

Howe looks on before his side’s 3-1 defeat at Brentford

AFCB

One for the future - Joe Quigley Michael Lingberg ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR @Lingberg2000 If there was a weakness to Poole Town Football Club back in December, it was the absence of a true striker.

Enter Joe Quigley. Quigley, a member of AFC Bournemouth’s U18 youth setup, joined Poole Town on an initial onemonth loan on January 5 to continue his football development. Immediately after joining the Dolphins, he was thrust into action that same day in a 3-0 win against Sholing FC in the quarterfinal of the Red Insure Cup.

It took him only 28 minutes for him to open his account, scoring on his senior debut. He was essentially in the right place at the right time, as a shot from winger Luke Burbidge was blocked by the goalkeeper, but the rebound fell right into the path of Quigley who fired it home for the second goal of the match. Despite the quick start to Quigley’s professional adjustment,

Joe Quigley hit the ground running during his loan at Poole Town, scoring on debut

AFC BOURNEMOUTH

he insists the transition isn’t so straightforward. “It took a while to get into it,” Quigley said. “Obviously it’s a completely different type of football. It’s going well. The lads are sound and the manager (Tommy Killick) is really good. It’s a lot more physical than the U18 league. It’s more direct as well.” Killick didn’t expect Quigley to make such an immense impact when he first arrived from the U-18 league, where play is less direct and more physical according to the striker. Killick gave credit to Quigley for fitting in seamlessly and contributing to the club’s recent run of excellent form. Killick was unsure whether Quigley was ready for the step up to senior football, but has praised his contributions since his arrival. “I must admit I wasn’t 100 percent sure how much an impact he would make, “Killick said. “But I think he’s been a revelation since he’s been here.” Quigley, who turned 18 years old in October, shares similarities with his teammate centre-back, Michael Walker, in that his 6’2” frame towers above the defence. But instead of clearing the ball away from danger, Quigley’s style is to play with his back to the goal, keep possession with link-up play,

head home the occasional cross and work in heavy traffic inside the box. However, Quigley’s strengths don’t lie solely in his enormous physique, he’s also known to rampage forward with the ball and pick out a teammate with a clean pass, contributing as a build up player as well as a clean finisher. It’s these attributes that have helped him succeed at Poole Town. He has six goals so far, and that includes an impressive secondhalf hat trick away at Bideford in a January 27 win, a 6-0 thrashing. Since the transfer deadline came and went, Quigley’s loan at Poole Town was extended for another month. He’ll now have the chance to help the club extend its massive lead at the top of the table. At the moment the Dolphins are top with 70 points after just 30 games played, partly due to bad pitch conditions. Weymouth FC has 64 points but has played 31 games. Truro City have 67 points but have played 33 games. It will be difficult for any team to catch Poole Town, especially after Weymouth were dismantled 4-0 by the Dolphins in the January 7 Jurassico. “It’s been really good,” Quigley said. “All the lads have been really welcoming. They have my back and have been really helpful and sound so far.”


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The Rock | Friday 27 February 2015

BU Volleyball men claim second consecutive title

BU Men celebrate with trophy. L-R: BACK J Menson (manager), K Miliotis, A Clare, P Smith, O Kimber (capt), STEVE SMITH M Hunter, L Rahnasto. FRONT: A Courbat, M Vellutato, D Hunter, A Ivanov, B Burkard, A Jones (coach)

Jade Butcher DEPUTY SPORTS EDITOR @jadebutcherxo

BU men’s and women’s volleyball teams competed in a national tournament earlier this month, ending with success in both camps. After winning the BUCS Premier South division in sublime fashion, BU Volleyball men have now added

Mike Vellutato (left) and Alex Clare in action for BU men’s STEVE SMITH

the Volleyball England Student Cup to their list of honours. Travelling to the University of East London’s SportsDock, the men’s team of 11 combined the talents of ex-professionals, a former Olympian, experience and youth in order to smash their competition and claim their second consecutive Student Cup victory. The victory comes after an almost flawless season, as BU men’s gained maximum points from the South Division, dropping only one set in their ten league games. In addition to the men’s achievements, the women’s team finished 7th, awarding them their highest cup finish in half a decade. The annual competition, run by Volleyball England, allows University Volleyball teams from all over the country to compete in a non-BUCS clash. Sixteen male and female teams from a range of institutions competed in a round robin qualification round before progressing to the knockout stages. With a helping hand from their 2014 win, the BU men received a bye into the final sixteen and were seeded in the number one spot. The women’s team, on the other hand, competed for their qualification in a close tie at Ashcombe. After beating Chichester, Brighton and the

University of Central London, the women pulled a draw with BUCS rivals Sussex, but came in on top of the pool and qualified at 8th seed. The men took on the weekend with an air of confidence competing in a pool of four against Royal Holloway, Liverpool and the University of London. Winning all three games with ease, they qualified top of the pool mirroring last year’s performance, setting up a quarter final clash against Sheffield the following day. In the opposite sports hall, the women’s team took on competition from Bradford, Liverpool and BUCS competitors King’s College London. After an impressive first performance, the women reflected the men’s achievements in style, winning all games whilst qualifying top of the pool ready for a quarter final clash against UCL. As play commenced on Sunday, a nervous start from the women saw them lose 2-0 to UCL, not being able to find a way through their defensive and attacking strategies. However, it was a more organised performance from the men, cleanly finishing the game 2-0 in just over half an hour. As the ladies battled it out for the best ranking place, another loss to the University of Dublin saw them playing against Saturday rivals Liverpool. The women delivered

their highest ranking in five years, as they exited the cup on a high, in 7th place. Captain Gemma Beddows told The Rock: “We’re all disappointed we didn’t win the quarter or place higher but I couldn’t have asked any more from the girls this weekend.” “Our performances yesterday [Saturday] were some of our best this season so we have to take the positives and build on them for BUCS finals.” Another win over Team Durham in the semi-finals pitted the men against their BUCS rivals and home team, University of East London in the final. Both teams showed firepower, but excellent defence from ex-Olympian Dan Hunter, and strong offence from Bulgarian outside hitter Andrea Ivanov and match MVP Phil Smith took the BU men to a first set victory. The second set became even tighter, and with tensions running high between the two teams, yellow cards were handed out to BU coach And Jones and Captain Oli Kimber. The men fought back with strong serving, only to narrowly miss the set 23-25. Opening the deciding set with another card to Kimber, this time red, the BU men went 4-0 down, fighting hard to claw it back to 8-7 on the change-over. The men prevailed their early scares, finishing the match with a one-handed punch from 6’7” Phil Smith to seal the game, who claimed he was “deeply shocked and honoured to receive the Most Valuable Player award”. Captain Oli Kimber said: “It was a good weekend and great to get the win in the final versus a strong UEL team.” He added: “I was really pleased that the whole squad had an input throughout the weekend, and I think we have built a great team ethic within the group.” “Winning student cup was always a must for us this year as we knew that we had the team to dominate the competition. “We will, however, have to step up our game if we want to beat the likes of Sheffield Hallam and Northumbria” he said, looking forward to BUCS finals in March. Californian student Mike Vellutato proved a valuable player throughout the competition and said that he “felt proud to have aided a talented BU men’s team defend their student cup title for a second year”. As they look forward to the upcoming BUCS finals, Dan Hunter told The Rock that, “The team are looking to end the season on a high with a potential win at BUCS!” Both volleyball teams will be competing in the BUCS final 8 competition on the 14th-15th March at the LeAF academy.


24 sport

Friday 27 February 2015 | The Rock

Cook urges Cherries to keep feet on the ground

I don’t believe it! 11-year-old wins goal of the month award A young Celtic fan stole the limelight during Scotland’s goal of the month competition, winning with 97% of the votes. Jay Beatty, 11, who has Down Syndrome, smashed the competition for his halftime penalty during the Bhoys visit to Hamilton Academical. Jay was part of Celtic’s prematch preparations on their travels, offering advice during the team’s pre-match team talk, and netted his halftime spot-kick in sublime fashion, with his celebrations on par with the finish. Jay received the news of his extraordinary win from former Celtic striker and idol, Georgios Samaras, who sent a personalised video to the young fan on social media from his training camp in Saudi Arabia.

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AFC Bournemouth centre-back Steve Cook says that his teammates should stay focused on their games Ross Maffey SPORTS EDITOR @RossMaffey AFC Bournemouth defender Steve Cook says the Cherries must keep their feet on the ground during their league run, and not get carried away with their recent successes. Cook joined the Cherries in January 2012, when Bournemouth sat in the middle of League one and remained for there rest of the season. In October 2012, Eddie Howe returned to the Goldsands for his second spell as manager, with his side situated in the bottom four of league one at the time. Over two years on and Bournemouth are now pushing for promotion to the biggest league in world football. Cook, who has started every league game to date this season, feels that the morale in the camp is as good as ever. “To be honest it’s been very upbeat from the start of the season. We’ve got a great bunch of lads and

especially now everything’s going so well, but we need to keep our feet on the ground.” Despite Bournemouth defying almost all of their pre-season expectations, slip-ups to Brentford and Huddersfield in recent weeks forced Bournemouth off the summit of the Championship table. Only a few points now separate the top sides in the division. “We’ve got a lot of games to play. It’s a very very good place to be, we’re not getting too carried away.” However, with success comes expectation, and Cook feels that this expectation pushes the players to optimise their performances. “We’re probably expected to win, but we put that pressure on ourselves. We feel that we are one of the best sides in the league. “We want to go about our business, and do what we do without worrying what people think of us.” The transformation and effect that Eddie Howe has produced within the squad is widely respected in the camp. “We’re a totally different side. When the gaffer first arrived we were

in the bottom four of league one, so yeah it’s different but everyone’s relishing it, it’s a great place to be at the moment.” The Cherries narrowly lead the Championship scoring chart, with recent signing Callum Wilson’s goals being the lead contributor in front of goal. Cook, who leads the back line with skipper, Tommy Elphick, will perhaps be disheartened at the nature of the games in recent weeks, with leads against Huddersfield and Derby being squandered, giving Howe’s men only two of the possible six available points, before a 3-1 defeat at Brentford. “Obviously we’ve got a long way to go so we’re not getting too carried away. We know what we want to do and what we can do as a group, and in that respect it’s easy because we know the direction we want to go to.” Cook and his teammates, however, aren’t taking their rise in the football league for granted, and vows to take each game in its own right. “We can’t look too far ahead. If you start looking far ahead and planning the points you’re going to

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get, it turns out more difficult. “We’ve got to take each game, we can’t think we’re going to get 12 points this month, nine the next … it’s not that easy. Games can change”. The majority of the Cherries squad has never played Premier League football and the inexperience within the squad could prove to be the determining factor if Bournemouth are to miss out on promotion. Derby County’s January loan signings, bringing in players who have played at the highest level, seem to be giving them the edge over promotion rivals in recent weeks, in particular, Hull City’s Tom Ince, and Aston Villa’s Darren Bent. But Cook feels that the squad is both ready and capable to take on the world’s best. “In football anything can happen but we feel that we are ready to push for the top spot.”

Turn to page 22 for more Cherries analysis.

Good to see @PooleTownFC win 3-0 last night and move 5 points clear at the top @ tomkillick working his magic again. @chazaustin9

Thanks to all at @afcbournemouth for making another dream come true. @scottydogdart

Messi is back to his best, but recognises that last year he had issues and a poor season. Imagine being that good that 41 goals is ‘poor.’ @GaryLineker


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