CUB Issue 557

MAGAZINE

ISSUE 557

CUB

Cover Image Kevin Choi

Letter from the Editor...

Welcome to CUB issue 557! For this issue we’ve gone underground, we wanted to bring you stories you might not have read, places you might not have been, and bands you’ve yet to discover. Think of us as hipster CUB- without the beard. Inside you’ll find alternative Christmas films to get you in that Christmassy mood, a slightly different London A-Z, a Yay or Nay for party drugs and head to the back of the issue to find out QM’s secret fetishes. I’m so proud of this issue, and all the hard work from our editors and most importantly contributors. We always want more of you to get involved, so if you’re interested in writing, photography or design, get in touch! You could be part of issue 558... For now, sit back and enjoy, and from everyone here at CUB, have a happy Christmas.

Mattea Editor in Chief

SECTION GUIDE

23 // ARTS ALTERNATIVE BOOK SHOP

35// STYLE REDEFINING THE MANNEQUIN

The Underground Issue 1 // MUSIC FLUFFER PIT

7// FEATURES FGM

16// FILM THE LOBSTER REVIEW 21// PHOTOGRAPHY 13 // COLUMN GEORGIA MILLER

29// LONDON WALKING TUBE MAP

40 // UNISEX EAST LONDON SEXPOSE

34 // COLUMN JOLA JASSY FB//CUB magazine Twitter//@CUBmagazine Instagram//@CUBmagazine

Fluffer Pit Party Punk,

Sweat

and Bleeding

Ears at...

Punk label Fluffer Records’ new live music venture offers a taste of underground culture that’s getting harder to find. With a concept of ‘no stage, bands in the middle’, it’s a unique setup that makes the room almost feel like an art installation rather than a gig. You’re free to move to wherever you want to be, whether that’s riding the sound in front of the speakers, or at the centre of the mosh pit. The musicians have greater liberty too, able to step out into the crowd and scream in your face.

There is little sense of ‘us and them’, crowd and band alike united in a haze of noise, smoke and sweat.

Having been responsible for bringing the likes of Cerebral Ballzy and Mercury nominated Slaves to the ears of the world, Fluffer clearly know their shit when it comes to bone-crushing punk and garage rock. Kicking off the first ever Fluffer Pit Party were Hackneybased Dressmaker, a post-punk fourpiece with a love of noise and the sweatiest backed drummer this side of the nineties. They made the most of the lack of stage, with their guitarist swooping in and out of the crowd, causing people to duck to avoid being hit by the neck of his guitar.

They were followed by Eighteen Nightmares at the Lux, the kind of band who lure you in with a waltzing melody before kicking you in the shins and giving you a nosebleed. Their dynamic genre fusing creates a blend

of pugnacious lyricism and melodic awareness that makes Eighteen Nightmares an exciting live band. Next up, grunge inflected Danish trio Baby In Vain showed why their live shows have been causing tongues to wag and eardrums to rattle all over the world with their sleazy grit-lined rock. Sinister, crushing riffs abound and it’s really fucking refreshing to see them coming from women in what is largely a maledominated sene.

Headliners God Damn incited the first proper mosh pit of the night. Their last headline show for some time, the Wolverhampton pair tore through their set with a relentless intensity, regardless of breaking amps. There was a sense of unity in reckless, loud insanity, with guitarist and frontman Thom Edward declaring “Tonight we’re all from Wolverhampton!”

Happening at a different secret warehouse location every month until March, there’s plenty of time to seek out the glorious madness of the Fluffer Pit Party. The next one is on 12th December. It’ll be the best tenner you’ll spend all month.

Words Hattie Long

Images Keira Cullinane

J Dilla,

2//Music

and hiding in the shadows

hip-hop,

This summer I made a conscious resolve to delve into new musical genres, to spread my sonic wings and soar through new scenic soundscapes. The genre I began with was hip-hop. Why? Perhaps I felt I had reached somewhat of a zenith in regard to my knowledge of soppy acoustic music, trusting hip-hop’s beat-driven punchiness to act as the perfect antidote. Or maybe I subconsciously believed that with an encyclopaedic knowledge of hip-hop, I’d finally become cool, the driving force behind all my actions. Whatever the reason, during these auditory antics of mine there has been one name that has repeatedly arisen. A genius whose roots lay deep in the underground hip-hop scene of Detroit, a producer called James Dewitt Yancey, aka J Dilla. And though many may no longer consider him an underground artist, I want to speak about how part of his attraction seems to lie in the underground nature of his music.

Similar to the relationship between screenwriters and directors in the film industry, producers are not always appreciated to the same extent as the artist, and this is epitomised by Yancey. The producer successfully and productively worked with big names like A Tribe called quest, Madlib, Erykah Badu, Kanye West and many more. But he never egotistically stamped his name on what he made, he did it for the love of it. There are stories of how the producer would forget to eat when he was lost in creating new beats, and it’s that raw work ethic driven by a passion for his music and not commercial success, that arguably adds to his musical magnetism.

During his diverse career, Yancey did work with large commercial companies, but he prioritised working with independent labels and by himself. So unlike the chart releases of artists today, whose material is thrusted upon us by mainstream labels, J Dilla was different. Speaking to his long-time listeners, e.g my fan boy flatmate, it seems part of the producer’s allure is the fact that

Words Jake Bufton

since he didn’t always release beats commercially, his music is like a rich, intricate tapestry, that requires an effort on behalf of the listener to explore. It’s something to be sought out yourself, so when you find an amazing beat amongst his crackling, unreleased, bootlegged recordings, the experience is all the more rewarding.

Although J Dilla’s talent, ingenuity and unique sound are undoubtedly all contributing factors to the high regard he’s viewed with in the hip-hop community, it’s interesting to consider how the underground nature of his music might have contributed to that regard. Not only that, if you’ve gotten this far, I hope I’ve aroused your curiosity enough to listen to a few of his tracks and delve into that J Dilla tapestry yourself.

CO//Wikipedia

Have yourself an indie little christmas...

1. Southwark Cathedral Christmas Concert Southwark Cathedral Choir performs Mozart Spatzenmesse and Christmas Carols by candlelight at 7.30pm on Friday 18th December. They’re a traditional boys choir who have performed in several venues around the country and abroad.

The cathedral’s beautiful interior creates a cosy atmosphere that anyone would enjoy.

Tasty mince pies and wine will be served to attendees during the interval.

Ticket prices start from £13; for more details, visit www.cathedral.southwark.anglican.org.

2. Def Leppard + Whitesnake If Christmas carols aren’t your thing, why not head down to Wembley Arena to see Def Leppard & Whitesnake at 6.45pm on Friday 18th December? Both bands know how to put on an epic show; they are in London for one night only with supporting act, Black Star Riders. Def Leppard are acclaimed for their catchy lyrics and mellow riffs and Whitesnake for their inspiring guitar solos. Check out Def Leppard’s new self-titled album & Whitesnakes’ The Deep Purple Album on iTunes.

Tickets prices start from £52.25 at http://www. axs.com/.

‘Tis the season to discover your new favourite band! Here are five hand-picked events happening over the festive period to get you into the spirit. Whether you are a punk rocker, an indie fan, or someone who just loves Christmas, there is something here for you. Even Santa likes a good mosh from time to time...

4//Music

3. Demob Happy The Alternative band, Demob Happy are headlining at 100 Club on 10th December!

If you are a 90’s alternative fan like me, you will love what this band has to offer. These guys have such a raw sound; their heavily distorted riffs and powerful lyrics remind me of Nirvana. I am hooked to their new album, Dream Soda which is available on iTunes.

Grab your ticket at www.songkick.com for £8, doors open at 7.30pm.

4. I Love the 90’s Christmas Party @ The Borderline Iconic music venue, The Borderline, are hosting an I Love the 90’s Christmas Party every Friday in December. Santa is going to dj all night long and give presents to all you good boys and girls. Music will vary from Britpop to hip hop, so there is something for everyone to groove to.

Tickets are only £5 at www.ticketweb.co.uk, doors open at 11pm with a curfew of 4am. co//flickr, wikicommons

Words Naomi Nnedi

People, just do something different

6//Music Whenever mainstream culture is developed into something new, it is always followed with a counterculture. The latest trend involves listening to Skepta, wearing skinny Adidas tracksuits and calling all your mates ‘wasteman’; however as with anything new there are always people pushing the boundaries into different territories. To counter the rise of these 2004 ‘back of the bus’ wannabes people have been looking 10 years earlier, to 1990s garage.

Rather than heading to Fabric in their Ralph Lauren caps and Air Maxes, people are reviving the garage scene by wearing loafers and Versace shirts to independent clubs in Hackney and Peckham.

Often a slightly older crowd, you’d quicker find yourself being offered a swig of brandy by a 25 year old, than have some drugged-up 18 year old shouting at you: ‘I got a black ski mask, but I don’t ski!’

BBC Three comedy ‘People Just Do Nothing’, about pirate garage station Kurupt FM, is definitely a big reason for this resurgence of the 90’s scene.

When the crew brought out old school legend Craig David to their #SixtyMinutesLive on Radio 1 Xtra, the video went viral as Craig sung his famous ‘Fill Me In’ over the beat of Bieber’s ‘Where Are U Now’. The show has recently been commissioned for two more seasons and part of the massive love for it comes from the fact that whilst the show is a parody of the underground pirate radio

scene, all of the cast and crew have a huge knowledge and love of the culture they’re portraying.

You’ll often see the lead MC Grindah with his sidekick DJ Beats dripping in retro Nike, Moschino and Polo Sport, with plenty of chains and gold rings to boot, listening to Artful Dodger and So Solid Crew.

again around London; however the threat is that, because people are trying to relive an era gone by, that it won’t be as good as the original and risks becoming a caricature of its true self.

Despite these worries, the future of the culture is in the hands of the marginal masses, us, the young generation of London’s early-twenties who will either run the scene into the ground or re-invent it for the 21st century.

So, in the words of garage legend Mike Skinner: “Let’s push things forward”.

In hindsight, this lifestyle has been coming back for a while now, what with the success of ‘Wavey Garms’ and, in a similar way to the original rise of garage, people wanting a night out where they can relax. People are tired of bouncing up and down for 6 hours screaming whatever the Words Alex Wallace latest Kanye West release is, Image Vicky Grout they want to do the OG shuffle and chat with their mates without having their drink slapped out their hand by some geezer who can’t see straight. And that is what the appeal of garage was at its roots - whilst it’s become known for the flashy suits and expensive drinks, what it really was about is just a group of people all wanting to unwind and listen to some good music, the image that came alongside it was just a consequence.

However it is this image, the memories, the analog photographs that have survived the last 20 years, which people are now trying to replicate. This brings in worries of where the garage scene can be taken in 2015, we’ve already seen people like Craig David, DJ Luck and MC Neat and Sunship start performing

‘People are tired of bouncing up and down for 6 hours screaming whatever the latest Kanye West release is’

Lethal Lacerations The Worldwide Terror of Female Genital Mutilation

co//flickr

TRIGGER WARNING: This article contains a detailed account of what FGM involves, which some readers may find distressing.

Before stepping down, Nigeria’s former president Goodluck Jonathan made history by signing a law to ban female genital mutilation (FGM), a non-medical practice in which the external female genitalia are partially or completely removed. According to 2014 UN data, Nigeria previously held the highest number of FGM cases in the world, with approximately a quarter of Nigerian women having undergone the process of FGM. This leads to

lifelong problems with infections, fertility, maternal deaths and sexual pain - and in most cases women suffer a complete loss of sexual pleasure.

This hidden, often unspoken, act is happening worldwide: an estimated 140 million females are suffering in countries across the globe - and, due to migration, even here in the UK. According to the NHS, it’s estimated that 137,000 women in the UK are affected by FGM, but due to the shrouded nature of the crime, the true extent is not actually known.

It’s important that we don’t refer to it as circumcision. It is genital

8//Features mutilation, it is non-medical, it is child abuse and it is an inhuman violence that causes a world of concealed complications for the rest of a woman’s life.

There is no real medical practice or knowledge involved. Girls are often cut by their own mothers, or a local ‘circumciser’, which in most cases leaves the girls tortured with pain.

FGM processes vary based on the severity of traditional beliefs, ranging from the removal of just the clitoris, to the entire amputation of all external genitalia and then sewing the remaining skin together, leaving only a pin-sized hole through which girls are expected to urinate, menstruate, and eventually have sex and give birth.

‘It is genital mutilation, it is nonmedical, it is child abuse and it is an inhuman violence that causes a world of concealed complications for the rest of a woman’s life.’

In Channel 4’s documentary, The Day I Will Never Forget, A Kenyan circumciser explains her method: “they peel the clitoris.

They hold the skin and pull it down, then the two parts that the clitoris is in between, they pull the edges up together and then cut the front bit off. You don’t cut it right down to its root because you’d damage the vein and it would bleed too much. After it’s cut you join the two bits up, and then it’s all smooth.” After stitching either side together, she says “we put on a mixture of sugar and honey, then we tie her legs together.” It is evidently an abusive, unhygienic procedure, after which the girls must wait for the day that their husbands – or if they’re lucky, a doctor – will open them up again.

The men and women facilitating theses mutilations claim it is part of their Islamic religion, however circumcision is not mentioned anywhere in the Koran. They claim that it is based on the traditional beliefs about preserving virginity until marriage and preventing promiscuity. It is treated with almost the same importance as a baptism - a cleansing ritual - but really

there is no reason or excuse for it to take place at all.

FGM is used to control women and their sexualities. Some women can’t even carry their own child as a result of the damage, and almost all women will suffer from medical issues and complications at some point in their lives. If women haven’t undergone this process, they often have to keep it secret for the shame and stigmatization that would ensue, having gone against tradition.

The political and legal intervention of this issue, in countries such as the Netherlands and France, means that awareness is rising and there is regular help and examination available to potential and current sufferers. However, most girls are pressured to suffer in silence. Due to the UK’s extensive diversity policies, the traditions of certain cultures aren’t always dealt with as they should be, and aren’t investigated or intervened with when necessary.

FGM isn’t a subject for political correctness, or adhering to diversity policies. It needs public awareness, cultural shifts and political attention if it is to stop. In the UK, it is illegal to both perform FGM and to take a British national or permanent resident abroad to perform it, or help someone do it. Unfortunately, many medical and social workers aren’t fully aware of how to deal with this issue, because it is kept so undercover. So it is merely the knowledge of this crime which needs to be brought to light and implemented into the healthcare and legal systems.

Sadly, it’s not enough to just outlaw FGM. The subject requires education and widespread awareness. If the traditional cultural attitudes of men and women can change, then so will those of their children, and we might one day be looking at a generation free from female genital mutilation.

Words Ellen Roberts-James

YAY

Should party drugs I’m sitting here writing this article about illegal drugs and right next to me, inches from the keyboard, is a glass containing a not ungenerous quantity of gin. I’ll probably discuss what to put in the article with my flatmate over a cigarette, before more gin. Next will be the headache so I’ll take a few painkillers to top the evening and I’ll wake up tomorrow and do exactly the same thing again. Yet whilst I sit here at perfect liberty to put toxins into my liver, poison my lungs, interfere with my nervous system; somebody else will take a tablet laced with rat poison and will end up in hospital.

In some cases the government seems to accept that we can’t do without certain drugs, alcohol or tobacco, and makes the pragmatic decision to both legalise them and slap massive taxes on them. Legalising these substances means they can be regulated, they won’t be contaminated with white spirit like some alcohol is in countries where it is prohibited, and at the same time the government will make money that can in turn be used to tackle public health.

Many deaths and illnesses that result from the use of illegal substances are caused by them being laced with contaminants. Almost anything is used. Dealers make money from these deaths. You could kill two birds with one stone by legalising the process and bringing it above-ground.

The government’s stance on drugs is hypocritical. The latest estimate from the NHS is that in England during 2011, 79,100 people died from deaths caused by smoking and 8,748 from alcohol. In the same year, cocaine was All I ask is that the government is consistent. implicated in122 deaths, ecstasy in 20 deaths Either substances that kill people should all and 355 died from heroin and morphine. be banned, or they should all be regulated.

Criminalising selective addicts is a historic and Why is the focus not on the largest drug dealer cultural problem with severe implications for in the UK – the government? In 2012/13 society as a whole. Since the 80’s we have tobacco made the treasury £12.3 billion in spoken about the “War” on drugs. Militancy excise duty and VAT. The comparative cost to and aggression hasn’t saved any lives and the NHS is estimated to be between £3-6 billion, drug-related issues haven’t gone away. Let’s denot counting the fact that the state makes stigmatise drugs, let’s make our streets safer; money by not having to care for these people Let’s clean up the war on drugs. in older age. The estimated cost of Class A drugs in England and Wales alone in 2003/4 Words Alfie Turner was £15.4 billion, not taking into account the huge waste of life implicit in any industry run by criminals. Regulation could make these drugs safer and simultaneously make the money that is required to educate people and save lives.

be

legalised?

Drug prohibition in the UK has been in place since Wold War I, when cocaine and opium were outlawed. Ever since, drugs have been sold on the backstreet, the underhand market which, let’s be honest, you still don’t have to look very hard for.

increase in sales and addiction as a result of this.

Not to mention the financial chunk it would bite out of the NHS when drug-related accidents and illnesses are more regularly in need of precious and already over-subscribed medical attention.

The use of party drugs – for example MDMA, Ketamine and Ecstasy - can obviously have serious damaging affects, especially when it’s not always possible to know the exact contents of what you’re taking.

Opening up the market in this way would also invite the greater presence and circulation of seriously injurious drugs such as methamphetamines and crack, which would inevitably cause much greater danger to users, and the people that come into contact with them.

Let’s agree on the fact that there are safe ways to take and experiment with drugs. They can be fun, and sometimes genuinely quite harmless. But if party drugs are legalised you can guarantee that a lot of very irresponsible people will have total access to them. Not the most comforting thought.

Certain MPs have even had the audacity to try using the Human Rights Act to decriminalise drug use and production. But this is not what Human rights legislation was designed for. Let’s face it, on a hierarchical list of Human Rights, being able to legally take Ket at a party isn’t exactly at the top.

So it’s not the answer to legalise drugs, in production, use or sale. It won’t protect the young or vulnerable, it won’t drastically improve the economy and it certainly won’t make the country a safer place.

People might think that the supervision involved in legalising drugs might also prevent sales to underage or inappropriate customers, but considering we still live in a world where kids are getting people to buy them alcohol, I feel it’s highly unlikely that they won’t do the same for drugs too. Words Ellen Roberts-James In fact, legalising drug use would only make this an easier task.

Should legalisation come about, drugs would become cheaper, the market would become friendlier and there would be an undoubted

NAY

It’s also often a violent and dangerous market. It’s relatively easy to access drugs, particularly for young and vulnerable people, and it’s easy to get ripped off and given impure substances.

10//Features

co:flickr//RachelElaine

The dark side of the snoopers charter Theresa May has pushed through some legislation that has given the state powers to snoop on all of us. This is scary and principally wrong. But hey, there’s probably something reasonable to be found in it, what with all the terrorist threats about, and the dangerous world we live in. But still, the government being able to spy on its citizens is quite a troubling idea to even consider, let alone live with in reality. Rest assured I am not trying to sensationalise the matter, but this reminds me very much of that Orwellian Radiohead lyric, ‘we’re not scaremongering, this is really happening!’. It appears that not much thought went into this idea. If it has, Britain is becoming a very dangerous place to live in.

That famous Benjamin Franklin quote, ‘Those that sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither’, gets to the heart of the issue with spying on citizens. Obviously at face value the quote is rather simplistic, since sometimes you have to give up some liberties. For instance, how we give up our liberty to drive recklessly on roads, or to publically carry piles of weapons around like a Final Fantasy character. The point is that if you give up too much liberty for the sake of safety, things will quickly get out of hand and you’ll be ultimately more unsafe. It’s a slippery slope, of the most dangerous kind.

12//Features

That’s the philosophical objection to the Snooper’s Charter out the way. Let’s go ahead and look at the social implications then. Firstly, it completely undermines the moral-spine of our legal system, because it allows the state to treat anyone like a criminal. The government, and legal system, can treat a law-abiding person as a criminal prior to an offense. In that process a judge’s role of granting warrants will inevitably just become a rubber-stamp since the government is a higher authority. Hence, the Snooper’s Charter goes against “innocent, until proven guilty”, and by extension, a fair and equal justice system. This is hyperbolic, but the government resembles the Gestapo with ideas like this.

The bill gives government a huge amount of power. But what happens when you get a malevolent, or downright idiotic, government? You get Big Brother. Unfortunately, that’s not impossible – George Bush had two presidential terms and Tony Blair had three majorities.

Ironically, the hyper-surveillance charter is coming from the people who ideologically oppose big “nanny-state” governments the most. Those in favour of these government powers are being too trusting of government authority and intention. It’s the same argument that was used to defend Absolute-Monarchism, prior to Magna Carta, 500 odd years ago; that a governing body needs to be a powerful Leviathan to keep order, and everyone safe. Those in favour are giving the state the power of a totalitarian regime and trusting that they’ll be benevolent. This is a huge risk.

In wake of recent bombings, you might think it’s better to be safe than sorry, and that this might be a rational argument for surveillance of this kind. Except France has quite a lot of surveillance and that didn’t prevent the attacks. Following events like this we offer government emergency powers without thinking about the consequences. Besides, security services will always request more powers since it make their job easier, and more profitable. Let’s not forget how much the state already (illegally) has been spying on our habits via the NSA and its ilk. They have our spending habits, our phone numbers, our account information, and even our locations.

Why would they possibly need yet more information about us to prevent crime?

So is it really worth it to give up your privacy for security? Do people even value privacy anymore?

And is a country that spies on its own citizens the so-called “free” society you want to live in? In conclusion, give someone enough rope, and they’ll hang themselves.

co//flickr, wikicommons

Words Nasif Haque

To lose one life is awful, to lose so many heartbeats on a daily basis is beyond comprehension. Where is the logic in responding to massacre by killing more people?

Solidarity. A word used by socialists, feminists and the chorus of Billy Elliot. Not really taken seriously by the elite and simply ignored by many.

We live in an age of online warriors. The people who share change.com petitions and write effusive messages on their Twitters, Facebooks and Instagrams about how they feel about injustice, though often many leave it there.

The events in Paris shocked me to my core and I say Paris, not Beirut nor Baghdad as well, because I am guilty of looking away or closing a news story when it’s sad and far away. We pretend to have always cared about everyone, but remember the summer before last of Palestinian solidarity, or standing with those girls kidnapped by Boko Haram last year? The media moved on and so did we.

Unnumbed by the proximity of these attacks I have looked through the subsequent and previous horrors that are occurring all over the world and felt for these families, individuals: innocent people who are being ruthlessly murdered. But what we don’t see in the media is our involvement in these murders. The airstrikes our Parliament has authorised will maybe help weaken ISIS and other terrorist groups, however collateral damage of innocent people is something we conveniently forget in these situations.

Recently I marched with students from across the UK to campaign for free education. In the run up to the march we tirelessly promoted the march and tried to secure a strong QM bloc to attend. The turnout of maybe 30 people was fantastic, however the amount of people I encountered who either didn’t think the march applied to them or that they were too busy so they couldn’t go was interesting. It doesn’t really affect me either, my debt probably won’t go away but if I can help save future generations from this financial burden then I would be so proud. The 9k fee-rise was protested against by students who wouldn’t have to pay it because those who would suffer were just 17. They fought for us and now we must continue the fight. If we reestablish a strong voice as students, a voice that has been silent for far too long, then we can get shit done.

A theme within the (positive) media over the last few days was the need for people to come together and show unity in this time of fragmentation. We can do it in visual ways like the incredible and moving display outside of the Library; we can do it in ways that promote action.

The potential of the student voice is massive and if we pull together in all times of crisis, not just when the media tells us to, maybe we can start to have a say in the way politicians do things.

THE LOBSTER The cinematic equivalent of listening to Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries on your commute, imagining the sad lives of those around you, thinking about the futility of existence, but of course enjoying it.

bureaucracy and bleak humour” – and that’s because they do. I would describe the film as dystopian but that would be an injustice; it’s much smarter than that.

The film takes place in an almostreal world where all single people are taken to a hotel where they must find love in 45 days or be turned into an animal. Director Yorgos Lanthimos constructs this world and its absurd bureaucratic methodology very well; step by step showing us the logic of the system. We get a sense that (almost) all the characters in the film aren’t actually weird or mentally dysfunctional, but rather normal (or at least used to be) and have reacted to this world only accordingly. A highly pretentious critic might comment “the characters seem to operate within a Kafka-esk world of absurd

It’s part Peep Show, part Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, with a dash of Synecdoche New York, and a healthy sprinkling of The Grand Budapest Hotel.

In this way The Lobster has managed to hit a vein in the collective conscious; it points its finger at the methods of living we all use (and secretly know we use), forcing you to laugh at the screen uncomfortably.

Critics have praised the film as a “scary comedy” but I disagree, it’s more of an anti-romance. It constructs a world of strange methodology; then from that we can observe the methods used to live within that world, hopefully happily – ultimately

showing the methods we use to live in our personal worlds.

It’s one of those films where many will try to seem clever by saying they enjoyed it “when many proletarians wouldn’t”, but that isn’t true. I think you could show The Lobster to anyone and they’d get something from it, it’s one of those secretly safe weird films.

Something I haven’t mentioned yet is that The Lobster is in fact star-studded; I get the sense that many actors caught wind of this strange film and wantedin for “artistic integrity”. I could reel off the famous faces in this picture, but I won’t, I simply don’t have the word count to make that an economic choice – but Olivia Colman’s in it, so it must be worth seeing.

Words Aaron West

CO:Pixabay//OPenClipartVectors

Film Review

14//Film

Alternative Christmas Films It is at this time of year which one begins to truly entails putting up some tinsel, getting the jumpers pies, spending time with family you usually wouldn’t, of Elf. But this year, CUB magazine urges you

Words Aaron West

get into the Christmas spirit; this usually out, drinking mulled wine, eating mince and of course having your annual viewing to explore some alternative festive films;

Tangerine

On Christmas Eve, under the tango-coloured, ultra-saturated scorching skies of Los Angeles, trans-woman sex workers Sin-Dee Rella &Alexandra go on a comic adventure after they discover that Sin-Dee’s boyfriend (and pimp) Chester has been cheating on her with a white woman, Dinah. As Sin-Dee searches for Chester and Dinah and Alexandra prepares for her stage show in West Hollywood, Razmik, an Armenian cab driver, drives clients around Los Angeles to raise money for the girls' company under the nose of his suspecting mother-in-law.

The film ultimately comes from another world to ours, and hence forces us to question the relevance of the extravagance of Christmas, when there are many communities cut-off from the family-gathering festivities. Tangerine is entirely filmed on an iPhone, which one might initially think is a news-pandering gimmick, although what it produces is an electric freedom of the camera. We find ourselves intimately bound to the characters with a pure sense of authenticity – like an episode of Peep Show.

Rare Exports - Finnish horror-fantasy comedy:

After scientists uncover an ancient burial ground, children of the local towns begin to go missing and their reindeer are mysteriously killed. It turns out the scientists have accidently uncovered the origin of the Santa Claus myth; a supernatural being who, rather than rewarding good children, punishes the naughty by sending out his elves to abduct children.

The local reindeer herders and one lone child, a good child, set out to capture the elves, eliminate Santa, and save the village and its captured children.

16//Film

Trading Places

The usual Christmas themes of the rich giving to the poor and moral journeys, but happens to be about Wall Street drama. A snooty investor and a homeless street con artist find their positions reversed, forcing both to revaluate their lives and morals.

The Apartment

Fanny & Alexander

Ingmar Bergman’s epitomic Christmas family film. It was originally conceived as a four-part TV movie, spanning 312 minutes; a 188-minute cut version was created later for cinematic release. Follow the large Swedish family, the Ekdahls, through the drama and tragedies of their lives through Christmas and the years 1907-1910. Now seen as one of the longest films ever widely shown in cinemas and one of the finest films ever produced.

CO: Flickr\\Krystian Olszanski CO: Flickr\\Lucas CO:Flickr\\Valentine CO:WikkiCommons

Billy Wilder produces faultless comedy and drama as Bud Baxter tries to rise in his company by letting its executives use his apartment for trysts (sexual meetings), but complications and a romance of his own ensue. Bud soon discovers love and learns of the true values of life as his becomes a whirlwind between Christmas and New Years Eve.

Pre- Code Cinema

words Harriet Corke

Even the most casual film fan knows their fair share of classic movies; whether that be Citizen Kane, It’s a Wonderful Life or a Charlie Chaplin film. But beyond that Hollywood made thousands of films during its golden age – from the 1920s to the early 1960s – yet most of us know nothing about them.

Perhaps the reason for this is the popular misconception that any film pre-1970s is tedious, bland or, worst of all, silent.

Of course it’s different to modern cinema; you’d think looking at an eighty-year-old film to see eighty-year-old values, when in fact during the 1920s and 1930s Hollywood was home to some of the most visionary filmmakers, who were untamed by boundaries. From 1929 to 1934 no censors were enforced. Which lead to all types of edgy material. This “Pre-Code” era was buzzing with films about taboo subjects. It was pioneering in its efforts to discuss the undiscussed. Sex. Violence. Social dilemmas.

Quintessential pre-code cinema The Divorcee, released in 1930, covers the taboo subject of sex. It follows a woman who gets back at her cheating husband by sleeping with his best friend, living an independent life and refusing to be submissive, like other stereotypical women of the age. The portrayal of a smart, sassy, sexually liberated woman was a refreshing change from the usual female characters of the time, and is still relevant.

In some ways the same obscene beauty standards still apply to women in

18//Film

Hollywood. Directors still focus on actress’ looks rather than their talent. So when ‘The Divorcee’ rejects her on-screen husband’s proclamation that ‘you’d go all the way and back for me’ and finally says no to double standards, it’s a victory for women across the ages. Luckily this theme would take flight in the post-Code era, producing witty comedies like His Girl Friday and The Women (the latter of which had an all-female cast) which championed the independent woman.

Outside of Hollywood, German director G. W. Pabst was breaking boundaries. In 1929 he made two films with American actress Louise Brooks; Pandora’s Box, where Brooks plays Lulu, the mistress of a newspaper owner whose destructive behaviour results in carnage; and Diary of a Lost Girl which follows an innocent young girl whose fate forces her into prostitution.

Both films touch on several forbidden themes of violence, misogyny and sexual identity; which of course was outrageous for the time. These ideas might be familiar to us now, but that doesn’t make these films any less intriguing.

Of course Classic cinema isn’t for everyone, but it’s unfair that it is never given the chance to shine.

Once in my GCSE media class, someone objected to watching a black and white film. According to them, it was a foregone conclusion that it’d be “boring”. Sadly this seems to be the general consensus when the truth is, these aren’t just museum pieces, they’re just as relevant and entertaining as today’s films and in some cases even more so. Once you take a glimpse of classic cinema its essence is hard to forget, it seems to hold that “magic of the movies” which few modern films do – hence “Golden Age”.

Photography

20//Photography

Kanahaya Alam

1. Thurlow Court: Renting. Mum’s reflection + drops of water from my hair.

My photos are quiet observations; I photograph things I’d like to remember. I appreciate that, to some, they may appear boring or lack significant content. This is something that I’ve found very difficult to accept. I want people to think and feel in the way that I do but I’ve come to understand that this is impossible, especially as emotional attachment plays such a big part in everything. You can’t always explain why you’ve taken a photo of something or why you like it - because you just do - so words can be pretty redundant, which is probably why this isn’t really going anywhere.

Sophia Ă lvarez Barnes 2. Clacton on Sea: Afternoon. Some people walking on water.

Central London’s Independent Bookshops We often hear of the plight of the bookshop. Whether it’s Waterstones having financial problems, or how the evil online retail giant that is Amazon is taking over book selling, with their often irresistible (especially for students) discounts and fast selling kindles. However, amongst the hustle and bustle of central London, seated humbly in between the myriad of high-street chains, are plenty of cosy, independent bookshops that are thriving in what is constantly branded ‘the digital age’. words Emily Richardson

24//Arts

The London Review Bookshop The London Review Bookshop has an extensive collection, and although it caters to the

scholarly and academic crowd, it has an abundant selection of fiction both old and new. The new release fiction stand is stacked with intriguing titles, and aside from that, it has shelves upon shelves covering an array of non-fiction genres. The café in the shop serves tea and cake, and they often hold events where writers come and speak and debates are welcomed.

14 Bury Place, WC1A 2JL

Arthur Probsthain

Just down the round from the London Review, and opposite the British Museum is Arthur Probsthain. Another bookshop come tearoom, this shop focuses on specifically Oriental and African literature, covering art, history, film, and more. Alongside new books, there are some cheaper second hand shelves, which hold (clearly well read and loved) old books, for as little as a pound.

41 Great Russell St, WC1B 3PE

Bookmarks For those with an interest in politics and current affairs, this self-described ‘Socialist Book-

shop” will be a treasure trove. With the largest section unsurprisingly being dedicated to Marxism, it also has shelves devoted to Woman’s Liberation, Politics, History, War, and Anti-Imperialism. It also has a selection of pamphlet style publications for around £2, that provide a more concise briefing of different areas of politics or important political events, keeping inline with the history of pamphlet use to ignite social consciousness or revolution.

1 Bloomsbury St, WC1B 3QE

Atlantis Bookshop

This little shop is London’s oldest independent occult bookshop. It is decorated as you might expect, with a variety of intriguing sections such as; palm reading, tarot, modern witchcraft, and Egyptian magic. The shop has a history of being London’s centre of the occult world, so if you’re looking to attend spiritual events, acquire a crystal ball, or delve into the world of magic; this is the independent shop for you. 49A Museum St, WC1A 1LY

Persephone Books Persephone Books is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing bookshops you will visit. With an

interior full of wooden furniture, lamps, and walls adorned with framed literature related sketches; there are stacks of books at the front of the shop, and the desks of the publishing house’s office workers at the back. All of the books they publish are bound with the same beautifully simple grey covers, with each title having end papers with different, yet equally as lovely, fabric inspired patterns. They only publish female authors whose literature they feel should be made available, and the writers are mainly from the early to mid twentieth century. The signature book jacket means it’s almost impossible to judge a book by its cover, (whilst simultaneously evoking a desire to purchase the book simply for its unique binding!). This shop is perfect for those who crave a more unusual read, and access to lesser-known female authors.

59 Lamb’s Conduit St, London WC1N 3NB

a step back in time: Martha Graham

Martha Graham is famed as one of the leading and most esteemed pioneers of the contemporary dance movement, and the unquestionably ‘underground’ origins and dark themes of her work may be a reason for this.

Graham’s most famous piece Lamentation focuses on confinement and an inability to escape. Graham premiered the piece in New York in 1930, shortly after the famous Wall Street Crash, and dedicated the work to struggling women. Whilst the work was incredibly contextually aware of its environment it did not simply appeal to the situation of the women of New York, it appealed to women worldwide presenting the struggles of life as the seemingly secondary and, more often than not, powerless sex. Graham’s work abstracts and alienates the audience from their own reality, whilst simultaneously doing the exact opposite, the more alien and deplorable the reality portrayed, the more recognizable it becomes.

In Lamentation a singular dancer appears on an unlit, darkened stage save for a single spot light, the light illuminates the dancer and causes the audience to subconsciously consider what is beyond, in the darkness. As the piece progresses the audience realize there is nothing else on the stage, which becomes uncomfortable, as the audience begins to fear entrapment in what they are watching. Most other contemporary genres of performance art focused on audience engagement. The emerging musical theatre scene a key player in this, with upbeat and engaging characters and songs and dance routines dominating the stage. Graham’s piece is quite the opposite.

words Alison Murphy

26//Arts

Graham’s work breaks out of restrictive silence by exhibiting and forcing upon the audience the very thing it escapes Graham’s dancer actively weeping on stage gave women their rights back to weep, to express themselves emotionally, however dark the emotion, and the right to contest their silencing. The music is discordant and perhaps beyond enjoyability yet it is free from the confines of restrictive beats and rhythms found in classical pieces, representative of the wider theme of the piece. The performance whilst a solitary one engages with vast audiences; the only prop required is a wooden bench which is easily transported from place to place, meaning Graham’s work could be performed to a vast audience rejecting the necessity of a set and thus a theatre.

In spite of them being the only figure on stage, and perhaps because of this, Graham’s dancer cannot be truly engaged with, appear as more of a symbol as opposed to a character.

She appears in a restrictive purple bodysuit from head to toe, her face whilst visible is distorted in that it almost does not relate with the way her body appears. The dancer reaches out of the suit in attempts to break free throughout the piece to no avail. In conjunction with this, the emerging genre of contemporary dance allows the dancer to use her face to express emotion, something usually absent from performances of dance, most notably in classical ballet pieces. The dancer’s facial expressions portray her weeping silently, even her voice cannot escape the confines of this purple prison.

Graham’s work can be viewed as a negative, whilst startlingly accurate view of the reality for her female peers and their confinement in society. That being said, I prefer to interpret Graham’s piece as one of optimism, a groundbreaking advance in the modernist movement. From the things I have said above, you could be forgiven for thinking that my view is far too optimistic and avoids the cruel emotional realities of the piece, yet Graham’s work allowed these dark emotions to be expressed in a way that had not been seen before in the theatrical sphere, so cannot be separated from the positive forward progression of contemporary dance.

The ability to relate to a piece that disengages with every normative stereotype of dance provides the audience with a freedom to interpret the piece in whatever way they choose as there is very little other work to judge it by. Graham’s work breaks out of restrictive silence by exhibiting and forcing upon the audience the very thing it escapes. The theme of the piece does not hide, it is not dilute but stark, it allows the audience to reinterpret and reconsider the act of dance.

Whilst Graham’s contextual grounding of the work is of paramount importance to an interpretation of the piece, this consideration is at times over discussed. When considering Graham’s work, it is important to keep sight of her innovation as one of the leading practitioners of her time, her work rejected the restrictions of classical ballet and allowed the body to move and appear in a more natural manner than was typical of the time. Graham’s piece wasn’t about hiding behind beauty and expectation, it was about reality, whether a harsh one or not, this unveiling of reality is the truly beautiful element of the piece.

As well as learning a bit of history about this great figure in the progression of contemporary dance, I hope this will encourage you to push boundaries in whatever way you can to break through many of the still potent confinements we are trapped in today. Taking a risk often pays off in the long run.

A Queen Mary comic artist you should keep an eye on, Chris Claudet’s comics are perfect if you want a little giggle in the midst of a busy day. Chris is nineteen and in his first year studying Mechanical Engineering.

Here is what he has to say about why he makes comics and his inspirations.

What better way to keep in touch with my creative side than making simple digital comics?

At the start of my engineering course, the most art I could do was CAD and graphs of data, so I wanted to use some of my time and digital illustrating skills to highlight the little things I experienced in student life in an artistic way.

The comic featured here is just one of hundreds of digital pieces I’ve drawn since I was 12. This piece is the fresh start of a new comic series: Doodle Diddums.

My siblings and I would play games together often and if there was a character I liked a lot I would sketch them on paper and scan the sketches digitally to colour them in. At the start of secondary school, I found the biggest online platform for casual fan artists like me, DeviantArt. I still use it now, but mainly for browsing art. DeviantArt is infamous for its bottomless abyss of Fan Art, Anime and MLP that I, as a fan artist at the time, fell into and had a hard time escaping.

David Besnier and Arin Hanson are two animators who inspired me profoundly and their art helped me start making my own original works. I started researching original animations, making my own storyboards and character designs and even tried voice acting. Les

Gobelins, an animation school in France, has numerous incredible animations on YouTube that I drew from.

Unfortunately for me, I am a perfectionist and could never finish an animation I started. It would all be based around one joke and by the time I draw thirty frames, I questioned the amount of effort this old joke was worth.

In the words of Corey Arte, “Animation is like making a joke and seeing if anyone laughs at it three years later.”

So naturally, I switched to comics.

Katie Tiedrich, Andrew Dobson and Emi Lenox are just a few of the comic artists I love. The expressions, style and character amalgamated with the personal diary feel, not taking itself seriously. Comics are like pot noodles compared to the full course dinner that is animation. It takes a relatively short time to make, but still so tasty and satisfying. I figured as a hobbyist artist and as a student living a slightly unconventional life, comics are ideal.

A collection of them is not just something for others to appreciate, but visual representations of brief moments in life which I think should be remembered, and are remembered through my work.

Please if you enjoyed this comic, check out my Facebook page or website (www.facebook.com/iamdaboya) for more art and look out for more Doodle Diddums in CUB Magazine in the future.

free sandwiches

28//Arts

The Brand Spanking New ‘Walking Tube Map’ WORDS: KATIE GILL

30//London

As the hands of Big Ben creep towards 5pm, the air grows gradually colder. A dense fog, charged with tension, settles over an autumnal London town. The chimes begin to clang. Quickened footsteps permeate the darkening city, streets thick with urgency and dread. You can just smell the body odour and panic. That’s right – the onslaught of rush hour. Cue sweaty palms and bitten nails.

We’ve all been there. Finishing work between the hours of 5pm and 7pm is a total nightmare. You know that the central line is going to be heaving with grumpy, post-work commuters and the bus isn’t going to be much better.

Do you brave it? Or do you decide to pop into a nearby pub for a quick beverage until the rush dies down? (Any excuse).

The new initiative from Transport for London may help to reduce, or at least control, this anxietyinducing experience. They have designed a new ‘Walking Tube Map,’ which details the walking distance, in minutes, between tube stations. Personally, I think that this is genius. Of course, this will not completely transform rush hour into a blissful, breezy train ride with Lionel Richie’s mellow tones echoing throughout platforms and sparse passengers skipping through carriages high-fiving each other with slow motion giggles. However, the new walking map is extremely useful for tourists and visitors who are not so familiar with the city and who would usually just take the tube to their destination because they are unaware that it is actually within reasonable walking distance. This won’t alter the travelling plans of commuters who live further out as they’ll still need to take the tube to and from work, however it’s a positive step towards reducing unnecessary congestion at London’s busiest stations. For example, if you’re strolling around central and fancy nipping to Leicester Square, you could walk for a very short twelve minutes from Holborn rather than taking the Piccadilly line. Leicester Square is also only a ten minute walk from Embankment, making a tube journey seem ridiculous. Fancy popping to good old Brick Lane and getting quirky with the vintage markets? It’s just an eighteen minute walk from Stepney Green to Aldgate, so get those legs movin’.

By highlighting the very short distance between stations, the walking tube map could persuade people to walk rather than take the tube, which will not only help to decrease some of the hustle and bustle of the underground transport system, but also promotes exercise by encouraging walking. The physical and mental

health benefits of using those sexy legs are already wellknown: walking can help to reduce stress and anxiety (commonproducts of living in such a busy city as London) and can help to keep you physically fit. Also, I believe that walking through London and soaking up the beautiful skyline is also conducive to good mental health. It forces you to focus upon your surroundings and consequently takes your mind off any niggling worries, even helping you to re-evaluate your problems as you stroll along, admiring the view and pondering life’s questions (because, let’s face it, we’re deep).

All in all, the walking tube map can only be a good thing. Granted, it may not completely improve congestion on the underground, however it encourages walking and, in doing so, promotes better physical and mental health. Going underground? That’s soo 2014. Walk this way to fitness and tranquillity.

You can access the Walking Tube Map by visiting: content.tfl.gov.uk/walking-tube-map.pdf

THE QM STUDENT’S ds wor

OF UNDERGROUND

Me

ga n

s li Hu ol H ntl y & Sophie

d

a e b f c Affordable Art Fair - Popping up sporadically in Hampstead and Battersea, this fair does exactly what it says on the tin; it displays a variety of art from across the globe at more affordable prices. While much of the art is, admittedly, still not cheap, some prices start from around £20 and the fair also provides various activities, bars and cafes, as well as ample browsing opportunities.

Brixton Market - You’re probably thinking this isn’t really ‘underground’ London. Everyone with an eye for food and funky vibes knows about this place, right? You might not know about Casa Morita though, and you should. With gorgeous tacos and quesadillas selling at three for £6, Casa Morita reminds us all of why our stomachs fell in love with Mexican food in the first place. Go.

Chelsea Physic Garden – Situated next to the Thames, this is the second oldest botanical garden in Britain. Inside the sanctuary of the walled garden you can find areas containing medicinal, edible and woodland plants, alongside a shop and cafe. Founded in 1673 by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries, the gardens are now a charity and provide a wonderful retreat within the city.

Dalston Junction - Dalston, a district in the London Borough of Hackney, offers so much more than classic East End boozers. Personal favourite secret spots include Café Oto for amazing cappuccinos and an outside area where you can work, read and chat to your leisure for hours, and a secret bar hidden in Dalston’s the Breakfast Club, but I won͛t tell you where. Just ask the waiter to see the Mayor of Scaredy Cat town, and all will be revealed...

Epping Forest – Epping Forest is a 6,000 acre stretch of beautiful woodland located in north-east London. It is hard to believe that this large expanse of green is only a 45-minute journey from Mile End, but the forest contains rivers, multiple lakes and grassland, providing Londoners with a tranquil escape without the need to venture too far from the capital.

Fun – Here’s our very own recipe for a day of fun: Head to Brixton Academy. It’s played host to a number of sell-out bands in a colossal yet strangely intimate stage which makes for a sweaty and sexy night of melodies. Cool off with a ‘Mars Attack’ milkshake from the Love Shake in Shoreditch, and take a trip round a real life confusingly crazy maze at Hampton Court all before the last tube home.

10/10 fun.

g k l h m i n j o p

32//London

Garlic and Shots – The name really says it all when it comes to this restaurant and bar on Frith Street in Soho. The upstairs restaurant serves burgers, chilli and quesadillas, among other things, and absolutely everything contains – yep, you guessed it! – garlic. Downstairs, the bar holds a selection of 101 different shots, ranging from the Make My Day (whiskey, menthe, vodka and Southern Comfort) to a miniature Woo Woo cocktail (vodka, peach and cranberry) – everything you need for a wonderfully unique night out.

Happy Hour (hooray!) - The happiest time of day. We know that finding cheap wine, beer or cocktails in the capital isn’t the easiest of tasks, so we’ve done the work for you. Try out super chill Café Kick in Farringdon for £4.58 cocktails and £2 bottles of house beer, or Hackney’s Adam & Evebar for house wines, beers and weekend Bloody Mary’s for £3.

Don’t forget to drink responsibly.

Independent Cinema – London holds a wealth of independent cinemas just waiting to be discovered, so if you fancy giving the Odeon and its extortionate prices a miss, head to either the Curzon in both Mayfair and Soho, the Picture House (with locations in central, Hackney, Stratford and Greenwich, among others), or Genesis Cinema on our very own Mile End Road, for a much more personal cinematic experience.

Jack the Ripper – London residents still haven’t forgotten about the haunting serial-killings in Whitechapel in the late nineteenth century. The mysterious killer, known most famously as ‘Jack the Ripper’ slipped through Police DNA records and still has not been identified to this day. So, if you’re into scary stories after the night falls, look no further than the Jack the Ripper walking tour, London’s longest and most chilling walking tour yet... I dare you.

Kyoto Gardens – a hidden haven set amidst the equally beautiful Holland Park in Kensington, Kyoto Gardens is a wonderful Japanese garden, complete with waterfall, koi carp and peacocks. Providing West London with a unique slice of Eastern culture, the gardens are unmissable come rain or shine.

Lovin’ Them Landmarks - The Big Ben, the London Eye, the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge... the L’s are all about London’s most iconic landmarks and list is literally endless. For the more secret attractions, check out John Snow’s water pump - no, not the hottie from Game of Thrones - Dr. John Snow that helped trace the chlorea outbreak in 1854 by sourcing various areas contaminated water to this very pump still standing in Broadwick Street, W1.

Mildred’s – set in the heart of Soho, Mildred’s is a wonderful vegetarian restaurant serving amazingly flavourful food. The restaurant itself is tiny and doesn’t take bookings, meaning that you might be left waiting in a queue out the door.

However, the range of vegetarian and vegan food on offer, coupled with the amazingly light, bright and airy atmosphere, more than makes up for this!

Nerd-Out – Sick and tired of QM library? You’re not the only one. If you fancy hitting the bottle whilst you hit the books then look no further than the wondrous the Drawing Room, Southbank. Behind a bookshelf in Benugo Bar & Kitchen lies a secret cocktail bar/library full of fine luxurious armchairs, mahogany coffee tables and walls lined with classic literature.

Very Charles Dickens.

Orbital Comics – located between Leicester Square and Covent Garden, Orbital Comics holds a wealth of comics and graphic novels – both modern and vintage – as well as a huge selection of merchandise and collectables, providing hours of browsing opportunities. The store also puts on regular events and signings and even has its own podcast network, available online for free.

Photobooths – much better than any selfie, inside recordshop Rough Trade and night-club Cargo are old-school photobooths that will take you back to the days of Elvis and Marilyn in the 50’s era of rock n’ roll. Document your moment in the most hip (and black and white) way possible, at £3 a pop.

q r v w s x t y u z Queen of Hoxton – an East London bar and club popular with students, Queen of Hoxton holds regular club nights, as well as various themed art workshops during the day and even a weekly ukulele class, for those interested in releasing their inner hipster.

Richmond & Regents Park – Did you know that London boasts over 5,000 acres of pure, stunning greenery? I didn’t either, and we have crazy green space like Regents and Richmond Park to thank for that. It’s not all about picnic blankets though - Regents Park offers an open air theatre, the London Zoo and a boating lake to explore, and the beautiful Isabella Plantation plant gardens at Richmond Park is also a must-see.

Sir John Soane’s Museum – A veritable treasure-trove of artefacts, paintings and architecture, this museum in Holborn is the former house of prolific architect John Soane. Over his lifetime, Soane amassed a breathtakingly vast collection, containing everything from paintings by Turner and Hogarth, to an amazing Egyptian sarcophagus. After Soane’s death, the house and its contents were left to the public and have remained untouched for almost 180 years.

Theatre – Yes, that big umbrella word which drama students proudly proclaim they study and which Londoners love.

Take a break from big names like the National Theatre and the Barbican for a while and spare some time for the Bush Theatre, in Shepherd’s Bush, and the Arcola Theatre in Hackney. They show politically stimulating plays to completely mad plays all in a cosy, intimate space whilst doing great things for their community – exactly what theatre should do.

Underground – no, not the tube, but rather the Café in the Crypt located under St. Martin-in-the-Fields church, just off of Trafalgar Square. The café serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner, allowing you to dine affordably all day long, all the while amongst beautiful vaulted ceilings and tombstones. Don’t miss the jazz nights on Wednesdays!

Vegeterian and Vegan – Whoever says vegetarians and vegans are ‘missing out’ are wrong. For the ultimate spread of vegetarian/vegan food, whether it’s a lunch buffet packed with pumpkin noodles, pasta basilico or mushroom and spinach raclette, Veggie Vegan in Kensington should be your next stop. Romantic candlelit dinners and romantic takeaways watching Gogglebox are also available.

WestEnd4£10 – this membership, available through Mousetrap Theatre Projects for 19-23 years olds, organises fantastic monthly theatre events – some are high-profile West End shows, while others are lesser-known plays – alongside Q&As, all for ten pounds – or under! Sign up online for information about upcoming events.

Xciting stuff! – I really struggled with that one. For other information on tourist attractions, secret spots, and the best of the best restaurants, bars, cafes, art galleries in London Time Out will always offer xciting options for all your needs.

Ye Old Cheshire Cheese – this is a fantastic historic pub located on Fleet Street and dating right back to the 17th century. It is one of the oldest pubs in London and was said to be a haunt of Charles Dickens and Samuel Johnson.

The pub is designed to take you right back to the 1600s, with a fantastic atmosphere, a labyrinth of various rooms in which to sit and a selection of Samuel Smith beers on tap, alongside a restaurant on the downstairs floor.

Zoos - Last, but by no means least, we have zoos, but why not try swapping the classic London Zoo for Hackney City Farm? A whole host of farmyard animals await to meet your petting needs along with an award-winning café and restaurant. Hackney City Farm also runs educational classes on green living and caring for animals.

Foody Confessions with Jola Herbs For Your Joint (of Beef)

34//Column

Neither is it hard when it comes to the upkeep of your buds. Simply root the free-held sprigs to be potted, or shove on your window-sill where the sun will hit it most. They don't even need to be watered every single day! Once every couple of days is fine and next thing you know it, your housemates will start sucking up to you, apologising for puking in your bed and try to win your heart for a hit of your tasty food.

Rosemary, Basil, Oregano, Dill, Tarragon, Mint, Chives, the list goes on. Having just a few of these is a great part of your arsenal against bland foods! Got tomato pasta for the third time this week? Try adding rosemary one day, and basil the next. It really does make a difference. And if you have high expectations then prepare for them to be exceeded. Not only will you be enhancing the flavour and quality of your dishes, but you would be adding life and beauty into your room or house. And to add even more onto those extremely convincing reasons to put more

spice in the pot, there are a bountiful amount of health benefits to incorporating herbs into your diet. Rosemary is good for your skin as well as being said to help with memory and concentration. Oregano aids gasto-intestinal problems (and girls, it slightly soothes period cramps)!. And parsley is a great immune booster. Medicinal properties? Yes please.

However, if you don't want to grow them, dry them! If you're lazy like me, drying herbs is a great way to store herbs without the responsibility or commitment. There are many ways you can do this, the internet is our best friend to find out how to do this ( since my method of using the microwave nearly burnt down my house and my advice would be irresponsible!). So with the abundance of rain that we experience here in England, you'll have a plentiful amount of greenery to last you until graduation! Get growing.

Words Jola Jassy

CO:WikkiCommons

There comes a time in our quaint student life where we must transition from lowly poor student (hopefully) into a fully functioning mature adult. Forget acquiring the knowledge about council tax, full-time jobs and debt, it's all about how well you can cook to impress others and keeping your palette satisfied. The answer to all of your questions for after you graduate is herbs (ha). Us when we become graduates will take one of two paths in life, and incidentally they have the same mantra: "Herbs help". For those who will enter the world of working, living and cooking, herbs are the key to culinary success. And with christmas fast approaching, it doesn't hurt to roll up some aromas when blazing up the oven for your christmas dinner. It's simple, in order to transform yourself, all you need is a window-sill and water ... free! Okay so not completely free, you have to buy the herbs, but most mainstream supermarkets like Sainsbury's and Tesco sells them either in their pot or free-hand for a couple of pounds.

Alongside our outfit builds being too eccentric, not having a particular size in that must-have garment and the 5p plastic bag charge (despite it being a UK law), the size of mannequins is just another topic which is a common cause of customer discontent within our store. Topshop seems to be a constant target for the use of ‘ridiculously shaped mannequins’ despite many other mainstream high street stores displaying those of a similar proportion. Customer complaints regularly appear on all social media platforms.

‘I’m sure many clever, strong and beautiful women of any age are made to feel insecure by your mannequins and advertisements.. Perhaps it’s about time you became responsible for the impression you have on women and young girls and helped them feel good about themselves rather than impose these ridiculous standards.’

no means associate themselves with the average female characteristics. Brands and their creative teams (including ours) go to extreme lengths to make their visual merchandising as dramatic and striking as possible. During a previous Spring/Summer campaign, Topshop replaced the heads of mannequins in window displays with a bouquet of flowers. Visual merchandising is about putting the products into context, making them look their best in order to sell. At no point in this operation is the concept of setting an unattainable ideal for the female population thought about. Mannequins are not role models. Mannequins are dummies (with legs that are longer than you).

The insecurity that these frames impose is not achieved simply by these mannequins in high-street shop windows. The dimensions and the distress they seem to cause is a result of presupposed ideologies associated with the ‘ideal’ supermodel body statistics: 6ft, size 0, thigh gap and flawless skin, characteristics only camera angle, photoshop and/or an instagram filter can achieve. A large number of women undoubtedly attempt to achieve this ‘ideal’ hence the surge in sales of diet teas and other fad diets.

Redefining the Mannequin Confessions from the Stock room

The mannequins are undoubtedly rather slender and if girls began to upload photographs of these to instagram with the hashtag #bodygoals, then we would most certainly have some serious issues. I am all for the idea that women should feel comfortable in their bodies regardless of their shape or size. I am not so much attracted to the idea of normalising mannequins whose thigh is smaller than my arm which is why we must stop looking at such items as the norm.

‘Mannequin’ ‘manIkIn/ noun a dummy used to display clothes in a shop window.

With the mannequins having a height of 187cm (6ft 1), a UK 6/7 foot size and anywhere-on-the-spectrum hair colour, these mannequins by

So how do we ‘correct’ this? Introduce larger models? In an attempt to distance themselves from normalising such petite mannequins, some stores have introduced UK size 16 mannequins as part of their campaigns. This is simply taking one extreme and replacing it with another.

Implementing frames that are considered overweight is just as dangerous. It shouldn’t matter what we see around us whether it be dummies in a window or those walking past us in the street.

Let us worry instead about changing the perception of an ‘ideal’ woman in the fashion industry starting with the walking models rather than those made of fibreglass.

Words Annie Giles

36//Style

CO:Flickr\\MsSaraKelly

Is the fashion world finally becoming a nicer place? Is the bitchy, non-inclusive, infamously demanding world of catwalks and catty fights finally ready to stand up to 2015 face on, and leave the controversy and ancient traditions in the past?

Well, it certainly seems as if it is heading in the right direction.

CO:WikkiCommons CO:Flickr

While Caitlyn Jenner’s bold pose on the cover of June’s Vanity Fair issue seems to have sparked the latest interest and acceptance of the ever-growing transgender community, trans models do of course go beyond the Kardashian/Jenner era. Launched in 2010, and dubbed as ‘game-changing talent’ was ‘Trans Models’, the world’s first transgender modelling agency, today boasting more than seventeen models. Considering it has been established for five years, I suppose we haven’t seen a fair share of trans models walking the catwalk or headlining fashion campaigns. Givenchy have led the way however and Vogue Magazine have recently taken the leap to include trans models in their glossy pages and expensive photo shoots. (Realistically, if CUB style were to run a photo shoot, we would have been there years ago, wouldn’t we?!) But, as trans modelling agencies continue to open – there are now three in the USA, get ready to see a trans model on a high street near you.

Transforming the Fashion World

& Other Stories, sister label to H&M are launching a new campaign, fronted only by five transgender ‘creatives’, showing the expanded visibility of the transgender community in the fashion world, AND in the 21st century. Created to progress the idea of gender in fashion, and show how fashion is slowly becoming ‘an inclusive community for all’ we will see the reaction this gets on the high street. Perhaps not the most stylish of gear, but even prison clothes are today modelled by trans actress Laverne Cox, on Netflix’s starring show Orange is the New Black.

Does this mean that television shows like Britain and America’s Next Top Model will also feature transgender models? We will have to wait and see. Surely though, this slow but vital progress in the industry is hinting that it’s up for a change. We all know the stereotypes of the diva behind the designs, and the debates surrounding size zero models. Hopefully, expanding the transgender community into this bizarre world of creativity and tantrums will breakdown some of these issues and direct a brand’s focus on style and iconic design, and away from lousy newspaper headlines about the latest fashion spat.

Words Emily Goodman

Eastward Ho! an East London Sexposé

38//Unisex

London is a place where you can be anyone you like, so it’s no surprise that when students flock to the big city, they indulge in various whims and fancies in the name of discovering themselves. One of the most important aspects of student life is the sexual freedom that comes with it. You’re never more than a few night bus stops away from your bed, and if you and/or your sexual partner operate at a loud volume, you’re going to get cheers from your flatmates rather than awkward breakfasts with your parents.

Yet, for some, the novelty of student sex wears thin. There are those who are aroused by a whole range of different fetishesrubber, asphyxiation, bondage, adult babies, cross dressing- all perfectly normal and healthy, but difficult to explain to the person you’ve just pulled in Drapers. So where does one go, if looking for slightly less vanilla sex? I’ve done my research, and narrowed it down to three clubs, which not only suit most tastes, but are all only one short night-bus ride away.

1) Chariots Sauna, Shoreditch.

2) Kinky Salon, venues differ.

Take the N205. Exclusively for gay and bi men, Chariots has been described as a leisure centre, but with sex. Whilst that might not sound appealing, the pool, steam room, sauna and Jacuzzis (not to mention the private rooms) might entice you. Bathing suits are optional.

What makes this stand out as one of the friendliest and most relaxed gay scenes in London is the lack of pressure to join in. It’s perfect for those who’d just like to swim, steam, and get their bearings.

One of the most original and fantastic sex societies in London. Their motto is acceptance, and whether you’re gay, straight, bi, pan or asexual, there’ll be a way for you to relax, enjoy, and have a good time. All events have an emphasis on disabled access, and costumes are encouraged. However, unlike many sex clubs in London, costumes don’t have to be seductive. You can be silly and imaginative with your outfits, ascribing to the idea that with mental freedom comes sexual freedom. Run by a group of volunteers, this inclusive, friendly group operates more as a community than a secret society, and is perfect for those who like to have a laugh before, during or after sex.

CO:WikkiCommons

3) Le Boudoir, somewhere in Aldgate, but so secretive that you aren’t told the location until you buy membership. Take the 25.

This strictly black tie sex club is exclusive, elite, and very, very, elegant. In addition to the normal ‘adult play’ club features such as a dungeon room, rope area and trays of free-to-use bondage equipment, Le Boudoir also offers a handpicked group of trained Masters, Mistresses and Submissives to get things going. The crème de la crème of the snobby sex society world, they truly have thought of everything, from chilled fridges to put your champagne in, to fluffy robes to cover yourself in the smoking area.

Getting up personal close and my visit

to a

sex club Words Ruby Kilroy

A brief search for ‘Sex Clubs London’ took me to places such as The Serpent Rooms, dimly-lit medieval torture chambers of sex, that look a bit like Frankenstein started bonking Dracula in the middle of the Spanish Inquisition.

But in a good way. They offer hire of particular dungeons and mistresses (my favourite being Mistress Khaleesi, because Emilia Clarke. Or maybe Eris Bent who describes herself as Mistress and Switch Bitch. I don’t know what a switch bitch is, but it sounds pretty fun) for a select fee.

But being honest, that’s not totally my thing. So I went exploring and found myself attending a gig in the basement of The Flying Dutchman in Camberwell.

I immediately knew I’d like it there, the website describing the building as ‘an alternative venue for hire’, an ‘LGBTQ friendly venue’ that offers rooms for club nights, art exhibitions and, yes, sex.

Nailed across the beams were leather straps. All the better to string you up, my dear. Provocatively shaped lips hung on the bathroom doors to indicate gender, and a beautifully preserved confessional, surrounded by velvet rope had a sign next to it, emblazoned: ART WORK. DO NOT TOUCH.

Obviously the space is used for exhibitions, but I couldn’t help wondering if perhaps it had been used for something more.

The interior was quite subtle at first.

Purple walls, neon lighting that had started to peel away beneath the bar, the original wooden beams were still visible across the ceiling.

The bar staff were wonderful, of course.

I got chatting to one guy who laughed when I asked if he’d ever involved himself with the venue’s sexploits. I was told he did participate in some similar activities, but not where he worked as it would be unprofessional.

But the staff did know some of the regulars, who apparently were quite comfortable to sit up at the bar and have a drink afterwards.

Nothing particularly screamed, Sex! But after a couple of minutes, I started noticing more.

It actually sounded like a really friendly atmosphere; sometimes it was a pub, sometimes it was a gig venue, sometimes it was a sex club, it didn’t make a difference to the staff.I think the reason I took so readily to The Flying

40//Unisex

Dutchman was because it offered a nice alternative to much of my Googling.

A lot, not all but a lot, of sex clubs fell into one of three categories: A costumed affair, mainly of the leather variety; an ‘elite... classy soiree’, usually targeted towards swingers; or a more free spirited evening aimed at exploring creativity and personal growth through sexual acts.

This place felt like it could be more of a second home to anyone who decided to visit.

‘We get all kinds in here’, my new friend told me ‘but it don’t matter what for.’

‘I fantasise about having sex in an open space where there are no people, but if anyone came past they could easily see me’

I want to sit on Simon Cowells face ‘I’d love to have hot wax dripped on me.

FETISH IN A

Everyone has that one thing they’d love to do, or at least they think they’d like to do. So in honour of our Underground theme, we’ve asked you for your secret fantasies, and made our kinkiest, freakiest, sexiest desires public.

SENTENCE

I think that’d be sexy’

Words Ruby Kilroy

‘Taurus-es. I love f*cking people with the same astrological sign as me’ ‘I’d ‘

‘I get off listening like ‘David Cameron, to to people have sex he’s pretty fit in a creepy sort of way’ with a chew’ total stranger’

‘I love the feeling of being tied up’

42//Unisex

‘I used to fantasise about my action men. Obviously that was before I discovered porn’

‘Masks, ‘I like like to pretend to be baby the sometimes’ thing ‘ I get turned on by the idea that other people can Bane hear me have sex so I’m as loud wears’ as possible’ I like that’

‘I pretend I’m an animal sometimes, like a wolf, ‘I’m turned having sex on by hairy ‘Golden showers, ‘Whenever I’m driving with other bears; just I’d never do one by myself and I get horny I fantasise about wolves’ thick body but I like thinking hair all over’ about it’ sitting on the gear stick’

co:Flickr\\MarcosDomenech co:WikkiCommons

‘I like to have people eat food off different parts of my body’

‘I get turned on ‘My girlfriend watches porn in the cinema, the idea and then leaves it open on I love of a quick the bed when she goes to uni fumble in the dark’ so I can watch too.

Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief & design: Mattea Todd Deputy Editor & design: Molly Skinner Design Editor: Daniel Swann Features: Nour Kobayter, Alfie Turner & Ellen Robert-JameS Arts: Emily Richardson, Alison Murphy & Angelica Hill London: Megan Huntly, Katie Gill & Sophie Hollis Music: Hattie Long, Laura Potter & Georgie Farmer Film: Aaron West & Savena Surana Style: Emily Goodman, Annie Giles & Sophia Dass Unisex: Louise Bracken & Ruby Kilroy

Columns: Ellen McMahon, Georgia Miller, Charlotte Watson & Jola Jassy Photography: Emily Gillings-Peck Illustrator: Josie Roughneen Head of PR-Marketing: Robyn Cusworth PR-Marketing: Lizzie Horrocks FB//CUB magazine Twitter//@CUBmagazine Instagram//@CUBmagazine

This issue was funded

by QMSU