Festive events in Bristol page 32
Should Britain legalize marijuana?
Albums of the Year page 25
page 11 Issue 252
Issue 256
Monday 3rd December 2012 www.epigram.org.uk Bristol University’s Independent Student Newspaper
Floody hell: Rain and wind disrupts Bristol
The Queen visits Bristol as part of Jubilee celebrations Alex Bradbrook
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh visited Bristol for the first time in seven years on the 22nd November and spent a whole day touring the South West. The visit was one of the final public engagements as part of the royal Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The couple travelled in the royal train and arrived in Bristol Temple Meads where they were driven to Ashton Vale for a visit to the Bailey caravan factory. While at the caravan manufacturers the Queen and Prince Philip were driven very briefly in one of the motorhomes produced by the company. One worker, Craig Dudbridge, spoke to the monarch and said, ‘She seemed very interested and asked us all lots of questions’. continued on page 3
Pulling the ‘green wool’ over our eyes: the truth behind ‘environmentally friendly’ companies
page 14
Alex Bradbrook Senior News Reporter Bristol is recovering after several days of severe weather struck the southwest of the country. At the peak of the adverse weather, gale force winds of over 60mph were recorded in the city centre and over a month’s worth of rain fell in just two days, causing chaos in many areas. At times, some parts of Whiteladies Road were completely submerged by fast-moving torrents of water flowing across the road and pavements, inconveniencing lots of students commuting between Stoke Bishop and Redland and the main university precinct, as well as slowing traffic. Somerset was one of the worst-affected counties nationwide, with many villages in the Mendips reporting floods several feet deep, and local farmers claiming that the weather was ‘the worst [they had] seen in 40 years’.
Marek Allen
Strong winds knocked over a tree on a student’s driveway on Elmdale Rd Extensive flooding on the Downs led to many sports fixtures and training sessions scheduled throughout the week being cancelled. The downpours also caused havoc for students attempting to get home for the weekend, with rail services experiencing heavy delays due to railway tracks being flooded, and other disruption caused by the deluges. Services between Bristol, Swindon and Exeter were particularly badly affected, leading to cancellations, lengthy delays and inconvenience for passengers. Sub-par student houses also suffered during the bad weather, with one student reporting that water was seeping through the walls in her bedroom, whilst many others documented leakages and various other problems with their accommodation due to the wind and rain. On Elmdale Road, a tree was uprooted in the driveway of one student property: third-year geography student and resident James CrosbyGayler remarked, ‘It was strange to wake up
to see the tree’s branches pressed right up against my window, when they’re normally on the other side of the driveway’. Even though the Environment Agency had issued 58 flood warnings for the south-west, none were issued for Bristol itself due to the way in which the Floating Harbour protects the city against flooding. Liz Stephens, an academic from Bristol’s Geography Department who specialises in modelling flooding, told Epigram ‘During the last 8 days we have seen rainfall totals that have exceeded what we might normally expect over the course of the whole month. This rainfall is falling on already saturated ground following a very wet few months, therefore generating large amounts of surface run-off that has caused the flooding that we have seen.’ Long-range weather forecasters predict that early December will be dryer than the past few weeks, allowing the city - and its residents - to get back to normal.
Satsuma thrown at NUS President during rally in London A contingent of 36 students and officials from University of Bristol Union (UBU) joined other universities across the country at the NUS Demonstration in London, which ended abruptly when hecklers stormed the stage at the final rally in Kennington Park and threw eggs and a satsuma at NUS President Liam Burns. According to NUS estimates about 10000 students all across England came to protest government cuts in university funding on the 21st November. Shouting chants such as ‘No ifs! No buts! No Education cuts!’ - protesters battled through bitter rain and blasting winds for two miles, along a route which took them past the Houses of Parliament and onto a final rally in Kennington Park, South London. The rallying, however, was brought to an continued on page 3
Epigram
03.12.12
News
Editor: Jemma Buckley
Deputy Editor: Zaki Dogliani
Deputy Editor: Josephine McConville
news@epigram.org.uk
zdogliani@epigram.org.uk
jmcconville@epigram.org.uk
Editorial team Editor
Style Editor
Pippa Shawley
Lizi Woolgar
editor@epigram.org.uk
style@epigram.org.uk
Deputy Editors
Deputy Style Editor
Patrick Baker
Anisha Gupta
patrick@epigram.org.uk
deputystyle@epigram.org.uk
Imogen Rowley
Arts Editor
imogen@epigram.org.uk
Rosemary Wagg
e2 Editor
arts@epigram.org.uk
Ant Adeane
Deputy Arts Editor
e2@epigram.org.uk
Rachel Schraer
News Editor
deputyarts@epigram.org.uk
Jemma Buckley
Music Editor
news@epigram.org.uk
Eliot Brammer
Deputy News Editors
music@epigram.org.uk
Zaki Dogliani
Editorial Ticking off life’s big ‘to-do’ list It’s hard being nice. In a world where everybody
item on life’s big ‘to-do’ list. Friends of Bristol
is competing to be busier than the next person,
student Will Pope are currently trying to raise
we’re inclined to think about
awareness of just how easy it is to register
ourselves more than others.
as an organ donor.
Deputy Music Editor
Of course we don’t mean
Pope,
zdogliani@epigram.org.uk
Phil Gwyn
to be like that. Deep down,
be in his second
Josephine McConville
deputymusic@epigram.org.uk
we’d all like to be nicer and
jmcconville@epigram.org.uk
FIlm & TV Editor
more charitable if we only
experiencing all the
Features Editor
Jasper Jolly
Nahema Marchal
had the time. Along with
delights of university
filmandtv@epigram.org.uk
features@epigram.org.uk
Deputy Film & TV Editor
Deputy Features Editor
Kate Samuelson
Helena Blackstone
always intending to buy
year
of
deadlines
should
university,
and
out
deputyfilmandtv@epigram.org.uk
volunteering our time
Instead, he is currently in
deputyfeatures@epigram.org.uk
Science & Technology Editor
at a charity shop and
the Intensive Care Unit of
Comment Editor
Mary Melville
popping next door to meet the neighbours,
Harefield Hospital awaiting
Joe Kavanagh
science@epigram.org.uk
signing up to be an organ donor is just another
comment@epigram.org.uk
Sport Editor
Deputy Comment Editor
David Stone
Nat Meyers
sport@epigram.org.uk
deputycomment@epigram.co.uk
Deputy Sport Editor
Letters Editor
Laura Lambert
Lucy De Greeff
deputysport@epigram.org.uk
letters@epigram.org.uk
Proof Readers
Living Editor
Alana Weir Natasha Isaac Jessica Easton Rachel Farmer Rupert Hill Rishi Modha
Imogen Hope Carter living@epigram.org.uk Deputy Living Editor Josephine Franks jfranks@epigram.org.uk Mona Tabbara mtabbara@epigram.org.uk Travel Editor Alicia Queiro travel@epigram.org.uk Deputy Travel Editor Alex Bradbrook deputytravel@epigram.org.uk
Advertise with Epigram? To enquire about advertising, please contact Leanne Melbourne - advertising@epigram.org.uk Epigram is the independent student newspaper of the University of Bristol. The views expressed in this publication are not those of the University or the Students’ Union. Epigram receives adminitrative help and the loan of office space from the University of Bristol Students’ Union but is editorially independent. The design, text and photographs are copyright of Epigram and its individual contributors and may not be reproduced without permission.
We’re nearly a third of the way through the academic year, and what a busy term it’s been. All those good intentions to start work earlier, go to more societies and eat healthily have fallen by the wayside. We receive a lot of emails from people who think they have missed out on their chance to get involved with Epigram for the year. Unlike other societies, however, it is never too late to get involved in contributing to Epigram. To explain more, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions... 1. ‘I have a really great idea for a story that I’d like to write. Who should I contact?’ This depends on the subject matter. Drop an email to the editor of the section you imagine your article appearing in. If it isn’t obvious which section it might go in, email editor@ epigram.org.uk
the
nights
a copy of the Big Issue,
Getting Involved
on
20,
Triangle.
an urgent heart transplant. For many, what happens to their body after death is a subject too morbid to think about. Some automatically assume that their next of kin will know that they want to donate their organs to people on the transplant list. Seen from another angle, however, organ donation can be seen as the ultimate gift, giving another person (or people) the chance to live a healthy, quality life once more. Signing up
2. ‘I don’t have any writing experience. Can I still get involved?’
to be an organ donor is incredibly simple. To do
Absolutely. Never again will you have as great an opportunity to try out new things as you do at university. Having a go at being a journalist is just one of the many things you can try. Whether you want to interview your favourite comedians, write up match reports or reminisce about your gap year adventures, there’s room for everyone to have a go.
so, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk, fill in a few
3. ‘I missed Freshers Fair so didn’t sign up to the mailing list. How do I do so now?’ Each section has its own mailing list. To sign up, send an email to each section editor you want to hear from. Once you’re signed up, you will receive emails letting you know about meeting times, articles that need commissioning and much more. 4. ‘I’m a keen photographer/illustrator/make up artist/model who wants to get involved. Can I?’ Yes! Details of all section editors can be found on this page, but if you’re still not sure who to contact, email editor@ epigram.org.uk
simple details about yourself and tick whichever organs you would like to donate. Then you can get on with your life never having to think about it again, but knowing that once your time on earth is up, even if you have achieved little else, you will have given someone like Will Pope, and the other 7600 people waiting for an organ transplant, the chance to live a normal life again.
Epigram
03.12.2012
33
Joseph Quinlan News Reporter Only a few weeks have passed since George Ferguson’s threeand-a-half year term as Mayor of Bristol began, but already change is afoot in the halls of the Council House – or should that be City Hall? As one of several symbolic moves, the Mayor has renamed the building to underline that it belongs to
I back the “Bristol Pound
because it will provide a boost for independent businesses
”
Bristol citizens. Speaking at his inauguration ceremony - held at Temple Meads - Ferguson described the new role as his ‘ultimate project,’ - reminding everyone of his successful career as an architect. Here he pledged to take his £51,000 salary entirely in Bristol Pounds. He said ‘I back the Bristol Pound because [...] it will provide a boost for independent businesses and help to prevent our high streets being overwhelmed by the big chains.’
Change, however, has not just been symbolic, with the new Mayor already scrapping Sunday parking charges in the city centre. He has an aspiration to ‘make Sundays special’ in the cultural life of the city, potentially leading the way to freeing parts of the city centre of all traffic on the first Sunday of the month, as is done is Bristol’s twin city of Bordeaux. The start of Mayor Ferguson’s term in office, however, has been overshadowed by struggles to form a cabinet. Hoping to secure cross-party support for his administration, Ferguson tried to form a ‘rainbow cabinet’, in which Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and the Greens would all hold positions. In a tumultuous week, local Labour party members voted to boycott the cabinet, before Labour councillors - holding their own vote the next day decided to continue negotiations with the new Mayor. It was at this point, however, that the National Executive Committee (NEC) stepped in to overrule its own councillors, prompting the leader of the Labour group on Bristol City Council, Peter Hammond, to resign. Although the NEC believes that its party’s distance from the cabinet will ensure that there is a constructive opposition, critics argue that it is a ploy to avoid being associated with the £32m cuts that are due to be made.
Queen pays city a royal visit Georgina Winney
Mayor to be paid in Bristol pounds
Jessica Wingrad Senior News Reporter Continued from page 1 The tour then saw the royal couple visit the Bristol Old Vic theatre, which has recently undergone refurbishment, where they watched a dress rehearsal of the performance ‘Peter Pan’. A small anti-royal protest group were waiting at the theatre as well as crowds of cheering onlookers. Among them was Jen
The visit has “showcased the
strengths and diversity of our great city
”
Pretty in pink: The Queen is welcomed by Bristol citizens before touring around different parts of the city
Appleford who brought her pet corgi and said ‘We are hoping the Queen will notice Lily and it would be nice if she gave us a wave’. While at the theatre the Queen reopened the Royal Box with the unveiling of a plaque. After leaving the Bristol Old Vic, the tour moved to the Harbourside for a reception and private lunch at M Shed museum which was attended by community groups and organisations as well as Bristol based businesses.
At the M Shed museum crowds were waiting but the Queen chose not to circulate among them. Rosemary Thompson, from Portishead, said ‘It was lovely that the kids got to give her posies and everything, but I was disappointed that she did not turn around and wave at the crowds.’ One third year student from Bristol University was at the M Shed and said ‘Lots of different people turned out to see her,
despite the rain people waited for two hours and some even followed her around from Bristol Old Vic to M Shed. ‘She had ladies in waiting collecting the flowers. She was dressed in pink with black gloves looked lovely. Everyone was very well spirited.’ The newly elected mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson, met the couple at M Shed and said ‘The visit has showcased the strengths and diversity of
our great city, from successful businesses to flourishing culture and strong community organisations.’ The royal visit then continued on to Hartcliffe in the south of Bristol, where the Queen went to the centre’s nursery while Prince Philip met with volunteers who were involved in craft activities. Before the monarch and Duke left Bristol, eight-year-old Alyssa Street from Hartcliffe presented the Queen with flowers.
Egg-throwing activists end NUS rally UBU
Sol Milne News Reporter Continued from page 1
According to NUS estimates nearly 10,000 protesters turned up on the day to march through London Sol Milne Flickr: Nina J. G
Bristol Students and UBU Officers battled through the wind and rain to rally against the cuts to education
abrupt end when a small group of hecklers stormed the stage. Approximately 15 people overtook security and rushed on stage at Kennington Park where NUS President Liam Burns was attempting to give a speech. No one was hurt but Mr Burns – despite strategically dodging the eggs and the satsuma pelted at him by hecklers - was forced to leave the stage. Mr Burns shrugged off the badly-aimed incident, ‘I’m not going to get particularly bogged down by a few people who want to shout in a rained out park.’ The disruptive end to the rally may have been an attempt to echo the chaotic scenes from the previous NUS demonstration in 2010, where about 200 protesters stormed 30 Millbank - the Campaign Headquarters of the Conservative Party. That year, some protesters smashed windows, lit placards on fire and one A-level student threw a fire extinguisher from the roof – 18 year old Edward Woollard was sentenced to nearly three years
in prison after handing himself in to police. The 2010 protests culminated in other high-profile arrests, including the son of Pink Floyd’s guitarist who received a 16 month prison sentence for violent disorder. The disruption to the demonstration this year was on a much smaller scale with an even smaller minority involved in the disorder - but it perhaps indicates the ongoing
I’m not “ going to get
particularly bogged down by a few people who want to shout in a rained out park
”
tensions between the NUS and those who feel the organisation has not done enough to campaign against government cuts in education. A government bill passed in 2010 caused student tuition fees to treble, raising annual fees to as much as £9000. Universities used to receive 35% government funding, in
contrast to 29% from students. The cuts in government funding mean that universities are now far more reliant on students for income. This has created a culture of competition between universities rather than one of collaboration as universities steadily become victim to an increasingly marketed atmosphere as they have become run more and more like businesses in an effort to attract larger numbers of applicants. Almost all of the officers from UBU came to protest and rally against the cuts implemented by the Conservative-led government. Tom Flynn - VP Education - expressed his pride over the Bristol students who attended the protests but also his disappointment at the small minority who disrupted the otherwise peaceful protest. ‘Bristol took 36 people down to the demonstration, fewer than we’d hoped but around the same as other unions in the South West. I was hugely proud to see Bristol students turn out to make the case for education and young people, but the events at the rally at the end were indefensible, and detracted from what was a fantastic day.’
Epigram
03.12.2012
4
UWE student lives in car on campus xxxxxxxxx The Post
Judith A’Bear News Reporter After a mix-up with the Student Loans Company, University of West England (UWE) mature student Marc Seccombe was forced to sleep in his car as he could not afford accommodation. He blacked out the windows of his Mitsubishi Shogun and - until he installed camping lights – used a candle after dark. The 41-year-old mature student insists he had applied for his student loan back in April but the Student Loans Company disputes this, claiming they did not receive his application until August. Seccombe told The Post ‘It is a blatant misrepresentation to say they didn’t receive it until August. They locked my account from April – it is entirely their fault’. Despite the fact that the £3800 eventually came through, he is still living in his car because he has a family to support in Plymouth. With four children under the age of 18 he admitted to The Post that it has been difficult. ‘I’ve been cold, stressed and miserable at times, and have missed my children – it’s not been easy’.
Seccombe was concerned before starting his full time degree in forensics; previously, he worked as a nurse in the
“
The forensics student has only a sleeping bag, small camping stove and washing up bowl.
”
Royal Navy and as a private enquiry agent in the legal profession. Despite his concerns, he had
already paid the fees and felt it was important to further his education. Seccombe came to Bristol this year after completing his first year at Plymouth University. He parks his car on UWE’s Frenchay Campus on Coldharbour Road so that he does not miss out on anything. The Mitsubishi has limited interior design – the forensics student has only a sleeping bag, small camping stove and washing up bowl in the back of the car. Every weekend he drives down to Plymouth to visit his wife and four children.
Bristol mobile app will track unwelcome plant species Melissa Sykes News Reporter The Nature Locator team at Bristol University has developed a mobile phone app which was recently featured on BBC’s Countryfile as an innovative way to track the location of unwelcome plant species across the UK. Thanks to this technology, the public are able to use their phones to locate unwelcome plants known as Invasive Non-Native Species.These plants, which have been either accidently or deliberately brought to the UK, pose a threat both to the environment and to the economy, with an annual cost of at least £1.7 billion. Tackling this environmental issue is a partnership of the Environment Agency, the Nature Locator Team at Bristol University and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. They launched The Plant Tracker app following a successful trial in the Midlands and it is now available to download free of charge from the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store. David Kilbey, the Nature Locator Project Manager, said ‘This is a really exciting project which I believe is set to become a core service in tackling invasive plants in the UK’. ‘Developing such apps through the Nature Locator
project is proving to be an effective way to engage the public in scientific research, which will ultimately be of great benefit to the environment’. The app works by listing information and photos of fourteen invasive species which include the exotic sounding Japanese Knotweed and Floating Pennywort. Anyone can then identify one of the offending species and use the
app to take a photograph, whilst simultaneously obtaining an accurate GPS location. These results are then submitted and verified by expert botanists before appearing on the Plant Tracker project website. It is possible to keep up to date with this project on Twitter using @PlantTracker and @envagencymids or on facebook at www.facebook.com/ naturelocator.
Using GPS and a camera phone, users can track pesky species.
Blind student tests ‘bat-bike’ for BBC Sam Duckerin
The bike navigates like bats using sonar technology.
Olivia Lace-Evans News Reporter Daniel Smith - an Aeronautical Engineering student from the University of Bristol - was recently given the opportunity to test out a revolutionary piece of sonar equipment for Richard Hammond’s BBC documentary Miracles of Nature. In the program Smith was given a standard mountain bike fitted with technology which adapts a bat’s ability to navigate using sonar. By sending vibrations through the handlebars Daniel was able to create a ‘mind map’ of his surroundings by warning him of upcoming obstacles. Smith told Epigram ‘I approached the bike with massive scepticism. Being an engineer I know the science behind the bike but know executing such technology to be good enough for me to ride would be difficult. The team behind the bike made it work and it was great to see an idea taken from nature being transferred to engineering so effectively.’ This technology was originally used in the ‘Ultracane’ - a device developed by Professor Brian
Hoyle of the University of Leeds to aid people who are visually impaired whilst going about their daily lives. Smith was diagnosed with Leber’s Optic Neuropathy last year, rendering him blind with only 7% of his original vision. This rare condition leads to a loss of sight due to the death
“
Vibrations through the handlebars allowed Daniel to create a ‘map’ of his surroundings.
”
of cells in the optic nerve, which leads to the failure of information relaying between the eyes and the brain. ‘Since being plunged into this new visually impaired world it has been great to see assistive technology and its boundaries being pushed so quickly. 10 years ago I would have dropped out of university and wouldn’t be able to ... operate independently. ‘The bat bike won’t mean visually impaired people can ride bikes again, but I think this
is the grass roots of technology developing to mean sight loss is far less debilitating than it was in the past.’ His twin brother Michael was diagnosed with the same disease two years before Daniel. The twins raised more than £20,000 for their charity Blind in Business - in April by cycling 570km from London to Amsterdam on the back of tandem bikes led by sighted riders. Smith was asked to take part after appearing on television to promote the charity bike ride and being recognised in Bristol Temple Meads by one of the documentary’s assistant producers. He is planning to go to Rio for the 2016 Paralympic Games for visually impaired cycling, and in the nearer future will be completing the Three Peaks Challenge – climbing the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales – in June as well as a half marathon in February. Miracles of Nature is a three part documentary investigating the ways in which powers of the natural world can be adapted to inspire inventions which could revolutionise the modern world. The episode is available on YouTube.
Epigram
03.12.2012
5
Ragnhild Melbye News Reporter People have taken to the streets in nearly 100 cities, including Bristol, to join calls for an immediate end to the military escalation between Israel and Gaza. More than 200 people rallied in Bristol to protest against Israel’s recent attack on Gaza in response to Hamas rockets, carrying flags, banners and signs reading ‘Stop Israeli terror’, and ‘End the massacre in Gaza, end the siege right now’. Israel launched its military offensive against Gaza on November 14th, with estimates of over a hundred Palestinian and three Israeli casualties by
the end of last week, marking the latest battle in a conflict that has gone on for years. Protesters marched from the city centre to BBC Broadcasting House on Whiteladies Road; with the BBC heavily criticized for its coverage, activists demanded that it should ‘tell the truth about Gaza’. Similar demonstrations were also held outside BBC offices in London, Birmingham and Sheffield. The BBC has been accused of focusing on the exchange of missiles while failing to point out the incursions suffered by Palestinians as a result of illegal settlers, loss of land and water, and the blockade of Gaza, as well as the disparity between
the number of deaths on each side. Ed Hill, vice-chair of Bristol Palestine Solidarity Campaign, told Epigram that many studies have been performed on the BBC’s coverage on the conflict, with glaring results. ‘I can now hear the BBC words on the news before they say them: “the battle between Hamas and Israel”, “the IsraelPalestine Conflict”[…] all create the image of a battle between equals’. In 2009, veteran politician Tony Benn lambasted the BBC over its refusal to broadcast the charity appeal for aid to Gaza during the humanitarian crisis. ‘The BBC has capitulated to Israeli pressure. If they won’t
Ed Hill
Gaza supporters protest in Bristol over BBC coverage
Protesters marched from the city centre to the BBC building on Whiteladies Road.
broadcast it, I’ll do it myself ’. Another protest took place on Saturday, this time going from the fountains in the centre to Cabot Circus. The 60 protesters also demonstrated against shops and businesses
Self-powered robots to be developed by Bristol unis Laura Webb News Reporter The groundbreaking development of robotic technology at Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) is expected to transform the economy and society in the next 20 years. The potential impact of creating robots which can function without the control of humans, learn and make decisions by themselves is predicted to have a significant impact on a
vast range of sectors including defence, healthcare, education and manufacturing. David Willetts - Minister for Universities and Science - visited Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) on 12 November to see the latest technology being developed, as part of the government’s desire for Britain to be a world leader in robotics research. The BRL is a joint collaboration between the University of Bristol (UoB) and the University of the West of England (UWE)
and is currently the largest robotics laboratory in Britain, focused on developing robots which can work autonomously - without human direction. During his visit Mr Willetts saw a wide range of programmes - including projects which could have a huge impact on the medical industry. These included the development of robots which may be able to carry out surgery by themselves and robots which could potentially feel what is happening inside a UWE Press Office
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
David Willets (left) makes friends with Thespian (right) during his visit to the Bristol Robotics Laboratory
person’s body. Mr Willetts also observed former UWE student Zan Nadeem’s business project ‘Restech,’ which aims to provide robotics workshops to schools in Bristol. Mr Willetts said ‘The Government has identified robotics and autonomous systems as a ‘future technology’ – an area which has huge potential for growth. We predict that robots that can act independently of human control will revolutionise our economy and society in the next 20 years. We want Britain to be at the forefront of these world-changing breakthroughs.’ The government’s vision for science in Britain was presented in a speech by George Osborne - Chancellor of the Exchequer - to the Royal Society on 9 November where he suggested ‘Robotics and Autonomous Systems’ were one of seven ‘critical’ technologies which could help boost the economy. In his speech, Osborne highlighted the key role the BRL will play developing technology, stating ‘In the Bristol Robotics Laboratory they are developing self-powering robots which collect dead flies and other detritus and place it in a back pack container of bacteria which converts this into electric power.’ The research carried out at BRL by UoB and UWE has the potential to benefit the whole country and could place Britain at the forefront of robotics technology.
that sell Israeli goods, handing out leaflets containing statistics about Gaza. President Obama has said that if the situation there worsens, ‘The likelihood of us getting back to any kind of peace
track that leads to a two-state solution is going to be pushed off way into the future’. Even before the latest attacks, the two sides had rarely seemed further apart, or the conflict more uncompromising.
Alcohol in pregnancy can lower baby’s IQ Laura Davidson News Reporter Even small exposure to alcohol while in the womb can influence a child’s IQ, according to a new study published by researchers from the Universities of Bristol and Oxford. The research has been reported widely in the media including by the Guardian, Daily Mail, The Times, BBC, Sky News and Channel 4. Although it is known that heavy drinking during pregnancy poses risks to unborn children this research suggests that even moderate alcohol consumption during pregnancy - as little as one or two units per week - can have a negative effect on a child’s IQ. Alcohol passes easily through the placenta from the mother’s bloodstream into her baby’s blood, putting the foetus at risk. The blood alcohol level of the foetus becomes equal to or greater than that of the mother, but because the foetus is unable to break down alcohol in the same way as an adult, its blood alcohol level remains high for longer, which appears to lower IQ levels. Previous research in this area has produced inconsistent results, partly because it is very difficult to identify alcohol as the harmful factor rather than other potential causes such as smoking, age and education. This has led to incoherent and confusing advice for pregnant women. The study involved determining the IQ scores of over 4000 children and looking
at the alcohol intake of their mothers whilst pregnant. Intake of one to six units per week was found to affect a child’s IQ. This effect was only apparent in children of women who drank ‘in moderation’ – no effect was found in children whose mothers had abstained completely. This is strong evidence to indicate that it was exposure to alcohol in the womb - rather than other factors - causing the disparity in children’s IQ. Researcher Dr Sarah Lewis believes that the results
1 to 6
units of alcohol per week affect a child’s IQ illustrate the harmful influence of even a low level of alcohol on foetal brain development, stating that ‘Even at levels of alcohol consumption which are normally considered to be harmless, we can detect differences in childhood IQ, which are dependent on the ability of the foetus to clear this alcohol’. Dr Ron Gray of Oxford University, who led the study strongly advised abstinence from alcohol in pregnancy, saying ‘Even moderate amounts of alcohol during pregnancy can have an effect on future child intelligence. So women have good reason to choose to avoid alcohol when pregnant’.
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Epigram
03.12.2012
7
‘Mini Attack’ busk to save for university Zaki Dogliani Deputy News Editor
Mini Attack
Mini Attack perform in various locations around Bristol.
Bassist Jacob explained that they ‘don’t really do pop music because we’re not really into pop. We prefer to play old stuff; we enjoy it more’. The group’s repertoire has included Roxanne by The Police, Come Together by The Beatles, Song 2 by Blur and Simon & Garfunkel’s 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover. They have also begun to write and record their own material and cite Freddie Mercury and Red Hot Chili Peppers among their musical idols. Mini Attack has also busked for charities such as Children In Need. The group’s name is thought to be a play on the Bristol outfit Massive Attack. They tweet @MiniAtakBristol and post videos on their YouTube channel MiniAttackBristol.
Mayor turns on Christmas lights Euan Scott
‘Wingardium LevioSoc’ holds sorting ceremony for 250 freshers in local pub
A group of 11-year-olds from Redland Green School have formed a band called Mini Attack and are busking regularly on Bristol’s streets in order to save money for university. Twin brothers Jacob and Raul Gibson and friend Molly Hardwick earn as much as £100 from weekly busking sessions, playing in locations around Bristol including Broadmead and the Harbourside. Nick Gibson - father of the twins - told Epigram ‘The uni side of things started as a bit of a tongue-in-cheek idea. However, as the project has grown in strength it is becoming a realistic outcome. The kids are
aware of the costs of going to uni and have enough insight to see the sense in saving’. Asked what she thought about students needing to pay £9000 in tuition fees, lead vocalist Molly said ‘I think it [the amount] should be lowered and it’s ridiculous the amount you have to pay nowadays’. Quizzed about how she would feel about coming out of university with a big debt, Molly added ‘I’d have to do a bit more busking then, wouldn’t I?’ The trio were recently invited to perform at a wedding attended by singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran - a former busker himself. Although screams heard during Mini Attack’s performances are somewhat reminiscent of a Sheeran concert, the group are more interested in older music.
Sam Duckerin
Euan Scott
turn out. The society’s facebook page has 636 members and, with 390 new recruits this year, Wingardium LevioSoc is one of the biggest societies at the University of Bristol. As the socialising got underway you did not need extendable ears to overhear some of the conversations. In one corner a group discussed how many times it was acceptable to cry in the last book and others deliberating
Wingardiam LevioSoc gained
390 new members
Jude A’Bear News Reporter A Firebolt, the Giant Squid and Viktor Krum yelling ‘muggle!’ at innocent bystanders were all part and parcel of the first event hosted by Wingardium LevioSoc – also known as the Harry Potter society. About 250 people descended on the White Harte for the event, during which wannabe witches and wizards were given wands by Ollivander and sorted into Hogwarts’ houses. For the sorting ceremony,
four cauldrons with mysterious liquids were placed before each first year. Litmus paper was used as the decider – depending on the liquid, it turned either red, yellow, blue or green which represented Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin respectively. Then it was on to Ollivander,who enthusiastically exclaimed ‘dragon heartstring, nine inches!’ whilst presenting the Potter fans with a glorified twig. Sophie Mitchell - President of Wingardium LevioSoc expressed her delight with the
this year
the best Harry Potter-themed chat up lines – ‘Would you like to slytherin to my Chamber of Secrets?’ was deemed the winner. Amongst the sea of witches’ hats were three bemused locals, who instead of being outraged at the disruption to their quiet evening pint, roared in admiration for the evening. ‘You come out on a Monday night and don’t expect to find this! Brilliant – never stop doing things like this.’
St Nicholas Market was lit up on Saturday November 24th as the new mayor of Bristol George Ferguson - turned on the Christmas lights. He used the event to trumpet the benefits of shopping locally and renewed his pledge to support local businesses. Crowds of smiling traders and locals counted down as the lights were officially switched on, beginning the Christmas festivities. Amongst other attractions, St Nicholas Market has welcomed the return of Super Santa Gorilla - the market’s much-loved festive mascot.
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Epigram
03.12.2012
Features
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In conversation with Tim Marshall Epigram speaks to this renowned war journalist about his experiences of conflict and the responsibilty for fair representation
The brightly lit lecture theatre in which Tim Marshall gave his talk to the International Affairs Society is a far cry from the war zones where he forged his remarkable career as foreign affairs editor of Sky News. Having reported on the world’s most notorious conflicts of the last twenty years - from Kosovo to Iraq and Afghanistan - it is hard to believe that he started off with little more than a CSE in metalwork after leaving school at 16. He tells us, ‘I wanted to be a journalist from about 11, but I may as well have wanted to be a brain surgeon, it seemed so untouchable’. After working as a painter and decorator, he joined the Royal Air Force. During his time there, punk music inspired him to educate himself: ‘If Paul Weller from The Jam referenced George Orwell, I’d go and read Orwell’, he recalls. When he later enrolled in night school, an opportunity to meet with the news desk assistant of LBC News presented itself. This led to a research role that kick-started a reporting career taking him all over the globe. In light of his considerable experience in crises all over the world, we asked how it had affected him: ‘I’ve had fantastically rich life experience,
but it is hard to take a view of the world where power is not the most important thing and where decency is a luxury’. As an example, Marshall explains that whilst gay rights take an incredibly prominent role in Western social and political discourse, they are of little importance in places of conflict.
Photo: BBC Leqrning Zone
Lucy Edwards Rachel Smith Features Reporters
PULL He remembers a young boy risking his life to warn a stranger of snipers
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Although he admits to having a somewhat ‘miserable’ view of the world, he goes on to say, ‘I see the best of people in these horrible situations: neighbours still helping neighbours’. He remembers a young boy in Damascus risking his life to warn a stranger of snipers on the nearby rooftops, and people trying their best to continue with daily life alongside revolution. Moving on to the topic of the Arab Spring, he admits that he ‘would prefer to call them Arab uprisings.’ Indeed, the appropriation of the term by the media is misleading, as it equates the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989 with the wave of protests in the Middle East, and in the process glosses over the deep-rooted geopolitical
and historical factors involved in the events in these vastly different countries. He goes on to explain that there is also evidence of a fair amount of misreporting in the case of the uprisings. Looking to Egypt as an example, journalistic analysis was based on relatively privileged student protestors, who knew little of the crippling poverty in which most of the population lives. The idealistic 10,000 in Tahrir Square chanting for a new political order were not
representative of the entire Egyptian population. In his talk Marshall also revealed, to our surprise, the appeal of reporting from Gaza. Journalists get to ‘look tough’ wearing flak-jackets on TV before retiring to their boutique hotels, complete with spas and swimming pools. Also omitted from reports are brand new shopping malls, which contradict the image of Gaza as an impoverished and war-torn region. Marshall has reported on
many politicised conflicts throughout his career, as well as the recent US election. When asked about the responsibility of the media to be unbiased in such situations, he said: ‘When you are paid to assess a situation and analyse it, your emotional feelings are not much use.’ Despite the emotional burden that comes with war reporting, journalists must swallow any sympathies and resentments. He concludes by saying that ‘not everything has a solution’; it is a common mistake in
the west to believe that every problem can be fixed, no matter how tangled its history. Whilst the Arab nations push towards whatever form of democracy they can, it is increasingly clear that more conflict is brooding on the horizon. And as this fighting surges through the Middle East, Tim Marshall will no doubt be reporting from the front lines with his regional accent left at home, back to ‘business as usual’ doing what he does best: telling us the story.
Tweet Feed 21 November
On November 14th, The Israeli military issued the world’s first announcement of a military campaign in Gaza via Twitter. Here is a collection of tweets from Tim Marshall on the subject.
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03.12.2012
99
‘Cold Facts’: H&M’s superficial ethical code Photo: Janka Man
Ragnhild Melbye asks why we are not putting more pressure on clothing companies who won’t take care of their workers.
H&M has come under fire after a Swedish broadcast, ‘Kalla Fakta’ (‘Cold Facts’), claimed the high-street retailer wasn’t doing enough to prevent exploitation of its workers. H&M is one of the world’s biggest clothing chains and it is flourishing. Last year alone, it made a profit of over 15bn kronor (1.4bn pounds), while their textile workers in Cambodia do not have enough money to cover basic needs
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“Cambodian
workers take out loans to have enough money for food
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such as food and water. At the same time, H&M claims to be committed to social responsibility, but is it really? Cambodia is one of H&M’s most important supplier countries. The monthly salary in a Cambodian factory is about £41. Deuar Sophon, one of the factory workers interviewed in the documentary, works about
Photo: Andres Van Der Stouwe
Ragnhild Melbye Features Reporter
70 hours a week, which adds up to 15 pence an hour. This pay is too low for a family to live on, and it is common for workers in the textile industry to take out loans in order to have enough money for food. H&M claims their vision is that ‘all business operations shall be run in a way that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable’, but takes no responsibility for the factories from which they buy their fabric. H&M takes full responsibility only after the
clothing has been made and shipped off to Europe. But don’t get me wrong: H&M is not the only company with a few skeletons in the closet. An increasing number of companies have decided to publicise their ethical guidelines, however there is no guarantee for customers that the suppliers will follow them. Labour Behind the Label, a charity that frequently publishes reports to raise awareness of working conditions for garment workers, showed that several
companies, including top high street retailer Gap, are only just beginning to accept the idea of a living wage.
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“H&M takes
responsibility only after the clothing has been shipped to Europe
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In Bangladesh, H&M has d e m a n d e d higher minimum wages from the government, but ‘Cold Facts’ shows this to be an exception. H&M outsources its manufacturing to many other countries, so this effort confined to Bangladesh seems to be only a half-hearted PR stunt. ‘We will continue to use our influence and demand minimum wages be increased wherever they are not enough to live on’, H&M writes on their website. However, they fail to produce any evidence of this happening or even a plan for how they are going to implement this in the future. Helena Helmersson, head of sustainability at H&M, says it is positive that the workers are making their voices heard and that striking is a part of that process. Nevertheless, H&M dissociates itself from any responsibility. She explains that 75% of the factories are represented by unions. But what about when their voices don’t get heard? Where their voices might go unheard, ours could make all the difference. Anti-fur campaigns reached a peak in the 1980s and 1990s,
based on the opinion that fur is cruel and unnecessary: an attitude that has infected the fashion business. Also, ecofriendly clothes have become increasingly popular, a trend that H&M followed up in 2004 when they launched their first ‘conscious collection’. It was part of a mission to incorporate more sustainable fabrics into their apparel, and probably their quest to be seen as a sustainable company. The approach to design, sourcing and manufacturing in the fashion business has been changed by the consumer before, why aren’t we doing it again? The fashion industry represents an opportunity for widespread poverty reduction, but this opportunity that has been ignored for years. By spending money in shops that don’t pay their workers a living wage we are indirectly supporting the exploitation of workers. Consumers can’t dissociate themselves from all responsibility. A climate for political reform needs to be created. Cheap fashion is something none of us can afford.
How it all works: volunteer-run FoodCycle Bristol Nathan Kerubairasa. After attending a lunch two and a half years ago he has volunteered to help cook every Sunday since. As an asylum seeker he’s unable to work in the UK and so spends his week volunteering at various projects including FoodCycle. A regular visitor comments: ‘Not only is he a brilliant cook, but he also brings an amazing positive and friendly enthusiasm to each week!’ This week Carrie Lorton, an Environmental Consultant from the Waste and Resource Efficiency Team of AEA, was also visiting. Having been contracted by the government to investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of FoodCycle, she told Epigram how impressed she was with both the set up of the organisation and the enthusiasm shown by the volunteers. Unfortunately as it currently stands the Sainsbury’s on the Triangle is the only supermarket contributing food to the project. However, Lorton is hoping to go into talks with leading supermarkets to encourage them to donate their unwanted food. There are also plans to set up over a dozen more FoodCycle projects in the
Photo: Flickr/Thai Nguyen
Most of us learn fairly early on at university that sell-by dates are of little consequence. Of course, if you go for some outof-date meat or fish, you might encounter a few problems, but play it safe with fruits and vegetables and they’ll be just as filling and nutritious as they were only a few days earlier. However, an estimated 400,000 tonnes of unwanted food like this is thrown away each year, a fact that FoodCycle is turning into a positive. Each week hubs all over the country collect surplus food from local supermarkets and shops, transport it by bike and trailer to unused professional kitchens and prepare nutritious meals to serve up to the community. FoodCycle Bristol is no different. Collecting food from local shops, including the Sainsbury’s on the Triangle and greengrocers, they then cycle to Easton Community Centre where a group of volunteers transform it into a three course meal available on Sundays from 2.30pm, free of charge.
To enable them to do this, FoodCycle Bristol run Student Restaurants throughout the year and cater for selected events, such as the Bristol Social Enterprise Conference. For just £3 students are served a delicious three course meal and given the opportunity to hear from a speaker on current issues as well as meet other likeminded students. John, who has worked for the council at the Easton Community Center for over 20 years, as well as being on a host of boards and committees, he tells Epigram: ‘Without FoodCycle, people wouldn’t come into the centre as much, and this would prevent the beneficial conversation and support that goes on.’ The centre is well used too, seeing up to 90 people on a busy Sunday. One such visitor, having heard about the project through the Bristol homeless survival guide, now comes regularly, often bringing friends. Having a keen interest in science, he says he has enjoyed being able to talk to a variety of people with such different backgrounds, particularly those who share his passion for science. Another notable figure is
A volunteer delivers the weekly round-up of food that would otherwise gp to waste.
South West. FoodCycle and the Easton Community Centre are part of a larger support network that extends throughout Bristol, including church soup kitchens, charity organisations and inspiring individuals. One such individual we were told about many times was a Jamaican woman who used to serve free food out of her
restaurant on Thursdays and Sundays when the night centre was closed. When her circumstances changed, making this impossible, she continued her amazing work from her own house. Unfortunately there is still a lot to be done. Whilst it’s difficult to get exact numbers, it’s estimated that at any one time there are a few hundred
Photo ; Food Cycle
Amy Mallinson Iona Vincent Features Reporters
homeless people in Bristol alone. With the average life expectancy of a homeless person at just 47 this is clearly an issue that needs addressing. However, FoodCycle is definitely a step in the right direction. The next Student Restaurant will be on 11th December. Further information available through their Facebook group!
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03.12.2012
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Is the end of the world nigh? Probably yes! Charlie Griffiths takes a look at the science that explains why we’re all damned, whether we are divine believers or not. so massive that they threaten the very existence of the human race... and we’re overdue the next one by 40,000 years. After the instantaneous death of all life in the surrounding area, ash would be shot so high into the stratosphere that it would block out the sun causing a nuclear winter. One thousand cubic kilometres of magma would surge out of the volcano, covering the entirety of the US with five inches of lava. Asteroid impacts are the single biggest geological threat to humanity. We are 55m years overdue for our next mammoth collision, based on how regularly they have occurred in the past. An event like this today would undoubtedly wipe out the entire
Charlie Griffiths Features Reporter The ice age is coming, the sun’s zooming in, a meltdown’s expected… all before midnight on the 21st December! The 2012 phenomenon stems from a range of eschatological beliefs that attribute some apocalyptic significance to December 21st. It supposedly marks the end of a 5,125-year-long cycle in the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar,
“The forces that
caused havoc in the past are just as powerful as they have ever been
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more commonly known as Mayan. If we do believe December212012.com, ‘recent research’ has revealed evidence in the Bible and other ancient sources that ‘the end days’ began in the year AD 2006 and will last for six years, taking us to 2012! And if you weren’t scared enough, our trusty friend Nostradamus (a sixteenth century prophet) is cited as ‘evidence’ of our impending doom, along with the ‘prophetic dreams of Daniel’ and some apparent ‘revelation made to John’. Although mainstream science has rejected our date with destiny unequivocally, there are thousands of people worldwide, including such credible sources as Mel Gibson, Lil’ Wayne and Montel Williams, who believe the apocalypse truly is now. So
Photo: Flickr/ Photoquantique
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perhaps it is worth considering whether there is any truth in these ancient prophecies. Have humans overstayed their welcome on Mother Earth? Could the world as we know it really end in just over three weeks time? Well, the truth is, yes! It is certainly possible that a cataclysmic event could wipe out the entire human race at any moment. Throughout history our planet has been shaped by an endless cycle of destruction and renewal. 99% of all the species that have ever lived on Earth are now extinct and we tend to forget that the forces that caused all this havoc are just as powerful as
PULL Ash would block out the sun, causing a nuclear winter
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they have ever been. In our 200,000 year existence humans have not been struck by a truly epic disaster, but history reveals that we are far more at risk than we might think and another mass extinction event could be just around the corner. In fact, it is not worth pondering whether the world will end, because it most certainly will, the real question is when? The Cumbre Vieja volcano on the island of La Palma, Canary Islands, is on the verge of a monumental collapse. A future eruption could trigger a landslide with the magnitude to generate a mega-tsunami of
mythic proportions. In the immediate aftermath of the disturbance, hundredmetre high waves are expected to crash onto the shores of the three westernmost islands in the Canary chain – not normally famous for their surfing. In three to six hours, the tsunami will have expanded across the Atlantic in a 180 degree arc and Africa, Europe and the Americas will be whipped by wave after wave until even the cockroaches make for the hills. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming is a ticking time bomb. It has the questionable accolade of being a ‘supervolcano’, capable of eruptions
global population. Imagine detonating all 20,000 atom bombs on the planet simultaneously and the impact still wouldn’t even come close; it would be three billion times more powerful than both nuclear bombs dropped on Japan. It would be a mighty coincidence if, on the 21st December, La Palma collapsed, Yellowstone erupted or an asteroid struck, but it is perfectly possible and maybe, just maybe Mel, Montel and Lil’ know something we don’t.
Paradoxical obsessions: cookery shows and ready meals It may sound amusing that the majority of British people will happily spend hours in front of the TV watching cookery shows presented by demigod celebrity chefs whilst gorging themselves on an Indian or Chinese takeaway. However, this signals a wider issue within our society, which probably affects students more than most! There is a large decline in people cooking for themselves and a rise in ready meals as substitute. We clearly find healthy, nutritious food attractive - as demonstrated by the sudden increase in food programming, such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s popular River Cottage. Even our more sumptuous needs are filled by Nigella Lawson’s mouth-watering delights and Heston Blumenthal’s abstractions. Yet it is simply not the case that people are less likely to follow TV recipes because these are too hard or too dull, as that is often far from the reality. For example, Lorraine Pascale’s hugely popular show Fast, Fresh and Easy Food with an average audience of 1.7 million, offers delicious and
wholesome recipes that are relatively simple to follow. So, why is it that people are cooking less and less on average, despite this current TV trend? On speculation, it could be due to cookery programmes having more value in terms of entertainment, rather than education. Academic research has shown that only a small percentage of audiences actually learn something from cookery shows, with only 1 in 7 investing in new ingredients as a result of a programme. Shockingly, according to EU research 36% of the meals that are put on our tables are ready meals. This has major implications on the health of the British public, with an estimated 22% of British people being classified as obese. Media reports consistently link this to the downfall of cooking and a rise in the numberof unhealthy and highly processed suppers. The situation is not aided by the fact celebrity chefs have also jumped on the marketing bandwagon for ready meals and supermarket
‘takeaways’, certainly not helping the British public to reinvigorate a habit of cooking. Instead, there is a temptation to use the microwave rather than the oven, to eat
processed soups and meals rather than use fresh ingredients and cook for oneself, linked to a general feeling that cooking is too tiresome and timeconsuming. Rather than celebrity chefs like Heston Blumenthal promoting their own Waitrose range of ready meals, surely it would make more sense to promote healthy eating habits. Do people watch these programmes as a way of expanding their culinary experience without having to pay the expense, or take the effort of trekking to the Gavroche or Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons? It seems normal now for Michelin-starred chefs, more suited to haute cuisine than home cooking, to make regular television appearances - take Raymond Blanc or Michel Roux Jr., for instance. Are people too lazy to copy the recipes presented to them? We could debate over people’s motivations for watching these shows for hours, but the present trend and popularity of cookery shows can be dated to the early 1990s explosion of DIY cookery shows, and their financial importance to TV companies because of the books deals and endorsements widespread.
The situation is only set to deteriorate unless a major transformation in people’s attitudes to good, homemade and nutritious meals becomes apparent. Undoubtedly, cookery shows are a form of distraction and relaxation, though it would be better if time were spent learning to experiment with fresh ingredients and wholesome food.
Photo: Anne Magic
George Dew Features Reporter
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Legalisation: high time for change? Olivia Lace-Evans With the legalization of cannabis in the US states of Colorado and Washington the old debate on the use of marijuana has been sparked again. Though people are still dubious as to whether the US federal government will allow this legalization it does provoke the question – if a country led by an antidrug administration is seeing recreational legalization of marijuana perhaps we should be considering the issue ourselves. Let’s consider America’s contention that they will be able to reduce criminal involvement by regulating the supply and subsequently the quality of the drug. If the government is able to regulate how much people are buying and where they are purchasing the drug, they are in a far better position to control the substance use. Much in the same way as repealing the alcohol prohibition in 1930s America, where gangs suffered a fatal blow and loss of market, drug cartels will no longer be able to exploit the market. So it all sounds like good news; both the British taxpayer’s money and police time won’t be wasted. Legalization could also reduce the number of people given a criminal record. Professor Lew Iversen, the chair of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs, argues penalties for drug possession are too high. This is not to say we should be eliminating punishment for those with excessive possession of drugs, that would be ridiculous. However, possession of small amounts of marijuana should not be the deciding factor as to whether people can get a job or take out a mortgage. We should be focusing on harder drugs and those who are dealing them. Some people are concerned that this will lead to people using it who wouldn’t have even considered taking it before. To a certain extent this is true and yes there are some health risks associated with cannabis. Nevertheless, this is a flawed argument, as we can’t make definite assumptions. A large factor in increased use may come down to the fact that some people are characteristically more inclined to take drugs in the first place. Government can’t control human will, if someone wants to take drugs they are most likely able to find
a way. But as Francis Bacon said, ‘knowledge is power’. The best way to tackle this is by making sure the information is there, like the graphic anti-smoking advertisements, so people can at least be aware of the risks and make an educated decision whether to take it. David Nutt, author of ‘Drugs Without All the Hot Air’ and the former government advisor for the misuse of drugs, also contends that by legalizing marijuana we could potentially reduce alcohol consumption by a quarter as well as harder drugs. Alcohol costs the NHS £3bn per year and has become one of Britain’s greatest social issues. If we are able to deter people from drinking excessive amounts of alcohol and we control their alternative use of marijuana this could prove invaluable for British society. Not convinced? Even the government has acknowledged the medicinal benefits of marijuana. In 1998 the House of Lords Select Committee concluded that the government should be looking to legalise medicinal use of cannabis. Countries including Israel, Canada and the Czech Republic have all acknowledged the medicinal benefits of the drug and have legalized its prescription. This is unsurprising when you consider marijuana is believed to help those with MS (Multiple Sclerosis), a disease that affects 85,000 people in the UK, as well as those with spasticity, phantom limb syndrome, glaucoma and bronchial asthma. So is there a way to get a balance between enjoying the benefits of marijuana and avoiding the damage that people are so fearful of ? Without a doubt, but the government will need address legalization with an open mind. The Dutch model has proven extremely successful, with lifetime heroin use down to 0.6% and homicide rate per 100,000 people down to 1.1 due to regulated legalization of marijuana. If we adopt a similar model, giving very strict guidelines as to where people can consume marijuana, how much can be sold or bought, and age restrictions put in place, the UK has the potential to revolutionize British drug culture for the good.
Flickr: Alexodus
Yes
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No Jan Zeber It might just be the university bubble, but am I the only one under the impression that the debate surrounding the legalisation of cannabis in the UK consists almost exclusively of pro arguments? We all know how decriminalisation will force dealers to find a job, provide a much-needed boost to the economy through taxing legal sales, and how the likes of Dr Nutt keep assuring us that chips are more dangerous. University students wouldn’t have to risk disgrace to the family when they get caught with four ounces in the boot of their Mini. It almost begs the question: why isn’t it available in your local corner shop? Somehow I don’t find the generally accepted answer of ‘it’s the government, man’ satisfactory. The government recognises the economic benefits just as well as we do, and judging by the popularity of the pro-legalisation lobby, it wouldn’t be a disastrous move. The answer is much simpler than most people think. Marijuana is illegal because, as strange as it may sound these days, it’s actually really bad for you, something we seem to have lost in the midst of economic debate. Legalization activists point to the legaliy of other harmful substances like alcohol and tobacco. But surprising as it may sound, they’re nowhere near in the same league regarding mental health implications. Abuse of ‘weed’ is the number one problem for psychiatrists in the UK, according to a Huffington Post journalist Rupert WolfeMurray. Notice psychiatrists, not counsellors. The former deal with serious changes and defects in behavioural patterns, often associated with physical changes to the functioning of the brain. This more or less means that prolonged use of marijuana can permanently change you, the way you perceive the world and interact with others. A recent cohort study showed that those who started smoking marijuana below the age of 18, when their brains were still developing, had lower IQs. Sure, this doesn’t actually prove a link. However, given what we already know about its effects on the brain, it doesn’t seem implausible. Compare all of that with tobacco, which bears no mental health implications at all apart from being highly
addictive, and alcohol, abuse of which may lead to dependency and mental health problems, but not in the region of psychosis. What of the economic benefits of taking the business from the dealers into legitimate, controllable, and if private, then taxable hands? If legal, highquality marijuana becomes available, then the black market will disappear. Why would you choose to go through the illegal and sometimes dangerous experience of buying weed from a complete stranger, when it could be bought legally in broad daylight? Several reasons, actually. In order to ensure that the marijuana meets whatever regulations we set (which are likely to be strict, as the government will want to
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Let’s be clear on one point: cannabis is dangerous.
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Bristol University Police are catching an increasing number of students with the Class B drug. Is it time to end the prohibition of marijuana?
reassure the public), it will cost a lot of money to produce. If we want to make it the government’s business, the money will come out of our own pocket as taxes. If we want a free market solution, the price will be high, much higher than the one entrepreneurial dealers will offer in answer to the new policy. That’s on top of the tax we of course will want to charge. Whilst we’re on the subject, I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that after legalisation cannabis use will significantly increase. Think how much it costs to repair drunks in casualty wards all over the country every weekend. Well, let’s just say psychiatry will be liable to become a lot more vital to the general wellbeing of people in this country. I’m not saying any plans for legalisation should be scrapped immediately. But too often we see the potential of bright, passionate young people go up in smoke every night to let the debate be dominated by pro-legalisation camp. Let’s be clear on one point: cannabis is dangerous. Only when we truly recognise the extent of what it can do to people can we start talking about legalisation. It’s about time we stopped treating it like basil.
Epigram
03.12.2012
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Think again about the Motherland’s father figure
Anastasia Reynolds Who has four dogs, a goat and a pony called Vadik? Who sang Blueberry Hill at a children’s charity concert in St Petersburg in 2010? Whose 2008 painting Pattern on a Frosted Window fetched 37 million roubles at auction? Vladimir Putin, twice prime minister and three times president of Russia. We know him from his widely-publicised photo-op adventures: wading through rivers, tranquillising bears, flying with cranes. We are also familiar – or think we are – with some of his politics: this, after all, is the flamboyant leader of the largest country in the world, the latest protodictator, the ex-KGB hard man, the embodiment of Russia on the world stage. But all that we know, or hear, or see of him in Western Europe is only a tiny part of what Putin himself is actually like. This is a result of the natural distillation of information down to the most interesting bits as it crosses borders, careful image management on Putin’s part, and a tendency on the part of the Western media to report only items that show Putin as
bizarre or evil. In fact Putin is a very interesting man, with far more dimensions than the Western media portrays. He is a politician, a patriot, an intellectual, a hero and a villain. He is a sportsman, an artist, a thug: you name it, Putin has dabbled in it. He’s certainly clever. And versatile. Long ago, he studied law at Leningrad and now holds a doctorate in economics. Beyond book learning, however, he displays excellent interpersonal skills: he is very good at getting people to do what he wants. This can be a bad thing, but it also points to a solid understanding of human nature born of observation and analysis. He also possesses that elusive quality: charisma. Granted, his popularity is waning; the electorate are slowly realising that now, with Russia more stable than it has been for years, they can afford to vote for policies rather than personalities. However, it seems he is an engaging interlocutor, with time to talk to the man in the street. As far as politics goes, he is wily, a good public speaker, a thoughtful tactician, and probably marginally less corrupt than you think. I feel he genuinely loves his job: he has ambition, of course – you don’t get to be president of anywhere without it – but it seems to be strictly political, not aimed at personal gain. His personal wealth at the
time of the elections this year was surprisingly un-obscene: 3.7 million roubles, and his salary is slightly less. Obviously he is better off than most Russians, and most of us too, but compared to other world leaders, this is modest. In the UK, for example, the Prime Minister is paid £142,500 for leading a much smaller and less populous country. Putin’s enjoyment of his job stems largely from patriotism: since he left school, his life choices have been directed towards public service. Even his undergraduate degree choice (law) was deliberately designed to enable him to join the KGB. His preference for Russian things and Russian advancement is marked: he owns three cars, all Russian, despite the fact that you can find better cars abroad. The wildlife and endangered species
he takes an interest in are all Russian: Amur tigers, white whales, white bears, snow leopards. Of course Putin is acutely aware that celebrating Russia goes down well with the electorate; nonetheless, I believe that his home country – ‘motherland’– is very close to his heart. Conversely, Putin is also firmly entrenched in Russia’s inner workings. His name has been synonymous with government for twelve years, and will be until at least 2018. He figures largely in the country’s self-image, and is inseparable from popular culture. In Russian popular culture, he appears as both a goody and a baddy. The popular web comic Super Putin portrays him as a hero, fighting terrorists, bears and zombies - that’s just Episode 1; he
features in books, films, games and colouring books as a kind of ultra-capable everyman. On the flip side, he is the subject of jokes, cartoons, criticism in broadcast and printed media and even, in 2010, a parody nude calendar that drew attention to the failures and mysteries of his tenure. Interestingly, Putin rarely either endorses or condemns anything written or said about him. He seems to prefer keeping his own counsel, letting his spokesman Dmitri Peskov make bland responses. Just occasionally though, he is stung into retaliation:. WikiLeaks revealed in 2010 that American diplomats had called him a dictator; Putin labelled the allegation ‘slanderous’. More recently, in the wake of the Pussy Riot trial, the Russian judicial system was being criticised in European
and Western Russian media, including claims that Putin had personally engineered the trial. Putin himself responded snappishly to the allegations. All of this makes Putin a fascinating character. In some ways, he is very mysterious - unlike a typical politician - and therefore an unknown quantity. This in itself is vaguely unsettling, and given his power and influence, even threatening. On the other hand, he has several concrete interests which mark him out as a man like any other: his enthusiasm for the sports he loves, his interest in protecting his daughters from publicity’s glare, his brusque management style – all these reveal him to be human. It is hard to see what his aims for himself and for Russia are – there are too many smokescreens, and too many rumours, making predictions impossible. What is easy to see, however, is that he is absolutely a product of his time and country: he personifies the image of the enigmatic Russian soul, whilst welcoming the modern world with open arms. I will be watching his future career with interest, to 2018 and beyond. It will be interesting to see what happens after his death, because having been inextricably entwined with the country’s fate for more than a decade, he will have a profound influence on Russian life and politics for a great many years afterwards.
The Schofield ‘stunt’ under fire mere shadow of the names, one would have to pause the live show at the precise moment, and zoom in at a high magnification. In his official apology Schofield stated that the list may have been ‘briefly and inadvertently shown to camera’. ITV, expounding on Schofield’s comments, apologised that there was ‘a misjudged camera angle for a split second’. Evaluating the footage, it is apparent that any visibility was a genuine mistake. The list was a cipher, a prop: not intended for public viewing but employed for dramatic effect, and it certainly succeeded in heightening the pressure on David Cameron. As Schofield said to Cameron, ‘you know the names’; Schofield merely supplied
ges
Phillip Schofield’s recent ‘stunt’ on ITV’s This Morning has polarised public opinion. Schofield has been criticised for handing the Prime Minister a handwritten list of the names of suspected Tory peadophiles during a live interview. Fellow news reporter Jonathan Dimbleby labelled Schofield’s behaviour ‘cretinous’, while Policing and Criminal Justice chief Damian Green called the stunt ‘tasteless and silly’. In light of this criticism we must ask, what were Schofield’s intentions, and what did he achieve? The list, as Schofield unashamedly admitted, was complied following ‘a momentary cursory glance at the internet’. In three minutes of internet surfing Schofield felt he had gleaned sufficient ‘knowledge’ to formulate the list of ten names. Arguably, as an avid twitter user himself, Schofield should appreciate
has come under fire over the alleged cover-up of a damning Newsnight report covering Jimmy Saville’s crimes. The debacle has shown the BBC to be intransparent and misleading, willing to withhold information from the public in order to protect its own image. In this context, Schofield’s direct, hands-on approach can be viewed as a refreshing alternative. Although his actions amounted to a ‘stunt’, and the list lacked the supporting evidence to authenticate it, it is evident Schofield was trying to be proactive and address the issues troubling the public. Politicians are stereotypically known for their ability to evade questions and give wishy-washy answers. Schofield’s direct ‘attack’ did not allow Cameron to side-step the main issue, putting him in the hot-spot, a position he was noticeably uncomfortable with. Additionally, it must be noted that allegations that Schofield intentionally flashed the list of names to the camera are completely false. Reviewing the interview, it becomes apparent that to have seen a
the PM with a tangible, and unignorable signification of them, which tellingly, the PM did try to ignore by discarding the list. Arguably, Schofield’s list was more symbolic than factual, representing the unanswered questions surrounding British institutions, and moreover representing the voices of the hidden victims of these alleged crimes. Ofcom received 415 complaints from viewers following the interview, and Schofield and five other colleagues have since received disciplinary action from ITV. Evidently, we must conjecture that Schofield’s ‘stunt’ was selfformulated and not b a c k e d by higher authorities. It is clear that ITV, like the BBC, is likely to remain impartial concerning the matter; it is the
individuals, rather than the institutions, willing to put their necks on the line to ask the difficult questions. 2012 has seen a watershed of child abuse allegations, and decades of indiscretion and patterns of institutional abuse are being evaluated and addressed. At this crucial time, we expect honesty and transparency from the media outlets responsible for informing the public: after years of being kept in the dark, Britain deserves some light. If the alternatives are the ‘ignorance is bliss’ approach of the BBC, or the direct, albeit heavy-handed, approach of Schofield, as a concerned viewer, I’d plump for the latter.
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It is the individuals, rather than the institutions, willing to put their necks on the line to ask the difficult questions
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Jessica McKay
that the internet is a nexus of speculation, comment, and insupportable allegation. And as one of the UK’s most watched and respected broadcasters, Schofield should also appreciate that ITV has a responsibility to convey accurate and relevant information to its viewers - not mere conjecture. If Schofield’s actions were truly borne out of care for the victims of the alleged crimes, surely he would have corresponded with the authorities dealing with the inquiries. As the Prime Minister pointed out, anyone with genuine, credible evidence should report directly to the police, as he said, ‘that’s what the police are there for’. The government are attempting to conduct judicial, impartial inquiries into all possible suspects. Schofield, as a popular celebrity, is conveying a poor example to viewers in suggesting that speculation is the way forward, and undermining the valuable work the police are doing. Although Schofield clearly made some errors, one cannot totally disfavour his approach. Recently, the BBC
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03.12.2012
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Lucy Bowen Two weeks ago, over 2,000 protesters stood outside the Irish parliament in Dublin, demanding reform for abortion laws. This follows the death of Savita Halappanavar after she was refused an abortion whilst miscarrying - despite continued appeals from both her and her husband to carry out the procedure - because Ireland is ‘a Catholic country’. Once again the religion/medicine debate has been dragged centre-stage in the wake of a preventable tragedy and one begs the question; how many more cases do there have to be before religious fanatics are prevented from causing human suffering as a result of their beliefs? Many would say that there is no place for religion in modern medicine. Those who think there is a place for the two to coincide are deluded. This can be demonstrated in practically every instance, big or small, where religion has interfered in medicine. In recent years, directors of such hospitals as Leicester, Sheffield and Royal Liverpool have been put in uncomfortable positions by Muslim female medics refusing to ‘scrub’ before dealing with
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In the light of another wasted life, it would be best to leave religion on the doorstep and let doctors do their job.
Miserable PCC election turnout signals change for democracy Izzy Obeng
patients because their forearms would be exposed and their modesty jeopardized. Where hygiene experts said there should be ‘no exceptions’ made on religious grounds, the directors still felt the need to ‘find a solution’ in order to accommodate everyone’s feelings. The less politically correct would tell them to find a different profession if they can’t conform to the standards set for everyone. Why should anyone receive special treatment because they are female, male, black, white, young, old, Muslim, Jewish or Christian? The far more pressing question should be: why should a patient not receive treatment because of religious beliefs - be they the patient’s, or belonging to the state that they so happen to be in? Just this month a judge in Nevada decided against a 32year-old mentally disabled rape victim to have an abortion because her legal guardians believe it is against their Catholic beliefs. The decision was made on the grounds of one doctor giving the all clear for the pregnancy to go ahead ‘with assistance’ despite at least three medical experts stating that the pregnancy would be ‘too risky’. The woman had the mental age of a six-year-old and she suffers from epilepsy, bipolar disorder and other various conditions.
The case was only brought to court after state Social Services said that the medications the patient was on could harm the health of the foetus. Now that the decision has been ruled, it is likely that they will continue the pregnancy to term without the patient’s medications, at the risk of severe, perhaps irredeemable, damage to her health. In this case the woman didn’t even have the ability to understand what was happening, let alone make the decision, but when the patients take control of their own fate and choose religion over medical opinion, as one Twitter enthusiast put it: ‘You may as well practice witch doctoring.’ The Jehovah’s Witnesses movement, which claims to have more than 17m followers worldwide, identifies itself as a Christian religion with its beliefs based solely on the Bible, including a prohibition on accepting blood. There have been countless cases where patients have died instead of accepting a blood transfusion. A document used by the Jehova’s Witnesses, called an Advanced Care Directive, allows the patients to refuse transfusions without implicating their doctors in any blame, leaving them legally helpless to intervene whilst, on many occasions, they watch their patients die with the treatment
within easy reach. But there have been many incidents where patients or parents of patients have been overruled. In June this year, such an event happened in Sydney where a cancerstricken child was given the life saving blood transplant despite her parents’ express refusal. And closer to home and even more recently in Dublin, a court overruled the directive that a 27-year-old woman had signed in August, despite the husband’s pleas that ‘she would never accept [a blood transfusion], even if not having the treatment would result in her death’. But Ms Barrington said the hospital was arguing that the wishes expressed by the woman to doctors on Tuesday evening should be given priority ahead of the wishes expressed in the directive. So whilst one of Ireland’s hospitals ignores someone’s belief, another imposes its own, which takes us back to Ms Halappanavar. She was a Hindu woman who had alien religious laws imposed on her when she needed help most. Perhaps in the light of another wasted life, it would be best to leave religion on the doorstep and let doctors do their job. As one tweeter put it: ‘Medicine and religion’ is a toxic cocktail best never mix.’
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Online reactions to the last edition Lots of readers are getting involved in our debates online. Feel strongly about any of the views in Comment? Then head to www.epigram.org.uk and take part.
www.epigram.org.uk
The lowest turnout in a national election in British peacetime history; the lowest turnout in any by-election in peacetime history; the first elected mayor Bristol has had since 1898 not belonging to any major party - the events of the last fortnight have demonstrated something fascinating about the state of British democracy. The miserable turnout at the PCC elections in particular has been labelled a “comedy of errors”, a “complete shambles” and a regrettable decision for the government who passed the Bill. Just in case you were wondering who your newly elected PCC is, say hello to Sue Mountstevens (Avon & Somerset) and also feel free to look up what her election means to the city. This is undoubtedly embarrassing for David Cameron, who has been forced to state that the candidates still have a legitimate mandate. If that wasn’t enough, Labour snatched victory from the Tories in the Corby by-election with an impressive 12 percent swing. If that still wasn’t enough, Tory Geoff Gollop’s bid for the Bristol mayoralty landed him in third place. Perhaps the events of the last fortnight tell us how fed up the general public is with party politics. UKIP leader Nigel Farage was jubilant about UKIP’s standing in Corby“There’s a big change in politics. UKIP is now the third party.” Whether you agree or not, the whole affair may be able to offer us something about the fate of the next general election. The first thing that’s blindingly obvious is that we’re not happy with our coalition parties. The Lib Dems came fourth in Corby, fourth in Bristol and were consistently beaten by UKIP in the PCC elections. The Tories haven’t fared particularly well either; for the first time in 15 years they have lost a seat to Labour. It seems like the publicfar from riding the “we’re all in this together” bandwagon- are looking for ways to protest. Whether that’s by voting for the opposition, embracing
UKIP, spoiling votes, boycotting polling booths, becoming increasingly apathetic or voting for independents- it’s becoming clear that both parties will be facing a tough crowd in 2015. Of course politics is a rapidlymoving beast and who knows what will happen before 2015. Far from seeing the failure of the main parties negatively, the appointment of George Ferguson, an architect by trade, may be a breath of fresh air for Bristol. He’s a likeable chap, the kind famous for his bright red trousers and sending personal ‘thank you’s to those that follow him on Twitter (that’s @Georgefergusonx if you’re wondering). He also endorses a more consensual politics. His mission is essentially to stop the bickering, hear everyone out and tackle Bristol’s £32 million deficit. This month’s election has been the first election ever recorded in which a polling station has not had a single person pass through its doors. It was also rather funnily the first election I can recall where a candidate has hidden his party allegiance in order to be elected- this is Winston Roddick (new PCC for North Wales) of the Liberal Democrats by the way. Whether this spells the emergence of a whole new host of independents at the next general election is anybody’s guess. I think what we can agree on is that our democracy is changing - we’re voting differently, we’re voting less and we’re kind of fed up.
“ This month’s election was the first ever in which a polling station had not a single person pass through its doors.
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Faith and medicine should not mix
Epigram
03.12.2012
Science & Tech
Editor: Mary Melville scienceandtech@epigram.org.uk
@epigramSciTech
Pulling the green wool over your eyes Erik Müürsepp Science Reporter ‘Bottled water is the most environmentally responsible consumer product in the world’. Hopefully reading this statement used by Nestlé in an ad set off some alarms bells in your head. This is a clear cut example of what has come to be known as greenwashing – businesses using marketing tactics to make themselves look far more environmentally friendly than they actually are. There is a lot of sense in this strategy: the modern consumer is well aware that the best thing for the planet would be to simply buy less, so an opportunity to spend one’s money on something that pollutes less than the competitor’s product negates some of the guilt. There is a plethora of ways in which companies can greenwash the public; most are a lot more subtle than Nestlé’s ad. Products can make
irrelevant environmental claims which, though being true, are nothing more than a distraction. The clearest examples are goods touting to be chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)free. CFCs are the main cause of ozone hole formation, and should therefore be avoided at all costs. But ending up with anything containing
“they use extreme expenditure in PR to mask an extremely poor environmental track record” CFCs in your shopping bag is impossible, as these compounds have been banned by law for several decades now, making a shaving gel with a ‘CFC-free’ sticker on it no better than any other. Companies can also focus on a very narrow set of attributes, whilst ignoring the main factors that impact the environment. Buying paper that comes from
a sustainably-harvested forest does not necessarily make it green – unless it is, in fact, green paper – as the aspects of actual paper-production such as energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution can be far more crucial. The energy sector giants are usually seen as the most arrogant greenwashers of all, with extreme expenditure in PR to mask an extremely poor environmental track record. BP is a prime example, as it underwent a $200 million rebranding campaign in 2000 that introduced the slogan ‘Beyond Petroleum’ and changed its logo to the current green and yellow sunburst. Their apparent new ethos of distancing themselves from petroleum and focusing on alternative energy ignores the fact that BP now produces 24% more barrels of oil per day than it did before the campaign started. Thanks to increases in efficiency, they have prevented the release of 7.9 million tonnes of CO2 between 2002 and 2010,
but forget to mention that it takes only five days of regular production to generate the same amount of pollution. Greenwashing faces strong opposition from many fronts, with government regulations and NGOs like Greenpeace trying to control this expanding trend. Advertisements in Norway face particularly stringent regulations, and since 2007 all car adverts have been banned from claiming to be green, clean or environmentally friendly. a spokesman for
the country’s Consumer Ombudsman explained: ‘Cars cannot do anything good for the environment except less damage than others.’ Eco-labels like the Rainforest Alliance
200 million The amount spent by BP on rebranding in 2000 Certificate can help people make more informed decisions by measuring the properties
of a product against defined standards. A certain measure of caution needs to be applied, however, as companies have realised that with hundreds of different eco-labels out there, they can create their own inhouse one without anyone being able to tell the difference. In the end, people need to fall back on their common sense and realise that if something sounds too good to be true, it is probably too well marketed to be green.
Right: An entry for Greenpeace’s contest to redesign the BP logo. Greenpeace wanted a logo that reflected BP’s ruthless behaviour. Far left: the ‘popular choice’ winner of greenpeace’s public logo competition. Designed by Laurent Hunziker.
Tiger temple in Thailand: how we’re funding abuse Sol Milne Science Reporter Recently I saw a photo of a grown man ‘planking’ on top of a tiger. I have had a little experience with big cats and I know that for the most part, they are not always the ferocious and brutish killers we often perceive them to be. However I know for certain they would never let you get away with this. This stunt occurred at the Wat Pa Luang Ta Bua Temple or ‘Tiger Temple’. Founded in 1999 when a wild cub was brought to the monastery, the temple
earned a reputation for taking in ‘injured animals’ and has since collected approximately 75 tigers, hand-reared as cubs. The Temple claims to have its intentions in conservation, however, tigers reared in captivity stand little chance of survival in the wild. The temple now operates as a breeding facility, despite the fact that it does not have breeding license and, without adequate information about the tigers’ genetic information, the tiger cubs are likely to be hybrids unsuitable for inclusion in conservation breeding programs. They have now imported two African lions and
two Bactrian camels - a clear indication of the organization’s move for profit as opposed to aiding conservation. The camels have since died due to inadequate care. ‘Buddhist’ monks at the temple claim to believe, on principle, that they are related to the tigers from past lives. Yet the same ‘preachers of pacifism’ have been observed beating the animals with sticks and yanking on the tails of these creatures, and are completely untrained to work with the cats. The temple is also suspected of involvement in the highly illegal trade of wild tigers; five have gone missing without
explanation. The temple was shown to have dealings with a tiger farm in Laos; older tigers exchanged for younger specimens, receiving the names of their abandoned counterparts in order to create the illusion of a healthy population of animals within the temple. The lists of abuses these cats are subject to just goes on: housing conditions approximately 13 times smaller than the limit required for adult tigers; temple staff consistently beating them to instill submissive behaviour and a host of other animal rights violations too soul- destroying
for the public to be allowed to see. This organization may have been started with the positive goal of boosting populations
“There are countless instances of animal abuse instigated by the profits of tourism ”
Flikr: xiquinhosilva
of tigers in the wild but it has since fallen into a cycle of exploitation and profiteering. The problem is that this is a highly profitable trade. Tourists ignorant of the abuse taking place at the temple believe the striking domesticity of these cats is due to their hand- reared upbringing in the facility. The drugging and chaining down of the animals at the temple may just appear like a safety measure. This is such a popular tourist attraction in Thailand that I’m sure there are plenty of students at Bristol University who have visited the temple. The tiger temple is by no means the only place in Thailand in which this animal abuse takes place. Abuse of elephants in the country has occurred for centuries. 95% of Thailand’s elephants are domesticated for working. In order to train the elephants to be submissive they employ a ‘torture method’ and have done so for centuries in order to break the animal’s spirit. This involves chaining them up in an area too small for them
to lie down, being deprived of food and water for days on end and receiving beatings on a regular basis to force an impression of dominance upon the animal. These ‘working’ elephants were used mainly in the logging trade, however the practice became illegal in Thailand after the lack of trees exacerbated the effects of flooding after monsoons. As a result many of the ‘Mahouts’ or elephant owners simply abandoned their stead. These captive reared elephants were also unable to survive in the wild and many of them died or became nuisances to villages and were put down. Others became ‘begging elephants,’ performing tricks or they provided arduous manual labour. There are countless instances of animal abuse instigated by the profits of tourism, not just in Thailand, but all around the world; the ‘running of the bulls’ matador culture in Spain has become such a large part of the culture that we have become desensitized to the mistreatment taking place. The way to phase this practice out is to cut off their funding. Government officials in the country have exhibited the level of their corruption by failing to respond to evidence of illegal wildlife trade taking place, so that change must come from us. When you see an animal doing something it would not naturally, I can guarantee they did not volunteer to.
Epigram
03.12.2012
15
It’s the ultimate addictive relationship
Flikr: Raul Lieberwirth
Adam Scott Science Reporter Pretty much everyone knows of the dangers of smoking. You’ve almost certainly seen the warning labels or television adverts, or it’s quite likely you’ve had a friend or relative experience the consequences of smoking. While it’s easy to tell yourself ‘it won’t happen to me’, it’s hard to ignore the harrowing facts. But why then, if everyone seems to know about the dangers, do people continue to smoke? The majority start in
adolescence when looking after one’s health is not such a primary concern – 80,000100,000 children start smoking every day worldwide, with around half of those projected to continue smoking for 1520 years, according to a World Health Organisation report. The worrying thing about this is that at this stage the brain is still developing and studies show that the intake of drugs during adolescence triggers a series of defensive reactions designed to protect the brain, desensitising it and increasing the risk of later developing mental illnesses or succumbing to addictions.
Why then, you may ask, do some people smoke socially and not get addicted? The fact of the matter is, personality and genetics do come into the equation and some people can be ‘immune’ to addiction; however, is it really worth walking on ice, just to test how thick it is? For the rest of us, we could be just a few puffs away from getting hooked. Research, focusing on adolescent participants, shows that after smoking just one cigarette participants experienced diminished autonomy and control over their smoking, which increased in prevalence amongst
participants with increased frequency of use. So the ‘one more won’t harm me’ mentality may not be such a good idea. Nicotine is the highly addictive psychoactive chemical in tobacco. The receptors in the brain that nicotine locks into become almost completely saturated prior to finishing that first cigarette, causing simultaneous de-sensitisation and up-regulation. During these events, the brain creates a sense of wanting as the dopamine release dies down leaving us craving another bigger buzz. Nicotine also adds to this by suppressing MAO, a dopamine clear-up enzyme, allowing the cravings to continue far longer than a natural release of dopamine would. Dopamine is the brain’s primary motivation neurochemical, activated by satisfying the basic needs for human survival – food, sex, social interaction, and goalachievement. It is remarkable that nicotine – a natural insecticide which is drop for drop more lethal than rattlesnake venom, strychnine and arsenic – can have such effects on humans. As well as dopamine, nicotine also stimulates acetylcholine, which helps to make you feel sharper and increases endorphin levels, giving you a feeling of euphoria. These pathways are shut-down overnight when you’re sleeping, so smokers wake up craving nicotine – one third of smokers have their first cigarette within 10 minutes of waking up. To add to this cocktail of disaster, cigarette manufacturers add sugar to
them; when burned this releases the chemical acetaldehyde. Experiments have found that rats will self-administer the combination of nicotine and acetaldehyde far more than the individual constituents themselves. It is therefore no surprise that smoking is so addictive. It is not all physiological, however. There are also psychological aspects that make us want to smoke; for example, we may have become conditioned to cues in the environment that unconsciously encourage us to light up. Many addictions are also characterised by what’s known as negative reinforcement – we take the drugs in order to avoid the adverse effects that would be experienced without the drugs. But the catalyst and foundation for both subconscious conditioning and conscious rationalisations is your underlying chemical dependency. Addictions are incredibly
complex phenomena, encompassing both physiological and psychological issues; we are still far from fully understanding them, but research is making steady progress. 80% of smokers say they wish they’d never started, yet only 10% successfully quit. The good news is that quitting can and does happen all the time to all kinds of people. Some do it by going cold turkey, others require the help of nicotine replacement therapy or hypnosis and others need more intense prescription medication to help them kick the habit. A review of smoking studies in people with no desire to quit, showed that cutting down often led to complete cessation. With two million people quitting smoking every year, there’s no reason you can’t be one of them. No matter how many years you’ve smoked, your body will immediately begin to repair itself once you’ve stubbed out your last butt.
Stoptober Last October the NHS ‘Stoptober’ campaign encouraged people to quit; however, it’s not as simple as just throwing away the cigarettes. So many people attempt to quit – some even multiple times – but many fail, returning to the habit. The action-turned-habit has now become a compulsion. Despite this, it’s not too late to quit. According to research published earlier
this year people that quit before the age of 30 have a 97% chance of regaining the years of their lifespan lost had they continued to smoke. This is due to the brain’s tremendous capacity for recovery. With 268,083 people registered to be part of Stoptober, the £5.7 million campaign has ‘exceeded expectations’ according to health minister Anna Soubry.
An invisibility cloak: the definitive wardrobe accessory Harrison Carter Science Reporter
“ it marks a very important milestone in the development ” been designed yet. The reason for this can be reduced to one very plausible explanation; the scientific foundation for this seemingly simple effect is immensely complex. Professor Sir John Pendry clearly outlined this paradox: ‘You just want to grab hold of the light coming from an object, guide light around
the hidden thing, and then return it to the path it was going on originally - and that’s easier said than done’. With Professor Hendry’s words on board, many options have been put up for consideration and reviewed in the race to produce the perfect form of invisibility technology. The first is Optimal Camouflage, which uses a modified background image, reflected onto a specially designed retroreflective material, similar to those used for projector screens. This is used to cover the object you want to make invisible. Another possibility would be using carbon nanotubes. By passing an electrical current through these microscopically small pathways, a very high local temperature would be created. This would literally bounce light off the material and, in doing so, hide the object behind. Other transformation optics, such as Adaptive Heat Cloaking and Calcite Crystal Prisms, have equally as impressive
explanations. In reality, we will not be seeing this sort of innovation for many years to come. But the fact that a theory has developed into possible methods is a clear indication that the fascinating science behind this phenomenon is evolving in the right direction. Whilst it does evolve, we can acquire knowledge about new ideas. The fact is there may be uses for this technology with other types of waves, not just light. For example, it could be used to cloak magnetic fields and therefore be incorporated into security applications. Progressing further towards a benefit in reality, the cloaking theory could be adapted to attenuating seismic waves. This could be the most significant development: offering us the ability to cloak entire cities from the waves produced by shifting tectonic plates and therefore contribute to the direct protection of life and land. It is incredible what has already been discovered.
Although unsure of what may be round the corner for this emerging new science, we can
be sure that this is a story that will remain in view for a very long time.
Flikr: Russell Ede
I think we’ve all been in the unenviable position of wanting the ‘ground to swallow us up’. Perhaps following an overexuberant attempt at answering a question in front of 200 peers, you find that you’re not just off the mark, but in the wrong race. In other situations there could be an added degree of impending danger. As in the Harry Potter stories; Harry quite often uses his invisibility cloak to avoid probable death by going under the radar. Wouldn’t we all want the same luxury? Worry no more; scientists are now one very small step closer to creating an invisibility cloak. On 11th November 2012, experiments were conducted that resulted in a centimetre -long cylindrical object being cloaked, rendering it invisible to microwaves. This study wasn’t without its flaws; its success wasn’t matched when
using visible light. However, it marks a very important milestone in the development of a theory formed in 2006 after a paper was published in the journal Science. The theory of transformation optics. Still, regardless of the flurry of activity this initial postulation caused, no perfect method has
Epigram
03.12.2012
Letters
In response to Mr Robb’s piece on Spearmint Rhino (Issue 255) I’m not sure where to start. Firstly, just because the objectification of women has happened for centuries, do you really think that means it is okay for it to carry on? The argument here is not about whether pole dancing is inherently bad or not, but the fact that more often than not, women’s bodies are being sold by men for men. The environment both inside and outside strip clubs is violent and aggressive towards women and I do not see how this can possibly be a benefit towards Bristol. You say that no one is forced to swing round a pole thanks to our friends at student finance, but you are obviously unaware that there is an £8,500 funding gap between loans/grants and the cost of living (NUS). Not everyone is privileged enough to have
“Not everyone is privileged enough to have handouts from their families to cover this shortfall” handouts from their families to cover this shortfall. Instead of blaming pole dance societies at Universities for the rise of students in the industry, how about blaming the government for raising tuition fees and scrapping bursaries for disadvantaged students, who without this vital financial support would not be able to afford their education?
Ellie Williams 3rd year Social Policy
Get in touch and share your views: letters@epigram. org.uk
letters@epigram.org.uk
City-University relations should be improved flickr: shifteye
Strip clubs: who is to blame?
Editor: Lucy de Greeff
In Issue 255, the Editor asked whether or not we, as students, care about the city in which we live. I finished reading the Editorial feeling slightly disappointed at the general thrust of the column. Whilst the Bristol student body in general may be guilty of failing to assimilate with the city, rather than placing the blame on the students and the university, I would place more blame on the city and its politicians for
“Our political representatives don’t really care about us” failing to engage with us. Take, for example, the mayoral election. The reason why most students didn’t vote wasn’t because we don’t care about the city. It’s because none of the candidates cared about us. Not one campaigned around campus for our votes. None of them mentioned any pro-student policies in their manifestos, such as discounted transport fares. Granted, they made the token effort of appearing in a debate organised by the Union, but a quick glance at the of all the candidates’ policies revealed a general ignorance to the 50,000+ students in the city. When you take into account that this number is over 5% of
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Alex Bradbrook 2nd year Geography
Departing from the bathroom and entering the 1970s themed hallway, one can barely move for the mountain of toilet roll packs purchased in bulk from Costco. However, one of the biggest problems which I’m sure you as well have encountered is rodents. Mice, and god knows what else, scurry underneath floor boards, in between wall cavities and perhaps even on our clothes. To me, this is a scene from room 101 in which I cringe at the thought. Fresh faced first years will realise the ineffectuality of useless landlords whose response to your complaint is a shrug of the shoulders and confirmation that this is a universal student problem, almost like a rite of passage. Think on the bright side though, I once heard a pest controller laughingly refer to mice in the walls as insulation. At this point, you weigh up the decision in your head – mice as insulation, hmm? As it gets closer to Christmas and housemates look at each other wondering who will suggest putting the heating on first, we start to miss those toasty greenhouse rooms of first year. We start to miss the feeling in our fingers and toes as we sit at the desk wearing gloves. No heating or hot water is typical of student living; I’ve known people take a trip to the gym simply for the use of a hot shower. At this thought, Christmas cannot come soon enough. The chance to go home, to enjoy warmth, nutritious food and a chance to recover from that perpetual cold.
Olivia Ward Peter Kemmer
Tweets of the fortnight
the Greater Bristol population, it really is astonishing that politicians in this city are so willing to let these votes go to waste! It isn’t just the mayoral candidates who wilfully neglect the student population. For example, how many people know who the MP for Bristol West is? In all my time at Bristol, I have never seen Stephen Williams advertise one of his surgeries to students, when we form a large percentage the population in his constituency. To me, this suggests a wilful ignorance towards students and adds weight to the argument that our political representatives really don’t care about us. Perhaps the reason why students here don’t feel part of the community is that students are seen less of an economic asset, and more like a group of annoying youths. Many people in the Clifton/Redland/ Stoke Bishop area seem to view students as an irritation. They fail to realise that if it wasn’t for the student population here, most of the businesses in Clifton would struggle immensely and that the university, indirectly and directly, supports many thousands of jobs, providing a livelihood for locals – ironically including many of those who are critical of us. Contrarily, in the USA, cities realise the immense contribution that students play in the local cultural and economic life, so go out of their way to support them. Here, however, Bristol City Council appears apathetic at best. If the student body at this university is to relate better to the city than it currently does, more effort is needed from both sides to make it happen. Whilst students certainly should do more to engage with the city, we aren’t the only guilty party; the city also fails to engage with its students. If the situation is to improve then it’s about time the Council and our elected officials represented our interests like they’re supposed to, and also time that the few aforementioned stubborn locals recognised that us students really aren’t all that bad.
Let me paint the picture for you… There is mould growing on the walls, a rattling washing machine keeping you awake, a leaky pipe in the kitchen and mice scurrying in the walls. We are approaching that time of year again: House hunting. Avid first years leave their toasty rooms in halls, in search of a new abode. Filled with wonder and hope, their expectations are soon dashed by the squalor of student digs. Those initial rules and cleaning rota composed at the beginning of term lie crinkled in a corner of the kitchen floor splattered with pasta sauce. The smell of last night’s curry lingers and chicken bones lie on the side, not to mention that paraphernalia from that Anchorman night at Po Na Na. First years may be disillusioned by their first student house. Prospectuses promote the fun and friendly communal atmosphere of student living. But they conveniently forget to mention that after the drunken night out, in which you and your friends think it’s a great idea to tread jaffa cakes into the carpet, someone has to clear it up. Dirty dishes are left by the sink to grow mould until week 6 when someone cracks and ends up washing them out of frustration, or lack of clean dishes. Alternatively, one could stock up on paper plates and disposable plastic forks as I have known friends to do. Indeed, some student houses resemble large petridishes in which great areas of biodiversity exist. But I prefer to think of the mould growing on the walls as artistic murals, or rather I tell myself so to preserve my sanity. If you can make it up the rickety cardboard stairs which lead from floor to floor, you will pass a couple more matchbox-sized rooms, each decorated by such mould that has now inhabited the house for so long, it is claiming squatters’ rights. Further attributes of the horrid housing include the large pipe that gargles grotesquely whenever someone flushes the toilet, or the rotting bath mat flung into the corner of the bathroom never to be touched again. There is also the collection of empty toilet rolls which housemates seem to collect and I wonder whether they’re saving them for some sort of recycling purpose or childhood collage activity.
Epigram
03.12.2012
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te the end Join of us term and the the the festive season to celebrate endbeginning of term and theof beginning of the festive season
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The Multifaith Chaplaincy Every Thursday during term 9:30am - 11:30am Studying at University while raising a family can be a challenge, but you’re not alone. UBU runs a morning for students where you can meet other parents and bring your children.
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CULTURE
What’s On Christmas special page 32
Arts Pick of the Fortnight Hansel and Gretel The Tobacco Factory Theatre 5th Dec-13th Jan From £7 www.tobaccofactorytheatre.com
David Lynch presents Chrysta Bell and Public Service Spiegeltent Tuesday 4th December £15 www.christmasspiegeltent.co.uk Bristol’s Spiegeltent hosts a distinctly un-Christmassy evening when David Lynch brings Chrysta Bell and Public Service Broadcasting to town. Bell’s dark and heavy electro-pop and PSB’s one-man show of post-rock, electronica and visuals will be followed by a screening of Lynch’s 2006 noir-nightmare Inland Empire. The shock-haired auteur won’t be there himself, unfortunately, but this showcase should shed further light on the relationship between film and music ever-present in his work
Film Pick of the Fortnight TheHunt Out now The Master will be required viewing come awards season, but for something which you might not otherwise go for see The Hunt. Mads Mikkelsen (Casino Royale) plays a teacher whose fragile happiness is torn apart by one naive lie. A film which pins you squirming in your seat.
The Watershed
This year’s Christmas offering from the Tobacco Factory sees Hansel and Gretel adapted with a delicious combinationofmusic,comedy, storytelling and linguistic skill.
Music Pick of the Fortnight
Epigram
03.12.2012
Arts
Editor: Rosemary Wagg
Deputy Editor: Rachel Schraer
arts@epigram.org.uk
deputyarts@epigram.org.uk
@EpigramArts
William Morris takes his sweet time Lucian Waugh takes a leaf out of William Morris’s book for guidance on the Kindle question hen the penultimate 2012 Bristol A u t u m n Art lecture beckoned Dr Jan Marsh to the stage, it was to something close to a packed house for the Wills Memorial Hall. If this becomes a trend, future talks may need to explore ways to utilise the abundant vertical space of the venue. Nor should they scruple from charging smaller audiences to attend intimate lectures in the Law Faculty Common Room, a revelation to me during
“So why not join the crowd and buy a Kindle?” my pre-lecture snoop of the premises. A setting so ornate one would scarce arch a surprised eyebrow if confronted by either the Marchmains or a Griffindor prefect. And if my mind was somewhat occupied by space and its uses, this is only because it was a theme of the evening. The book designs of William Morris were, and remain, a breathtaking synthesis between visuality and language. The Bristol Festival Of Idea’s devotion of an evening to Morris is entirely appropriate for a lecture series entitled The Art of The Book. Dr Marsh is a specialist in William Morris (1834 - 1896), artist, writer, poet and designer, a Victorian whose
eminence remains imminent to adorers of Liberty prints, principled capitalism and commanding facial hair. Morris’s achievement in elevating English decorative arts to international renown takes some beating, as did his commitment to handmade craft in opposition to the joyless wares of mechanised assembly. The Arts & Craft movement has an active legacy today, not just in its idealistic production principles but in its highly singular visual style, still present in many of our high streets and, depending on our keenness for Cath Kidston, our homes too. Marsh spoke about Morris’s handcrafted books and far from telling a mere historical story, introduced ideas that are provocative and urgent in twentyfirst century publishing. Morris’s Kelmscott Press published work for just seven years but bequeathed a considerable artistic heritage. Ancient printing technology was allied to cutting-edge experiments in handmade paper manufacture to produce several dozen titles that remain startling in their wealth of intricate detail. From Morris’s own fonts and ornate borderings, to Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones’s moonlighting as illustrator, it can be difficult to remember that these are not just works of art; they are also books. Even some facsimiles of certain books can only be experienced behind glass casing. This is a great pity since these books are designed to be read. According to Marsh, they are also designed to be read out loud. My own experiences of reading poetry alone and aloud are infrequent and crushingly pretentious, my most confident Eliotesque start rendered into self-conscious whispers before I get to the second stanza. Yet Marsh is absolutely right. Try reading a Kelmscott
book to oneself, and the density of the text is overwhelming and fatiguing. The spacing and typography are aesthetic rather than practical and to read at any sort of pace quickly tires. Few boast of reading slowly. Yet there are all sorts of activities where it is self-evidently preferable to take one’s time. Eating is the first that comes to my mind. You can doubtless concoct your own examples. Morris’s preference for poetry and texts we now think of as ‘classics’ are perfectly suited to sustained reflection. Every aspect of their production gently tugs you towards this end - the written word as sacred.
“My own experiences of reading poetry alone and aloud are infrequent and crushingly pretentious”
Readers of the Qur’an are instructed in the fifty-sixth Sura to revere the holy text and strict conventions and laws dictate the handling of it. I observe similar procedures with my Penguin edition of Les Fleurs du Mal albeit for entirely frivolous reasons. Most of the books I buy though have already been ignominiously treated. Or at least bundled off to charity shops before impecunious but committed readers like myself swoop in. For pristine editions, even borrowing titles is not what it once was. Friends no longer suffer my impatient fingering of their new hardbacks, having long since switched to digital books and abandoned me to the cruel realities of the Amazon marketplace. So why not join the crowd and buy a Kindle?
In search of Liberty (equality and fraternity)
Rosemary Wagg seeks liberty from her unhealthy penchant for Morris and Co. prints his week I set out on a pilgrimage to the former home of one of Britain’s most illustrative fabric designers – William Morris. Despite the unglamorous surroundings of Wa l t h a m s t o w, North London chafing somewhat with my daydreams of Strawberry Thief curtains and peacock feathered dresses, my head remained contentedly full of flowers – and tea - as I walked up the gravel drive. The William Morris Gallery has recently reopened following a period of intense regeneration. In all fairness, there should not be a gallery or museum on earth better equipped for such a project, given that Morris made his name as the head of a textiles and home furnishings firm. As it is, the decorations are less overt than they might have been at the hand of someone more Morris-obsessed (e.g. myself). Modernised hints at the Arts and Craft style, rather than overt Victoriana is encouraged. For instance, the backs of the green chairs in the tearoom with stylized cutout leaf patterns nodded to Morris’s Willow Leaf wallpaper, instead of attempting to recreate something as grandiose as the Green Dining Room at the V&A. A rather funnier reference to Morris designs is also present in the tearoom, as Morris was often criticized for favouring style over substance and producing uncomfortable furniture and unreadable books
(despite both looking, to the eye, incredibly beautiful). The William Morris Gallery continues this tradition by lining the tables with austere backless benches which even spritely youths such as myself found very hard to exit elegantly. Like many ahistorically minded folk, my mind instantly equates the lush, repeating designs of William Morris with the department store ‘Liberty’; indeed his designs – and close approximations of them – have been sold through the store for decades. The gallery itself made no mention of this, choosing instead to focus on the years when Morris was alive rather than his legacy - the writing in the room dedicated to his Morris and Co. shop remarked that its central London location was preferable in part because it was close by to ‘competitors’ such as Liberty.
“ the unglamorous surroundings of Walthamstow chafed somewhat with my daydreams of peacock feathers” Historically speaking, the gallery is correct to do this and, had it done the opposite, would have run the risk of being accused of commercialism but it seems to me that perhaps one of the main reasons that many people are still sufficiently
Illustrations by Carinthia Pearson
interested in Morris to travel all the way to the end of the Victoria line is because of the successful dissemination of his prints via Liberty and – as of late– the V&A gift shop. This may not be a traditional way of approaching an artistic movement, but it can be very interesting to see how contemporary views on an artist are created. I believe that much of the 2012 opinion of the Arts and Craft movement and, in parallel, the Pre-Raphaelites, is tempered through the lens of the 1970s. During this period, Liberty prints –including those by Morris and Co. – were incredibly popular, as was an elongated Pre-Raphaelite maiden silhouette. The convoluted, rambling roses of Morris coupled well with psychedelic prints, such as those sold by Granny Takes a Trip, and the socialist politics of Morris himself, which lay behind his designs, also chimed well with political movements in the 1970s. All of this made me wonder how much I, and many others, are actually liking the 1970s version of William Morris far better than the 1860s one.
Precisely for the values embodied by William Morris. Mass-production does not necessarily compromise idiosyncrasy, it just nearly always turns out that it does. The Kindle is a functional triumph. Every book, every poem, is reconfigured to the ideal shape and size. The text is King and nothing need distract from it. Yet for so many other sources of pleasure, setting matters enormously. Why bother lighting a romantic candle, if the purpose of the meal is simply to eat? Marsh argued that Morris’s books provoke the question of whether they are functional or beautiful. This strikes me as an entirely false opposition. Beauty and form should jointly conspire for nothing more or less than our pleasure: aesthetic and intellectual. If we let William Morris act as our guide, the very ways that we read may be much embellished
Epigram
Pottery and Pleasure with Grayson Perry Knitting and Killing: Maya Dudok de Wit on the perfect combination of Art and Craft ine art Vs. Craft: the debate first came back into the art world spotlight when Grayson Perry won the Turner Prize in 2003, with his intricately decorated ceramic pots and tapestries. Perry’s work has revived discussion on craft as an art form of equal status to fine art. Historically speaking, pottery returns to the most basic roots of Western art; Perry’s work harks back to the ceramic pots of Ancient Greece, but focuses on their decorative and artistic features rather than their utilitarian
“Knitted Homes of Crime” qualities. Using the traditional pottery technique of winding a long coil of clay upon itself and molding it by hand into the desired shape, he then uses the established form a base, or a blank canvas, upon which to begin his own illustrative work. The contrast between the conservative pot and the modern images which Perry illustrates it with is exactly what makes craft as fine art so appealing. Another artist who plays with similar contrasts is Freddie Robins, a contemporary artist who is intrigued by the way a seemingly unthreatening material such as wool can be used to portray dark and sinister subjects.
Robins is fascinated with the subversive potential of craft as an art form and believes that ‘craft is often viewed as a benign and passive activity. It is generally held in low regard, particularly when it uses a “domestic female” skill such as knitting. This makes it ripe for subversion and a powerful tool to use to visually express difficult, frightening or painful subjects’. In Robins’ 2002 piece ‘Knitted Homes of Crime’ she knitted a series of domestic houses. Upon first glance they resemble tea-cosies, yet the work reveals its sinister undertones as we realize that they are in fact homes of highprofile female killers, or the houses where these women committed their crimes. This successfully conveys Robins’ aim to challenge ‘the cultural preconceptions surrounding the area (of craft)’. Initially, the knitted materials create a sense of home comfort and warmth, but this is quickly subverted by the parallel story of murder. Robins’ work makes us question our ideas about the act of knitting and the gender stereotypes we associate with it. By using a craft commonly associated with the ‘domestic female’ sphere to make artwork about female murderers, a link is created between the act of knitting and the act of killing. We are left feeling disturbed, as the work manages to overthrow our deepest childhood preconceptions of femininity and domesticity, and the traditional craft methods that come with it. Perry also believes that craft has long been viewed as a ‘second-class’ occupation. Therefore by using it as a form of fine art, he plays with the idea of elevating an otherwise easily overlooked, everyday object into something more significant. It is an inherently ironic practice, for it highlights
the element of subversiveness which comes with bringing a traditional form back into a contemporary setting. The arts works of both Robins and Perry often have a very personal or autobiographical connotations - Robins tells us that she is drawn to exploring dark issues as it is ‘a way of coming to terms with them, a way of confronting and managing my fears’. By using the object to
“At first glance they resemble teacosies...until we realize that they are in fact homes of high-profile female killers”
explore complex ideas like this, the item crosses the line into ‘fine art’ as opposed to craft. In our contemporary world, art can often be valued for the name attached to it, the concept behind it or the way it comments on its social context, even if the aesthetics of the piece aren’t particularly striking. Craft can also be appreciated for the same reasons, yet when viewing a handcrafted object it is often the actual talent of the craftsmanship which is admired, even if the creator remains anonymous. Thus a crafted piece of art may be seen as having an even greater status than an ordinary piece, as we can see the creative talent and labor which has gone into it alongside its artistic beauty. By bringing these two things together, the artist asks for preconceptions about craft and art to be reconsidered and disrupted – very revolutionary for a clay pot.
One Christmas Shop That’s Far from Bog Standard Antler Gallery’s Winter Shop: Toby Dove on one trip to the Loo which is well worth the trek he urge, in this day and age, to roll out of the house, nip into W H Smiths and purchase a fairly cheap, generic Christmas card is often too much. It seems for many shoppers that convenience and familiarity is key, when going out for the retail experience. However, between the 8th and 24th of December there is the chance for us to break our lethargic shopping pattern and experience something completely new and radical. Standard issue Christmas gifts will no longer be necessary, thanks to the Antlers Gallery Winter Shop project. But what, I hear you ask, makes this shop any different to my local branch of Smiths? Well, apart from the fact that it’s featuring a unique, exclusive collection of artworks from various artists, the project is being housed in an old, disused, closed to the public Victorian Toilet. If, like me, you were previously unaware that these toilets even existed, you’ll be able to find them on the corner of the Woodland Road and Park Row, very close to the university. The fact that these Victorian public toilets have been closed to
the public for the past few years probably explains why they have been so neglected. However, when asked, Juliet Burke, one of the projects organisers, revealed that the cloakrooms were actually in ‘amazingly good condition’, despite being somewhat out of order for a while. The exterior of the building itself certainly has an architecturally enticing, mysterious feel to it. Impressive stuff. Yet, it’s hard not to worry that all this excitement surrounding the old toilet building might distract from the artworks within. Juliet was quick to assure me that the buildings ‘eccentricities’ will totally ‘complement the work within’. She went on to stress that,‘The original white tiling in the
“guaranteed to be the best trip to the loo you’ll ever make”
men’s toilets will be a great backdrop to a number of the artworks on sale.’ Furthermore the project is also working with a great furniture company: Dig Haushizzle, who are sourcing some exquisite Victorian inspired pieces to further complement the beauty of the building. Antlers are certainly really working hard to harmonize the two aspects of the project
into one coherent exhibition shop. Obviously, it’s worth visiting the Winter Shop simply for its quirky location. However there are also unusual greeting cards and student-houseimproving prints to be had. Whilst at the higher end of the price scale there are pieces such as the range of intricately cut antique books by Alexander Korzer-Robinson, which form little sculptures—which I’ll probably only admire, rather than buy. Their range of cards, Juliet assures me, will be within the student price range. Perfect for those of you willing to sacrifice food money, in the name of giving the gift of art, or those up for just going a bit mad with some of the cash ‘borrowed’ from Student Finance England. So on the whole, what to expect from the shop in a toilet? Well, far more than what might first meet the eye. It would be so easy to trudge past this tiny shop of wonders on a cold, wet December day, but I strongly encourage you to dive in from the miserable weather and have a poke around. You never know, there may even be a cup of tea or coffee waiting as well. Expect an intimate, friendly and, most importantly, unique Christmas shopping experience in the Victorian toilets on Woodland Road between the 8th and 24th of December. Guaranteed to be the best trip to the loo you’ll ever make.
03.12.2012
23
Mr Mead
Epigram
Angelica Malin
It may be a truth universally acknowledged by all Vogue readers that knitting is now chic, and growing your own veg more Gwyneth Paltrow than Gwyneth, the batty old woman next door who saves elastic bands and brings round her carrot tops for you ‘to compost’ (I’m 21, Gwyneth, I don’t have a compost heap any more than I have a mortgage or a concept of doing laundry before mould sets in). But realistically, despite the wealth of local craftsmanship that goes on in this fair city, not that many of us do more than dip our toe into the
water. The zeitgeist towards small-scale artisan businesses has not been enough to lure the majority of people away from their Tesco and T o p s h o p comfort zones. The Spoon Fools, a student-run concept bakery are staying close to their Bristol roots, in the hope of combatting the comfort zone and bringing art to people’s daily lives through the most vital of everyday rituals: the food on our plates. They view food as an art form in itself, no less a part of the artisan community than, for example, textile craft work or painting. As cofounder Claudine Levy told Epigram, ‘craft is very important to The Spoon Fools because we tailormake everything. Everything is bespoke. We’re not interested in mass-production’. The idea of edible art reaches its zenith in the bakers’ Arts and Crafts menu, which includes shortbread tapestry and strawberry lace ‘needles and thread’. ‘When journalist and writer Perri Lewis approached us to cater the launch of her
“Shortbread tapestry and strawberry lace needles and thread”
book, Material World: The Modern Craft Bible, we designed a crafty menu to fit—individual attention to every item and client is really important to what we do’ It was their crafty menu in part that drew the baking duo’s attention to the link between what they’re trying to do - with their hand-crafted and individually designed menus - and artisan craft of other kinds. Whether it’s a hand-knitted scarf or hand-crafted patisserie, local craft is all
Dispatches From Russia Buryat and Boobys: Anastasia
about time, patience and love rather than anonymous,
“Everything is bespoke. We’re not interested in mass production”
Reynolds eats Irkutsk
m e c h a n i s e d production. There’s a democratising element to this bringing of beauty into the utilitarian world of textiles, ceramics, food: the things we need to clothe and feed ourselves. It is craft, as opposed to more conventionally recognised forms of ‘high art’, that brings art into the every-day, and The Spoon Fools’ visually stunning treats certainly give credence to their ‘food as art’ philosophy.
Rachel Schraer
Rosemary Wagg
A Book in the Life of... Christiaan de Villiers, Manager of the Hippodrome Theatre discusses his favourite book, ‘Nelson Mandela: Conversations With Myself’ As a South African, Nelson Mandela: Conversations with Myself is a book of great personal significance to me, and one that is very close to my heart. In the book – after a lifetime of hardships and victories - Nelson Mandela has opened his personal archives which offer a unique insight into his extraordinary life. Nelson Mandela is one of the most inspiring and iconic figures of our age, and as such it is easy to put him on a pedestal, but this book
“His personal archives offer a unique insight into his extraordinary life” allows us a chance to get to know the real man. He reminds us that (like all of us) he is not perfect, that he is indeed human and this, if anything, makes his struggle all the more awe-
03.12.2012
inspiring. Like all of us, he has his flaws, and it is those imperfections that should inspire us. We all face struggles, have to overcome
“Mandela was willing to risk his own life for what he believed in”
fear and doubt, and have to keep on working even if we’re uncertain of the outcome. If this book leaves you with any one impression, it is of the fighting spirit of humanity: not of Mandela alone but of the entire human race. Mandela was willing to risk his own life for what he believed in, and worked hard to lead the kind of life that would make the world a better place for everyone, and he did so despite his human fragilities.
I have been consuming the local culture, literally. Irkutsk is dotted with cafes – Kirgiz, Uzbek, Buryat, Kazakh, Armenian – all the stans and former members of the USSR. They are generally very sketchy-looking, with sticky linoleum walls and odd table sauces (vinegar with dill and carrots?). They tend to be very cheap, and almost exclusively inhabited by middle-aged Uzbek/Kirgiz/Buryat/etc men with big moustaches. My policy is to order things I don’t recognise from the bakery or drinks section. Here are a few specialties: •Buryat tea: green tea with milk, salt, butter, and corn. it’s actually very tasty and very comforting, although more like soup with a layer of melted butter on top. •Vechnost: literally ‘eternity’, a cocktail made with vodka, milk and seabuckthorn juice. Bizarre, though not unpleasant (sea-buckthorn is very acidic, and I’m never sure about alcohol and milk together). Also, apparently, very good for your skin. Even the vodka. •Smoiki: sold in churches, puff pastry in cunning knots, filled with jam or tvorog. Tvorog is like quark, except made by standing a heel of bread in milk for a week, removing the bread and baking the milk. Not as nasty as it sounds, although it has an odd texture, so much so that I mistook it for chicken once when my babushka made a goulash of marrows and tvorog. •Pozy: meat dumplings from Buryatia, like oversized ravioli. The correct way to eat them is to bite the bottom, slurp out the juices, then eat the rest. Rather like watermelon, in that you eat, you drink, you wash your face. •Cheburechka: semi-circular fried bread, filled with something savoury. I ordered one with a filling I didn’t recognise, and it turned out to be horse. On reflection, perhaps I should have ordered one I did recognise – goat or deer, maybe. •Samsa: the Uzbek cousin of a samosa, the mighty samsa is shaped like a large seashell. It has a thick, solid, shiny crust, complete with knob of pastry at one end for holding on to. A good one is about seven inches long and bursting with minced meat (probably horse, given the cheburechka experience), onions, chillies, and other spices which I have been, thus far, unable to identify… •Booby: yes, there were some immature motivations behind ordering this. Actually, they’re not very exciting – little diamonds of dough, fried and served with sgushena, which is as near as dammit condensed milk, only browner and thicker. Just wait until I move onto the offal section of the menu...
Music
Epigram
Editor: Eliot Brammer
Deputy Editor: Phil Gwyn
music@epigram.org.uk
deputymusic@epigram.org.uk
03.12.2012
@epigrammusic
After a year’s worth of listening that must rank as one of the strongest in recent memory, we’ve overseen a long and arduous democratic process to squeeze our favourite music of 2012 into a digestible list of the eleven albums that most excited us.
11. Kendrick Lamar -
10. Trembling Bells and Bonnie
good kid, m.A.A.d city
‘Prince’ Billy - The Marble Downs
K-Dot singlehandly puts Compton back on the map.
Folk heavyweights join forces for a songwriting masterclass.
The expectations associated wih being Dr. Dre’s protégé and the internal pressure placed by Lamar upon himself to ‘give back to his city’ must be difficult burdens to shoulder. However, Lamar has a track record in beating the odds and making good for himself. On good kid, m.A.A.d. city, he narrates an expertly crafted autobiographical tale of the draws, pressures and pitfalls of growing up in Compton, depicting the struggle to fit into a peer group united by gang culture balanced against the moral compass of being a ‘good kid’ and conforming to parental expectations. In doing so, he produces a record with the slickness of a cinematic smash, as well as the hallmarks of a classic in the making. Not a bad way to ‘give back’, eh? Tommy Forecast
Trembling Bells have been plugging away at an album-per-year rate for a while now, happy in their self-contained musical universe that marries such disparate elements as early music, country and psychedelia with gut-wrenchingly passionate folk-rock. However it was the attention of alt-country Viking Bonnie “Prince” Billy that sparked the creation of one of this year’s most creative albums (he having remarked in the past that “the lord misnamed them, having intended to say Trembling BALLS”). Marrying British Romanticism to rustic American grit, The Marble Downs is a highly successful collaboration that brings out the best in two artistic entities; both insisting on the importance of classic, life-affirming songwriting. Danny Riley
9. Jam City - Classical Curves Sleek, futuristic jams from Night Slugs whizzkid. From the percussive camera flash loop that runs through ‘Her’, and the curious futuristic artwork, it’s clear that Classical Curves is a highly stylised and aesthetically-conscious effort. Only the second full-length release from raucous party-starting label Night Slugs, it pushes their trademark sound beyond the boundaries established by an astonishing string of hits over the last few years (from Jacques Greene, Girl Unit, Mosca, Lil Silva, and Jam City himself, to name just a few) and takes some scintillating risks in its blend of grime, house, and all things bass. Dance music for the head is fast approaching cliché status, so the 22 year old completed the trick when he released Classical Club Mixes later in 2012, a rework for the dance floor of some of the album’s standout tracks. Prodigal stuff. Mattress Letts
7. Holy Other - Held
Subtle contorted vocal samples over shadowy beats. Although he was an unusual choice of support act for Beach House on their recent UK tour, Holy Other’s accomplishments in the studio allowed him to stand out among a crowded scene of bedroom producers. Debut full-length Held captured the off-kilter, eerily ambient sound of 2012 with outstanding skill. The subtle use of vocal samples as percussive texturing and sparse, mesmerising droning loops all combine to create a contemporary delight. The memorable hook on stand out track ‘Tense Past’ may have you reaching for the repeat button, but it is the interplay between the occasional drops and the haunting vocals over all nine tracks that might just convince you to go out and buy that new pair of headphones you’ve wanted for months. Gareth Davies
Albums
of the Year
8. Sharon Van Etten - Tramp Unnervingly personal fourth album from Van Etten. Wallowing in crushing self doubt perhaps doesn’t appear an appealing concept for an album, but on Tramp, Sharon Van Etten does so with such uncompromising honesty that the results are unbelievably powerful rather than perverse. Tramp is a horrifically personal autobiographical journey through the latter days of Van Etten’s relationship with her abusive long term ex-boyfriend, who would smash her guitars and tell her that her music was worthless. The harrowing honesty and lyrical gravitas which each song is hung heavy with is reason enough to listen to this album; that her words are framed by perfectly resonant arrangements just makes the emotional weight all the more convincing. It’s impossible not to sympathise with her, but that it produced such a unique record as this is at least some morbid condolence. Phil Gwyn
6. How To Dress Well - Total Loss
Tom Krell redefines R&B in his handling of grief. Meditative reflections and introspections projected onto chillingly cool backdrops of synthdriven lo-fi R&B. Perhaps the simplest way to describe Total Loss, but one which fails to capture the depth and relatable universality of How To Dress Well’s difficult second album. I say ‘difficult’ though not in the sense in which the cliché is usually wheeled out; its difficulty is unquestionably a badge of honour and testament to Total Loss’s success in fulfilling Tom Krell’s creative vision. It would take a soulless type to listen to this record and remain unmoved by the stirring suffering inextricable from the fractured soundscapes that compose this record.
Rishi Modha
5. Swans - The Seer
4. Chromatics - Kill For Love
Swans serve up a feast, and not just for the Queen.
Deadly noir-pop from Portlandian four-piece.
A gruelling masterpiece, sprawling and snarling, The Seer is both the artistic peak and the summation of a thirty year career that has included dozens of studio albums, EPs, and live releases, acrimonious splits and a surprise reformation, and seen the band gain a reputation as one of the most brutal and uncompromising live acts ever. Crucially, there are moments of light that crack through the grinding walls of guitar: especially Karen O’s fragile vocal cameo on ‘Song for a Warrior’, and the way in which the title-track breaks out after a mere 28 minutes into a dusty desert-blues stomp. Not easy listening by half, but to give yourself over completely to its entire two hours is an exhilarating and bracing experience, and one that confirms Michael Gira as one of the great alternative American songwriters. Eliot Brammer
Back in 2007, Chromatics debuted a dramatically new sound with the release of Night Drive. Five years later and the band have drawn heavily from that stylistic shift to create their unequivocal magnum opus: Kill for Love. Ruth Radelet’s longing vocals on the pop-tinged tracks culminate with the ominous synth-driven interludes that result in a hazy, late-night atmosphere even more immersive than before. Over the elongated course of the album, the music coalesces into an amplification of the lovelorn nocturnal sound that Chromatics have crafted so well. Many of the songs hold enough impact to work as singles, but also manage to form a cohesive album, something that in our culture of disposable pop hits is an achievement not to be taken lightly. James Lindsay
Epigram
03.12.2012
26
3. Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
1. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange
Prior to this record, the question of ‘what type of music does Dave Longstreth make best?’ was an open one. Swing Lo Magellan puts all discussions to an end, as it quickly becomes evident that conventionallystructured quirky pop is the answer. From start to end, this record engulfs the listener in warmth, almost as if it were a film score reflectively soundtracking the embers of a dying summer. Alien-sounding harmonies combine seamlessly with traditional instrumentation to produce a collection of songs that sounds familiar yet compellingly unique. Pulled along to unprecedented levels of joy by the sheer sense of fun and self-aware humour present, on ‘Unto Caesar’ singers Amber Coffman and Haley Dekle mock one of Longstreth’s more obfuscated lyrics as he croons “Down the line/Dead the martyr’s morbid poetry”. Swing Lo Magellan ties together a vividly beautiful journey of the irrepressibly human themes of love, anxiety and elation. Jennifer Melfi
2. Tame Impala - Lonerism The past few years have seen a swelling undercurrent of fuzzy-headed pop offerings, yet Tame Impala embody the psychedelia-headed pop revival almost more than anybody else. As a consequence, Lonerism sounds as if much of it was written under the influence of substances still legally restricted, by someone who had spent a summer listening to Revolver on repeat. Their first album felt a bit too nostalgic, with the worn out tricks of psychedelic rock lazily defrosted from the genres’ golden ages, but Lonerism feels far more mature than that. They avoid this through the underlying strength of the songwriting; ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ is the album’s euphoric centerpiece, and ‘Elephant’ gives a refreshingly more jagged edge to proceedings. Lonerism makes it feel like we may be witnessing a genuinely new departure for this genre, breathing fresh life into old conventions and reworking its own genetic code. David Yarrow
With an early July release, amidst a sea of controversy surrounding Ocean’s sexuality, Channel Orange had a lot of prerelease publicity be it for the right or wrong reasons. Ocean managed to produce an R&B album that flipped the genre on its head. Standing out from his OFWGKTA ties and evolving himself as an artist in his own right, his unique song writing is shown on some beautifully crafted electro funk production, which is no less deep than it is effortlessly cool. For some artists this would be their career-defining album, but as his debut you can’t help but be optimistic Ocean is only going to get better. Fellow Odd Future members Earl Sweatshirt and Tyler, the Creator feature, as do Andre 3000 and John Mayer. However, Ocean avoids filling the album with too many safe bet feature tracks. Instead, he includes some very experimental tracks, in their ideas and style, such as the ode to Forrest Gump in the song of the same name and the self-produced two-part epic story in ‘Pyramids’. The album delves intensely into Ocean’s emotions, and you begin to find yourself listening again and again to each line to decipher its true meaning. But the true beauty is that it is just a truly great album. On the surface it sounds good, but choose to listen further and you can find a whole different record altogether. Ocean doesn’t pretend to be anything he is not, and that makes this our album of the year, even just for a rare Andre 3000 verse. George Smith
EPs TNGHT - TNGHT EP This heavily anticipated collaboration between Hudson Mohawke and Lunice didn’t disappoint, provoking endless rewinds and embarrassing skanking throughout the summer.
Girl Unit CLUB REZ
Lapalux MOMENTS
Haim FOREVER
Outfit A.N.D.R.E.A.
Big Baby Gandi NO 1 2 LOOK UP 2
Angel Haze RESERVATION
Action Bronson BLUE CHIPS
Reissues
Heems NEHRU JACKET
Mixtapes
Joey Bada$$ - 1999 Taking beats from MF Doom and stylistic cues from fellow Brooklynite Nas, 17 year old Joey Bada$$ builds on intimidating influences and somehow makes welltrodden ground sound like new pathways crying out for exploration.
Can - THE LOST TAPES This isn’t even strictly a reissue, but a collection of rehearsal tapes, workouts and previously unheard tracks from the immortal Cologne band. It still tops our list, though, because no other band can make a 15-minute rock wig-out look so damn precise and efficient.
GZA LIQUID SWORDS
My Bloody Valentine LOVELESS
T H E V E L V E T UNDERGROUND & NICO
The Weeknd TRILOGY
Epigram
03.12.2012
25 27
As sweet as a box of Roses Kiki Knowles and Helena Wadia grill folkstress Lucy Rose about chocolate, amongst other things. In her attic dressing room, we wait as Lucy Rose finishes signing autographs and taking pictures with some gushing fans, and are instantly struck by how humble and genuine she is. Adoring fans gone, she offers us a chocolate from a box of Heroes. Her eyes suddenly light up as she asks us if we want to play ‘The Chocolate Game’, while her fellow band members groan as if this is a regular occurrence. ‘Let’s pick female singers this time’. Taking one of each chocolate from the box, she says ‘Dairy Milk, that’s a classic, so Aretha Franklin, for example. Caramel … that’s the sickly sweet types. Twirls are classics too, but with a bit of a twist, a bit of an edge.’ ‘Like Florence and the Machine?’ Her band mate Alex Eichenberger pipes up. ‘No. Florence just has to be an éclair’. She carries on picking chocolates, finally dismissing a Crème Egg with ‘These ones are just try-hards’. She asks me for a singer. My mind goes blank before I offer up ‘Beyonce?’ and she throws me a Dairy Milk, yelling ‘Classic!’ Adele gets another Dairy Milk until one of each chocolate has gone. Eichenberger reckons she’s never had to struggle this much to eat chocolate as Lucy laughs and settles down for the interview. Our first question is easy – which chocolate are you? Lucy looks stunned as if she’s never thought about it before.
Her guitarist offers up ‘Daim bar?’ and Lucy promptly states that doesn’t count as it’s not in the Heroes box. Caramel is offered up to offended looks and screams of ‘that’s the worst one! I’m not sickly sweet!’ The argument ensues and it seems nobody can define Lucy Rose quite yet. Lucy gives in stating ‘I am who I am’. And she is. There are no false pretences surrounding Lucy as she casually sits across from us in jeans and a faded Adidas jumper. The chocolate drama finally settles and Lucy looks to us. We start by mentioning how busy she’s been this year. As well as recording and releasing her debut album, she has toured the UK extensively, at both her own headline show and at several festivals – most notably Hop Farm, Reading, Bestival, and, on Bristol turf, Dot to Dot festival. It is impossible for Lucy to choose her favourite gig as there were so many good ones, but admits she is particularly proud of Reading.‘It’s is a big deal for any band, we were just lucky it was a success.’ We move on to Lucy’s debut album, Like I Used To, and how she created it. The process is very much like Lucy herself – understated, calm and humble. She describes how she wrote the songs in her bedroom and recorded them in the living room of her parents’ house. Her writing process seems similarly casual, with the lyrics just ‘following’ the chords. It seems that music is simply in Lucy
Rose’s nature, as she explains her decision to pursue music as a completely unconscious one. Teaching herself guitar at fifteen, Lucy began writing as a hobby and never seemed to stop. Though she’s been touring and gigging ever since, Lucy claims her lifestyle hasn’t changed all that much. ‘I don’t have any fame,’ she giggles. The extent of her fame is a few more people wanting to chat and a larger crowd at gigs, which she eagerly shows her gratitude for by sticking around afterwards to talk to fans. Although she modestly blames good luck, success is certainly not something she takes for granted, and she is keen to demonstrate this to her followers. We travel back to the beginning and ask Lucy about her inspirations. She is quick to answer that all music inspires her in some way, because the very act of listening to music is inspiring. Her list is long and wide-ranging, from Joni Mitchell and Neil Young (‘Harvest Moon’ would be her live lounge song of choice); to The Black Keys (whom she’d love to tour with) and Keaton Henson; to the artists at open mic nights who performed their own songs in front of complete strangers, and encouraged her to do the same. Confidence does not seem to be something Lucy Rose struggles with, at least not to an outsider. She isn’t afraid to challenge views of herself either, clearly presented in her video for single ‘Bikes’. We ask her about the crazy Harley Davidson Hells
Angels bar fighting filled video, and she laughs. ‘I wanted to do something different, I wanted to shock people. All the others have been nice, straightdown-the-line videos of me wandering around. I wanted people to ask questions.’ Our ensuing question is: what’s next for Lucy Rose? Next year she hopes to tour the album to its full extent, visiting as many different countries as possible to spread her music and return to the UK with a bigger and better tour. She also hopes for better lighting – her lights currently come from whoever is behind the bar at each gig, and her support act takes the job of stage technician. We ask if Lucy has any advice she lives by and she simply shakes her head, halfjokingly saying she just wings it, and hopes to wing it for as long as possible. So where do you see yourself in ten years? ‘I just want to be a Twirl’.
AlunaGeorge On a cold Sunday night AlunaGeorge played their debut Bristol show to a sold out crowd at Start The Bus, showcasing their unique brand of pop-tinged R&B fronted by Aluna Francis’s honey-soaked garage vocals. Just before the gig Mike Limb caught up with the duo to find out more. Q: How did the cryptically named AlunaGeorge first form? Aluna: We both were working on different projects before we met. I was working on a project that was quite dark and dreamscapey with really intricate production. It was really fun and helped me experiment with my voice, but there was no songwriting process which was difficult. Then when me and George met and started working together, he was interested in really good fat beats and syncopated rhythms in his music which meant very quickly we were being able to jam together. Q: How do you approach song writing as a duo? George Reid: I’m not going to be singing the songs anytime soon, and Aluna is not going to be producing them but we backseat drive one another and validate what the other one is doing. We are always suggesting ideas to each other but then it’s up to the other person to make it happen. Q: How would you describe your sound, and what are the influences that inform it? G: I think 90s/early 00s R&B has influenced me, and just cool production. The idea that a lot of songs are built around one idea looped over and over again and it is the top line with a few bits of production that can make a song. The simplicity of it really appeals.
Like I Used To is out now on Columbia Records.
A: With finding my vocal style it has definitely been a journey. Earlier on I wasn’t interested in doing R&B style vocals; I was really interested in vocalists like PJ Harvey, Jeff Buckley, Thom Yorke, Coco Rosie, people who were really putting out something character driven rather than power driven, which is where I feel I started as I am as skinny as a rake and you’re just not going to get that much power out of me! Q: Your songs seem equally made for the dancefloor and headphones. Does this make it difficult to know how to translate the songs into a live setting? G: We have done lots of shows where we were the only live act amongst a load of DJs. Our songs can fit in with that pure electronic vibe but because 99% of everything we do is a song and we both come from a background where we perform songs it’s cool that our songs are seen to fit into that setting but sometimes I feel we can kill the vibe, ‘like calm down everyone slow down and chill out!’ Q: What can we expect from AlunaGeorge in 2013? G: We have our debut album coming out next year A: The naming of which we still keep putting off! Maybe something really original like GeorgeAluna… G: The album [slated for an April release] is sonically in line with previous stuff we have released through labels such as Tri Angle, but it also gave us an opportunity to do a wider variety of songs because not every song is a single. As a result there are more ‘bedroom jams’ which we are both really proud of. AlunaGeorge’s current single ‘Your Drums, Your Love’ is out now on Island Records.
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Film & TV
Epigram
Editor: Jasper Jolly
Deputy Editor: Kate Samuelson
filmandtv@epigram.org.uk
deputyfilmandtv@epigram.org.uk
Matthew Field: great performances make for far more than cult viewing The Master has left many critics searching for synonyms for ‘masterpiece’ in order to avoid sounding all too clichéd. With the popularisation of ‘cults’ due to their notable members, such as Tom Cruise and the Scientologists, it is understandable that this film has been a recent festival, and critical, hit. Paul Thomas Anderson’s film follows Lancaster Dodd, played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Capote, Doubt, The Boat that Rocked), and his strange, mystical cult: ‘The Cause’. While many have been quick to draw comparisons between ‘The Cause’ and ‘Scientology’, Anderson assures us that ‘this is not the L. Ron Hubbard [the founder of Scientology] story’. Rather, it is the story of Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix, below), a former sailor in the
Watershed
US Navy during World War II who joins ‘The Cause’, and his relationship with Dodd, while struggling with alcoholism and post-traumatic stress disorder. While Dodd forms a pivot for the plot to develop around, it is Quell who we are ultimately concerned with. After he is fired from working as a photographer, and then cabbage picker, Quell drunkenly meets Dodd by stowing away aboard Dodd’s luxury cruise ship, paid for by wealthy New York admirers. Hoffman plays Dodd brilliantly, creating that sense of charismatic awe and fear that cult leaders induce to the ‘unprocessed’. Dodd takes on Quell as his ‘protégée and guinea pig’,
and so begins the absorbing play of power and submission that defines The Master, drawing the viewer into the struggle that Dodd undertakes to cure Quell and bring him into ‘The Cause’. Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Walk the Line) as Quell creates an utterly captivating character with wonderfully defined facial contortions, grimaces, stutters and a haunting gait. Quell is troubled by his wartime past, his drinking and the loss of his young wartime sweetheart, Doris, whom he feels too afraid to see again. Quell’s antics move from the comic to the terrifying, with a vein of comedy running throughout the whole film (as Dodd says of his new method for ‘The Cause’, ‘the secret is laughter’). Much of the humour however is dark and leaves an almost bitter taste, which is hardly surprising as you watch Quell mixing drinks from gasoline, paint thinner and whole lemons. As Quell is drawn into the cult he soon becomes Dodd’s lackey, acting as a ‘heavy’ and intimidating those who disagree with Dodd’s controversial, pseudo-scientific ideas. However in many ways Quell continually pushes for freedom, his simplicity allowing him to almost see through the flaws in cultism: freeing oneself by ‘recalling’ yet being totally dominated by the selfproclaimed ‘Master’ of the cult. The plays of power delve into the realm of the family with Dodd’s wife, Peggy, played by an icy Amy Adams (Julie and Julia, The Fighter), and his children. Peggy acts like a Goering to Dodd’s principals, clinging to ‘The Cause’ while also possessing sexual control over Dodd, creating a fascinating power triangle. As a study of cults, as some have hailed this film, The Master remains ambiguous. While it is not an explicit study, or historical retelling of the founding of Scientology as some expected, Anderson’s film, by concentrating on an individual, gives us a glimpse into the workings of a cult. Quell undergoes ‘processing’ by Dodd (an allusion to Scientology’s
‘auditing’), a series of semi-hypnotic questions and games to try and convince him of a former life while solving his problems in the present. A brilliant scene is Quell’s first session of processing, an astonishing dialogue between Phoenix and Hoffman (above), the camera fixing mesmerizingly on Quell’s face as he struggles to answer increasingly traumatic questions, ‘What is your name? [...] Have you ever had intercourse with a member of your family?’ Of particular note is the score to this film, which beautifully supports the action throughout. The repetitive chords and clashing minor keys create a sense of unease throughout the film leaving one intimidated, uneasy and I even found myself squirming in my seat under the bombardment of questions with the underlay of Jonny Greenwood’s (of Radiohead fame) memorable score. While some may find the film is disappointing in failing to adequately explore the actual ‘story of the cult’, the quality of the acting makes it a certain for Oscar nominations. However one criticism might be the sometimes incoherent cutting of the film and the dreamlike, almost absurdist, sequences which, akin to Inception, may require a second viewing to fully appreciate. Overall what this film most successfully captures is a sense of nostalgia - a desire for escape to the past and yet acceptance in the present, conveyed by the recurring image of the swell behind a US battleship, confused and turning over and over. This seemingly endless human struggle leaves Dodd admitting to Quell ‘if you can figure out a way to live without a Master, then tell us, you will be the first person in the history of the world.’ Whether he finds such a way I shall leave to your own conclusions.
The Master Released 16th November, Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 144 mins
@epigramfilm
Harry Engels
Watershed
The Master commands
03.12.2012
BBC: what happened, what happens next? Michael Hindmarsh: Auntie has lost her integrity and it will be a long time before we trust her again What do we usually associate with BBC News? I would suggest journalistic integrity, high-quality investigative reporting and strict neutrality. Yet the recent Jimmy Saville scandal and Newsnight’s false accusation that a senior Tory peer was a paedophile have severely damaged the Corporation’s image, exposing poor decision-making at an executive level and alarming journalistic errors. These revelations have led to the resignation of DirectorGeneral, George Entwistle, who had been in charge for only 54 days - less than three months. At the centre of the scandal is the BBC’s flagship political news programme, Newsnight. It first became the subject of controversy when it emerged that editors had decided to withdraw a feature on the paedophilic activities of Jimmy Saville, the late radio
‘‘
Terrible mistakes have been made, but good journalism must continue
’’
DJ and presenter of Top of the Pops and Jim’ll Fix It. The story was later seized upon by ITV, whose documentary sparked a national outcry. Newsnight’s editor, Peter Rippon, tried to defend his decision to drop the story, initially claiming that it was because Newsnight ‘had not established any institutional failure’ on the part of the CPS. He also stated that he was ‘confident that all the women we spoke to had contacted the police independently already’ and that the programme had uncovered ‘no new evidence against any other person that would have helped the police’. But Rippon was not telling the truth – a revised BBC statement admitted that ‘in some cases women had not spoken to the police and that the police were not aware of all of the allegations’ – and he was asked to resign by Entwistle. Newsnight’s reputation was further tarnished by a story it ran in early November concerning a paedophile ring operating in North Wales during the 1970s and 1980s. This time, editors decided to push ahead with the story,
alleging that a senior Tory politician, thought to be Lord McAlpine, was involved in the network that abused vulnerable boys from care homes. However, these accusations were totally false – McAlpine had only ever visited the area once in the company of a Conservative Party official and did not match the victim’s description of the abuser. The BBC had failed to carry out ‘basic journalistic checks’ in researching the story and, once again, poor management had allowed it to be broadcast. George Entwistle, after several disastrous interviews, tendered his resignation over the issue on 10th November. In addition, Helen Boaden stepped aside as Head of BBC News. The BBC is undoubtedly in crisis, but it is important to note that other media organisations have not escaped the scandal. ITV have also been sued by Lord McAlpine after Phillip Schofield’s astonishing decision to confront the Prime Minister with the names of rumoured paedophiles, writing them down on a card and inadvertently showing them to the camera. Thousands of Twitter users, including a number of celebrities, are also set to be threatened with legal action after they named McAlpine in their tweets. Can the BBC recover? A new DirectorGeneral has been appointed – National Opera House Chairman, Tony Hall. He has promised to ‘overcome the crisis’, whilst ‘building a world-class team for a world-class organisation’. Newsnight appears to have survived despite initial rumours that it would be axed, although there is likely to be a radical overhaul in terms of management structure. Terrible mistakes have been made, but good, fair investigative journalism must continue. Over the years, Newsnight and other BBC programmes have run extremely successful and important investigative stories. It would be very worrying if the current crisis prevented them from doing this in the future. At the same time, however, steps must be taken to ensure that basic journalistic practices are followed in order to avoid a repeat of this scandal.
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03.12.2012
The Hunt for innocence destroyed Jasper Jolly: Thomas Vinterberg’s return is a stunning tragedy for our times
Hollywood Reporter
Watershed
Had it not been for the formidably brilliant Michael Haneke with Amour, Thomas Vinterberg’s latest film, The Hunt, could well have won the Palme D’Or this year at Cannes. It might seem churlish to start talking about a film by talking about another, completely unrelated film and an award it didn’t win, but the point is that The Hunt deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the masterful Haneke’s work. It is a breath-taking, gut-wrenching film, and will hopefully - deservedly help Vinterberg reclaim his position as a darling of Danish art-house. Vinterberg is best known for Festen, an examination of a child abuse and the scars and damage that it can cause, and the way that communities can become complicit in concealing truth. Child abuse is also the central theme of The Hunt, but taken from a different standpoint: that of unprovable innocence rather than concealed guilt. The beating heart of this film is the performance of Mads Mikkelsen (which was actually awarded at Cannes). Mikkelsen’s portrayal is perfectly poised, with the darkest emotion shown by the smallest movement. Here he plays Lucas (the polar opposite of Casino Royale’s creepy Bond villain), a recently divorced nursery school teacher in a quiet rural area just about staving off the ‘washed up’ tag. Popular with the children, Lucas is in the process of rebuilding, both as a parent and as an adult with a lovelife. However, the attempt to restart is shattered by accusations by a young pupil which will be sadly familiar to anybody who has recently read the papers in this country. The difference here is that the allegations are unfounded, figments of imagination, but the consequences take on the aspect of the nightmarishly real.
The Hunt is a film about community, in that it shows how people bunch together in a way which might be uplifting in another situation. Here, however, taken from the often neglected perspective of the accused, it takes the form of a witch hunt. The people who used to welcome Lucas immediately damn him once the well meaning but fallible ‘due process’ swings into action. This includes Lucas’ best friend, Theo. Thomas Bo Larsen portrays convincingly this man whose loyalties are tested - he wears the pain around his eyes. The image in the title is clear: the hunting tradition which forms a major part of Lucas’ social life turns against him as he becomes the prey in the beautifilly shot, but dangerous land. This metaphor might seem trite were it not for the grimly inevitable quality of the disaster unfolding. You have to watch, despite the foreknowledge of terrible pain. The main comparison which comes to mind is proper Greek tragedy, which sounds frankly ridiculous, but that is a measure of just
how impressively forceful this film is. This tragedy is unfolding in a world in which the fatal flaw is innocent friendliness, the impelling power is necessary bureaucracy. Big comparisons like this aside, The Hunt has some perfectly poised, dramatic scenes, in which the everyday - the trip to the supermarket, the sound of children playing - becomes perverted, and violence just under the surface is exposed. That is not to say that The Hunt is completely bleak. Yes, it shares the dark palette of the Danish winter shown so recently by The Killing, but it also offers small flashes of the hope of redemption and even humour, amid the nightmarish narrative. However, even these glimpses are called into question, and challenged at the very last. It is left unclear whether lost innocence can ever be regained.
The Hunt Released 30th November Dir. Thomas Vinterberg, 115 mins
Affleck’s Argo thrills Adrian Choa
Lucy Dreznin: despite a writing credit, Gambit is not one of the Coen Brothers’ best films What can one expect from a Coen Brothers script? An ironic, slightly deadpan and deeply sadistic underlying tone. The writing and direction on their film collaborations have created over the past 20 years a whole new branch of film, from farces such as The Big Lebowski and Burn After Reading to hard-hitting dramas in No Country for Old Men and True Grit. However, their latest screenplay venture, Gambit, a ludicrous story about an art heist, introduces a new collaboration with Michael Hoffman, director of quaint, lukewarm films such as The Last Station and One Fine Day. The film has the potential to be fantastic but, unfortunately, leaves something to be desired. A remake of the 1966 film by the same title that starred Michael Caine and Shirley Maclaine, the film begins with a cartoon opening that caricatures the film’s protagonists and takes audiences through the breadth of the plot. Harry Dean, played with consistent rigidity by Colin Firth, is employed by an arrogant, self-indulgent slime-ball of a London billionaire, Shahbander (Alan Rickman), and wishes revenge. Dean hires ‘The Major’, an art forger played by Tom Courtenay, to forge Monet’s Haystacks Dusk and proceeds to hire the chirpy, blonde cowgirl, PJ Puznowski (Cameron Diaz) as his gambit. Her hilarious task is to render the painting into her family history and persuade Shahbander into purchasing the fake
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Ben Affleck’s much-anticipated follow up to 2010’s The Town sources its narrative in an incredible, recently declassified CIA mission. In 1980, after the Iranian occupation of the American embassy, a joint CIA and Canadian secret operation was launched to extract six American diplomats who were hiding out in revolutionary Iran. After a plethora of failed plans, including the mere provision of bicycles, the secret service settled on a madcap plan to disguise the fugitives as members of a pre-production scouting team for a fictional feature film named “Argo”. One can only imagine the excitement that consumed producer George Clooney and director Affleck when they got their claws on this script. So how did they fare with a plot of such dramatic potential? Rather well. However, this success is crushed by a weight of Hollywood cliché that unfortunately rears its hackneyed head in the final moments. After a somewhat patronizingly simplified summary of the political landscape of 20th century Iran, the screen is host to one of the most
fast-paced, suspenseful pieces of filmmaking this side of Hitchcock. Rapid editing flits between the interior and exterior of the soon-tobe-besieged embassy as the hostility reaches melting point. It is impossible to not be entertained by this opener. However, the tone that is established at this point is curiously disingenuous as the subsequent second act is a slice of L.A., sun-soaked comedy. Against all odds, this incongruity works. The serious intensity of the feature’s beginning is ironically undermined as Affleck’s character goes through the motions of pre-production for the ridiculous, Star Wars-plagiarizing “Argo”. The oppressive suspense is forgotten as the Hollywood machine is self-reflexively satirized. Unfortunately, this refreshing selfdeprecation is fleeting, as the final scenes throttle home the film’s moral which seems to be: Hollywood is the omnipotent savior of us all. When the tension returns for the film’s zenith, it is the reading of a rough shooting script to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard which seems to be the central salvation for the fugitives. This I was willing to forget until the pointless addition of an All-American-
Opening Gambit can’t keep the joke going
return-to-the-nuclear-family scene which did nothing but undermine the excitement, biting wit and meta-nature of Argo. Despite this final gripe, I would still recommend this film as a thoroughly entertaining and gripping piece of cinema.
Argo Released 7th November Dir. Ben Affleck, 120 mins
The screenplay is rife with heightened prejudices and stereotypes
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for a mere £12 million. Simple. The screenplay is rife with heightened prejudices and stereotypes; a wealthy group of wide-eyed, bowing Japanese business executives interpreted by a gimmick translator; two British hotel clerks at the Savoy misinterpreting ‘The Major’ for sexual puns; Stanley Tucci playing a hefty-accented German art critic and dealer who speaks eight languages fluently, practices ‘physical culture’ on a treadmill and coins political-sounding phrases reminiscent of Hitler. The Coens indulge in these characters, making them running motifs in the film. Considering one of the narrator’s lines, ‘Harry Dean saw the world as he
like to see it’, the protagonist and the figures of his ploy are all too linear, despite their humourous niches. Rickman breaks out of his shell and plays the roles of both the debonair and the malicious and gives himself freely to the ridiculousness of his character, who seems to favour nudism as a hobby, Puznowski, however, is written sentimentally as the cowgirl who has never broken out of Texas. Despite this, she takes on all too readily the challenge of simultaneous persuasion and seduction and immediately integrates herself into the high-flying life of the London Savoy and country house galas. Certainly, the heist is not a realistic tactic of revenge, but nor is this choice of character to pull off such an act. Cameron Diaz fits the bill, exuding subconscious allure and charm, but, then again, so would many actresses; the role is not multi-faceted. Harry Dean’s character equally lies on too even a level. Firth executes deadpan and British-polite with impeccable comic timing, but the rest of his performance is underwhelming. Even when trapped in a cleaner’s cupboard, swigging hotel gin, making the decision that it ‘can’t be that hard’ to scale a ledge of the Savoy hotel building whilst holding a vase, stolen in the hope he might sell it to salvage himself out of debt, Firth is not frantic enough to keep the momentum of his plot. He does pull it off with a few brilliant twists and turns, but those thanks lie with the Coens. It is sort of bewildering how well British class humour mixes so well with the Coens’ sadistic style. A prolonged scene at the hotel depicts Firth as a male escort, yet the hotel staff, rather than expose him, play along with it; everyone becomes partially involved in the heist. The billionaire consorts with the small-town cow-girl and the world of pop Japanese karaoke is upgraded in the scene of the gala. Hoffman’s direction maintains a cool and distant eye, even as the heist becomes more complicated. But his style is not effortless; it lacks the epic alienation of the Coens’ directed films, a style that could have made Gambit a success. Unfortunately, it falls short of the top mark on the scale.
Gambit, Released 21st November Dir. The Coen Brothers, 89 mins
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Friday Night delight Catherine Blom-Smith
Gavin Da Silver predicts Breaking Bad’s ending
Every episode teeters on the brink of slapstick
around the idea that everyone reverts to their childhood selves when visiting the parental house, and ‘Pissface’ and ‘Pusface’ revel in this second childishness. Bird is unfortunately sometimes a bit Will McKenzie-ish in his sarcasm but has been lucky enough to land a part which requires this. In fact, deadpan delivery is abundant, which does stop the script become farcical. The characters may be predictable, the plot prescribed, but it makes me laugh out loud – which is all I ask for. Series 2 finished last week, but it’s all on 4od or YouTube. Friday Night Dinner is definitely worth a look if you want a bit of comforting normality sprinkled with familial madness.
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paint spillages, electrocutions and mice loose in the house and that’s just one episode. It could be an annoying gimmick, but here it’s charming and entirely credible. Bird and Greig are arguably the only two actors who are easily recognisable, yet the other cast members admirably hold their own. The show revolves
Friday Night Dinner Channel 4, catch up on 4od
Hugo Mathers is excited to be reunited with Mark and Jez after two long years
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2. Cancer relapse Walt’s cancer comes back. Season 5 opened with a future time lapse of a gaunt looking Walt in a café, coughing and taking pills. Walt is also seen undergoing an MRI scan in the season finale, a scene intentionally thrown in by the writers. By now we know that every snapshot in Breaking Bad is meaningful, so the deliberate inclusion of these two scenes implies that Walt has gone into remission. But what does this mean for Walt? Will Hank take pity on him and push aside his own morals to harbor Heisenberg? Or will the cancer finish Walt for good and mark the end the drug lord’s reign?
3. Walt loses his whole family
self-proclaimed status as a womanizer. Or will the ‘Hair Blair Bunch’ finally earn the acclaim they deserve? Will fanfavourite Super Hans finally shake his crack addiction? Will slick businessman Johnson make an appearance? Some things will never change. Despite their endeavours, Mark and Jez seem to end every episode worse off than they started out. Will series eight finally see them live happily ever after? Probably not, as series nine has already been commissioned.
A man who once used his family for justifying his actions is now driven by a more sinister motive – his ego. This is perhaps the worstcase scenario for Walt and also an ending suggested by show. The very first time we meet Walt in the show is his 50th birthday, where Skyler shapes his bacon into a 50 for him at breakfast. Interestingly, the future café scene in Season 5 begins with a lonely Walt on his birthday making his own bacon into the number 52. This subtle yet profound moment suggests the methamphetamine kingpin has lost everyone he cared about. Walt’s vanity and desire for notoriety – not the cancer – has ultimately destroyed all that is dear to him.
4. Baking Bad The writers decide to completely ignore Walt and co. but instead focus on Walt Junior as he decides to pursue his beloved passion of bakery. Hilarity ensues as Walt Junior’s haphazard attempts to perfect the art of the soufflé yields limited success. Think flour in the face and crotches covered in eggs type of stuff.
Think you’re a true Peep Show fan? Check out the Peep Show quotes quiz on channel4.com Peep Show Channel 4, Sundays at 10pm
noisiv.de
Channel 4
For those who are new to Peep Show, firstly: where have you been? The first series was launched back in 2003 and, unlike many similar programmes, has been consistently brilliant ever since. What makes it original – and what initially throws some viewers off – is the use of point of view shots which allow you to engage with the thoughts of the main characters, Mark and Jeremy. Through this stylistic technique, we as the television audience can live and breathe Mark’s endless anxiety and selfloathing, and Jeremy’s total arrogance, childish naivety and, above all, selfishness. Mark, played by David Mitchell, and Jeremy, portrayed
After Hank’s discovery that Walt is indeed the illusive Heisenberg, it is a certainty that there will be a final confrontation between himself and Walt. As surprising as it sounds, it is well within Walt’s persona to simply ‘ding’ his own brother in law in order to conceal his identity. That could well be why Walt’s seen purchasing a rather large gun at the beginning of the season. After all, this is a man who ordered a Godfather-esque execution of several men and poisoned an innocent child for his own selfish gains.
forbes.ccm
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Mark and Jez seem to end every episode worse off than they started out
by Robert Webb, are housemates with little in common. Mark is a passionate historian, with a morbidly cynical outlook on life, blindly looking for ‘the one’; whilst Jez is essentially a stoner, a failed musician, and hungry for sex. We have seen Mark, amongst other things, chase children down the street with a plank of wood, briefly contemplate homosexuality and jilt his fiancée at the altar. Jez meanwhile, did a poo in a pool, joined a cult and ate someone’s dog. So what can we look forward to in the new series? Mark will attempt to juggle a baby, a Dobby and a Jeremy, with the possibility of Sophie, Gerard or even Jeff complicating matters. Jez will inevitably continue his pathetically futile pursuit to break into the music industry, whilst still failing to fulfil his
Channel 4
This winter, Mark and Jez, everyone’s favourite social misfits, return to our television screens to warm our living rooms with their depressing and luckless, yet hilarious struggle through life. That’s right, after two years out, the ‘el dude brothers’ are finally back on the box. The twosome’s calamitous, cringe-worthy and often humiliating exploits continue for a record eighth series, making it Channel 4’s longestrunning sitcom of all time.
1. Hank and Walter – the final stand off
poptimal.com
Peep Show: ‘el dude’ boys are back
Spoiler alert: Next summer will conclude one of the most gripping and addictive TV dramas of all time as Breaking Bad is scheduled to air the last eight episodes of its fifth and final season. Just when fans thought Walt may escape unscathed from his debacle in the world of drugs, death and deception, the mid-season finale ensured the final episodes will see Walt face his comeuppances. Here are four possible conclusions to Vince Gilligan’s dark and brutal masterpiece:
Dr Deceit
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Channel 4
reason, playing the selfdeluded obsessive with great comedic wide-eyed strangeness. I wouldn’t let him in the house, and the Goodmans too always end up fending him off. Naming his dog Wilson is reminiscent of poor Tom Hanks’ only companion in Castaway, a clever trick on the part of the writer, Robert Popper. Jim, however, is the least of the Goodmans’ problems; every episode teeters on the brink of slapstick and does often descend into the realm of
Channel 4
The one bone I have to pick with series two of Friday Night Dinner is the fact that it’s broadcast on Sundays. But I forgive the programmers or timetablers or whoever’s left at the BBC when this issue goes out, because this is a genuinely funny sitcom where the sits are plausible and the com is authentic. I always hang on after Homeland with a few other die-hards to watch it (if only to diffuse the tension from the riveting antics of Sgt Nicholas Brody et al). Despite its post-watershed broadcast it is a refreshingly innocent sitcom about the life of the Goodman family’s Friday night family dinner, played in real time. Tamsin Greig and Paul Ritter play obliviously embarrassing Mum and Dad respectively. Simon Bird (of Inbetweeners fame) and Tom Rosenthal are their twentysomething sons Adam and Johnny. Their neighbour Jim, played by Mark Heap in the creepy supporting role, usually steals the show. Heap (right) has been ty p e ca s t with good
Will Walter White win?
Breaking Bad Series 4 available to buy now
MERR YC HAPP HRISTMAS from a Y NEW YE & A AR ll of u Epigra s here at m!
our diary
Harbour Wonderland
atershed Muppetry at the W Source:
Wednesday, 19 December 2012 - Saturday, 22 December 2012 5pm-7pm M Shed and Bristol Harbourside
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If you’re hanging around in Bristol after term ends, head down to the Harbourside to get yourself in the festive spirit. Local choirs will fill the air with carols, and M Shed’s café will be supplying hot drinks and mince pies to keep you warm. The museum and adjoining waterfront will be lit up with spectacular seasonal and historic films, projections and animations. If you’re looking to escape the madness of Christmas shopping, this is the place to be.
tol.org Source: at-bris
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ing down derland by head n o w r te in w s to a r Ente nk, which return ri e ic r o o td u o l those to Bristol’s stmas. Burn off al glide ri h C is th d ea m Broad fully es as you grace Christmas calori season’s latest knitwear. If is Perfect for the across the ice in th erson who tends to spend discerning Chri sh stm op fp you’re the type o e ice rather than standing, re per, the Made in Bristol Christmas as turns to Colston fair th Hall this Decem more time sat on n with a trained Ice Guide? fa be r. ir offers a great The sso alternative to th why not book a le From £5. e ge C
Source: flickr/YN 08-09
‘Made In Bristol’
This could be you!
£1 box office to get /WED/STD at the the 13th December CC 2/ I1 W de co n Mentio nesdays until s off entry on Wed turdays 10am-8pm and Sunday n Sa , Ja h pm 6t -8 10am-5pm until e.co.uk/ Open weekdays 12 www.bristolonic :// tp ht
Have yo u got a Email ed cultural secret t itor@epi gram.org o share? .uk
Fair
hristmas tat that neric many of us pan ic-buy in the days leading up to Christmas. Now in its fourth year, the fair will feature th e wares of over 100 local craf tspeople and desi gners.Ideal for picking up a quality gift for th e parents. Colston Hall Free en cember - 11am-4 try pm
Saturday 8 and 16 De
Epigram
03.12.2012
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Views from the Dugout... Christmas present special! A Manchester United onesie, so the real football fan can stay nice and warm whilst watching the game on their TV in Surrey, a bargain at £19.99
How about this adorable bobblehead of West Ham Chairman David Sullivan, who of course made his fortune in the adult entertainment industry. Fun for everyone for only £11.99!
Tour of Britain winner takes UoBCC for a spin Sam Game Sports Reporter
A bet on Watford FC to be promoted into the Premiership this season. A guarenteed money maker! £1000
this bet
Tiernan-Locke described the Bristol riders as ‘much fitter than expected’ which was a massive ego boost for all present! UoBCC will be closely following Jon’s progress in his first season with Team Sky.
Sam Game
Epigram Sport accepts no responsibilty for the £1000 you will lose if you make
UoBCC’s Performance Squad went for an impromptu ride with Tour of Britain winner and newly signed Team Sky rider Jonathan-Tiernan Locke this Tuesday. Tiernan-Locke, who is based in Bristol, was contacted via Twitter and agreed to ride with the club, taking time out of his intensive training schedule. The 10 UoBCC riders met at the Suspension Bridge and Jon arrived on his Team Issue Pinarello, previously ridden by Mark Cavendish. The route took the riders down to Chew Valley Lakes via the Airport,
with Tiernan-Locke riding in the midst of the bunch and chatting about his training regime, racing experiences and even clubbing in Bristol. Despite a number of mechanicals, the ride was a great success and
SPOTY - who will you be voting for? Here’s some help
Each of the twelve contenders on the shortlist for Sports Personality of the Year 2012 thoroughly deserve the award. After a vintage year for British sport, it will come down to the wire on 19th December when the year’s best personality contest is decided Laura Lambert Deputy Sport Editor
Bradley Wiggins There is no denying the achievements of this hero from Kilburn, who famously brought sideburns back into fashion. Some say that there should be no doubt that he deserves this year’s title, having become the first Briton to win the Tour de France. Whilst that would normally suffice, he added to his fantastic year by winning Olympic time trial gold. In terms of personality, if SPOTY ever actually comes down to that, there is no denying Wiggins has plenty of that, and his modesty and awkwardness surrounding his new-found fame is endearing. Jessica Ennis The poster-girl of London 2012 did not disappoint at London 2012. It is hard to imagine the pressure Jessica Ennis must have felt when she lined up for all seven events in the Olympic
Heptathlon, knowing that one slip-up would surely cost her gold. However, there was to be no such scenario, and with three personal bests, Ennis broke the
British heptathlon record and won gold by over 300 points. Even despite the immense focus she displayed throughout the event, her infectious smile and charming personality never wavered. In the interviews after she finally won gold, it became abundantly clear how affected she had been by the weight of expectation imposed on her by the media attention as tears of joy flowed.
Andy Murray In any other year, Murray would walk away with the award, having won Olympic gold and the US Open. Tennis fans across the country were enthralled by his performances in both these events, not forgetting the Wimbledon final where he tragically lost to Federer. His achievement is all the more special because British tennis has been forced to wait 76 years for a Grand Slam Champion. It does seem, though, that however impressive his breakthrough this summer was, the main challenge the British Number One faces is winning Wimbledon. When (not if) he does this, he should be awarded
James Bird
Fotopedia
Mo Farah Double Olympic champion Mo Farah performed outrageously well in the Olympic stadium this summer. Neither of his two golds came remotely easily, in terms of the preparation that was required to be in a position to compete in both events, or in the races themselves. On what became known as ‘Super Saturday’, Farah executed his race plan to perfection in the 10,000m, and outran his training partner Galen Rupp (USA) to secure his first Olympic gold. A week later he returned to the stadium to run half the
distance, but against equally stiff competition. In a very tactical race, Farah adapted well to the slow pace and produced an extraordinary final lap to seal his second gold. No one can fault Farah’s personality, and the popular “Mobot” celebration ensured children around the country will remember his Olympic achievements. Can he improve on his 3rd place in the award last year?
Flickr: Tab59
Most years the shortlist for BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year contains some dubious selections, and members of the public are unsure as to what athletes have done to deserve their consideration for the award. Not in 2012. This year has seen some of the most incredible British sporting achievements, and this year’s SPOTY award is wide open. The shortlist is dominated by Olympians and Paralympians (aside from Rory McIlroy), all of whom became household names over the course of this summer for their respective achievements. There are some athletes that will have come close to making the shortlist, namely Laura Trott (Cycling), Charlotte Dujardin (Equestrian) and Ian Poulter (Golf – Ryder Cup), but it had to be whittled down to 12. There is not room for an in-depth analysis of each
member of the shortlist, so here is a shortlist of the shortlist.
SPOTY without question. Of course, I may be wrong and one of the other contenders could walk away with the award, and would all thoroughly deserve it in their own right. However, it does seem that the country is most likely to unite in support of the above four. Rower Katherine Grainger won the hearts of many as she finally broke her duck of three Olympic silvers to win the women’s double sculls alongside Anna Watkins. Ben Ainslie continued his domination of the men’s Finn event by winning his fourth successive Olympic gold. 2008 SPOTY winner Sir Chris Hoy became the best British Olympian in history this summer (six golds and one silver), when he added two gold medals to his medal tally. David Weir (a.k.a the Weirwolf) dominated Paralympic wheelchair cycling with four golds, to add to the four medals he won in Beijing. There were many emotional moments in both the Olympics and Paralympics, but the pain
on the face of 17-year-old Ellie Simmonds as she battled hard to win four Paralympic medals in the Aquatics Centre brought many to tears. Women’s boxing in Britain has been lit up by Nicola Adams, who produced an unexpected Olympic gold in the Women’s Fly category, and the bubbly yet humble reaction of the Yorkshirewoman will have cemented her fan base. Sarah Storey is another brilliant ambassador for British sport, and her four Paralympic golds this summer makes her the fourth cyclist on the shortlist. Lastly, Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy has had a brilliant 2012, having recently won the World Tour Championship, helping Europe retain the Ryder Cup and sealed his second major title in the US PGA Championship. Predictions may be futile, as SPOTY is all decided by the public (and look how wrong they got it with X Factor), but it seems impossible to call it between Jessica Ennis and Bradley Wiggins.
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03.12.2012
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UBRFC Firsts leave Blues shell-shocked Continued from back page
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The game finished 25-6 and the elation of Bristol was clear to see after a clinical second half and an out-of-character 80-minute performance from the boys in maroon and black. A night in the Holiday Inn allowed for lengthy celebrations as Bristol immersed themselves in the nightlife of Cambridge.
Charlie Mortimer
and ghosted through the Cambridge defence, handing off tacklers with gay abandon, and, aided by a bit of skulduggery from ex-Bath Academy’s James Stephenson, the ball then found its way into the unlikely mitts of Freddie Slobart, who scrambled over the whitewash. With the metronome Boatman uncharacteristically off-target with the boot, Bristol went into half-time a single point behind. Bristol emerged from the changing room in the second half bursting with energy and vigour, taking the attack to Cambridge. The shell-shocked home side was subjected to the ball carrying weight of Wickes and Leslie, while being scythed down by Stephenson in attack. Kayange came to the fore once again mid way through the second half, intercepting a floated pass from the Cambridge 10 and striding under the posts from 50 metres to the roars of David
Cuthbertson and his merry band of travelling supporters. While Chris Robshaw was pointing to the posts, the Bristol captain was pointing to the corner, a decision justified a few phases later as the fleet footed Welsh International Jones scuttled over in the corner.
Smiles all round for the victorious First team and coaches
Brilliant Barracuda touchdown on another victory
An unexpected 14-7 win against Cardiff continues the American Football team’s brilliant season and puts towards top of the league Maxwell Meuth Sports Reporter The Barracuda sent a message to the rest of the SWAC conference on Sunday with an impressive 14-7 victory at home to the Cardiff Cobras. Running back Mike McDowell led by example once again with two touchdowns and the defence fought hard to ensure Cardiff went home empty handed. The win sees the Cuda continue their perfect start to the season, with two wins from two matches. For the first time this season, the Bristol Barracuda
hit the field of dreams up at Clifton College Sports Ground hoping for a victory against rivals Cardiff. The Cobras were considered one of the favourites to win the division in pre-season and the Cuda knew they were up for a fight. A cagey first quarter saw both teams’ offences make long drives up the field to no avail. The highlights included a superb diving catch by tight end Andrew Corbett in a fourth and long situation after a wellplaced pass by QB Jack Scott. This gave Bristol four new downs only ten yards from the endzone, but they were unable to make it count.
Paul Beard
Paul Beard
Both defences continued to be formidable throughout the remainder of the first half, making some great stops close to endzones. Cornerbacks Jamie Clarke and John Breitenbach were equal to the Cardiff deep threat, making some great hits and bat-downs to stop near certain touchdowns for the Cobras. Just as it looked like both teams would be heading into halftime scoreless, the Cuda offence produced a moment of brilliance. With the ball located on the 5-yard line, Jack Scott handed it off to Mike McDowell who followed his blocks perfectly, allowing him to race around the outside to a 75-yard touchdown. The Cuda sideline was ecstatic and sensed an upset was on the cards. 6-0 Cuda. The teams started the second half with Cuda receiving the kickoff and looking to follow on from their terrific first half performance. Unfortunately the first drive produced no joy and they were forced to punt away. Cardiff now looked to up the tempo and drove quickly down the field using a no-huddle offence. A questionable missed false start call by the officials allowed the Cardiff running back to force his way to the Bristol 2-yard line. The ball was punched in down the middle at the first time of asking and PAT kick was successful. Cuda 6-7 Cobras. It was now time for the Cuda offense to take to the field and
The Barracudas line up for another play
send an instant reply to the Cobras. Bristol worked the ball patiently down the field before Jack Scott hit wide receiver Toby Rickards with a short backside route who proceeded to push downfield to a 35yard gain, putting the Cuda in scoring position. Once again, it was McDowell who finished the drive after strong blocking by the O-line. Bristol decided to go for a 2-point conversion
and after several penalties the attempt was successful. Cuda 14-7 Cobras. Entering the final quarter, the tension was rising with both teams sensing victory. As a result, mistakes started to creep into both teams’ games with Cuda fumbling the ball on an outside run attempt and the Cobras dropping a punt return. It was now crunch-time for Cardiff who had to score to
keep the game alive. With the quarterback looking to throw the ball long, Cuda linebackers Dylan Pratt and James Stables constantly piled on the pressure, ensuring pass plays were rarely successful. Cardiff had one last throw of the dice and the play again fell incomplete, allowing the Cuda offence to take to the field and kneel the game out to seal a fantastic victory.
Epigram
03.12.2012
35
‘I had 13.3 seconds to define my career’
Epigram Sport interviewed Lawrence Clarke at the recent Bristol Reds’ Dinner. A former Theology student, here he discusses the balancing act that was being both a Bristol student and an Olympic athlete, as well as that evening at London 2012 Games Rupert Hill Online Sport Editor Team GB star and Olympian inspiration Lawrence Clarke sits down at the table and greets us warmly. Unlike the other two Olympians at the High Performance Dinner, he has no medal to show.Yet Clarke’s fourth place in the 110m Hurdle final is far from a disappointment. Instead, Clarke’s Olympic tale is a success story. Ranked outside the top 20 Hurdler’s before the Olympics began, Clarke just hoped to make the Semi-Final. Instead, Clarke ran an impressive 13:39 to finish in overall fourth, a result that exceeded his expectations.
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Rupert Hill
However, living a student life while regularly competing with world class athletes did pose its problems. Clarke recounts an amusing story from his first year: ‘It was about half a week after one of my races when I ran into one of my tutors. Rather irritated, she said to me: ‘you skived my lecture last week’. Then when she went home and turned on the TV and saw me racing in Stuttgart. She thought at least I wasn’t skiving by getting pissed or something’. Elite athletes are required to live a double life at university,
and it’s not always easy. Juggling international sport with academic and social commitments is not something every student has to contend with. Clarke occasionally found motivation hard to come by: ‘I used to come back from training at 1pm and all my housemates would still be asleep. It’s not always the most motivating factor’. Yet Clarke speaks with charisma and passion about his event, dwelling only fleetingly on his ‘depressing sober experiences in Lounge’, and focussing on the positives of his experiences. As he sips on an orange juice, Clarke recognises that a typical student life was not an option for him: ‘I don’t drink, especially not at the level I’m at now. None of my rivals drink. My body can’t handle it. After the last event of the year, every one of my rivals was relatively plastered after one drink!’ Clarke cites an honest relationship with his trainer Malcolm Arnold, a coach who in the past has worked with Colin Jackson, as an important actor to his success: ‘I always made sure my coach knew if I’d been out. The programme, to an extent, can be tailored to that. There is nothing worse than not telling your coach and him pushing you to the limit because he thinks you’re being a woos. Your body can’t sustain it and that’s how you end up getting injured.’ Despite the obvious difficulties of this tough balancing act, Clarke is pleased that he attained a 2:1 in Theology and appreciative of the fact that it enabled him to take his mind off athletics: ‘Doing track and field
is relatively claustrophobic. You need something to take yourself out of that world. Otherwise you become relatively stagnant as an athlete’.
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There are other journalists waiting to take his time but Clarke is in no hurry to move on. The old Etonian is immaculately spoken and behind the articulate exterior you can detect a steely determination. Clarke recalls his favourite Olympic memory without hesitation: ‘The evening
of the fourth of August when Jess Ennis, Greg Rutherford and Mo Farah won gold has to be the highlight. It was the ultimate Olympic moment.You couldn’t replicate it. We’ll never have that again probably.’ The country may not have that moment again, but you get the sense that Clarke’s best might yet be to come. Keen to mention that the peak age for an athlete in track and field is 26-30, at 22 Clarke will be the ideal age to improve on his fourth place finish in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and the World Championships, again in London, in 2017. Despite some important events before the next Olympics, Clarke knows the importance of the Olympics: ‘The Olympic games is what defines people’s careers. I had 13.3 seconds to define mine. It’s the most tense environment on the planet’.
Lawrence leading the way in last years BUCS Finals
Lifesaving Club swim rather than sink in national event Catherine Baldwin Sports Reporter
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The day ended at the Bristol University Students’ Union for food, a social and
most importantly results: 1st Birmingham A, 2nd Loughborough, 3rd Warwick A. Bristol A finished 5th and Bristol B finished 12th in a field of 26 teams. With some members of the teams competing for the first time, these were particularly impressive results for the club. The Bristol University Lifesaving Club would like to especially thank the Avon and Wiltshire Branch of the Royal Lifesaving Society and the Bristol Alumni Foundation for their generous grants, which enabled the club to hold a competition in Bristol for the second year running. Without the support of these two organisations the competition would not have been able to go
Caroline Baldwin
On Saturday 17th November Lifesaving clubs representing universities from across England, Scotland and Wales descended to Bristol ready to compete in the second competition of the year in the British Universities Lifesaving Clubs Association (BULSCA) league. The competition was held at Easton Leisure Centre, with teams competing in two simulated incidents; one on land, the other on water. Marks were received for the speed and accuracy of their rescues, along with the care given to the casualties. This was followed
by timed swimming events, including a rope throw relay, a medley relay and a towing relay. Competition was tough, especially in the final event where just seconds separated the teams from Birmingham, Bristol, Loughborough and Warwick.
Epigram
03.12.2012
Sport
Editor: David Stone
Deputy Editor: Laura Lambert
sport@epigram.org.uk
deputysport@epigram.org.uk
@epigramsport
Inside Sport
Cambridge left singing the Blues after they’re routed by Bristol Rugby
Team GB Olympic hurdling star and former Bristol student Lawrence Clarke talks to Epigram Sport about Lizard Lounge, lectures, and his lifestyle.
The Bristol Barracudas dream start to the BUCS season continues with another win, this time a great performance against a strong Cardiff side Charlie Knight
Charlie Mortimer Sports Reporter Cambridge Bristol
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Relieved to be travelling away from the boggy marshes of Coombe Dingle, the Bristol
University Rugby Club took on the Cambridge Blues in their final preparation game ahead of the Varsity match. The air of excitement was apparent in the Bristol camp as they turned up to the famous old Grange Road ground, many perhaps thinking what could have been. In the absence of coaching duo Salter and Higgit, last years
captain Dr Nicholls took over the responsibilities as stand-in head coach. Bristol hit the ground running, dominating the early exchanges and securing a penalty at the all-important first scrum. Early pressure wasn’t converted into points however, and Cambridge edged their way into the match with
some expertly judged tactical kicking resulting in two penalty goals and a 6-0 lead against the run of play. The highlight of the first half was undoubtedly when Bristol’s Kenyan superstar Humphrey Kayange picked from the base of the scrum... Continued on Page 35
Next Issue: Interview with Olympic Silver sailor Hannah Mills