E2 issue 266 by Epigram

The Haunted Edition Illustration by Becky Black

Editor: Victoria Halman living@ epigram.org.uk

@e2Living

Deputy: Deputy: Sophia Hadjipateras Izzy Kerr shadjipateras@ ikerr@ epigram.org.uk epigram.org.uk

Online: Morwenna Scott livingonline@ epigram.org.uk

What’s On

Style

Travel

Living

No Regrets?

Isobel Allen explores the ghosts of her youth...

Whilst Halloween might be the traditional season for scaring each other shitless, generally running foolishly amok and humiliating ourselves hidden under the guise ‘it’s Halloween… it’s allowed’, in actual fact, some of us/all of us/definitely me/please someone else find ourselves in a constant state of fear. Every hour of every day. About our whole lives and selves.Not only are there the Halloween related incidents, like that one time you decided to dress up as a ‘sexy kitten’ (please what even is this - it wasn’t okay. It still isn’t okay. It will never be okay.) but there’s also just generally the rest of your life which is also there to plague you for the other days of the year. A major culprit on this front takes us all back to the time when documenting every minute of each weekly trip to the town centre to get a Greggs and every angle of every makeover your fringe went through between 2007 and 2009 on an LG chocolate slidey phone seemed like a good idea. Not only do these subsequent gems already cause enough grief by simply existing in the public domain (banished to but eternally ingrained in the forgotten-password, access-denied therefore

From trick or treating to apple bobbing, being egged to clubbing with a bunch of dead brides and bloody vampires, Halloween is all about the supernatural. Ghost films, spooky tales, and nightmareinducing horror stories are pretty much inescapable but, after lullaby-singing every night for a week you are usually cured of all hauntings. But when I inquired into what my housemate was dressing up for Halloween, I never anticipated this series of infinite sleepless nights ahead of me. The Japanese legend of Kuchisake-Onna is

undeletable corners of Myspace and Bebo), the haunting history can come to as recent as last night. Those photos you know exist, somewhere, on someone’s phone, but which are still dormant, still lying in wait, with the horrifying potential of striking at any given moment ever in your life as you brace yourself with every Facebook notification, resigned to the possibility that your fate has finally come to greet you and you will deal with the consequences appropriately and reasonably (change of name/face transplant/relocation to Mongolia) For all of these things, there’s always the age old solution of just shrugging it off with a laugh, an “oh-you-know-meWHATMALIKE!!” nonchalant, easy breezy finesse, whilst inside you die and weep and make mental note to never leave the house again because bad things generally tend to happen every time you do. But then there’s that other thing. That thing only you know about. You know, that thing that happened. At that place. That one time. Yeah that one. That one that no one knows about. But you do, and it’s bad. And there’s only so long you have left until that one slides out from the distant, denial crevices of your mind and out into the wide world and into everyone else’s brain for the rest of time ever 2013eternity. Good luck with that one.

an original Halloween costume choice, sure, but is it worth the terror and tears that comes with? For all the fainthearted amongst you I would stop reading now. According to the Japanese Urban Legend, children walking alone at night may encounter a woman wearing a surgical mask. This woman, Kuchisake-Onna, would stop the child and ask ‘Am I pretty?’If the child says no, they are killed with a pair of scissors. However, there’s a catch. If the child answers (correctly) yes, she removes her mask revealing that her mouth is slit from ear to ear. ‘How about now?’ she asks next. If the child answers no, she slashes them in half. But, if the child replies yes then she will slit their mouth into a bloody

Autumn has arrived in earnest. The nights are drawing in and trick-or-treaters, toffee apples and terrorising ghouls are waiting in the wings. But fear not: when you’re cowering in fear of the zombies, ghosts and witches who frequent the streets at this time of year, e2 will be the rock that you can rely on. This edition, e2’s feeling Haunted. With everything from Ukraine’s abandoned towns to the spooky world of Jason Donervan, e2’s got everything to simultaneously please and petrify. Muhahaha!

gaping wound like hers. It is impossible to run away from Kuchisake-Onna as she will simply reappear in front of the victim. It wasn’t until the 1970s that rumours of ways to survive the encounter emerged. One way to escape is to answer yes the first time and ‘so-so’ or ‘average the second time, which causes her so much confusion that the child has time to run away while she is lost in thought. Another escape route is to tell her you have a previous engagement. Apparently, in this circumstance, Kuchisake-Onna would go as far as to pardon her manners and excuse herself! And in case the original tale hasn’t already given you the goosebumps, it transpires that there have been alleged sightings in 1979 in Nagasaki. The panic caused by these rumours even lead to schools being closed early and increased police patrols. So maybe be on the lookout at the end of the month guys because ya never know uni might be closed just in time for us to nurse our-post Halloween headaches!

e2 wants you! Write for us by emailing our section editors or meeting them at the times below

Meet the e2 team!

Living: Tori Halman, Sophia Hadjipateras and Izzy Kerr will meet at the ASS Library café on Thursday 31st October at 1.15pm. Travel: Olivia Lace-Evans and Andrea Valentino will meet at the Refectory on Thursday 31st October at 12.15pm. Style: Maddy Streets and Deanne Ball will meet at the ASS library café on Friday 1st November at 12.30pm. e2 is edited by Alex Bradbrook deputy@epigram.org.uk

28.10.2013

So you thought you’d got away with it? The nightmares of nights-out past:

I’ve been in Bristol for over a year now, so I think it’s about time I share with you some of the most disastrous, yet somewhat amusing, stories that I have heard. I won’t name and shame explicitly, but a friend of mine was feeling a little cavalier one evening in Bunker, and fed up of responding with the generic, “I’m at Bristol, doing Economics. Woodland Court. You?” So she decided to create an alter ego. Name? Frankie? Visiting a friend. Occupation? She was actually from Cambridge studying a Masters in Neuroscience, and in her spare time trained for the National Rhythmic Gymnastics team. ‘Frankie’s’ ploy began well, people were really interested and men were eating up her lies faster than students leave Po Na Na’s. However, she took a particular liking to one guy, and he took a liking to the flexible Neuroscience student; they ended up exchanging numbers, and when Saturday morning graced her with its presence, she was unstuck to say the least. Fortunately the story ends well – she met up with him explained herself, he found the funny side and to my knowledge they’re still together. I move on to my slightly more timid friend, Bella, who’s never had a one night stand. It was a Thekla Thursday and she spotted someone she rather liked; after far too many skinny bitches and encouragement from a, shall we say, liberal friend, she went home with him. By the time she’d hiked up Park Street, had a cheeky Donervan’s and traipsed into the depths of Clifton, the Voddy had been soaked up and Bella was sitting rather nervously on this chap’s bed. On the way up she had cleverly noted that the toilet was downstairs, she asked if she could use it, and once leaving the room, ran for her dear life. Thus it’s fair to say we could have all made better decisions in our somewhat, hazed states; but in light of these stories and many more I’m sure you all have, I’ve compiled a list 3 main pointers on how to prevent being written about by one of your friends who writes for the student newspaper…

enjoying the accents and collecting hideous Halloween decorations which everyone on my floor would completely hate me for.I hope they like spiders.The prospect of handing in work that, as I have been told repeatedly by various tutors, actually matters (sort of) is, at the moment, scarier than any nastily furry, rubber arachnid could possibly be. It’s scary in a kind of Real Life way. Obviously, as anyone in any year other than their first will no doubt tell me after some kind of sarcastic laugh, this year ultimately won’t count for anything, but there is a part of me that loves to try to one-up everyone who desperately wants to do as well as humanly possible, even if this means putting myself under an unnecessary amount of stress and crying all the time.

UNDERCOVER FRESHER: t

Sh u k:

te r

I was hoping that it would take me a little bit longer to get to the point of me being at University (to get a degree apparently), but it’s the beginning of the third week now, and I’m being told that apparently I have an essay due soon. An essay? That I have to read things for? Gross. The threat of deadlines has been hovering over me since Freshers’ week ended, but since the work I’ve been doing so far has consisted of falling asleep in my bed whilst trying to read Wordsworth, and cursing the ASS library because I have no idea where anything is, I’m more like a lost baby than an undergraduate student. I’d far rather spend my time cruising a trolley around Wilkinsons,

“It’s very difficult being so desperate for success and so horrendously lazy at the same time” Well, no. I always think I’ll work myself far too hard, but then suddenly it’s 4am the night before something is due in and I’m rewatching an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – the 7th episode I have watched tonight may I point out. It’s very difficult being so desperate for success and so horrendously lazy at the same

If you live in Walnut Creek, California you’ll need a permit to go trick or treating or wear a mask on Halloween. Dressing up as a priest in Alabama will get you arrested, as the law states it is illegal to ‘fraudulently pretend to be a clergyman’

Whether it’s scampering around the back roads of Redland scantily clad the morning after the night before, or shamelessly flirting with the cloakroom man in Lounge in a desperate attempt to get your coat hung up for free, we’ve all had our fair share of nights we would rather forget.

Halloween Facts

Sophie Jarvis

It is illegal to be in possession of Silly String on this night in Hollywood. Apparently, f you see a spider on Halloween it’s actually the spirit of a loved one watching over you. It’s actually very rare for a full moon to occur on Halloween, although it’s predicted to occur in 2020. Vanilla Ice and Willow Smith were both born on October 31st, and Houdini died on this day. According to legend, if you walk backwards and wear your clothes inside out, you will see a witch at midnight. The world’s fastest pumpkin carving time was 24.03 seconds.

time. I’m sure others can relate. I am eternally envious of those that are capable of resisting the desire to spend three hours constructing a pretend city on Facebook and instead doing their work, but at the same time I’m having so much fun deciding which method of electricity production would be the most suitable for my community - W.H. Auden can wait another twenty minutes. Even now, as I’m writing this article, just mentioning the game made me go and check whether there were any taxes that needed collecting. That’s not even interesting! I’m just trying to waste time! With every day that passes, I feel like the procrastination will get both more severe, and more boring. Even eating has become a welcome distraction from concentrating on work, with only the fact that I have a limited supply preventing me from becoming a participant in World’s Fattest Person when presented with a deadline. My flatmates who have friends from their course on the same floor as them are definitely more productive - probably because their work environment is more supportive and helpful than a multipack of sausage rolls is. At least in writing this, my method of putting off doing work was a little bit more productive than usual.

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Living

Fourth year hauntings When I first came to Bristol, for an open day in 2009, the Wilkinson’s on Queens Road was a Borders bookstore. It was open. I didn’t go in, but I did remember it fondly while making university selections. When I came back the following year, as a student this time, it was closed. The store emptily lingered there for my first year of university, haunting me with all the books that might have been. That was my first introduction to the changes that would mark my time in Bristol. Every student has a moment in which they realise that their university is different from when they started, but the experience is altogether more alienating when you have a long degree or a year abroad. Once the people with three-year degrees graduate, you’re forced to reacquaint yourself with the city. It’s like Fresher’s 2.0, but with more tea and less vodka.

Travel

My first epic night out of university still feels as if it were yesterday. In the middle of a society bar crawl that was boring me to tears, I saw two friends from my hall across the bar. I may or may not have had a crush on one of them. It was only a few seconds before I ditched my potential new friends to go talk to slightly less new ones. We ended up ordering Long Island iced teas because they’re from New York like I am and exploring each and every floor of Oceana. You may know it as Pryzm. For every corner of Bristol that holds a positive memory, there is a painful one around the next. The red number 16 bus, which used to be the white U6/U6A, reminds me of lonely nights in halls with food that I hated so much I frequently skipped dinner. I sort my mental map of Bristol by houses friends lived at and ones I viewed during house searches. I’m ashamed to say that many a club is ruined by memories, or the lack there of, of my fresher self, a little too-eager to have a good time. Don’t get me started on how many times Boston Tea Party has changed their veggie burger. There hardly seems to be a spot in Bristol that doesn’t hold some harbinger of the past three years. We arrive as eager Freshers, ready to take on university, meet our best friends and earn brilliant marks on every assignment. We’ll be cool, funny and always look good. No matter how much we’re able to maintain that energy, however, it shifts at some point and leaves us feeling as if the most exciting bit of university passed by without us realizing it. So here I am as a fourth year with a Bristol that’s filled with good memories, bad memories and ghosts of years past. As much as the past haunts me, I can’t help but look forward to introducing a few more ghosts into my Bristol geography this year. This time, however, I promise I’ll remember them.

Style

Poppins chased me round trying to catch me in that

namely Freud and Jung, I was not filled with confidence.

creepy, bottomless bag of hers. Although this can

Far from helping me in my plight to prove my sanity,

perhaps be explained by my Mum’s questionable

they dug me deeper into my pit of anxiety. Freud

For me, waking up from a good night’s sleep choice of nannies and my far from extensive

says that when a person is asleep, the desires stored

is not the satisfying and peaceful experience it childhood video collection.

in the unconscious can be expressed safely because

should be. Instead I am left feeling confused and

After a quick Google search it seems that there are

they’re less likely to affect our waking life. Great, so

totally perplexed about the meaning of my bizarre numerous, mostly conflicting and heavily disputed

my dreams are offering me an insight into my deep,

and socially unacceptable dreams. Of course I have theories as to what dreams may mean.

dark mind. Which I suppose, in their defence, is a place

experienced the more common dreams - being

I never want to explore in the light of day.

naked in public, losing your front teeth, your Mum

What’s On

Emilia Morano-Williams

becoming pregnant aged 54, you know, the usual. But these are not the kind of dreams I am referring to. Oh no, mine leave me questioning my sanity.

“I really rather wish my unconscious mind would keep things to itself” However, I soon become disappointed with these

Following this revelation, Jung wasn’t able to do much to reassure me, for he believed that dreams are a way for the unconscious mind to communicate with the conscious mind (whatever that means).

Take the dream I had involving my 50 year old, explanations and decide instead to redirect my

I fail to see what the motives behind this desire to

larger-than-life and strictly (for the sake of this search to focus on the function of dreams, in the

communicate may be, but can state with certainty that

article) anonymous professor, during which a vain hope these may shed some light on why it is

I really rather wish my unconscious mind would keep

group seminar ended a little inappropriately and necessary for me to put myself through the ordeal

things to itself.

in fact resembled much more of a nightmare than of sleep. Every. Single. Night. a dream. Or the reoccurring dream where Mary

As I trawled through the great psychologists,

Sophie Flynn

28.10.2013

Carve it

Stephanie Rihon Ladies and gents, Freshers’ week has passed, leaving you all in the midst of limbo; the stage between the initial hype of starting university and the next big hoopla: Halloween. Indeed, the Wiccan Sabbath, All Hallows’ Eve, the festival of all things supernatural is fast approaching. With this holiday, like any other, comes a problem mainly for the girls amongst us. What is the right costume etiquette to follow? Do you go for that goblin face you paraded around your local streets at the tender age of 8, or do you whip out the Bristol Jets cheerleading costume? Halloween has now become the celebration of all things to do with partying, costumes and copious amounts of sugar (and after 18, alcohol): pretty much what the start of this month was all about. Long gone are the days of honouring all things Wicca, dead and buried with those Salem Witch Trials. When I first came to Bristol and celebrated Halloween, I was unsure of the standard procedure. I always thought when the time came for a massive Halloween ‘lash’, the outfit of choice would be, for lack of a better word, something ‘provocative’. Think sexy cop, catwoman and trapped prisoner? Incidentally, this might have been the slight influence of ‘Mean Girls’ – the cult classic I hope everyone has had the pleasure of witnessing at least once in their lifetime. Let me recount my fond memories of Halloween last year to illustrate my point. The vast array of costumes varied, there were some painting themselves green head to toe and others slipping those corsets on. Nevertheless, the green ‘monsters’ were still wearing their hot pants to attract those male suitors whose white t-shirts, I have been told, would still be stained green with victory to this day. Here is the argument I believe we all use for Halloween attire: ‘in girl world you can dress like a total (oh dear) and no other girls can say anything about it’. Thus, when we proceeded to the bar approximately 85% of the young ladies had abided by this rule. There were latex clad bodies, countless fluffy animal ears and two very noticeable playboy bunnies. To prevent embarrassment on my behalf, just in case the provocative interpretation was not how things rolled here, I convinced my (male) friend to wear another bunny dress I had up my sleeve. So there we were: Batman and Robin, Cheech and Chong ready to hit the town! There was my Robin, in his pink satin playboy outfit with exceptionally beautiful pins; slightly upstaging me I might add. So there you have it, everyone goes through the same confusion. Only you can judge which one is appropriate, but I’m inclined to go with the Mean Girls argument; this is the only day you girls can go, even crazier, without judgement (one would hope). Think of it as a feminist thing: however tenuous an argument that may be. Either way, I am unaware as to what the rule is but whatever you do make sure you have a ‘fang-tastic night!’

All you need is a pumpkin, a knife, a pen and a trusty IKEA tea light. Simply cut off the ‘lid’ and then scoop out the insides using your hands or a big spoon. Then draw on your desired face and get hacking. Once all the parts are carved out, put a tealight in the base and voila, you have an artistic masterpiece.

flickr.com

5 things to do with ROOM 101 a pumpkin #3 Make a face mask

Whisk your pumpkin insides into a puree and add one egg. Then add as much honey as you desire to make the mixture into a thick face-mask-like consistency. Slather the mixture on to your face and allow it to sit for 15-20 minutes before thoroghly rinsing off, leaving you with a healthy refreshed complexion.

Pre-drink bowling

If you’re not interested in an aesthetic pumpkin but feel the need to buy one when they’re half price in Sainsbury’s, then put it to use in a game of pre-drink bowling. Arrange ten or more plastic bottles filled with a variety of different and mixed alcoholic concoctions into a ten-pin bowling formation. Then, simply roll the pumpkin at the bottles - if you knock down five or less, you must down one of the bottles, but if you knock down six or more, you can allocate who has to drink the bottles knocked over - someone drinks every round: win win situation.

Eat it

The thought of eating something that fun ornament at Halloween probably strange. But pumpkins are actually versatile and full of vitamins - something that Noodle worshipping students probably need. can be made into soup, cake, pie, risotto, sauce and even their seeds can be eaten as a healthy snack. Google searching recipes’ will give you enough recipes m Christmas. r.co

is meant to be a seems a little amazinlgy most PotPumpkins stew, pasta on their own ‘ p u m p k i n to last you until

flick

Smash it

If you’re feeling ambitious and want to do something a little different at your Halloween party, then turn your pumpkin into a pinata. Carve a small hole at the top and fill it with sweets, drink, or if you’re feeling mean - the contents of your food bin. Wait until half way through the night when your guests are adequately drunk and then unleash them on your homemade pinata.

Excuse the horrendous pun, but I had to, it was staring right at the jugular...

Kebab o’clock: Why Jason always gets it right on the night... up a sign claiming to offer “The best kebabs on the planet”. Touché.) I would even go so far as to say it is entirely worth the guilt and shame the next day and that is praise indeed. However, a Donervan’s is not just about the food – it is an all-round experience. The queue itself is never dull; a personal favourite was when two guys started singing Happy Birthday, everyone joined in and they cracked up laughing at the ensuing confusion because it wasn’t actually anyone’s birthday. I’m also a big fan of the benches that double up as the ‘eat in’ area, primarily for people who can choose to either walk or hold something but have got to the point where they definitely cannot do both at the same time. Donervan’s definitely deserves its reputation as the big daddy of Triangle kebabs. The real question is, having written loads of nice stuff about them, will they give me a free cheesy chips? Only time will tell. an

I ht: fig mp

es Pr

in just under a minute. Heston Blumenthal can make all the hydrogenated, molecular chocolate-andcrayfish cottage pies he wants, there’s not a chance he can do a kebab quicker than that. And frankly, at 3am, with bed calling and the control over your limbs slowly becoming more and more erratic, speed is of the utmost importance. There is some insane, incomprehensible, wonderful chemical reaction that happens when beer mixes with kebab. The Germans probably have a word for it. And it happened with my “Kebab Meat in a Bun”; it’s just so damn tasty. Their garlic mayo is so good I would probably just drink pints of it. There is a reason that Donervan’s is the number one kebab place for Bristol students and it’s not just the funny name. (On a side note, the best kebab name in England has to be in Archway, London where, in order to one up “The best kebab in the UK”, just across the corner from it, Planet Kebab hung

Jason Donervan’s is, rightly, an institution in itself amongst Bristol students. Just the mention of its name evokes a hallowed respect and a dignified gratitude for feeding us in our hours of need. Almost every Bristol student has at one time stood before the legendary serving hatch and slurred out an order, more often than not the one thing on the menu they are still able to read. The road from the Triangle to Donervan’s is the Silk Road of southwest England, a path well-trodden by weary travellers who are bountifully rewarded with the finest exotica of the East.

But, the question is: is it any good? I chose to investigate further. Well, I say chose. Apparently at some point on a night out I ended up with a Donervan’s kebab wedged in my hand. That is the first thing you have to know about Jason Donervan’s- you don’t decide in advance you are getting a Donervan’s. There is no conscious choice involved. It happens to you. It is a passive act. You lose concentration for one minute, look down and all of a sudden there’s a kebab in front of you and a fiver less in your pocket. Perhaps the surprise of it all is the secret ingredient that makes it so damn tasty. Credit where credit is due, their kebabs are mighty fine. Given their clientele at that time of night, they could probably dip some cardboard in a tub of garlic mayo, but they actually do a really good kebab. I got something called “Kebab Meat in a Bun”, a name that - what it lacks in elegance - it more than makes up for in accuracy. If I’m not mistaken, it is the Donervan’s take on “fusion cuisine”, blending Turkish slowcooked lamb with the Western tradition of putting things in buns. Prepared with the clinical efficiency of a Congolese death squad, it was ready, waiting and steaming

Miles Coleman

Editor: Deputy: Online Olivia Lace-Evans Andrea Valentino Emilia Morano-Williams travel@ deputytravel@ travelonline@ epigram.org.uk epigram.org.uk epigram.org.uk

@e2Travel

The Island of the Dolls – Mexico City, Mexico This island, located in the swampy canals system on the city’s outskirts, is home to hundreds of old, mutilated dolls. The dolls can be found hanging from trees, lying in abandoned houses and in various other creepy places around the island. Legend has it that a hermit by the name of Don Julian Santana moved to the island and was haunted by the ghost of a young girl who drowned in one of the canals. It is said that he would fish these dolls out of the canals, mistaking them for real children, and would place them around the island in tribute to the little girl. Visitors have reported hearing whispers from the dolls and other paranormal activity.

Poenari Castle – Romania Standing since the 13th century, the castle was renovated in the 1400s to be inhabited by Vlad the Impaler. The infamous figure, thought to be the person Dracula was based upon, was said to have made this one of his main fortresses. It fell into disrepair after his death but is still partially standing. There are 1,500 steps leading to the castle and it is said to be one of the most haunted places on the planet.

Flickr: Pmsmgomes

The Catacombs of Paris - Paris, France This is an underground ossuary, occupying parts of the caverns and tunnels that remain from the city’s old stone mines. The walls of this giant grave are stacked, ceiling to floor, with the remains of over six million people. As you wander the tunnels, watched by the shadowy empty sockets of skulls, try your best not to get spooked.

Aokigahara (The Sea of Trees) - Japan The Sea of Trees is an area occupied by forest at the base of Mount Fuji. It is dense with trees and other plant life and is thought to be one of the quietest places on Earth. Many Japanese myths about demons and supernatural phenomena are based here. It is currently ranked second on the list of places in the world where the most suicides occur. It is thought to be haunted by the souls of these and other victims from hundreds of years passed.

Flickr: Nick Reinis

Mary King’s Close – Edinburgh, Scotland Legend has it that this is where victims of the plague were sent to be locked up and left to die. The close is rumoured to be haunted by innumerable ghosts and is known for its poltergeist and otherworldly activity. No one has ever been injured while visiting the close, but tourists often report hearing strange noises, sinister gusts of wind and other inexplicable sensations in this underground complex.

Flickr: Koalawrangler

Flickr: AngeliqueFergusson

With the ever fun and spooky holiday of Halloween quickly approaching, as well as those essay deadlines, getting into the spirit can be fun, but sometimes difficult. To help you along, Trisha Brown has made a list of the top five most frightening (or just plain creepy) places on the planet for those of us who appreciate a good scare.

What’s On

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Travel

Living

Frightfully good destinations

30.09.2013

Causing a reaction: Pripyat and Chernobyl

Flickr: GuruArt

The walls inside the primary school, still baring their spelling rules to a now sporadic, uncomprehending audience, leer at you. They’re dangerous: they’re infested with an invisible force which can haunt you for the rest of your days.

On the 26th April 1986 an explosion in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant’s forth reactor caused one of the most serious nuclear disasters in history. To this day the area 10 km around the power plant is uninhabitable, and a further 20 km radius is strictly controlled. This area will not be fit for human habitation again for 20,000 years.

‘An abandoned doll leers up at you with one of its eyes half closed’

from their homes forever. What they left - the bedraggled dolls dropped on the paths and books strewn open on the floor - give a disconcertingly human touch to the wilderness. The children of the survivors evacuated that day are now in their thirties. They never had the chance to go back for what they left behind. Pripyat is the living example of an apocalyptic nightmare, a Hollywood-style disaster that’s quietly nestled into a corner of Ukraine near the Belarusian border. The set-up fits the Hollywood storyline perfectly: the city, founded only in 1970, was considered to be one of the most prestigious towns in the Soviet Union. By 1985 it housed 47,500 people and was growing at a rate of about 1,500 people per year. Its wide streets, built according to the latest trends in Soviet town-planning, were lined with colourful high-rises. There was a buzzing social life and the town’s hotel frequently housed foreign tourists, coming to see an example of modern Soviet society. Nowadays the few tourists traipsing its streets come, perhaps, for a similar reason – to see the grandeur that once was. Or perhaps they just have a macabre interest in what the planet will look like once humans are gone. Nature thrives there. Rare wild horses roam its forests and giant mushrooms push up through the concrete next to the ruins of a ferris wheel that was never to be ridden, built in anticipation of a grand opening just a week after the disaster. Trees are everywhere, even growing in the skeletal ruins of apartment blocks. Miscellaneous debris, ranging from shattered window panes and paper to the occasional vodka bottle, carpet the buildings’ floors. The silence, broken occasionally by drips and creaking buildings, is haunted by the children who never came back.

The ruins of Pripyat, the town next to the power plant, bear a solemn witness to the disaster that shook the ‘80s. Having featured in popular culture (think Chernobyl Diaries and references by Example and Kraftwerk), the deserted expanse that was once the flag-bearer of modern Soviet cities resists trivialisation with the sheer history that crowds its empty streets. The day after the explosion, Soviet authorities gave Pripyat’s inhabitants only a few frantic hours to prepare to be evacuated

Catherine Tyack

The path to the old schoolhouse winds obliquely through the forest away from the road. An abandoned doll, naked with its stuffing leaking, leers up at you with one of its eyes half closed, its vision skewed. Don’t touch the trees – they’re poisonous.

COMPETITION TIME!

Here’s a competition for all you budding photographers and travel writers out there! We are giving away a copy of DK Eyewtiness Travel Guide to Great Britain. All you need to do is send us a photo of somewhere in the UK which you believe is the epitome of British natural beauty. Whether it’s rugged coastline, rural villages or rolling hills we want to see your favourite photo illustrating Britain’s rural charms! Submissions must be sent by 11th November and the winner will be published in our ‘Back to Nature’ issue on 25th November. Simply send your picture, name and a short description to Flickr: GuruArt travel@epigram.org.uk. Good luck!

The Butterfly Effect: Exploring Devil’s Island

To set the scene, you need to imagine endless forest. Tropical forest, that is. Amazonian, in fact. Add a few monkeys, a sprinkling of villages and a couple of grimy coastal towns. Then there’s the sweat. The I-honestly-had-ashower-fiveminutes-ago-butyou-can’t-eventell kind of sweat that is the price you pay for living in a place with an average daily temperature of over 30 degrees. Polly Johnson

This is French Guyana, an overseas department of France, situated on the north coast of South America and wedged between Brazil and the formally Dutch colony of Suriname. Originally Guyane (pronounced gwee-ann by the French) was France’s answer to Britain’s Australia. An inhospitable faraway place, perfect for dumping criminals and forgetting they existed. Nowadays, the

prisons are closed and the population is no longer made up of thieves and murderers. Either way, it’s a fairly strange place to choose for a year abroad, but someone’s got to do it!

This time last year I found myself, along with two equally intrepid (or stupid) friends, sat on a catamaran, drinking Caribbean rum waiting for the murky brown waters to turn clear and give us our first glimpse of Les Îles du Salut. Until the prison closed just over 60 years ago, these islands were home to France’s worst criminals. Today, only the ruins remain. The name, ‘The Salvation Islands’, is questionable. Named after a group of missionaries who found refuge here after a plague hit the mainland, I wonder if any of

the prisoners found salvation during their stay? The name of the smallest island, Île de diable or ‘Devil’s island’, seems more appropriate. As our boat came to rest at the bottom of wild jagged cliffs, I could only imagine what the hundreds of men brought here would have been thinking.

‘Etchings can still be seen on the walls, counting the interminable days for the prisoners’ For many of them it was the last view they would have. Violence between prisoners, tropical diseases and failed escape attempts claimed the majority of lives before their sentence was over. “Watch out for the sharks, and don’t swim too far from the boat,” our guide announced. My friends and I looked at each other and downed the rest of our ti-punch - the lethal national drink consisting of pure rum, a slice of lime and a hint of sugar syrup. We jumped in

and swam to shore.

The day was spent stumbling along palmridden pathways and chancing upon relics of what this place used to be. Though some cell blocks have been overrun by forest, others have stayed eerily authentic. Metal bars remain on the end of concrete beds, used to chain the prisoners so they couldn’t harm others in the block at night. Wooden planks, which once held the guillotine, lay in the centre of the old prison as a constant threat to the prisoners. Etchings can still be seen on the walls, counting the interminable days for the prisoners who had little else to do but suffer the heat and try and remain sane. We were offered the opportunity to spend the night in hammocks in an old cell block. But after a full day exploring, the situation seemed a little too real. On our way back to the boat we passed the cemetery, sheltered by palms and with the sound of waves from a beautiful inlet of white sand just below. In some ways, these islands really are paradise, but mostly we left feeling thankful that we, unlike so many others, got to choose when we departed.

Polly Johnson Foreign Correspondent

Editor: Deputy: Online Olivia Lace-Evans Andrea Valentino Emilia Morano-Williams travel@ deputytravel@ travelonline@ epigram.org.uk epigram.org.uk epigram.org.uk

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A Final Thought On...

Welcome to the Democratic Peoples’ Republic Halloween is a time for fearful fantastical creatures, superstitions, and dark eerie places. Unfortunately, the place that I will be describing is no fantasy, it is a place all too real, and its horror is morbidly alive. Viewed from space, North Korea’s face at night is ominously black in contrast to South Korea’s lights glowing in the darkness.

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The most sinister element of this otherworldly place is its ideology, an ideology that echoes the totalitarian regime portrayed in George Orwell’s 1984. The Kim family has been in power since 1948. They are the country’s hereditary dictators. The Kims have cultivated a ‘military first’ philosophy and the country has left its communist roots behind in favour of a form of racist nationalism called Juche. The cult of personality that the propaganda instils uncannily imitates European fascism.

In fact, Kim Jong-il openly admitted that he modelled his marches on the Nuremburg Rallies. Amnesty International claims that North Korea is culpable for the severest of human rights violations. Anyone who deviates from the party line is sent to labour camps for ‘re-education,’ and political dissidents are sentenced to a life of hard labour. Those who attempt escape are usually executed. Amnesty surmises that there are 200,000 political prisoners in North Korea. But who knows, there could be more. Accurate information is hard to get your hands on, with the government tightly controlling what information is leaked to the outside world. This is a place of superlatives, and not only is scariest appropriate, but poorest is not far from the truth either. The fall of communism in 1989 resulted in a devastating drop in aid to North Korea from Russia; famine ensued. The country is so destitute that it rivals the poorest in Africa. Food output is the lowest worldwide and the UN estimates that 16 million people in the country require food aid. Christopher Hitchens has described it as ‘a nation of racist dwarves’ due to their ideology and malnutrition. Sound like a scary bunch, eh?

Neil Graham

Dear e2,

Anna McOm

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Inn is The Drovers ne of o y tl en appar nted the most hau and. tl o c S in pubs People ort regularly rep lights g in seeing danc rooms. in their bed ams! Sweet dre Love, ish Anna McOm

Now consider that the town is just an hour-and-a-half drive away from one of the most horrific sites in the world: Auschwitz. As you look out from the stunning Wawel Cathedral you can see the River Vistula, used to transport Jews, snaking towards the concentration camp. The cobbled streets of the Jewish District are known for having some of the best restaurants in town, and yet these streets have witnessed unimaginable crimes. Oskar Schindler’s factory, which has now been transformed into a museum, is a poignant reminder of those who fought against the tyranny of the Nazis. It is easy to forget that behind the beautiful facades and deep in the labyrinth of old cobbled streets, there is a dark history. Of course, the distant memory experienced Poland has immensely since war.

history of the war is a for those who it, and modern changed the end of the

Flickr: David Banuls

Officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea claims to be a progressive and happy country. However, there seems to be nothing democratic, progressive or happy about it. The insertion of ‘seems’ in my previous sentence is all too appropriate in regard to this country. It is a place where secrecy and deception are rife. The words ‘freedom of expression’ have no meaning in North Korea. Judging by a recent BBC Panorama documentary, the silent grey cityscape of the capital Pyongyang is more frightening than any horror film I’ve seen. No one walks the streets, no music lifts the ears, and no adverts colour the buildings. The atmophere is paranoiac.

It’s difficult to visit the city of Krakow without succumbing to its numerous charms. From gazing up towards the ornate Wawel Cathedral looking over the city, to exploring the winding alleyways in the old Jewish quarter and people-watching in Rynek Glowny (the central market square), the city will effortlessly seduce you.

ere! h e r e w u o y Wish

What’s On

horror and Tourism Olivia Lace-Evans considers the behaviour of some visitors in Auschwitz, one of the most infamous sites in the world.

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Korea Suicide

Krakow is a thriving city and its beauty shouldn’t be tainted as a place worth visiting because of its past. However, the clash between the brutal history of the city during the war and the tranquil splendor of the city today highlights an essential consideration for tourists. When visiting a city or place haunted by trauma there is an inevitable conflict between the desire to explore as a tourist, and your responsibility as a sympathetic human being to respect the site. You would hope that people who visit sites such as Auschwitz would demonstrate the respect and humility that such a horrific, yet important, historical site deserves. It’s impossible to walk around the complex without a sense of the horror and despair of those who arrived with little or no certainty they would ever leave. The least you can do as a visitor is to demonstrate humility. Sadly many visitors clearly feel they are an exception to such expectations. One of the most distinct memories of my visit was watching a group of school children, not young children but adolescents who would have been aware of its history, running around, laughing and taking inappropriate, silly photos of themselves. It was a shocking display of ignorant disregard. I’m not the only person to have experienced this, with friends and family recalling seeing businessmen on mobiles, couples kissing and children running riot in amongst the buildings. Fortunately this isn’t a universal experience. Most visitors are responsible and sensitive travellers who appreciate the need to travel or explore with a greater sense of humility and understanding. However, it shows how easily people can gloss over or choose to ignore the common courtesies tourists should exhibit when exploring a place not haunted by superstition, but by true horrors.

Editor: Maddy Streets style@ epigram.org.uk

best bet for something special) or hoik out an old school shirt and cut off the collar from just below the collar seam. Not only will you have created the perfect accessory for your costume but collars are an easy way to give your favourite outfits a preppy update. Add the black dress, ankle socks and of course the obligatory pigtail plaits and your Halloween outfit is complete. The key to nailing this look is simplicity, and that follows on the beauty side too. Read: no fake tan! Go as pale as you dare and smudge some kohl under your eyes for the perfect un-dead base. If you want to go all out the

next step would be a swipe of black lipstick, but this isn’t for the fainthearted. A good alternative would be a dark berry, like Kate Moss for Rimmel London Lasting Finish in 107. Not only is this shade far more flattering than black, it also has incredible staying power, meaning there’s no need to worry about reapplying as you party. And there you have it; a Halloween costume that you can wear all season long, and far less embarrassing than the time you tried to recreate Sully from Monsters Inc!

Laura Sievers

Ghosts of past fashion faux-pas It’s 3am and I’m crawling into bed reeking of that potent smell of despair and desperation that Lounge often has on a Friday night. I catch sight of myself in the mirror- Boy, am I a sight for sore eyes. My cream chiffon blouse boasts a dark orange stain that could only be attributed to a miscalculated jägerbomb-to-mouth scenario. My hair is enormous from humidity and my mascara has successfully managed to stream down my clammy face. Lying in bed, my head is spinning (it was a particularly successful night of credit card roulette). Through this drunken haze I see a figure before me. It’s an awkwardly tall girl around 10 years old. She’s wearing denim pedal pushers, a silver t-shirt with a denim jacket. Edgy? She’s years ahead of the trends with that double denim but this is more screaming cowboy-astronaut crossover…I gaze down at her feet and see a bulky pair of sketchers (as previously modeled by Britney Spears). Her hair is scraped back into a ponytail with two stand of hair dangling out of the middle parting. There are strange

markings around her neck, which on closer inspection appear to be a tattoo style necklace. I ask her what she’s doing in my room but she giggles, vanishing in a cloud of glitter. Yes, that fifth jägerbomb was definitely one too many… As the cloud disperses another figure appears. She’s 13 years old. Her enormously flared jeans are sweeping the floor, her Vans skate shoes peeping out from underneath. There appears to be a large chain attached to her jeans (why?). Her wrists are heavy with colorful plastic beads. The familiar hollow eyes on her Paul Frank t-shirt look back at me. She gives me a rock salute and I admire her black nail polish. Her jeans transform into skinnies and her Vans to torn Converse. Paul Franks’ face becomes a Ramones logo. I glance at her face and it’s obscured by something between a fringe and a combover. Wow, now that’s a look. The corner of her lip catches the light, some sparkly lipgloss perhaps? No, it’s definitely a silver lip ring.

She can’t be much older than 15. I bet her mother would have a thing or two to say about that. Were these the ghosts of my fashion faux pas? All of my questionable style choices coming back to remind me that no matter how dreadful I thought I looked tonight, it was nothing compared to before? But I was too young to know any better back then, too caught up in the zeitgeist of ’90s girl power, or my teenage rebellion, to notice how ridiculous I looked. My mother would make the occasional suggestion but what did she know? She wore shoulder pads in the ’80s. Thank god I learned my lesson before I came to university… I blink and there I am in Wills four years ago, desperately trying to wash the Panache stamp off my hand. I’m dressed for my 9am hike across the Downs dripping in Jack Wills (complete with very PRACTICAL gilet) and my school leavers’ hoodie. My 13 year old self would tell me I’d sold out. My fresher self thought I looked respectable. Actually, I looked like a twat.

Valentino AW13

Style

structured, high necked dresses reminiscent of a nun’s habit, but in modern shapes that stop the overall from being too pious. Whilst you might want to leave the full catwalk effect for the 31st, there’s no reason why elements can’t become wardrobe staples. The easiest way to recreate the Wednesday look is to update a tired black dress with a crisp white collar. Rather than trying to squeeze a shirt under your outfit invest in a loose collar. Or, if the student budget doesn’t stretch to new accessories after Freshers’ Week, make your own. Either head down to a charity shop (Gloucester Road is your

Alexander McQueen AW13

Who says Halloween fun is for one night only? This season costume fever has spread all the way to the catwalk, and whilst Miley Cyrusstyle foam fingers are flying off the metaphorical shelves of eBay, at Epigram we’ll be looking to an old favourite for our autumnal inspiration. So think plaits, all black and a withering stare because Wednesday Addams is the Halloween costume choice du jour. Admittedly not the most original of outfit ideas, but with everyone from Valentino to Alexander McQueen taking notes from Christina Ricci’s character in the 90s cult classic, it is definitely the chicest. The A/W collections depict

Valentino AW13

What’s On

Addams Family fashion - not just for Wednesday but all week long

JW Anderson AW13

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Deputy: Deanne Ball deputystyle@ epigram.org.uk

DARK DENS & HIDDEN GEMS WELCOME TO THE BEARPIT

Words & photoGRAPHY by Hugh Davies and Nick Lindo In the past it’s been called “the bumhole of Bristol”, but now the reputation of The Bearpit is changing. For 30 odd years the underpass has played host to Bristol’s homeless community. Hidden amongst the shadows of the towering Holiday and Premier Inns, and engulfed in the noise and pollution of the overhead roundabout, the area has long struck fear into locals with its shady tunnels and history of drugs and violence. Located in a grey area between districts, the underpass and its problems have often been brushed under the carpet by local councils. However, thanks to the work of Bearpit Improvement Group and countless other people, there is now an opportunity for the Bearpit to become an epicentre of cultural and community activity. Three years ago, Henry Shaftstow set up the Bearpit Improvement Group, an organisation which seeks to regenerate the unloved urban space. Now run by Alan Morris, B.I.G. has facilitated the introduction of traders to the underpass and also put on several art exhibitions. He told us that the project stemmed from a desire to “make the community feel safer”. Whilst many homeless people are still visible, the landscape has certainly changed. The area is unrecognisable from its former decrepit self; art adorns the tunnel walls and stalls provide locally sourced food and drink; a statue of a bear holds its head high above people playing table tennis whilst someone sits on a bench strumming a guitar. Tom and Jerry, as they’re known, have been coming to the underpass for the best part of twenty years and used to sleep there. Self-confessed drinkers, but “not the violent types”, they told us that

The Bearpit has improved during their time. “It’s a shedload better, it used to be full of scallywags. It’s more mellow now, there ‘aint the violence. I gotta give ‘em credit,” says Tom warmly. And credit is certainly due to the figures behind the transformation. Dan Beswick is one of two people who run “Bear Grillz”, a gourmet burger stall in The Bearpit. He has been selling his delicious array of hamburgers for over a year now, and whilst he acknowledges that things have improved, it’s clear there is still a lot to be done.

“ it used to be full of scallywags... i mean, we’re drinkers, but not the violent types ” “I still don’t really see this (The Bearpit) as a destination,” he says wearily amidst a crowd of all-too-familiar faces, colourful homeless characters who he has gotten to know over time; they hang around his stall for a chat and the odd free gherkin. A fellow trader and owner of the fresh fruit and veg store is equally aware that there is still work to do if the space is to fulfill its potential. Her grocery stall was one of the first to set up in April last year, and she admits that “It’s not a short term fight”. But progress is being made and the crowds of people that gather on Saturdays are testament to that. “Two years ago no one would have thought to buy their fruit and veg in the Bearpit. You would always have kept your head down and rushed through, but that’s not the case anymore.” For now The Bearpit is a spinning coin waiting to land, set on its way by the B.I.G., Dan and co. Let’s hope it comes good so that one day, homeless or not, we can all enjoy spending time in this long-neglected diamond in the rough.

Above: ‘Tom & Jerry’ (pictured right) have been living in the Bearpit on and off for the last twenty years and have noticed vast improvements.

“ TWO YEARS AGO NO ONE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT TO BUY THEIR FRUIT AND VEG IN THE BEARPIT ”

Top : Dan boasts a very appetising selection of burgers at ’Bear Grillz’. Bottom Left: Robb Deep is an aspiring MC and part of The Bearpit’s homeless community. Bottom Right: The Bearpit has regular outdoor exhibitions. The most recent one is titled ‘How does an Activist Eat Potatoes?’ and concentrates on human rights activism.

Volunteers are required so if you would like to lend a hand down at The Bearpit send an email to bearpitgroup@gmail.com.

Editor: Maddy Streets style@ epigram.org.uk

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Deputy: Deanne Ball deputystyle@ epigram.org.uk

CAT

All we have here is a green beanie hat (with optional Statue of Liberty head piece), an oversized orange t-shirt, a pair of black tights, black stilettos and a load of jewellery… and we’ve got a pumpkin! Likely to be seen sitting on the steps outside Boots grinning maniacally and holding a candle.

... See the thinking behind ‘Rabbit’. A confusing costume and confusingly popular, though the fact that the outfit requires little more than a black dress and the artictic application of liquid eyeliner could be the key to its success. On the plus side, the optional addition of a fur coat has meant that cases of hypothermia plummet in the last week of October. On the downside, any vigorous dancing by said costume-wearers could result in a face full of tail.

Manny Chadha

PUMPKIN

RABBIT

ARMY GIRL

The first person to see a bunny rabbit and think sexy was a strange creature indeed. But hell, nothing screams Halloween like a domesticated rodent, right? For which reason you’re likely to see a number of girls dressed in pastels, bow ties and fluffy tails - they answer to the names of Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton Tail (though Peter Rabbit is less likely to make an appearance, he has been known to pop up).

Manny Chadha

Style

It’s the time of year to break out the face paint, the fake blood and the frighteningly good fashion. The trick (or treat)-iest part of the holiday has to be finding the perfect costume. Whilst blood-curdling definitely sits at the top of the list of priorities, you’re never going to win ‘Best Dressed’ without a healthy dollop of style, panache and just a twist of irony. But what will everybody else be wearing while I reside in my costume of gloriousness? I hear you cry. Never fear, we’ve put together a list of looks ‘most likely to be spotted on the Triangle’ so you can steel yourself for the competition.

Manny Chadha

Whoever knew body-con was army issue? Despite the camouflage, members of the military are unlikely to blend into the background and can be spotted all about town come the end of October. For many, this is the perfect opportunity to recycle an outfit from a Freshers trip out - whether this was a bar crawl or paintballing. Words: Manny Chadha and Josephine Franks Photography: Manny Chadha

On ‘sexy Nemo’ and other costumes Yep, the clown fish. The packagin makes it unclear whether it comes complete with a lucky fin.

3. Sexy coroner Because working with corpses is obviously a turn-on. This outfit includes a face mask which at least makes it somewhat realistic – after all, authenticity is key! I blame CSI for this..

2. Sexy shower This actually exists. This could work as a group theme – sexy shower, sexy sink, sexy toilet! The possibilities are endless when it comes to bathroom fixtures.

4. Sexy genie This one is for the guys. It more or less consists of a cheap lamp outfit attached to your crotch with ‘Rub me’ written on it. The only thing scary about this costume is that the drunker people get, the more likely it is to work... If genies aren’t quite your style, why not try the ‘snake charmer’ , which speaks for itself really.

Sarah Baker

www.escapade.co.uk £35

1. Sexy Nemo

www.ebay.com $21.24

Nobody’s quite sure how it happened, but somewhere along the line the feast of All Hallows’ Eve became synonomous with sex. Blame the greetings card industry, blame Americanisation, blame Mean Girls, the fancy dress powers-that-be are on a mission to make even the most innocuous of objects conform to their standard of ‘sexy’. Here’s a selection of alternative costumes that the internet had to offer:

www.amazon.co.uk £12.99

What’s On

Manny Chadha styles up some outfits so that your fashion doesn’t need to scare this Halloween

Manny Chadha

Travel

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Treat-not-trick costume ideas

28.10.2013

Alexander McQueen tribute

Fashion Nightmares Leggings and the inevitable VPL...

17/03/69 - 11/02/10 Tim Walker

In February 2010, Alexander McQueen was found dead in his Mayfair apartment, having taken his own life. A tragic loss to the fashion industry as well as for the public, McQueen’s story of success in the industry shows the workings of a haunted yet artistic genius. Notorious for theatrical and often disturbing catwalk shows, the brand’s unique appeal is found in the tortured romantic quality combined with a passionately rebellious and unapologetic energy. These are clothes that are undeniably exquisitely designed and wearable, despite the shock tactics used.

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blog.metmuseum.org

His graceful and fantastical designs are cut into striking structural forms, sometimes extended by wings and antlers and often featuring feathers sculpted around the figure. McQueen’s continual creativity is marked by his use of a variety of influences, prints and styles. Among corseted bodices, flamenco skirts and many other experimental styles, his distinguished use of tartan is notable, as are his tailored suits. He was, of course, also the pioneer of the infamous ‘bumster’-style trousers and the iconic Armadillo cloven hoof-like shoes. Iconic styles and darker themes behind McQueen’s work emerged, as he once described his shows as his ‘own living nightmares’. The striking and controversial Highland Rape runway show portrayed distressed, wild-looking models wearing

bodices that were shredded and torn to indecency. This misunderstood shocking imagery prompted the question: had McQueen gone too far? VOSS for spring/summer 2001 had models acting as mental patients in an asylum, strutting about inside a glass box with bandaged heads and crazed expressions, while contrastingly, another show featured a delicately beautiful hologram of a dancing Kate Moss. McQueen’s shows were undisputed works of art, with the ability to render the viewer mesmerized by the sheer and shocking beauty of the experience. The strength that radiates from the performance that is The Horn of Plenty show in 2009 embodies the passion and immense skill behind the brand, as the increasingly imposing and majestic designs are paraded around a darkened mound. His last fully realized collection was Plato’s Atlantis, which seemed to exude a raw metallic animalistic energy portrayed through a stifling ethereal atmosphere. The son of a London taxi driver, McQueen made his name indispensable within the fashion industry through pure talent and avant-garde artistry. This was recognized early on by eccentric, kennyhoblog.com

influential stylist and fashion kingmaker extraordinaire, Isabella Blow, who bought his entire Central St. Martin’s graduation collection in 1991 and to whom his spring/ summer 2008 collection is dedicated. Following McQueen’s suicide, the brand is now being designed by Sarah Burton, who has continued the image and reputation that McQueen had built over the years. Burton has secured prominent successes since taking the reins, notably THAT famous royal wedding dress worn by Kate Middleton in 2011. Established in the upper echelons of British couture, Alexander McQueen’s unique influence has spanned the entire industry and continues to haunt every high street to this day.

Plum Ayloff

Fashion faux pas surround us, so much so that they often go unnoticed. However, one style sin which alarmingly haunts the street, sending shivers down any clothing conscious person’s spine, is that of the legging craze. They have swept across the nation like a trouser substituting plague. Admittedly the comfort granted by leggings is unmeasured but if we allow for comfort to lead our clothing choices, then soon onesies would be worn in the office. I don’t sanction the embracement of leggings behind closed doors, people are free to live in their very own house of fashion horrors, but to cross the household threshold would be to cross the line. The main bone I have to pick with leggings is the resulting VPL (visible pant line) disaster which inevitably arises Leggings

are deceiving: they give the impression that you’re decently attired but in reality they leave very little to the imagination concerning your lingerie choice of the day. They may well maximise lounging around flexibility, but if so much as a hairclip is dropped, the bending over retrieval reveals more than anticipated. A suitable name for such an instance is ‘the full moon sighting’; thanks to the undoubtedly poor quality of the legging material, bending over causes an unintentional moony. So this Halloween, the distant howl of wolves could easily be replaced by the wolf whistles of on-looking guys, who upon observing a legging moony celebrate their very own testosterone overloaded full moon party. Retail has jumped on this indecent bandwagon by introducing an abundance of patterned and printed leggings, thus encouraging the indoctrination. Yet would it be acceptable to wear just a bra out simply because it has been elaborately decorated? Hell no. Beyond the postman or your cat, no-one should fall witness to such a clothing blunder. Put them back where they belong with the skeletons in the closet. VPL tragedies can sometimes be excused on account of ignorance, but often, leggings are worn by those who choose to ostentatiously showcase their prized goods. Technically leggings provide coverage, but then again so do sarongs and, with the exception of Hawaii, nobody would even dare wear a sarong to put the bins out. This Halloween, forget booby traps, booty traps are the ones to watch out for (or in actual fact, the ones to avoid watching, it’s for your own

Elin Reeves

Editor: Josie Benge

Living

What’s on this fortnight?

Bored of your books? Sick of your seminars? Loathing your labs? Fear not... There’s plenty of awesome autumnal events this fortnight to keep you going!

Under ts n e s re p s u c ir C le ib is The Inv the Dark Moon

Autumn cookery class When? 5th November, 5.30 - 9pm Where? The Multifaith Chapliancy Come and learn how to make the most of your pumpkin at this autumnal cookery event! See www.ubu. org.uk/events for more details.

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Bristol Circus As the climactic final event of the mises to be Festival, Under the Dark Moon pro al, shadowy, mysterious and magic set against the backdrop of old films and featuring a live musical score. Flic k

Travel

3rd November, 8pm When? 30th October mmon Where? The Creative Co

Flickr: Denis Co

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Fireworks!

Style

Get into the festive spirit this autumn by attending one of the many public fireworks displays around the city. Bristol Zoo Gardens 1st – 3rd November, 5.00 pm – 6.00 pm, Tickets: £6.50 from the Bristol Zoo website.

Know about When? 18th October - 9th November an event in Where? The Arnolfini Bristol that you The Arnolfni is hosting a series of think should be fascinating live shows and masterclasses, a season which celebrates the increasing featured in What’s inoverla p between the fields of live art and e. See the Arnolfini website for On? Let us know! theatrindivid ual events listings.

School Field, off Bishop Road, Bishopston

What’s On

Saturday 2nd November, 5pm Tickets: £4 - £5 available from Lashings Coffee House, Oddsox Shoes, and Iota (all on Gloucester Road) Trinity Centre, Trinity Road Sunday 3rd November from 6pm to 10 pm, (Firework display starts at 7.30pm) Tickets: Free with an event flyer - up to 4 people will be admitted with 1 flyer.

Live art theatre season

Flickr: su

Email deputy@ epigram.org.uk !

Coming up... Sean Locke

When? Wednesday 13th November, 8pm Where? The Hippodrome 8 Out of 10 Cats favourite Sean Lock is performing his new show, Purple Van Man Overview, for one night only at the Bristol Hipodrome - a compilation of hilarious gags, insightful observations and inspired jibberish. Tickets are available from the Hippodrome website. Book early!